Where is Alexander Seleznev now? Alexander Seleznev: how a Russian pastry chef gave up everything to start life from scratch in Monaco
What do tourists usually bring back from their travels? Souvenirs and magnets, photographs and new impressions, and Alexander Seleznev brings recipes. Curiosity and love for his profession leads him to different countries, introduces different people. Feeling sympathy for the “crazy Russian,” the owners of cafes and small restaurants share with him secrets and recipes that have been kept in their family for decades. On napkins and the margins of guidebooks, Alexander brings them home and turns them into a sweet treat. This book contains a collection of the author's gastronomic travels. It contains all the sweetest and most delicious things that you can taste in Japan and Italy, France and Israel, as well as in many other countries. Numerous recipes are supplemented with personal photographs of the author, as well as his impressions of trips to a particular country.
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Not just for beginners!
I am no longer a novice pastry chef, but I bought this book for my culinary collection. And it will be interesting not only for beginners, but also experienced cooks. All the recipes in this book are simple, easy and elegant, you want to cook them in turn, one after another, until you try everything. At the beginning of the book it is given helpful information from the author - tips for novice confectioners, a table of product measurements, detailed recipes with step-by-step photographs for preparing all types of dough (yeast, puff pastry, cake, biscuit), as well as master classes on making caramel and properly beating egg whites. The book contains recipes not only for cakes, pastries and muffins, but also savory pies, pies and bread, as well as light fruit and berry desserts, petit fours and sweets. I would like to note not only the interesting and useful content, but also very beautiful design. Each recipe has its own style, in which the entire spread is decorated - and the photograph ready-made dish, and a page with a recipe. It looks incredibly impressive. The book will be an excellent gift for anyone who loves sweets and is not afraid to experiment in the kitchen.
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This delicious soft cheese.
It’s not often on the shelves of bookstores that you can find a cookbook dedicated to a single product. This book is just from this series, it is entirely dedicated to soft cheese. Soft cheese appeared in our stores relatively recently, so the vast majority do not know what to do with it and simply spread it on bread. This, of course, too tasty option, but when you open Alexander Seleznev’s book “Recipes with Soft Cheese,” you will be surprised at how varied you can use soft cheese. The book contains about a hundred recipes - with soft cheese you can prepare not only a variety of snacks, but also soups, main courses, desserts and even drinks. All recipes are written clearly and in sufficient detail; each recipe comes with a very beautiful Foto ready dish. At the end of the book it is given reference Information - small excursion into the history of cheese, types soft cheese And trade marks presented on Russian market, and useful information about the rules for storing this delicate product. To summarize, I will say that this is another very successful book by Alexander Seleznev, which is worth having in your home collection.
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Very tasty New Year!
I love it very much cookbooks Alexandra Selezneva. His recipes always turn out everything. This book was no exception - I bought it as soon as I saw it on the store shelf. The book is thematic, dedicated to the New Year, but the book also contains universal recipes that can be prepared not only on new year holidays. The highlight of this book is the author's unusual recipes. For example, desserts “Casket”, “Snowmen”, “Angels”. All recipes are written in detail, so prepare delicious pastries and sweets for the holiday will not be difficult. I'll note high quality printing and gorgeous photos author. The book is perfect for a New Year's gift.
Confectioner, founder of the Alexander Seleznev Confectionery House, presenter of the program "Sweet Stories" on the Domashny TV channel.
Biography of Alexander Seleznev
After finishing his third year at the Textile Academy, he entered Tsaritsyno College, where he graduated with honors with a degree in pastry chef.
Career of Alexander Seleznev
Already during his studies, Alexander began working as a pastry chef in best restaurants Moscow. In his track record hotel " Metropol", restaurant " El Dorado", restaurant Arkady Novikova « Serena».
While working, he attends master classes from the best confectioners in the world: Michel Chavet, Didier Renardo, Hedeki Morikawa. At the same time, Alexander participates in Moscow and international competitions confectionery skills.
He is a laureate of the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg and the absolute champion of Russia in confectionery.
Founded in February 2004 "Confectionery House of Alexander Seleznev", whose pastry chef he is to this day.
Since 2005, Alexander has been hosting the program “Sweet Stories” on the TV channel “ Home».
