Tag Archives: Michael Laiskonis

StarChefs ICC 2012 – Day Three Overview

The final day of each StarChef ICC is always bittersweet. It’s a power-packed day of demos, workshops, competition finals and great food and drink, but then it is over for another year. Unfortunately, for the final day, my team was [...]

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StarChefs ICC 2012 – Day 1 Overview

It has become impossible for me to cover the StarChefs ICC by myself. The event has grown and has an awful lot going on. Even with the return of Sarah Gardener, my son L.J. Sconzo and the addition of my [...]

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Sunday Photos – In the Green Room and Beyond at The James Beard Awards

Once the red carpet was through I headed to the Green Room of Avery Fisher hall at Lincoln Center, ground zero for the media covering the event, to partake in festivities and await the winners as they were announced and [...]

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Sunday Photos: The Red Carpet at The James Beard Awards 2012

I was lucky enough to attend the James Beard Awards last night in NYC. This annual event, which also acts as a celebration of James Beard’s birthday, brings together luminaries from the culinary world from all over the United States. Here are [...]

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Tapping into Your Staff’s Collective Creativity – Michael Laiskonis

Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis is an industry icon—a leader, innovator, and mentor who has inspired generations of cooks both in the kitchen, as well as through his thoughtful prose and active participation in the world’s culinary dialogue. After eight years [...]

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A Farewell to Michael Laiskonis at Le Bernardin

I was stunned and saddened when I first heard that Michael Laiskonis, the amazing pastry chef at Le Bernardin was going to be leaving his position at the restaurant at the end of this year. Le Bernardin has been a [...]

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Starchefs ICC 2011 Day Three – A Personal Summary

The biggest problem at the Starchefs ICC is that one can’t see, do and taste everything. There is simply too much going on at any one time. Difficult decisions need to be made. Starting the final day , I was [...]

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Pastry Chefs Cook Savory at Aldea

Johnny Iuzzini, Alex Stupak, George Mendes, Brooks Headley & Michael Laiskonis
Aldea is a special restaurant to me in so many ways. I love George Mendes' cooking. I love George Mendes – in addition to being a superb chef, he [...]

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Michael Laiskonis Does Chocolate

Michael Laiskonis, one of the world's great pastry chefs, a very smart man, great writer and super guy recently went to a chocolate plantation in the DR, where he he followed the cycle of cacao from beginning to end and [...]

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Portraits from Starchefs 2009 – Michael Laiskonis

A measure of respect that chefs have for one another is the way they come out to watch, listen and learn from each other. That was evidenced by Le Bernardin Pastry Chef extraordinaire, Michael Laiskonis, here watching the proceedings [...]

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