RECIPE REVEAL
SPARKING BITS OF JOY
Barley Swine’s Executive Pastry Chef Augusta Passow uses unique recipes to tell even more interesting stories.
Augusta Passow never imagined the kitchen was the place for her. “But if you asked
people around me they would say, ‘Yes! Absolutely!’” she says with a laugh. A Montana girl, she moved to Austin nine years ago, and for the past four years she’s taken up residency at Barley Swine as their executive pastry chef. “I’ve always worked in kitchens and was always cooking but kind of thought it was something I was doing as a hobby or working till I made my next move,” she admits. “Then in my early 20s I decided this is what I was going to make a career of. I moved to Austin to attend culinary school, specifically for patisserie and baking. From there I had a couple of really great career opportunities that eventually led me to Barley Swine. With my time here I’ve been able to grow into my personal style of creating dishes while also learning about Texas produce and our local farms, which has always been the standard for Bryce [Gilmore] and his restaurants.” Coming from a city that she concedes “didn’t really have a food scene,” Passow transformed her hobby into her own form of storytelling, getting inspiration from community cookbooks and the individual stories of those lucky enough to sample her unique interpretation of classic recipes. “I like looking at a recipe that calls itself a salad but is jello, whipped cream, fruit and cottage cheese,” she says. “Seeing how I can twist that using local ingredients into something that you wouldn’t see at your family potluck but brings back those memories and flavors. I love when people try my desserts and say it tastes like something so
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specific, even if it’s not the flavor profile I was going for. I like that it sparks this bit of joy for them.” Her time in the kitchen has generally been a pleasant one, a far cry from the horror stories of women working in restaurants in the past. “Working at a restaurant like Barley is really special because it carries that ethos of what Austin is,” she says. “We have this space where we’re able to push ourselves and our creativity because Bryce has made sure that his restaurants have that welcoming environment, not only for the guests but for his employees as well. It lets us all be the weirdos that we are and also come together as a team to have one main goal of creating a memorable experience for our guests.” For those interested in giving a professional kitchen a shot, her advice is both validating and incredibly optimistic. “Kitchen culture is definitely changing,” she insists. “It’s not as cutthroat as it once was. People are really pushing for more of a work-life balance. Maybe we all realized that we could have more beneficial careers if we actually took a moment to breathe once in a while. If someone was trying to make the change to a professional kitchen they should just go for it. I feel like most restaurants are openminded about being a space for teaching and growing into a career. “Also, be your own teacher, find out what kind of cuisine or style speaks to you, and learn all you can: reading, cooking at home, etc. Even if you’re not looking for a job, reach out to a restaurant and talk to them about coming in and seeing the kitchen or helping out for a day. You may be surprised with how open they can be.” Passow offers her interpretation of a basic frozen custard, thinking outside the box to bring unique flavor profiles to the forefront. “I chose to do a sunchoke frozen custard, with a pecan macaron, coffee cremeux and strawberries. I love this dish because it’s small but mighty as far as flavors go. I like to use sunchokes in custards because the richness from the eggs really goes great with the flavor of sunchoke and vanilla. I don’t always get to mix hearty vegetables with fruit because of the seasons, but we’ve lucked out the last couple years with these winter strawberries. This dish is great for winter. Which I think is what makes it special.”
Photos by Richard Casteel.
BY CY WHITE
