White House's pastry chef Bill Yosses announces 'bittersweet' departure
ALEX WONG/Getty Images

The White House's top pastry chef is leaving — and it's all Michelle Obama's fault. Bill Yosses, who has baked for both President Obama and President Bush, is leaving because the first lady has "piqued his interest in the relationship between food and health." He's heading to New York to educate children about nutrition and be closer to his husband.
In an interview with The New York Times, Yosses appropriately called the decision "bittersweet." When the Obamas entered the White House in 2009, Yosses was ordered to create smaller deserts with less sugar and to use healthier ingredients, like fruit purée. He credits his baking transformation to Michelle's tips:
"She has done it with humor and good will, without preaching, just the way you would hope the 'Mom-in-chief' would do," he said. He called her "definitely an inspiring boss, a combination of spontaneity and seriousness." [The New York Times]
Yosses will leave his post in June. A successor has not yet been named.
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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