Derek Chervenak, pastry chef at Restarurant David Drake, Rahway, NJ
Where did you get your start?
I first began as a waiter at Trap Rock Restaurant in
Berkeley Heights, NJ. I was more interested in what
was happening in the kitchen so I asked the Chef,
Bruce Johnson, if he’d teach me how to cook. I began
on the savory side of the kitchen.
What and Who are your greatest influences?
The people I have worked with influence me a lot.
Working at the Hilton Short Hills exposed me to many
new techniques. Tim Koch and Patrick Muller exposed
me to new ideas, books, and techniques. Working in a
pastry shop in Motsumoto Japan for 3 months gave me
strength and perseverance. I learned a lot about
myself as well as pastry.
Who do you consider your mentors?
The first two chef I worked with, Bruce Johnson and
Matt Conway are a big part of who I am in the kitchen.
They set a certain standard for me and instilled a
lot of great habits in the kitchen. I use something
they taught me every day. Masu, the Japanese Pastry
Chef, is a huge mentor. His kindness and respect for
me is overwhelming. We worked very well together and
even though there was a language barrier we had so
much fun trying new ideas and showing each other our
techniques.
Do you keep up with pastry in the media? How?
I subscribe to Pastry Arts and Design, Pastry’s Best
and Cooks Illustrated.
Are you a cook book reader? What are your favorites?
I never went to culinary school, so my education comes
from books. I love the simplicity and fresh
ingredients of Claudia Fleming’s Last Course, and the
over-the-top approach of Richard Leach’s Sweet
Seasons. I think there has been a surge of high end
pastry books in the past few years. Frederic Bau and
Pierre Herme are great books to pull recipes from.
Oriol Balaguer’s Dessert Cuisine and Bernd Siefert’s
Sweet Gold are good for inspiration.
Tell us a little about how your day goes?
My day is about 12-13 hours, but it goes by quick.
Working in such a small kitchen I’m right in the
middle of everything which is a lot different than the
extremely large kitchen of the Hilton. I just keep my
head down and work. I’m not a big talker, and my back
is to everyone when I’m standing at my station, so I’m
really in my own world sometimes. I like working
alone and manage my time well so I can accomplish the
necessary prep as well as try new recipes and ideas.
What gear do you use in the kitchen? What’s your go to
tool you can’t live without?
It’s so trite, but the mini offset spatula can be used
for anything. I have a Japanese bowl scraper that was
given as a gift to me from the pastry chef I worked
with in Japan. I gave the pastry chef some silpats
and in return I got these. Its design is like a
rubber spackle knife that conforms to bowls a lot
better than your usual spatula. I like it also
because of its rarity.
Do you have a favorite dessert item that you make?
I’ve always liked making chocolates. Once I learned
how to temper I went to JB Prince and bought some
plaques.
Praline Cr�me Brulee
Heavy Cream 1 Cup
Milk 1 Cup
Sugar 3 oz
Egg Yolks 5 3/4 oz
Whole Egg 1 each
Vanilla Bean 1/2 each
Gelatin 2 sheets
Praline Paste 1/3 Cup
Dragee Nuts
Sugar 5 1/2 oz
Water 1 1/2 oz
Whole Nuts 1 #
Cranberry Cake
Butter 1#
Sugar 2#
Whole Eggs 8 each
AP Flour 1# 14.5 oz
Baking Powder 1 1/8 oz
Salt Pinch
Buttermilk 15 oz
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