Showing posts with label Guy Allan Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guy Allan Davis. Show all posts

Friday, 30 June 2017

Guy Allan Davis Known as High Quality Artisan Breads Specialist

Guy Allan Davis is certified Master Chef based in Kelowna, British Columbia. He specializes in pastries, cakes, chocolates and artisan breads, including sour dough, ryes, and whole grain breads.
He has developed gluten-free breads and deserts for people who are limiting or avoiding gluten. And for those who don’t have to worry about gluten, he is known for the high quality artisan breads he has created.


There isn’t much disagreement: not all bread is created equal, and for bread lovers, artisan breads represent the pinnacle of bread making. “How can a nation be great,” Chef Julia Childs once asked, “if their bread tastes like Kleenex?” Compared to ordinary packaged bread available in most grocery stores, the difference is night and day. Real, artisan breads such as those created by Guy Allan Davis possess a flaky crust and light texture that is the real deal; the way that bread is meant to be.


“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” said the noted food writer M.F.K. Fischer. For most Western cultures bread is a food staple, part of the every diet. Give us this day our daily bread. Artisan bread, like that produced by Guy Allan Davis, refers to bread made using traditional methods. Part of the traditional method of bread making is using a long fermentation process, which allows the natural enzymes to react with the flour in its own time. The result is certainly worth waiting for: the robust flavor and texture that true bread lovers exult in.


Guy Allan Davis, said one of his former colleagues, “is extremely skilled in artisan breads.” He has worked in the bakery department of kitchens throughout Canada, and did internships in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France. He has been certified as a Master Chef since 2007.

Monday, 26 June 2017

Guy Allan Davis: Laminated Dough Specialist

Guy Allan Davis is a certified Master Chef who has developed his own artisan breads, and bread doughs that go directly from the freezer to the oven without any loss of quality.


He developed the dough, he says, “to provide a fresh product throughout the day, and reduce lower wage costs and increase profit margins.”


Guy Allan Davis is also a specialist with laminated dough. Laminated dough is a technically complicated type of dough that produces hundreds of flaky, airy layers in baked products. A good example of laminated dough is that which is made for puff pastry and croissants. It is made by a process of folding butter into dough many times, in order to create thin and alternating layers of butter and dough. The folding and rolling process of creating laminated dough also helps to develop the dough’s gluten.


“As you might imagine, there are many factors affecting successful lamination – dough temperature, butter temperature, resting time, rolling technique,” said another laminated dough specialist. “But with a little care and patience during the process, the payoff is a unique lightness and airiness that results from the thin sheets of butter steaming in the oven and puffing the dough. In the case of yeasted laminated doughs, the payoff is even greater: Leavening with yeast results in an even airier crumb, with small, irregular pockets.”



In making laminated dough, the dough is folder over butter, and then rolled out again with an ordinary rolling pin. The more times this is done, the more layers of butter and dough are formed. Guy Allan Davis is one of the few who are skilled in this practice.

Thursday, 22 June 2017

Guy Allan Davis: Reduced Sodium Bread

Guy Allan Davis is a Certified Master Chef whose home base is Kelowna, British Columbia. He has studied his craft throughout Europe, and received his certification in 2007.

Guy Allan Davis “is definitely a leader rather than a follower,” said Executive Chef Mahmud Sayyad in 2009. “Allan developed a reputation for creating special desserts themes for unique occasions. Allan has proven his philosophy to make at least 85% of all dessert and bread items from scratch” – an extraordinary feat in Sayyad’s large-scale operation.


Among Guy Allan Davis’s innovations is his development of reducing sodium in bread and other baked goods by twenty-three percent, “all without sacrificing any of the flavor.” Sodium is an essential mineral, but maintaining a low-sodium diet is important for many people with heart problems.


The development of low-sodium bread is significant, because cutting down on sodium consumption is more than just avoiding the salt shaker. Bread is one of the so-called “Salty Six” that some heart patients have been cautioned about. The other high-sodium foods identified by doctors and nutritionists are rolls, bagels, and flour tortillas, as well as cold cuts and cured meats. By limiting sodium and fluid intake, these patients can better control the amount of fluid around the heart, lungs, and legs.


