Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley presided over the inauguration of The French Pastry School’s new teaching kitchen and research facilities in the City Colleges of Chicago District Headquarters on July 12. With the new and expanded facilities, The French Pastry School doubles in size, fulfilling rising demand for specialized instruction in the pastry field. The school’s additional space will accommodate more students for existing and future programs.

“We are so glad that internationally acclaimed chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne established The French Pastry School in Chicago and at the City Colleges of Chicago,” Daley said. “I, like all of you, share a passion for the culinary arts and I’m proud that the school instructs over one thousand students and pastry professionals in hands-on classes each year and offers three programs.”

Also present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were the founders and deans of The French Pastry School, Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F.; the faculty and staff of The French Pastry School; and the Chancellor of City Colleges, Cheryl Hyman.

“This is one of the best programs at City Colleges of Chicago,” Hyman said, “They have an 80% job placement rate; I think that’s phenomenal. Their program is one that we can mirror throughout the entire district.”

Immediately following the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a reception celebrating the upcoming edition of Cap’Recette, an international culinary periodical that focuses on high-profile chefs of a particular city. For the first time, Chicago has been selected to represent the United States in Cap’Recette, which is published twice a year by Cap’Fruit, a French company that provides high-quality fruit purées to chefs all over the world.

Daley delivered a message of congratulations on the selection, saying “As you all know, Chicago is home to a great number of innovative chefs, restaurateurs and food producers who provide a palette of extraordinary tastes. They are true artists who have helped enhance our city’s reputation in the food and wine industry, and as a result, have brought thousands of hungry visitors here. I want to thank Cap’Fruit, the publishers of Cap’Recette magazine, for selecting Chicago to represent the United States in its upcoming issue.”

Contributors to the Chicago edition, which will be published later this month, include Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., joined by some of the best chefs in the city. They include Chef Carrie Nahabedian, co-owner of NAHA, James Beard award winner and first woman inducted into the Chefs Hall of Fame, along with Pastry Chef Craig Harzewski; Executive Chef Kai Lermen of the Peninsula, along with Executive Pastry Chef Céline Plano; Chef Dimitri Fayard, owner of Vanille Pâtisserie, Pastry World Champion 2008; Executive Chef Dominique Tougne of Bistro 110; Executive Chef Sotero Gallegos of La Sardine, along with Chef de Cuisine Scott Jambrosek; Pastry Chef Frédéric Moreau of the Park Hyatt; Chef Della Gossett, Pastry Chef Instructor at The French Pastry School and former Pastry Chef of Charlie Trotter’s; and Chef Jean Joho, Chef/Owner of Everest Room.

Cap’Recette is published in four languages and distributed worldwide to all the major leaders of the hospitality business. The reception on Monday was held to honor this upcoming edition, in which participating chefs showcase their recipes and Chicago establishments. Past celebrations have been held in Paris, France, Gijon, Spain, London and England. Next, the torch will be passed to Hong Kong and Alvin Leung, celebrity chef and owner of Bo Innovation.

For more information about The French Pastry School, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.