CHRISTINA LONGO
Barking Frog
Woodinville, WA

December 2003

Philosophy on cooking:
I like to integrate different flavors and combinations that people wouldn’t necessarily expect, but not too avant-garde. I really like to bring savory spices and flavors into my desserts.

Formerly of:
The Salish Lodge and Spa – Snoqualmie, WA;
Dahlia Lounge – Seattle, WA;

Culinary School:
Seattle Central Community College Pastry Program

Tools you can't live without:
- Offset serrated knife
- Tournet knife

Favorite ingredients:
All fruits in season, especially cherries

Three tips for dessert success:
1. Learn how to cook first. A foundation in cooking is really important to be a pastry chef.
2. Find a mentor, work closely with someone and learn as much as you can from them.
3. Work really hard and be humble. Don’t expect to ascend the ranks really quickly, continue learning.

Mentors/pastry heroes:
Claudia Fleming – Gramercy Tavern, NYC

Favorite desserts:
- Mexican Hot Chocolate with a homemade Marshmallow Meringue topping
- My Mom’s Italian Christmas cookies and Strusloi
- Macaroons


Short Bio:
Contrary to popular belief, pastry chefs don’t always have a sweet tooth. In the case of Pastry Chef Christina Longo, her siblings were surprised by her career choice as she was always the first to pass on dessert as a child. Growing up in an Italian-American family where home cooked food was delicious and plentiful, her mom’s kitchen was her castle, Christina didn’t get much culinary training there, aside from helping to garnish Christmas cookies or drying dishes.

In the early 90’s, the restaurant climate in Central Florida was not particularly hospitable towards women in the kitchen, which forced her into front of the house positions with weak promises from chefs to work her into the kitchen in the future. Through a series of jobs in Florida, Washington D.C. and New York, she was able to build a stronger cooking foundation. Inspired at this point in her life, Christina was looking for a city with a developing food scene and good culinary schools. Seattle beckoned.

Somewhere between the East and West Coasts, she began thinking of a new career direction – baking and pastry. After a few months of temporary banquet cooking, Christina found a position with a start-up business trying to bring an Italian trattoria-style to Seattle. Here she found a mentor in the pastry chef who encouraged her to enroll in the Pastry Arts program at Seattle Central Community College.

While in school, she was presented with a chance to stage at a patisserie in St. Germain-en-Laye, France. Over the next three months, Christina worked at the Patisserie Grandin and was exposed to a style of pastry radically different from what she saw in Seattle.

Upon returning to the Northwest in 2001, Christina was hired as Pastry Chef at the Barking Frog, which provided a forum for expression she had not seen in the past. She sees her palate and style continuing to evolve and going back to her Mediterranean roots and upbringing in tropical Florida. Her training was transformed by the French appreciation for the art of patisserie. According to Christina, “It’s an appreciation for the simple ingredients of the pastry kitchen, especially fresh fruits at the height of their season, and for techniques that transform them into edible art, that has driven my passion. It’s the desire to find balance and pleasure throughout a meal and to reward the palate with a sweet souvenir”.