Catching up with Thiago Silva

Brazilian Pastry Chef Thiago Silva is well known for his elaborate sweet centerpieces and decadent desserts. Haven risen though the ranks of New York City’s restaurant scene, Silva never attended culinary school, but made a career out of cooking what he loves and what he grew up eating, with a few tweaks, of course. Now as EMM Group’s (the group behind Abe & Arthur’s, Lexington Brass, Catch, Catch Miami and The General) corporate pastry chef, Silva is working with all-star chef Hung Huynh at Catch, designing a menu full of playful sweets like the Peanut Butter Cup Souffle, Fresh Baked Cookie Bucket, and Banana Split Brulee. Here, the chef shares his earliest food memories, his favorite dishes, and his tips and tricks for baking the perfect at-home treats.

Tell us your first food memory.

I had a pet rabbit growing up, and one day he mysteriously disappeared. That night I also remember eating the best “chicken” I’ve ever had. Years later I found out it was my rabbit, so I punched my grandpa in his gut, but then asked him to cook another one. It was delicious!

What’s your favorite family dish?

I love a Brazilian dish called feijao tropeiro, it’s hard to describe but it consists of black beans, bacon, pork rinds, pork sausage, collard greens, eggs, onions, and yucca flour. It’s definitely my favorite family dish.

How has your cultural background influenced your cooking? 

I spent 8 years in Brazil and the thing I remember most is that we always seemed to be cooking! I remember waking up to my grandma making breakfast, then right after that she would start working on lunch, then start working on dinner. And weekends in Brazil were the best. Our family would always get together and work on different food projects. We would start by making pao de queijo (cheese puffs) for breakfast, then work on pamonhas (Corn cakes), and of course finish the day with churrasco. They just love cooking there, most memories I have of Brazil involve food. I’m sure that’s where I developed a love for cooking.

Your mother encouraged you to take a cake decorating course.  Tell us about your mom’s influence on your career.

My mom always encouraged me to do anything I wanted. At one point I almost decided to attend college and pursue music, and I remember my mom saying ‘if that’s what you want to do, then do it.’ Her biggest influence was more of an example, hard work. She still is one hardworking momma, and grandma! Also she always told me to take pride in what you do, no matter what it is. Be it wash some dishes, or make a cake for a celebrity, do the best you can and take pride in it.

What are your tips for making the perfect cake?

Don’t make it perfect! Especially when it comes to decorating a cake. We always stress on making things perfect but stress is not a good thing in the kitchen. Just keep it simple and don’t try to do too much. I still use recipes that were passed down to me by my mom. I might tweak them a bit, but there are some great recipes within your own family.

Your first pro cooking experience was with Todd English. Can you share one lesson that he taught you during that experience?

Although I didn’t interact much with Chef Todd himself, I did take one thing from him: he would always come in and talk to his staff. A simple: ‘Hi, How are you?’ That goes a long way, especially coming from a celebrity chef. I worked under Pastry Chef Alfred Stephens who is a CCAP Alumni, just like me. He was my mentor, and teacher. I definitely consider Olives my Pastry school.

Now you’re working with Hung Huynh at, arguably, one of the hottest restaurants in the city and you’re advising for Catch and The General, as well as EMM Group’s midtown spot Lexington Brass. How do you create original, signature desserts for each spot?

I always like to get inspired by the restaurant itself. I use the restaurant concepts, decor, and menu for inspiration. I spend a lot of time thinking of new desserts before I even try them out in the kitchen. I have to think of the actual space we work in, the guests, the owners, my employees, and still put out a product that I’m happy with. Its tough, but I love it. There is so much room to be creative.

What are your favorite sweet flavor profiles?

It’s hard to choose! My favorite dessert is Tiramisu. I love coffee so it’s a perfect dessert for me. I do love using sweet condensed milk, I call it magic milk. And though I’m not a fan of chocolate desserts, I love using chocolate in desserts.

You serve donuts that are a take on classic buñuelos, but filled with the most delicious cremes. Tell us about the inspiration for them.  

I always try using what I know and Americanize it a bit. I love using textures on desserts, and sometimes when you eat donuts there’s not many different textures. By adding the cereal, and creams, it adds to the donut.  In every bite you’re getting a different texture.

What advice can you give to home bakers?

Keep it simple! Make things you’re comfortable with, and make them often. The more you make something the better you’ll get at it. If you love cooking/baking at home, invest in some tools to help you, its only going to make things easier for you. Follow directions on cookbooks, don’t try to do your own thing. Buy good products. Fresh ingredients are so important.