Outstanding Alumni Awards
The 2012 awards were presented to the following alumni:
Hooni Kim
Course of study: Culinary Arts 2005
Current occupation: Chef/Owner of Danji and Hanjan in New York City
Born in Seoul, Korea, Kim grew up in New York, but when it came time to attend college, he headed west to the University of California at Berkeley, studying for a medical degree before a nagging passion for food had him drastically changing gears. Inspired to cook for a living, Kim returned to the East Coast to attend The French Culinary Institute. He followed his formal training with jobs at not one, but two Michelin® three-star restaurants; Daniel and Masa. Backed by his strong pedigree, Kim was in prime position to open Danji, which earned one Michelin® star, the first ever for a Korean chef. This year, he opened Hanjan, an updated, big-city hom¬age to the old travelers’ taverns of Korea. Kim is clearly succeeding for his homeland and hometown, one innovative dish at a time.
Kierin Baldwin
Course of study: Pastry 2005
Current occupation: Pastry Chef of The Dutch in New York City
It was in college that Brooklyn-born, Kierin Baldwin discovered a love for baking, and in her free time Baldwin began to collect cookbooks and teach herself how to make pies, cakes, and cookies. She worked for a few years in the photo industry, before she decided to pursue her culinary interests full time and study pastry arts at The French Culinary Institute. Baldwin was lucky enough to begin her new career at Café Boulud and then worked as pastry sous chef at A Voce, and Locanda Verde. After two years at the side of James Beard award-winning pastry chef, Karen DeMasco, she joined the opening team for The Dutch in SoHo as pastry chef. Baldwin focuses on seasonal, flavor-driven desserts that strike a balance between familiarity and novelty.
Mark Welker
Course of study: Bread 2007
Current occupation: Pastry Chef of NOMAD in New York City
After leaving his home in Indiana, Mark became a baking devotee at the Culinary School in Louisville, Kentucky. He was subsequently hired at Larry Forgione’s An American Place Restaurant in Saint Louis, Missouri, before moving to New York to attend The French Culinary Institute’s International Bread Baking Program. Upon graduation, Welker started working at Eleven Madison Park as a line cook, and, under Chef Daniel Humm’s tutelage, he developed a passion for fine dining. Mark was named pastry sous chef in 2009 and was an integral part of developing the restaurant’s bread and pastry program, focusing his attention on local ingredients and classic NewYork sweets. Welker now heads up a team as pastry chef at New York’s hot spot, NOMAD.
Michael Chernow
Course of study: Restaurant Management and Culinary 2008
Current occupation: Owner of The Meatball Shop in New York City
Born and raised in New York City, Michael Chernow got his start in the restaurant business at the ripe age of 13. After a series of nightclub and restaurant positions, Chernow opened Punch & Judy. He took a post behind the bar of Frank Prizanzano’s Frank on Second Avenue, where he worked for seven years, but Chernow still craved a place of his own. He decided to pursue culinary arts and restaurant management from The French Culinary Institute. Armed with education, he contacted his childhood friend, Daniel Holzman and together, the duo formulated a fast-casual meatball concept and opened the first Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side in 2011. Today, Chernow and Holzman run four Meatball Shop locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and on top of building a booming meatball empire, they’re building community, sourcing locally, sharing their kitchens with upstart businesses, donating their time and resources to charities, and serving victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Irene Hamburger
Course of study: Culinary 1998
Current occupation: Vice President of Blue Hill in New York
After serving as director of operations for a United States Senator and employee relations officer for an International bank, Irene turned her lifelong fascination with food and cooking into a reality and attended The French Culinary Institute. After working at the Monkey Bar, Hamburger began cooking for Dan Barber Catering, Inc. As DanBarber Catering, (and later Blue Hill), evolved, so did Hamburger’s role moving from the kitchen to special event planning, translating the restaurant’s dedication to seasonal locally grown food to corporate and special events. As a member of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture’s opening team, Hamburger directed the introduction of the restaurant and farm to a local and national audience. Working with farmers, chefs and educators, she continues to promote farm-to-table issues that affect agriculture and consumers throughout the Hudson Valley. 
Liz Gutman
Course of study: Pastry 2008
Current occupation: Co-Owner Liddabit Sweets in New York City
Liz Gutman originally hails from Costa Mesa, CA. At 17, she came to New York to get her BFA in acting from New York University. Alas, the life of a performer was not for her; and after spending two grueling years in the trenches at a media research company, she quit in 2007 to begin working for pastry chef, Will Goldfarb. She enrolled in The French Culinary Institute’s pastry program shortly thereafter.
Jen King
Course of study: Pastry 2008
Current occupation: Co-Owner Liddabit Sweets in New York City
Jen King is from Ann Arbor, MI, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Michigan State University. She decided to go into politics, and spent 2004-2007 working for the Democrats. After a couple exhausting campaigns, she decided to turn her passion into a job and put her 2,000+ cookbooks to good use as a culinary professional. In 2007, she moved to New York to attend The French Culinary Institute.
