It was 8:00pm and I was just getting started on making dinner. Earlier that evening, I had decided that I would try making my first galette. A goat cheese, potato & leek galette. There are endless resources online for a recipe and technique tips, and bonus, I had just recently acquired a cookbook that praised how simple galettes were to make. Quoting from that book (which is my favorite cookbook regardless of how this story ends), "my essential, beginner-friendly dough". This is absolutely something I want to take on for tonight's dinner, I effortlessly thought.
The dough making was beginner-friendly, got to give it to the author. It came together just as the author said it would, a little scraggly but nothing to worry. Dough is chilling, mies en place is placed, now to assemble. From the reference cookbook, a quick mention of "a more polished look, transfer the dough to a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan". I'm polished, I thought. I butter the pan and rest my scraggly dough in. Wow, this is so beginner-friendly, no wonder everyone is talking about them this summer. Pop the cheese, potatoes, leeks onto the dough, fold the edges over for that perfect *galette gram photo*, and into the oven. No less than 5 minutes later, the oven is smoking and I have an upset smoke detector and howling chihuahua. The butter leaked from the cracks of the removable pie pan onto the oven coil. I asked myself if I thought it would be wise to switch the oven off. I was reluctant to turn off the oven because it's now 8:45pm and I have no back up plan. Now, if you're a professional chef or baker, at this point you're thinking that only full blown idiots would put a pie pan in the oven without a baking sheet underneath it. Well, I am not a professional chef. I am simply a woman reading and doing what was in a cookbook that I adore. So, here I am, with a raw galette. Raw dough, raw potatoes. I shimmied the dough out of the pie pan and into a cast iron pan, turned the burner on and covered the pan with foil. Foil, because, raw potatoes and 8:55pm. I need to cook this thing. I have no idea how long it "cooked" for, but at some point, I called it. Dinner was served.
Typically, my family sweetly congratulates me for what I made for dinner. The night of the potato leek galette, I got a "it's amazing how you can both burn and undercook the same thing." We all laughed and I haven't dared to make another galette since.
I knew that I couldn't possibly be the only home cook out there that felt so encouraged to try a new recipe and then quickly was so discouraged during cook time by surprises that popped up. This is where Fēst comes in. Fēst leverages the knowledge, skill, talent and cooking instinct of professional chefs in real-time video cooking classes for home cooks. All of our cooking and baking classes begin with an introduction to the recipe, and the chef will instruct the home cook to pull out all of the ingredients and equipment needed for the recipe. Then, chef will give a high level run down of the recipe steps. Because, surprises aren't always fun. Then, while the home cook is cutting, chopping, measuring, heating, cooking, baking, mixing, chef will be watching, giving guidance and feedback, and helping to troubleshoot until the dish is finished and plated. All cooking crises averted.
Wish I had a Fēst chef on video the night of my now famous galette.
Founded in 2019, Fēst exists to bridge the gap between professional chefs and home cooks. We have a true passion for helping our customers cook with confidence and empower true kitchen experts to share their knowledge and express their creativity. Creativity, curiosity, passion, and empowerment are at the heart of Fēst.
Our Founder
Brit Caricasole
“I knew very early on in life that I wanted to do something creative and deeply rewarding. Throughout my childhood, my brother, Alex, and I would always brainstorm new businesses and ideas. The ideas were always centered around one theme, to make something better. That curiosity and confidence I developed early on, I carry with me everyday and is what is encouraging me to launch Fēst. My goal is to create a platform that empowers people to learn a new skill, try something new, express creativity, and connect with others. Now more than ever, the world deserves companies who merge creativity and originality with skill acquisition, connection, responsibility, and empowerment.”
Brit has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from High Point University and studied architecture at The New School in New York City and Student Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. She has worked in the design and development offices of Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, Coach, and Pop & Suki. Most notably, Brit designed a patent-pending handbag “The Takeout Bag”. Perhaps a foreshadowing to her future in the culinary space.