Cindy Mushet has been involved in nearly every aspect of the culinary field for over 25 years, from fine dining restaurants and catering to bakeries and a wine country specialty market/take-out. She has extensive teaching experience, guiding students in both cooking and baking at The Art Institute of California, Tante Marie’s Cooking School, Le Cordon Bleu, The New School of Cooking, and Palomar College.  She has freelanced as a consulting pastry chef, instructor, writer, publisher and baker, and owned and operated a specialty baking and packaged goods business. She has written three cookbooks, and co-authored several others. Her book The Art and Soul of Baking, won the IACP Baking Book of the Year award and was a James Beard Award finalist. Her passion is helping students achieve their dreams in a field she loves. She has a BA in Anthropology from UCLA, has a certificate in Sustainable Agriculture from UC Davis, and is a graduate of Tante Marie's Cooking School.