The two became fast friends, and were soon sharing pre-class snacks and recipe ideas on a regular basis. Realizing a shared passion for sustainably produced, fresh, superior-quality ingredients and sweets, their talk of starting a business together became a reality in early 2009. After gaining a vendor slot at the famed Brooklyn Flea Market and garnering some early publicity, Gutman and King are humbled and thrilled to be lucky enough to spend their time sharing their love of sweets with their unbelievably awesome customers. They recently finished writing The Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook, which was released on October 9th, 2012.
Ed McFarland, Classic Culinary Arts '95
Chef-owner of Ed's Lobster Bar and Caravelli's in New York City
Culinary
Josh Skenes, Classic Culinary Arts '01
Chef-owner of Executive chef-owner of Saison in San Francisco
Zak Pelaccio, Classic Culinary Arts '98
Chef-owner of Fatty Crab and Fatty 'Cue in New York, NY
Pastry
Christina Tosi, Classic Pastry Arts '04
Pastry chef/owner of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, NY
Bread
Roger Gural, Art of International Bread Baking '98
Consulting baker, Francois Payard Bakery
Restaurant Management
Laura Pensiero, Classic Culinary Arts '92
Owner, Gigi Hudson Vally in Rhinebeck, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Mark Dissin, Classic Culinary Arts '97
Food Network, New York, NY
Tyler Kord, Classic Culinary Arts '02
Chef-owner of No. 7 in Brooklyn, NY
Pastry
Michael Zebrowski, Classic Pastry Arts '98
Executive pastry chef, Westin Governor Morris Hotel in Morristown, NJ
Restaurant Management
Dan Rafalin, Classic Culinary Arts '96
Principal Partner, AvroKo Restaurant Group in New York, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Robert Bleifer, Classic Culinary Arts '94
Executive Chef of Culinary Productions, Food Network
David Chang, Classic Culinary Arts '01
Chef-owner of Momofuku Restaurants in New York, NY
Pastry
Marisa Croce, Classic Pastry Arts '02
Pastry chef of The National in the Benjamin Hotel in New York, NY
Restaurant Management
Lois Freedman, Classic Culinary Arts '87
Director of operations, Jean Georges Restaurant Group in New York, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Kate Heddings, Classic Culinary Arts '97
Senior editor, Food & Wine magazine
EXCELLENCE IN CULINARY ARTS
Hooni Kim Course of study: Culinary Arts 2005
Current occupation: Chef/Owner of Danji and Hanjan in New York City
Born in Seoul, Korea, Kim grew up in New York, but when it came time to attend college, he headed west to the University of California at Berkeley, studying for a medical degree before a nagging passion for food had him drastically changing gears. Inspired to cook for a living, Kim returned to the East Coast to attend The French Culinary Institute. He followed his formal training with jobs at not one, but two Michelin® three-star restaurants; Daniel and Masa. Backed by his strong pedigree, Kim was in prime position to open Danji, which earned one Michelin® star, the first ever for a Korean chef. This year, he opened Hanjan, an updated, big-city hom¬age to the old travelers’ taverns of Korea. Kim is clearly succeeding for his homeland and hometown, one innovative dish at a time.
EXCELLENCE IN PASTRY ARTS
Kierin BaldwinCourse of study: Pastry 2005
Current occupation: Pastry Chef of The Dutch in New York City
It was in college that Brooklyn-born, Kierin Baldwin discovered a love for baking, and in her free time Baldwin began to collect cookbooks and teach herself how to make pies, cakes, and cookies. She worked for a few years in the photo industry, before she decided to pursue her culinary interests full time and study pastry arts at The French Culinary Institute. Baldwin was lucky enough to begin her new career at Café Boulud and then worked as pastry sous chef at A Voce, and Locanda Verde. After two years at the side of James Beard award-winning pastry chef, Karen DeMasco, she joined the opening team for The Dutch in SoHo as pastry chef. Baldwin focuses on seasonal, flavor-driven desserts that strike a balance between familiarity and novelty.
EXCELLENCE IN BREAD BAKING
Mark WelkerCourse of study: Bread 2007
Current occupation: Pastry Chef of NOMAD in New York City
After leaving his home in Indiana, Mark became a baking devotee at the Culinary School in Louisville, Kentucky. He was subsequently hired at Larry Forgione’s An American Place Restaurant in Saint Louis, Missouri, before moving to New York to attend The French Culinary Institute’s International Bread Baking Program. Upon graduation, Welker started working at Eleven Madison Park as a line cook, and, under Chef Daniel Humm’s tutelage, he developed a passion for fine dining. Mark was named pastry sous chef in 2009 and was an integral part of developing the restaurant’s bread and pastry program, focusing his attention on local ingredients and classic NewYork sweets. Welker now heads up a team as pastry chef at New York’s hot spot, NOMAD.
