Chef Gladysz at The Hotel Hershey/Photo courtesy of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts
Executive Chef Ken Gladysz and his culinary team make magical moments happen at The Hotel Hershey. From the Iberian Lounge to the Cocoa Beanery to the prestigious Circular Dining Room, Ken Gladysz crafts culinary creations, often using Hershey's most famous byproduct, chocolate. Many expect chocolate in decadent desserts, which is still a Hershey specialty. However, the hotel kitchen staff often masterfully uses chocolate in unexpected yet enticing flavor combinations. Read on to learn a little more about Executive Chef Ken Gladysz and the culinary happenings at The Hotel Hershey.

Name: Ken Gladysz

Age: 48, soon to be 49

Where do you work?
I'm the head of every culinary operation at The Hotel Hershey, including the Circular Dining Room.

How many years have you been a chef?
I've been making my living in the hospitality industry for 27 years. I started out as a dishwasher.

Where did you attend school?
I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

What's your favorite food?
Roasted chicken. I love the fact that it's two different styles of meat-dark and white. It's flavorful and it goes great with anything.

What's your favorite dish to make?
I like braised dishes. One of our signature dishes here is the Hershey dark chocolate short rib. We still make everything from scratch. A lot of time goes into it. It shows a lot of technique. Right now, that's my favorite dish.

What did you have for dinner yesterday?
Stouffer's lasagna with a small Caeser salad. It was quick and easy and I was hungry.

What's your favorite herb or spice?
My favorite spice is cocoa powder. We use it in a ton of dishes. People expect to see it in the sweet aspects, but I'm driven to use it in savory foods. It makes for a great rub. Cocoa powder is my favorite spice right now.

My favorite herb is tarragon. I really enjoy its flavor. It lends itself well to a lot of different uses. It has a pungency about it, but it's still delicate.

If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would you invite and why?
My mom. She was a tremendous cook. She and my father worked very hard to send my brother and me to college. They worked in the restaurant industry; she (my mom) knew how much work went into it and was hesitant about it for me. When she saw my passion for the field, she became really supportive.

My mentor, Victor Gielisse. He is an incredibly well known chef. I went to work with him during a college externship. He taught me so much more than cooking; he taught me about the profession of being a chef.

And of course, my wife, Lisa.

Name Five Things you couldn't do without in your pantry/icebox.
-Chopped garlic
-Mire poix (celery, carrots and onion; it's the base for everything)
-Szechuan sauce
-Something we call "Magic Marinade." My wife and I use it for everything. It's chives, Italian parsley, oregano, basil and a little rosemary. We grow all of those ourselves. We have our garden, so we use a lot of fresh herbs from there.
-Chicken stock

Who is the best cook you know?
My mentor, Chef Victor Gielisse

What's always on your grocery list each week?
Mushrooms. We use them a lot; we cook at home a lot and mushrooms go well in many dishes. Plus, the quality is usually very good in the local grocery stores. Click here for Chef Gladysz' recipe for Hershey's Chocolate-Chipotle Glaze.