May 2021 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture

/

midwest

may 2021

SWEET DREAMS Meet the sisters serving up a taste of their native Moldova in Springfield, Missouri

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why ancient grains baked goods abound thanks are the future to cottage food law P. 3 5 %PG

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We’d like to give you

ENJOY A NIGHT ON US! Plan a getaway to Springfield, Missouri, between April 1 and June 27, 2021and we’ll pick up the bill for one of your hotel nights!

Participation is simple and is designed to fill your trip with some of the best food and fun that Springfield has to offer.

How it works: Visit the local attractions and food and drink establishments participating in this program between April 1 and June 27, 2021.

Then, make a qualified purchase at THREE (3) attractions, THREE (3) food & drink establishments and spend at least TWO (2) nights in a participating hotel, and we will pay for one of your nights! *Hotel rooms must be reserved 48 hours before you plan on arriving. *Limited to the first 3,000 participants.

Explore Springfield at

SpringfieldMo.org Point your smartphone camera at this QR code to go to the registration page on our website or go to

springfieldmo.org/night-on-us

Be sure to check out the Terms and Conditions so you know exactly how to get your free night.

Late Night Happy Hour is Back!

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS, 10PM – MIDNIGHT Tacos & Tecate $2.50 each Tecate with a shot of Lunazul Reposado Tequila or 4Roses Bourbon $5

www.missiontacojoint.com www.missiontacojoint.com

@MissionTacoJoint

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PROMOTION

s n e e r G Spring P R E S E N T S

SERIES

RECIPES BY CAT NEVILLE PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CAPTIVA MARKETING

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO YIELD: 6 INDIVIDUAL PIES

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed flour 1 stick butter 1 large shallot, diced 2 medium carrots, diced ½ cup flour 1 cup chicken broth ½ cup dry white wine ¾ cup whole milk salt and pepper to taste 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken ¼ cup chopped parsley 2 tsp thyme ½ cup frozen peas 4 oz Volpi prosciutto, chopped 1 egg

| PREPARATION | Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove puff pastry from package and dust work surface with flour. Roll out puff pastry and cut into rounds that will overhang your ramekins by about ½ inch. Set aside.

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In a large skillet, melt butter. Sauté shallot and carrots until tender. Add in the flour. Stir and cook until the flour smells a bit toasty. Whisk in the chicken broth, wine and milk, stirring until the flour is fully

incorporated, adding more liquid if necessary, to achieve a saucy, gravy-like consistency. Add in the chicken, parsley, thyme, peas and prosciutto and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill ramekins with chicken mixture to about ¼ inch from the top of the vessel. Make an egg wash by stirring 1 egg with a bit of water. Brush edge of each ramekin with egg wash and then place puff pastry round on each. Using a sharp knife, cut holes in each crust and then crimp around the edges. Finally, brush egg wash over the pastry. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before you dig in!

PROMOTION

STRAWBERRY-ALMOND CRUMBLE BARS YIELD: 8-BY-8-INCH PAN

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

¾ to 1 cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup rolled oats (not instant) ½ cup sugar, divided ¼ cup dark brown sugar pinch of salt 2 tsp cinnamon, divided ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 cups chopped strawberries 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 2 tsp corn starch ¼ cup sliced almonds

| PREPARATION | Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon thoroughly. Gradually add in melted butter, mixing until clumps form when you squeeze some of the mixture in your hand. Set aside while you make the filling.

In another medium bowl, evenly toss strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup sugar and then stir in preserves, lemon juice, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and corn starch. Mix until well combined.

Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter. Pour all but about a cup of the oat mixture into the dish and press firmly to form a crust. Don’t be shy! Press hard and evenly to ensure that a good crust will form.

Next, top evenly with the strawberry mixture. Add the almonds to the reserved cup of oat mixture and then crumble on top of the strawberries.

Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly. Cool the bars completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

GARLICKY STUFFED ARTICHOKES YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

3 lemons 4 globe artichokes 3 Tbsp butter 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 shallots, minced 2 cups breadcrumbs 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 cup grated pecorino or fontina ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano salt and pepper to taste olive oil

| PREPARATION | Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a bowl with cold water and add a squeeze of lemon. Clean the artichokes by trimming the bottoms, cutting off the top and trimming the individual leaves. Then, scoop out the choke. This might take some doing.

Using a large spoon, dig down into the bowl of the artichoke and get all the small, thin leaves. Discard them and then work on scooping out the fuzzy choke.

Place cleaned artichoke in the lemon water so it doesn’t brown. Continue with the other artichokes.

Steam the artichokes for 20 to 30 minutes, until parcooked. Meanwhile, make the stuffing.

In a small sauté pan, melt butter. Cook garlic and shallots until soft and fragrant, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and then place in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, both cheeses, parsley, basil and oregano and toss to combine, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange artichokes in a baking dish so they are able to stand up. Squeeze lemon juice over all of them.

Fill the well in each artichoke with stuffing and add stuffing between each of the petals. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and place in the oven. Roast until breadcrumbs are golden and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

IMAGINE YOUR HOME TOTALLY ORGANIZED

Spring Greens is brought to you by Closets by Design. For more recipes and cooking videos, visit feastandfield.net/partners. / may 2 02 1

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Inspired Local Food Culture / m i d w e s t

may

2021

Volume 11 / Issue 5

EDITORIAL

sales

Editor in chief

general manager

Heather Riske, hriske@feastmagazine.com

Susan Eckert, seckert@laduenews.com

managing editor

Rachel Huffman, rhuffman@feastmagazine.com assistant editor

Kasey Carlson, kcarlson@feastmagazine.com Kansas City Contributing Editor

Feast Media, 901 N. 10th St., St. Louis, MO 63101 314.475.1260, feastmagazine.com

Jenny Vergara

Distribution

St. Louis Contributing Editor

To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Rich Hudson for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at rhudson@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

Mabel Suen Springfield Contributing Editor

Tessa Cooper Columbia Contributing Editor

Jessica Vaughn Martin

32

Contact Us

sugar & Spice Sisters Uliana Komodi and Christina Sava share flavors of their native Moldova with the Springfield community.

fact checker

Karen Parkman

35

What's Old is New Again

40

Rising to the Occasion

Proofreader

With the help of local bakers, we explore five ancient grains and how to use them today.

Home bakers flourish thanks to cottage food laws.

Alecia Humphreys Contributing Writers

Amanda Elliott, Amy Feese, April Fleming, Teresa Floyd, Natalie Torres Gallagher, Alecia Humphreys, Darrell Loo, JC Sandt, Nancy Stiles, Hope Timmermann, Shannon Weber

ART Art Director

/ 11 / healthy appetite

Honey, Date and Macadamia

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Contributing Photographers

Nut Loaf

Zach Bauman, Tessa Cooper, Lisa Corson, Judd Demaline, Teresa Floyd, Sean Locke, Paige McDonald, Sam O’Keefe, Aaron Ottis, Anna Petrow, Matthew Seidel, Jennifer Silverberg, Mabel Suen, Kim Wade, Cheryl Waller

/ 12 / dine & Drink

Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats,

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright © 2010-2021 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited. Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC.

table of contents Kaffekaka from Midsommar Gardens by Cheryl Waller

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/ 24 / shop here

Diana’s Bakery

Ellianna’s Donut Shop, Bee Creek Bakery & Hearth Bread Co.

/ 26 / the dish

/ 13 / One on One

/ 27 / one on one

/ 14 / on trend

/ 28 / hometown hits

Scott Rinaberger of McArthur’s Bakery

Boiled Bagels

/ 16 / mystery shopper

Amchoor Powder / 17 / one on one

on the cover Almond-Ricotta Cake from European Café by Tessa Cooper

/ 20 / sugar rush

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake

Micah Baker of Love Coffee

/ 18 / hot blocks The Bakers Hub

Cinnamon Rolls

Jason Provo of Blackhole Bakery

Bread + Butter, A Slice of Pie, Federhofer’s Bakery

/ 30 / quick fix Brownies with Dried Cherry Compote

/ 31 / culinary library

Roland Parny of La Galette Berrichonne

Imagine your home, totally organized!

APPLE AMBUSH

Perfectly Balanced.

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7

Letter

I

from the

It’s a perfect next step in my career, one that builds on everything I’ve learned and experienced and one that will allow me to have a direct and personal impact on where we steer conversations about food, farming and sustainability.

t is with a bittersweet mix of anticipation and sadness that I type my last publisher’s letter for Feast.