Ideally, meals should be made with fresh ingredients, and with no added salt. That way, you know exactly what is going into your meals. But most of us are accustomed to having salt in our food, and eliminating it can result in bland, flavorless meals. To compensate, look for salt substitutes, or begin to explore the vast range of herbs and spices that to satisfy your palate while keeping salt intake under control.



Guy Allan Davis has also created freezer-to-oven bread dough, and tempting desserts and chocolates with reduced sugar, for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Thursday, 4 May 2017

Guy Allan Davis Sharing his Views on Benefits of Buying Local

Guy Allan Davis is a respected pastry chef based in Kelowna, British Columbia. He is a Certified MasterChef specializing in Patisserie and Confiserie. Mr. Davis is also an advocate of buying local ingredients.


Buying local might seem to be a fad, or simply too expensive, but in the eyes of a passionate chef like Guy Allan Davis, it is anything but. In addition to lower costs, buying local offers benefits like those touched on below:

·         Taste and Presentation.

Locally-grown food tastes better. When ingredients are packaged at their peak, everything from cheese to lettuce has a better, fresher flavor. Furthermore, you can purchase locally-grown goods in a less-processed state, meaning they look better and improve the presentation of your food.



·         Health.

With a shorter farm-to-table period, the nutrients in the food have less time to deteriorate. Often, the further away food comes from, the less nutritious it is when it hits your plate. This means that local ingredients can nourish your body more than ones from out of state or country.


·         Agriculture.

Buying local boosts agriculture by helping to preserve genetic diversity in plants. Rather than selecting varieties based on their ability to grow uniformly and survive packaging, local suppliers can choose what to grow based on quality.



If you’re as passionate about baking and cooking as Guy AllanDavis is, think before you shop and buy local whenever you can.



Thursday, 2 February 2017

Guy Allan Davis: The Rules for Dessert Frosting

When creating frosting like Guy Allan Davis would, you want to make sure that it will win the eaters of your dessert with its taste and that it is smooth and spreadable enough for you to decorate your dessert with it.


With this in mind, pay special attention to sifting and creaming at the preparation stage. You want your frosting to have no clumps and be thoroughly creamed. Both of these goals are accomplished with thorough preparation at the initial stages of the creation of your frosting.

You also want to make sure that the equipment that you are using to prepare your frosting is absolutely clean. If you have to use the same mixing bowl that you used to prepare your other creations, wash it thoroughly. When equipment is not clean, you run the risk of introducing unwanted colors and tastes to your frosting. While a touch of a different color may be unnoticeable in a big cake, it will most likely stand out in a thin layer of frosting.


Most people like variety and bold flavors and combinations. This means that you don’t necessarily have to pair up chocolate pastry with chocolate frosting. You can invent other combinations and experiment with different desserts and various kinds of frostings for them just like Guy AllanDavis would.

Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Guy Allan Davis- Flour and Baking of Bread

Guy Allan Davis knows people who may have thought at some point that all flour is the same. One of the first things you will learn if you decide to start baking your own bread is that this thinking is really far from the truth. Flour can be not just a product, but also a science and the sooner you understand that the sooner you will be able to start baking great-tasting bread. Flour can come from many sources, including wheat, potatoes, and rice. Most classic bread recipes from baguettes to brioche use wheat flour. One of the most important factors that you need to pay attention to when choosing flour for your bread is gluten content.


