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Norma Arellano-Salazar
Biography
Chef Norma Salazar has more than 30 years of experience in the pastry industry as an executive pastry chef and instructor. She owned a catering company in Long Beach, California, and spent five years as a pastry cook at California hotels before becoming executive pastry chef at Hotel Queen Mary in 1993. She held three additional pastry chef positions in hospitality before 20 years of instructing at five higher education institutions.
She's competed and coached in various pastry competitions, winning seven gold medals, a dozen silver and bronze medals, and the gold medallion as part of the California Culinary Olympics team, which placed fifth globally at the 1996 Culinary Olympics in Berlin.
Chef Salazar continued her education with professional development in sugar and chocolate, has judged food competitions and been a guest speaker at food events, and became executive pastry chef at Delicieux Simply Eggless Bakery in Artesia, California, in 2017. She joined the Institute of Culinary Education's Los Angeles campus in 2019.
Education
- The History of Chocolate, Greystone Culinary School, 1999
- Basic Sugar, Notter International School of Confectionary Arts, 1995
- Associate of Arts, Liberal Arts, Long Beach City College, 1988
Work History
- Chef Instructor, Art Institute of Hollywood, 2018-2019
- Executive Pastry Chef, Delicieux Simply Eggless Bakery, 2017 to present
- Pastry Chef Instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Los Angeles, 2000-2017
- Pastry Chef Instructor and Department Chair, California School of Culinary Arts, 2000-2004
- Pastry Chef Instructor, Orange Coast College, 1997-2000
- Pastry Chef Instructor, Cypress Community College, 1999
- Assistant Pastry Chef, The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, 1997-2000
- Executive Pastry Chef, Boulangerie Pastry and Confectionary Arts, 1996
- Executive Pastry Chef, Hollywood Park Race Track and Casino, 1994-1996
- Executive Pastry Chef, Hotel Queen Mary, 1993-1994
- Pastry Cook, Disneyland Hotel Anaheim, 1992-1993
- Pastry Cook, Hotel Queen Mary, 1988-1992
- Pastry Cook, Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, 1986-1988
- Banquet Server/Captain, Long Beach Airport Marriott Hotel, 1987-1994
- Chef/Owner, The Guilded Rose Catering Company in Long Beach, 1987-1990
Memberships/Affiliations
- American Culinary Federation, 1992 to present
- Orange Empire Chefs Association, 1992 to present
- Le Toque Blanche, 1995-1998
Specialties/Areas of Interest
- Chocolate and Sugar Centerpieces
- Fine Cake Designs
- Show Breads
- Plated Desserts