After 11 years with Feast and more than 20 years in publishing, I am taking a new path and have accepted a position with the Dierberg Educational Foundation as the new chief curator and creative director of the Hermann Farm and Museum.

At Hermann Farm, I will be working with the team to fulfill Jim and Mary Dierberg’s vision, guiding the nonprofit’s purpose through immersive learning experiences, professional programs and events to establish this restored 19th-century farm as a national center for sustainable agriculture and culinary innovation.

When this opportunity was presented to me by JiaMin Dierberg, a longtime friend, I found myself thinking, at first, that I couldn’t possibly leave publishing.

After all, I’ve been in publishing since my mid-20s and know how truly fortunate I've been to be able to do this work.

But then I stopped and thought about what the opportunity to help shape and build the vision for this nonprofit would mean for me personally as well as professionally. feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

So, today, I am saying farewell to Feast, but it’s not goodbye forever – I know we’ll cross paths along the way. Moving forward, you’ll see Heather Riske’s much-more-legible signature in this spot.

Heather has been with the magazine for more than six years and was named editor-in-chief in 2019. She is an incredibly strong editor with excellent insight and a deep love of our region’s culinary industry. I’m leaving Feast in very capable hands, and I am excited to see where Heather steers the magazine in the years to come.

I wish everyone at Feast success and am truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and create with them through the years. I am also grateful for the opportunity to get to know you, our readers – it’s been a privilege, one that I deeply value and regard with sincere gratitude. From today forward, I join the ranks of Feast’s loyal readership – I’ll be checking in on the magazine from afar, but I won’t be far away.

Cheers,

Catherine Neville

PHOTO by brett crow, captiva studios

We are laying plans now, and the vision for this farm and the educational foundation is vast – I look forward to being part of the fabric of the organization, but leaving Feast is not a decision I came to easily or lightly. It’s been a tremendous honor to collaborate with the extraordinarily talented people who make up our staff – Heather, Alex, Rachel, Kasey and Aubrey at Feast and Dana, Heather, Lauren and Rosanne at Feast and Field – along with the dozens of writers and photographers who contribute to both publications, not to mention the incredible people I’ve had the privilege of working with at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Lee Enterprises.

8

Publisher

Make Port Your Lakeside Playground Just 30 minutes north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan.

visitportwashington.com • Our toll free number 800-719-4881

BeerSauce KC Grand opening Friday, May 28 1219 W. 103rd St.

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I-435 & State line

Shop Eat Taste Learn 500+ Craft Beers | 24 Taps 200+ Sauces & Rubs | BBQ Menu 60+ Local Whiskies | Weekly Events www.beersauceshop.com

$1 Per Case will support their efforts statewide! / may 2 02 1

9

PROMOTION

SPONSORED CONTENT BY

ALLISON PRIMO

SCHNUCKS REGISTERED DIETITIAN

SWEET TREATS AND MEMORIES CREATED IN THE KITCHEN

BLUEBERRY OAT MUFFINS

My first introduction to the kitchen was from my mom. I don’t remember the

1 ¾ cup oat flour

½ cup honey

first dish we made, but it was likely a sweet treat creating mouth-watering smells

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

1 ⁄ 3 cup melted coconut oil

2 eggs

1 cup fresh blueberries

Zest of 1 lemon

Rolled oats

that filled the entire house. Baking any form of dessert or indulgence was my favorite time spent in my mom’s kitchen. I loved finding new recipes and watching the way one batch of cookies would be soft and chewy and another batch light and fluffy with just a few simple changes and yet both would be delicious. However, my favorite part of the experience was sharing the treats with those around me. The joy a fresh-baked cookie or any homemade bakery item brings to others is an experience like no other. It’s as if they can taste the love that went into creating the item and it translates into smiles on their faces.

As I’ve continued to grow in my culinary journey and now have a kitchen of my own, I don’t spend much time baking in it. As a full-time working mom, my energy is spent on meal planning and preparation for my family, focusing on new ways to create healthy foods into exciting and enjoyable meals even my 3-year-old will love. Unfortunately, this doesn't leave a lot of spare time for baking adventures.

With the month of May highlighting moms in a special way through Mother’s Day, I’m reminded of all the great times I’ve spent with my mom in her kitchen.

It's inspired me to dust off some of my favorite baked good recipes, and even take classics like my blueberry muffins and transform them into healthier variations.

Carving this time out to bake and getting my girls involved, makes me hope that they will look back on these memories fondly and be instilled with the love of cooking, just as much as I am. So thank you mom, for showing me that cooking isn’t a chore, but an opportunity to teach, learn and enjoy delicious food with the best company.

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SERVES 12

PREPARATION Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, lemon zest, honey, yogurt and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in melted coconut oil and mix. Finally, fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly between a 12 cup lined muffin tin.

Sprinkle with rolled oats and bake for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are cooked through and golden on top. Serve with fresh lemon curd or your favorite fruit preserves.

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Perfect for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack,

Honey, Date and Macadamia Nut

serves 6 to 8 1²⁄₃ 1 ½ ½ 1 2 ½ 2 1 1 5 1

Loaf

this quick bread is loaded with nutritious nuts and naturally sweet dates. Honey and cinnamon round out the flavor profile, and serving it with whipped yogurt makes every bite doubly moist. I wouldn’t be surprised if this recipe becomes a regular part of your baking lineup.

Story and recipe by Amanda Elliott, chef-owner, Beet Box in Columbia, Missouri Photography by Kim wade

cup flour tsp baking soda tsp ground cinnamon tsp salt cup honey eggs, room temperature cup (1 stick) butter, softened Tbsp sour cream tsp almond extract tsp vanilla extract oz dates, pitted and chopped cup macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped whipped yogurt, to serve (optional)

/ preparation / Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking oil spray. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, add honey and eggs; using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Reduce speed and add butter; mix until incorporated, approximately 2 minutes. Add sour cream, extracts and dates; mix until well combined, approximately 1 minute. Fold in flour mixture and nuts. Add batter to prepared loaf pan; bake until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool, 10 minutes. Turn loaf out of pan and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve with whipped yogurt, if desired.

pair with: Belgian-Style Quadrupel The dark fruit flavors in The Sixth Glass, a Belgian-style quadrupel from Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City, are a good match for the dates in this recipe. Aromas of baking spices generated by the Belgian yeast esters in the beer dance with those of cinnamon and vanilla in the bread, and even the quadrupel’s toasted caramel malts favor the loaf’s toasted macadamia nuts and slightly browned exterior. –JC Sandt boulevard.com

/ may 2 02 1

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HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

▶ ST. LOUIS

Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats story and photography by mabel suen

Biscuits and gravy from a food truck? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats recently hit the streets of St. Louis, serving its signature square biscuits smothered in herbaceous gravies, including sausage and mushroom. Soft on the bottom and crispy on the top, the biscuits feature buttery layers and a sweet and salty honey glaze. Grab them in other flavors – from Cheddar to blueberry to jalapeño – as well, or enjoy them as a sandwich. We recommend The Bee Sting (Honey Bee’s classic biscuit topped with spicy sausage gravy and Red Hot Riplets) or Six Degrees of Candied Bacon (a chocolate chip biscuit filled with candied bacon and Havarti). honeybeesbg.com

▼ COLUMBIA, MO

Ellianna’s Donut Shop Written by Jessica Vaughn Martin photography by aaron ottis

The newest bake shop in Columbia, Missouri, Ellianna’s Donut Shop has more to offer than donuts – although, those are, of course, delicious. Every morning, the eatery serves from-scratch kolaches, croissant sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, among other breakfast items. Cambodia native Tola Mam moved the business from Boonville, Missouri, to Columbia last fall in search of sweeter opportunities for himself and his daughter, Ellianna. Since the relocation, customers have raved about the light and airy glazed donuts and the spicy or mild sausage and cheese kolaches alike, but Mam says he favors the apple fritters. Order all your favorites at the counter or the drive-thru.

