Last year, chef Kate Wagner made pupu for dead people on a yacht. She also whipped up tuna sandwiches for a psycho and fried chicken for a death-row inmate’s last meal.
No, she is not a chef who runs in questionable circles. She is the go-to cook for the “Hawaii Five-0” props department, providing the food for any scene that includes edibles. She also feeds show department heads.
But that’s not all Wagner does with her culinary skills. She also is a godsend to folks (like me) who struggle to find high-quality gluten-free baked goods, and also those watching their sugar.
Wagner has mastered the use of nonwheat flours (think coconut, almond, potato and taro), and alternative forms of sugar and sweeteners approved by the American Diabetes Association, to create her gluten-free, diabetic-friendly pastries with tastes and textures that truly stand up to conventional desserts.
“But more importantly, my baked goods are for everybody,” she said. “If people can’t tell they’re gluten-free or sugar-free, that’s great.”
MAGIC RECIPE
With a few small additions or subtractions, this oh-so-simple torte recipe can be transformed into a dipping sauce, glaze, icing, filling or a couple of other baked desserts.
Here’s a rundown:
>> Ganache: The recipe is at its core a ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream with a touch of butter to make it shiny and smooth. Wagner sometimes decorates the torte with fresh fruit or nuts dipped in the ganache, before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Ganache is also used as a glaze, icing and filling.
>> Hot lava cake: Combine 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder with chocolate, cream, butter and egg. Pour into ramekins and bake in a 350-degree oven for 8 minutes, or until sides of cake are firm but center is still wobbly. Cool 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to plate to serve.
>> Brownie: To the torte filling, add 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup flour and pinch of salt. Don’t use the pie shell. Bake in an 8-by-8-inch pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven when center is still a bit wobbly.
— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser
Her pastries are sold at Island Brew Coffeehouse locations (Hawaii Kai, Kaimuki and Ala Moana Center) and at the Waikiki Specialty farmers market on Saturdays at Jefferson Elementary School.
Wagner started baking at age 7, making shells for her mother’s meringue pies. After studying at the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York and apprenticing in France and Italy, she cooked for the Grant family, owners of Glenlivet whisky.
Since then, she’s catered for the Democratic National Convention, the Met Gala and New York’s Fashion Week, and cooked for heads of state and celebrities such as Ray Charles and Sean Combs.
One client entrusted Wagner with helping him shine during one of the most important moments of his life: a marriage proposal. He asked her to teach him something chocolate — and foolproof — that he could make for his girlfriend for the special meal.
Wagner provided him with the following recipe for a decadent, extremely easy chocolate fudge torte. It utilizes just a few ingredients — dark chocolate, cream, butter, an egg, nuts and a pie crust — and involves simply microwaving, stirring and baking.
She says the recipe is easily adaptable for those with dietary restrictions. Use coconut milk in place of the cream, a gluten-free crust (ready-made crusts are sold at many supermarkets), nondairy margarine and dark chocolate chips (or a combo of sweetened and unsweetened chocolate, to reduce the sugar). If you want to adapt the recipe using sugar substitutes such as stevia, or make other adjustments, Wagner offers her help via email.
One tip: Be very careful not to overheat the chocolate and cream when microwaving. I guess I’m the fool who broke the foolproof recipe: I microwaved it too long and faced a mess when I took the pie out of the oven. Oil had pooled on the surface of the torte and all over the baking pan.
Wagner suspects I overheated the mixture, causing the fat in the cream to separate. She tinkered with the recipe directions to add another layer of insurance for dicey bakers such as myself.
IDIOT-PROOF CHOCOLATE FUDGE TORE
By Kate Wagner
- 12 to 14 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg
- 2 cups nuts of your choice (walnuts, macadamia nuts or pecans recommended)
- 1 premade pie crust (chocolate or graham cracker recommended)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In microwave-safe container, combine chocolate chips, cream and butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Ingredients will look scary but be patient, stir and it will start to come together. Microwave another 15 seconds and mix well. Fully melted mixture will form into a velvety consistency. If necessary, microwave final 15 seconds. Microwave no longer than 60 seconds.
Add egg and incorporate well. Add nuts (no need to chop) and combine, then pour into pie shell. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set. Cool several hours, then refrigerate.
Before serving, remove from fridge and bring to room temperature. This allows the chocolate oils to release and delivers a rich, creamy texture. Serves 12 to 16.
>> Note: With refrigeration, the torte will last for months. Simply slice off a serving and bring to room temperature. Return the rest promptly to the fridge.
Nutritional information unavailable.
Is there a cooking technique you’d like explained? Email food editor Joleen Oshiro at joshiro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
