Baker's Profile

Chef Allen Susser

In southern Florida, Chef Allen Susser is known for serving guests innovative seafood dishes at his namesake restaurant, where his signature "new world cuisine" blends the bounty of South Florida ingredients with Caribbean and Latin flavors. He's also famous for being named one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs in America and for winning the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Award, Southeast Region, in 1994. Before he opened Chef Allen's in Aventura, he worked in some of the finest kitchens around the world, including Le Bristol Hotel in Paris and Le Cirque in New York City.

But even his fans may not know that Chef Allen has also devoted himself to ending childhood hunger in America. He has worked with Share Our Strength for 23 years, starting as a guest chef at the organization's annual Taste of the Nation and later organizing local events for the Great American Bake Sale. In 2009 he was named a GABS "rock star" fundraiser after his Aventura Mall bake sale raised more than $10,000.

Born in Brooklyn into a family that treasured food, Chef Allen loved eating and cooking even as a very young child. "My fondest memories from childhood revolve around food and my discovery of different ingredients," he says. Now, he adds, "I want all children to be able to have that same experience. As a chef, I saw an abundance of food out there and I wanted to harness it to make a difference."

Chef Allen's work with Share Our Strength has helped inspire his community to become involved in the organization's mission. "We are trying to make a difference, and that feels great," he says.

Want to try one of the recipes that wowed Chef Allen's bake-sale customers? His Gingersnap Cookies, made with C&H Pure Cane Granulated Sugar and C&H Pure Cane Powdered Sugar, is a delicious treat that will impress your own bake-sale patrons, too.