1105 Grindstone Parkway, Suite 101, Columbia, Missouri, facebook.com/Elliannas-DonutShop-115450226513227

▲ PLATTE CITY, MO

Bee Creek Bakery & Hearth Bread Co. Written by April Fleming / photography by anna petrow

Treat yourself to some homespun comforts at Bee Creek Bakery & Hearth Bread Co. in Platte City, Missouri. Locally owned and operated, the café and bakery makes all of its baked goods – think pillowy cinnamon rolls, crispy rice treats, flaky chocolate croissants and melt-in-the-mouth lemon-cream cheese cookies – fresh daily. While those alone warrant a visit, the breakfast and lunch plates are equally delicious. Paninis and other sandwiches are served on a variety of housemade breads, including croissants, brioche, country white and wheat berry, and the coffee is custom-roasted by The Roasterie in Kansas City.

242 Main St., Platte City, Missouri, beecreekteam.wixsite.com/beecreekcafebakery

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ONE ON ONE /

ONE on

MEHLVILLE, MO

with Scott Rinaberger / owner, McArthur’s Bakery

Written by Kasey Carlson photography by judd demaline

Traditionally, bakeries have run on a “bake and wait” business model. While the rest of us are fast asleep, bakers show up to shops to make breads, donuts and cookies so that customers can enjoy them fresh with a cup of coffee in the morning.

For years, McArthur’s Bakery in Mehlville, Missouri, followed that same model. Originally, the bakery specialized in cakes, but by the 80s, it had transitioned into what owner Scott Rinaberger calls a “supermarket bakery,” offering the whole gamut of baked goods for customers to peruse at their leisure. While McArthur’s remains a local favorite, foot traffic and in-store sales drastically decreased when COVID-19 hit the area, meaning all of those unbought ready-made goodies – plus the time and resources to make them – were going to waste. Rinaberger decided it was time to get back to their roots. Today, McArthur’s offers baked-to-order cakes for every occasion with your choice of dough and filling flavors, in addition to classic recipes such as gooey butter cake, German chocolate cake and pineapple upside-down cake.

How did you and your team make the decision to change the McArthur’s business model? The losses just really started accruing, especially last fall.

The [second round of] government restrictions hit us hard: Weddings were working pretty well in August and September, but by October, they completely went away [again]. We had a significant business behind the scenes with corporations and food service companies, but without anybody going to work, they didn’t have a need. All of these [pieces] were profitable and subsidizing our retail side, and it was all gone. We had to do something different, because it was either shut down or change.

McArthur’s has come full circle, transitioning back to a cake bakery. Why was that the best solution to the situation? We sat back and did a lot of looking, trying to think, ‘If we did this, what would the business look like?’ And the numbers and modeling came back saying that we really needed to scale back and focus on being a cake bakery again. It’s what we’re known for, it’s what we excel at, and that’s the part of us that we need to become again. It made a ton of sense for us to stop baking everything every day and really focus on cakes.

Obviously, McArthur’s is no longer the place to stop for a Danish and a cup of coffee. Now what is the customer experience like at the bakery? We have this new feel. When you come into our store, what you’re gonna find now are everyday party cakes. You can [buy] a sheet cake that is already there and decorated, or you can grab one of our carrot cakes or blanc et noir cakes – they’re ready-made. But mostly, it’s a two-day process: Preorder your cake, and you can pick it up or have it delivered in two days. What’s really unique about us is our website. Back in 2019, I started pushing really hard for online ordering and delivery. We designed a website [where] you can choose from about 900 predesigned party cakes. You can go online, 24 hours a day, pick the cake you want and the design, but you also get to pick your dough, pick your filling and pick your inscription. [Then] we’ll have it to your house in two days – delivery is free within a 40-mile radius. And that part has really taken off for us, which made the decision a lot easier.

McArthur’s Bakery boasts 12 dough flavors and 15 fillings, all made in-house from the original recipes of baking guru Randy McArthur and his family.

That’s 180 unique combinations from which to choose. Suffering from decision fatigue? These are two of the most popular options.

White Dough with Chocolate Mousse Filling Simple but delicious, this classic party cake features moist and airy white dough with a hint of vanilla. Pair it with the decadent chocolate mousse filling, or people also love it with the sweet buttercream filling – available in white and chocolate.

Amaretto Dough with Raspberry Filling Sweet and slightly tart, the raspberry filling balances the subtle bitterness of the amaretto dough. Today, it’s a top choice for wedding cakes, but Rinaberger says that pairing the raspberry filling with the lemon dough has also become popular.

3055 Lemay Ferry Road, Mehlville, Missouri, mcarthurs.com / may 2 02 1

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HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Bagels. You know them – or at least you think you do.

But until you’ve had a fresh New York-style bagel – a circular bread with a hole in the center that’s been briefly boiled and then baked – you haven’t experienced them at their best. Boiling is key: It gives the bagels a thick, dark golden-brown crust while still allowing them to rise. When you slice into a boiled bagel, the interior should be soft and squishy, with a wonderful elasticity that should hold up against a thick glob of cream cheese.

Today, we’re seeing a resurgence in demand for traditional boiled bagels, and these Missouri bakers are making it easy – and enjoyable – to really sink your teeth into the trend.

–Natalie Torres Gallagher

Stroud City Bagels ▶ During the COVID-19 lockdown, Adam Stroud spent weekends experimenting with a bagel recipe that he’d gotten from a co-worker. “It didn’t get interesting until I started an Instagram account and asked friends [about] their dream flavors for bagels,” he says. He took their suggestions and tried to convert them into real bagels, sending test batches out for feedback. In September 2020, Stroud debuted his creations at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market in St. Louis. The bagels from Stroud City Bagels blend elements of the New York-style method – flash-boiling and baking – with the Montrealstyle method, where bagels are boiled in honey water, giving them a slightly sweeter flavor profile. Stroud also deviates from the typical high-gluten flour that New York-style bagels call for, so his bagels are softer on the inside. Perhaps most notable, however, are the flavors of Stroud’s bagels: The loaded baked potato bagel, which features russet potato and chives in the dough and Cheddar on top, is an inspired addition to the bagel world. facebook.com/stroudcitybagels Photography by matthew seidel

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▪ Meshuggah Bagels For years, Pete Linde, who grew up in northern New Jersey, lamented the absence of a decent bagel in the Kansas City metro area. When he and his wife, Janna, went to New York City on vacation, he introduced her to the breakfast staple of his childhood, and after diligent planning, the couple opened the first location of Meshuggah Bagels on 39th Street in 2016. Pleasantly dense and malty, the bagels are made with unbleached, unbromated, high-gluten, pure-milled flour, which helps define the end product – including the thin crust that captures toppings such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds and toasted garlic.

Multiple locations, meshuggahbagels.com

▪ S2S Bagels The bagels from S2S Bagels in Stilwell, Kansas, have seeds on two sides. Paul Kivett has been making them this way for more than two decades, and he’s used the New York-style boiling method just as long. “Boiling keeps moisture in during baking and keeps the bagel from rising like a piece of bread. It also adds a subtle flavor since sugar, honey or malt can be added to the water.” Kivett’s bagels feature a variety of cheese toppings in addition to seeds, plus ingredients such as Maine wild blueberries and Hawaiian macadamia nuts. S2S Bagels doesn’t have a retail location, and Kivett only bakes on the weekends, but he delivers to Overland Park, Leawood and Lawrence – just place your order online a few days ahead of time. s2sbagels.com

▪ Goldie’s Bagels Operating out of Pizza Tree in Columbia, Missouri, Goldie’s Bagels serves fresh bagels made with Seymour (the Pizza Tree sourdough starter), boiled with malt syrup and baked in a pizza oven. “The [sourdough starter] adds flavor,” says co-owner Amanda Rainey, “but we don’t use enough where it tastes like a sourdough bagel. It just gives it a little extra flavor and allows us to use less yeast. We also use a little malt powder in our dough, and I feel like a lot of other places use a lot more sugar. The [starter] lets us cut all that back.” The signature Goldie’s bagel is perfectly balanced between dense and light, with a delicate chew, a touch of turmeric and black sesame seeds on both sides. Other flavors include plain, blueberry and everything, and they all shine when paired with whipped cream cheese.

