I aspired to be an artist. My oldest brother is a photographer and another is a painter - I felt I was a creative person too, but couldn’t find my medium. That is, until I realized food could be my medium. I started baking cakes shortly after this realization, and never looked back.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I grew up in Kansas in a food-loving family, and decided when I was about 15 that I’d like to become a baker. I landed my first job in a bakery when I was 16, which allowed me to earn some experience before enrolling in The Culinary Institute of America after I graduated. In pastry school, I realized I could combine my love of writing with my passion for food - and set my sights on working as a recipe developer and food writer.
2. What inspired you to become a Baker?
I aspired to be an artist. My oldest brother is a photographer and another is a painter - I felt I was a creative person too, but couldn’t find my medium. That is, until I realized food could be my medium. I started baking cakes shortly after this realization, and never looked back.
3. What does your typical day looks like?
Because I’m freelance and work for myself - every day is different! Some days, I’m in the kitchen, testing recipes or filming videos. Other days, I’m at my desk. I’m actually at my desk a lot - I wish I was in the kitchen more! But this kind of work takes a lot of typing and organizing and lists!
4. Does one's approach change when baking profesionally and at home?
Since I’m a trained professional, but I’m writing for people at home - I’m always trying to find that line of the techniques that professionals use that could actually be helpful for folks at home. Like using a scale - it’s actually easier, makes less dishes than using volume measures, and leads to less mistakes, errors when baking at home!
5. Is there a dessert you particularly associate yourself with?
I’m most known for pie, and proud of it! I also love working with yeast-raised doughs, and if I had to be known for something other than pie - I think I’d like it to be doughnuts!
6. How does plating effects ones view of a dessert?
We certainly eat with our eyes first. As a food stylist, I’m always looking to highlight my favorite parts of the dish when I’m plating or finishing it.
7. Is baking taught at culinary schools or a natural talent is required?
I did attend pastry school, but I think so much of it is intuitive, can be self learned, can be learned “on the job” too. Some of the best bakers got their education by working in bakeries! I loved the base pastry school gave me. I feel like I left with a super strong understanding of basic baking ratios, which are the foundation of so much of what I do now.
8. What was your most experimental dessert that came out really well?
Since I’m from Kansas, I love finding ways to use summer sweet corn in desserts rather than savory applications. One of the best was a cinnamon sugar-coated doughnut hole filled with sweet corn cream. I could have eaten 100 of them!
Erin Jeanne McDowell is a cookbook author, recipe developer, and food stylist specializing in all things baking. Her work can be found in The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, Food52, Food Network, The Washington Post, and more.
Her first book, The Fearless Baker, was named one of the best baking books of 2017 by The New York Times. Her recent book, The Book on Pie, is a New York Times Bestseller.
Interviewed By - Aliza Hussain
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