Giuseppe Panepinto
Forget dieting: Meeting attendees can’t afford
to miss the creations of award-winning Giuseppe Panepinto,
executive pastry chef at Long Island, N.Y.’s 280-room Garden City
Hotel. Panepinto was named Pastry Chef of the Year at the 15th
annual U.S. Pastry Competition in March for his “Tin Soldier and
the Jack in the Box,” sculpted out of sugar and chocolate.
The most popular of Panepinto’s desserts among groups,
according to director of catering Joseph Borbely, is the almond
apple tart served with caramel sauce, freshly made cinnamon ice
cream and a chocolate garnish.
“It’s a lovely presentation, and it’s super-tasty,” says
Borbely. The ginger pear tart, a similar dessert but served with
fresh vanilla ice cream or pineapple sherbet, also is quite
popular.
Another favorite ending is a simple but delectably rich
Brooklyn-style cheesecake served with raspberry sauce.
For those meeting planners who can’t bear to choose just one
indulgence, a plate of three to five minidesserts can be ordered
for each attendee, allowing everyone a sample of the creamy, the
fruity, the chilly and the chocolaty, all created by this
prodigiously gifted chef.