Chef Dawn M. DeStefano
Chef Instructor, Baking & Pastry Arts
"The world has food in common. We are all a part of each other."
About
Certified Executive Pastry Chef® Dawn M. DeStefano, a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Army Nursing Corps, has taught Baking and Pastry to international students at the Italian Culinary Institute in Staletti, Italy. Her time there influenced her decision to open a food truck serving casual Italian street food.
Dawn holds a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in Culinary Management and a Master’s Degree in Hospitality Management. She’s currently a doctorate student at Johnson & Wales University.
In addition to teaching and operating her food truck, she also worked as a Pastry Chef for a catering company for many years. She brings deep experience in management and personnel interaction.
Certifications & Affiliations
- ACF Certified Executive Pastry Chef®
- ServSafe® Proctor and Instructor
- ServSafe® Manager Certification
Professional EXPERIENCE
- Pastry Chef - A Fresh Connection Catering
- Baking and Pastry Instructor - Italian Culinary Institute, Staletti, Italy
- Food Truck Owner/Operator - DeStefano's Catering
Dish Examples
Praline Mallowmars
This was just a fun day with student learning how to utilize the different methods.
Cannoli Gelato
These were desserts made with the students at the Italian Culinary School in Southern Italy.
Wedding Cake
Three-layer from scratch fudge chocolate cake with handmade/painted grape cluster made for a client’s wedding.
Education
- Currently a Doctorate student at Johnson & Wales University
- Master's Degree in Hospitality Management, Johnson & Wales University
- Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Management, Johnson & Wales University
- Associate of Science Degree in Baking and Pastry, The Art Institute of Tampa, FL
- Associate Degree in Nursing, Howard College
In The News
Tasting Table 9/13/2024
Escoffier King of Chefs Blog 12/4/2023
Special Interests
Hobbies are baking and cake-related!