“The book teaches you how to make a great dessert and turn it into a new, mouth-watering creation,” says Roby, senior corporate pastry chef for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and executive pastry chef of the Hyatt Regency Chicago. “These desserts are easy for anyone to prepare and will surely impress your
guests."  

The book fuses classic desserts with unique twists, such as Key Lime Pie with a Chocolate Cookie Crust. It shares elegant recipes like Chocolate Mousse Truffle with Sea Salt and Olive Oil and more whimsical selections such as Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake and Brioche Pizza with Chocolate Salami. The recipes are organized by season to help create memorable desserts that align to the time of year, such as summer’s Raspberry and Strawberry Summer Pudding and winter’s Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake.  

For the past 20 years, Roby’s work has been seen all over the world. The Guinness Book of World Records awarded him with the “World’s Tallest Cooked Sugar Building” and “World’s Tallest Chocolate Sculpture” honors. These creations took his visibility to new heights. Roby is the only pastry chef to hold two Guinness World Records.

Roby has been featured on the Food Network’s “Extreme Pastry” and “Sugar Rush” and has been in three of the network’s specials: “Unwrapped with Mark Summers,” “Mystery Birthday Cakes” and “The World’s Tallest Sugar Building.” He’s been a judge in several Food Network challenges and on The Learning Channel. He also has been featured in numerous magazines including Food & Wine, Gourmet, Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier.

In addition, for the past 19 years, Roby has served as the head pastry chef at the NFL Commissioner’s Super Bowl Party. This is an exclusive VIP party attended by 5,000 people. Roby is responsible for all aspects relating to the pastry creations and displays at this prestigious event.

Roby’s most recent achievement is the “Academy Award” of the pastry industry and the highest honor of his career: induction into the Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier Hall of Fame. This achievement is a prominent recognition of Roby’s contributions to the pastry industry.

About Alain Roby’s American Classics: Casual and Elegant Desserts, Roby says, "This book has value to culinary educators and students for its simplicity and easy-to-make recipes. Some are very unusual. The very clean look of each dish and the use of simple and easy-to-find vessels also make this book a great guide on how to present desserts. I share comfort food with an elegant and classic look." Roby’s book can be purchased online at www.chefroby.com/book.

Photo caption:
Raspberry and Blueberry Summer Pudding, from Alain Roby’s American Classics: Casual and Elegant Desserts, is “my version of the perfect summer dessert,” Roby says. “I love using fresh locally-grown berries arranged in layers of color.”