Marcel Desaulniers
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| Born | 1945 Woonsocket, Rhode Island, United States |
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| Cooking style | American, Slow Food, Chocolate |
| Education | Culinary Institute of America |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Marcel Desaulniers (born 1945) is the American chef and part-owner of the Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia, cookbook author, Director Emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America and self-described "Guru of Ganache."
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[edit] Personal life
Desaulniers was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and resides in Williamsburg with his wife, Connie, who is an artist. He served in the United States Marine Corps and, in 1965, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. Desaulniers serves as a Trustee Emeritus and Life Fellow of the Culinary Institute of America.
His daughter, Danielle Desaulniers, is a respected sommelier and restaurant consultant. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at San Francisco's One Market Restaurant and at New York City's Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud, Ducasse, and Del Frisco's Steak House.
[edit] Professional life
[edit] Restaurant
In 1980 Desaulniers opened the Trellis Restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg's Merchants Square. In addition to his residence and restaurant, Desaulniers maintains a food and art studio in Williamsburg which he has dubbed Ganache Hill.[1] Desaulniers and his business partner, John Curtis, have sold their landmark restaurant, The Trellis.[2] The Trellis was sold to David Everett, who owns and operates the Blue Talon Bistro, also located in the Square.[3] Desaulniers and Curtis operated the award winning Trellis restaurant for 29 years.[4] The restaurant was inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1995.[5] Desaulniers is scheduled to open a new business, MAD about Chocolate, early March 2012 (www.madaboutchocolate.us). MAD about Chocolate will offer Desaulniers' over-the-top desserts, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and other sweet and savory items. It will be located at 204 Armistead Ave. in Williamsburg, VA. MAD about Chocolate will also serve as a gallery for Connie Desaulniers' art.
[edit] Television
He has hosted several television cooking shows including "The Burgermeister" and "Death by Chocolate" and has appeared on Julia Child's television show, Baking with Julia and on PBS' cooking shows Cook-off America and Grilling Maestros.
[edit] Cookbooks
Desaulniers has written 10 cooking books[6] including "Death by Chocolate." His concentration on chocolate cuisine and his fondness for chocolate ganache has earned him the sobriquet of "Guru of Ganache."
[edit] Awards and honors
- Ivy Award: The Trellis, Restaurants and Institutions Magazine, 1989
- Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, James Beard Foundation, 1993
- Best Pastry Chef: Mid-Atlantic James Beard Foundation[7]
- Best Dessert Book, James Beard Foundation, 1993
- Best Single Subject Cookbook: The Burger Meisters, James Beard Foundation, 1995
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Culinary Institute of America, 1996
- Outstanding Pasty Chef, James Beard Foundation, 1999
- Honor Roll of American Chefs, Food & Wine Magazine
[edit] Bibliography
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1992, 2003). Death by chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion. ISBN 0847815641.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1992). Trellis Cookbook: Expanded Edition. ISBN 0671748424.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1994). Burger Meisters. ISBN 0671865382.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1995). Desserts to Die for. ISBN 0684811391.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1996). An Alphabet of Sweets. ISBN 0847819817.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1997). Death by Chocolate Cookies. ISBN 068483197X.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1998). Salad Days: Main Course Salads for a First Class Meal. ISBN 068482261X.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (1999). Grilling Maestros: Recipes from the Public Television Series. ISBN 0965109550.
- Desaulniers, Marcel; Brett Bailey and Kelly Bailey (2000). Death by Chocolate Cakes: an Astonishing Array of chocolate enchantment. photography by Duane Winfield. ISBN 0688162975.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (2002). Celebrate with Chocolate: totally over-the-top recipes. ISBN 0688162983.
- Desaulniers, Marcel (2007). I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas. ISBN 0764599003.
