Cornell University Program Board (CUPB), in partnership with Cornell Dining, held a highly successful event on March 3rd, 2023, featuring celebrity chef, food writer, and YouTube sensation Claire Saffitz. The event, held at the Stadler Auditorium, was a sell-out, with Saffitz sharing her career journey and insights in a lively Q&A session with Cornell students, faculty, and staff. The event also featured a book signing, where fifty free books were given away on a first-come, first-serve basis.Saffitz’s credentials as a food writer, chef, and YouTube personality are impressive. She was a contributing editor at Bon Appétit magazine and starred in several series on the Bon Appétit YouTube channel, including Gourmet Makes, where she reverse-engineered popular snack foods and created gourmet versions of them. She also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2020.Saffitz’s departure from Bon Appétit in mid-2020 did not deter her from pursuing her passion. She published two New York Times Best Seller cookbooks, Dessert Person and What’s for Dessert?, and continued work as a freelance recipe developer, including for New York Times Cooking. Her debut cookbook, Dessert Person, was nominated as a finalist in the annual IACP Cookbook Awards and won the IACP Julia Child First Book Award in October 2021.
At the Cornell University event, Saffitz was joined by moderator Matthew Merril, a freshman at Cornell and a popular social media influencer with nearly 3 million followers on TikTok. As an aspiring chef himself, Merril brought his unique insights and perspectives to the event, making it a memorable experience for all attendees.The collaboration between these two culinary personalities created an exciting event that showcased the talents and passion of both Saffitz and Merril. The success of the event was a testament to the growing interest in culinary arts among young people.
Images from the event:
