Rebecca Michaels

Occupation: Pastry Chef
Specialty: Pastries, Desserts & Breads
Education: Columbia University, French Culinary Institute
Lives: Philadelphia


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Summer Spritzers
I thought I would share some of my favorite summer drink recipes with you this week. I'm not much of a fan of the super-alcohol style drinks (read single malt scotch and the like). My self-designed mixed...


The Strawberry Alarm Clock is About to Buzz
Now is the one time of year when everyone in America can get decent berries. Yes, I know, we can get fresh berries all year round now from places south of the Equator. And that's not a bad thing. And...


Back of the House 101
This week I thought I'd share some tricks of the trade with you. A good professional kitchen is run like a well-oiled machine. You can make your own back of the house an easier place in which to work...


Brown Butter, How Come You Taste So Good?
One wouldn't think that purposefully burning butter could be one of the tastiest things imaginable. Beurre noisette literally means 'hazelnut butter' but this is actually a misnomer. Also called brown...


Don't Mess With My Java, Jack
I recently attended a conference on coffee and tea bars and it got me thinking about just how important a good cuppa can be. There's a lot involved in coffee making, and a mistake or misunderstanding...


Trust Me, Gut Busting is a Must
"The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience infused with ideals, drizzled with drollery and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past." Thus reads an elegantly framed script under...


An Oven That Never Goes Out
We've eaten and eaten until it hurts. Given a whole new meaning to just desserts, I've got my suspicions, but the pudding's where the proof is, And you know how sweet my tooth is.    "The...


Bento Boxing
I recently went out to dinner at Buddakan, a hipster Asian fusion restaurant in Philadelphia, with some friends. We enjoyed an absolutely fantastic meal, and I could write a series of articles on each...


Profile in Pastry: Harry Schimp, Pastry Chef
A veteran of World War II, Harry Schimp was an infantry soldier trained for combat as a machine gunner. Thankfully, he was spared the front lines and spent his tour of duty behind a desk in the Judge Advocate...


All For One
Recently I went out to dinner with my family. As is our usual custom, we ended up sharing dessert after a delicious meal at a local brasserie. We sat around the table together taking bites of our small...


School Jitters
I will never forget my first day of cooking school. I was an absolute nervous wreck. It was a very hot August morning as I made my way through the streets of SoHo dragging my big bag containing my uniform,...


Sampling Is a Professional Responsibility
Believe it or not, I am not a chocolate person. Even as a kid, I would turn down those tremendous Lindt bars that my grandfather would give to his sweet-toothed grandchildren. They just never really appealed...


Sweet Dreams
As a kid I never dreamed I’d make a living baking. My grandmother and mother were first-class home bakers and they encouraged me to be creative in the kitchen. I still have the first cookbook I got...


Teatotallers
Tea has become quite the rage in the last couple of years. It seems that the U.S. has finally caught up with the rest of the world when it comes to appreciating tea. Between the increased interest in health...