Tina Casaceli

You could say Chef Tina Casaceli's passion for wholesome baking runs in the family. As a little girl growing up in upstate New York, she learned to make cookies in her grandmother's kitchen. They would bake a small batch of her grandfather's favorite S-shaped Italian Viscotti each and every day, so her family could enjoy them just as they should be--warm and fresh from the oven. As a young teenager, she began working in her family's pizza and ice cream parlor, learning to love the food industry and getting to know the customers in her small town. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she perfected her skills in some of New York City's acclaimed restaurants such as Mad 61, Manhattan Ocean Club, and Burke & Burke. Today, she teaches the next generation of pastry chefs and bread bakers at the renowned French Culinary Institute as the Director of Pastry and Bread Arts, a program that graduates over 800 pastry chefs each year. As owner of Milk & Cookies Bakery, Tina is going back to her roots and taking another delicious step in her career. She is excited to bring her diverse background in the food industry--from family business to top NYC restaurants to teaching the nation's future pastry chefs--and her entrepreneurial spirit to Milk & Cookies Bakery. The bakery has already become her second home. She loves getting to know her customers and watching them enjoy fresh, warm cookies. Just as Milk & Cookies Bakery fosters a sense of community within its Greenwich Village neighborhood, Tina also seeks to connect with NYC's children, and to share her passion and knowledge with them. She volunteers a great deal of time to numerous children's organizations and looks forward to integrating this work into hands-on baking parties for children at her bakery. Some of the work that she is most proud of includes: City Harvest, Operation Frontline Tina teaches at an after school program that educates children and families about eating right through hands-on lessons in preparing healthy meals and snacks. Days of Taste Program, Spoons Across America In this food education program sponsored by the AIWF NY Chapter, Tina works with chefs and food professionals to teach children about food and nutrition. Children explore the elements of taste, from farm to table, and are exposed to healthy attitudes about food and the dining experience. Slow Foods in Schools, Harvest Time in Harlem In this national program of garden-to-table projects, Tina develops lessons that cultivate the senses and show children an ecological approach to food. Tina has worked on numerous books and TV specials including her most recent role as a judge on the Food Network's "Food Challenge". She is also a member of many leading industry organizations including Woman Chefs and Restaurateurs, American Institute of Wine and Food, and the James Beard Foundation, to name a few.

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