What's the difference? And who cares? The Romans made a flaky pastry, sheet by sheet much like our filo dough. France in 1440 established a corporation of pastrycooks, depriving the common person from baking and selling pastries. Catherine de Medici employed a pastry cook and brought many a fine pastry to France, including the macaron. From the 16th century on, convents made biscuits (bis cuit 'twice cooked') to be sold in aid of good works. In other words, pastries have been forever loved and are here to stay. Could there be any new inventions? Probably not, except when for an individual's ability to learn, experiment, invent and make it their own. Check out my pastry cooking class at Smoothwater, Saturday November 19th! Come hungry.
