The Evolution of Baking and Pastry A Conversation with Dean Thomas Vaccaro ’85, CMB, CEPC
Whether employing a 3D printer to create a sugar sculpture or returning to heritage grains to craft a loaf of artisan bread, there’s no denying that the world of baking and pastry is a dynamic one. To help us understand more about where baking and pastry is headed, as well as where it came from, we’re turning to one of our resident experts. At the CIA, all things flour and sugar are led with the vision and drive of Dean of Baking and Pastry Arts Tom Vaccaro. A 1985 CIA alumnus, Chef Vaccaro is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef, Certified Master Baker, and the American Culinary Federation’s 2004 National Pastry Chef of the Year. Throughout his long and successful career, he has worked at top industry properties and earned gold medals in competitions around the world.
How is the way we teach CIA degree students different today from when the program was first launched in 1990? How has baking and pastry evolved in the industry? In the 25 years that have passed, the associate degree has grown into a full bachelor’s degree. The associate degree originally was more of a general overview of the baking and pastry arts, and over time, we created 10 new, specialized classes that were added in, including Chocolates and Confections, Confectionery Art and Special Occasion Cakes, Contemporary Cakes and Desserts, and Advanced Baking Principles. We also added another experiential class beyond the Apple Pie Bakery Café, and that is the Restaurant Operations course, which covers fine dining breads and plated desserts that are served in the Bocuse and American Bounty restaurants in Hyde Park. 10 TASTE
Issue 21
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