WAYZATA, Minn. - Growing up in a busy house as one of six kids, Diane Yang's pastry consumption was restricted to store bought goodies or hand pies tucked in a cardboard sleeve.
"We never grew up cooking pies or cookies. Everything was bought. We went to McDonald's for apple pies," the executive pastry chef said.
Her mom worked two jobs and with six kiddos to feed, the only exposure she had to the art of baking was watching Julia Child on TV.
Fast forward to today, and the highly regarded culinary wiz is being recognized for the third time by the James Beard Foundation for the masterpieces she creates at Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis.
It's a career she never really thought she'd be doing but a love for fine dining and an early realization that she didn't have the patience for crafting cakes, led her to a path that included working under James Beard Award-winning Chef Tim McKee, at Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Aquavit and alongside fellow nominee Michelle Gayer.
"I love making beautiful things, so I make desserts," Yang said with a smile. "I love being in the kitchen and I love doing what I do."
The desserts she crafts for both Spoon and Bellecour in Wayzata are a combination of savory and sweet, often with a touch of citrus.
"In order to do our job, you need to know the balance. Your desserts can't just be totally sweet," she says.
It's a bit like her personality, too. Though she's got plenty of talent, you won't find an ounce of ego. She sweetly goes about her work in the kitchen but she doesn't hesitate to speak up in a sometimes male-dominated field.
"I usually speak my mind and I usually don't take a lot of crap from people. I do what's right and if I'm wrong, I'll apologize. To me I just think, we're all equal. It doesn't matter if you're male or female, we're all in this together," she said. "My mom's always like, 'I'm so worried about your mouth. You speak your mind too much.' I'm always being honest. I don't hold back a lot. Maybe that's wrong too but that's me."
It could also be what helped her get to this point in her career, now awaiting a May awards ceremony to see if she'll become a James Beard Award-winning chef. Even still, Yang said the nomination alone is overwhelming.
"I'm excited. The week of the event, I think I might lose it a bit, but I'm really, really excited. Just to be in a category with so many amazing, talented pastry chefs, means a lot," she said. "To be a minority, to be a female and to be on that list, is great."
With so much she's already accomplished, what's next for the boss lady chef? "Just keep crushing it," she said with a smile.