Chicago Pastry Chef Mindy Segal to Debut 'Cookie Love' at CHF, 4/22

The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) presents Chicago pastry chef Mindy Segal on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Bottom Lounge (1375 W Lake St). The James Beard Foundation award winner will discuss her highly anticipated first cookbook Cookie Love with WBEZ Chewing the Fat podcasters Louisa Chu and Monica Eng. Tickets range from $8-18 and book/ticket packages range from $30-35 and are currently on sale at chicagohumanities.org or via the CHF Box Office at 312-494-9509.

In a city where hot dogs and Italian beefs reign supreme and where foodies can enjoy a true gastronomic mecca, Segal looks to shine a greater light to the cookie and exalt it to be among Chicago's best culinary offerings. Segal's new cookbook, Cookie Love, explores the confectionary queen's ability to add a contemporary twist on classic deserts. The book is Segal's decadent and dazzling ode to the most satisfying of sweets.

"Cookie Love has some of the most inspiring forms and flavors we've seen in this genre for a generation," said Chu. "I'm excited to talk to Mindy about her stories behind her pastry craft, especially what may be the most emotionally charged American cookie: chocolate chip!"

Mindy Segal was awarded the James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the Country in 2012 and was nominated for the category five years in a row, from 2007-2011. She has been featured in The New York Times, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She has made television appearances on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, and The Food Network. Segal is the proprietor of Chicago's popular HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar. She lives in Chicago. Cookie Love is her first cookbook.

Segal will be joined in conversation by WBEZ Chewing the Fat podcasters Louisa Chu and Monica Eng. Eng is a producer and reporter with WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio and before that she covered food, culture, health, and food policy at the Chicago Tribune for 16 years, for which she was nominated for five James Beard awards. Chu is a chef, journalist, and adventurer. She has appeared on Iron Chef America, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, and Big Ideas for a Small Planet. Her writing has been published in Gourmet and CHOW. She has staged at El Bulli in Spain, Alain Ducasse in Paris, and Alinea and Moto in Chicago.

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