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Gale Gand




Source of Recipe


Food Network
Sweet Dream's Gale Gand caught the eye of a Life magazine photographer while making mud pies at age 6. Some 40 years later, her ingredients have changed but the pastry chef still catches eyes and tastes with her creations.

Gale's desserts have consistently received stellar reviews. Restaurant critics have declared her one of the best pastry chefs in the US. In 2001, Gale received the highly coveted James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. She was also named top pastry chef of the year in Bon Appetit's annual Best of the Best awards in 2001. In 1994, Gale received the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence. That same year, she and partner Rick Tramonto were named among the Top Ten Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. Gale and Tramonto were nominated for the 1998 James Beard Awards for Best Chefs in the Midwest and also nominated for the 2000 James Beard Awards with Tru for the Best New Restaurant Award. Gale also received a nomination from the James Beard Awards forButter Sugar Flour Eggs in the Baking and Desserts category for cookbooks.

A native of Chicago's North Shore, Gale spent her college years studying silver and goldsmithing. When she took a year off and went to work in a restaurant, she discovered that the skills she had learned in art translated well to cuisine. She started her own catering company and also worked three years at the Strathallen Hotel in Rochester, NY. There she met chef and mentor Greg Broman and future partner Tramonto.

During that time, Gale traveled to Europe for pastry classes at La Varenne in Paris and to experience the foods of France. In 1985, Gand and Tramonto moved to New York City. At Gotham Bar & Grill, her desserts were awarded three stars by The New York Times critic Bryan Miller.

After moving back to Chicago, Gale and Tramonto were asked to transform the kitchen and cuisine at Stapleford Park, a five-star hotel outside of London. Overcoming skepticism from critics and the public, Stapleford Park received acclaim from some of London's toughest reviewers, including the red "M" in the 1991 Michelin guide--the first received by an American in five years.

Gale and Tramonto returned to Chicago, where Gale worked at four-star Charlie Trotter's. The two then teamed up with Henry Adaniya to open Trio. After two years, Gale and Tramonto opened Brasserie T in Northfield, Illinois, a brasserie serving robust French/American food. In 1999, they opened Tru. Gale has also written Just a Bite.