"Do not go where the path may lead, "wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.

"I designed the Consortium to be a vehicle and launch pad for creativity. For the continual advancement of Culinary Arts.

Our commitment includes experimentation with:

Molecular gastronomy - the application of science to culinary practice and generally gastronomical phenomena to include but not be limited to:

new cooking techniques
new preparation techniques
preservation technology
use of obscure and eclectic tools and equipment
incorporation of untraditional ingredients including:exotic spices, fruits, floras, botanicals and flavorings a postmodernist approach - paying homage to nouvelle's roots of yesteryear.

Particular attention to the architecture and engineering of composition with respect to:
Flavor balance
Practical implementation
Contrasts and synergy of textures
Linear pure taste
"Presence"recognizability - familiararity
a directive - "how does it eat"
aesthetic recognition with regard to presentation:
eye candy - "wow factor"

"Pushing the outer edge of exploration" is our mission statement.

The Pastry Consortium, designed by Michael Porru has Professional affiliations with industry colleagues from a variety of different backgrounds. It's this wonderful intellectual infusion that lends a spirit of creativity and inspiration to what we do.

"Venturing into the unknown is not always easy. But as Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

Do or do not, there is no trying in life…

I hope you enjoy your visit, and that you find the Consortium to be an inspiring and valuable resource.

Michael Robert Porru
Director