Over the weekend, the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis hosted an Easter morning brunch for almost 900 guests. Chef Edward Nowakowski was the man behind this huge holiday event.
His name may not ring a bell for most University of Memphis students, but Chef Edward has clout within the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management. As he walks through the hotel lobby, greetings of "Hey, Chef" can be heard.
In January, Nowakowski headed back to culinary school - this time as a teacher. Every first and last Monday of the month at 6 p.m., the chef hosts free cooking classes in the demonstration kitchen on the second floor of the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis.
"I got tremendous knowledge. I'd like to share it with some people," Nowakowski said. "People ask for recipes and how to do this and that, so I do the class."
At the April 1 class about 45 attendees, including students from the Kemmons Wilson School, joined the chef to learn the art of cake decorating. A flyer for the event on Nowakowski's website decorated with various types of cakes reads "Nothing Foolish About It!" - an ode to April Fools' Day and a testament to the Chef's lively spirit.
During the three-hour class, the longest one yet - an occurrence the chef attributes to the environment of fun created with the students - attendees learned about sugar fondant, icing and chocolate painting. Classes usually last about two hours. Guests cooked various types of lamb meat at the last March meeting.
But it's not just about the hands-on kitchen learning. With Nowakowski, attendees are also given a quick informational session on food and beverage management at the Fogelman Executive Conference Center before heading across the street to the Holiday Inn.
There, he shows students what he does on a projector screen. "One class was about menu engineering. I'm trying to show the people how it works," Nowakowski said.
As the director of food and beverage services for the Fogelman Executive Conference Center & Hotel, he handles the management of the University's banquet and conference meetings at both locations. Nowakowski also serves as the head chef and was part of the team that helped to open the hotel more than 10 years ago.
His office in the Fogelman Center is adorned with plaques and awards he has received over the years as an executive chef and manager at hotels around the country since his 1977 arrival to the United States.
A native Austrian, Nowakowski's mother was a labor camp worker during the time of German occupation. In his memoir "Brush with the Edge of Time and Profession," he devotes an entire chapter to his mother.
Ultimately, he recalls a great deal of his time as a culinary student in Poland where he trained in French and Southeastern European cuisines, eventually earning the European Master Chef Diploma.
"It's totally different from here," Nowakowski said. "I want to express to people how it was."
He recalled being asked to kill and divide a hog into sausage in three days as an exam.
"Very hard," Nowakowski said. "I barely passed. This is the type of stuff I want to express to young people today."
He currently serves as the president of the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation and works closely with local charities to produce benefit banquets for various causes. His various salt, chocolate and ice sculptures are often featured centerpieces at the events.
The chef is producing a steam-blowing chocolate volcano sculpture for this month's American Cancer Society event at the hotel. Other sculptures have been featured throughout the Holiday Inn restaurant and lobbies.
Through all of his work in the kitchen, the classroom and the office, one thing remains a constant for Nowakowski: guest satisfaction.
"If the guest is happy, I'm happy," Nowakowski said. "I do any and everything to make guests happy."
Community members can join Nowakowski at the next free cooking class on April 29. The class's starting location is typically Room 129, but it varies. Guests should call Nowakowski at 901-246-7669 or send an email to chefemn@aol.com the Friday before class to give the chef an idea of who's attending the class that day.
Read more about the award-winning U of M chef and culinary manager at chefedward.com.
