Make a Lemon Tart and Ponder the Bigger Picture
Pastry Chef Nikolas Strangas
May 11, 2020
Somewhere it's rainy today. It might be cold where you are. Sunny anywhere? Good. Think of a beautiful summer in Mykonos where you may run into Nicholas if things turn back to normal soon. Dream of a trip to Denmark as another great destination and home to Nicholas Strangas. Make the acquaintance of a talented gent who has a great personality and can whip up delicious treats like it's no big deal.
Chef Nikolas,
Thank you for connecting with our HocTok community.
How have you adjusted to this reality of social distancing and other limitations due to Covid-19?
We are definitely going through a period that is a bit strange. Here in Denmark, people follow the rules and the virus is almost under control. I am spending more time with my family. I read books and I am going on long walks. But I cannot wait to return to normal life and start working on my projects again.
As a Pastry Chef with award winning achievements, can you share a recipe that's simple and just right to help everyone reading it cheer up and maybe give it a try?
Of course - my lemon tart recipe is one of my favorite (smiles).
Do you find yourself keeping busy perfecting your signature desserts or are you experimenting with new creations now?
I love to come up with new ideas and new taste combinations. I believe it is important for a pastry chef to experiment and try to develop new flavors.
What is your favorite dessert? Is there a story behind it?
Lemon tart (find recipe here) - for sure and the Danish strawberry tart. It is an amazing combination of sweet pastry dough, marzipan, dark chocolate, whipped ganache and fresh strawberries. It’s a tart to die for. That was the first dessert I tried when I came in Denmark 17 years ago.
Have you made any new discoveries lately?
Yes - my team and I are working on a project with a classic Greek brioche cake and we are trying to develop a new concept out of it. It’s so cool to see how a classic product is transformed when you play with ingredients, texture, temperature and preparation methods.
What are you looking forward to exploring or revisiting once everything is back to normal?
I can’t wait to go back to Athens to see my parents and of course I am looking forward to Mykonos to create delicious desert menus.
Where are your favorite spots to rewind and get inspired for new adventures?
I’ll say, Barcelona and Athens, of course.
What's in your music list today?
I love Melody Gardot. Her music makes me relax and work quickly and well.
Why is your book "Desserter" a good read?
My book is attractive to amateur good cooks who want to try and make nice desserts. It includes theory and techniques that can help understand a bit more from the complexity of our work.
#HowWeCope We'd really appreciate your take on this new campaign born out of necessity as we deal with quarantines, curfew, and social distancing.
We certainty need to take care of people who are in imminent danger, those who have pre-existing conditions and older folks. We need to be more careful and have an understanding of the virus. But to be honest we need to push our governments to do better. It’s not fair that we as people have to deal with all this pressure. Our governments need to start investing more money on healthcare and hospitals. We are talking about the virus and still thousands of people die from hunger every year. Our problem is not only the virus but many aspects of our life and the world in its entirety. We need to worry about the virus but we also need to care for the children who die in Africa, Asia, Greece or America because we as humanity fail them by not providing enough food and water.
#WhatMatters A line or two about what matters most in these times of uncertainty due to COVID19.
What matters is human lives. It doesn’t matter if you live in a villa in L.A. or in a cardboard house in India. You matter!
#BeatTheBlues - How do you keep mentally fit dealing with high stress, anxiety, pressure as a high-level performer, as an award-winning Pastry Chef?
Training and yoga helps a lot to relax and keep your focus!
Thank you for connecting with our HocTok community.
How have you adjusted to this reality of social distancing and other limitations due to Covid-19?
We are definitely going through a period that is a bit strange. Here in Denmark, people follow the rules and the virus is almost under control. I am spending more time with my family. I read books and I am going on long walks. But I cannot wait to return to normal life and start working on my projects again.
As a Pastry Chef with award winning achievements, can you share a recipe that's simple and just right to help everyone reading it cheer up and maybe give it a try?
Of course - my lemon tart recipe is one of my favorite (smiles).
Do you find yourself keeping busy perfecting your signature desserts or are you experimenting with new creations now?
I love to come up with new ideas and new taste combinations. I believe it is important for a pastry chef to experiment and try to develop new flavors.
What is your favorite dessert? Is there a story behind it?
Lemon tart (find recipe here) - for sure and the Danish strawberry tart. It is an amazing combination of sweet pastry dough, marzipan, dark chocolate, whipped ganache and fresh strawberries. It’s a tart to die for. That was the first dessert I tried when I came in Denmark 17 years ago.
Have you made any new discoveries lately?
Yes - my team and I are working on a project with a classic Greek brioche cake and we are trying to develop a new concept out of it. It’s so cool to see how a classic product is transformed when you play with ingredients, texture, temperature and preparation methods.
What are you looking forward to exploring or revisiting once everything is back to normal?
I can’t wait to go back to Athens to see my parents and of course I am looking forward to Mykonos to create delicious desert menus.
Where are your favorite spots to rewind and get inspired for new adventures?
I’ll say, Barcelona and Athens, of course.
What's in your music list today?
I love Melody Gardot. Her music makes me relax and work quickly and well.
Why is your book "Desserter" a good read?
My book is attractive to amateur good cooks who want to try and make nice desserts. It includes theory and techniques that can help understand a bit more from the complexity of our work.
#HowWeCope We'd really appreciate your take on this new campaign born out of necessity as we deal with quarantines, curfew, and social distancing.
We certainty need to take care of people who are in imminent danger, those who have pre-existing conditions and older folks. We need to be more careful and have an understanding of the virus. But to be honest we need to push our governments to do better. It’s not fair that we as people have to deal with all this pressure. Our governments need to start investing more money on healthcare and hospitals. We are talking about the virus and still thousands of people die from hunger every year. Our problem is not only the virus but many aspects of our life and the world in its entirety. We need to worry about the virus but we also need to care for the children who die in Africa, Asia, Greece or America because we as humanity fail them by not providing enough food and water.
#WhatMatters A line or two about what matters most in these times of uncertainty due to COVID19.
What matters is human lives. It doesn’t matter if you live in a villa in L.A. or in a cardboard house in India. You matter!
#BeatTheBlues - How do you keep mentally fit dealing with high stress, anxiety, pressure as a high-level performer, as an award-winning Pastry Chef?
Training and yoga helps a lot to relax and keep your focus!
