IT’S NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S GINGERBREAD HOUSE

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Will Compete in Gingerbread on Broadway Competition on Monday, December 6 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square

Culinary excellence and innovative technology combine in the creation of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh all-edible gingerbread masterpiece that will compete in this year’s Gingerbread on Broadway competition on Monday, December 6 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Gingerbread on Broadway requires that the subject be a New York City landmark object and that all materials used be edible.

Chef Randy Russell, CEPC, and Chef Sally Frey, Ph.D., Grande Diplome, led the team of Art Institute students to work collaboratively with illustrators and industrial designers at the college to produce a scale model of Radio City Music Hall. The gingerbread structure showcases a stage scene of the Radio City Rockettes and a backstage/alley scene with intricately crafted edible miniatures such as an orchestra pit, musicians, instruments, dressing room, and a mural. Industrial Design studentMark Majewski assisted the team by converting illustrations to CAD files and used a laser cutter to shape the gingerbread. “It’s like culinary arts meets technology,” said Majewski. “The coolest part of this is that, even though I was a part of this, our precision and detail still blows me away.”

The team set to work on their plans for the competition immediately after returning from last year’s event when their Central Park Carousel earned the prestigious first place prize. “The competition is an exceptional academic exercise,” said Chef Randy Russell, CEPC. “We teach our students that if you feel that you’ve done your best, then the only thing left is to do even better…that’s why we worked so hard to raise the bar this year.”

With close to 700 collective hours invested, the culinary team feels prepared to compete. “We don’t just come out a build this thing,” said Frey. “We instill in our students that in order to compete in high level pastry work, you have to test, practice and sacrifice.” Chefs Frey and Russell held workshops in piping and working with caramel, chocolate and fondant for five months.