sundance

Chef, Author, Consultant

BIO

Mani Niall, Executive Chef at Just Desserts since 2006, has 28 years in the food industry as a pastry chef, cookbook author, product consultant and private chef. Michael Jackson was a frequent customer at the restaurant where Niall cooked in the early 80”s and he whisked Niall away as his very first private chef for the concert tour following the release of Thriller. Other professional highlights include making edible dessert props for Danny de Vito in Other People’s Money, constructing a 2’ x 3’ gingerbread village for the millennium celebration at San Franciso’s TransAmerica Pyramid and teaching chefs in the US and Japan how to cook with varietal honeys for the National Honey Board.

In the early 1990’s, Niall captured national press attention when he founded Mani’s Bakery in Los Angeles. Niall’s trademark stylish, organic and healthful baked goods still make his artisan bakery a destination for both the stars and the star-struck. Baked goods and diverse sweeteners are Niall’s passion. His first book, Sweet & Natural Baking, (Chronicle, 1996) delved into minimally processed sugars such as maple syrup, fruit juice concentrates and malt syrups. Covered in Honey, (Rodale, 2003), explored the world of varietal honeys in both sweet and savory cooking. His recent book, Sweet! From Agave to Turbinado (Da Capo Lifelong, 2008), traces the history of exotic and traditional sugars from around the world and the different recipes they inspire. Niall’s recipes have been featured in many national publications such as Food and Wine, Shape, Elle, Pastry Arts, Eating Well, Longevity, Fit Pregnancy and Vegetarian Times. Niall is a member of the Chefs Council at the Center for Culinary Development in San Francisco, the Bakers Dozen and the San Francisco Professional Food Society.