Poor Konrad Spitzbart. As Executive Pastry Chef at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Spitzbart was given a tough task recently when the Association of Food Journalists convened at his hotel. His audience of 125 food writers, editors, cookbook authors and bloggers had just returned from a fabulous, multi-course luncheon of vegetarian soul food at Felicia Suzanne’s restaurant in downtown Memphis. And they were due to attend AFJ’s annual multi-course Awards Banquet just a few hours hence.
Spitzbart was challenged to wow them during the hotel’s mid-afternoon “coffee break,” serving a “little something” between the two heavyweight feasts.
And he did just that. Wowed us. Thrilled us. Left us licking our lips and fingers, with his heavenly peach crisps served in individual cast iron pans. “I just poach the peaches lightly so they retain their firmness and flavor,” said the Austria born chef in his soft German accent. “The local peaches are so delicious, that’s all they need.”
But, hey, a little homemade maple ice cream, laced with bacon bits, doesn’t do a peach pie any harm, does it? Apparently not, because I saw nary a soul turn down the creamy wonder being scooped personally by Spitzbart. Then there were the shot glasses filled with Jack Daniel’s Caramel Sauce, all lined up on a table nearby, begging to be slurped. How luscious was that? Well, let’s just say that not everyone got his/her portion because after I poured one shot on my peach pie and tasted it….I grabbed another shot and downed it neat. That luscious!
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