Discusses her latest cookbook

August 25, 1999

Cordon Bleu chef Kathy Shaw chats about “Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques” and shares some of her favorite dishes.

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Foodcourt: Welcome to Foodcourt! William Morrow Books and The Talk City Network are proud to present our special guest, Kathy Shaw, here to chat about, "Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques." Please welcome Kathy Shaw! Thanks for being with us today.

Kathy Shaw: Bonjour everyone!

Greg: What makes this cookbook any different than others?

Kathy Shaw: It's actually less of a cookbook and more of a reference book. It goes over various techniques, with recipes using the techniques. But it's mainly techniques, with recipes using them being shown in full color photographs.

Harvey: I don't speak French and this may seem kinda lame, but what does "Le Cordon Blue" mean? And how did it get to be the main French cooking standard?

Kathy Shaw: Le Cordon Bleu means "blue ribbon.” And the history of the term dates back to the sixteenth century, when there was an Order of the Knights of the Holy Spirit. And they would hold these huge, ostentatious feasts, with lots of food and drink that would go on forever. They would wear the Cross of the Holy Spirit suspended around their necks, suspended on a blue ribbon. They were often referred to as Blue Ribbon, or Cordon Bleu, and eventually the term Blue Ribbon became associated with food or high gastronomy. And to this day in France, if you want to say that someone is a gourmet cook, you say they are Cordon Bleu. And that's where the term comes from.

Nupur: Which dessert is the best to make when you have very less time?

Kathy Shaw: If you don't have much time probably a dessert using fresh fruit, because fruit is very versatile. You can simply toss it with a liqueur, or serve it with some whipped cream. And certainly don't hesitate to use shortcuts by making use of already prepared ingredients. If you don't have a lot of time, avoid at all costs, any time of gelatin based dessert that requires a sufficient amount of time for chilling.

FlowerPower1231: When you make cakes what is the best kind of frosting to use?

Kathy Shaw: It depends on the type of cake, obviously. Like a two piece suit, the top and the bottom should match. So, everyone knows that a carrot cake goes best with a cream cheese frosting. But as an alternative, a white chocolate icing would go just as well. A basic buttercream flavored with vanilla should go with almost any flavor of cake.

Foodcourt: Do you like all the desserts in the book?

Kathy Shaw: No (laughing) One thing you have to learn as a professional is that you are making food for other people. Which means, at times, you are going to make things that you don't particularly like. At our schools, students are encouraged very strongly to learn the taste of everything, whether they like it or not. My personal preference? I do not like candied fruit, and I do not like alcohol in desserts.

Chocochip: How to make an eggless home-made cake as fluffy and "juicy" as a bakery cake? Thanks in advance.

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