909 Cherry St. (inside Pizza Tree), Columbia, Missouri, ordergoldies.com

▪ Boogyz Donuts Boogyz Donuts was born out of love for – no, not donuts – bagels. Initially, Jamil Jabbar started selling bagels at his brother’s minimart, but they never really took off, so he turned to donuts and opened Boogyz in January 2020. In the last year, he’s added bagels to the menu, though, and “sales have slowly been picking up as word gets out,” he says. Jabbar uses the sponge-and-dough method for his bagels: Flour, water and yeast are combined and left to rest for a few hours before more flour and yeast, plus salt and honey, are added and the dough is left to ferment overnight. This imbues Boogyz bagels with a unique flavor, very smooth texture and fine crumb – all the better to hold up against a thick schmear of cream cheese.

6951 Olive Blvd., University City, Missouri, eatboogyzdonuts.com / may 2 02 1

15

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Story and recipe by Shannon Weber, Writer and Recipe Developer, aperiodictableblog.com

What Do I Do With It?

Photography by jennifer silverberg

Although it’s made from fruit, amchoor powder is predominantly used as a spice for savory dishes such as the curries, dals, samosas, pakoras, chutneys and

What Is It?

pickles of North India. It can also be used as a meat tenderizer for beef, poultry

Amchoor powder is made from unripe green mangoes that are dried and pulverized

and fish. Savory might be where it spends most of its time, but amchoor powder

into a tangy spice. Think of it as a more complex version of the freeze-dried fruit

lends balance to sweeter things such as fruit salads, smoothies and pastries as

powders you see in stores – where those go sweet, amchoor goes deep, hitting you

well. Never overpowering, it makes itself known by adding unmistakable pucker

with layers of astringent citrus so tart it swings easily into savory territory.

to anything you want to throw it in.

Sweet & Sour Mango Tart serves 16 Crust

1 ¹⁄₃ ¼

8

3

cup unbleached all-purpose flour cup confectioners’ sugar tsp kosher salt Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes Tbsp half and half, chilled

Sweet & Sour Mango Tart

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks ²⁄₃ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup lemon juice, strained

1 cup mango purée

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2½ tsp amchoor powder ½ tsp kosher salt crust (recipe follows) / preparation – crust / Add flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor; pulse 10 times to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture is sandy and butter is broken down into crumbs. Turn processor on and stream in half and half; process until mixture just comes together into a ball. Remove and shape into a 1-inch-thick disc; transfer to refrigerator to chill, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough; lay in a 9-by-9-inch tart pan, pressing the dough into the sides of the pan and overhanging the edges by ¼ inch. Cover dough with foil and fill pan with uncooked rice, beans or pie weights; bake until just dry, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, trim edges and set aside until ready to fill. / preparation – sweet & sour mango tart / Reduce oven heat to 325°F. Add eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice to a heatproof bowl; whisk to combine. Whisk in mango purée. Set over a pan of just simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Stirring constantly, add butter; continue to stir until butter has melted, mixture has thickened and thermometer registers 160°F, 12 to 15 minutes.

Stir in amchoor powder and salt until incorporated and then remove from heat. Pour filling into tart shell; bake until filling has just set, 15 minutes. Remove and let cool on wire rack, 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator and chill, 4 hours or overnight. / to serve / Remove from refrigerator and slice into squares or rectangles.

Serve chilled.

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ONE ON ONE /

ONE on

COLUMBIA, MO

with Micah Baker / food service manager, Love Coffee Written by Hope Timmermann photography by aaron ottis

Love Coffee promotes grace and acceptance one scone at a time.

The Columbia, Missouri, café employs people with intellectual and developmental differing abilities and other barriers to employment, who learn not only cooking but also social and life skills on the job. The brainchild of local businessman and philanthropist Chuck Crews, the nonprofit coffee shop opened in early 2020. While it offers hot drinks and artisan baked goods, plus hearty plates of Belgian waffles and pot roast sandwiches, food service manager Micah Baker explains that you won’t find what truly makes this place special on the menu.

What informs the menu at Love Coffee? I’ve spent my whole life in professional kitchens. My first real job was at an iconic, small-town bakery called The Home Dairy in upstate New York. I went on to cook for a sorority at Cornell University, and when I moved to Missouri almost 10 years ago, I served as head pastry chef of Stephens College. [More recently] I was head pastry chef of The Broadway [a hotel in downtown Columbia]; I left that post to start Love Coffee but still cook on the line from time to time. I was trained in artisan methods, and that’s our mentality [at Love Coffee]: simple ingredients and simple methods produce incredible products. That approach works well for our employees because they can focus on repetition and consistency. We make everything from scratch – our breakfast, lunch, baked goods, even our salad dressing. My

What’s the vibe like in the kitchen? The kitchen crew is my second family. We laugh and cry together; we laugh so hard we cry. We use a commissary kitchen that’s generously provided by the Missouri United Methodist Church. We go into the kitchen at 5pm and work through the night, then drop off the baked goods [at Love Coffee] when people are leaving the bars. We just have a good time together, baking and learning new recipes. Our dough person – a gentle giant – is a veteran. He laminates dough for croissants for hours every night, [and] he just wants to have a good time with his people, he says, so we come in, blast some music and bake.

How does Love Coffee benefit its employees with differing abilities? Many of them have never cooked or lived by themselves. They’re learning great life skills like money and time management, plus knife skills, pan-cooking skills and the science of baking. You get a lot more out of making soup from scratch [than you do] opening a can of soup. Our dishwasher, Tomas, has visual impairments, and he’s a better dishwasher than most dishwashers I’ve worked with. Just having the opportunity to work really blesses our employees, [and] working together is also beneficial for them. When you like who you work with, you love coming to work. At the café, we have a cashier, a barista, a cook and a food runner, and we try to place our employees where they think they’ll have a lot of value.

Interacting with the customers is really

good for them, too, and they really care. [For instance] they write special messages like “you are worthy” on the coffee cup sleeves for the customers to read when they pick up their orders.

What can people expect from a visit to the café?

We just want you to feel the love. Everything here is a labor of love. Sometimes things aren’t perfect – maybe a croissant is misshapen – but we [show] grace [to] one another when that happens. Even when things aren’t perfect, you know love’s gone into everything we do. We also want visitors to gain awareness. [There’s] a sense of inclusion, of acceptance for all people, here.

Most of all, we want everyone to feel loved.

15 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia, Missouri, columbialovecoffee.org

p u l a r p a st

es

at Love Coffee

ri

po

inspiration comes from my 18 years of experience, but I always come back to artisan methods.

One of the shop’s bestsellers, the brioche cinnamon roll comes drenched in cream cheese icing. Each roll is warmed and iced to order.

Lamination happens in the wee hours at Love Studded with chunks of chocolate, Love Coffee’s

Coffee, but the process – which the kitchen

oversized cookies have a delightfully crumbly texture.

crew takes seriously – creates super-thin

Wash them down with a drip coffee or café au lait.

butter-laden layers in every flaky croissant. / may 2 02 1

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HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

1.

2.

5.

2The Bakers Hub in Chesterfield, Missouri,

3.

The

Bakers Hub

is home to nine local bakers who make magic with flour, sugar and salt.

Here, you’ll find everything from gooey s’mores to refined French macarons and rosette-covered cakes to perfectly imperfect cookies, making it almost impossible to choose what to try first.

1. Crushed Sugar

2. Delectable Dough

3. Gooey Louie

4. The S’more Shack

5. Patty’s Cheesecakes

Decorated sugar cookies are the star of the show at Crushed Sugar, but when Jennifer Schoenholz joined The Bakers Hub, she added pies to her repertoire. From cupcake- to full-sized, the pies come in classic and creative flavors such as salted caramel apple, strawberry-rhubarb and Key lime with a macadamia nut crust. For a more hands-on treat, order a set of paint-your-own cookies, which come with outlines of animals, food and more, an edible paint palette, a brush and instructions. crushedsugar.com

Baking Co.

