New York, New York, Nov. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Museum of the City of New York proudly presents Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off – MCNY’s first-ever gingerbread competition and celebration of communities and neighborhoods in each of the five boroughs. On view to the public starting Friday, November 11, 2022 through Monday, January 8, 2023, the Gingerbread NYC winter installation at the Museum gives New Yorkers and tourists a delicious opportunity to celebrate the city.
MCNY invited top bakeries and amateur bakers from across the city to create a gingerbread display to represent their respective neighborhoods, inspired by the theme “Winter in New York.” Submissions represent all five boroughs, and a cohort of prominent New York City-based bakers, curators, and restaurant owners judged the final designs. Prizes were awarded in a variety of categories, such as: Most Representative of Their Neighborhood, Most Creative, Good Enough to Eat, Most Intricate, Grandest, and more.
“We’re excited to kick off the holiday season in a delicious way – by showcasing local businesses and highlighting the culinary creativity from varied corners of the city,” says Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director of Museum of the City of New York. “New York City’s five boroughs each have such unique characteristics, and what better way to depict those characteristics than through baking?”
Participants Gingerbread NYC 2022 include (bios and entry details at end of release):
- Bruno's Bakery - Staten Island
- Egidio Pastry Shop - Bronx
- L'Appartement 4F - Brooklyn
- Sans Bakery - Queens
- Sherry Kozlowski - Queens *Amateur Baker
- Ida Kreutzer – Brooklyn *Amateur Baker
- John Kuehn – Manhattan *Amateur Baker
Participating Judges include:
- Bobbie Lloyd, CEO and Chief Baking Officer, Magnolia Bakery
- Jonah Nigh, Semi-finalist, NBC/Peacock’s Baking It (Season 1); Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement, The New School
- Nadine Orenstein, Drue Heinz Curator in Charge, Department of Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Judge, National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, NC
- Colette Peters, Cake decorating author and teacher; Owner, Colette’s Cakes
- Amy Scherber, Owner and Founder, Amy's Bread; Member, Bread Bakers Guild of America
- Melba Wilson, Owner of Melba’s Restaurant; Author, Melba’s American Comfort: 100 Recipes from My Heart to Your Kitchen (2016)
About the Museum of the City of New York
The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. Winner of "Best Museum" in Time Out New York's "Best of the City 2021" and multiple American Alliance of Museums (AAM) awards, MCNY engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future. To connect with the Museum’s award-winning digital content, visit www.mcny.org; or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @MuseumofCityNY and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MuseumofCityNY.
Press contact: Meryl W Cooper, mwcooper@mcny.org, 917-974-0022
ABOUT THE GINGERBREAD NYC BAKERS AND DESIGNS
Bruno's Bakery (Staten Island) @ brunosnyc
Bruno’s Bakery is a family-owned bakery that has been in business for over 40 years. Run by the Settepani family, they “enjoy creating classics and like a good challenge when it comes to designing a specialty cake for our clients.”
About their entry: Bruno’s Bakery takes you on a gingerbread journey through Staten Island, known as the “Borough of Parks.” Celebrating the beauty of the Island, the display includes important locations like St. George Theatre, which opened in December 1929.
* * *
Egidio Pastry Shop (Bronx) @egidiopastryshop
Egidio Pastry Shop opened in 1912 and ever since has been on East 187th near Arthur Avenue. The recipes of original owner and founder Don Pasquale Egidio, a Southern Italian immigrant, are still in use today.
About their entry: Maria Carmela Lucciola, current owner of Egidio Pastry Shop, decided to build a classic gingerbread house following the Italian tradition for the holiday season. “Jingle in Ginger! our gingerbread house, is Christmas themed.”
* * *
L'Appartement 4F (Brooklyn) @ lappartement4f
Gautier and Ashley began L’Appartement 4F Bakery in their Cobble Hill apartment, where they live with their dog Chip. When they aren't baking their signature mix of French staples—with an American touch—they enjoy “visiting local farmers’ markets, hiking, and drinking wine.”
About their entry: L'Appartement 4F knew that what best represents their neighborhood was the iconic brownstone structure. Their gingerbread creation incorporates unique details from their bakery, including their popular mini croissant cereal as décor for the interior.
* * *
Sans Bakery (Queens) @sansbakery
After years working in fashion, Erica Fair, founder and owner of Sans Bakery, was tired of the long, grueling hours and started baking in her spare time to harness her creative spirit. “After converting cherished family recipes into gluten-free confections, Sans Bakery was born!”
About their entry: Sans Bakery’s display is a holiday gingerbread scene inspired by the iconic 7 train running through Long Island City, Queens. “The 7 train is the backbone of our transit lives through Queens. Our gingerbread creation celebrates iconic elements of Queens’ unique skyline, while being playful about the scale of things we perceive in the urban landscape.”
* * *
Sherry Kozlowski (Queens) @_1_sweetworld
Sherry is an amateur baker who enjoys building and creating edible art. She has traveled the country competing in baking and food competitions, including the PPG Gingerbread contest in Pittsburgh, PA and the World Food Championship in Orange Beach, AL. Sherry has also appeared on Food Network’s Bakers vs. Fakers (2017) and The Christmas Cookie Challenge (2018).
About their entry: For this challenge, Sherry decided to represent her neighborhood block by featuring some of her favorite shops in Astoria. Her display of apartments and store fronts are all built in gingerbread with details made from fondant, gum paste, isomalt, and candies.
* * *
Ida Kreutzer (Brooklyn) @madebyIda
Ida is a professional photographer and designer from Austria who first came to New York in 2016. Since a very early age, Ida has been baking and creating “intricately decorated cookies, sourdough breads, and birthday cakes for friends.” She notes, “I love to nurture and feed people, and baked goods tend to just do that, with a happy side of sugar high.”
About their entry: Ida replicated the building where she lived when she first arrived in Fort Greene for her display. Her gingerbread creation, a classic Brooklyn brownstone, includes an imitation of a public artwork by the contemporary artist Swoon, which was once on view in the building.
* * *
John Kuehn (Manhattan) @newbakecity / www.TheNewBakeCity.com
John Kuehn was a professional architect and architectural designer before he decided to act on his passion for baking and cooking during the pandemic. "I decided to pursue a new career in the food blogging and food media industry. Both architecture and baking take into account structure, design, and aesthetic to complete a beautiful end product. Either as an architect or a cook, I'm obsessed with understanding the culture and history around both.”
About their entry: John’s display is a gingerbread recreation of Madison Square Park, nearby his home. His creation celebrates some of New York City's most iconic and historic skyscrapers, including the Flat Iron Building and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower in a holiday wintertime setting.
* * *
Attachment
