Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Schick.
Hi Jaime, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always enjoyed being creative, whether it was photography, music, or dance, but I never knew my career path would have food being my medium! After taking a few years between high school and college to figure it out, it became clear that pastry was my passion, and I enrolled at Johnson & Wales University. From there, I worked in various restaurants and hotels before returning to Johnson & Wales to teach. I love sharing my passion for plating desserts and flavor pairing! I have taken this love to my social media page as well. In addition to teaching, I have a food podcast with a fellow instructor, Culinary Now Podcast, and do consultant work for brands.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been challenges! The first was figuring out what area of pastry I wanted to focus on. I originally thought I wanted to design wedding cakes, but quickly realized that was TOO stressful and detailed for me. Luckily, my first job out of school was in a hotel where I was able to see multiple facets of pastry and fell in love with working the line and plating.
Working in high-end restaurants in 2008 was also a challenge. I was struggling to pay my rent due to the limited hours I was working because the economy was in a recession. I ended up subletting my apartment and moving onto my friend’s couch and eventually had to move back in with my parents until my bank account recovered. This struggle made my first pastry chef job that much sweeter 🙂 Though it didn’t happen until years later. I had to work from the bottom, both personally and in the industry; I started staging after moving back home to make connections. I was offered a job as a plater, work up to prep, sous chef, and finally pastry chef. It was a year’s long process but worth it in the end.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am passionate about plated desserts! using food as my medium on a plate.
I love unique and savory flavor pairings; the weirder the better!
I think my approach to plating and pairing is unique because I am not as precise as many pastry chefs and take a “perfectly imperfect” approach to plating, mixing in some exact elements with some messy or less structured elements to create a juxtaposition on the plate.
Any big plans?
I am currently working on an ebook! And I looking forward to growing my business and brand to include more brand partnerships and consulting work.
Contact Info:
- Website: vanillabeanchef.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/vanillabeanchef
- Other: culinarynowpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Image Credits
Kristin Teig
Gerry Daly
