Test your design IQ

MANILA, Philippines - Who is the American-Italian pastry chef who has influenced a new generation of pastry chefs with her work in the Farallon and Waterbar restaurants as well as her cookbooks and television appearances?

After attending culinary school, working in a few restaurants in New York, and staying in France, she moved to San Francisco and joined the opening culinary team at Jeremiah Tower’s legendary Stars restaurant in San Francisco.

Three years later, she made the switch to the sweet side of the kitchen, and has never looked back. She was the pastry chef at Stars for eight years and also owned the retail bakery StarBake. She was executive pastry chef at both Farallon since 1997 and at Waterbar since its opening in 2008, and is recognized around the world for her award-winning sweet creations.

Fundamental to her passion for baking is the belief that desserts increase the social experiences and interactions of friends and families as they linger around the table.

along with her incredible crew of pastry specialists, she has crafted dessert menus that have inspired stellar reviews and media coverage like her warm bittersweet chocolate pudding cake and brown butter crepes with strawberries, ricotta, and orange beurre blanc.

Her delightful desserts at Farallon include Eatwell Farm’s whole wheat flour carrot cake; black velvet cake with chocolate mousse, hibiscus cocoa glaze, and pecan crumble; butterscotch peach shortcake sundae, blueberry pie,  Japanese cheesecake, and sheep ricotta pana cotta.

At Waterbar, foodies rave about her blackberry brioche bread pudding, rhubarb Basque cake, coconut milk panna cotta, and black forest bombe.

She has written four cookbooks: Stars Desserts, 1991; Four Star Desserts, 1995; A Passion for Desserts, 2003; and A Passion for Ice Cream, 2006; as well as the dessert recipes for the Farallon Cookbook.

Since the debut of her first book, she has passionately taught baking to dessert lovers across the US. She is the baking columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and writes a blog for www.insidescoppsf.com. Over her 20-year career, her recipes have appeared on Oprah, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Better Homes and Garden, and Good Housekeeping magazines.

In 2007, she co-hosted the PBS show The Holiday Table, and has had extensive television appearances including on Jacques Pepin’s PBS Essential Pepin, Martha Stewart Living, Sara Moulton’s Cookin’ Live, the Food Network’s Ultimate Kitchens, and Gale Gand’s Sweet Dreams.

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Last week’s question: Who is the German-American textile artist and printmaker who is considered the best-known textile artist of the 20th century?

Winner: Anne Sherill C. Suarez of Quezon City

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Text your answer to 0915-6486414 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.