Meet the Chefs of Sugar Rush…Kenny Hoshino

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Carol

Growing up in Newton, Massachusetts, Kenny Hoshino found comfort in the kitchen from a young age, watching and pitching in as his parents and siblings cooked hearty dishes like chicken cutlets, matzo ball soup and on special occasions, his father’s favorite sushi recipes.  

It wasn’t until his time spent studying Neuroscience at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that he exercised that love for cooking outside of home with a job at a local Bertucci’s pizza restaurant. There, Kenny moved around the kitchen quickly, making pizza dough and testing his hand at every station.

After graduating from UMass with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in 2009, Kenny took a position at Chez Albert, a French restaurant near his alma mater where he spent two years as a pastry chef and line cook. At Chez Albert, Kenny felt at home in the chaotic and frenetic environment of a busy kitchen. He enjoyed the pressure of crafting dishes from start to finish and found his identity expressing himself creatively by working with his hands.

In 2011, he took a leap of faith and moved to Charleston, South Carolina where, after a few months shucking oysters at Cypress, he put his degree to use with a job in laboratory research. The lab role was short-lived, and Kenny followed his passion back to Amherst to return to Chez Albert as pastry chef and sous chef, eventually helping the team to open a new location in a larger space.

Kenny moved to Boston in March of 2014 and began working at Michael Scelfo’s Harvard Square restaurant, Alden & Harlow in April, where his nights were spent at the restaurant’s sauté and bar manger stations. Seven months later, Chef Scelfo saw his knack for all things pastry and offered Kenny a position as baker and pastry chef. After Scelfo’s sophomore concept Waypoint opened in 2016, Kenny began applying his talents to the restaurant’s always-changing, cult-followed sweet and savory treats. In 2019, Kenny helped open The Longfellow Bar, directly above Alden & Harlow. Today, Kenny leads the restaurants’ pastry and bread programs, and oversees a growing team of buddying pastry chefs.

When he’s not up with the sun prepping bread and desserts every morning, Kenny finds an outlet in music, with a basic knowledge of piano, bass and guitar, and enjoys painting with watercolors and hard pastels.

Kenny is participating in Sugar Rush on Tuesday, July 23 at Oak + Rowan! Enjoy a 5-course dessert tasting menu that raises money for breast cancer research.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite!

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Meet the Chefs… Aurea-Anne McCrumm of the Sagamore Inn

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Carol

Aurea-Anne McCrumm
Sagamore Inn

Standing on a stepstool in the kitchen of her Italian grandmother’s house in the Boston area, Aurea-Anne at the age of eight, fell in love with the art of baking. Now thirty-five years later, she continues to follow her craft in her second season at the Sagamore Inn as Head Baker creating her specialty cakes pies and desserts working with and for the Bilodeau family. 

Self-taught, she continues her passion of baking by learning from watching other master chefs and reading on the latest techniques. The dream of attending a culinary art school was put on hold as she raised her children, but this did not stop her from achieving her goals. She gathers information from every source and has been fortunate to have baked with and for a number of private customers on Cape Cod. Aurea- Anne has also had the opportunity to created beautiful pastries pies cakes and desserts for the Dunbar Tea Room in Sandwich.

Visit the Sagamore Inn to enjoy one of Aurea-Anne’s delicious dessert creations during Cape & Islands Bakes for Breast Cancer.

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Meet the Chefs… Benjamin Copeland of Bettini and Roxana Bar

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Carol

Benjamin Copeland, Pastry Chef

Benjamin Copeland’s path to Harbor View Hotel has included turns at top resorts across the U.S., but it was an international detour in 2013 that shaped his approach to the kitchen and life. Armed with a wealth of early career experience, Copeland headed to Hanoi as a volunteer chef instructor at a vocational training school for disadvantaged and disabled youth. The experience made him more mindful of waste and more charitable with his time—attributes he tries to impart to his team today.

