The Gourmet Review

Tell the truth. Don’t you think dessert is the best part of the meal? Chef Linda Rodriguez is pastry chef for Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. She is talented and passionate about each creation served at the hotel, from breads to pastries to desserts. The whimsical corn ice cream above was made with fresh pureed corn and topped with caramel corn. Not found on the menu, special occasions sometimes call for special creations. Corn ice cream is one of them!

Courtesy Brad Packer

Any foodie worth their salt knows that dessert is an art form. Nowhere is the term “culinary arts” more appropriate than when  Chef Linda focuses her attention on the grand finale of a meal.

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Whether constructing elegant wedding cakes, making sugar sculptured desserts or simply adding the final drizzle of chocolate to the perfect towering chocolate masterpiece, Chef Linda knows the  importance of visual appeal, as well as good taste. She created this dessert for Valentines day, so guests could crack open the see through sugar ball to eat the goodies inside.  All this topped a yummy molten chocolate cake.

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The chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bon bons are one of my favorite desserts. Each bon bon is hand shaped and then quickly dipped into liquid chocolate. During the holidays, the Beach Tree restaurant serves as many as 5000 bon bons. It’s a visual head turner served over dry ice.

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Whether it’s a choice of chocolate or flavor of the day soufflé, a “Spring into Mango” selection with kaffir lime mango cake and fresh mint laced mango or the delicate pastry concoction above, there are selections to please everyone.

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Or, perhaps a little tirimisu with a chocolate curl and just a hint of chocolate sauce. Or maybe you want to try the “I Wanna Chocolate Wana” with Hawaiian chocolate, black sesame pastiness and macadamia nut cream. The selections change often and each one is delicious.

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Want to have your “fruit” for the meal? Why not try Chef Linda’s “Chocolate Gone Bananas,” with a warm banana and chocolate tart, laced with Hawaiian chili peppers and Hawaiian chocolate ice cream.

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Chef Linda, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America,  has over thirty years experience as a pastry chef. She can tackle any challenge.

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Whether it’s a grand desert or a decadent creation for VIP guest arrivals, Chef Linda makes me want to disregard all manner of counting calories and simply savor each bite. One can always exercise tomorrow!

NOTE

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Chef Linda was kind enough to teach my “Blue Baker” some of her secret tricks for making elaborate, show stopping cakes. This was the perfect afternoon activity  for a young lady aspiring to be a baker herself!

Be sure to check out Chef Linda’s Lemon Rricotta Pancakes featured in Lucy Lean’s “Made in America – Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food” cookbook.

-The Gourmet Review