“Chef Schorner’s professional successes and accomplishments in the industry are many. His ability to create memorable desserts to the elite always came naturally to him and many of his innovations are now standard in the field of pastry,” said Thomas Vaccaro, CMB, CEPC, CHE, dean of baking and pastry arts at the CIA. “Dieter's countless contributions have shaped the curriculum of the CIA and prepared students to become leaders in the industry. He always shares his knowledge and the caring nature of this man humbles me every day.”

Pastry Art & Design magazine inducted Schorner into its Hall of Fame in 2008. He was owner of Patisserie-Café Didier in Washington, D.C., until selling it in 1998, and the restaurant was named the third best in America by Condé Nast Traveler in 1994. Schorner was previously executive pastry chef for Warner LeRoy at Potomac Restaurant in Washington and Tavern on the Green in New York. He was also pastry chef at such distinguished locations as Le Cirque, Le Chantilly, La Côte Basque and L’Etoile in New York; the Savoy Hotel in London; and Cafehaus Konig in Baden-Baden, Germany.

In 1988, Time magazine called Schorner—who is a Certified Master Baker (CMB) through the Bread Bakers Guild of America—the best pastry chef in the United States. Food & Wine listed him among “America’s Best Chefs” and Gourmet said Schorner “is one of the indisputable grand masters of his métier.” The native of Bavaria has prepared desserts for three U.S. presidents, and every day, CIA students know how lucky they are to continue to learn at the hand of this legendary pastry chef, mentor and teacher.

Photo: Fellow pastry chefs at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park surprised Dieter Schorner, CMB, with a special cake for his 75th birthday on June 19, 2012. Marc Haymon, CMB, CHE, associate dean, and professor Kate Cavotti, CMB, presented Schorner with a vanilla/milk-chocolate-mousse cake with milk-chocolate chiffon and a peanut-butter crisp. Courtesy of CIA/Phil Mansfield.