Chef Bios
Julie Usher
Author, Stylist, Pastry Chef and Director of International Association of Culinary Professionals
Ever since sampling the dazzling pink daisy cookies at her first cookie swap, Julia has been a lover of all things sweet. As a young child, Julia cultivated her cooking skills from her mom - an accomplished home baker. "Make it from scratch or don't make it at all" was her mother's favorite mantra. By the age of 12 - while other kids were still tinkering with their Easy-Bake ovens - Julia was wowing friends and families with lavishly decorated yeast breads and multi-layer tortes.
Julia worked as a mechanical engineer and management consultant after graduating from Yale in 1984, but she never put aside her appetite for baking. In 1994, Julia decided to turn her passion into her profession by enrolling in the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. One year later, Julia opened AzucArte, a boutique bakery widely lauded for its wedding cakes that tasted as wonderful as they looked.
Julia now satisfies her sweet tooth with food writing and styling. She is Contributing Editor at Dessert Professional, a 2008 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards finalist, and an entertaining consultant, party producer, and prop stylist for St. Louis AT HOME magazine. Her work, written and edible, has appeared in Vera Wang on Weddings, Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Better Homes and Gardens, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, Gastronomica, and nearly every national bridal magazine. Her new Book is, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year.
