The Pastry Renaissance Of Tariq Hanna

 

Tariq Hanna's first job may have been working the sandwich board at Sol's Deli in Southfield, Michigan, but, today, he's at the top of the food chain, running one of the country's premier pastry shops, Sucré. Tariq has competed on multiple Food Network and TLC pastry challenges, and he has received numerous accolades, including "2007 Pastry Chef of the Year" in New Orleans Magazine. In 2012, Tariq was also inducted into the American Chefs Corps, an elite group of 80 chefs nominated by the State Department to serve as chefs and diplomatic ambassadors for both visiting dignitaries and cultural exchange efforts. In anticipation of Tariq's upcoming October 21-22 workshop at ICE's Center for Advanced Pastry Studies, we sat down with the chef to learn a little more about the evolution of his exciting career.

 
What specialties have you chosen to share with CAPS students at ICE, and why these products?
My favorite products change with my moods, and I love the fact that we make a large variety of items, from chocolates to macarons, pastries, cakes, gelato, confections, etc. This diversity gives me a constant revolving door of product to focus on when expanding our portfolio. For the CAPS course, I have chosen to focus on my current favorite products: petits gateaux, verrines and tarts. The class will touch on the realistic challenges of a pastry shop owner, balancing a beautiful visual effect with an interest in creating delicious and innovative techniques.