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT
Michael ChernowCourse of study: Restaurant Management and Culinary 2008
Current occupation: Owner of The Meatball Shop in New York City
Born and raised in New York City, Michael Chernow got his start in the restaurant business at the ripe age of 13. After a series of nightclub and restaurant positions, Chernow opened Punch & Judy. He took a post behind the bar of Frank Prizanzano’s Frank on Second Avenue, where he worked for seven years, but Chernow still craved a place of his own. He decided to pursue culinary arts and restaurant management from The French Culinary Institute. Armed with education, he contacted his childhood friend, Daniel Holzman and together, the duo formulated a fast-casual meatball concept and opened the first Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side in 2011. Today, Chernow and Holzman run four Meatball Shop locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and on top of building a booming meatball empire, they’re building community, sourcing locally, sharing their kitchens with upstart businesses, donating their time and resources to charities, and serving victims of Hurricane Sandy.
OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Irene HamburgerCourse of study: Culinary 1998
Current occupation: Vice President of Blue Hill in New York
After serving as director of operations for a United States Senator and employee relations officer for an International bank, Irene turned her lifelong fascination with food and cooking into a reality and attended The French Culinary Institute. After working at the Monkey Bar, Hamburger began cooking for Dan Barber Catering, Inc. As DanBarber Catering, (and later Blue Hill), evolved, so did Hamburger’s role moving from the kitchen to special event planning, translating the restaurant’s dedication to seasonal locally grown food to corporate and special events. As a member of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture’s opening team, Hamburger directed the introduction of the restaurant and farm to a local and national audience. Working with farmers, chefs and educators, she continues to promote farm-to-table issues that affect agriculture and consumers throughout the Hudson Valley.
OUTSTANDING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Liz GutmanCourse of study: Pastry 2008
Current occupation: Co-Owner Liddabit Sweets in New York City
Liz Gutman originally hails from Costa Mesa, CA. At 17, she came to New York to get her BFA in acting from New York University. Alas, the life of a performer was not for her; and after spending two grueling years in the trenches at a media research company, she quit in 2007 to begin working for pastry chef, Will Goldfarb. She enrolled in The French Culinary Institute’s pastry program shortly thereafter.
Jen KingCourse of study: Pastry 2008
Current occupation: Co-Owner Liddabit Sweets in New York City
Jen King is from Ann Arbor, MI, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Michigan State University. She decided to go into politics, and spent 2004-2007 working for the Democrats. After a couple exhausting campaigns, she decided to turn her passion into a job and put her 2,000+ cookbooks to good use as a culinary professional. In 2007, she moved to New York to attend The French Culinary Institute.
The two became fast friends, and were soon sharing pre-class snacks and recipe ideas on a regular basis. Realizing a shared passion for sustainably produced, fresh, superior-quality ingredients and sweets, their talk of starting a business together became a reality in early 2009. After gaining a vendor slot at the famed Brooklyn Flea Market and garnering some early publicity, Gutman and King are humbled and thrilled to be lucky enough to spend their time sharing their love of sweets with their unbelievably awesome customers. They recently finished writing The Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook, which was released on October 9th, 2012.
2011 Award Winners
CulinaryEd McFarland, Classic Culinary Arts '95
Chef-owner of Ed's Lobster Bar and Caravelli's in New York City
Culinary
Josh Skenes, Classic Culinary Arts '01
Chef-owner of Executive chef-owner of Saison in San Francisco
Pastry
Katzie Guy-Hamilton, Classic Pastry Arts '06
Executive pastry chef of New York Central/Grand Hyatt and contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts
Restaurant Management
Jeffrey Zurofsky, Classic Culinary Arts '98
Partner in 'wichcraft in New York City
Outstanding Achievement
Jessica Bride, Classic Culinary Arts '04
Co-founder and executive director of Chefs Move! in New Orleans
2010 Award Winners
CulinaryZak Pelaccio, Classic Culinary Arts '98
Chef-owner of Fatty Crab and Fatty 'Cue in New York, NY
Pastry
Christina Tosi, Classic Pastry Arts '04
Pastry chef/owner of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, NY
Bread
Roger Gural, Art of International Bread Baking '98
Consulting baker, Francois Payard Bakery
Restaurant Management
Laura Pensiero, Classic Culinary Arts '92
Owner, Gigi Hudson Vally in Rhinebeck, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Mark Dissin, Classic Culinary Arts '97
Food Network, New York, NY
2009 Award Winners
CulinaryTyler Kord, Classic Culinary Arts '02
Chef-owner of No. 7 in Brooklyn, NY
Pastry
Michael Zebrowski, Classic Pastry Arts '98
Executive pastry chef, Westin Governor Morris Hotel in Morristown, NJ
Restaurant Management
Dan Rafalin, Classic Culinary Arts '96
Principal Partner, AvroKo Restaurant Group in New York, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Robert Bleifer, Classic Culinary Arts '94
Executive Chef of Culinary Productions, Food Network
2008 Award Winners
CulinaryDavid Chang, Classic Culinary Arts '01
Chef-owner of Momofuku Restaurants in New York, NY
Pastry
Marisa Croce, Classic Pastry Arts '02
Pastry chef of The National in the Benjamin Hotel in New York, NY
Restaurant Management
Lois Freedman, Classic Culinary Arts '87
Director of operations, Jean Georges Restaurant Group in New York, NY
Outstanding Achievement
Kate Heddings, Classic Culinary Arts '97
Senior editor, Food & Wine magazine