Tour of @HotBreadKitchen

Hot Bread Kitchen may be easy to miss when closed. La Marqueta, which serves as a place to purchase and view their freshly baked breads, is shuttered. The black of the evening and the lack of street lights make it an easy miss when going past 115th Street and Park Avenue. Hot Bread Kitchen (HBK) is under the Metro North rails and bookended by apartment complexes on either side. It's a large metal box of a place. But, delve further to the back entrance on 114th. This is the entryway into the behind-the-scenes action. Make sure to wear your cap once you enter and soon you'll be hit with the varying smells and the aromas of the array of goodies being made inside. You'll pass by smaller kitchens, caged racks of ingredients ranging from canned to bottled goods to everyday condiments. There's the rustle, bustle, and hustle of a 24-hour operating machine with staff preparing items for shipments, slicing breads that have cooled, making & packaging of injera or cookies. Pass the ovens and the proofing stations, the heat hitting you like a wall when you walk by the convection ovens, slipping past the tortilla making station hidden in a corner as you make your way to the office. Give a hearty handshake to head chef Ben Hershberger, then into the meeting area with a glass door separating it and the prep station with baking trainees slapping dough onto counters as they knead and shape them. Once in the meeting room, after all your senses have been piqued, you'll be met by the smiling faces of Robin, HBK's business manager, and Twee, HBK's marketing manager, along with fellow food bloggers Maggy, Sara, and Emily.

Founder Jessamyn Rodriguez started Hot Bread Kitchen in her Brooklyn kitchen years ago. Since then it has expanded to Spanish Harlem and has incorporated many women of various backgrounds with knowledge of food preparation (or really foods that are innate to their background) arming them with the opportunity to work in a commercial kitchen to expand on a family dish, learn more about the culinary industry, and move on to create their own business. This model has not just expanded for the baking trainees that have started their own businesses and branched out to become recognized names in NYC, but includes smaller, somewhat established companies with the help of HBK's LIFE program for low income food entrepreneurs initiated through the HBK Incubates Program for those looking to expand their culinary business. These programs provide help on the business/organizational side that may have your brain ready to explode if your main focus is on the product and not so much the administrative and financial aspects of it. HBK's programs are becoming widely known in the foodie community as more businesses start small or solely online and seek to branch out to meet growing demand. In addition to that you can rent a kitchen space should your home not be enough at hourly rates and those who are not as fluent in English can get conversational help onsite from vetted volunteers.

The basis for HBK's beginnings is empowering those with little or no work experience, yet they may have a great knowledge of the foods they've been making since their youth, specifically breads. By fostering this gift of presenting a family dish or item that signifies one's home country provides more diversity in the availability of good, natural, and often healthy, locally made items to the mecca of New York City. Businesses such as Taste of Ethiopia, Broadway Baker, Itizy, and Nina's Empanadas can be found throughout the five boroughs. The originators of these businesses share spaces in Hot Bread Kitchen while HBK staff mills around prepping doughs to be baked and breads for distribution around New York City at hotels like the Waldorf Astoria as well as the chain Chop't, Whole Foods, and farmers markets throughout Manhattan.

After learning Hot Bread Kitchen's mission we sampled some of the bread they had to offer and steadily fell in love with one even more than the next to the point that a grocery list was building in all our minds of what we'd purchase once the tour ended.

M'smen is a flaky Moroccan bread that may, from first sight, make you think of naan but is actually lighter and more buttery. It's a Moroccan pancake of sorts and may best be compared to the lightness of a crepe but with layers. Plain is great with honey or on its own. We also tried a stuffed version with caramelized onions, kale, and cheese that is a wonderful savory treat and good enough to have for dinner. There was also nan-e barbari, a Persian flatbread with a crispy crust and chewy interior that is superb alone (actually everything is superb by itself) or with butter and cheeses as a spread or for flatbread sandwiches. It's more than a foot long so would be ideal for parties. Mexican conchas you may see in different variations in stores. It's a sweet topped bread that is also slightly sweet in the bread itself and super soft. We tried ones with chocolate and vanilla toppings. And last you have the staple of ciabatta often seen in your fancier or chain salad/sandwich shops for sandwiches and as a side for soups and such. All were served right out of the oven. (You're drooling at the thought, aren't you? I figured as much.) In your palm was the warmth of freshly baked bread that was the perfect taste in your mouth melting on your tongue like chocolate. Each had it's own distinct flavor that was enhanced with it's temperature making you roll your eyes with a kind of "Good God is this what heaven is like in bread form?" pleasure.

