Teacher Bios

The Art of the Cake

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Instructor Bios

in alphabetical order

Michelle Bommarito (as seen on Food Network) http://www.michellebommarito.com/

As sole-proprietor of her own company, Michelle Bommarito llc has worked with numerous individuals, groups, businesses, and organizations in both the private and public sectors. Over the past 8 years, she has successfully provided innovative pastry and culinary training, concept development, product delivery and public relations to a multitude of clients.

Bommarito is a graduate (1997, Blue Ribbon Status) of The Institute of Culinary Education (formerly, Peter Kumps New York Cooking School) located in the heart of Manhattan, NY. She is accredited in both the Culinary and Pastry Arts, in addition to her culinary degree, She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan in 1990 where she earned a BA in Marketing Management, with a minor in Psychology.

While living and working in New York, Michelle had the privilege of being employed by the historic and world renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, NY. Supporting the Executive Chef with the preparation of recipes for fine pastries and desserts was a daily responsibility for Bommarito. Michelle deemed a finalist in the 1997 Harry Wils “How Sweet it is” pastry competition with her own chocolate sculpture. Also, while working in New York at The Institute of Culinary Education and at Amy’s Bread Company, Bommarito enhanced her culinary techniques and recipe development skills.

Significant culinary experiences also include being a freelance artist for Martha Stewart Omni Media in Westport, CT and at Living Magazine in Manhattan. This unique career opportunity afforded her the ability to develop and expand her own research and development capabilities. In fact, Michelle appeared alongside Martha Stewart during a Spring 2000 program where she demonstrated assembly of an intricately themed “Spring Garden” cake.

The distinctiveness and uniqueness of her designs and cakes have been subject to numerous newspaper and magazine articles including, Detroit Free Press, Martha Stewart Living, Oakland Style Magazine, Bride’s Magazine.

In May 2004, Michelle was invited to participate in a Bride's edition spotlighting 20 Wedding Cake Designers from around the country. In June 2004 and March 2005 Michelle was selected one of five Wedding Cake Designers to compete in The Food Network Wedding Cake Challenge and Holiday Bake Off. In September 2004, Michelle was asked to be Michael Jordan’s personal Chef during his week visit for the 35TH ryder cup held at Oakland hills country club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In October of 2006 Michelle was invited to yet another Food Network Challenge, where she took home the gold medal. She continues to accept invitations to compete in the Food Network Challenges.

Toba Garrett world renowned sugar artist http://www.tobagarrett.com

Toba Garrett, master cake designer and sugarcraft artist is one of the world's leading experts in the area of classical cake art and design. She has studied his fine art with world-renowned chefs and cake artists from England, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and the United States. At the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, she is master chef-instructor of cake decorating and design. She has been at the institute for over 16 years where she has developed cake decorating, cookie design and confectionery art courses and teaches classes that are sold out months in advance.

Her work has appeared in several major magazines including Brides, Modern Brides, InStyle, Gourmet, Essence, Woman's Day, Chocolatier, Pastry Art and Design, American Cake Decorating, Showcase,Noblesse, Kipplinger's, several foreign publications and many more American publications. She has received accolades in The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Sugarcraft, Canberra Times, Daily Candy, and dozens of on-line publications. She has won over a dozen international gold and silver medals in salon of culinary art competitions and has appeared on Emeril Live, The Today Show, B.Smith with Style, Our Home, Home Matters and various radio talk programs.

She is the author of three books - Professional Cake Decorating, The Well-Decorated Cake and Creative Cookies-Delicious Decorating for any Occasion. Her fourth book on Professional Wedding Cakes is due out late Fall.

Lauren Kitchens Lauren Kitchens began making cakes in high school and turned her hobby into a career after earning her BA in Film at SMU in Dallas, Texas. Once she got the chance to make her first wedding cake her eyes opened to the possibilities that were in front of her. The chance to turn her passion of cakes into her life's work seemed like a great opportunity.

After a couple of years of baking at home she got a Small Business Loan and opened her commercial kitchen in the Spring of 2002 in Dallas. Since then, Lauren has turned her small venture into one of the best wedding cake design studios in Dallas.

Voted three years in a row by The American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and The Knot as "Best of the Best" wedding cake boutiques in Dallas, featured in ublications like Grace Ormond Wedding Style and other wedding/bridal magazines around the country, Lauren has established herself as a sought after cake artist.

Her newest venture began in 2008 when she competed in her first Food Network Challenge, "Disney Classics Cakes" in which she made her Mary Poppins cake. "Sesame Street Cakes" was her second Challenge and, so far, her most memorable as she successfully Muppetized the judges. "Newlywed Cakes" was her third episode and her first win. "Spongebob Birthday Cakes" is her latest Challenge and this winning cake was hailed "the best cake ever seen on challenge" by judge Kerry Vincent.

Lauren teaches advanced cake decorating classes across North America, hoping to grow and learn as a cake artist as well as share the skills with other cake artists who are as passionate about cake design as she is.