Purposeful, tenacious and constantly learning something, Alexander Seleznev is an example for the younger generation on how to take their “place in the sun.” A guy from an ordinary family, having a sewing skill and, at the call of his heart, a diploma from a cooking school, was able to become famous pastry chef, radio and television presenter. His original cakes decorate most holiday ceremonies of show business stars, and mastic figures inspire the Prima Donna so much that they are awarded a place among the exhibits of the “edible” collection from A. Seleznev.
Childhood
Confectioner Alexander Seleznev was born in Podolsk on March 8, 1973. When the boy was 4 years old, his father left them: his mother and two sons. At the age of five, Alexander suffered from mumps and rubella, as a result of which he lost his hearing. But that didn't stop him further development. Sasha studied at a regular school, but sat on the first desk to better see the movement of the teachers’ lips. He said in an interview that he can still watch TV without sound, understanding what they are saying.
The desire to learn new things led the boy to a choreographic school, or rather, a class. After all, the village where Sasha grew up consisted of a dozen five-story houses, in one of which a room was allocated for a dance room.
Seleznev's second hobby was music school. As Alexander recalls, he asked his mother to buy him “great music,” that is, a piano. Although the woman who was raising two sons could not afford such a purchase, she could not refuse her son’s desire to realize himself. From the age of six, Alexander Seleznev, whose cakes are now conquering music stars, began learning to play the piano.
First culinary experience
As a child, the boy was spoiled by his mother and grandmother with their baked goods. Since they lived in a private sector, where there was a front garden with apple trees nearby, my mother often baked charlotte. But the child wanted to enjoy his favorite pie every day, and this became the impetus for gaining his first culinary experience. Mom at one point said: “If you want, do it yourself,” says Alexander Seleznev. Soviet-era recipes consisted of a simple set of products, which is why charlotte, when Sasha was 7 years old, was prepared from 1 glass of sugar, five eggs and 5 glasses of flour.
The guy also showed ingenuity in purchasing food. Having gone to the village to visit his grandmother, he brought from there laying hens and a rooster. Having placed the living creatures in a specially prepared place, Alexander, between classes in secondary school and teaching dancing, music, feeding and raising birds. For this, I always had fresh eggs for making charlotte.
Technical education
As every mother now believes that creative professions- this is self-indulgence and you cannot support yourself with such earnings, and in the 90s it was prestigious to study in an engineering specialty. In the village where the Seleznev family lived, there was a textile factory, so after finishing school the choice was among higher institutions fell on the textile academy. The specialty that Alexander Seleznev studied was called “Textile Equipment Design Engineer.” Mom asked to get a diploma for her sake; she imagined how the whole village was proud of her son, who worked in a textile factory.
Education according to the heart
In general, the guy’s dream was to work in a hotel or restaurant business head waiter, however, after a childhood illness that led to hearing loss, the young man suggested that he could realize himself in the kitchen. So, dishes, pies and cakes to which at that time were no longer alien, he understood that he needed to get a specialized education. While in his third year at the textile academy, the young man tried for the third time to enter culinary college. The problem was the lack of knowledge in English and German languages, since the boy studied French at school.
Purposefulness surged this time too, Alexander promised admissions committee that if they take him, he will learn in as soon as possible necessary items and will graduate from the institution with And so the young man became a student day department Tsaritsyn College, and at the Textile Academy as a student in the evening department.
Practice
Difficult 90s: the factory in the village collapsed, there was not enough money for food and the guy felt responsible for younger brother and mom. One day he saw his mother’s friend making products using a knitting machine, and then Alexander Seleznev said: “I can do this too.” To implement his plan, the guy completed sewing knitting courses and began to produce warm clothes on a large scale, the shortage of which was felt soviet women and were ready to pay 8 rubles for tights. This helped the Seleznev family live well in difficult times for the country.
The culinary college where Sasha studied collaborated with well-known restaurants and hotels at that time, where students of the educational institution could do internships. But not everyone got there, but only those who had blat (a completely appropriate word for the dashing 90s). Alexander Seleznev, whose personal life is built on determination and knowledge of the best, did not miss his chance to get an internship in a famous restaurant this time. At first he was entrusted with menial work: preparing minced meat, cutting salads, frying pancakes. Then for six months Alexander rolled out truffles in a confectionery shop, in general, free practice taught the guy everything, even cutting a cake into 10 pieces of exactly 150 grams each piece.
