This is the next in our series of educators featured in our Bake Twentyfive issue. Each weekday, we will spotlight a new instructor or educator in the fields of baking, pastry, and chocolate.
Chef En-Ming Hsu’s accomplishments as a pastry chef are as numerous as they are impressive. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Hsu attended culinary school and studied at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where she credits her education in studio arts as a primary influence in her design and presentation of her pastry creations. Drawing from her artistic education, Chef Hsu has mastered chocolate and sugar showpiece work, in addition to creating classic European and American pastries.
Having first taught at The French Pastry School as a visiting master guest chef, she is overjoyed to be a member of the team teaching in the 24-week L’Art de la Patisserie program.
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. The United States team won by a margin of 442 points, the largest winning margin ever achieved. 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. Other awards include the “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2008, “Distinguished Visiting Pastry Chef” in 2007, “Best Pastry Chef in Chicago” in 2003 by Chicago magazine, and “Best Pastry Chef in Chicago” at the Jean Banchet Chef’s Gala in 2002 and 2004.
Possessed with a keen sense of art, design and creativity, her work has been featured in several publications including Art Culinaire, Food Arts, and Gourmet. Hsu was named a “Rising Star Chef of 1999” by the James Beard Foundation. In 1997, she was named “Pastry Chef of the Year in America.”