Marianna Reynolds is the pastry chef at La Sirena Clandestina in Chicago. Opened by veteran chef John Manion in 2012, the restaurant serves Latin-local fare inspired by Manion’s childhood in Brazil and 20 years of cooking in Chicago. Reynolds, who joined the team in August 2015, recently shared her passion for Latin American cuisine and her take on the next big dessert trend.
I love Latin American cuisine. It’s my favorite type of food to eat. The more I’ve gotten to know it, the more I love it. I’ve traveled to Latin America several times. I love the food, the language, the people.
Regional Latin specialties have become very popular and continue to grow on menus. Why do you think Latin desserts have not yet taken off in the same way?
Desserts are a little stuck. People have preconceived notions [about Latin desserts]. A lot of people are bored by what you think of as Mexican dessert. When you go to Mexican restaurants, especially in Chicago, they give you so much food you don’t have room for dessert. I think dessert should be exciting. It’s your lasting impression. It’s a good way to make your restaurant stand out.
What is “Latin-local”?
[It’s] Latin influences in cuisines paired with local [and seasonal ingredients]. It’s a fun premise to work with. It has a lot to offer. A lot of exotic fruits [and] spices to use [combined with the] farm-to-table seasonal movement. [It’s] using locally seasonal with a bigger background.
What are some of the items on your menu now?
Tres Leches de Coco. I take the tres leches and make it more interesting: Coconut lime cake soaked with coconut milks (sweetened condensed, coconut milk and coconut water), tequila-infused grilled pineapple, blood orange purée and pistachio crunch. This is a contemporary take on the iconic Latin American dessert.
[I also make] Spicy Cinnamon Donuts: Cinnamon, cayenne and smoke Serrano flavored dough, rum maple glaze, horchata crème anglaise, bacon brittle and sweet potato mousse. It’s doughnuts with a Latin American twist. It's sticky, spicy, boozy, gooey.
You sometimes use a single ingredient in many ways in a dish. Tell me about that?
All the ingredients by themselves are delicious, but together it creates an amazing dish. If I am going to use a flavor, I try to use it multiple ways.
You use a lot of coconut. What do you like about it?
I love coconut. I like the texture … the super creamy, viscous mouthfeel. I love how subtly sweet it is. It adds something to whatever you’re making. A lot [of chefs] are stuck with using it the same ways. I would like to push the envelope on ways to use coconut — coconut yogurt, coconut cheese, coconut icing. Milk jam? Why not coconut milk jam? Think of everything you can do with dairy and let’s try and reinvent that with coconut.
What do you see as the next big dessert trend?
I think that the next dessert trend will follow the path of local and seasonally inspired ingredients, but taken a step further. I think chefs will respect the sourcing and embrace the integrity of the ingredient in raw form. There are a lot of food additives that are getting in the way, that are stealing our tongues with mimicking flavors and textures. I see a return to the simplicity and a focus on how one ingredient can be represented in different profiles and techniques.