Being a great baker and pastry chef requires the upmost open mind. I try every dessert that comes my way!
I think a lot of people think being in the kitchen is being really serious, and especially that baking is very serious, very straitlaced. For me, it's about figuring out your voice, finding your personality, and getting in the kitchen to explore.
When I get up early, I appreciate the quiet time to enjoy a coffee or water my plants.
The secret to having an epically beloved bakery is consistency.
Baking's meant to be done at home. It's meant to be a good time. It's not about, like, hoarding secrets. It's about sharing them.
No matter how bad your day is, when you start talking about cookies or cakes or pies, or you bring someone cookies, there's just not bad news. The worst news is, 'Hey, there's sugar in that.'
I was an infamously picky eater as a child but also had an infamous sweet tooth. All I wanted was dessert for every meal of the day.
As a chef, I got into this because I love the creative energy and I love the science, but I also love to feed people and make them happy.
There is no right or wrong way to pair or prepare a dessert. Follow your instincts, edit, and taste-tweak-taste until you get it just right!
Know who you are and stay true to it. Have a point of view, keep your head down when noise tries to drown out your inner voice, and whatever you do, keep pushing.
There are so many messages out there about what you should be eating and drinking and what you should be putting in your body at the beginning of the day. It's confusing, and people get very overwhelmed. Really, one of the greatest options is just a bowl of cereal and milk.
As a boss, as a CEO, as a creative director, as a chef, I've learned that failure will always come. I've learned to give it a big squeeze, smile at it, humble myself to it and then use it as a springboard to send me on my way to strength, success, and fulfillment.
A bright lipstick is a quick way to glam up my look.
I need healthy options around, or else if I get hungry, I'll go straight for a cookie.
Nothing could be lovelier than running across the Golden Gate Bridge in the middle of the fog.
I love the warmth of apple pie.
I love roasted pecans. I'll make a sort of granola with the roasted pecans, turn that into a super nutty pie crust, and top that with apple-syrup pudding and top that with cooked custard and maple syrup.
It's that strength of the human spirit, the strength of what's deep down in you, that's really going to get you anywhere and everywhere.
The thing I love about Vegas is there's something for any type of mood you're in and something for any kind of adventure you seek out.
At first, learning to bake was purely selfish, but I quickly learned I can't eat every batch of cookies myself, so I would bake and eat what I wanted and give the rest away. I fell in love with feeding others as much as I loved eating sweets myself.