Gluten is a type of protein. It consists of two elements. The first element, glutenin, provides gluten with elasticity. The second element is gliadin and it is responsible for resistance to stretching. These two components usually create the internal structure of the dough. Most bread flours have gluten content between eleven and thirteen percent. The problem with gluten is that modern manufacturers add it to a lot of products, which is why many people eventually may become allergic to gluten. This is why many bakers like Guy Allan Davis work on creating gluten-free breads and desserts that can be consumed even by people allergic to gluten.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Guy Allan Davis: What You Need to Know about Chocolate

One of the reasons why Guy Allan Davis decided to become a chocolatier is because chocolate is one of the most popular flavors in the Western World. Vanilla is the only flavor that is more popular than chocolate. The difference between chocolate and vanilla is that vanilla is flavoring and chocolate is a food, a medicine, and an aphrodisiac. We know that chocolate was a part of Mayan religious ceremonies and in the mid-century Europe a cup of hot chocolate was a part of the daily routine for those who could afford it.


The cacao tree is the source of cocoa and chocolate. The tree grows in just a few parts of the world such as Brazil, Ivory Coast in western Africa and others.  The tree is very sensitive to climatic conditions and various infections such as fungus. Most cacao trees that produce commercial chocolate grown in Africa near the equator. Other major cocoa growing regions include Indonesia, Malaysia, and countries in Central America. Cocoa trees are very fragile, which is why cocoa pods need to be harvested by hand. Workers cut the pods and select only the ripe ones. Each pod contains between twenty and forty cocoa beans covered by fruit pulp. Workers remove the beans, pile them, cover and allow them to ferment. Fermentation lasts from two to seven days and represents the first step in the conversion of beans into chocolate. Fermentation makes the beans darker in color and changes their flavor. It also increases the acidity of the beans, which is the first step in chocolate flavor development. Further steps include both roasting and conching.

The fruit pulp that surrounds the beans eventually warms up, turns into a liquid and drains out. The beans are then cured, often by simply staying in the sun, but sometimes also over an open fire. During the process, the beans lose about half of their weight. If cured improperly, they develop smoky or moldy flavors. Cured beans then get packaged and delivered to processing plants all over the world where they are cleaned, roasted and turned into different forms of chocolate.


Today most chefs and bakers have an astounding variety of cocoa and chocolate products to choose from. These products vary significantly in quality and price. When choosing chocolate for baking purposes, you first need to learn the makeup and functionality of different kinds of chocolate. After that, you can develop a palate by trying a variety of products.

Like most other nuts and seeds, cocoa beans contain a lot of valuable nutrients. They are very high in fat and are a good source of minerals and fiber. The fat in cocoa beans is naturally highly saturated and is solid at room temperature. It also doesn’t raise the blood cholesterol levels like other fats do, which is why pastry chefs like Guy Allan Davis can prepare desserts that are actually good for you.

Friday, 20 January 2017

Guy Allan Davis: Planning Your Workspace for Dessert Creation

Guy Allan Davis noticed that most of the professional educational video courses on cooking, baking, and dessert creation are filmed in ultra-expensive, million dollar kitchens with polished stainless steel counters, multiple sinks, and several double ovens. In reality, you do not need a kitchen like this to accomplish your goals of learning to create delicious desserts. In fact, many popular chefs have started in the crushed confines of very tiny kitchens.


What you do need instead is to analyze your space and make sure that you prepare it for your baking and decorating activities. You will probably need to delineate the area where you will be decorating your desserts. You also need to figure out where you are going to keep your appliances, both big and small. The goal is for you to be able to access them quickly, conveniently, and efficiently. You also need to identify how much counter space you will need and adopt habits that will allow you to have the space available and uncluttered.

In addition to typical appliances such as a refrigerator, an oven, a stovetop, and a freezer, you will also need a food processor for chopping nuts and other ingredients into powders, a spice or coffee grinder, and a mixer. Dessert preparation usually has two stages. The first stage is baking and the second one is decorating. Because decorating largely takes place after baking is over, you can use the same space for both. At the same time, you can’t just work anywhere where you can place your cake down. You need room and access to your decorating tools, supplies, frostings, and embellishments.



