Award-winning pastry chef opens Salt Lake bakery

Adalberto Diaz, the 2012 national Pastry Chef of the Year, recently opened Fillings and Emulsions in Salt Lake City.

The new bakery bills itself as a "Latin and eclectic pastisserie" offering sweet and savory items from Diaz's native Cuba as well as traditional French pastries.

Christian Kubak, who previously worked as a sous chef at The Radisson Hotel and the now-closed Metropolitan, also is a co-owner and chef.

To celebrate the store opening, Diaz and Kubak are offering a 10 percent discount on all items through October and 20 percent off the colorful macarons, their signature offering. The French cookies, which sell for $1.95 each, are made with fresh ingredients, house-made fillings and come in exotic flavors such as passion pineapple, chocolate raspberry, strawberry lemonade and blackberry marshmallow.

The bakery also offers a variety of biscotti, custards, scones, cakes, tarts and petit Gateaux (small cakes.)

Savory specialties include individual Cuban meat pies ($3.75) with traditional picadillo filling: ground beef, onions, peppers, spices, golden raisins and green olives. Fresh-baked breads are available on Friday and Saturday.

Diaz, who graduated from the International School for Tourism Entertainment in Havana, immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 and has worked at several Utah restaurants before becoming a professor/chef-instructor at Utah Valley University in Orem. He worked as the executive chef and culinary instructor at Harmons Grocery Stores. Last year, he defeated numerous chefs on the regional and national level to win the annual pastry chef competition, sponsored by the American Culinary Federation.

In March, Diaz left Harmons to open Fillings and Emulsions — a name that plays off the term "feelings and emotions," he said.

Fillings and Emulsions • 25 Kensington Ave. (1500 South), Salt Lake City; 801-477-0007.

Open • Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Prices • Cookies and pastries $1.50 - $6.75; full cakes $14.79-$29.99; breads up to $3.25.