Achievements and personal life
At the age of 30, A. Seleznev opened own business- “Confectionery house”. In addition, the nomination " Best pastry chef» Alexander Seleznev received in Moscow, taking first place among the competition participants. There are awards from Luxembourg and Switzerland. He is on the jury as the ambassador of Russia, tasting chocolate from a company that occupies 80% of the entire “sweet market”.
He works as a TV presenter in the “Sweet Stories” program, and hosts a similar section on radio “Alla”. By the way, in order to get on television and radio broadcasts, Alexander completed courses acting. Among the achievements of the maestro culinary delights There is also more than one recipe book.
Alexander is so consumed by his favorite work that he has no time to start a family. Now the forty-two-year-old man lives alone in country house. Loves to travel. As a creative person, Alexander Anatolyevich not only creates beautiful things, but also pays due attention to living plants in his country garden.
Working with the stars
Alexander Seleznev, whose photos of cakes captivate many, is a culinary maestro for many show business stars. What stands out from his works is the eight-tiered masterpiece with a million roses, which Alexander created for the Diva’s anniversary. He sculpted it with his own hands for two months and only 10 people were able to bring this creation to the stage.
Seleznev met Alla Pugacheva when he invited the singer to bake a cake together for the holiday date of Radio Alla. After that, I wanted to surprise her with my desserts all the time. He studied Alla Borisovna's culinary preferences and became the favorite baking maestro in famous family Pugachev.
F. Kirkorov, V. Yudashkin, M. Galkin, K. Orbakaite - this is not the entire list of star clients who were surprised by Alexander Seleznev. Cakes, the presentation of which the pastry chef comes up with himself, taking into account the individuality of the individual, are real masterpieces.
Apple pie
Among the incredible culinary ideas in the master’s collection there are also simple recipes that every housewife can do, one of which Alexander Seleznev demonstrated in his program.
Mix a packet of baking powder with 300 grams of flour, then sift everything through a sieve. Add 150 grams of powdered sugar, 200 grams of crushed crackers, 5 eggs and 200 grams of melted butter. Mix everything with a wooden spatula. Cut 4 hard apples into slices, freeing them from peel and seeds. Line a baking tray. Pour the prepared mixture onto it, level it with a spatula and place apples on top. Bake at 180 degrees. After half an hour, remove the dessert from the oven.
From a modest confectioner, Alexander Seleznev quite easily transformed into a popular TV presenter. But he didn’t give up his hobby. Moreover, it was precisely this that became the creative role of our hero on television. Today, Alexander Seleznev is the permanent host of the “Sweet Stories” program on the Domashny channel, as well as on Alla radio, and in November last year the “Culinary Star” program started on the Russia-1 channel. Despite being busy during filming, the pastry chef finds time to publish his collections of recipes and his favorite culinary experiments. During the time the programs were aired, the personality of the presenter attracted many fans, and the ratings of the programs themselves remain consistently high, which indicates the love of the public. Of course, fans will be interested to know how the personal life of Alexander Seleznev.
The recognized maestro of sweet deeds was born on March 8, 1973 in Podolsk. Since childhood, the boy became addicted to sweet desserts prepared by his grandmother and mother. And later he even began to learn from their experience and cook on his own. At first, Alexander Seleznev had no thoughts of becoming a culinary specialist. I wanted to be a head waiter in a hotel. However, after weighing everything properly, he finally decided at the age of 14 that he would go to culinary college. By the way, I failed to get in there either the first or the second time. At this time, at the insistence of his family, Alexander Seleznev was gnawing on the granite of science at the Textile Academy. Already studying there in my third year, I was still able to successfully pass the exams at the Tsaritsyn Culinary College. At the same time, he made a firm promise to himself to graduate with honors, which he did.
After college, Alexander Seleznev worked for a year at the Metropol Hotel, then at the Eldorado restaurant. And already at the age of 30 he managed to open his own business - “A. Seleznev’s Confectionery House”. Perseverance and complete dedication to what you love, as we see, does not go without reward. Alexander Seleznev is the owner of many titles and awards in the field of culinary not only at the level of our country, but also at the level of foreign competitions.
