Borgata Pastry Chef David Krzewinski’s job changes from day-to-day. One day, he can be meeting with a future bride helping her build a custom wedding cake, and the next, he can be designing desserts for a 1,200-seat event.
“My work day is never short on variety,” Chef David said. “No two days are the same. Our kitchen runs just shy of 24 hours a day. You never know what might pop up last minute, and I am truly thankful for my employees who make everything happen. They’re dedicated to culinary perfectionism and have an outstanding work ethic. We service all of our food and beverage outlets, ranging from breakfast pastries to exquisite desserts to six-tiered wedding cakes. On the business side, attention to detail and forecasting are essential keys to the success of the kitchen.”
Lady Gaia | Mother Earth
However, Chef David recently added another feather to is already full cap: He became an award-winner at the International Culinary Exhibition in Germany, winning a bronze medal for his giant creation Lady Gaia|Mother Earth, a huge chocolate sculpture that featured a tree trunk that transformed into two hands cradling the head of Mother Earth.
“The judges announce every participant’s name individually and call you up to the stage,” Krzewinski recalled. “As they went through the names, it felt like an eternity. Preparing for the competition was pretty much my life from May to October, not to mention one of our busiest times of the year at Borgata, so even if I wasn’t physically working on it, my mind never stopped. Then when my name was called and I won a bronze, it felt amazing and also extremely validating that my chocolate piece stood out to the judges as worthy of an award.”
The Chef had to bring half of his chocolate sculpture with him to Germany on an airline, and, yes, both him and his creation were “pat down” by TSA. However, for the more delicate features, like chocolate curls, Krzewinski had to use tools in is hotel room to finish the job.
“I melted and tempered the chocolate in the hotel bathroom with a blow dryer; I had never tried this before. This in itself was no easy task,” he said. “I think most people believe you just melt chocolate and use it, but it’s actually a complex process called tempering. I then spread the chocolate onto office laminating sheets that were laid out on the bathroom counter, and then used a pizza cutter to cut lines in the chocolate and rolled the laminating sheets around a wine bottle so they would hold the curve of the bottle as they set.”
Nevertheless, huge chocolate creations aren’t necessarily new to Krzewinski, who previously created a five-foot tall replica of the Statue of Liberty for Borgata’s Savor the City event. It was so large that it took a pallet and a lift to transport it to and from the warehouse to Borgata’s Event Center.
When he’s not creating monstrous, award-winning creations, Krzewinksi tends to like sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting, and has some basic tips for home cooks who might be baking during the holiday season.
“Read the recipe twice before starting, making sure you have all your ingredients,” he said. “You don’t want to have to run to the store halfway into mixing your dough for a cup of sugar.”
He also suggests setting a timer a few minutes less than the suggested recipe, as you can always add time but you can’t take it away once it’s too late. However, there’s one tip that the Chef considers to be the most important.
“Most importantly, have fun. Don’t stress.”