Alumni Spotlight:
JUDY MATTERA '89

Judy Mattera was a top-paid RN with Mass General Hospital for over twelve years. She assisted in the emergency room and in the operating rooms, including open heart surgery. At the time, her family was expanding and unlike hospital benefits today, it was not easy for women to manipulate their schedules to accompany family life. Although she thrived on the fast-pace environment and enjoyed the intensity of her day, she needed a change.

Judy began taking recreational cooking classes with Madeleine Kamman in the late 1980s. She attended CSCA in 1988 under Madeleine’s recommendation. She graduated from the Professional Chef’s Program with honors in 1989. Following graduation, she was a teacher’s assistant for CSCA as well as the first cook with the former Fat Fingers Catering business in Marblehead, MA. She received additional culinary training with Chef Ewald Notter at the International School of Confectionery Arts in Gaithersburg, MD. Four years later, she found herself at the base of what is now known as Todd English’s restaurant franchise.

In 1993, Judy joined Chef Barbara Lynch at the original Figs. She and two other women began baking homemade breads for the first Olives in a small “back room bakery.” She later became the pastry chef for Olives.

In 1996 Judy became the pastry chef for Grill 23 & Bar. It was here that she met Sommelier Alicia Towns. Alicia encouraged her to attend wine seminars and experiment with wine pairings. Her new interest in wine lead her to the Federalist, known for its wine selection. She began pairing desserts as their pastry chef.

By 2001, Judy had worked as a cook, bread maker, pastry chef, and orchestrated wine pairings. Her expertise was expanding. Through Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR), she received a scholarship and completed “Mastering Wine” at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, CA. She is now a free-lance consultant currently working with Robert Mondavi Family of Wines. She now pairs both sweet and savory food items with Mondavi selections. Judy recently returned from Italy after meeting with Mondavi partners.

She has been featured in such magazines as Sante, Pastry Art & Design, Chocolatier, Chef, and McCall’s. Her awards include Editor’s Choice for best dessert in City Search, the Reader’s Restaurant Poll Award for best dessert in Boston Magazine, and top honors for dessert in the Zagat Survey. The Boston Globe featured her as one of “The Poets of Pastry.” She has appeared on Boston Cable News’ “Chef’s Corner” and Channel Five’s “Chronicle” in a segment entitled “Just Desserts.” Judy is the Local Exchange Coordinator in Boston for WCR.

Judy believes in networking and in the ability to maximize new experiences. She has consistently avoided making lateral moves in her career, focusing on new and better opportunities. She will host the first CSCA Alumni Networking Social on Monday, October 20. She will pair one savory and two sweet items with three choices of the Mondavi collection.