Meet Kristina Marder | Pastry Chef & Landscape Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Marder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“The trouble is, you think you have time.” (Buddha) To me it doesn’t really mean “Live today like it is your last day” but rather that I have to fill every day of my life with good thoughts and decent actions so I don’t have regrets tomorrow. Be human, brave, optimistic, show compassion and kindness, take necessary risks, be happy. You might not have another chance. This is what the quote means to me. The more I think about it the more confident I become in making everyday decisions. Also, for all of us who have kids and loved ones it is certainly a reminder to show your love and support today, right this moment. Say the words you want to say. Someone once told me that it is better to regret something you’ve done/said rather than something you never had a chance to say or do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I make mousse cakes, tarts, eclairs and other pastries very popular in France. I’ve been living in the US for a while and always wondered why I can’t find European types of cakes here. They are very different. Less sugar, only natural and qualitative ingredients, very sophisticated look and taste. It’s more a piece of art rather than a cake. Before my pastry career I was at the point where I moved to a new country with my husband who had a job but it was extremely difficult for me to find a job. Then I had kids and spent years of my life taking care of them. I always liked to bake but never considered it as a profession. And then as I got more involved in the baking industry I decided it was time to take it to the next level. I quickly understood that only in France I can get that kind of education and I went to the small village called Yssingeaux to study in the ENSP pastry school founded by Ducasse (famous French Chef with the most Michelin Star restaurants in the world). It wasn’t easy and sacrifices had to be made along the way, but I don’t regret it. That was the most interesting experience in my life. I met new people who had their own stories and challenges. And I understood that everything is possible. It is possible to turn your life in any direction you want. Now I have a brand named “Sweet escape Desserts”. I take only a few orders but each cake is different. I take my time to develop a unique design for every cake using only the best quality ingredients including chocolate and fruit purees which I order from France.
I am extremely pleased when I see more bakeries around me offering french pastries and cakes. I want people to know and discover pastry arts as it is in France. And that it is not about quantity, but about quality. I always say that it is better to have a very small piece of rich quality cake than a big piece of artificial looking cake.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anyone visiting San Diego for the first time should definitely check out our beautiful beaches. My favorite place is Coronado Island. It has a small city atmosphere with beautiful wide beach and path along that beach where you can take an evening stroll. There are nice hiking trails in Torrey Pines with breathtaking views to the ocean.
One of my favorite restaurants is French restaurant Jeune & Jolie in Carlsbad. And they just received a Michelin Star!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Once at the book club meeting I met a girl who mentioned a Russian pastry chef Nina Tarasova. As I started to follow Nina I discovered that she had just released her first recipe book along with her story on how she became from housewife to famous pastry chef teaching master classes all over the world. Not only did I start to make my first “serious” cakes from her book, but also my journey in becoming a pastry chef was very much inspired by her book.

Website: http://sweetescapedesserts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinamarder/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinamarder/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristina.marder/