Our tour included some tasting of pepita multigrain bread that was still hot, so much so that when breaking it in half the steam rose from the bun. The pepita seeds had that crunchy nutty flavor with the multigrain that was a nice hearty treat you'd want to curl up in bed with.

Our last taste, and one we were all anxious for once we heard about the cultural background of this sweet bread, was the pan de muerto (a new item available now until November 3rd at farmer's markets). This bread is reminiscent of challah in look and texture but has sesame seeds and a kind of cross with a ball in the middle marking the bread representing bones and a skull. It's a nice sweet item to eat in the morning with tea or coffee and is absolutely delectable when warm. It also holds heat well. When I warmed mine in the oven and brought it to the office (hour subway ride) and finally delved in there were still traces of heat inside. Delicious meet delicious.

If you'd like your own insider look at Hot Bread Kitchen and La Marqueta see Mike Colameco's segment on them on Real Food. He visits with Jessamyn, Ben, and some of the bakers that utilize the HBK space as well as baking trainees. Everyone is all smiles, which was also the case during my visit. A hard-working and focused staff that does what they love and is making food to not only exert their own creativity but to bring people pleasure and closer together is and has always been the aim of food. Hot Bread Kitchen is helping people to continue this tradition with the understanding that everyone has a specialty, and it may be food-related.

Interview with Ennis Smith (A writer with a broad, creative range that stems from a long history in the arts.)

I've known Ennis Smith for almost a decade now. He and I were in the New School MFA program at the same time. He for non-fiction and me for fiction. We both had a couple seminar classes together and were some of the few writers of color in the program. While I wasn't exposed to Ennis's writing directly since we didn't have workshops together I was drawn to him because of his intelligence, easy-going nature, lively attitude, and way with description whenever we entered a class discussion on some of the texts on the syllabus. Ennis and I remained in touch after we graduated and that grew as not only friendship but also critique partners. We regularly exchange work and have brunch with fellow writers and friends in Chelsea.

I was particularly glad that Ennis agreed to do an interview because his writing, as do many of my critique partners, always incites me to improve upon my own work. There's a level of humility with workshop mates where you gain fans for life and wonder "How the hell did they just do that?" Ennis has been instrumental in helping me improve my work and I definitely wanted to present more of his process to others. The memoir he's been working on is one of those texts I cannot wait for him to finish (and tell him this consistently). So I want people to be as jazzed about it and his writing and him as a person as I am.

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Why non-fiction? Perhaps that’s a weird question considering our work tends to guide us, but what aspect of this particular genre did you gravitate to to write your longterm project instead of fictionalizing it or writing it in bits as an epic poem? Perhaps the better question is, why do you want to write a memoir?  

When I was a kid I identified strongly with Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent, to the extent that I used to pretend I was a newspaper reporter. I’d send my friends scurrying around the neighborhood to gather gossip, or anything that looked “suspicious.” In high school, I wrote movie reviews and features for the school newspaper—as a writer, as a person, I’ve always been interested in the known world, the things that surround us every day.

My memoir is about the death of a loved one, but it’s also about my situation in the world: people I’ve encountered, experiences that really branded me. I feel these things choose you, not the reverse. Someone suggested I fictionalize those events and my first thought was, “Why would I want to do that?” The “truth” is hard enough; beyond that I’m not interested in protecting myself, or muddying those waters of thought. I want more clarity, not less.

