Posted by Brandon Shook on May 03, 2010 0 Comments
What’s Poppin’ in Indianapolis In this week’s Morning Muffin, we take a look at Taylor’s Bakery, a family bakery in Indianapolis Indiana run by Drew Allen, his brother Matt, and his father John. Taylor’s Bakery has been around since 1913 and has been passed down four generations into the capable hands of Drew and his brother. The bakery isn’t just Drew and Matt’s legacy, it is a part of Indianapolis’ history, a bakery filled with stories about the Allens and their extended family, the surrounding community. Drew always knew he wanted to run the family business and loved learning about baking from his father. In his adolescent years, Drew learned the basics of making delicious deserts, then graduated to making sumptuous cakes and hearty breads. When Drew left for college, he pursued a degree in business so he could help run the bakery. So what you can expect to find at Taylor’s Bakery? Well for one, you can order a wide range of custom cakes for wedding, birthdays, and showers. These cakes aren’t as flashy as the ones you see on TV, but that doesn’t mean they don’t taste as good or even better. Taylor’s Bakery has a classic taste... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on April 05, 2010 0 Comments
Throw Up the Horns for Cupcakes It’s time to inject TheBaker.com with a little punk rock with this weeks Morning Muffin. The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago, Illinois, owned by Michelle Garcia, is the place to go in Chicago if you’re looking to try some non-traditional baked goods. Michelle started baking when she was young making crabapple pies with her mom, but it wasn’t until her stay at a drug rehab center during her teenage years that she realized she liked baking. Whenever Michelle acted out, she was sent to the kitchen as punishment. There, in the middle of her unpleasant environment, Michelle found the kitchen to be a safe haven and purposely got in trouble so she could continue preparing food. When Michelle left rehab, she hitch hiked across the the US jumping from town to town, knocking on the back doors of bakeries and restaurants asking for temporary employment and a place to hone her skills. Michelle did this for years and when she realized baking wasn’t a passing phase in her life, she saved up her money and enrolled at the French Pastry School. After graduation, Michelle went to travel the world and found herself cooking in... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on March 29, 2010 0 Comments
Tradition Never Tasted This Good In this week’s episode of our “Monday Morning Muffin” series we’re going to take a look at Pendl’s Bakery and Café in Driggs Idaho owned by Martha Pendl; but before we focus on her bakery, it’s important that we look to the past and visit Pendl’s Pastries, her father’s bakery. Fred Pendl, Martha’s father, was born in Austria and early on he knew he wanted to bake. At the age of fourteen he started his baking apprenticeship and launched his career in baking. Fred traveled the world perfecting his craft and created delicious pastries for all to enjoy. Through his travels, Fred landed in Sun Valley Idaho where he started a family and eventually opened up his own bakery. While working at Pendl’s Pastries, Fred raised four daughters, one of which was of course Martha. Martha loved working with her father and when she was small, it wasn’t unusual to see her ride into work on the back of her father’s bicycle. Fred taught Martha more than just recipes, he taught her tradition, and a love and respect for baking. After ten years of being business for himself, Fred closed Pendl’s Pastries doors, but Martha... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on March 22, 2010 0 Comments
When Fresh Fruit Means Fresh Pastry! Aloha everybody, if you haven’t guessed, this week’s Morning Muffin features the cool and refreshing taste of Hawaii. Like we did with The French Pantry Bakery in Florida, lets imagine were relaxing on a warm beach, taking in the sun, and sipping on a fruity drink…oh yeah, that’s the stuff. This week we’re taking a look at Waialua Bakery in Haleiwa Hawaii owned by Anna Swim. When Anna opened Waialua Bakery, the only baking she had under her belt was making homemade breads for her family. She worked hard to create delicious breads for her customers, but unfortunately, the people of Haleiwa just weren’t interested. In a bold decision Anna modified her bakery to include an array of sandwiches and smoothies that can quench anyone’s appetite. Since the switch, Anna’s business has been booming. So what’s the secret to Anna’s success? Well, I guess you can’t call it a secret because everyone knows that Anna uses incredibly fresh food…like, ‘she just picked a mango off a tree to make a drink kind of fresh’. Reason being, Anna’s family owns a good sized orchard where she is able to pluck ripe fruits like Mangos and... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on March 08, 2010 0 Comments
Savory Outback Baked Goodies G’day mates, welcome to the Land Down Under, I’m here at the beach putting another shrimp on the barbie and wishing you were here. Alright, let me level with you, I’m not really in Australia, though I wish I were because it’s still freezing here in Chicago. I just wanted you to get geared up for reading about the Australian Bakery Cafe owned by Mark Allen and Neville Steele. So get out your bug spray and watch out for crocodiles because were heading out to the savage land of…Georgia?…for a taste of the Outback. The story of how Mark and Neville opened their bakery is interesting one. The two of them both grew up in a small town called Boort, where it just so happened that both of families owned bakeries. Mark and Neville, having a lot in common instantly became the best of friends, but parted ways to pursue their own goals. Thankfully, those goals were similar because they were reunited in baking school where they both leaned to perfect their art. After graduation, they again went their separate ways, Mark was drawn to the United States to cook for the 1991 Olympic games, while... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on March 01, 2010 0 Comments
