Pastry World Cup at NOCHI
Written by Chef Zak Miller
Having the Coupe de Monde Patisserie here in New Orleans has been a once in a lifetime experience for me. We were extremely fortunate to host two of the teams here at NOCHI and the opportunity to assist three other teams by loaning equipment. Team Paraguay did a presentation for our students on their food culture and cooked some amazing dishes they would prepare in their own homes. Team Chile shared their journey preparing for the competition and all the hard work and dedication it takes. I think it really opened up our students’ eyes to what world class pastry is all about.
For me personally it was a tremendous inspiration. We tend to get caught up in our own bubble sometimes and this was an amazing showcase of what our profession is all about. There was an open sharing of knowledge and encouragement for everyone involved from around the world to further their craft. It was everything that is great about our profession.
Zak Miller, Baking & Pastry ARTS INSTRUCTOR
Before coming to NOCHI, Zak was an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. He previously worked as pastry chef in numerous award-winning restaurants and hotels across the country (including Picholine, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Coquette), was invited to be a guest chef at the White House, and has contributed to several cookbooks.
