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In this episode of the Culinary Chronicles Podcast, Lisa talks with Amanda.
Join me (Lisa!) as I chat with Amanda. Amanda Testani has always loved to be in the kitchen and began cooking at a very early age with her Italian grandparents making homemade pasta and Italian cookies. She has been with Le Dolci for over 2 years now and recently was promoted to Lead Instructor and Manager of our Culinary Classroom.
Amanda comes to us having completed the Baking and Pastry Arts Management program at George Brown College because becoming a pastry chef seemed like the perfect career to combine her passions for cooking and art. Amanda also worked at Bobbette & Belle Patisserie for 8 years. She worked her way up from baker to cake decorator, and then to managing both of their Toronto Kitchens.
For the last 11 years Amanda has been creating cakes for weddings and special events, films and television productions including Chopped and the Marilyn Denis Show and for musicians including Drake and MötleyCrüe. Amanda makes edible creations with hand-painted details and life-like icing flowers. She finds inspiration through colour, in nature’s delicate moments – and especially from her customers’ hopes and dreams.
Her dream is to continue to bring joy to people’s lives through her cakes, pastries and cookies – to brighten an ordinary day and make a milestone sparkle.
In their conversation, Lisa and Amanda talk about;
- Check Amanda’s journey from her background in arts and pastry to head chef of the Culinary Classroom
- Her experience with teaching all ages and all levels in the classroom and what her thoughts are on the ‘perfect’ age to start teaching your kids in the kitchen
- Her knowledge and experience in the food industry
- How she cooks for herself and her partner at home with non-traditional schedules of work
- What her go to meal would be when she invites family and friends for a meal
- The food trends she is seeing in the food industry currently
- What kind of cake she would make if she were asked to bake at her best friends wedding
Enjoy the conversation!
**Links mentioned in this episode:**
- Follow my favourite Toronto Chef on Instagram: chefmatthewsimpson
- Ologies episodes related to food: Eating wild Plants, Feasts
- Where I work, check out our website and see me in class! Le Dolci Classroom
- Chefs who inspire me: Jessie Sheehan
Special thanks to our sponsors, Juli's Cookie Company and Le Dolci Culinary Classroom.
