TOP PASTRY CHEFS 2008
Yasmin Lozada-Hissom

Lozada-Hissom's energy is contagious, carrying over from her desserts to those who consume them. Raised in Arequipa, Peru, the Denver pastry chef took her kitchen cues from her mother and grandmother for whom cooking (i.e. butchering meat, skinning foul and milking cows) was a way of life. This real world exposure inspired a dream to go to cooking school, even though she was already finishing a degree from medical school. Yasmin followed her heart, attending La Sorbonne in Paris. She turned to New York for her next act, working with contemporaries, chef Gary Robins and culinary consultant Katy Sparks, who inspired her to take her talent and enthusiasm directly to the people. She's done just that at Duo Restaurant in Denver, working side-by-side with chef (and love) John Broening. Her quintessential American desserts almost eclipse the savory menu. Sticky toffee pudding, lemon icebox cake and rustic tarts forgo fancy fireworks and instead focus on intelligent flavors, making them easily relatable by all.