Alexander Seleznev became a famous pastry chef thanks to his perseverance and love for his chosen craft. This man’s life could have been completely different if he had listened to his parents and pursued their chosen profession to the end.

Choosing a future profession because of the love of sweets

Alexander Seleznev was born in Podolsk. His birthday coincides with International Women's Day - March 8th. Now the man is almost 44 years old, and he is known as a true master of confectionery art. Alexander Seleznev's cakes are truly masterpieces; he puts all his imagination and love into their preparation.

The boy developed a love for making desserts in early childhood. His grandmother always greeted her grandson with pies, cupcakes, and pastries that she prepared with her own hands. Sasha loved to watch how his grandmother created beautiful, tasty products from an incomprehensible mass of dough, he helped her, and soon realized that he wanted to be a professional in this matter.

According to parents' instructions

Sasha’s parents never supported their son in his chosen profession, and after two unsuccessful attempts to enter a culinary college, they sent the boy to study textiles. The young man studied at this academy for three years and again went to try his hand at the Tsaritsyn Culinary College. The third attempt was successful, and he was accepted to study fine confectionery skills.

Upon entering the chosen institution, the guy promised that he would be able to graduate with honors, and he kept his promise.

After college

After completing his studies, Alexander Seleznev began working at the Metropol Hotel, and a year later he was selected for the vacant position of cook at the Eldorado restaurant. By the age of thirty, the already experienced chef was able to create his own “A. Seleznev’s Confectionery House”.

Now the man is the host of the TV show “Sweet Stories”, sharing recipes with everyone on the waves of Radio Alla. He can also be seen in the show “Culinary Star” on the TV channel “Russia-1”.

Alexander Seleznev, whose recipes every housewife wants to have for their own use, develops his own cooking ideas and publishes them in the form of collections of recipes. He has won numerous awards and his talent has been recognized by the world's leading chefs.

Many fans want to know about Sasha’s personal life, but he himself doesn’t talk much about this topic. It is known that Alexander Seleznev is a lover of large breeds of dogs. The pastry chef's shaggy friends live with him in a country house. The man always dreamed of living outside the city so that he could take a break from the noise and raise dogs.

Favorite recipes of Alexander Seleznev

Like any chef, our hero has his own culinary preferences. Alexander considers Napoleon his favorite cake. The man fell in love with it since childhood; his grandmother often baked this layer cake for her grandson. Over time, Sasha made his own adjustments to the preparation of this delicacy; he is happy to share his secrets.

"Strawberry Napoleon"

Alexander advises taking ready-made puff pastry (about one and a half kilograms) to prepare it, if you have never made this yourself. The entire result depends on the dough; it must be yeast-free and fresh. You will also need:

• 0.5 kg butter;
• 0.25 kg of powdered sugar;
• 2 tablespoons of cognac;
• a can of condensed milk;
• strawberries (the number of berries is chosen independently);
• vanillin.

The dough needs to be cut into three equal parts, rolled out thinly so that the square is approximately 30 by 30 cm. The baking tray must not be greased with anything; the cakes must be baked, placing them on a silicone mat. Seleznev also advises not to touch the dough with your hands, but to place it on a baking sheet using a rolling pin. Once the dough touches your hands, it may separate and the base of the cake will turn out uneven. Bake each cake for 15 minutes, after making notches on its surface with a knife.

Soften the butter, beat until white. Add a teaspoon of vanilla sugar and cognac into it and beat until white again. After this, it’s time to add condensed milk: in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Lastly, add powdered sugar to the cream.

Apply cream and chopped berries to the cooled cake, place the second cake on top, and repeat the procedure. Place the third cake layer last, grease it with cream, and sprinkle with crumbs from the cake layers (they should remain when leveling the edges of the future cake).

Ideally, the cake should be left in the refrigerator to soak for two hours. After that, cut it and serve it to your guests. Bon appetit everyone!

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 the best restaurants in Moscow. His track record includes the 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 confectionery competitions.

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, with a sewing background and, at the call of his heart, a diploma from a culinary school, was able to become a 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 this did not prevent his 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 animals in a specially prepared place, Alexander fed and raised the birds between classes at a secondary school and teaching dance and music. For this, I always had fresh eggs for making charlotte.

Technical education

Just as every mother now believes that creative professions are self-indulgence and you can’t support yourself with that kind of income, so in the 90s it was prestigious to study engineering. In the village where the Seleznev family lived, there was a textile factory, so after graduating from school, the choice 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 the hotel or restaurant business as a 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, since the boy studied French at school.