Beth Parvu, creator of Crystal Colors http://www.sugarpaste.com

Elizabeth travels extensively throughout the USA teaching, demonstrating, and judging cake competitions. A member of ICES, Beth is a demonstrator and International Cake Exploration Societe scholarship approved teacher. She has demonstrated in Telford, England for the British Sugarcraft Guild Exhibition, the South African Sugar Art Guild Exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa, and frequently at Ices Conventions. Elizabeth has had several articles published in American Cake Decorating Magazine, and Cake & Craft Decoration Magazine in England. She completed a major project for Kitchen-Aid for the international house wares show that was held in Chicago, Illinois. Elizabeth is an adjunct professor for a culinary college in Baltimore, Maryland. Elizabeth is the owner of Sugarpaste, LLC and Sugarpaste.com. Elizabeth & her husband Ron own Crystal Colors, LLC. She lives in South Bend, Indiana. Elizabeth has three daughters: Dawn an opera singer & actress, Katie an elementary school teacher, and Jennifer also a dramatic arts teacher. She also has a grandson named Brennan.

B. Keith Ryder http://www.bcakes.com

B. Keith Ryder has been decorating cakes since 1996. Prior to that, he worked in both professional and amateur theatre for over 20 years. He is a shop owner, cake show judge, two-term ICES President, former ICES representative and cake club president, and occasional contributor to American Cake Decorating Magazine. He was the cake room chairman for the 2004 ICES Convention in Washington, DC; Keith was the co-director of the annual Mid-Atlantic Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition for 3 years, and is now the director of the National Capitol Area Cake Show in Virginia. He has won numerous awards for his unique designs; he placed in the top 10 in the Wedding Cake Competition at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show in 2005, and can be seen featured in the Food Network Special that was filmed during that event. Keith’s work has been featured in both the Washington Post and the Washington Times, and he is an internationally recognized instructor in the sugar arts. Keith has been with The Art of the Cake since it's beginning and has served as both instructor and judge.

Eric Woller http://memestreatboutique.com/

Eric Woller, owner of Sweet Designs Kitchen a cupcake boutique and cakery located in Orlando, FL, is a self-taught sugar artist who began, dabbling in the world of cakes a little over two years ago. With his passion for the arts, Eric continues his quest of artistic fulfillment by mastering all mediums. Eric then discovered he can incorporate his master skills into thesugar arts, especially cake. In his short time in the industries, Eric’s skills have been recognized by some of the top names in the cake world. Eric has already been part of 3 winning teams on TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. With the combination of his welding and carpentry skills and his master artistry, Eric has the ability to take a cake design to another dimension and with special effects!


