The Carpenter Pastry Chef: Power Drills, Heat Guns and More Unexpected Kitchen Tools

At New York's Lincoln Ristorante, pastry chef Richard Capizzi uses drywall scrapers to glaze cakes, notched trowels make beautiful chocolate curls, heat guns (typically for removing wallpaper) to affix garnishes and power drills to peel apples at hyper speed. (This guy knows what we're talking about.)

That's because Capizzi learned carpentry from his father, a contractor who instilled a love of building in his son. In his off hours, Capizzi spends time restoring his 1908 Victorian-style house on Long Island, New York, but mostly he's adapted his skills and repurposed construction tools to redesign showstopping Italian desserts at the restaurant, such as the traditional Sicilian cassata and Calabrian tartufo.

In the FWx video above, watch Capizzi demonstrate some of his favorite techniques.

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