What was Wayne Harley Brachman doing before he entered the world of confections? He was a junior high school orchestra teacher.

Wayne was offered his first pastry job in a Massachusetts restaurant that had just lost its chef. He dove right into the job, and the rest speaks for itself. A completely self-taught chef, Wayne has never taken any cooking classes nor worked under another chef.

After learning his trade in Massachusetts, he landed a job in New York as the pastry chef at The Odeon, then moved on to Arizona 206. Wayne then teamed up with Bobby Flay, becoming the Executive Pastry Chef at Mesa Grill and Bolo. He's now the pastry chef at Tapika restaurant and Michael Jordan's Steakhouse.

In 1998, Chocolatier Magazine named him one of the "Best 10 Pastry Chefs." Wayne's first book, Cakes and Cowpokes (William Morrow 1995) explores Southwestern desserts, while Retro Desserts (William Morrow 2000) takes a look back at classic American favorites.