Monica Glass feels right at home making desserts in the kitchen of 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge by Eric Ripert. As a child growing up in West Chester, Pa, Monica got a taste for how fun it can be to work with food by watching her parents' culinary feats and experimenting with recipes at her father's side. By the time she was a college student, Monica was affectionately known as 'Chef Moni'.

Upon graduating from Penn State University, Monica moved to New York City to embark on a career in public relations. That brief stint in the corporate world told Monica what should have been obvious from the start: She belongs in the kitchen. Enticed by her love of playing with sugar, Monica's next step was to improve her pastry skills. She interned with Deborah Racicot, executive pastry chef at Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City for several months, and then joined Gotham's team full time. Always aspiring to learn from the best, Monica continued to develop and refine her skills at Le Bernardin under pastry chef extraordinaire Michael Laiskonis.

Possessed with an affinity for writing, Monica is also the Pastry Princess for the Culinary Media Network, where she provides pastry tips and recipes. Of course, her creativity is best represented in the desserts she offers up at the 10 Arts - modern yet approachable takes on traditional pastry dishes. From homemade ice creams, like her Tastykake flavor that tops the chocolate peanut confection on the restaurant's menu, to her light-as-air warm beignets, Monica's dishes make it a priority to save room for dessert. As she likes to say: "A day without love, laughter or dessert is a day wasted."