Garden Route produce a huge hit ByATHANESCHOLJZ Garden Route Reporter IT WAS the second time one of the world's greatest pastry chefs visited Knysna, and once again American En-Ming Hsu was sorry she could not stay longer. Straight from the bright lights of Las Vegas, En-Ming's greatest treat while visiting the Garden Route was "treasure hunting" at local farm markets and buying bottles of fig preserve. "South Africa is entering a new level of interest and involvement with food, which is very exciting for someone who loves the industry as much as I do,"she said. "I've not had much time to explore other parts of South Africa, but the Garden Route residents already impress me with their passion for growing and making food. "1 spoke to local producers of everything from organic produce to cheese, wine and dried fruit - people are so dedicated to quality and taste in the region." One of several top national and international chefs to address training chefs and kitchen enthusiasts at the second annual Gastronomica food and lifestyle festival in Knysna last month, En-Ming was a firm favourite among festival participants. Not only does she have a natural way to transfer her award-winning skills, but she also has a keen sense of adventure that translates into her approach to her work and life in general. "I am going to ride an ostrich before I leave, buy goats' cheese and more fig preserve - I actually limit myself to one fig a month so that it lasts me to my next visit," she laughed. Despite her obvious passion for sweet and yummy things, En-Ming is skinny as a rake. "I believe in tasting everything that goes out of my kitchen but I can't overeat. If you work with sweet things all day, you reach a saturation point. When I get home from work, I literally smell and taste of chocolate and sweets." Born and bred in Richmond, Virginia, En-Ming has always had a keen interest in cooking but only pursued her true passion after obtaining a degree in fine arts and photography. She then studied at the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in New York, opting for a pastry qualification in which her artistic background and attention to detail paid off. In 1994, she joined the Ritz-Carlton Chicago Hotel where she served as executive pastry chef for eight years. During this time, En-Ming mastered the art of chocolate and sugar showpiece work, classic and modern pastries, frozen desserts and speciality cdnfectionery. ' She has won several awards including Best Pastry Chef in America twice, Best Pastry Chef in Chicago three times, and a geld medal at the prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in France. Two years ago executive sous chef ' husband Tim Beres was commissioned to open a new restaurant in Las Vegas and En-Ming thought it the ideal opportunity to spread her wings into pastry consulting. "I've identified the need for consultation and advice in several different aspects of the industry and now provide a service for food product distributing companies, restaurants, hotels and food importers. It includes research, demonstrations and recipe development." Her latest project is the management of the US pastry team participating in the World Cup competition in France in January. "Food has become a major industry throughout the world and yet it can be applied in its most simplistic form at home, fpr the enjoyment of all." En-Ming enjoys the challenge of working with ingredients available at local markets. "I go shopping in markets looking for interesting fruits, nuts and cheeses and then try and combine the right flavours. There's also been this 'revolution' in the chocolate-making industry that lends itself to very wide interpretation and a lot of research. "Different types of chocolate work with different kinds of sweets and I experiment with each." Hoping for another stint on the Garden Route next year, En-Ming looks forward to sharing more of her secrets with a very willing audience. "What a pleasure to return to such a diverse region. I am definitely booking extra days next time -1 hear there's a whole range of markets and farm stalls to visit, and lots of other preserves still undiscovered. I can't wait."
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