Esteemed Pastry Chef Preps for PD Food & Wine in Blackhawk Kitchen
It’s a Thursday morning and the scents of cake batter, cinnamon, and cream cheese fill the Blackhawk Kitchen as Zac Young, a pastry chef well-known for his appearances on the Food Network, prepares his famous molten carrot cake with two of La Quinta High’s Culinary Academy students, Elijah Hicks ’18 and Zachary Wisdom ’18.
Young is at LQHS preparing a dessert for the eighth annual Palm Desert Food and Wine, a three-day event of chef demonstrations, food, beer and wine tastings.
His culinary journey started with a cookie. Like many college students, he didn’t know how to bake. “So, I just started making them in my apartment. That’s when I was like, ‘Oh! This is kind of cool and delicious,” he says.
A few years after college, he reflected on the fact that cookies constantly consumed his mind, especially when at work. “My vegan mother, of all people, said, ‘Well, why don’t you go to culinary school?’ because all I’m talking about are cookies,” the energetic chef recalls, as he cracks eggs for the carrot cake. “I didn’t realize that was an option because I had already gone to college.”
Young later received his chops at Walnut Hill School for the Arts as well as the Institute of Culinary Education. For high school students looking into pursuing a culinary career, Young advises, “Don’t do it,” prompting laughter from those in the kitchen.
He admits the job is time-consuming, exhausting, and laborious. “A lot of people think being a chef is sexy, but it’s not,” he explains. “[It’s] ultimately very rewarding because what we’re doing is feeding people and making people happy.”
He notes that the career is a “labor of love,” and so, his real advice to aspiring culinary artists is to pursue their passions. “You just have to love it because if not, you’re going to be miserable,” he says. “I think, like anything, you have to love what you do because there’s no glory or money or fame in it.”
You just have to love it because if not, you’re going to be miserable. — Zac Young
With a small laugh, he says, “Even though my mother is a terrible cook, and I’ll go on record saying that, my grandmother was an amazing cook. She kind of gave me that love of food.” While he admits the talent for cooking skipped a generation in his family, his grandmother became his biggest source of inspiration because of her work ethic, as she owned her own restaurant back in the day. Her recipes and conversations about food played an important part in sparking his culinary curiosity.
Named one of the top ten pastry chefs in the United States, Young cooks and bakes it all, but he prefers baking. “I like the arts and the science of [baking] versus the more free-falling savory cooking,” he explains. “I like the structure and the architecture so I just kind of gravitated towards pastry.”
Back in the Blackhawk Kitchen, Wisdom prepares for the desserts by measuring flour and cutting butter into cubes. “[Chef Young] is really nice. He showed me a couple of new tricks,” he says. “Overall, it was a good learning experience.”
Young is expected to break bread – likely his molten carrot cake – and dish about his process with attendees at the food and wine festival this weekend from March 23-25.
Brysenia Miranda is a senior at La Quinta High School. She is in her first year of journalism. She enjoys playing basketball and hanging out with her family and friends in her free time. She is outgoing, adventurous, athletic, and very school spirited. She hopes that journalism will help her become a...
#desertwebber ♦ Mar 27, 2018 at 5:11 am
Beautifully written! We’d love to have you as the #foodiereporter for the rest of the school year!! We have 2 Blackhawk Showdowns coming up in May and June. Let me know if you are interested.
Melissa Moore ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 11:44 am
Wow. Well done Brysenia. I shared it with the class and they all loved it. Thanks
Meredith Wheeler ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 9:24 am
LQHS crafts the most awesome students!! Kudos to our young chefs-in-training (and the fabulous guest chef!) as well as the amazingly talented author of this story! Fantastic work!
Meredith Wheeler ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 9:22 am
La Quinta crafts the most amazing students! Kudos to our young chefs-in-training and to the amazingly talented writer of this story! Bravo!!
Leann ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 8:39 am
This is such a good article. It’s well written. Way to go Brysenia.
Alany Almada ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 7:18 am
Gwow Brysenia great job!!! I love it!!!
Karsyn Hughes ♦ Mar 23, 2018 at 4:39 am
Nicely done Brysenia! Not only was this an informative piece, but I stayed tuned in from start to end. Writing is definitely your calling. Keep up the good work!!
Miguel Melchor ♦ Mar 22, 2018 at 10:07 pm
Very great article, I enjoyed every word. It was very well put together and I was intrigued throughout the entire story. Every informative as well!
Megan ♦ Mar 22, 2018 at 9:58 pm
Brysenia, you did such an amazing job writing this article! I am and will always be very proud of you!!
Brandy ♦ Mar 22, 2018 at 9:04 pm
What a well written article. Brysenia Miranda is a very talented writer!
Rosie Heredia ♦ Mar 22, 2018 at 9:00 pm
Wow! Very well written!! Congrats Brysenia on an article well done
Aaliyah Hernandez ♦ Mar 22, 2018 at 8:59 pm
I loved his saying, “you just have to love it, because if not you’re going to be miserable”. Totally agree! Thank you for sharing his story and love for cooking.