About Gail

Chef, Author, Educator

Who Is Chef Gail Sokol?

Author of one of the most popular textbooks on baking, in use at high schools, colleges and universities throughout the world, Gail Sokol makes baking easy and approachable for people of all skill levels.

Chef Gail Sokol has been a featured speaker and guest chef throughout the United States and has appeared on television, radio and featured in print. Gail served as a member of the faculty of SUNY Schenectady in Schenectady, NY, for 18 years teaching Baking, Nutrition and Sanitation. Gail was also the Director and Creator of the children’s cooking and baking courses at SUNY Schenectady for 19 years.  Gail has also served for five years as a faculty member in the Nutrition Department at The Sage Colleges in Troy, NY, teaching Food Science and Quantity Foods. Gail has won numerous culinary awards and professional chef competitions throughout her career.

“I’m so excited to share my passion for baking and the treasured recipes that I have developed throughout my career as a professional chef and educator. My goal is to demystify the baking process so that creating amazing desserts at home is both easy and fun, even if you have never baked before!” said Gail Sokol.

Gail’s new book Baking With Success is available now as a Hardcover, Paperback and eBook at independent bookstores and national retailers such as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks and the Google Play Store.

For upcoming events and classes as well as free recipes and step-by-step videos, make sure to join Gail Sokol’s email list!

Award, Recognition, & Honors

Gail Sokol has earned various awards and recognitions for her contributions to the baking world. She has also been featured on numerous television and radio shows. Below is a sampling of her work partners, awards and honors.

Awards

  • About Professional Baking was a finalist in the IACP Cookbook Awards
  •  2nd Place Gold Medal for Trio of Desserts at Culinary Cornucopia to benefit Living Resources (ACF)
  • 1st Place Gold Medal for Trio of Desserts at Culinary Cornucopia to benefit Living Resources (ACF)
  • 1st Place for Chocolate Turtle Truffle Torte at Chocolate Festival to benefit Equinox (ACF)
  • Won 2nd Place for Chocolate Caramel Torte at Chocolate Festival to benefit Equinox (ACF)

RadioSpots

  • Weekly radio: “The Healthy Chef”, M&T Modem Medicine, WPTR-1540AM
  •  Appeared on A Chef’s Table with Chef Jim Coleman on National Public Radio
  • Frequently appears on WAMC’s Food Fridays discussing recipes and answering listeners’ baking questions.

Television Spots

  • Assistant Chef, 13 episodes of the Dom DeLuise Cooking Show, WMHT-TV
  •  Assistant Chef to Zarela Martinez, Zarela’s La Cocina Vera Cruzana Cooking Series, American Public Television
  • Hosted Feed Your Brain with Chef Gail Sokol a children’s television series via the Upper Hudson Library System and Time Warner Cable
  • Regularly appears on local television news programs teaching baking techniques and demonstrating desserts for all occasions.
  • Appeared on Spectrum News in various segments, including hosted by Barry Wygal called “Wygal Works” hosted by Barry Wygal, and Tamani Wooley’s “Weekend Buzz”.

Appearances

  • Appeared at the Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, NY two years in a row doing book signings and baking demonstrations in front of hundreds of people.
  • Judged a holiday cookie competition plus had a book signing at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, and had another book signing at their other store in Saratoga, New York.
  • Appeared in an article, titled “A Dash of Confidence” in the Times Union about Gail and my newest book, “Baking with Success”.
  • Conducts baking classes and book signings at Different Drummers Kitchen.
  • Took part in a Local Authors Day at Barnes and Noble bookstore in April, 2018.
  • Appeared at the Guilderland Public Library for their Cookbook Program doing a demonstration and book signing in February 2019.

Interested in Working with Gail?

Gail Sokol is based in Albany, NY and is available for workshops, classes and one-on-one consulting throughout the United States. Use the form on the contact page to get in touch.