William Yosses (born about 1952) is an American chef who is best known as co-author of the book ''
Desserts For Dummies'' and for being the
White House Executive Pastry Chef from 2007 to 2014. Yosses is now the owner of the pastry company Perfect Pie, which is based in New York City.
Career
Yosses served apprenticeships in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and also worked under Chef Patrice Boely and Sous Chef Daniel Boulud at The Polo Restaurant in New York City. He earned his A.A.S. degree at the
New York City College of Technology
The New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is a public college in New York City. Founded in 1946, it is the City University of New York's college of technology.
History
City Tech was founded in 1946 as The New York State Institute of ...
in Hotel Management, a Master of Arts at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in French Language and Literature and a Bachelor of Arts at the
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of T ...
in French Language.
Yosses is the successor to
Thaddeus DuBois who left the same position in 2006. He served as a White House Holiday Pastry Chef for the 2006 holiday season. His most recent project has been to assist in the opening of Paul Newman's Dressing Room in
Westport, Connecticut
Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
History
...
-a restaurant utilizing locally grown, artisanal and organic food sources. Other Executive Pastry Chef experience includes Josephs Citarella in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
; planning, designing and opening the pastry department of
Bouley
Bouley was a contemporary French restaurant located at 163 Duane Street (between Greenwich Street and Hudson Street), in Tribeca in Manhattan, in New York City. The high-profile four-star chef David Bouley was its owner and chef. It initiall ...
Restaurant and Bakery and operating the pastry department of the Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York City. Mr. Yosses was also Pastry Chef at
Montrachet Restaurant in New York City.
President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
says of Yosses, "Whatever pie you like, he will make it and it will be the best pie you have ever eaten." Obama has also nicknamed Yosses "the Crust Master".
Yosses resigned from his White House position in June 2014.
Yosses left his position to work on a new project focusing on "food literacy" by teaching young children and adults about eating better. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''
lede
Lede may refer to:
* Lead paragraph (US English), the first paragraph of a composition
Places
* Lede, Belgium, a municipality in Flanders
* Lède, a river in France
* Lede Formation, a geologic formation in Belgium
People
* Marquess of Lede of ...
used the
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
that Michelle Obama is "partly to blame" for her requests that Yosses make healthier food in smaller portions, but then went on to explain that this is because he found her to be "an inspiring boss," and his new project expands on the First Lady's
Healthy Foods Initiative. He began replacing butter with fruit puree and sugar with honey and agave but stated, "I don't want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs." Yosses called the departure "a bittersweet decision."
In response to claims that he was leaving because of the First Lady's demands, Yosses clearly stated, "Not at all, no. We work together on improving — making desserts more delicious and more healthy. We're partners on that project." He recounts his experiences working in the White House in
West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House', a collection of personal accounts by
Obama Administration
Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...
staffers.
Yosses was the owner of the pastry company "Perfect Pie" based in New York City, which closed down in early 2020.
[Adams, Erika]
Ex-Obama White House Pastry Chef’s First Solo Restaurant Closes After Five Months
ny.eater.com Retrieved 2021-04-24.
Books
*
*
The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion'. New York: Norton, 2010. Co-written with Melissa Clark.
* '
he Sweet Spot: Dialing Back Sugar and Amping Up Flavor'' New York: Avery, 2017. Co-written with Peter Kaminsky.
*
West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House'' New York: Penguin, 2018. Contributed a chapter on his experiences working in the White House, especially during the Obama Administration.
See also
*
List of pastry chefs
This is a list of notable pastry chefs. A pastry chef is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, bakeries, an ...
References
External links
White House press release about William Yosses''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yosses, Bill
Living people
Pastry chefs
University of Toledo alumni
New York City College of Technology alumni
Rutgers University alumni
1952 births
White House Executive Chefs
American gay men
LGBT chefs