Unfortunately, our stars’ favorite chef has virtually no time left for his personal life. Besides professional activity Alexander Seleznev is seriously interested in traveling, bringing back all sorts of interesting things, as well as arranging a garden in his country house. The confectioner prefers to live just outside the city limits because he keeps dogs, and as you know, they need a lot of space.
Alexander Seleznev was born in the small Russian town of Podolsk at the very women's holiday in 1973. Maybe it was the date of birth that determined the wonderful activity to which this person devoted himself. With his excellent culinary skills, Seleznev is truly a pleasant “gift” for all women for whom the kitchen is a real workshop.
There is nothing strange in Alexander Seleznev’s choice of profession. He, like all boys and, to be honest, men, has a big sweet tooth. As a child, when my mother bought cakes, sweets or pastries, Sasha and his brother Tolya would “deal” with the sweets within a few minutes. The same fate befell my grandmother’s baked goods, which exuded the divine aroma of cinnamon or vanilla. But Alexander Seleznev, unlike most male representatives, turned out to be more consistent. He not only loved to eat goodies, but also helped his grandmother prepare them. And when the adults didn’t have time to cook, he slowly started cooking himself.
So the boy completed his first culinary “courses,” which are rightly called his grandmother’s. In high school, he thought that it would be nice to connect his future with cooking. But his parents wanted Alexander to get something more “masculine” technical specialty. He entered the textile academy. But, having reached the 3rd year, I realized that the desire to become a culinary specialist had not disappeared, but on the contrary had increased. And Seleznev entered the Tsaritsyno culinary college.
Cooking
The young pastry chef graduated from college with honors. He, as the best student, was immediately taken to the kitchen of the famous Metropol Hotel. This is how the big one began culinary biography Alexandra Selezneva. But the oven delicious cakes and he didn’t start preparing magnificent desserts right away. At first, the young cook peeled mountains of potatoes and washed centners of fruit. A little later, Alexander begged the head of the confectionery shop in the same Metropol to hire him.
Finally, he was entrusted with what Seleznev loved most - desserts. He rolled truffles for days. Then they began to trust him with more complex processes.
When the Eldorado restaurant opened, the young chef had the opportunity to get a job in the culinary workshop. After Metropol, Alexander was accepted immediately. Here he learned a lot. He was lucky to work with the Japanese master Hedeki Morikawa. He taught his Russian colleague the masterly technique of mixing Japanese and Austrian confectionery schools. Together with Morikawa, Seleznev prepared real hits.
Over time, Alexander Seleznev realized more and more that his culinary knowledge was modest. To fill the existing gaps, he went to France, then to Belgium and Switzerland. He completed culinary courses in these countries. I learned how to make unsurpassed cakes, exclusive cakes huge size, petit fours, chocolate mousses and sweets. In Lausanne, Seleznev perfectly mastered the technique of baking truffles, and at the Swiss Fabia school they demonstrated to him English technology sculpting flowers on cakes.
Best of the day
Knowledge and diplomas gained famous schools helped Alexander Seleznev become the leader of dozens, if not hundreds of competitions and culinary festivals.
In 2004, Seleznev created the Confectionery House of Alexander Seleznev. And in next year His first book, “Sweet Stories,” was published and became extremely popular. The master decided not to stop and today he already has a whole library of his own works, which numbers more than 20 books.
Seleznev also tried himself as a TV presenter. He hosts the popular program “Sweet Stories,” which airs on the Domashny channel. Then he was invited to host a program with the same name on Radio Alla. Here a talented chef was noticed by a prima donna Russian stage. Alexander Seleznev baked cakes for her more than once for various celebrations. Rumor has it that Alla Borisovna was pleasantly surprised by their taste and appearance.
Personal life
The famous pastry guru is already over 40, but he is still a bachelor. The personal life of Alexander Seleznev is a closed topic. He himself says that his career and constant employment robbed him of the time when he could start a family.
Now he has huge house, in which there was a place to a huge dog Zhorik. Seleznev admits that he does not like small decorative dogs and has always wanted to get a big one pet, a kind and faithful friend. The Bernese Mountain Dog Zhorik is exactly like that.
The famous chef also loves to travel. In other countries, he not only draws strength and pleasant emotions, but also improves as a cook.