Just last Wednesday, UMass Amherst was graced by a minor celebrity. You may not have heard of her, but she makes monthly visits to the Today Show and has been on The View. Her name is Dede Wilson and she is a talented chef, author, and self professed choco-holic (only the dark stuff!).
Wilson has made numerous visits to UMass and greatly enjoys them. She usually is a guest chef once or twice a year at Berkshire Dining Commons, UMass’s newest -and nicest- DC addition. Last week, the focus was springtime, and Wilson decorated cupcakes for students to watch.
I was asked to write a short piece on her visit for the UMass Dining Commons newsletter. Here is the first draft:
TV personality and dessert chef extraordinaire Dede Wilson made her second visit this year to the Berkshire Dining Commons on March 25. The theme was “It’s Spring- Sweet!” This is the third year in a row that she has visited UMass as a guest chef.
Wilson donned a festive pink apron and decorated cupcakes in the private dining room. She mixed food coloring into white frosting and worked her magic as students filed in and excitedly decorated their own cupcakes.
There were plenty of toppings to choose from in order to create the perfect spring themed cupcake. Students could put gummy worms into a chocolate cupcake to make it look as if a worm was coming out of dirt. Among the many types of candies, there were pieces of licorice and small chocolate eggs to create mini Easter baskets.
Wilson believes her chef skills and great sense of taste come from her parents.
“They were both very good cooks, and we always sat down for meals together.”
Although Wilson loves to cook and bake dinners, her heart clearly lies with desserts.
“They really get my creative juices flowing…I love developing recipes. It feeds my soul.”
Wilson has appeared on “The Today Show” numerous times and was even a guest on “The View” a few years ago. She has been a contributing editor to Bon-Appétit Magazine for 5 years. Wilson has written many cookbooks, which specialize in wedding cakes and other desserts.
“My greatest accomplishment food-wise has been publishing my first book [on wedding cakes] —and having an ISBN number in the Library of Congress!”
Wilson attended Hampshire College as an undergraduate after moving from New York City. Years ago, her first culinary job was in Northampton as a pastry chef. She has been living in Amherst since!
“I am very impressed [by the Dining Services at UMass]! I didn’t have this when I went to school.”
Side note: Dede Wilson also enjoys showing her bull terriors at dog shows. She recently participated in a competition at Edison, New Jersey. She has three of her own dogs at home and co-owns other dogs.
