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Culinary Currents
July 2005
Pastry Chef Katherine Clapner:
Do You Want to Know a Secret?
By Peter Langlois
 Katherine
Clapner was a member of the second pastry class, which graduated from the
Culinary Institute of America in 1989. While she recalls learning basic
skills at the School, it was her externship at The Savoy in London that
truly launched her career and enhanced her learning beyond anything
possible in a culinary lab. Her initial externship turned into a
three-year stint that lasted until her working visa expired. That also
established a network with English pastry chefs. That is still the
greatest influence on her successful—she calls it lucky—career path.
Before her visa had expired, her English friends
persuaded fellow pastry chefs Kevin Graham and Shane Gorring that
Katherine was the perfect fit as an assistant for the New Orleans-based
Windsor Court Hotel. It turned out to be a three-year growth experience
learning numerous tricks of the trade from two pastry chefs who were the
best she’s ever seen or worked with in the business. In fact, following a
stint with Charlie Trotter’s and Bread With Appeal in Chicago, she
returned to work with the two as they opened three restaurants in the Big
Easy.
Then, while home in the Dallas suburb of Arlington to
visit her parents, Katherine interviewed just for fun with Stephan Pyles,
who at that time was developing Star Canyon and Aquanox. Pyles offered her
a job as corporate trainer-pastry chef for all concepts. When Pyles sold
out to Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, Katherine went along for the ride,
leaving only after Pyles himself left Carlson’s Emerging Concepts
division.
A three-year position with Central Market followed as she
developed upscale pastries for the Dallas market. Today Katherine is with
the 800-room Hilton in the shadow of the State Capitol in Austin, Texas.
I’d say it’s been an extraordinary journey so far.
What are two life lessons learned along the way? Number
one is to “admit when you’re wrong.” Katherine says: “Too many young grads
get defensive about their work rather than admit they’ve messed up. I
guess they think their boss will scream or belittle but that’s just drama
on some crazy TV show. The days of screaming are long gone. We all learn
from our mistakes.”
Her second lesson is to “share all the secrets.” That’s
how Katherine feels she learned and the only way she sees for the next
generation to learn the subtleties of the business as well. She believes
there is a certain brotherhood among all chefs, not just pastry chefs:
“I’ll help anybody who calls or emails.”
While her specialty is chocolate, in particular display
pieces, Katherine’s other loves include riding her Vesta scooter with
friends, hanging out at museums, watching movies—especially foreign
movies—and taking trips to Mexico. This past year she really demonstrated
her networking skills, joining with 18 other pastry chefs to bring great
pastries to the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival in April.
By the way, when it comes to luck, I’d say Katherine has
a secret to share there as well. Looking at her career, I’d say the harder
she worked, the luckier she got!
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Peter Langlois is founder of
www.RestaurantU.com: Tools of the Trade for Business, for School, for
Free!,co-editor of
Weekly Restaurant Connections (e-Newsletter), Culinary Instructor,
The Art Institute of Houston-Culinary, and Management, Marketing
and e-business Facilitator at The University of
Phoenix (Houston). Langlois is also a Malcolm
Baldrige 2005 Ambassador. He has a Political Science degree
from Michigan State University (Modern International Chinese Relations)
and an M.B.A from the University of Houston (Marketing and Business
Strategies). If you enjoyed this feature, you’ll probably enjoy his free
newsletter available on
www.RestaurantU.com.
Contact information: 832.860.5595 or
peter@restaurantu.com
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