reworked the recipes day after day, until he
was ready to present his final products.
Traveling from Florida to California
presented challenges because of the
amount of equipment Proisl had to bring to
the event. Fortunately, he had assistants
with experience traveling and packing for a
competition, and travel went as expected.
His family used extra luggage to bring
some of the equipment, and fortunately,
his wife Kathy and sons Andreas Jr., 14,
and Alexander, 11, did not mind helping.
The actual day of competition ran like
clockwork for Proisl and his team.
The kitchen and equipment provided
were similar to the setup of the kitchen
where he had been practicing. He felt
comfortable, and the day ran smoothly.
ON THE MENU
Proisl presented three dishes, one of
which was Pistachio Soufflé Cake with
peach sorbet, vanilla poached peach
and peach sauce. The soufflé cake
was similar to one he made
when he lived in Vienna,
with some refinements and
adjustments to make it the way he wanted
it for the competition.
The Splenda® dessert was Sugar-free
Pineapple Mousse with carrot cake,
braised pineapple, pecan crunch, vanilla
ice cream and strawberry noodle. “The
Splenda® dessert was a big focus and
highlight of my program,” Proisl says.
His torte presentation was an Orange
and Hazelnut Torte. His biggest challenge
of the day was to bake, fill, freeze, finish
and present the torte. Although it was
extremely time-consuming, he was
pleased with the finished product.
Proisl was also concerned about finishing on
time and making his window. He did, indeed,
finish on time, as did the other competitors,
and his professionalism, skill and expertise
were evident in his strong, impressive finish.
With a smooth finish and no major glitches
in his program, Proisl was proud of what he
had produced. He credits the many chefs
who consulted with him, and he is
grateful for all their contributions.
A CAREER IN PASTRY
Proisl has trained and worked with many
chefs and pastry chefs, and he feels that
everyone should compete because it is
rewarding and gives you the experience to
continually reach your goals in the pastry
field. He has this advice for current and
future pastry chefs: “You must be proud of
what you do and how you do it. You need
to constantly practice, practice, practice
your skills.”
He believes it is important to network with
chefs in your field at conferences, meetings
and seminars. He says reading books,
reaching out to experienced chefs and
attending as many seminars as possible will
help expand your pastry horizons and help
you achieve your goals, as he has continued
to accomplish his goals and sustain his
passion for the pastry profession.
Most importantly, Proisl is grateful for
the sacrifices his family has made on this
journey with him. His wife and sons gave
him the time and support to work and
practice on his days off and in between his
commitments at the club. “Without their
support, this would not be possible,” he says.
Sharon Pallas, CEPC, CC, AAC, is
executive pastry chef/owner of Premier
Pastries, Powell, Ohio, and a member of
ACF Columbus Chapter.
THANK YOU!
The 2010 Pastry Chef of the Year award
is sponsored by Splenda®.