In the six years since his trip to Hanoi, Copeland has served as pastry chef in destinations as diverse as The Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Raton, Basin Harbor Club in Vermont, Game Creek Restaurant and Club in Vail, and Jackson Lake Lodge in Jackson, Wyoming. His early career included positions at Emerald at Queensridge in Las Vegas; Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa (Colorado); Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa in Indian Wells, California; The Falls Prime Steak House in Palm Springs; Hotel Victor in Miami; St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton; and Heidi’s Bakery in Tallahassee. 

Copeland is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve.

Enjoy his delicious dessert at Bettini and Roxana Bar at The Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard.

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Meet the Chefs…Meet Chef Brett Mayer of The Cape Grille

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Carol

Executive Chef Brett Mayer

Chef Brett, a native of Cape Cod found her calling while growing up in a chef family. It was from working beside her grandfather, who was a chef where she learned some of her greatest lessons about navigating in a busy kitchen.

She enrolled in the culinary arts program at Newbury College in Brookline, MA. Shortly after graduation, she found herself working at Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. After eight years she decided to move back home to Cape Cod. Securing a job at the Woods Hole Golf Club as the Executive Sous Chef in 2009 she found herself adding her touch of creativity. 

All entrees, desserts, and sauces are made in house from scratch. Brett is an advocate on eating fresh, healthy and directly from the source when possible. With over 20 years of experience, her goal is to delight guests with her contemporary, refined cuisine. 

Visit Chef Brett at the Cape Grille during Cape & Islands Bakes for Breast Cancer. Save room for her incredible and tempting dessert. It raises money for breast cancer!

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Meet the Chefs… Pastry Chef Jamie Chernesky, The Coast Guard House Restaurant

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Carol

Jamie Chernesky, Pastry Chef

Jamie grew up in the boonies of New York, spending most of her time baking for her friends and teammates. From a family of nurses, she branched off and pursued her passion of baking and pastry. With good grades and drive, she continued her education at Newbury College in Brookline, MA. Jamie balanced six-hour classes, playing on her college’s soccer team and a full-time job at the beginning of her pastry chef career as only a sophomore. In this time she refined and sophisticated herself in her field. After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Culinary Management, she decided she needed a change of scenery and even a change of hospitality work. She found comfort in the Ocean state and was employed by one of the most well-known restaurants on the shore. The Coast Guard House had become a new beginning for Jamie as she began her job as the front of house manager. After 6 months of front of the house management, Jamie missed her chef coat. With a small transition, she found herself back to her roots covered in flour as the first Pastry Chef the Coast Guard House has ever had. When away from the kitchen, Jamie continues to enjoy playing soccer, going to the beach, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Visit Jamie at the Coast Guard House during the week of Rhode Island Bakes for Breast Cancer and enjoy her dessert that will help raise money for breast cancer research.

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Meet the Chefs…Chef Michael Rostafin of Miel

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Carol

Chef Michael Rostafin

With more than a decade in the industry, chef Michael Rostafin is the Restaurant Chef at Miel, a Provence-themed Brasserie located in the award-winning InterContinental Boston. He skillfully applies his market-driven culinary inspirations to each menu offered in the three-meal signature restaurant, as well as RumBa Rum & Scotch Lounge, and seasonal Five-10 Waterfront. Rostafin and his team focus on contemporary French cuisine with clean flavors and local, seasonal ingredients, elevating brasserie fare without overwhelming flavors or excessive accoutrements.  ‘We like to grow the ingredient to taste like that ingredient, prepared simply, but really, really well”, said Rostafin.

Rostafin often passes through local farmer’s markets for inspiration and strives to source produce from within the property; a 5th floor hotel roof deck beehive supplies a biannual honey-centered menu, a farm-to-table concept Rostafin plans to expand upon.  On Rostafin’s French-style brasserie menu, he has fine-tuned the food offerings while incorporating international influences.

Rostafin studied Music Education and Trumpet Performance at Ithaca College. After teaching two years of teaching in New Haven, Connecticut, he put his education career on hold to explore his lifelong passion to cook professionally. He joined a well-known Connecticut catering company located in lower Fairfield County and absorbed every piece of culinary knowledge he could get his hands or eyes on.  From there, Rostafin jumped into his first professional kitchen joining Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain at Mohegan Sun Casino. After three years working under Chef de Cuisine Leia Gaccione, Rostafin met his future wife at a Laurent Gras James Beard dinner in New York City.  In pursuit of love and a culinary career, he moved to Manhattan and joined Todd English’s Crossbar as a Sous Chef and shortly Chef de Cuisine. Nine months later Rostafin moved to Todd English’s Ca Va Brasserie at the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square as Chef de Cuisine.

