I am not a shock jock pastry chef. I don't create desserts using strange ingredients just for the sake of doing so, like so many of my colleagues in the industry.

A pastry chef's lifespan in a restaurant is limited. You have to open a bakery or pastry shop. There's only so far you can go in a restaurant.

Everyone has days when things can go wrong. That doesn't make you a bad pastry chef - that makes you human.

Desserts are last, but don't let them be least.

I have pictures of me feeding deer and possums with baby bottles. I am such an animal lover.

Chocolate is one of the backbones of the pastry kitchen. It is one of the most important ingredients in our pantry. It is very versatile, it is complex, and it is extremely temperamental.