Every weekend this summer, you could find New York pastry chef Michelle Kogan setting up shop at one of two outdoor markets: the Carroll Gardens market in Brooklyn, or the Sunnyside market in Queens. Inside her pop-up tents, Kogan—a Michelin Star chef—has been selling her handmade Mishie’s Sunnyside pies, and her presence at the local markets serves as a stark contrast to her impressive resumé, considering she has cut her teeth at institutions like Nobu, Morimoto, and Torrisi.
But this summer, without a buzzy restaurant scene or a team of sous-chefs to hide behind, Kogan decided to step out on her own: The past few months have revolved around just her, some delicious pies, and a singular vision to bring joy to her local communities. “I just started [selling the pies] renegade-style,” says Kogan. “At first, I felt a little embarrassed—doing it with my little shanty table.”
It didn’t take long for Kogan’s pies to generate buzz.
Specializing in unique ingredients—the key lime and ube coconut cream pies being some of her signatures—Kogan’s pies have brought an elevated touch to the regular farmer’s market mix (not to mention a luxurious price tag, given they run anywhere from $35 to $45 a pop). And they instantly attracted a crowd. “One of my pies ended up in front of one of the most influential food influencers, Mike Chau,” says Kogan.
Once he posted me, [my business] spiked tenfold
“Once he posted me, [my business] spiked tenfold. Now, I’m inundated—I’m doing 800 pies a week.”
So, how exactly did Kogan become New York’s hottest pie-maker? And why did she leave some of the city’s most prestigious institutions to follow her sweet and savory dreams? Like many chefs, Kogan’s love of making pastries and desserts stems all the way back to her childhood.
Kogan was born and raised in Brooklyn then Queens among a family of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. Some of her fondest childhood memories revolve around what was being served at the kitchen table. “My grandma on my dad’s side would make the most amazing cakes for my birthday,” recalls Kogan. “Watching her make these beautiful masterpieces inspired me: She taught me how to make something from nothing—turning eggs, butter, and flour into something delicious.”
Years later, Kogan went on to study at the French Culinary Institute in 2005, and soon after began her career with a brief stint at the now-defunct Del Posto, and as a sous-chef at Nobu.
She then evolved to become a pastry chef, working at institutions such as TAO Downtown, Morimoto, and Torrisi (where she and the team earned a Michelin Star in 2012). “I learned a lot, because of the volumes we were doing,” says Kogan of her time at the top of New York’s kitchens. “I looked at it as a time to hone my skills, and learn from all of these different amazing chefs that I was working for.
The end goal was always to create something
But the end goal was always to create something of my own.”
Flash-forward to two years ago, and Kogan knew it was time to start working on her own food empire. Feeling burnt out from a notoriously grueling and demanding industry, Kogan wanted to reset by focusing back on what made her fall in love with food in the first place. “You have to trust the voice that’s within you, telling you what you’re supposed to do,” says Kogan, who began experimenting with baking again, just like her grandma used to.
“Once I actually started doing the thing that I love to do and going back to my roots, little by little, I realized that I was healing. I was finding my peace again.”
Her pie recipes snowballed from there. One of the first pies she mastered was her now hotly-in-demand key lime pie. “I’ve been working on the key lime recipe for a decade,” says Kogan. “It’s the thing I’d make myself every year for my birthday, and then people started asking me to making ie for them.” It’s a cookie crust-style pie, as are all her pies, with a key lime custard made that is—surprisingly—not made of key limes at all.
“I really prefer the acidity of a lime—I find key limes to be a little bit inconsistent, and they’re a little bit too floral,” says Kogan. “I get my limes from Mexico, because the quality is really good.”
A focus on seasonal ingredients—and getting them from the best the pop-up markets this summer?
Lemon blueberry meringue, tiramisu, banana banoffee, and mango
Lemon blueberry meringue, tiramisu, banana banoffee, and mango passionfruit coconut meringue. “I’ll get my blueberries from Maine—they’re more flavorful—and my mango passion fruit from Colombia,” says Kogan. “I’m like a drug dealer—getting the purest ingredients. That’s why the pies are so expensive: I’m getting things based on where they should be coming from.”
These eclectic but fresh flavors are what have been drawing a crowd to her market booths this summer.
After gaining the attention of locals and food influencers alike, Kogan’s pies have become a hot-ticket item, often selling out by the time noon rolls around. The craze for her pies has been so crazy, in fact, that she’s had to completely rejig her home to meet the production demands. She is a one-woman show, after all. “Thank God I’m a Virgo, and we’re good at organizing,” laughs Kogan.
“I just got rid of my entire living room and second bedroom. I have eight refrigerators in my apartment.”
Her pies have been such a viral success, meanwhile, that Kogan is now expanding her business by opening her own Mishie’s Sunnyside store in Sunnyside, Queens later this month. In mid-September, you can find her at 39-37 43rd Avenue—a sentimental address for the chef.
I’ve been looking at the store for five
“I’ve been looking at the store for five years: It’s on the same block where my grandparents’ apartment building is, and it’s around the corner from my apartment,” she says. “The block feels like home to me.”
At the store, she assures fans that the inventory will finally be ready to meet the demand. “I’m really excited, because it will allow more people to get their hands on the products,” says Kogan.
And there will be new offerings beyond just the standout pies, too—such as her fanciful takes on ice cream, for one. “I want to bring back American classics when it comes to ice cream,” she teases. “I really miss having banana splits, malted milkshakes, and hot fudge sundaes—and we’ll put some fun toppings on them.”
It’s a full-circle success story for the chef, who started from humble beginnings to working her way to the top—only to restart all over again.
For Kogan, success now means bringing joy to people’s lives through her handmade creations. “Anything that creates something heartwarming and joyful is what I’m here to do,” she says. “[Food] is something that can heal us and bring us back to childhood memories. I find it to be the greatest honor, that people allow me to make something that they put into their body. It’s also a privilege and honor to be a part of people’s celebrations and memories.”
Source: www.vogue.com
