Growing up in Spokane, Washington, Rochelle had her teen-aged heart set on moving to Paris to study cooking. Her plans changed at the age of 17 when her parents suggested she attend a university in the United States first and then go to a culinary school afterwards. Working part-time during her senior year at UCLA, Rochelle tended the herb garden at the Hotel Bel Air. Working with the kitchen staff re-ignited her passions to pursue a culinary career. After graduating from UCLA, Rochelle went on to attend the renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

In 1987, upon graduation from the CIA, Rochelle landed an exciting job as a pastry assistant with Michel Richard's newly opened Citrus restaurant on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. She then returned to work as Assistant Pastry Chef and then as Executive Pastry Chef at the Hotel Bel Air with Executive Chef George Morrone. She also worked as the Pastry Chef at Angeli restaurant for Evan Kleiman. Then she went on to be the opening pastry Chef for Bradley Ogden's Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, California. After sweeping the San Francisco crowd off of their feet with her devil's food cake and butterscotch pudding, Rochelle moved back to Los Angeles to work for Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff at Spago, Chinois on Main, Eureka and Granita. While at Granita, the Los Angeles Daily News' Natalie Haughton remarked that "Pastry Chef Rochelle Huppin oversees the dessert menu, featuring more than a dozen selections ranging from an outstanding Pot de Crème to a popular Apple Fennel Tart with Crème Fraiche Ice Cream." Rochelle was also part of the opening crew at both Eureka and Granita. In total, Rochelle helped open nearly a dozen restaurants in her pastry career.

Rochelle received great accolades during her career as a Pastry Chef. Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle said that she belonged in the "Dessert Masters Hall of Fame." Janice Wald Henderson wrote in Chocolatier Magazine that Rochelle "...pursues powerful flavors with the enthusiasm of a pirate on a treasure hunt."

As a CIA student in the mid-1980's, Rochelle experienced the stodgy, uncomfortable, black and white polyester uniforms provided by the culinary industry. She had all-cotton chef clothes made for herself. Several years after graduating from the CIA, Rochelle went on to develop Chefwear, Inc., a company with a full-line of contemporary and traditional chef clothing. Chefwear, Inc. has offices in both Chicago and Los Angeles and is owned by Rochelle and Gary Fleck.

Rochelle's passions will create a part of BEACON's anticipated kitchen magic, and it will no doubt be yet another high-quality entry in an illustrious career.