Gina Deplama -

In 1998, DePalma joined the opening team of Babbo in Greenwich Village. Her work there defined the modern Italian dessert in America, often incorporating savory elements like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and cheese.

She championed minimalism, famously stating that her "sweet ideal" was a perfectly executed panna cotta.

: She contributed the entire dessert chapter to the original Babbo Cookbook in 2002. gina deplama

In 2009, she reached the pinnacle of her profession by winning the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef . That same year, she was named one of the "Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America" by Pastry Art and Design magazine. Authorship and Writing

DePalma was a prolific writer who frequently shared her expertise through various platforms: In 1998, DePalma joined the opening team of

: She was a regular contributor, writing the weekly column " Seriously Italian " while on sabbatical in Rome in 2009.

DePalma was born into a close-knit Italian family in Virginia and credited her mother and grandmother, immigrants from Calabria, for her deep understanding of food. After attending Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now the Institute of Culinary Education ), she honed her skills at legendary New York establishments like and Gramercy Tavern , where she worked under mentor Claudia Fleming. Tenure at Babbo : She contributed the entire dessert chapter to

Gina DePalma was an acclaimed James Beard Award-winning pastry chef best known for her 15-year tenure at Manhattan's . A master of Italian desserts, she was celebrated for a "food-oriented" philosophy that prioritized seasonal ingredients and rustic simplicity over complex pastry techniques. Early Life and Career