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What I’ve always admired in your writing is your knack for details, for setting the scene and the world around you so well that the reader is very much centered in it. They can see it. To me these details are your particular strength and something I learn from in terms of my lack of details of space. Have you always been in tune with your environment? If so, does it stem from your acting background?

There’s always a struggle to make sense of things for a reader, which is what I think the primary function of description is. But it’s also about an exploration, about how far you can go in terms of pinning down the experience of something. You learn to ask yourself those grad school questions, like: Is it visual? What does it sound like? Does it smell?  But before that, I’m actually trying to pin it down for me. Later comes the playing with, the finding variety, and the search for some fresh terminology, which isn’t that much of an effort. Everyone has a frame of reference that’s distinctly their own—the trick is to be brave enough to share that with the reader.

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In grad school you may remember there was a divide between genres, mainly in the workshop sense. Do you think this divide is necessary? Outside of the MFA environment and even conferences there tends to be the need to read as much as possible, to learn and gain inspiration and ideas from various avenues. Do you find that you get just as inspired by non-fiction as fiction and poetry or dance or visual art?

I feel the "how" of approaching those genres are, or should be the same. Give me interesting sentences. Give me wit—take those elements, be they made up, or reportorial, and tell me a story. I tend to think there’s nothing new under the sun: other writers have had to tackle the mechanics just as we are now. Models are good, they show us another way, or at least give us hope, that we will find the solutions to whatever writers wrestle with.

I remember one of our professors, Robert Polito, who emphasized the importance of cross-pollination. How is a written scene like a movie, for instance? Can you abstract a piece of writing like a painter? What every medium of art shares is the story it has to tell—it’s only the tools we use that are different. I try to see as much art as I can. I love theater and film, and I also read a lot. Aside from Shakespeare, poetry is the hole in my education I’ve been trying to patch; fiction is a particular pleasure, always has been, but it’s only been since grad school that I’ve tried to take writing apart and figure out how it works. I do it reluctantly, though, for fear it’ll ruin my experience of reading—it’s hard to surrender as a reader if you’re analyzing, and I enjoy giving myself up to a story.

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What was it like for you to get your first acceptance for a piece and see it in published form? Did you feel legitimized in a way? Like, “Yes! I am a writer!” Were there tears of joy? Or a pressure to continue to produce? Sometimes I just have to reread some things that are in print or acceptances to residencies, especially after receiving rejections to know that someone does actually get what I do.

With the arts criticism I’ve written it wasn’t so much the pleasure of being published than it was that I was getting paid a tiny amount. I’m always thinking, “it could’ve been better,” so when something makes it into print it’s a happier experience for my family and friends than for me. The first time was unexpected: I submitted “The Super with the Toy Face” out of frustration because a writing teacher told me it was lacking. I didn’t expect it to wind up in a book. When you tinker with something too long, you start to feel as if you’ll never finish it, something I’m going through now. That was a lesson—sometimes others have issues with your work that have more to do with them than with what you’ve written.

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Let’s talk about process. What’s yours? Is it sporadic? Consistent? Scheduled? Has it changed a lot over the years? For me it’s rarely ever as consistent as I’d like it to be. And I know for all of us working or seeking out work things can get even more convoluted when it comes to our art, an often unpaid venture.

Lately I feel I’m bouncing all over the place, because there’s so much I’d like to do.  I have a big project I’ve been chasing for years, a memoir, and I go back and forth on it.  But there are also smaller pieces I’d like to do. Part of it is feeling inspired—part of it is not wanting to sit down and work until you have a definite plan. I work best when I have a draft of something. Usually the ideas I want to explore are there in some form. It’s tragic—I can go weeks without laying anything down and feel tremendous guilt about it.  And there are times when I can sit for days and hours with something, even if every word I type feels as if I’m going off the rails. I set deadlines, which sometimes helps, though not always. Schedules are hard for all of us—I’m teaching, so my students pull me away. Chasing paying work is another distraction that can’t be helped. I write when I can, even if it’s just notes about something I’m interested in.