Fifteen years in business and still going strong, Gooey Louie has perfected gooey butter cake and continues to experiment with different flavors of the St. Louis staple. The Chocolate Chippewa is loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, for instance, and the Turtle Park – what owner Debbie Stieferman has coined “slow dessert” – has a chocolate crust, luscious caramel in the filling and a heap of Missouri pecans and rich chocolate drizzle on top. Individual portions and a sugarfree version of the classic are also available. gooeybuttercake.com

Need s’more to satisfy your sweet tooth? Roger Neeb started The S’more Shack last summer, offering homemade graham crackers and specialty marshmallows in different varieties of gourmet s’mores. The Scout features honey graham crackers, a chocolate bar, vanilla marshmallow, caramel sauce and toasted coconut flakes, while The S’moreo boasts chocolate graham crackers, vanilla marshmallow, crushed Oreos and vanilla crème frosting, to name a few. thesmoreshack.com

Family is the foundation of Patty’s Cheesecakes. Owner Pat Upchurch learned to cook from her dad – a professional chef – and she started the business with her grandma’s best cheesecake recipe. Today, she spreads joy throughout the community with traditional and petite cheesecakes in signature flavors, including blueberrybasil-bourbon, strawberry-balsamic and Mexican chocolate. Her cheesecake creations – think original cheesecake sandwiched between two scratchmade chocolate chip cookies – are also delightful. pattyscheesecakes.com

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From an early age, Jodie GordonBertish loved to bake, and when she finally perfected her grandmother’s unwritten strudel recipe, she became known as “The Strudel Lady” among family, friends and fans. Her business, Delectable Dough Baking Co., is known for its old-fashioned apple strudel, but you can snag other flavors, including cherry, blueberry crumb, apricot baklava, pecan, pumpkin and chocolate-salted caramel, at The Bakers Hub too. delectabledough.com

Photography by sean locke

–Rachel Huffman

CHESTERFIELD, MO

Photography by sean locke

6.

7.

May 21-23, 2021

8.

9.

Downtown Washington, MO ACCELEVENTS.COM/O/DOWNTOWNWASHMO

downtownwashmo.org @downtownwashmo 636.239.1743

6. Spoil Me Sweetly

7. Swirly Girly Bakes

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a wedding or a Wednesday, Abby Benz, owner of Spoil Me Sweetly, can handcraft a cake for the occasion. Though professionally trained in both pastry and culinary arts, Benz taught herself everything she knows about cake. Using expert design techniques and personalized flavor combinations, she creates exquisite cakes, playful cupcakes and custom cookies to complement life’s most delicious moments. spoilmesweetly.com

Shauna Price loves nothing more than the smile on someone’s face when they receive one of her baked goods. At The Bakers Hub, she offers vegan treats – think oatmeal cream pies, carrot cake cupcakes, cherry pie bars, chocolate donuts and blueberry scones with vanilla drizzle and a hint of almond – some of which are also glutenfree. Made to order and decorated for the individual, the cakes, cookies and brownies that Price also creates look and taste equally amazing. swirlygirlybakes.com

8. The Tipsy Goat

9. Trolley Track Cookie Co.

Pastry chefs Emily Lamb and Mallory Stewart met in the baking and pastry arts program at St. Louis Community College - Forest Park, and five years ago, they realized their dream of opening a specialty bakery focused on handcrafted French macarons. Made from fresh, local and sometimes surprising ingredients, The Tipsy Goat’s macarons come in intricate and enchanting flavors such as pineapple upside-down cake, cold-brew coffee, Neapolitan, salted caramel brownie and banana nut muffin. tipsygoatstl.com

What Diane Wood’s cookies lack in aesthetic, they make up for in taste and texture. Lumpy and asymmetrical, they balance gooeyness and structure, and the iconic track-like ridges on the bottom made by the cooling rack inspired the name of Wood’s company, Trolley Track Cookie Co. Grab an assortment of flavors, which range from the original chocolate chip cookie to citrus sugar cookies to the Jewel Box Cookie with cranberries and white chocolate chips, at The Bakers Hub. trolleytrackcookies.com / may 2 02 1

19

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake serves 12 Speculoos Crust 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus room temperature butter for pan 1¾ cups finely crushed speculoos cookies 2 Tbsp sugar 1 pinch kosher salt Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1¼ cups sugar 4 large eggs ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup sour cream 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped 2 tsp lemon zest ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 cups (2 pints) fresh strawberries 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves / preparation – speculoos crust / Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-by-3-inch springform pan or a 9-inch round baking pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom. In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

Press mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer; bake, 10 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool as you prepare cheesecake filling.

sweeten your spring spread with this delicious showstopper.

/ preparation – strawberry lemon cheesecake / Bring a kettle of water to a boil and then set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. On low, add sugar; increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. On low, add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Once all eggs are incorporated, add heavy cream, sour cream, vanilla bean seeds, lemon zest and lemon juice; mix until combined.

Rich and bright, the lemon cheesecake filling is the perfect match for the speculoos cookie crust and fresh strawberry topping – which is a true celebration of the season.

Story, recipe and photography by Teresa Floyd, food writer and recipe developer, now-forager.com

pair with: Botanical Gin Bright and floral, Builders Botanical Gin from Restless Spirits Distilling Co. in Kansas City boasts a refreshing blend of lavender and orange peel. Try it in a French 75 (with a twist) to pair with this cheesecake. Rinse a Collins glass with absinthe. Add 1½ ounces Builders Botanical Gin, 1 ounce strawberry preserves and ½ ounce lemon juice to glass.

Add ice; top with sparkling wine.

Express lemon peel oil over the cocktail and discard. Garnish with a sprig of lavender. –Darrell Loo restlessspiritsdistilling.com

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Wrap crust pan with a double layer of aluminum foil (foil should cover the entire outside of the pan with only the top rim exposed). Pour cheesecake filling onto crust. Set pan in a large roasting pan or baking dish with high sides; pour hot kettle water into roasting pan or baking dish until water reaches approximately halfway up the sides of the cheesecake. Carefully transfer to oven; bake, 1 hour 10 minutes or until cheesecake is just set in the center (it should still jiggle slightly when bumped). Turn off oven and open oven door a few inches; allow cheesecake to rest inside, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer cheesecake from water bath to wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, cover lightly and transfer to refrigerator to chill overnight.

When ready to serve, hull and quarter strawberries; set aside. In a small heatproof bowl, combine strawberry preserves with 1 teaspoon water; heat in microwave until just boiling, 15 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

Remove cheesecake from pan and place on a serving plate. Arrange strawberries in a circular shingle pattern on top with strawberries overlapping slightly. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush strawberries with strawberry preserves. Warm the blade of a chef’s knife under hot water, wipe it dry and cut cheesecake into 12 slices. (Warm and dry knife blade between each cut for clean slices.) Rearrange strawberries on each slice as needed and enjoy. Cover any leftovers and store in refrigerator for up to three days.

WWW.CLASSIC1073.ORG

THE SLATKIN SHUFFLE

Upscale farm-to-table restaurant, serving craft cocktails, local beers, and an extensive wine and bourbon list!

Check out our Patio!

618-307-4830

106 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025 https://www.clevelandheath.com/ Come visit us for some of the best burgers, beer, and atmosphere in town!

Jack Nolen’s Jack Nolen’s Is Always Open, Except Monday’s!

2501 S. 9th St. in Soulard!

Sunday: 11:00am–5:00pm Monday: Closed Tuesday – Saturday: 11:00am – 10:00pm

Come Experience A New Era In Winegrowing robllerwines.com 275 Robller Vineyard Road, New Haven MO 63068, 573-237-3986 / may 2 02 1

21

Welcome to A

AMERICA’S FIRST W JUST 45 MINUTES FROM

COURTESY WEEKEND TROLLEY SERVICE AND HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES TO WINERIES, WINE TOURS & TASTINGS

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feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

DO

TXT WINE CLUB

o Augusta, MO T WINE COUNTRY M

D O W N T O W N S T. L O U I S

Enjoy the charm, history, and wines while taking in breathtaking views of the rolling hills.

Sit outside and enjoy the wine gardens, play games, and enjoy quality time. Hop on/off the free trolleys to shop in town or take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage. Augusta is WINE COUNTRY.

P A R T O F T H E H O F F M A N N FA M I LY O F C O M P A N I E S / may 2 02 1

23

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

▶ st. louis

Diana’s Bakery Written by Mabel Suen / photography by judd demaline

Conchas, Mexican sweet bread, are made with buttery brioche-like dough and a streusel topping, which is scored to resemble a seashell – and there’s no better place to get them in St. Louis than Diana’s Bakery on Cherokee Street. Named after owner Ana Vazquez’s daughter, the shop offers more than 100 Mexican treats, from bolillos (small loaves of white bread) to churros to cookies, on a daily basis. Head baker and Ana’s husband, Refugio, and their son, Emmanuel, fire up the ovens at 5am every day and follow the family recipes that Refugio brought with him from Guanajuato, Mexico.