Determination kicked in this time too, Alexander promised the selection committee that if he was accepted, he would learn the necessary subjects in the shortest possible time and graduate from the institution with And so the young man became a full-time student at Tsaritsyn College, and at the Textile Academy - 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 his younger brother and mother. 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 Soviet women felt 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 his own business - “Confectionery House”. In addition, Alexander Seleznev received the nomination “Best Confectioner” 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 on the “Sweet Stories” program, and hosts a similar section on radio “Alla”. By the way, in order to get on television and radio, Alexander completed acting courses. Among the achievements of the culinary maestro there is also more than one book of recipes.

Alexander is so absorbed in his favorite work that he has no time to start a family. Now a forty-two-year-old man lives alone in a 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 the culinary preferences of Alla Borisovna and became the favorite baking maestro in the famous Pugachev family.

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.

Alexander Seleznev, the absolute champion of Russia in confectionery, television and radio host, author of numerous books about cooking, told us about his move and new life on the Cote d'Azur.

Alexander, what was your first acquaintance with the Cote d'Azur?

Twenty years ago, with my French friend, the pastry chef of a Moscow restaurant, I went to study at a culinary pastry school in Paris. After training, we had three free days left and we decided to go by car to the Cote d'Azur. It rained and sleeted all the way - it was in November - and the next morning upon arrival, I woke up from the bright sun, looked out the window and saw green palm trees, tangerines and oranges hanging on the trees, and the blue-blue sea. It was an unforgettable experience and a stark contrast to Paris. We walked in the Jardin Exotique (Exotic Garden) in Monaco, visited San Remo - there were many pleasant impressions from the coast. Therefore, when, many years later, I began to think about foreign real estate, I had no doubt that the choice should fall only on the Cote d'Azur. First I bought an apartment in Nice, near the Negresco Hotel, then I wanted a plot of land and bought a house in Cimiez - this is a very beautiful, quiet residential area. I spent a lot of time in this house, friends often came to visit me: Kristina Orbakaite, Nikolai Baskov and others visited me. I've been going here on vacation for eight years. But in the last six months I finally moved to Monaco, and I visit the house in Cimiez about once a month, I go there as if to a dacha, I garden and cook. The house needs energy, but for now all my energy is taken up by work.

You opened the Riviera confectionery in Monaco, tell us about it.

My confectionery was organized in 1955. I am her third owner, the previous owners owned her for 35 years. This is one of the oldest pastry shops in Monaco with a lot of experience and a wide range of products: yes, we have adopted a range that has been created for decades. For example, the Mont Blanc dessert, which is very popular, was inherited from the previous owners.

I also introduced innovations, for example, “Honey cake” cake, “New York” cheesecake, “Kyiv” cake. There is an interesting story connected with the latter. We call it “Gäteau Russe” (Russian cake). The 80-year-old owners of a chain of pastry shops from Nice shared the recipe and name with us. They told us that this was Catherine II’s favorite cake. Now Monegasques have also fallen in love with “Gêteau Russe” - it is our most popular dessert, they buy it very quickly - I make three huge layers a week. It has nut cakes, raw almond meringue and praline cream (caramel with nuts). This cake is very light and airy, similar in taste to Kievsky cake. In France, there is also a similar dessert, Succes, with praline and almond powder; it has a little in common with “Gвteau Russe”, so the taste of the “Kyiv” cake is familiar to the French, the only difference is in the proportions.

How does a French pastry chef differ from a Russian one?

First of all, education. The French pastry school is the strongest in the world. For a pastry chef, there is only one country on the globe - France. The training here is very in-depth, alternating with practice. They study theory here for a week, and practice exclusively for a week. But in Russia, everything is only from books; knowledge is obtained, as they say, by the tip of the hat. It seems like you read all the recipes in the book, but in practice you can’t cook it: you just don’t remember what the cake consists of without the textbook. The French start with a solid base, then work with all textures, both chocolate and caramel, and then they choose a specialization - who wants to study what. When I recruited confectioners here, I was very pleased with their professional level - they all come as well-trained specialists, they are proud of their work, they expect a good salary, they feel great. In Moscow I have the “Seleznev Confectionery House”, 250 people work there, but there are not many real confectioners, most of them are people with a different education who were trained locally. There are no confectioners in Russia: people graduate from colleges and technical schools with a degree in confectionery, but then do not work in the profession. It's all about attitude: in Russia this profession is considered unpopular, insignificant, and, on top of everything else, very physically difficult. Everyone wants easy money, easy work. And in France, people know that no matter how your life turns out, you need to have a specialty in your hands, to have a bon métier (good profession). When I tell you here that I am a pastry chef, the locals faint with respect and admiration. In Russia, for some reason, they think that this is a woman’s profession, but in France, only a man is a pastry chef. So does the chef.

What is the most memorable cake you have made?

We prepared the largest cake, two meters high, decorated with handmade flowers and sugar paste, in white and gold colors, for the Hotel de Paris. We collected it in the beautiful hall of the Louis XV restaurant.

What difficulties did you encounter when setting up a business in a foreign country?

