Gale Gand
Encyclopedia
Gale Gand is a Chicago
-based pastry chef
, cookbook
author, television personality, and was the host of the Food Network
show Sweet Dreams. She is currently the executive pastry chef and partner of the four star & AAA five diamond restaurant Tru
(along with Rick Tramonto
and Rich Melman
), a contemporary fine-dining restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
. Recently, she has blogged for the Huffington Post, was a contestant on Iron Chef America in the 2006-2007 season, and was a judge on Bravo's Top Chef in 2008 for the episode Wedding Wars. Gand was also featured in the Great Chefs
television program
A native of Deerfield
, Illinois
, Gand began her restaurant career in 1976 working as a line cook and waitress in Cleveland, Ohio
, and then as a pastry chef in Rochester, New York. She later did pastry in New York City
at The Gotham Bar and Grill and in England
at Stapleford Park
.
In 1993, Gand opened Trio with culinary partner and ex-husband Rick Tramonto
and Henry Adaniya in Evanston
, Illinois
and was named among Food and Wine Magazine's Top Ten Best New Chefs in 1994. In 1999, she opened Tru with Tramonto and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises's Rich Melman
.
In 1996, Gand was chosen by Julia Child
to appear on two episodes of the PBS show Baking with Julia.
Gand was the host of the Food Network show "Sweet Dreams" that ran on the network from 2000-2008. She got the show without a try out when calling the network to confirm a date to be on Sarah Moulton's show where she was a frequent guest chef.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based pastry chef
Pastry chef
A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
, cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
author, television personality, and was the host of the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
show Sweet Dreams. She is currently the executive pastry chef and partner of the four star & AAA five diamond restaurant Tru
Tru (restaurant)
Tru is a Chicago French restaurant which holds one Michelin Star as of 2010.The Executive Chef is Anthony Martin....
(along with Rick Tramonto
Rick Tramonto
Richard Michael "Rick" Tramonto is a Chicago chef and cookbook author. He is executive chef and partner in Tru, a contemporary fine-dining restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.-Biography:...
and Rich Melman
Rich Melman
Rich Melman is the founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a privately held restaurant company with more than 70 venues. Melman serves as Chairman of the Board of LEYE. He creates restaurant concepts. As such he is a corporate executive who sees himself as an artist.In 1971, Melman and...
), a contemporary fine-dining restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises is a group of approximately 70 restaurants founded by Rich Melman and Jerry A. Orzoff in Chicago, IL in 1971.-History:The first restaurant was R.J...
. Recently, she has blogged for the Huffington Post, was a contestant on Iron Chef America in the 2006-2007 season, and was a judge on Bravo's Top Chef in 2008 for the episode Wedding Wars. Gand was also featured in the Great Chefs
Great Chefs
Great Chefs is a franchise of cooking shows and cookbooks that began with thirteen half hour programs produced for the American Public Broadcasting Service entitled Great Chefs of New Orleans...
television program
Biography
A native of Deerfield
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Gand began her restaurant career in 1976 working as a line cook and waitress in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and then as a pastry chef in Rochester, New York. She later did pastry in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at The Gotham Bar and Grill and in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at Stapleford Park
Stapleford Park
Stapleford Park is a Grade I listed country house in Stapleford near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England, now used as a hotel. It was originally the seat of the Sherard family, later the Earls of Harborough and from 1894, of Baron Gretton....
.
In 1993, Gand opened Trio with culinary partner and ex-husband Rick Tramonto
Rick Tramonto
Richard Michael "Rick" Tramonto is a Chicago chef and cookbook author. He is executive chef and partner in Tru, a contemporary fine-dining restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.-Biography:...
and Henry Adaniya in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and was named among Food and Wine Magazine's Top Ten Best New Chefs in 1994. In 1999, she opened Tru with Tramonto and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises's Rich Melman
Rich Melman
Rich Melman is the founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a privately held restaurant company with more than 70 venues. Melman serves as Chairman of the Board of LEYE. He creates restaurant concepts. As such he is a corporate executive who sees himself as an artist.In 1971, Melman and...
.
In 1996, Gand was chosen by Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
to appear on two episodes of the PBS show Baking with Julia.
Gand was the host of the Food Network show "Sweet Dreams" that ran on the network from 2000-2008. She got the show without a try out when calling the network to confirm a date to be on Sarah Moulton's show where she was a frequent guest chef.
Books by Gale Gand
- Tramonto, Rick, and Gale Gand. 1997. American Brasserie. New York: Wiley.
- Gand, Gale, Rick Tramonto, and Julia Moskin. 1999. Butter Sugar Flour Eggs: Whimsical Irresistible Desserts. New York: Clarkson Potter.
- Gand, Gale and Julia Moskin. 2001. Gale Gand's Just a Bite: 125 Luscious Little Desserts. New York: Clarkson Potter.
- Gand, Gale and Julia Moskin. 2004. Gale Gand's Short and Sweet: Quick Desserts with Eight Ingredients or Less. New York: Clarkson Potter.
- Tramonto, Rick, Gale Gand, and Mary Goodbody. 2004. Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant. New York: Random House.
- Gand, Gale and Lisa Weiss. 2006. Chocolate and Vanilla. New York: Clarkson Potter.
- Gand, Gale. 2009. Gale Gand's Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal. New York: Clarkson Potter.