If the specialty sweets, including milhojas (layers of puff pastry filled with pastry cream and topped with dulce de leche) and pan de Acambaro made with fermented dough and raisins, don’t hit the spot, Diana’s also sells handmade tamales featuring pork with red sauce, chicken with green sauce and chicken mole (weekends only).

2843 Cherokee St., St. Louis, Missouri, facebook.com/dianasbakery2843

Mexican Treats To try at

Diana’s Bakery

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churros

flan

Usually the first item to sell out on any

Made with the same

given day, these deep-fried delights are

trio of milks as the tres

rolled in cinnamon sugar and sometimes

leches cake, this sweet

filled with caramel or Bavarian cream.

staple boasts decadent

Crunchy on the outside and tender inside,

custard infused with

they’re also delicious dipped in chocolate.

tres leches cake

vanilla and cooked in

Originating in Mexico, this dessert features

a light caramel syrup.

sponge cake soaked in milk, evaporated milk

The Vazquezs also use

and condensed milk. At Diana’s Bakery, it’s

decidedly less sugar in

topped with fruit such as strawberries, peaches,

their version for a more

bananas or pineapple and whipped cream.

refined flavor.

PROMOTI ON

PRESENTED BY

GRAPES BRING BENEFITS BY THE BUNCH S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T BY K AT H E R I N E L E W I S

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

BLACK MUSCAT

FLAME SEEDLESS

CONCORD

THOMPSON SEEDLESS

The richer in color a fruit or vegetable is, the healthier it tends to be, and Black Muscat grapes are an excellent example because they are packed with more antioxidants than both green and red grapes. Black Muscats have an intoxicating floral aroma, so they are a natural choice to use in dessert wines, but they’re just as enjoyable as table grapes. Either way, they pair beautifully with salty food.

Keep an eye out for red Flame Seedless grapes — they’re coming into season right now.

Medium-size and mildly sweet, they are a satisfying, low-calorie treat. These grapes are also fine sources of resveratrol, the same antioxidant that gives red wine its famous health benefits. Some studies have suggested that resveratrol can protect nerve cells from damage and could even temper some conditions that are associated with aging, such as joint pain and memory decline.

These big, sweet purple grapes are hardy enough to survive brutal New England winters and hot Missouri summers.

(Missouri is among the leading growers of Concords in the United States.) Their inky color comes courtesy of polyphenols, a micronutrient that may help reduce inflammation, blood sugar and the risk of heart disease.

Popularly known as sultanas or simply green grapes, Thompson Seedless are the most common variety in the United States. They’re light and sweet with a refreshing crunch. Nearly all raisins are made from dried Thompson Seedless grapes, as is U.S.–made chablis wine. (Capital-C Chablis has to come from France.) Grapes and raisins are both low in calories, but because raisins are smaller, it’s easier to overindulge in them. Still, raisins and Thompson Seedless alike are good sources of potassium and iron.

 DOCTOR'S Much ink has been spilled on the benefits that come from drinking a glass or two of red wine a day, but the real hero of that story isn’t the wine itself: It’s resveratrol, a compound that’s found in grape skin and is packed with antioxidants that may help ease inflammation throughout the body.

“Eating red grapes and other resveratrolrich foods, like blueberries, is the healthiest way of consuming the compound,” says Dr. Adetunji Toriola, a Washington University researcher at Siteman Cancer Center.

“While it exists in red wine, studies suggest alcohol consumption can increase the risks of some cancers, negating the positive effects.” Dr. Toriola says that resveratrol may help guard against chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Antioxidants have a crucially important job at the cellular level. Dr. Toriola explains

At just over 80 percent water, grapes give a boost in hydration, which is especially important as we head into the hottest months of the year. They’re also a light but filling snack and great additions to salads and smoothies. One cup of grapes (about 32 seedless grapes) is just 62

siteman.wustl.edu/YDR

Simple Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pistachios YIELD: 4 8 oz (½ lb) cooked chicken breast

ORDERS

that cells are damaged by oxidative stress, which happens when there’s an imbalance between the formation of free radicals in the body and the body’s ability to get rid of them. If free radicals continue to build up, cell and tissue damage can occur.

However, if oxidative stress is minimized, so too is the risk of many health issues and diseases, including cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. The even better news is that resveratrol is found in grapes of all colors — the darker the grape, the more resveratrol it contains.

» LET’S MIX IT UP!

1 ½ cups seedless red grapes ¼ cup shelled pistachios ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

PREPARATION

DR. ADETUNJI TORIOLA Washington University researcher at Siteman Cancer Center PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

calories but brings about five percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber.

Jams, jellies and grape juice can be healthy, but they’re often loaded with sugar, so be mindful of the amount listed on the label.

In a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard.

Set aside. Using two forks, shred chicken breast and place in a medium bowl.

Slice grapes in half and add to bowl with chicken. Spoon Greek yogurt sauce into medium bowl with chicken mixture. Stir to fully coat.

Give pistachios a rough chop (if desired) and pour over chicken. Stir a few times to combine.

Enjoy on a slice of bread or with your favorite crackers or sliced veggies — carrots, celery and bell peppers can all be great scoops! / may 2 02 1

25

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Since opening Skratch Bakery in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, in 2019, owner Ron Kelly has filled the pastry case with everything from fancy chocolate croissants to strawberry jam-filled cruffins and buttery kouign-amann to the best-selling carrot cake. However, he quickly realized that customers also expect to find old-fashioned cinnamon rolls at the bakery. “[People] kept coming in for breakfast and asking if I had cinnamon rolls,” says Kelly, “so I put them on the menu.” To make them right, though, the process takes time. The yeast dough proofs overnight, and in the morning, it’s rolled out and combined with plenty of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Once the rolls come out of the oven, each one is frosted by hand with a rich cream cheese frosting. “I think there is something about a cinnamon roll that takes people back to their childhood, especially in Kansas City,” says Kelly. “When I was a boy, we had them for school lunch with chili, and I still love a big, soft cinnamon roll.” –Jenny Vergara

Recipe by Ron Kelly, owner, Skratch Bakery Photography by anna petrow

yields 12 cinnamon rolls Cinnamon Rolls 1 cup milk, divided 1 package (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast ½ cup granulated sugar, divided 1¾ sticks butter, softened, divided, plus more for bowl and pan 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed 1 tsp salt 2 large eggs 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 Tbsp cinnamon Frosting 1 cup powdered sugar ¾ cup cream cheese, softened ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 pinch salt / preparation – cinnamon rolls / Warm milk in microwave, 30 to 45 seconds. (Milk should not exceed 105°F.) In a small bowl, add yeast, 1 tablespoon warm milk and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; stir to combine and then let sit until bubbles appear on the surface, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut ¾ stick butter into cubes. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add yeast mixture, butter cubes, flour, salt, eggs and remaining milk and granulated sugar; stir to roughly combine. On medium speed, knead dough until it forms a smooth ball, 10 to 12 minutes. If dough doesn’t form a ball, lower speed and add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. (Don’t add too much flour or dough will have a biscuit-like texture.) Take dough ball in your hands; pull sides of ball to the bottom and pinch them together to create a smooth surface. Place dough ball seam-side down in a greased bowl; cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm spot, 1 hour or until doubled in size.

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; punch down and shape into a rectangle. Roll dough into an 18-by-12 inch rectangle, approximately ¼ inch thick.

Spread remaining 1 stick butter over dough. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; evenly sprinkle over butter. With the long side of the rectangle facing you, roll dough into a log; pinch seam to seal.

Place log seam-side down; slice into 12 even rolls.

Carefully place rolls in prepared pan; cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise, 30 minutes. After allotted time, bake cinnamon rolls, 18 to 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, make frosting. / preparation – frosting / In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix until smooth. / to serve / Remove cinnamon rolls from oven; let sit, 5 minutes. Frost rolls while still warm. Serve and enjoy.

ONE ON ONE /

ONE on

kansas city

with Jason Provo / chef-owner, Blackhole Bakery How is Blackhole Bakery different than your original vision? I was planning to do a small breakfast business with coffee and pastries in the morning, while going after corporate catering and wholesale business. Today, we’re known for our decadent breakfast items, like cinnamon rolls, bagels and croissants filled with sausage and cream gravy. Unfortunately, we took the most difficult path we could by making everything with laminated dough, like puff pastry and croissants, and two-day proofed brioche bread, but that’s what we were the proudest of – being bread bakers – and it’s what we thought would make the biggest splash. We’ve deviated from our original vision with almost everything that we’ve done thus far, but it appears to have worked for us.