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Having lived in NYC there’s a sense, in your writing, that it’s home for you. Do you consider NYC, specifically Harlem, your home outside of your hometown in Ohio? Is NYC such a part of your work that you couldn’t imagine being anywhere else? Or are there times you long to leave here?

From the moment I sprang from the womb, I feel that I’ve been yearning for a place like NYC, or someplace like it. Especially growing up gay and in a family where you didn’t feel like your thoughts were validated, you wonder if they’ll be a time, a place in your life where it doesn’t feel like you’re constantly holding your breath. That was what the Midwest felt like—Sinclair Lewis nailed its peculiar sense of societal oppression, that pressure to conform, that’s still rife there. NYC kind of leads by example; you meet so many people and all of them are doing their own thing, which gives you permission to be yourself. It’s very much home, and even though I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere, I’m still getting to know it; I love that I haven’t cracked it yet, that there are still discoveries to be made.

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Your website focuses on many things, but often I notice the obituaries you post, specifically for figures in the arts be it in theater, film, dance. What strikes you to do these posts rather than focus on more personal items or use it as a journal like some may use an online platform for?

An undergrad professor who’d read some of what I’d written told me that as a writer my subject was loss. (No one had defined it before.) Even if I don’t sit with the intention of writing about loss, it always comes out that way, so I guess it’s an obsession of mine. As a former theater major, the course that impressed me the most was theater history. You found out about all these people who’d done it before, these innovators. It broke my heart that I’d never get to meet them and even now, a similar feeling occurs whenever I read the obits. I find out about people who’ve done amazing things, some of which have had a tremendous impact on our lives, and the first time I’m hearing about them is after they die. How whacked is that? It’s a selfish interest—my friends think I’m macabre. How is it that I find dead people’s lives more fascinating than those who are currently alive? I’m still working that out, but there’s an Armistad Maupin quote that moves me because it’s so true: “Missing people and wanting them back—that’s the price we pay for being alive.”

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Thanks so much, Ennis, for the interview. See you at brunch soon!

My NYC Midnight Submission, 1st Round (Flash Fiction)

As mentioned in my previous post this past weekend the first round of the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Competition commenced. And it was 48-hours of craziness. Though the Twitter-verse wasn't as rowdy as usual. Perhaps because of the condensed time and the fact that there are only two more episodes of Breaking Bad left! Priorities. Anywho, for the first round my genre was Action/Adventure, my location was a Castle (which completely threw me as I never write about castles--you can thank Disney for that), and my object was a Bucket.

This was my first idea and it stuck. Don't love it but I think I hit all my bases. And of course it's after you hit the send/post button that you start seeing holes. Augh. Ah well. Thoughts/comments welcome.

I present Ascent:

You were always the favorite.

“That’s not true, Jeremy” Mia mumbles to herself, gulping air as she runs up the stairs. Her lungs feel like they’ll burst. Both her legs start to get that jelly feel as she ascends. In the darkness, each heel on a cobblestone step feels like a badge of honor.

Mia’s side brushes against the railing sending a flame from her right. The burn and stink of torched skin and hair are abundant. Jumping up another step she sucks in a scream, not wanting to hear her pain echo. On the upside, the fire provides the only light she’s seen since she initiated her climb.

The temptation to dose her leg with water from the bucket she carries is thwarted by the knowledge of how important it will become. She tries not to have too much water slosh out.

Mia stumbles, a stone gives way. “Pay attention!” she yells at herself. Her hair sticks to her neck and her bare shoulders; her tank top adheres to her skin. The whole castle, well the ruin it’s become, is a puzzle. A puzzle designed to screw her royal. Her father said it was an artifact remade to push present-day soldiers to the brink, to build the best of the best in lieu of older methods. Another stone crumbles and falls screeching before it hits the ground reminding Mia of how far she doesn’t want to fall.

