Chef En-Ming Hsu, world pastry champion and chef instructor at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago, was named the 2010 Pastry Chef of the Year by the World Pastry Team Championship. En-Ming Hsu was recognized at the World Pastry Forum in Phoenix.
Each year, the forum hosts pastry professionals and students from all over the world for one of the largest international pastry conventions.
‘Chef En-Ming is an inspiration to her students and to all pastry chefs,’ says co-founder and dean of The French Pastry School, Chef Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F. ‘She is a passionate artist and teacher, and she constantly strives to improve.’
During her demonstrations, Hsu spoke about the importance of flow in a menu. From the first course through the dessert, the experience should not just be enjoyable, but cohesive. Chef Hsu often uses fresh, homemade cheeses in her desserts as they connect to the main courses of the meal. Some recipes she demonstrated included her Kahlua ice cream with ricotta fritters, rosemary-glazed figs with homemade fromage blanc, and a lavender honey cake with chocolate silk and morello cherry compote.
Chef Hsu served as team captain of the United States Pastry Team that took the Gold Medal at the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France in 2001. Hsu returned to the World Pastry Cup in 2003 to serve as president of the International Jury, and again in 2005, 2007, and 2009 as jury president and manager for Team USA. Last year, Hsu was named the Dame de l’Année by the Académie Culinaire de France.