Do you regret launching during the pandemic?

I didn’t think opening during the pandemic would end up being a plus. There was part of me that knew it was a bad time to open; I was on a tight budget, and I couldn’t really afford to get it wrong. We discovered that during difficult times people are comforted by baked goods in a way that I never could have expected. I don’t think I could replicate what happened to us, but I am so grateful for all of the success we’ve had to date.

Written by Jenny Vergara / photography by zach bauman

On April Fools’ Day last year, Kansas City pastry chef Jason Provo – alongside friend, fellow baker and employee number one Alyssa Bailey – took a deep breath and flung open the doors of his first bake shop, Blackhole Bakery. Everyone advised him against opening the breakfast-centric bakery at the beginning of a global pandemic, but today, business is booming. Demand for the freshly baked cinnamon rolls, crunchy yet chewy palmiers, stuffed croissants and one-ofa-kind mochi donuts continues to increase, and Provo has started shopping for a second location in order to grow the business and potentially add more products to the menu, take on more catering and wholesale business and provide another retail space for his selection of “baked goods with another dimension.”

How have you found a balance between selling out too soon and making more than you need?

In the bakery business, it is never a bad thing to sell out – it is perhaps even the goal – but we used to sell out early on the weekends, which was frustrating for our customers. To help solve that problem, we have started making additional treats, like cookies, to keep the case full, and people seem to love them. We’ve made a brown butter and sea salt dark chocolate cookie, a double chocolate-walnut and finally a chewy oatmeal-pecan. Now, we take preorders, [which] don’t have to be large orders – they can just be a few of your favorites.

Tell us about your expansion plans. A potential goal with the second bakery is to have a large commissary kitchen. Ideally, it would have retail possibilities and then we could make everything in the commissary and deliver it fresh to both shops every day. [What] we make right now are rich, decadent, luxury items, and eventually we want to get into more staples, more loaves of bread and dinner rolls. People have been beating down my door for wholesale accounts, but we are too small; we hit our max four to five months ago. I want that business, trust me, and we need a second location to handle it.

5531 Troost Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, blackholebakery.com

caramelized onion and goat cheese puffs

Housemade puff pastry is filled with a mixture of caramelized onion, chive and goat cheese for these sweet and savory treats. “We have to caramelize like a gallon of onions really low and slow,” says Provo.

mochi donuts

The mochi donuts come in a variety of seasonal flavors such as sour plum, pistachio-honey, chile-mango, apple cider, candy cane and rosemary-clementine. The bestseller? The Blackhole mochi donut made with extremely dark cocoa powder.

cinnamon rolls

The cinnamon rolls are made with buttery brioche dough, which is fermented for 48 hours for a warm, yeasty flavor. Coated with vanilla bean glaze, each one is finished with a rosette of mascarpone frosting. / may 2 02 1

27

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

▼ rolla, MO

These three delicious destinations are under the radar – but should be on yours.

A Slice of Pie written by Hope Timmermann

In 2018, when Ryan Warnol bought A Slice of Pie, he promised to leave the bakery’s recipes unchanged. The Rolla, Missouri, mainstay is famous for its massive slices of pie crowned with mounds of housemade whipped cream.

It has all the flavors you crave – Dutch apple, peach crumb, French silk and lemon meringue, to name a few – but the coconut cream pie with scratch-made coconut pudding and four inches of cream on top has been the bestseller since the shop opened in 1986. Today, the menu also features savory lunch and dinner items such as spinach quiche, chicken and mushroom pot pie and a turkey club, but tradition dictates that you eat dessert first.

634 S. Bishop Ave., Rolla, Missouri, asliceofpie.com photo by sam o'keefe

▼ POPLAR BLUFF, MO

Bread + Butter written by Jessica Vaughn Martin

In a sea of fast-food chains, Bread + Butter is a welcome respite for lunch or dinner in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Locals and visitors alike stop in for homestyle food and fromscratch desserts, which showcase the best ingredients from local producers coupled with international inspiration. The Pork Pork Chick – pulled pork, bacon, an over-easy egg, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise on sourdough – is a standout, but all the sandwiches and wraps are loaded with goodness. If something sweet along with a specialty coffee is all you need, we recommend a slice of carrot or chocolate cake. Celebrating five years in business, owners Erin and Matt Dodd recently added online ordering, and the eatery’s drive-thru remains open to accommodate every customer.

◀ AFFTON, MO

Federhofer’s Bakery written by Alecia Humphreys

Established in 1966 by Bill Federhofer with a vision for success and a taste for perfection, Federhofer’s Bakery in Affton, Missouri, prides itself on offering only the freshest, highest-quality baked goods to this day. Run by three generations of the family, who know the tried-and-true recipes by heart, the bakery makes every type of treat you can imagine. Fan favorites include the gooey butter coffee cake, Swedish crumb loaf and dense but buttery stollens – we recommend the pecan and the poppy seed.

2586 N. Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, Missouri, breadbutterpb.com

9005 Gravois Road, Affton, Missouri, federhofersbakery.com

photo courtesy of bread + butter

photo courtesy of affton chamber of commerce

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feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

Perfectly handcrafted vodka and gin PROMOTI ON

Through innovation and industry expertise B.T.O. Distillers creates impurity-free spirits

S SPONSORED P O N SO R ED C CONTENT O N T EN T B BY YL LISA I SA S SHAMES, HAMES, BRAND AVE. STUDIOS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The word ‘handcrafted’ gets used a lot these days, but for the folks behind B.T.O. Distillers, it’s deeply rooted in everything they do. At B.T.O. Distillers – located in Bethalto, Illinois, which is roughly 40 minutes outside of St. Louis or 10 minutes from Edwardsville – the home of Bluestem Vodka and the soon to be released Bluestem Gin, that handson approach can be seen not only in the innovative way they make their spirits but also in the actual building where all the magic happens.

“Pretty much everything you see when you come to the distillery was constructed by us,” said owner Tony Newton. “We utilized local resources to make the tasting room rich with local history.”

That includes the bar top, which is slate from the roof of a former nearby train station, and the pallet wood for the tasting room wall, which comes from Scott Air Force Base. That local mentality also applies to the spirits’ names: Big Bluestem is the State Prairie Grass of Illinois and Missouri.

A PRODUCTION SYSTEM LIKE NO OTHER

While only open since 2017, B.T.O. Distillers has plenty of — you guessed it — hands-on industry experience behind it. For its one-of-a-kind production system, where mashing, fermentation and distillation all occur in the same tank, the founders combined their 50 years of brewing, wine making and alcohol production know-how and expertise to design the unique approach.

“You won’t find our process anywhere in the world,” Newton said. Besides eliminating the need to transfer liquid between tanks, this process also creates a cleaner alcohol prior to and after distillation.

BLUESTEM VODKA

For Bluestem Vodka, which is distilled from corn

aand nd ccut ut w with ith rreverse everse o osmosis smosis w water, ater, tthe he e end nd result is a slightly sweet, extremely pure spirit, which makes it a delicious base for any number of cocktails. “Bluestem Vodka is impurity free, so you’ll wake up the next morning with your mind and body thanking you,” said Chris Mueller, distillery manager. Plus, every ingredient, including the bottle, cork and wax, is American made.

BLUESTEM GIN

To create Bluestem Gin, B.T.O. took its time to make sure the end result was perfect. While no official terms have been designated, the words ‘contemporary,’ ‘Western’ or ‘New World’ best describe the style they were aiming for.

Starting with its impurity-free vodka, a base of traditional flavors, such as juniper, pepper, cardamom and coriander are added in. From there, the distillers explored a combination of botanicals that take the gin to a wide range of profiles and further the layers of flavors. “We’ve played with violet and honeysuckle for fl oral notes, various fruits like honeydew melon and chirimoya, and some varieties of citrus and spices,” Mueller said.

Feedback from patrons who sampled the various blends helped determine the final recipe. An official gin release party is slated for May.

