Fran Hemendinger Costigan

After CA and LI, I moved to NYC. As a pastry chef, I've worked in restaurants, done catering and consulting, but mainly have been teaching culinary classes in NYC, across the US, Canada, and Europe. My specialty is vegan (dairy-egg-free, cholesterol-free) desserts which work for people who are lactose intolerant, allergic to eggs, limiting or eliminating dietary cholesterol, living eco, pareve too. German, French and Italian editions of my latest cookbook, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts are available. Chocolate and Kale rock my world, but not as much as my family and friends, travel for teaching and fun, which overlap.

A few years ago, I became the Director of Vegan Baking and Pastry at the world's biggest online culinary school, Rouxbe to bring a 90 Day Essential Vegan Desserts Course online. This company trains hotel chefs to home cooks. I had to learn a lot of techie stuff but the team is great and I really am enjoying grading students from around the world and from anywhere there is a wifi signal. Seems getting older does not mean fewer opportunities.

My email is fran@francostigan.com. I travel teach often so I may be in your town. I've been to Alaska, Panama, Italy, Scottsdale and Phoenix, Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, Rancho La Puerta in Tecate Mexico, the Triangle area, NC ++. It's an interesting life, knock knocking on wood.

Not my favorite but one burned into my mind: turning left when the others on the drill team turned right- when we were televised. My grandma said, I was always my own person. Nothing was further from the truth at that time. Also, dancing on Alan Fried Show with Michael Rosenberg. We lost but such fun we had that day.