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” – George Harrison Have you ever planned out your life and somewhere down the road it all changed? I’m sure that’s happened to all of us in one way or another…I wanted to be a superhero, but I never got my super powers, and my hopes for jumping over tall buildings in a single bound were, of course, destroyed by reality. Carole Griffin, the owner of the Continental Bakery in Birmingham Alabama, also had a wrench thrown into her life’s plan, but thanks to that wrench, we can all enjoy her deliciously handcrafted baked goods. Swearing she would never return home to Alabama, Carole left for Austin, Texas to study law at Rice University. Carole enjoyed putting her analytical mind to work, but her law career was unexpectedly derailed when she took a semester to study abroad in France. And in one brief semester, Carole fell in love with France’s charismatic people, the foreign customs, and of course, the delectable breads. Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that upon her return to Austin, practicing law didn’t seem have the same appeal it once did. After graduating from college,... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on February 22, 2010 0 Comments
Saved by the bell … or was it a doughnut? Have you ever watched one of those feel good movies where the main character has to overcome the odds if they want to succeed; you know, like “Remember the Titans”, “Blind Side,” or even “Legally Blonde”? Well, if you like the kind of movies that inspire and motivate, then you’ll want to know about James Sweeney and the three generation-old eponymously named bakery in Wilmington, Delaware. And even if those kind of movies aren’t your thing, you should stick around anyways … it’s a good story. James has always had a hand in helping with the family business – even when he was a child. As a toddler he’d find himself greeting customers at the door while he played with the toys in his nearby play area. By the time he grew old enough, his father began teaching him the skills he would need to become a baker for the business. And even though, James was never formally taught how to cook, the “home-schooling” he received from his dad allowed him to master his father’s baking techniques, creating in the process an array of beautiful and delicious treats for his... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on February 16, 2010 0 Comments
Find a pastry, find a friend It’s a sunny beautiful day in Jacksonville Florida and you have a free day. Your options are lounging around on the beach and soaking up the sun or standing in line waiting to get some food. The obvious answer would be to hit the beach for some relaxation, but the smart answer would be to wait in line. Especially if that line leads to the entrance of the The French Pantry. When Tim Felver, the owner, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, he made his way to LA and found himself working at the illustrious Wolfgang Puck restaurant. Tim had always been interested in French foods and spent his time at Wofgang Puck sharpening his French Cuisine skills. After years of working at other restaurants, Tim decided to try his hand at owning a business so he opened The French Pantry in 1996 with his wife Barbara. Tim and Barbara make an unstoppable team of sweet and savory. Barbara concentrates on pies, tarts, and cookies, while Tim focuses on soups, sandwiches, and breads. Together, the dynamic duo have created a wonderful French inspired menu that leaves all of their customers clamoring for more.... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on February 08, 2010 0 Comments
Saving the World One Cookie at a Time Andy Rolleri, the owner of The Pantry in Fairfield, Connecticut is doing his part to save the world. You don’t believe me? Then try one of his World Peace Cookies and get back to me. Even though the World Peace Cookie isn’t his creation, Andy does enjoy making the super chocolaty peace-keeper cookies. The World Peace Cookie story goes something like this; if everyone in the world were to eat them then world peace would follow. Still not convinced that Andy could be Superman in disguise? Even though Andy runs a small store, he goes through about two tons of chocolate every year. I don’t think I could eat that much chocolate in a year even if I tried. So how did Andy get the saving the world gig? Andy’s family owned a restaurant and a fish market when he was young which influenced his desire to own his own store. He learned a lot about business and cooking and eventually made his way to culinary school. When the time was right Andy, along with his friend Therri LeMeur decided to open up The Pantry, a small grocery store with a bakery... Check it out!
Posted by Brandon Shook on January 31, 2010 0 Comments
Now that’s a fashionable Mermaid. If you’re not a writer, you may not know that when constructing a story or an article – a proper one – at least, should have a introduction that gives way to a story arc that rises to a climax and then ebbs into a conclusion. Well, in today’s article we’re going to forget proper writing etiquette and go straight to the climax. Mermaid’s Bakery and Pie House in Colorado has 30 flavors of cup cakes….are you hearing me? 30 FLAVORS! Move over Baskin-Robbins you’ve officially been replaced in my heart. Sorry, got a little excited there. And, worthy of my excitement, Diana Ayala, owner of said “land of deliciousness,” has worked long and hard to create a delectable range of masterpieces as whimsical as the bakery’s name. Diana got a lot of her inspiration from her mother and grandmother, and when she was a child she had two dreams: to be as creative as possible, and to become a mermaid. And look, she did it one fell swoop…who says dreams don’t come true. Now all I have to do is work on becoming a “superhero” (since that’s my dream) … After five minutes of... Check it out!
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