	The Art of the Cake Home Previous Page Next Page (Banquet) Instructor Bios in alphabetical order Michelle Bommarito (as seen on Food Network) http://www.michellebommarito.com/ As sole-proprietor of her own company, Michelle Bommarito llc has worked with numerous individuals, groups, businesses, and organizations in both the private and public sectors. Over the past 8 years, she has successfully provided innovative pastry and culinary training, concept development, product delivery and public relations to a multitude of clients. Bommarito is a graduate (1997, Blue Ribbon Status) of The Institute of Culinary Education (formerly, Peter Kumps New York Cooking School) located in the heart of Manhattan, NY. She is accredited in both the Culinary and Pastry Arts, in addition to her culinary degree, She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan in 1990 where she earned a BA in Marketing Management, with a minor in Psychology. While living and working in New York, Michelle had the privilege of being employed by the historic and world renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, NY. Supporting the Executive Chef with the preparation of recipes for fine pastries and desserts was a daily responsibility for Bommarito. Michelle deemed a finalist in the 1997 Harry Wils “How Sweet it is” pastry competition with her own chocolate sculpture. Also, while working in New York at The Institute of Culinary Education and at Amy’s Bread Company, Bommarito enhanced her culinary techniques and recipe development skills. Significant culinary experiences also include being a freelance artist for Martha Stewart Omni Media in Westport, CT and at Living Magazine in Manhattan. This unique career opportunity afforded her the ability to develop and expand her own research and development capabilities. In fact, Michelle appeared alongside Martha Stewart during a Spring 2000 program where she demonstrated assembly of an intricately themed “Spring Garden” cake. The distinctiveness and uniqueness of her designs and cakes have been subject to numerous newspaper and magazine articles including, Detroit Free Press, Martha Stewart Living, Oakland Style Magazine, Bride’s Magazine. In May 2004, Michelle was invited to participate in a Bride's edition spotlighting 20 Wedding Cake Designers from around the country. In June 2004 and March 2005 Michelle was selected one of five Wedding Cake Designers to compete in The Food Network Wedding Cake Challenge and Holiday Bake Off. In September 2004, Michelle was asked to be Michael Jordan’s personal Chef during his week visit for the 35TH ryder cup held at Oakland hills country club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In October of 2006 Michelle was invited to yet another Food Network Challenge, where she took home the gold medal. She continues to accept invitations to compete in the Food Network Challenges. Toba Garrett world renowned sugar artist http://www.tobagarrett.com Toba Garrett, master cake designer and sugarcraft artist is one of the world's leading experts in the area of classical cake art and design. She has studied his fine art with world-renowned chefs and cake artists from England, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and the United States. At the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, she is master chef-instructor of cake decorating and design. She has been at the institute for over 16 years where she has developed cake decorating, cookie design and confectionery art courses and teaches classes that are sold out months in advance. Her work has appeared in several major magazines including Brides, Modern Brides, InStyle, Gourmet, Essence, Woman's Day, Chocolatier, Pastry Art and Design, American Cake Decorating, Showcase,Noblesse, Kipplinger's, several foreign publications and many more American publications. She has received accolades in The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Sugarcraft, Canberra Times, Daily Candy, and dozens of on-line publications. She has won over a dozen international gold and silver medals in salon of culinary art competitions and has appeared on Emeril Live, The Today Show, B.Smith with Style, Our Home, Home Matters and various radio talk programs. She is the author of three books - Professional Cake Decorating, The Well-Decorated Cake and Creative Cookies-Delicious Decorating for any Occasion. Her fourth book on Professional Wedding Cakes is due out late Fall. Lauren Kitchens Lauren Kitchens began making cakes in high school and turned her hobby into a career after earning her BA in Film at SMU in Dallas, Texas. Once she got the chance to make her first wedding cake her eyes opened to the possibilities that were in front of her. The chance to turn her passion of cakes into her life's work seemed like a great opportunity. After a couple of years of baking at home she got a Small Business Loan and opened her commercial kitchen in the Spring of 2002 in Dallas. Since then, Lauren has turned her small venture into one of the best wedding cake design studios in Dallas. Voted three years in a row by The American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and The Knot as "Best of the Best" wedding cake boutiques in Dallas, featured in ublications like Grace Ormond Wedding Style and other wedding/bridal magazines around the country, Lauren has established herself as a sought after cake artist. Her newest venture began in 2008 when she competed in her first Food Network Challenge, "Disney Classics Cakes" in which she made her Mary Poppins cake. "Sesame Street Cakes" was her second Challenge and, so far, her most memorable as she successfully Muppetized the judges. "Newlywed Cakes" was her third episode and her first win. "Spongebob Birthday Cakes" is her latest Challenge and this winning cake was hailed "the best cake ever seen on challenge" by judge Kerry Vincent. Lauren teaches advanced cake decorating classes across North America, hoping to grow and learn as a cake artist as well as share the skills with other cake artists who are as passionate about cake design as she is. Beth Parvu, creator of Crystal Colors http://www.sugarpaste.com Elizabeth travels extensively throughout the USA teaching, demonstrating, and judging cake competitions. A member of ICES, Beth is a demonstrator and International Cake Exploration Societe scholarship approved teacher. She has demonstrated in Telford, England for the British Sugarcraft Guild Exhibition, the South African Sugar Art Guild Exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa, and frequently at Ices Conventions. Elizabeth has had several articles published in American Cake Decorating Magazine, and Cake & Craft Decoration Magazine in England. She completed a major project for Kitchen-Aid for the international house wares show that was held in Chicago, Illinois. Elizabeth is an adjunct professor for a culinary college in Baltimore, Maryland. Elizabeth is the owner of Sugarpaste, LLC and Sugarpaste.com. Elizabeth & her husband Ron own Crystal Colors, LLC. She lives in South Bend, Indiana. Elizabeth has three daughters: Dawn an opera singer & actress, Katie an elementary school teacher, and Jennifer also a dramatic arts teacher. She also has a grandson named Brennan. B. Keith Ryder http://www.bcakes.com B. Keith Ryder has been decorating cakes since 1996. Prior to that, he worked in both professional and amateur theatre for over 20 years. He is a shop owner, cake show judge, two-term ICES President, former ICES representative and cake club president, and occasional contributor to American Cake Decorating Magazine. He was the cake room chairman for the 2004 ICES Convention in Washington, DC; Keith was the co-director of the annual Mid-Atlantic Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition for 3 years, and is now the director of the National Capitol Area Cake Show in Virginia. He has won numerous awards for his unique designs; he placed in the top 10 in the Wedding Cake Competition at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show in 2005, and can be seen featured in the Food Network Special that was filmed during that event. Keith’s work has been featured in both the Washington Post and the Washington Times, and he is an internationally recognized instructor in the sugar arts. Keith has been with The Art of the Cake since it's beginning and has served as both instructor and judge. Eric Woller http://memestreatboutique.com/ Eric Woller, owner of Sweet Designs Kitchen a cupcake boutique and cakery located in Orlando, FL, is a self-taught sugar artist who began, dabbling in the world of cakes a little over two years ago. With his passion for the arts, Eric continues his quest of artistic fulfillment by mastering all mediums. Eric then discovered he can incorporate his master skills into thesugar arts, especially cake. In his short time in the industries, Eric’s skills have been recognized by some of the top names in the cake world. Eric has already been part of 3 winning teams on TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. With the combination of his welding and carpentry skills and his master artistry, Eric has the ability to take a cake design to another dimension and with special effects!