As I continue to fine my palate during culinary school (you can read about that at My Journey in Culinary school), I’ve been gaining an interest of the more savory aspect of deserts. Don’t get me wrong I still love my sweets but because of the amount I’ve been tasting everyday, I need more to balance out all that sweetness. Plus it’s a very interesting concept that has gained momentum the last 30 years.

Today however, at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education), a demo was offered by Chef Michael Laiskonis. I took full advantage of this. Chef Laiskonis focused on using vegetables as a base to desserts.

No we didn’t make carrot cake but he used a a lot of fall and winter seasonal vegetables and fruits (mostly root veggies) to create flavor.

Sounds really odd right? I was hesitant to go as I wasn’t sure how much I might enjoy it but I’m so glad I did. We tried deliciously amazing deserts that were on the healthier side, but we also learned a lot.

Above are some photos I took of his work (thank you Chef Michael Laiskonis) but not only were these deserts full of flavor, they offered the perfect balance of savory and sweet. His playing was also beautiful. I walked away with more inspirations of trying new things, playing around with crazy ingredients (at least for pastries) and I’m excited for Chocolate day in class with Chef Laiskonis.

I encourage everyone to take a class of you can, but also don’t be afraid of something bizarre. Jump in and try it, you never know what you might like.