A Pastry Chef from Heaven
Dana Iannelli , Pastry Chef , Addison Reserve Country Club , Delray Beach , Florida , USA .
I met Dana Iannelli in 2015 when I needed Chefs and Pastry Chefs to assist with a cook book I was shooting for Rick Dees titled “ Rick Dees Top 40 Desserts of All Time ”. Executive Chef Rhy Waddington of Winged Foot Golf Club recommended Dana , and she flew up from Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach , Florida to do the shoot . I knew immediately the talent she was , and I needed to work with her again . ~ Diana DeLucia
GK : Tell us a little about your background .
I come from a big Italian family , that prides itself on great food . At home , I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom , cooking with her recipes and my Grandmothers ’, even experimenting with my own . As a child , playing Chef with my Easy Bake Oven seemed to be a strong indicator to my family that my future would lead to the food industry [ laughs ]. I loved watching my family react to my kitchen creations , wanting to please my “ Grams ” the most ! We lived in South Jersey , just outside of Philadelphia . My mother , a talented cook herself , turned our home into a daycare center . My brother , sister , and I enjoyed being her helpers . In high school , I took extracurricular culinary classes , and my learning experiences there , along with the confidence and support of my teacher , solidified my desire to go to culinary school .
I was determined to attend the CIA ( Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park , New York ) and I knew , that to be accepted , I had to gain experience and earn working hours in restaurants before I applied . I took a part-time position at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City in the summer of 2001 and there I met Pastry Chef Tom Vaccaro . I had a strong desire of becoming a Chef ; I was working in the savory kitchen ( not thinking I would ever do pastry ). Chef Tom was on the Culinary Olympic Team at the time , and he mentored me , from showing me how to hold my knife to sharing insights about culinary school and the industry .
Volume 4 • Issue 42 59