If you have a cake board, place it in the middle of your workstation to get an idea of how much space it will take. If you don’t own accessories such as a turntable or a cake board, place a baking pan to get a rough idea of how much space a cake will take and how much space you will have left for your appliances. If you don’t have enough room in one part of your kitchen, you need to become creative and either start using an island with wheels or find a place that will have enough space for a cake and decorating supplies. The space that you choose for decorating does not necessarily have to be exclusive to decorating; it just needs to be your base during the process. This means that it is fine if you have to shuffle around and move certain things and items in your kitchen. You can place them back when you are done just like Guy Allan Davis would do.

Thursday, 27 October 2016

Guy Allan Davis - Qualities That A Good Chef Needs

Guy Allan Davis has worked as a chef for the majority of his career, focusing primarily on patisserie and confection. In doing so, he has needed to develop a number of key qualities that make him a desirable employee. The following are all important traits that chef’s must possess.

Creativity
If you do not have a creative mind you will be unable to think of new ways to blend ingredients and present the dishes that you create. While this doesn’t prevent you from being a god cook, it will reflect poorly in your work as a chef, especially if customers have high expectations for the quality of the food they eat on all levels.



Dedication
Working as a chef is a demanding job and it takes an enormous amount of dedication to learn everything that you need to know. A lack of focus in your work leads to mistakes being made, which reflects poorly on your talents as a chef and may make it harder to find work.

Leadership
Chefs need to be able to organize their kitchens to get everybody focused on creating amazing dishes. This is an area where Guy Allan Davis excels, with Mahmud Sayyad, who is the Executive Chef at the Capri Center, stating: “Allan has proven leadership ability by organizing the patisserie, and is more than capable of managing his brigade...” This ability to lead is crucial if you want to take control of your own kitchen and ensure your ideas are seen through to fruition.

Sunday, 9 October 2016

Guy Allan Davis - Tips For You First Skiing Holiday

Guy Allan Davis has been skiing since the age of five and relishes any chance that he has to spend some time on the slopes. It is natural to feel a little bit wary about your first efforts in skiing, especially if they are going to take place during a holiday. With that in mind, the following are some useful tips for you to follow to make sure you get the most out of both the trip and the sport.

Borrow As Much Equipment As Possible
Skiing can be an expensive sport, as there is a lot of equipment that you are going to need to stay safe when you’re on the slopes. Worse yet, if you buy all of this gear and then find that the sport isn’t for you, there’s a rather big hole being burned in your wallet for no reason. With that in mind, it is a good idea to borrow and rent as much equipment as possible in preparation for your first ski holiday. This will allow you to get a taste for the sport without having to financially commit yourself to it.

Book A Chalet
Most ski resorts offer the option of staying in a chalet or a self-catered apartment. The apartments are great for experienced skiers who want a little freedom, but first-timers should stick to the chalet. This offers them more chances to find out about lessons and other useful things that will help them to get more out of their holidays, plus they will have a lot of comforts that aren’t always available in the apartments.

Work On Your Fitness
Like most sports, a certain level of physical fitness is required if you are to get as much as possible out of skiing. You should focus on your cardio and strengthening your muscles, particularly your legs and core. You don’t need to become an Adonis, by any means, but make sure that you are fit enough to handle the lessons and repeated trips down the slopes before you arrive.

Work With Qualified Trainers
You may have a few friends who have skied before who may want to offer advice. It can be hard to say no to this, but remember that they are not qualified to teach and you may end up developing bad habits based on their advice. Work with a qualified instructor, either beforehand or during the holiday, to make sure that you learn properly.

Keep An Eye On The Weather
The weather in the mountains changes constantly, so you need to keep an eye on the forecasts and prepare for the whole day. Take a rucksack with you so you can change clothes whenever you need to.
Guy Allan Davis has been skiing since the age of five and encourages others to try the sport.

Monday, 25 July 2016

Guy Allan Davis - Natural Sugar Alternatives

Guy Allan Davis knows that not everyone can or wants to eat a lot of sugar. He uses some natural sugar alternatives in his cakes and desserts to make them taste great and so everyone can enjoy them. Here are some natural sugar alternatives you may want to try in your recipes.


Honey
Honey is a popular alternative to sugar and has many health benefits. There are many different types of honey and each one has a different flavor. You may find that you prefer certain types of honey for certain types of pastries.

Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is often used as a replacement for sugar and has a sweet and unique taste. Not everyone enjoys the maple taste of the syrup, but it works great with many types of recipes. Maple syrup is easy to find.

Stevia
Stevia leaves are often made into a powder or syrup that can be used as a sweetener in desserts and other recipes. It’s natural, and has no carbs or calories, and doesn’t raise blood sugar.

Agave Syrup
This sweet syrup comes from the agave plant. The leaves of the plant are boiled down to create the syrup and it is very sweet. You may only need to use a small amount of agave syrup to sweeten your pastries or desserts.

Guy Allan Davis is always considerate of the people who have food allergies or cannot consume a lot of sugar. That is why he chooses to use sugar alternative in some of his pastries and desserts.

Thursday, 19 May 2016

Guy Allan Davis - Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Guy Allan Davis is a pastry chef and chocolatier. He knows that dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health.

Chocolate is one of the most craved foods in the world and it has gotten a lot of media attention in recent years because it is believed that it may help protect the cardiovascular system. This is because the cocoa bean used in making chocolate is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids. These nutrients have antioxidant qualities and also have other potential influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot. Also, the cocoa flavones in dark chocolate can help protect against sun-induced damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration.

Furthermore, a Finnish study found that chocolate reduced stress in expectant mothers, and that the babies of such mothers smiled more often than the offspring of non-chocolate-eating parents.
However, you should be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marshmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is not a heart-healthy food option.

Finally, dark chocolate contains a number of vitamins and minerals that can support your health. The copper and potassium in dark chocolate help prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments.
Guy Allan Davis is a pastry chef, wedding cake designer and a chocolatier. He has passion for providing consistent product every time for the clientele that looks as good as it tastes. He is a resident of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

Thursday, 12 May 2016

Guy Allan Davis - Importance of Self-Discipline

Guy Allan Davis is a passionate pastry chef and a member of World Master Chefs Society (WMCS). He knows that self-discipline is the most important attribute needed to achieve any type of personal excellence, athletic excellence or virtuosity in the arts.

Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in order to gain long-term satisfaction and fulfillment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals.

Being disciplined does not mean living a limiting or a restrictive lifestyle. It does mean learning how to avoid distractions and focus your mind, resources and energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished. Self-discipline will help you to cultivate a mindset whereby you are ruled by your deliberate choices rather than by your emotions or bad habits. Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more happy and satisfying life. Furthermore, self-discipline will help to boost your self-esteem and confidence.

A disciplined life includes having good habits like eating the right foods, having a bath, getting enough exercise, and waking and sleeping at right times. These habits help to keep the body and mind healthy. The easiest way to get respect is to be disciplined; people’s respect for you will grow and you will influence the lives of others. Disciplined individuals are more likely to experience great success in all areas of their lives and they enjoy a more rewarding and satisfying life.

Guy Allan Davis is a consultant and a certified master chef who specializes on patisserie designation in pastry. He loves skiing and riding bikes.

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Guy Allan Davis - How to Become a Successful Professional

Guy Allan Davis is a certified master chef who specializes on patisserie designation in pastry. He knows that you have to be well informed and be ready to do your best in order to secure your share of success.

Irrespective of your line of business, sales are probably an important part of your field. Even if you don't actually work in sales, as a professional you will need to be able to sell ideas, project roles, and cooperation. To become a successful professional, you need to learn to listen sincerely to others and understand their needs, desires, fears, and frustrations. Instead of talking people into something that they do not necessarily want, try to allow that person to reach the decision on their own. Whether you're selling products or ideas, learn to present your product with clarity, concision and honesty and highlight the advantages or benefits of that product.

To become a successful professional, you also need to hone your communication skills. How you communicate can make or break your professional opportunities. Be aware of your appearance, words, tone, and body language.

