The executive pastry chef of L’Artusi in New York, Jessica Craig has become known for Italian-influenced desserts that let the ingredients speak for themselves, a sensibility she learned from working closely with farmers early in her career.
Having grown up in a large Jamaican family, Jessica Craig always had an interest in food and an adventurous palate. She began helping her mother in the family kitchen from a very young age, and soon became responsible for all family holiday desserts at the age of 12. From there, the next step for Jessica was culinary school to pursue her love of cooking. After stints in the Hamptons and Locanda Verde, she joined the L’Artusi family as Executive Pastry Chef in 2017.
Here, she chats with La Cucina Italiana about drawing inspiration from her travels in Italy, the importance of seasonality, and being true to your voice.
What drew you to Italian cuisine? And more specifically, to Italian pastries?
Growing up in Long Island, it's kind of hard to get away from Italian cuisine. But, honestly, I love the fact that it's rustic and uses simple flavors. At its core, Italian cuisine calls for only the best of ingredients and it encourages each one to sing its own beautiful song. I learned this especially when living in Amagansett (close to East Hampton) – where I began to really hone in on my pastry career. Working close to the farmers that supplied our ingredients had a great impact on me. Then I finally had the chance to travel through Rome and Florence. I have never tasted such fresh and amazing flavors! Italian desserts come in such a variety, depending on the region, and I love simplicity. It's not overly complicated. It's straight-forward and simply delicious. Like a buttermilk panna cotta with a fruit compote and toasted pistachio; that’s a combination I can almost never get tired of.
Rhubarb Hand Pie (ph Teddy Wolff)
How did you wind up at L'Artusi?
It was a bit of a winding road, but after working in Long Island for the first 11 years of my career, I decided to move to New York City with the dream of becoming a pastry chef at a well-known restaurant. I started as a Pastry Sous with Altamarea Group for about a year. I then moved on from there to work as a pastry chef under the executive pastry chef at an airline catering company near JFK. I left there for a pastry sous chef position at Locanda Verde in Tribeca —after the airline catering job, I couldn't wait to get back to restaurants. Once I worked there for about a year and a half, I had enough courage to apply for pastry chef positions around the city. I interviewed with a few restaurants, but L'Artusi scheduled me for a tasting right away. I prepared around 3 or 4 desserts for the management, who reminded me of the team from the restaurant group that I worked for in the Hamptons. They care about seasonality and of course, Italian Cuisine – so joining their team was an easy choice.
What are some of your most popular desserts?
Our most popular desserts by far are our olive oil cake served with raisin marmellata and whipped crème fraîche, followed by our salted chocolate cake served with bourbon gelato, caramel sauce, and caramel popcorn. Also, our chocolate budino, seasonal gelato, and seasonal sorbetto are popular options as well.
Sweet Corn Blueberry and Peach Sundae
Have you spent any time in Italy? If so, where – and has it tied into your work?
I have been to Italy a few times. Twice to Rome; once to Florence; and once to Milan – and it has totally influenced my work! I never realized how popular meringues were in Italy until I traveled there. I also had a chocolate filled with amazing honey that influenced a dessert that I put on one of my menus. The best almond semifreddo was definitely in Rome for me—there was no fuss about it. It was simply plated with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and completely blew my mind. Reading about Italian cuisine and having it in New York is one thing. To go there, and experience the cuisine first hand, is incredible. The quality of the ingredients is out-of-this-world good.
How do you continue to stay inspired in the kitchen?
I get inspiration from the farmers market, traveling, dining at other restaurants, attending events and networking. I draw inspiration from many places, depending on the season, and even how the weather is affecting the way a particular growing season is trending. I also make it a priority to take care of myself as I feel like physical, mental, and spiritual health can totally affect inspiration and creativity.
Was there a moment in your career that had a tremendous impact on you and how you work?
The moment for me that had the most impact on my career and work is when I had my first sous chef position working in East Hampton NY. The pastry chef I was working under at the time had such a big influence on me. The culture of that restaurant, and the group as a whole, values local sustainability – an element that couldn't be more true to Italian Cuisine. We even had a garden that was like a mini farm where we would harvest herbs, rhubarb, raspberries, and strawberries, as well as other ingredients. It was an incredible learning experience that I will never forget. Those are the qualities I look for anywhere that I work. It's a bit challenging in New York during the winter months, but that pushes me to lean in to be more creative.
Mascarpone Cheesecake
What does the 2020 International Women's Month theme mean to you?
For me, I am Generation Equality – which means that equality begins with me, as well as many other women. We're paving the way to create more opportunities to be seen and heard in the same way as our male counterparts. It's a slow climb, but it's happening. It's an exciting moment. Well, much longer than a moment. I've noticed over the past five years, at least, that women have been gaining a stronger voice. Hopefully, it continues until it no longer needs to be a topic of conversation.
Is there anything you’ve learned in your career that you would advise young chefs of?
I have learned so many lessons. Here are a few: be true to your voice; if a restaurant is toxic, don't stick around, even if the name looks good on your resume; stand up for yourself, even if you end up being thought of as aggressive; and, most importantly, take care of yourself.