Hi from frigid Michigan! I know we haven’t been pelted with as much snow as the Northeast and Atlantic Coast received, but we are dealing with single digit and below zero temperatures for the longest stretch in a few years. There is hope in sight: by next weekend, we should get back up to freezing.
Snow is really pretty to look at after that first storm, but we had ours back in November. Now, we’re dealing with streets that haven’t been plowed for a couple of weeks, increasingly grungy snow piles along curbs and for those of us without garages, the constant need to clear off our cars.
But there is one consolation: the kitchen. And today, I’m bringing you someone who has turned hers into a classroom.
Falling In Love With Teaching
Molly Wilkinson first came onto my radar through David Lebovitz and the other culinary standouts that I follow from Paris. If I could have skipped my career covering the automobile industry, I might have taken Molly’s path, instead.
Originally from Texas, she moved to Paris in 2013 to take the one-year pastry certificate at Le Cordon Bleu, the same school where Julia Child famously studied. (I took classes at LCB Ottawa.)
She did a three-month stage (or internship) at La Fabrique á Gateaux, an uber delicious cake shop in the Republique area of the Right Bank in Paris. She stayed until four days before her visa ran out.
Back home in Texas, Molly worked at bakeries and figured out a way to get back to France. Her cooking instructions began in Strasbourg, in the Alsace-Lorraine region of southeast France. Moving to Versailles, she set up her kitchen for teaching and wrote her first book, French Pastry Made Simple.
Now, along with writing, her livelihood is being an evangelist for French pastry, with online classes and courses you can take in person. Known for her enthusiasm and gentle instruction style, she has taught thousands of people, as you’ll read below.
Molly and I exchanged emails about her method and her excitement for the sweet life.
How she settled on pastry
“I went to the Cordon Bleu just being passionate about baking and not realizing it was totally different than what I was doing at home in Texas when I was making cookies, etc. You would have thought I would have known, but no! I think I was just excited to study making sweet things in Paris and to finally have a chance to follow my passion.
As soon as I started, I knew this was it! I love how formulated and rooted in tradition it is. Over time I learned that most pastries are made up of a lot of the same base component recipes (like pastry cream or a tart crust) and once you learn those and know how to change the flavors - you can mix and match them to make so many different things!”
Who are her students?
“Most of my clients are American and I’m showing them something similar to the same transformation I went through - baking cookies and brownies to making cream puffs and tarts! Because of my French pastry training and American background, I’m able to bridge the cultures and make pastry accessible for all levels of bakers! I teach mostly online in Zoom classes or on-demand courses. The amount of students I’ve taught? Gosh. Since starting in 2019, probably close to 10,000??”
Any tips for the pastry shy?
“I think with pastry, the confidence comes when you understand the technique. It’s all about breaking it down and going through it step by step. For example, for pastry cream, there’s a point when it looks separated when you’re cooking it. I’m there to tell you that’s completely normal and why it’s happening, and how it will fix itself. That professional backup in the kitchen as you’re baking something new, is everything!”
What else she’d like to teach
“Pastry is pretty consuming as there are so many facets to it and so many things you can do! I’d love to explore candy-making more thoroughly - a completely different field than pastry (a lot of people don’t know that!).”
Thank you so much, Molly! I hope you’ll think about signing up for one of her classes, or find one in your area where you can stretch your culinary wings. Please let Molly know that you read about her here. Also, keep an eye out for her next book, which is coming in 2027.
South Korea Wants To Teach Us, Too
Staying on the topic of teaching, South Korea’s government wants to get into culinary instruction for visitors to the country. According to the Korea Times, it aims to open the Sura School, which aims to capitalize on the soaring global popularity of Korean cuisine.
"Now is the best time to expand Korean cuisine education, as the global status of Korean food has risen," Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said in a press release.
"Through Sura School, we expect Korean cuisine will establish itself as a distinct global culinary genre, moving beyond a temporary craze."
I don’t know where these classes will be held, or how much tuition would be, but I’d love to raise my hand for the experience.
Matcha Boosts Caffe Nero’s Results
If you have traveled to London, the Middle East, or the East Coast of the United States, you might have seen a Caffe Nero shop. The British-based chain, whose name means “black coffee” in Italian, operates more than 1,154 shops in eleven countries. It has become a familiar name since its founding in 1997.
Caffe Nero recently reported record results for its fiscal year, when its shops ran up global revenue of $800 million. It roasts all its coffee in London, opened 64 new U.K. shops last year, and has partnered with major supermarkets and Amazon to ship its coffee to home drinkers.
However, its success wasn’t only in coffee. It received a strong boost from sales of matcha drinks, which it added in the past year. Caffe Nero shops sold more than 650,000 green tea-based beverages in their menu debut, including iced golden matcha, with turmeric syrup, and a strawberry and vanilla matcha latte.
Another popular drink was the Amaretto Latte, available during the fall. This winter, it’s selling a Black Forest latte, with chocolate and cherry syrup, and a variety of cold drinks.
You can get food in its shops, too, like soups, salads, baguettes and treats.
But for now, matcha is the star of its menu.
A Chicago Library Opens A Food Pantry
Libraries all over the U.S. have moved beyond books and videos to become gathering spots, work stations and resources for renting tools. Now, a library on Chicago’s west side has become the first in the city to offer a food pantry.
The Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park officially opened the operation in January. According to Block Club Chicago, it experimented with the idea in July and decided to expand it and make it a permanent feature.
The pantry is a collaboration between the city, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Chicago Public Library. It is the first in the Chicago system’s new Library-Based Food Access program.
So far, about 600 households per month are using the library’s pantry. It offers a selection of proteins, produce, dairy, pantry stables and pre-packaged meals. There are also toiletries available and there is a table of free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Block Club Chicago says this is the second library-based pantry of its kind in the U.S., following the Pratt Free Market at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.
I love libraries and I support food pantries, so I hope that this idea will spread. What a joy it will be for families to take their kids to learn and be able to bring home something to eat, too.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
Since I told you about my new ShopMy collections last week, I’ve added another one. I’m calling it Culinary Splurges and I created it after Le Creuset reached out to me.
They’re offering some special deals on some of their most popular cookware. Since I’m a Le Creuset fan from way back, I decided to pick out some things to which you might treat yourself. I know Le Creuset is out of some peoples’ price ranges, but my Dutch Oven has been a great investment.
I earn a tiny commission on each sale, which will help keep CulinaryWoman going, since I don’t accept ads or have sponsors. Thanks to Molly for the inspiration! Check out her collections as well.
I would love to hear from you about this newsletter or any other food-related topic. Do you have a TV show to recommend, or a cookbook that you’ve enjoyed? Feel free to share. Leave a comment or reply to the newsletter to reach me directly. You can also email me at culinarywoman (@) gmail dot com.
Tomorrow, I’ll be back with another pastry-related topic for paid subscribers. Savory pastries are popping up everywhere. I’ll talk to a local bakery owner about why that’s happening.
Stay warm, dry or enjoy sunshine, depending on where you are. See you next week!