The new Pastry-Chef-in-Chief

Posted by Mark Silva at 9:05 am

No puffery here, friends: The proof is in the pumpkin pudding.

It turns out that William "Bill'' Yosses did such a good job with the coconut chiffon, truffles and other holiday sweets at the White House that the first lady has found a new executive pastry chef.

First Lady Laura Bush announced today that Yosses is the new White House Executive Pastry Chef, with responsibility for the dessert menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons hosted by President and Mrs. Bush.

“Chef Yosses has impressed us from the start with his original and delicious creations,'' the first lady said in a statement released by her office today. "He has a light touch with desserts, and the enthusiasm with which he approaches his profession makes him a real asset for all of us in the White House.'

It was his role as White House Holiday Pastry Chef for the 2006 holiday season that nabbed him the chief pastry post, apparently Here in the Swamp, having tasted some of those holiday treats at one of the White House Christmas receptions, we can testify that Yosses' sweets were sweet.

We didn't try all of this, but we're told all of this was laid out at the White House over the holidays:

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Peppermint Crunch, Pecan Sandie Tree (Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes) with Layers of Cookies, Holiday Ornamental Cookies, Red Hat Box Mascarpone Cake, White Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream Filling, Red Marzipan Frosting and Red Ribbon Bow Decoration, Coconut Cake, Coconut Chiffon Cake, Coconut Pastry Cream Filling and 7 Minute Meringue Frosting, Chocolate Roulade (Christmas Log), Soft Ganache Frosting with a Chocolate Sponge, Meringue Mushrooms, Magnolia Leaves in White Chocolate, Raspberries Mini Tartlettes, Pecan Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Orange Chiffon and Chocolate Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate Truffles Homemade, Bittersweet Chocolate, Ganache , Long Stem Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce, Warm MacIntosh Apple Cobbler With Oatmeal Crumble, Pumpkin Trifle and Spiced Pumpkin Mousse with Whipped Cream and Shaved Dark Chocolate.

Yosses has over 30 years of experience and was trained as a classical French chef.

Yosses' resume includes the opening of Paul Newman’s Dressing Room in Westport, Conn., a restaurant that features locally grown, artisanal and organic food, Josephs Citarella in New York City, the planning, designing and opening of the pastry department of Bouley Restaurant and Bakery and operation of the pastry department of the Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York's Central Park.

He also has served as pastry chef at Montrachet Restaurant in New York.

He also knows something about the culture in which he cooks. He served apprenticeships under Chefs Daniel Boulud and Sous Chef Thomas Keller at Polo Restaurant in New York, earned his A.A.S. at the New York City College of Technology in Hotel Management, a Master of Arts at Rutgers University in French Language and Literature and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toledo in French Language.