The last few years have seen something of a “schism”
in the world of pastry. On the one hand, you have the big, bigger & cheaper world of the processed food industry
and big box stores, where the ingredient list is as tall as the dessert itself. And then there’s the high-end,
“star chef” world, where you’ll find “goat foam cradling a nest of heirloom berries, handpicked and
caressed by eunichs,...” or whatever.
Enter pastry chef Rachel Marie, who trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America Greystone. There she graduated at the top of her class and was lauded for combining
traditional European techniques with exotic flavors. Her experience includes living in California’s Central Coast
and Napa Valley, both wine & food hotspots where many a chef cut their teeth, working for the eccentric Dutchmen of Utopia Bakeryand the renonwned Dean & Deluca. Upon moving to Southern California, she worked for Josiah Citrin
at Melisse in Santa Monica, then moved to Zov’s in Tustin.
But all that fanciness can’t hide the
Southern girl who was born just miles from the original Krispy Kreme in North Carolina and raised on biscuits, barbecue and
Bojangles. To this day she believes that the bedrock of the pastry world is made of butter, flour, sugar and eggs
- the stuff that, in the middle of World War II, women on both sides of the Atlantic would buy on the real blackmarket if
the occassion required.
So...
drawing on her training and heritage, she opened Blackmarket Bakery in 2004 in a small industrial space just under the flight
path of O. C.'s John Wayne Airport. Since then her reputation has grown, not only for her wild cakes and beautiful
breads, but also for her inspirational talent. Chef Rachel regularly presides over classes at the bakery for
novices and zealots alike and she held the position of Advanced Baking and Pastry instructor at Cypress College's professional culinary program for 4 years. Chef Rachel is also a member of Slow Food USA, AIWF and Les Dames d'Escoffier International.
The recipes and techniques of the Blackmarket
Bakery probably won’t repair any schisms between factories and foodies, but they do reflect Chef Rachel’s personal
journey and personality. So an apricot coulis just might be improved with a little candied ginger and cardamom,
but as her grandma Virginia’s recipe says; if you’re going to make a pound-cake, you’re going to need a
pound of butter.
