If cooking is art, then baking is a science, says pastry chef Cesar Rueda. The chef has recently joined the culinary brigade at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino and his signature desserts have been surprising patrons and team members with their spectacular look and fabulous taste.
Most chefs, Cesar explains, find baking frustrating. There are many chemical forces at play when you bake, and things have to be exact, accurately measured and perfectly timed. Chefs who cook with their instincts and gut feeling, would never tackle pastry, for fear of failure, he adds. Evidently, the famous formula of a-little-bit-of-this and a- little-bit-of-that doesn’t work when it comes to baking, the tiniest ingredient forgotten may cause the whole batch to flop.
The chef, a native of Colombia, came to Aruba with his family on vacation last year. He took one look at the island and the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino and decided on a career move, applying to work at the tropical resort, right there and then.
It took a while, but Cesar is pleased to bring his artistry to the Hilton Aruba Caribbean’s kitchen where he prepares the morning pastries, Danish and butter croissants, then during the day cookies of every shape and size, in addition to a vast selection of shortcrust, filo, choux, puff and flaky pastries, all beautifully decorated and temptingly displayed.
Two of his specialties, Gâteau Opéra, the French opera cake featuring layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, crowned with ganache and coffee or Grand Marnier buttercream, covered in a chocolate glaze and Sachertorte the unique chocolate cake, invented by Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for the crown prince in Vienna, are now part of his daily repertory. He loves the classics and enjoys serving the iconic creations, side by side with the latest miniature tapa desserts.
Executive Chef Matt Boland appreciates the precision and the dedication to perfection, it takes to be a baker. Baking he says is a slow work, it takes time, and patience, and organizational skills, creativity and a good level of education; a lot goes into just one delicious bite.
Enjoy the creation of chef Cesar Rueda at the resort for breakfast at Laguna, dinner at the Sunset Grille, and all parties and functions.
