I would like to thank the following people, in no particular order (except for my wife, of course; she will always be first):
My wife, Kris, for her patience, understanding, and support; and my beautiful daughter, Isabel, whose existence puts all of this into perspective.
Tom Vaccaro, Senior Director for Baking and Pastry Education, for his unwavering commitment.
Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America, and Mark Erickson, Provost, for providing the resources and opportunities that were necessary for this book.