Don’t die.

“Yeah, Jeremy, I’m trying.”

When she said this to him Jeremy didn’t look so sure from his wheelchair. He was her older brother, tall, but no one could tell anymore since he was always seated. He’d made it so far too. Their father was highly opposed to the new methods of testing. But was confident his children would make it out, with a little wear & tear. Then Jeremy returned with broken limbs beyond repair, practically a pretzel. Others came back broken or not at all. The announcement that Mia would be next in line was when her father was found in his office. No note. No reasoning. Just legs dangling, his neck twisted by the cloth tied to a ceiling fan. Mia was glad she hadn’t seen him like that. It wasn’t the Miller way.

Her right leg tucks under her, another cobblestone loosens. Regaining her momentum Mia jerks to the side touching the brick railing, and that’s when something shiny enters her periphery.

Her mind is on Jeremy’s words when she hits the floor. Her chest jams against the stairs inciting a strangled cough. There’s wind against her back and the sound of clothing tearing. A chill hits her skin. Another sting turns into a burn. Craning her neck the pendulum swings back where it came from.

Her attention snaps to the bucket on the step below her, tilted and losing water every second she stares at it. She pushes herself forward avoiding gaps where she senses them.

The castle looked huge when she approached it. A crumbling structure decimated at the top by bombs with pillars and columns’ jagged edges shooting into the sky. She headed inside with no supplies. “You come into this world alone, you leave it alone,” was all she was told.

She wobbles. “Don’t touch anything but the bucket.”

Air gets harder to take in. Her body is an unwanted weight. And that damn bucket. Its rope handles dig into her palm.  Water swishes around. She wants to take a drink, bathe in it, dab her wounds. But she can’t, she needs every bit she has.

Mia gulps tapping down the excitement when she feels the last step, the ground above it flattening under her. Her eyes have settled on the darkness. Her hearing and the cool air on her skin are so much more pervasive now.

They wanted me to fail. They’ll try the same for you.

“There’s always a way. I’ll make it. The Millers will be back on top.”

You’re way too hopeful. Just like Dad was.

“That’s a bad thing. Hope?”

Look where it got him.

The thinning of the air this high up. The sting on her back. The scorching throb on her calf. The overall ache of her legs causing her to tilt backwards almost losing her balance. The parch of her throat. All of it is designed for her to fail, like Jeremy said.

Even lifting the bucket makes her heave, like she’s been carrying a boulder instead of water. She readies it, slowly pouring with each step she takes. Each splash confirms there’s ground for her to continue going forward.

And then the splash stops. The droplets descend lower, revealing just what she thought: a gap in the path.

Her boots slip slightly from the wetness on the stones and she finds the edge.

Her legs are unreliable even bending she feels the tremble shake up through her spine.

A curse filters up through her throat along with a gurgle. She sucks back her fear, her anger, the mucus accumulating and spits. At first she hears nothing but the whistle of the wind up this high. And then there it is. Splat. Her saliva hitting the other end of the path.

She doesn’t know how many feet but if she could spit that far, she could jump it. She throws the bucket, hears it soar and bust on the other side.

Mia steps back, readies herself. Another breath, more burning. Running start and up she forces herself to think, to do. When she lands her knees crack against stone. Her face smacks a sharp edge and wetness lines her cheek.

Her arms automatically reach up to touch the barrier. The sear through the air alerts her too late. “Don’t touch the railing,” she reminds herself and in that same moment she’s met with ultimate darkness. The sharpness imbedding itself and the pain searing through her head is immediate.

Mia touches her eyes but is met with the feathery tip of darts. Once again, someone’s failed.

#NYCMidnight Flash Fiction Competition: Yup, I'm Back In It

After a year long hiatus in which I did not do as much writing as I liked and freelance consumed my life (kinda still does in a way with other things) I took a break from the NYCMidnight competitions to save some pennies and copyedit psychology supplements. Fun? Sure, why not. But, seeing as how the flash fiction challenge was coming in I decided to enter for the early deadline and will again be in it for at least two rounds in the flash fiction competition which commences tonight at exactly midnight.

