Chef Biography
Jacquy Pfeiffer was born into a French family which ran a bakery in Alsace. He learned bread-making and fine pastry like most children learn their ABC’s.
After high school, he signed on as an apprentice at the famous Jean Clauss’s French Pâtisserie in Strasbourg. Clauss, one of the finest culinarians in France, shared his knowledge and discipline. Jacquy then attended Balding Grein College to learn food technology, business and marketing. Upon graduation, he was named Best Apprentice (Alsace 1978). He worked for the next two years in various pastry shops in Strasbourg, winning one silver and two gold medals in competition.
For his service, he joined the Navy in 1980 and was named private pastry chef to Admiral P. Leyeune aboard the La Charente in the Indian Ocean. In 1981 back in France, he worked for Pâtisserie Naegel and Chocolaterie Egli to perfect special skills in the art of pastry working. With those skills, he was soon offered positions around the world, including the Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong; the Royal Family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and the Sultan of Brunei.
Eventually, he realized that the greatest opportunities awaited him in the United States and he moved to Chicago in 1992. He initially went to work for the Fairmont Hotel and that same year he won the title as Best Pastry Chef in America. Almost immediately following, Gary Sieland, General Manager of the new Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, convinced him to move across the Chicago river, where they had just built a state-of-the-art pastry shop.
In 1994 Great Chefs Television caught up with him there, where he prepared a Fresh Apricot and Tuaca Risotto appetizer and a Hazelnut Timbale (episode #76, Great Chefs – Great Cities).
In 1995, Chef Pfeiffer and Sebastien Canonne founded the French Pastry School where today, in 2014, their team is devoted to imparting excellence.
In 2010, Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer was featured in the PBS film documentary “Kings of Pastry”.
Recipes
Hazelnut Timbale ►
Serving: 6 Print Hazelnut Timbale ► By Great Chefs August 7, 2014 Almond, orange, and raspberry flavors are combined in this dessert. Chef Pfeiffer stands cake timbales and a tower of soft orange sorbet on plates, then garnishes them with raspberry syrup and orange supremes — orange segments from which the membranes have been removed. […]
Apricot and Tuaca Risotto ►
Serving: 8 Print Apricot and Tuaca Risotto ► By Great Chefs August 7, 2014 This creamy dessert blends familiar spices — nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon — with Tuaca, a premium liqueur that has a brandy-like essence with overtones of vanilla and orange. The pine nut garnish continues the Tuscan flavors. Ingredients Chocolate Lace Semi-Sweet Chocolate […]
Restaurant Information
Phone : 312-726-2419
Address : 226 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60606