Upon completing an AAS in Culinary Arts from Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois, Andy Chlebana attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park to study baking and pastry. He began his career working for the Four Seasons Chicago, focusing on fine-dining desserts. Chef Chlebana’s career has included positions at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Grill Room, opening team of the Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C., and Pastry Chef/Corporate Account Manager at Albert Uster Imports, Inc. Chlebana has spent the past 18 years teaching baking and pastry at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois, where he is now Pastry Chef/Professor. Most recently, Chlebana was the coach of Pastry Team USA, which competed at the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie, and has completed revising the second edition of his book The Advanced Art of Baking and Pastry (Wiley, 2017), due out later this year. He resides in Plainfield, Illinois with his wife Heather and four children.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Andy first got hooked on baking
• Taking an alternate route: community college and pastry at the C.I.A.
• Landing his first job at the Four Seasons Chicago
• Opening the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.
• Joining the sales team at Albert Uster Imports
• Finding his true calling: beginning his teaching career at Joliet Junior College
• The challenge of earing his CMPC certification
• Coaching Team USA for the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie
• And much more!