Amanda Chimirri Top Prize In ABDDE Cake Decorating Extravaganza

NEW YORK — Amanda Chimirri, a 2010 graduate of the Professional Pastry and Baking program at Star Career Academy in Syosset (Long Island), N.Y., recently took the top prize in the Professional Sculpted Division at the Atlantic Bakery Deli Dairy Expo (ABDDE) Cake Decorating Extravaganza in Atlantic City.

Chimirri won first place in the professional division for her cake, which she titled "These are a Few of my Favorite Things."

The ABDDE, sponsored by the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade and the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers, is the largest bakery trade show on the east coast.

Chimirri owns and operates Manda's Cakery, located at 199 South Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst, New York.

This is not Chimirri's first award for her cake decorating skills. In the 2012 Connecticut Cake Competition, she played off the show's "Great Outdoors" theme and created a four-tier "Fisherman's Tale" cake that captured the fisherman's struggle to land the big one. She was awarded first place in the Professional Show Theme Division, Best in Show and Best in Category for that creation.

Chimirri credits her Star Career Academy education with helping her prepare for her new career.

"As a cake decorator, I run into other decorators that can make a beautiful cake but cannot bake," she said. "My educational experience helped so that I can start a cake from beginning to end the correct way never feeling that I have to rely on anyone else."

Breakfast pizza is Chimirri's favorite food to cook – and eat – as she makes her own pizza dough and then adds things like eggs, spinach, turkey sausage and cheese. Her favorite celebrity chef is Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) as she enjoys the mix of food "on the country side" and Drummond's recipes. When she's not in the kitchen, Chimirri loves horseback riding.

"My best advice for anyone is to never give up," she said. "To achieve success, you have to continue to raise the bar for yourself and every time you meet that bar it is time to raise it a little higher. When you love what you do, nothing can stop you."

Source: Star Career Academy