Purposeful, tenacious and constantly learning something, Alexander Seleznev is an example for the younger generation on how to take your “place in the sun”. A guy from an ordinary family, having a sewing engineering education and, according to the call of his heart, a diploma from a cooking school, he was able to become a famous confectioner, radio and TV presenter. His original cakes adorn most of the celebratory ceremonies of show business stars, and figures made of mastic inspire the Primadonna 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 the village of Podolsk on March 8, 1973. When the boy was 4 years old, their father left them: mother and two sons. At the age of five, Alexander had been ill with mumps and rubella, as a result of which he lost his hearing. But this did not prevent its further development. Sasha studied at a regular school, only sat on the first desk in order to better see the movement of the lips of the teachers. He is in one of the interviewssaid that he can still watch TV without sound, understanding what they are talking about.
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 passion was the music school. As Alexander recalls, he asked his mother to buy him "great music", that is, a piano. A woman who raised two sons, although she could not afford such a purchase, she could not refuse her son the desire to fulfill herself. From the age of six, Alexander Seleznev, whose cakes are now conquering music stars, went to learn to play the piano.
First culinary experience
As a child, the boy was spoiled by his mother and grandmother with their pastries. 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 cake every day, and this was the impetus for getting the first culinary experience. Mom at one point said: “If you want, do it yourself,” says Alexander Seleznev. Recipes of the Soviet era consisted of a simple set of products, so 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 products. Having gone to the village to his grandmother, he brought from there laying hens and a rooster. By placing living creatures in a speciala prepared place, Alexander, between classes at a comprehensive school and teaching dances, music, fed and raised birds. For this, he constantly had fresh eggs for making charlotte.
Technical education
Just as every mother now believes that creative professions are pampering and you can’t feed yourself with such earnings, 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 speci alty in which Alexander Seleznev studied was called “Design Engineer of Textile Equipment”. Mom asked to get a diploma for her sake, she imagined how the whole village was proud of her son working in a textile factory.
Education from 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, Alexander Seleznev, who at that time was no longer alien to recipes for dishes, pies and cakes, understood that he needed to get a specialized education. Being in the third year of the textile academy, the young man tried for the third time to enter the culinary college. The problem was the lack of knowledge in English and German, since the boy studied French at school.
Purposefulness jumped this time too, Alexander promised the selection committee that ifif he is accepted, he will learn the necessary subjects in the shortest possible time and graduate from the institution with a red diploma. And so the young man became a full-time student at the Tsaritsyno College, and at the Textile Academy - a student of the evening department.
Practice
The hard 90s: the factory in the village fell apart, there was not enough money for food, and the guy felt responsible for his younger brother and mother. Once he saw how a friend of his mother was making products using a knitting machine, and then Alexander Seleznev said: “I can do that too.” To implement the plan, the guy graduated from sewing knitting courses and began to produce warm clothes on a large scale, the shortage of which was felt by Soviet women and were ready to give 8 rubles for tights. This helped the Seleznev family to live well in a difficult time for the country.
The culinary college, where Sasha studied, collaborated with restaurants and hotels known at that time, where students of the educational institution could practice. But not everyone got there, but only those who had blat (quite an appropriate word for the dashing 90s). Alexander Seleznev, whose personal life is built on dedication and knowledge of the best, this time did not miss his chance to get an internship in a noble restaurant. At first, he was entrusted with the rough work: cooking minced meat, slicing salads, frying pancakes. Then for half a year Alexander rolled out truffles in the confectionery shop, in general, the free practice taught the guy everything, even cutting the cake into 10 parts exactly 150 grams each.
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 participants in the competition. There are awards from Luxembourg and Switzerland. He is on the jury as the Russian ambassador, tasting the chocolate of the company, which occupies 80% of the entire "sweet market".
Works as a TV presenter in the program "Sweet Stories", a similar column is on the radio "Alla". By the way, in order to get into television and radio broadcasts, Alexander graduated from acting classes. Among the achievements of the maestro of culinary delights, there is also more than one recipe book.
Beloved work so absorbed Alexander that there is no time to start a family. Now a forty-two-year-old man lives alone in a country house. Likes to travel. As a creative person, Alexander Anatolyevich not only creates beautiful flowers from mastic, but also pays due attention to living plants in his country garden.
Working with stars
Alexander Seleznev, whose photos of cakes conquer many, is a culinary maestro for many show business stars. Stands out from his work is an eight-tiered masterpiece with a million roses, which Alexander created for the anniversary of the Diva. For two months he sculpted flowers from mastic with his own hands, 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 a festivedate of radio "Alla". After that, I wanted to surprise her with my desserts all the time. He studied the culinary passions 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 whole list of stellar clients who were surprised by Alexander Seleznev. Cakes, the presentation of which the confectioner himself comes up with, taking into account the individuality of the person, 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 bag 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 the peel and seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the prepared mixture over it, smooth with a spatula and put apples on top. Bake at 180 degrees. After half an hour, take the dessert out of the oven.
