Published on 10/22/18

CHEF CYRIL GAIDELLA

Cyril Gaidella is 37 and started pastry when he was 15 in Alsace. He worked in several Alsacian pastry departments. But on the spur of the moment, Cyril Gaidella decided to move to Paris, in a bakery/pastry group.

After spending 4 years by their side with the title of Chef, he chose to make a career in Consulting and Training. Cyril Gaidella created Consulting Gourmand in 2009. Within the same year, he joined L’Ecole Hôtelière de Paris CFA Médéric.

In 2017, Cyril Gaidella won the title of Champion de France du Dessert.

chef

DESSERT DESCRIPTION
It’s called “Transmission”. It’s a work based on pecan nuts, vanilla of various origins (Kongo, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, and Reunion), citrus fruits (orange, mandarin, yuzu), ginger, and lemongrass. I think above all it’s a mixture of everything that’s like me - and of what I’ve been given by people: vanilla has always been my special and reassuring ingredient; I adore its roundness, its woodiness; it’s my Madeleine of Proust and I always put a bit in my desserts. I can’t think of a dessert without condiment; in this case it was the citrus purée that reminds me of Christmas market in Alsace (I’m from Mulhouse) – it’s my wink at my former apprentices. And the pecan nut praliné‘s for the “finger in the spreading paste” touch! I tried to get the idea of transmission across with the dressing. I wanted to give the idea of a flame, like a torch that’s passed from hand to hand. My transmission is the transmission of pleasure, knowledge, emotions, which I transmit to my friends, children, apprentices, clients… It’s a word I adore. It’s what’s most important in my life.

CHEF CYRIL GAIDELLA

STARCHEFS QUESTIONS
StarChefs: If you could visit any chocolate origin, where would it be and why?
Cyril Gaidella: I’m pretty attracted by Mexico, which is the cradle of cocoa and vanilla. I’d like to discover the original flavor and culture of these elements.

StarChefs: Who is your mentor, and what's the most important lesson he/she taught you?
Cyril Gaidella: I don’t have one but two mentors. Hervé Glass and Daniel Dirringer always trusted me. They taught me what are hardworking, passion and personal effort. 

StarChefs: What's the first truly delicious pastry you remember eating? Where were you?
Cyril Gaidella: I still have the souvenir of the cherry pie that my aunt used to cook me during my holidays at Montreux-Vieux (Alsace, France). A crispy pastry and some juicy cherries + a big dose of love: a must-have. 

StarChefs: Who is the the unsung hero of your pastry department? What is his/her title, and why is he/she so valuable?
Cyril Gaidella: To my mind, it’s Franck Colombié, trainer at Bellouet Conseil. A human, sincere and technical professional. 

StarChefs: If you were a flavor, what would you be and why?
Cyril Gaidella: I would be the bitterness. It is actually my favorite flavor. It’s frank, persistent and hard to tame, just like me.