Nielsen Massey "Tart It Up!" Event : Big Success!

I had the opportunity to attend the “Tart It Up!” event which was hosted by Nielsen Massey Vanilla company in Waukegan, Il yesterday. The famous UK pastry chef, Eric Lanlard demonstrated two recipes from his latest book, Tart It Up!.

Tart It Up! by Chef Eric Lanlard

I think I was as excited about meeting Craig Nielsen, Beth Nielsen and Matt Nielsen as I was about Chef Eric’s baking demonstration. The Nielsen Massey story is quite remarkable and this third generation Nielsen team has continued the Vanilla legacy.

Craig Nielsen, Beth Nielsen, Matt Nielsen

As soon as I stepped into the front door of the Nielsen Massey plant, I was greeted by Craig Nielsen and given a warm welcome. The Nielsens were such gracious hosts —I felt like I was attending a party in their home instead of a presentation at their plant. Beth Nielsen also promptly welcomed me and later gave us all a tour of their new state-of-the art commercial kitchen. As I listened to Beth talk about the kitchen – how every detail was carefully selected by her – I came to realize that this is more than vanilla to the Nielsens. This is a family history over three decades strong. Matt Nielsen hosted a tour of the plant at the end of the day. The plant tour can be found under my post, ” Everything’s Coming Up ….Vanilla Beans at Nielsen Massey”.

Now back to Chef Eric….

Vickie Meets Chef Eric Lanlard

Chef Eric’s baking demonstration covered the basics of making a crust as well as a sweet pie ( Pecan)

And a savory tart, Salmon with Mustard and Dill Tart

I learned a new technique for pastry making… what Chef Eric referred to as “rubbing the flour”. He used his hands to mix the butter and flour together – instead of a pastry cutter as we have all learned to use in pie crust making. He said that a good pastry chef has to learn how the dough “feels” and that can only be done with your hands. He said that pastry making is not cooking — it’s chemistry. And, because it is chemistry, a pastry recipe should be followed closely and not altered. I loved his stories about being a pastry chef. He said, “We bring smiles to people’s faces! Pastry chefs create cakes for weddings…birthdays….special occasions…and people always smile when they see the cake!”.

Chef Eric said that the home “pastry chef” can create every recipe in his book. And, if your pastry turns out less than perfect — just tell everyone it has the new “rustic look”! I think the whole point is to try new things and learn to be comfortable doing it. The kitchen is a place to enjoy with your family and friends.

We all got to sample the Pecan Pie and Salmon Tart before the much anticipated tour of the Nielsen Massey plant.