Barbara Walch
 Franziska San Pedro is both a fine artist and a professional chef. She grew up in Germany, in a family populated with artistic, creative types whose original artwork and photographic pieces were proudly displayed all over her family’s home. Franziska said she loved living with such beauty and they provided much inspiration. So it seemed natural when she began showing an interest in art at a young age.
“It started when I found my mother’s oil painting set which she hadn’t used in years,” she recalls, in impeccable English. “It was so exciting that the paint was still good. After a long battle [with my mother], she finally allowed me to use it. From that day on, I fell in love with the possibilities of painting with oils, the brightness and the texture–all of its characteristics. There are many other mediums that I enjoy, but oil is definitely my passion. ”
By the age of 15, she was exhibiting and selling her artwork locally. Over time, she started receiving commissions for custom pieces. Still a student, she was also majoring in art at school, as well as world history and French. So after graduation, everyone assumed she would continue her art studies, but by then Franziska had other plans.
“Because I was already exhibiting and selling my art, my family thought I was going in that direction, but I felt like something was missing,” she reveals. “I was young and wanted to travel and see the world, and learn other languages. But I still wanted to do something with my hands, something creative, so I started looking at more practical jobs where I could accomplish those goals. My parents were shocked when I told them I was accepting an apprenticeship at a five-star hotel to become a chef!”
Not that being an apprentice in a hotel kitchen allows for a lot of creativity since, as the new trainee, she was relegated at first to washing pots and pans, and peeling vegetables. But in Germany, an apprenticeship also means you must go to school for three years while working full time. “The work was nothing to be excited about and I knew the executive chef was going to be really tough, and he was,” she adds. “But I learned a lot in those three years and I was the first female chef he ever trained!”
She learned so well that Franziska was able to move on to some pretty impressive positions in her over 10-year career as a chef, and able to hold her own in a male-dominated field. Her resume includes work as chef garde manger at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans, pastry chef at The Waterside Inn in England (a Michelin 3-star restaurant frequented by Queen Elizabeth and other celebrities), executive sous chef at Grand Hotel Zermatterhof (a 5-star hotel) at the Matterhorn in Switzerland, and fine dining executive sous chef for Silversea Cruises. Along the way she has also accomplished what she set out to do: travel the world (she has been to almost every continent) and learn other languages (she is fluent in German, French, and English, and has a good comprehension of several others).
Now married to Ron San Pedro, an American, and residing in Collin County, Franziska has put her career as a chef on hold, except for a few guest chef stints and teaching cooking classes. She describes her cooking technique as mostly classic French but says her cooking style has evolved over time to one of more simplicity and lightness.
“That’s what I teach in my classes at Market Street: fine cuisine using the freshest ingredients, but easy,” she adds. “Like when I entertain, I like to serve little finger foods and I think my students are surprised when they find out how simple it can be to make them.”
Franziska was happy to provide some of her finger-food recipes for your summer entertaining. You’ll notice that none of the recipes have an extensive list of ingredients or take a long time to prepare. And talk about flavorful! Fresh herbs are incorporated into every recipe: tarragon in baby bell peppers stuffed with cream cheese; chopped basil to top prosciutto wrapped shrimp and mini goat cheese tarts; oregano in puff pastry filling plus chives for garnish; both basil and parsley in stuffed mushrooms; and fresh thyme for both cheese croissants and cream of squash soup.
In line with the current popularity of serving tiny individual desserts, she has also provided recipes for chocolate mousse with berries and vanilla custard tarts with cherry compote that can be served as miniature treats.
So how is she occupying her time now that cooking has become more of a hobby? “This year I have decided to dedicate my time and energy to painting full time again,” she replies. “My work is abstract impressionism in oils. My preferred topic is nature; it could be a landscape, trees, the ocean, lakes, a pond, or an impression of a time of day. I paint from memory; all those things I’ve experienced in the past that come back to me now. And I have set up a website to market my work, flavordesigns.com.”
Suddenly, a big smile spreads across her face as she quickly notes, “See how the circle closes. Now I’m back to my artwork!”
|
