Luchetti, Emily 1957-

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Luchetti, Emily 1957-

PERSONAL:

Born 1957. Education: Denison University B.A.; New York Restaurant School, New York, NY.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Farallon, 450 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94102.

CAREER:

Chef and writer. Stars Restaurant, San Francisco, CA, beginning 1984, became pastry chef in 1987; also co-owner of StarBake retail bakery, San Francisco; Farallon, San Francisco, executive pastry chef, 1997—. Has also served as a spokesperson for Northwest Cherries, the Butter Board, and the Sugar Association; member of advisory board of Sunkist.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Top Ten Pastry Chef, Pastry Art and Design and Chocolatier magazines, 1994; Pastry Chef of the Year, San Francisco magazine, 1998; Golden Whisk Award, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, 2001, for excellence in the kitchen; Silver Spoon Award, Food Arts, 2003, for lifetime of contributions in the food industry; James Beard Award for outstanding pastry chef, 2004.

WRITINGS:

Stars Desserts, foreword by Jeremiah Tower, photography by Michael Lamotte, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Four-Star Desserts, photography by Michael Lamotte, styling by Sara Slavin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

A Passion for Desserts, photographs by Ngoc Minh and Julian Wass, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2003.

A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts, photographs by Sheri Giblin, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Classic Stars Desserts: Favorite Recipes, photographs by Sheri Giblin, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Contributor to books, including The Revised Joy of Cooking, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997, and Farallon: The Very Best of San Francisco Cuisine, by Mark Franz and Lisa Weiss, Chronicle (San Francisco, CA), 2000; contributor to periodicals, including the Contra Costa Times, (Walnut Creek, CA).

SIDELIGHTS:

Emily Luchetti is a renowned pastry and dessert chef who discovered her love of cooking in college. She is also the author of several cookbooks and has contributed to others, such as Farallon: The Very Best of San Francisco Cuisine. Her first two books, Stars Desserts and Four-Star Desserts, were based on recipes developed at the Stars restaurant in San Francisco. Michelle Green, writing in People, called Four-Star Desserts "a book to savor."

In A Passion for Desserts, Luchetti presents desserts for each season, such as Strawberry Ginger Sodas for Spring, and berry-inspired recipes for summer. Fall recipes feature ingredients such as figs and cinnamon, while winter features many chocolate recipes. A Publishers Weekly contributor called A Passion for Desserts "a welcome departure from the usual cake-cookies-custard triumvirate." Nicki Gostin, writing in Newsweek, noted that the author "cleverly demystifies everything" in making the recipes.

For her book A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts, Luchetti warns readers up front that many of the recipes require readers to churn their own ice cream. The author presents numerous homemade flavors, from chocolate and vanilla to various berry ice creams and others. She also includes recipes for store-bought ice creams. "If you're a newbie to home churning, this attractively presented book … will get you started," wrote Jan Deknock in the Omaha World-Herald. Renee Enna noted in the Chicago Tribune: "These are beautiful, wickedly indulgent des- serts presented with lovely, helpful photos and well-written instructions." Writing on the BookLoons Web site, Hilary Williamson commented that "though these recipes take a little (to a lot) more effort than the basic ones, it will be rewarded by the reactions of friends and family, and may satisfy your own craving for delicious frozen desserts."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, July 12, 2006, Renee Enna, review of A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts.

Nation's Restaurant News, November 5, 2001, "Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Announce Honorees," p. 31; May 24, 2004, "Industry's Leaders Honored at 14th Annual James Beard Awards," p. 182.

Newsweek, November 17, 2003, Nicki Gostin, "Books for Bakers Who Bake," includes review of A Passion for Desserts, p. 80.

Omaha World-Herald, August 30, 2006, Jan Deknock, review of A Passion for Ice Cream.

People, December 9, 1996, Michelle Green, review of Four-Star Desserts, p. 43; July 10, 2006, brief review of A Passion for Ice Cream, p. 51.

Publishers Weekly, November 5, 2001, review of Farallon: The Very Best of San Francisco Cuisine, p. 63; September 15, 2003, review of A Passion for Desserts, p. 58.