Our Kitchen
Learn the principles of food + pastry in a professionally-equipped kitcheN
Welcome to the Orangerie Test Kitchen, where we teach food and pastry skills that are both artful and practical. From making desserts for special occasions to properly organizing a functional kitchen, our lessons are about the foundations of cooking as a lifestyle. We empower students to engage in self-expression and self-sufficiency. Our mission is to deliver a basis of knowledge that allows for food appreciation, builds kitchen confidence, and ultimately inspires a passion for cooking.
Our classes strike a balance between fun and informative; each session is hands-on and is centered around making dishes that are practical, versatile, and delicious. Lessons like knife skills and food chemistry are folded into the curriculum, which itself is designed to cover a wide range of techniques and concepts. We teach and use restaurant nomenclature, technique, workflow, safety, and food storage methods.
Every lesson is meant to achieve multiple goals:
to inspire and empower students to engage deeply with food as a medium
to impart proficiency with the tools and concepts of food and pastry
to empower students to sustain themselves, both nutritionally and creatively
Meet the teacher
Eileen Wong | Pastry Chef
Eileen is a self-taught professional pastry chef whose learning process has been a lifelong journey. It only took six short years on this earth for her to recognize the raw feeling of pure potential running through her fingers at the touch of sifted flour and cold butter. Her obsession with food as a youth was rivaled only by the unadulterated gratitude from gifting the fruits of her labor to others.
Eileen went on to cultivate a deep appreciation of all things artful at Pratt Institute and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She embarked on a 12-year career in corporate interiors while working for some of the most prestigious architecture firms in NYC, including Voorsanger + Mills, Richard Meier, and James Stewart Polshek.
Her tenure in high design only served to strengthen her approach to food. In 2003, armed with passion and decades of personal experience but no formal training, she made an entrance into The Ryland Inn where she got her professional start under the world-renowned Chef Craig Shelton. With her, she brought her love of color, texture and craftsmanship. Amidst the heights of creativity and technique, she absorbed all that was offered by this transformational experience. Using her newly formalized knowledge, she launched into new ventures, owning and operating The Mountainville Pastry Shop as well as working in professional kitchens for the next fifteen years, all the while cataloging a priceless set of master recipes.
Over time, Eileen honed her own style. Building upon the foundations of classic Country French technique, she has found a way to incorporate her own globally-informed expressions. Influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage and intersected with an ever-growing knowledge of Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines, her creations emerge in often unexpected ways. Her passion for learning about the flavor profiles, techniques, and even philosophies of diverse cultures is a hallmark characteristic of her deeply personal relationship with food itself.
For the uninitiated — Eileen Wong’s reputation among the local community is one of radical generosity and hospitality. Her mission is to find an impassioned audience to pass on practical, hands-on, and accessible food knowledge. Her fervent wish is to share the feeling of excitement and curiosity around food that she has felt for as long as she can remember. After all, is she not still the same wide-eyed adventurer as when she began this journey?
Location
Lebanon, NJ 08833
Email
hello@orangeriebakery.com
Phone
(908) 268-1705
Reviews
“I made a croquembouche under the guidance of Mama Wong and learned so many invaluable pastry tricks under her supervision. I learned what to look for when the choux pastry is done cooking, and how to best control the heat of an oven (with a wooden spoon!) I walked out of her kitchen a more knowledgeable baker and would highly recommend her as a teacher.”
— Emil A.
“From the time I was introduced to Eileen’s cooking and baking I have never stopped talking about it. I would constantly be asking for the next time I could be invited over for dinner. While creating these culinary masterpieces she has always kept a very warm and friendly environment. Highly recommend!”
— Paul G.
student work: A Sample