It was difficult with the staff and the confectioners. They are French, conservative and traditional, they were very accustomed to the previous owner, and for them I was too young, new, Russian. They thought that I wouldn’t work, that the Russian mafia had arrived and would launder money here. I would love to wash it, of course, but I have to work (Laughs). They also knew that I was famous in Russia, they were afraid that I would only film something here and bend my fingers. Subsequently, I was able to show them that I work just as much as they do, even more. There are no problems with communication - I received my basic education in France, so I know French. In addition, many words from confectionery terminology have passed from French into Russian - “meringue”, “meringue”, “praline”.

Why did you choose France for business?

I have a very serious profession in my hands - I am a pastry chef. Even when I had a high level of publicity in Russia for many years, I always introduced myself as just a pastry chef. He was not called a TV presenter, although he worked on TV for 10 years, a writer who wrote more than 50 books, but specifically introduced himself as a pastry chef and promoted this profession. And all the best in confectionery art, the combination of tastes and textures, comes from France. Naturally, I decided to connect the confectionery business with France. But the French economy is going through a difficult period due to crazy taxes. At first I wanted to buy a pastry shop in Nice, but I was confused by this 70% tax, as well as the laws protecting workers. For example, you do not have the right to fire a person you don’t like, you are obliged to support him until retirement, but he will sue you, and you will be forced to work only for his support... There are many nuances, so due to organizational issues we chose Monaco. There are no taxes here and everything is very stable.

Tell us more about your experience of doing business in Monaco.

In Monaco, the profession of a merchant (and I am not only a pastry chef, but also a business owner) is a respected category of citizens. We have certain rights, benefits, respect in society. In Russia, it is not customary for the owner to stand behind the counter himself. And in Monaco it is very important that Monegasques see with their own eyes that you work. I myself go every morning with cakes, and they appreciate that it is me and not some hired employee. For them this is a categorically important point. If you take a bunch of staff, then everything will fall apart. I can leave for a maximum of two weeks, but as a rule, I don’t leave for more than three days - I can’t leave my child for a long period. These are some kind of internal obligations to the staff, to clients, in my opinion, this is a serious professional attitude towards one’s work.

Is it difficult to work in a resort location, because the atmosphere around is so relaxing?

There is no time to relax. We started working on November 1, then preparations for the New Year began. On New Year's Day there were 350 pre-orders alone. And on January 2 at 4 am I started working again - it was time for galette de rois with crowns (a traditional holiday dessert), and every day in January I started work at 4 am. A month without days off. Therefore, I didn’t even pay attention to the sea. It all ended in February, we had two weeks of vacation and then we started preparing for Easter, which was on March 27 this year, very early. In the summer, the clientele is also good, because a flow of tourists comes. In the summer, however, other tastes rule - instead of hot tea, they drink cold tea, take homemade lemonades, we prepare pink champagne sorbet, homemade ice cream, and freshly squeezed juices.

How do you rate the quality of products in Monaco?

The quality of the products here is amazing, incredible. I get great pleasure from them. Real chocolate, fruits, cream - we buy only the best, the most expensive. We don't skimp on products because people feel it. In Russia, for example, the euro is rising and we have to buy cheaper products in order to survive. But here everything is stable. I would also like to note the quality of service from suppliers - there are several of them in Monaco. Their work is clearly organized. In the morning you can place an order - in 10 minutes you have all the products.

Are there Russian dishes that you miss?

No, but when I come to Moscow, I go to my friend chef Maxim Tarusin at Doctor Zhivago and take everything that is on the menu: pickled cabbage with beets, Astrakhan Hall herring, pies, pike cutlets, crucian carp in sour cream. Out of friendship, I can always get a place there “out of line.”

What do you like best about local cuisine?

Every day for lunch I eat mozzarella and tomatoes with good olive oil. Since there are big problems with mozzarella in Russia now, my enjoyment of this dish increases even more.

How can you stay so slim while working with desserts?

I easily manage to stay in shape, the main thing is not to overeat. I eat foie gras and bread, drink wine, and while working I often try desserts: creams and biscuits. But I don’t have breakfast at all - I only drink coffee. The first meal is at one o'clock in the afternoon, lunch is mozzarella with tomatoes, and dinner is already full, although without dessert. Sometimes girls come to our pastry shop and say: “We are on a diet.” Well, for those who are on a diet, go next door, there’s a pharmacy, you won’t lose weight from cakes.

I love the restaurants Loga, Romantica, Sans souci, La Piazza - their owners are my neighbors, they all have very tasty food! We go to each other: they come to me for cakes and sweets, I come to them for dinner. If suddenly you don’t come in for a long time, they start to get offended - this is the village way of life - so you have to distribute time equally among everyone.

Yulia Kurchenkova

Contact Information:
Patisserie Riviera Monte-Carlo
27, Boulevard des Moulins
Tel. +377 93 50 63 23