Like many young chefs before her, Maryland native Melanie Parker fell in love with cooking when she was just a kid, long before the words “career” and “culinary” had any meaning.
“I always watched cooking shows,” she says, “especially Julia Child.”
And at a tender, young age, Parker headed to the stove to start on what would be her life’s work.
“I started cooking at the age of 8,” she says. “I made bacon and eggs for breakfast.”
From bacon and eggs, Parker graduated to adding scallions and ham to pasta, a flawed effort she calls “nasty.” But she successfully made her own ice cream base, and, thus, her star was born. Today, Parker is featured as the pastry chef at D.C.’s ultra-swish Equinox, owned by RAMMY award-winning chef Todd Gray.
All that aside, by the age of 12, Parker was on her own in the kitchen, whipping up family dinners and earning the praise of her parents — both good cooks.
“I was always in the kitchen helping my mom and dad cook,” she says.
Not surprisingly, she decided early on that she would go to culinary school, and after she graduated from high school, applied to and attended Maryland’s own L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg.
“I wanted to be a savory chef,” she says, interning at M&S Grill, Cafe 15 in the Sofitel Lafayette Square, and B. Smith’s.
But her career path took a different turn when Parker ended up working at Kinkead’s with Executive Chef Tracy O’Grady.
“I met with Tracy,” she says, “and the first day I started, she said ‘See you at 8 a.m.’ That was my first real kitchen experience.”
The experience included working three different stations. Among these: plating pastries for dessert.
“I was always watching the pastry chef, Chris Kajula, and I decided that that’s what I wanted to do. … Just pastry.”
She assisted Kajula, starting with simple elements, like making ganache and finally advancing to pastry assistant.
Parker returned to L’Academie to earn her degree in pastry arts, after which she worked at such local restaurants as Black Salt and Addie’s.
“All the jobs in the last nine years since working at Kinkead’s have been in pastry. I moved along, and kept on learning,” she says.
Now an accomplished pastry chef acknowledged by her peers — for one, Parker was nominated for Pastry Chef of the Year at this year’s RAMMY’s — Parker reflects on the style she has developed.
“It’s a combination of savory and sweet,” she says. “It’s a little out there. For example, I have a fig and ginger soup with fried corn pudding and a Gorgonzola cheese-port reduction.”
Another offering, her pear frangipane, includes poached pears, a balsamic reduction and goat cheese ice cream.
“These are not your usual brownie sundaes,” she says, something of an understatement.
Not surprisingly, Parker’s boss is wowed by her creations, for these keep pace with Gray’s own take on seasonal savory dishes. And not surprisingly, Parker’s parents are wowed as well.
“My parents say, ‘Go, girl,’” she says.
If you go
Equinox Restaurant
818 Connecticut Ave. NW
202-331-8118
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday
Q&A with Chef Melanie Parker
Do you cook at home?
Sometimes, but I have a long day and a 2-year-old at home. I cooked spaghetti last night.
What’s your comfort food?
Baskin-Robbins’ New York Cheesecake ice cream. Otherwise, I’m a meat-and-potatoes chick, like rare roast beef and baked potatoes loaded.
How do you define your cooking style?
It’s very composed, thoughtfully planned. I get ideas from books or I saw something I haven’t tried. A carrot cake? What goes with it? Apple? Cream cheese frosting with vanilla bean and cardamom. It’s soft, so it needs some crunch. I thought about the creamsicle pop (a dessert option at Equinox) last Sunday when I was driving my daughter back from the ER. Sometimes it’s a little out there. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
I rarely eat at fine-dining restaurants, but my favorite place is a seafood restaurant in Bowie, Md.
What are your pantry basics?
Confectioners’ sugar, always a citrus, milk, butter, eggs, light brown sugar
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Fig-Gingerbread Loaf
Makes 1 loaf
1 ⁄ 2 ounce dry yeast
2 cups warm whole milk
1 ⁄ 2 cup sugar
3 1 ⁄ 2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1 ⁄ 2 cups chopped fresh or dried figs (or other dried fruit)
4 Tbsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yeast, milk and sugar. Let stand until the yeast foams.
Using a mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, figs, ginger, butter and salt. Add the yeast mixture slowly to incorporate. Mix the dough on low to medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and well mixed. Spray an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and set the dough in it near the warmed oven to rise until doubled in bulk — 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Brush with melted butter and let cool for 1 hour.