Rostafin and his wife left Manhattan’s West Village in early 2016 for Boston’s South End. Rostafin took on the role of Chef de Cuisine at the Forbes Five Star Boston Harbor Hotel Meritage Restaurant and Wine Bar. After just under a year at the Boston Harbor Hotel, Rostafin moved up the street to the InterContinental Hotel where he currently resides as the Restaurant Chef.

A native from Newtown Connecticut, Rostafin currently resides in Boston’s South End with his wife and cat.  He is a member of the Massachusetts Audubon, International Trumpet Guild, and United States Golf Association.  In his spare time, Rostafin enjoys mountain biking, hiking, golfing and fishing.  If Rostafin is not in the kitchen at InterContinental Boston he is most likely found fishing or relaxing on Cape Cod.

Please visit Miel and enjoy their special dessert that will raise money for breast cancer research.

 

Meet the Chefs…Sarah Williams, Head Baker Seven Stars Bakery

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Carol

Sarah William, Head Baker Seven Stars Bakery

Sarah hails from Pennsylvania, where she grew an affinity for baking and pastry. Prior to attending Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Sarah worked at Crossroads Bake Shop. Sarah has been an integral part of the Seven Stars Bakery team for 13 years, leading both the Pastry and Bread Departments as the Production Manager and Head Baker. Sarah enjoys creating new recipes and all things fermented.

Sarah always creates a delicious cookie for Rhode Island Bakes for Breast Cancer. Visit any of their three locations and get their cookie that raises money for breast cancer research.

 

Meet the Chefs… Pastry Chef Deanne Steffen Chinn of Fool’s Errand

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Carol

Pastry Chef Deanne Steffen Chinn


As a child growing up in Manchester, NH, Dee was always interested in cooking. She spent countless hours observing, learning, and working in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. At 13, she was fortunate to witness for the first time a 6-foot wedding cake being made. Dee marveled at the care and attention to detail that went into the cake and she knew right there and then that she wanted to work with desserts. Little did she know she was about to embark on a successful career in Pastry Arts.
After graduating from high school, Dee immediately sought out her childhood dream by attending Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). She quickly expanded her interests and obtained her Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from SNHU in 2002 with a concentration in Pastry Arts. Dee’s extremely proud of her time and achievement at the school and often returns there as an adjunct professor, teaching a course on International Baking.
During her first two years out of culinary school, Dee worked as a pastry cook at The Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH. In the summer of 2004, she decided to spend a summer on Nantucket where she worked at the renowned Topper’s restaurant at the Wauwinet Inn. She would spend three summers at Topper’s, first as Assistant Pastry Chef and then as the restaurant’s Executive Pasty Chef. During the off-seasons, Dee decided to challenge herself by taking on jobs working for prominent chefs: Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida and Barbara Lynch at No. 9 Park in Boston. Her third winter off-island would prove to be a career-changing and full time move for the young pastry chef.
In the fall of 2006, Dee accepted a job from James Beard award-winning chef, owner, and TV personality Ming Tsai to become the Assistant Pastry Chef at his acclaimed Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA. During her 11 years at Blue Ginger, she ultimately became the restaurant’s pastry chef and developed an incredible array of seasonal desserts to compliment Tsai’s dinner menus. It’s here where she met her future husband, Myron, who would later become the restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine. Dee participated in Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer each and every year while she was at Blue Ginger.
In 2017, Dee joined chef and restaurateur Tiffani Faison as Pastry Chef of Faison’s award-winning restaurants, Tiger Mama, Sweet Cheeks Q and Fool’s Errand.
At Faison’s adult snack bar, Fool’s Errand, Dee plays on bites of dessert with items like Crackle Bites – a caramelized peanut butter rice krispy covered in caramel ganache and dipped in dark chocolate.
Dee lives in Medway, MA with her husband Myron and their French bulldog Tucket.
Visit Fool’s Errand during Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer and enjoy her delicious dessert that will raise money for breast cancer.






