It could be said that while pastry chef extraordinaire Ami Dand was born into a bakery dynasty, she was destined to make her own mark on the Atlanta pastry scene.
Ami’s culinary journey began at a family-owned business in Smyrna, McEntyre’s Bakery. She started off buying pastry supplies for the business, then became a baker, and never looked back. Since then, the trajectory of her career has been nothing short of celestial. With Sea Island, St. Regis, and Legendary Events all under her belt, she currently is the executive pastry chef at Capital City Club, overseeing the pastry departments at both the Brookhaven and downtown Atlanta locations.
Her childhood memories are deeply rooted in baking. “It’s silly, but my favorite memory of baking with my mom is making rice krispies treats and chocolate chip cookies,” says Ami. "It's a tradition I hope to have with my daughter starting soon.” Growing up, Ami would help her mom cook for holidays and special occasions. “I would roll out roti and make puris for pani puri,” remembers Ami. “I think that is why rolling out fondant comes easily for me.” Building memories is very important to Ami. Her daughter is still a little too young to help, but she enjoys watching. For Diwali, the Festival of Lights, Ami’s mom would prepare a big Indian feast before lighting sparklers in the driveway. “I hope to share this experience with my daughter, husband, and parents beginning this year.”
Ami tends to gravitate toward warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. One of her favorite things to bake in the fall is carrot cake.
“I started to perfect my carrot cake from an old recipe I found stashed in a drawer at Anthony’s Fine Dining Restaurant," says Ami. Her secret ingredient that adds depth of flavor and the perfect amount of moisture is pineapple juice. “I always use cream cheese icing for my carrot cake. That is my preference for making and eating!”