No matter what professional field you work in, the ability to get along with others and work collaboratively is an important part of any business. Accept that you may not agree with others all the time and they may not always agree with you. It is always better to seek a win-win situation. Do not try to argue or fight with others, as this may result in fractured professional relationships.

​Guy Allan Davis  is a pastry consultant and a member of World Master Chefs Society (WMCS). He graduated from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Canada, and Jon Jacob School of Technology, Germany.

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

Guy Allan Davis - The Life of a Pastry Chef

From the outside looking in, the life of a pastry chef can seem pretty easy. From coming up with new recipes to sampling some of the sweetest, finest ingredients on earth, there is a lot to love about the job.
However, as professional pastry chef Guy Allan Davis knows, it’s not all about crème brulee and confections. Make no mistake, being a pastry chef is a challenging job that requires individuals to be mentally and physically prepared for the demands. The pastry kitchen is one that tests the limits of each chef, and only those with the right balance of skill and knowledge thrive.

If you think being a pastry chef is a career option you might want to consider, it’s important to know as much about the job beforehand.

Training
Among the world’s best pastry chefs are some practitioners who have learned on their own and through apprenticeships, while there are others who have attended culinary school to learn the necessary skills.
Preparing desserts and pastries is a science and an art that requires scientific knowledge and technical skills. As a result, many professional pastry chefs often recommend that formal education is important in teaching aspiring chefs the fundamental concepts of the trade.

Daily work
In the course of a typical day, a pastry chef will have a number of responsibilities on their hands. These range from coordinating the efforts of other kitchen staff to developing new desserts and pastries. For skilled pastry chefs, there is also the aspect of procuring the right ingredients for making pastries.

Friday, 25 March 2016

Guy Allan Davis - The Unheralded Benefits of Internships

If you’re still considering whether to pursue an internship or not, the statistics alone should push you towards signing up for one. For many professionals in many fields, internships proved to be valuable avenues to learn about the job and get the experience needed to start their careers. Guy Allan Davis, a pastry chef and bread baker, took on various internships at the start of his career to learn more about pastry making. It was through these internships that Mr. Davis was able to begin a successful career.

Here’s how you can benefit from an internship.

Gain industry knowledge
Being able to work in your preferred industry and talk to established professionals is priceless. Internships are a good way to learn more about your field of interest, and they supplement the knowledge gained in the classroom.

Apply classroom knowledge
Alongside learning more about the field, an internship provides an opportunity to put your knowledge into practice. Interning for a company allows you to learn how classroom knowledge applies in the field and supports the views taught in a classroom setting.

Make good career choices
Interning at an organization in your field can provide valuable insight into whether working in the field is the right choice. It’s important to make the right career choice so you don’t obtain certifications in a field that doesn’t interest you.

Get your foot in the door
If you’ve decided the field is the right choice, an internship can provide the opportunity to get your foot in the door at an organization. If you do good work, the company will probably be happy to keep you.

Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Guy Allan Davis - How to Get the Perfect Cake for Your Wedding

Guy Allan Davis has been working as a pastry chef for more than 15 years. In this time, he’s developed a reputation for being a hardworking and diligent chef capable of creating exquisite, tasteful and healthy pastries for all manner of occasions. He’s also a good cake designer and chocolatier capable of meeting the needs of customers who ask for wedding cakes for their special events.

As Davis has seen in his career, getting the right wedding cake often comes down to proper planning, something the following tips explain.

Know your style
Have an idea on the style you wish the cake to have. You don’t have to stick to the traditional white and round design. To find the right design, consider the theme your wedding is taking, the location, the season of the year, and your personal preference. It helps to browse through cake photos and save a few favorites.

Have a budget
 The more complicated the design, the more you are likely to pay for it. Elaborately shaped cakes that feature unique designs and colors cost more since the cake designer will spend more time. Once you find the perfect design for your cake, with the baker to see how much it will take for them to produce it for you.

Taste!
A good wedding cake should taste just as good as it looks, which is something Guy Allan Davis has specialized in. When you meet with prospective bakers, be sure to taste a few of their samples to make sure they can deliver the taste you want.