Have you ever spent countless hours scrolling through Pinterest, Google, and everywhere else searching....and searching...and searching for a recipe. You know, the all-so-obvious "perfect whatever" recipe. You gaze at these gorgeous photographs, overly explained recipes, and ads upon ads, upon ads until finally you land on one. You read the comments and reviews and think, "ah-hah, I can do this!" You set out on your journey, taking a screen shot of the recipe (because honestly who reads all the explanations anyway?) and heading to the market. You get there and... oh no, what the heck is that ingredient? Does it even exist? Where do I find these things and what are these things? Wait, there was information in the post, but where is the original post?
You settle on everything, you find a different post with what looks to be a similar recipe and you go home and you tie your apron on and you set out to bake. In your mind, you are on Top Chef and this is just a challenge. You can do this, you have done things like this before, right? And then as you mix the ingredients up, things don't seem right. But that's OK, maybe this is just a "new way." You throw your very expensive batter in the oven and watch in horror as it never rises. It started swirling into batter Hell only to come out this weird, sticky, mess.
THIS right here, THIS is why I am starting a blog.
First of all know that you are NOT alone and this is NOT a new defeat by any means. Right now food is HOT HOT HOT. There are dozens, and I really mean dozens of food cooking challenges. Chefs are kind of in right now and with any trendy sort of thing comes followers. 15 years ago when I started pastry school, this wasn't yet a thing. I had nothing other than the Wilton Lookbooks, my pastry text books, and simple cookbooks to get ideas. I did not have hours of YouTube and Television and PINTEREST to gaze upon and honestly even my worst efforts were better than most. I skated by for several years being just "OK."
Now home bakers, cake students, and parents with high ambitions can literally make anything. I'm sure by now you have seen the isles of your favorite craft stores and have stood in front of the baking section amazed by how much money you could spend on that "Under the sea cake" that honestly with all of these amazing tools and mold, YOU CAN MAKE. What you do not have loads of, are great recipes, basic lessons, and people that aren't after your pocketbooks.
And this is where I want to make a difference. I have always been available to friends, colleagues, and even my own customers if they decide this time, THEY are going to go on a baking journey. I have taken phone calls late at night and on weekends where my panicked friends who spent about $30 at the store, do not want to see their cheesecake fall, and have talked them through it all step by step.
If you are a customer of mine and are curious how its done, this blog is for you. If you are a mom or dad who is frugal but wants to be a badass baker for your kids, this blog is for you. If you are an awesome baker but want to start a business doing this, then yes, this blog is for you. If you struggle to make a chocolate chip cookie and are frustrated with baking, throw away the tub of cookie dough and read on because this blog is for you.
Feel free to leave me all the questions, comments, and recommendations on how to make this better for you because I am new at this and truly want it to be a happy experience for all.