So, my next post will be my entry in the first round and we'll see what I get in terms of genre, location, and object prompts. The last time I entered the flash fiction competition I got science fiction and horror along with some random a** objects (for the horror it was mouthwash). I got a higher rating on the horror, which I was not a fan of, than the science fiction one which I thought was amazing. Just goes to show you never know what the judges will like.

From the time I get my prompts I will have two days to complete the story and must submit by the end of the weekend (before midnight, specifically 11:59pm). After the first two rounds highest scores will advance to the third round and so on to the fourth.

Wish me luck! I always enjoy the NYCMidnight competitions for the camaraderie on Twitter (hair pulling, b****ing about genres, panicking galore) and have met some really cool people through the competition and read some amazing work. It's a fun twist at writing something outside your comfort zone and seeing what you're capable of. Having done the short story and flash fiction competitions before I've learned I can do romantic comedy and horror as well as other genres. Just because you write in one doesn't mean you have to be relegated to it. If your aim is to write a good story that'll come through.

Good luck to all who do the competition and I look forward to reading your pieces and complaining about mine on Twitter right along with you.

Interview with @IvyBakery (Celebrating 13 years of butter gooies, cupcakes, and a growing menu for a great bakery in lower Manhattan.)

I got my first taste of Ivy Bakery from my Pie Party a couple years ago. Someone brought the buttermilk pie, which I had heard tons about. When I tasted it it was creamy deliciousness and I added Ivy Bakery to my list of "must try" bakeries. I started following Daniellan Louie on social media and had heard about her anniversary event last year, unable to attend I was all ears for the next event. But a few weeks later Hurricane Sandy landed with a vengeance and many businesses were hit, especially those in lower Manhattan. I kept updated with anything Daniellan may need and was glad to hear of the patronage and aid from those in the community and throughout NYC. I also brought some canned pumpkin her way since it was unavailable and couldn't help but indulge in her butter gooies and pumpkin goods while there. Daniellan was so sweet and she puts a lot of effort to expand Ivy Bakery's menu and atmosphere to be a welcomed spot for everyone. There are games along with sweet & savory treats for purchase, so you can just lounge and absorb the homey atmosphere as well as the lovely aromas coming from each and every homemade good Daniellan presents. Ivy Bakery is one of those NYC gems that I hope you've already discovered or will.

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What inspired Ivy Bakery and the items you make? On your website you say “(an) experience at Ivy Bakery is a journey back home, when things were less complicated, less processed, and just tasted real and good.” Many of the bakers I’ve spoken to mentioned a deep connection to home, family, and comfort when it came to their decision to focus on baking full-time and this seems to be the aim when customers taste your goods as well.

I really just like to cook/bake, feed people, and always wanted to create a place where people felt comfortable, safe, and relaxed. You could come in your pj's or in a suit and feel at ease. Walking into my shop should feel like walking into your past when the smell of fresh baked cookies put a smile on your face. I'm not looking to force those ideas of home, family, and comfort on people, it just seems to arise when people experience my desserts.

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You are a baking Super Woman with a capital ‘S’. Whenever I see your Facebook posts it seems like you’re a one-woman baking/business machine. There’s private and group baking sessions, custom orders, paleo dinners, parties, Saturday lockdown, and so much that you do for Ivy Bakery. How does it all work out for you in terms of the events, baking, publicity, etc.?

Thanks. Yes I do a lot because I want to offer a lot. There are days where it's great and a buzz is generated and our classes are filled. And there are other days when not a soul walks in or signs up. I don't think Ivy Bakery has gotten to that point even after 13 years where we're a city name. [We're] still a hidden gem in the concrete jungle and if you're lucky you'll come across it. Personally though, I am exhausted but I enjoy what I do. Other than traveling, eating, and learning new skills, there's nothing more I would rather do than be in a kitchen.