 

Meet the Chefs… Pino Maffeo, Executive Chef Il Molo

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Carol

Executive Chef Pino Maffeo

Pino Maffeo is an award-winning chef with an impressive background in culinary training and a unique food philosophy.  Maffeo’s strong Italian roots have kept him drawn to the culinary world since a young age and after attending Newbury Culinary College, the East Boston native took off on a culinary “tour” around the country, working at numerous restaurants within different cities such as San Francisco and New York City, where he learned the art of world cuisine from an impressive roster of European chefs.

In San Francisco, Maffeo opened Molhern & Shackern alongside Laurence Vito, who, at the time, was a spokesperson of Californian cuisine, before taking over as chef de cuisine at San Francisco’s Inn at the Opera where he spent three fruitful and distinguishable years.  Maffeo eventually moved back to Boston and became executive chef of Sage Restaurant, an instant hit located in Boston’s famous North End, an Italian haven where he helped change the entire mentality of how the neighborhood ate and brought a new standard of cooking to the esteemed Boston neighborhood.   

In 1988, Maffeo brought his wealth of talent to Manhattan where he earned rave reviews from Crain’s New York Business and The New York Times for his inventive menus and unique approach.

He returned to Boston and brought Louis Boston’s Restaurant L to fruition, which within a year became noted as one of the most acclaimed new restaurants in the country.

Maffeo garnered several media awards including being named “Top Ten New Restaurants of the Year” by Travel & Leisure, “Best New Restaurants in the World” in Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” issue and one of “Boston’s Best New Faces.” He also was chosen by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the “Best New Chefs” in America.  Maffeo has appeared on NBC’s“Today Show”, CBS’s“The Early Show”, The Food Network, “Good Morning America” and PBS’s “Simply Ming” hosted by fellow Boston chef extraordinaire Ming Tsai.Additionally, Maffeo has been featured in Men’s Health, Playboy,  The New Yorker, Food & Wine, Bon Appetite, Where Magazine,  Art Culinaire, Food Arts, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and many more.  Maffeo has been a special guest speaker at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for The Lemelson-MIT Program that is dedicated to honoring the acclaimed and unsung heroes who have helped improve our lives through invention. 

Today, Maffeo is the executive chef at the acclaimed il Molo restaurant in Boston’s historical North End neighborhood which opened along Commercial Street in July of 2016.

We are grateful to have the support of Pino Maffeo in this year’s Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer. Visit Il Molo in The North End and save room for his very special dessert which will raise money for breast cancer research.

 

Meet the Chefs… Pastry Chef, Shawn Dresser of Rowes Wharf Sea Grille

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Carol

Pastry Chef Shawn Dresser

Shawn was born and raised in Abington, Massachusetts, Shawn Dresser realized his passion for culinary at the young age of eight. He found a love for cooking shows and admired through his screen the talents of Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. Picking up new skills along the way, Shawn committed to cooking full Sunday dinners for his family, unknowingly beginning his successful career in hospitality.

Despite his young age, Shawn always showed an eagerness to learn and grow as a chef- even asking for a wok on his 10th birthday! This drive and passion to succeed only grew as he attended the French Pastry School in Chicago, Illinois as well as the Notter School in Orlando, Florida and Newbury College in Brookline, MA.

Prior to joining the Boston Harbor Hotel team in 2008, Shawn was a Pastry Chef at the Hotel@MIT and the Seaport Hotel in Boston. 

Formally trained in savory, Shawn Dresser has become the creator behind all of the perfect pastries and decadent baked goods at the Boston Harbor Hotel.  Shawn is passionate about his role as Executive Pastry Chef, and his immense talent and artistry are displayed in his creations that are equally as eye-catching as they are delicious. 

Aside from being in the kitchen, Shawn finds the most joy spending time with his wife, Nicola, and his daughter, Audrina.

We greatly appreciate the support of Shawn and Rowes Wharf Sea Grille in this year’s Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer.  He will have an amazing dessert waiting for you which will help us raise money for breast cancer research. 

 

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