A Brief Overview

The art of the plated dessert is a fairly new aspect of the pastry chef’s craft. Until recently, desserts in fine restaurants were presented on a pastry cart and plated by the dining room staff, or else they were plated very simply in the kitchen, again by the dining room staff or, sometimes, a pantry cook. Hot desserts such as soufflés may have been prepared by a line cook. The head chef or one of the cooks, perhaps a pantry cook, often prepared the desserts, or they were purchased from an outside vendor. If the restaurant employed a pastry chef, she or he was simply an anonymous cook.