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Happy Anniversary! I can’t wait for the party this Saturday! Thirteen years is a huge achievement for any business. Ivy Bakery started out in your kitchen, moved to Bay Ridge, and is now in SoHo. Did you imagine you’d end up in Manhattan when you started Ivy Bakery? What changes do you have in store for Ivy in terms of savory & sweet items as well as continuing to branch out in NYC and perhaps the tri-state area?

Thanks, again! I can't wait either, it's tomorrow and there's still a lot of work to be done. I'm a tad discouraged only because it happens to be a holiday and in general a bad weekend where most people already have plans. However if it's a light show, I'll still be okay as I would hope that those that do attend have a great time and eat well. My annual cupcake contest is still in the air as not enough people have signed up. We MAY have to post pone it and hold it during our Halloween Party.

I always knew I would return to Manhattan, that is after all where I started it. I've always envisioned [Ivy Bakery] in Manhattan but at 18, with every realtor looking at you like a joke, there was no way I was going to be able to get or afford a space. So I opened the first store front in Brooklyn. We're working on more dietary selections such as vegan and paleo options. We already have a great line of gluten-free items that can be custom ordered. Definitely try my gluten-free honey cake, cookies, and rainbow cookies, OMG! The 600+ menu is on constant rotation so do note that flavors may come and go, but you can always order for special events or parties.

I will also be focusing on more events and dinner parties, or parties in general as I prefer to host a gathering. Perhaps meetups could take place in the space, that would be pretty awesome. My ultimate goal though or my new dream is to get myself in a position where I can travel, teach, bake, cook, learn, and of course eat. However, it seems difficult without selling yourself out to some overly dramatic reality TV show. I'm not about that, though I have been invited many times. I'll find a different way. Perhaps my own show on YouTube, hah!

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Hurricane Sandy was a big hit for many, especially for local businesses (particularly ones in lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island, and Queens.) What pushed you to persevere during this time? There seemed to be support from locals in the area and Ivy Bakery fans.

Hurricane Sandy... what can I say, it put me in a really bad position, it was my first true holiday season at the new space in SoHo, we had a huge Halloween party planned with food trucks, sponsors, etc, the works! And all of it got cancelled as well as being closed without power for over a week and spoilage of all finished products and inventory. Not a dime back from any emergency loans or insurance. I was denied everything. As much as the media would have liked to say the city helped small businesses, it absolutely did not for myself or many other business owners I know. You and I, and small neighborhood organizations are the ones who should get any credit for really trying to generate business back into the community. I had some amazing customers who volunteered to drive me to the shop when the bridges reopened to check on the damages. I also had some customers who brought in eggs and canned goods to help restock the shop when everyone was fighting at the markets to replenish their lost inventory. They are why I persevered because I had to get back on my feet, reopen, shrug it all off, and keep going for amazing people.

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You’ve catered at many corporate and individual events and Ivy Bakery has had a presence at the NYC Wine & Food Festival. But, if someone is going to remember Ivy Bakery for one item, what would you want them to think of as  your signature? Would it be the buttermilk pie or butter gooie bars (my personal fave) or some of your savory items?

I would say the buttermilk pie as it's what I always push and should be remembered for. It's symbolic for classic traditional southern sweets which I emphasize. However, I bake comfort sweets and eats from around the world. Second would be my tres leches cups, which are my personal flavor and I think third due to current popularity would be the butter gooies.

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Beyond Facebook, Twitter, and your Paleo blog are there other social media outlets that people can find out more and/or keep tabs on Ivy Bakery?

Yes, definitely Instagram if you like looking at food/dessert porn. I'll try to get back to YouTube eventually. It's a social juggling act, I try to make myself available on most, but there's just never enough time or energy to get it all done. Sorry, Pinterest. lol

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Thanks so much, Daniellan for the interview and looking forward to the big celebratory bash tomorrow (all-day).