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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 Bakery and 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 is currently the Advanced Baking and Pastry instructor
at Cypress College's professional culinary program.Chef Rachel is also a member of Slow Food USA 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.
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