TASTING ROOM & TOURS

While enjoying a Bluestem Vodka or Gin cocktail at home is always an option, B.T.O.’s Tasting Room, open Thursday - Saturday, offers a more personal experience with the added bonus of live music on Saturdays. On tap is B.T.O.’s hard seltzer with different flavors every week. Get a behindthe-scenes look with a distillery tour offered on Saturdays with a reservation. To book a tour and see a map of where Bluestem is sold, visit us online at btodistillers.com

RECIPES | NIGHTFALL

PRODUCT IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH KOERNER IN ILLINOIS AND POWERPLAY IN MISSOURI PHOTO PROVIDED BY B.T.O. DISTILLERS

tall glass filled with ice ○ 2 oz Bluestem Vodka, ○ half glass pineapple, ○ half glass orange juice ○ drizzle pomegranate liqueur ○ drizzle blue curacao.

| GINERIC COCKTAIL

a variation of the classic bee’s knees ○ 2 oz Bluestem Gin ○ ½ oz. lemon juice ○ ¾ oz. honey syrup ○ house made clove bitters

| B.T.O. Distillers, 5313 State Road 140, Bethalto, Ill., 618.660.8879 • btodistillers.com / may 2 02 1

29

HEALTHY APPETITE / dine & drink / on trend / mystery shopper / hot blocks / sugar rush / shop here / the dish / hometown hits / QUICK FIX

Brownies with Dried Cherry Compote Chocolate and cherries create a transcendent flavor combination, which is why these saucepan brownies are my favorite. Easy to make and quick to clean up, they have a bitterness from the dark chocolate that levels out the complexity of the dried cherries.

I’m a proponent of underbaking brownies to maintain the ultimate gooeyness, but you can keep them

In this class, we’ll examine classic flavor combinations and techniques and then explore how to use those to reinforce your cooking skills.

in the oven until they have the consistency you crave.

Written by Amy Feese Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Get Hands-On Join Schnucks Cooking School chef Amy Feese on Zoom at 4pm on Mon., may 17 to learn how to make the dishes on this month’s menu.

For more information on everything you’ll need for the virtual class, from cookware to ingredients, contact the cooking school directly. nourish.schnucks.com/web-ext/cooking-school

or call 314.909.1704 30

feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

serves 6 to 8 Brownies ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan

4 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs ¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour Dried Cherry Compote

2 cups sugar

2 cups water 1½ tsp vanilla extract

8 oz dried cherries

2 strips orange zest

1 cinnamon stick juice from ½ orange juice from 1 small lemon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar / preparation – brownies / Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over low heat, add butter and chocolate; stir until melted and smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients in the order listed (one egg at a time); stir until well combined (do not overmix). Spoon batter into prepared baking dish, spreading it into the corners with the back of the spoon. Bake until just set (the edges will start to dry and the center will still be soft), 20 to 25 minutes. Remove brownies from oven and allow to cool in pan. / preparation – dried cherry compote / In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water and vanilla. Set over medium-high heat; bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once sugar has dissolved completely, add dried cherries, orange zest and cinnamon stick; reduce heat and simmer, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juices. Set aside to cool to room temperature. / preparation – whipped cream / In a chilled metal mixing bowl, add all ingredients; whisk until soft peaks form, 5 minutes if using an electric mixer, longer if whisking by hand.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

MAKE THE MEAL

/ to serve / Combine brownies, dried cherry compote and whipped cream any way you want: simply in a bowl, as a parfait, etc.

• Chicken Fricassee • Rice Pilaf • Green Beans Almondine • Brownies with Dried Cherry Compote

CULINARY LIBRARY /

FORDLAND, MO

with Roland Parny / chef-owner, La Galette Berrichonne

tAs a native of France with 57 years of culinary experience, pastry is second nature to Roland

Parny. “Baking has been a big part of my life,” he says. “For me, the dessert must be the crown on an enjoyable meal.” Parny is preparing to close his café, La Galette Berrichonne, in Fordland, Missouri, but he wants to continue feeding his fans. He hopes to establish a small cooking school in town and plans to sell baked goods from his wife’s new shop, Maison du Berry. Home bakers can also try to recreate his signature dishes and desserts: In 2017, Parny published his own cookbook, A Taste of the Berry, inspired by his French heritage and experience in kitchens from Paris to Cape Town, South Africa, to New Orleans. To keep the creativity flowing, Parny suggests three more cookbooks full of je ne sais quoi. –story and photo by Tessa Cooper

A Guide to Modern Cookery

La Cuisine

Essential Emeril

by Georges Auguste Escoffier (1903)

by Raymond Oliver (1965)

by Emeril Lagasse (2015)

“[Like] Escoffier, Raymond Oliver developed more modern techniques to create a richer flavor as well as a lightness in his cuisine. As an example, he changed up the traditional way of making an omelet by whipping the egg white before incorporating it into the yolk. This produced a lightness that became one of his hallmarks. From his cookbook, you will learn excellent techniques and how to develop dishes with the best ingredients.”

“I knew [Emeril] when I owned my restaurant Chez Roland in New Orleans, and I enjoyed his food. Emeril was interesting to me because he took traditional cooking and found ways to put more flavor into his food with herbs and spices.

In New Orleans, I was learning about spices that were new to me, and [I think] anyone who follows Emeril would benefit [from] his understanding of the rich traditions of that region.”

“Escoffier modernized [many] French cooking techniques. Because of its quality and emphasis on technique, [A Guide to Modern Cookery] was adopted as the text for many of the cooking schools in France. From him, one can learn excellent techniques and how to draw out the flavors of a dish. I [also] learned the diversity of sauces that can be made from the mother sauces and what best complements various dishes.”

Foodservice Equipment • Supplies • Design • Custom Fabrication

• Best Brands in the Industry • Tabletop & Accessories • Wall-to-wall Smallwares • Refrigeration & Cooking Equipment

Call us TODAY to get started on your dream kitchen!

/ may 2 02 1

31

P

in their oversize firewood stove. “You’d come

childhood in this small Eastern European

from school and you could smell it right when

country between Ukraine and Romania.

you were getting off the bus,” she says.

Komodi and Sava were taught to work hard in

Aside from a love of baking, their mother

school and helped their mom with any assigned

instilled a passion for community involvement

task, but Sunday was always the day of rest.

and determination. She organized cultural

They’d sit with family and friends on the

events in their town, went back to college in

porch and share a watermelon, drink tea with

her 40s and worked at the local library.

bread and Feta cheese or run around the yard eating spoonfuls of honey. The sisters would

In college, Komodi and Sava began visiting

spend their summers in the mountains at their

their aunt and uncle, who were the first family

grandparents’ house. Mornings were for picking

members to relocate to Springfield, Missouri.

berries and flowers, and after an evening spent

The sisters were quickly drawn to downtown

at the river, they’d come home to eat their

because its sense of community reminded them

grandmother’s potatoes with lardons and dill.

of Vranesti. Due to their family’s close bond,

ry

and p h

s

a

o g ra p h y ot

warm, sugary stone fruits and bread baking

Sava were busy living an idyllic

s

Sava distinctly remembers the aromas of

Sisters Uliana Komodi and Christina

by t e

icture it: Vranesti, Moldova, the 1990s.

st o

At European Café and the brand-new concept, Rise, sisters Uliana Komodi and

cooper

they ultimately decided to move to Springfield On holidays, it seemed every household in

along with their grandparents.

Vranesti had one activity in common. “The whole village was baking, and you’d just see the

While the sisters certainly inherited their

smoke [from the stoves] there and there and

mother’s culinary talent, it took them a while

there,” says Komodi as she motions all around.

to recognize it in themselves and gain the confidence to use their skills professionally.

However, their household stood out. Baking

“I can be very adventurous in many ways in life,”

wasn’t just for holidays – their mother began

says Komodi. “I would jump out of a helicopter,

concocting special treats on Friday or Saturday

no problem, but when it comes to making

each week, spending the better part of a day

decisions for my family and for my child, when

in the kitchen. Komodi and Sava were often by

I know there is a lot at stake, I am a lot more

her side, observing and assisting.

hesitant; I am very safe and very calculated. And I didn’t see anything special about my skill. Yes,

All of their family’s hard work in their day-to-day

I knew I could bake, but where we grew up, most

lives built up to the moment when they could

people are really good bakers.”

indulge in her cream puffs, meringue cookies, cherry cake, hand pies or Napoleon cake.

Komodi’s friends first got a taste of her talents when she

Throughout it all, Sava was right by her sister’s side to lend a hand. “It is a European family kind

baked one of them a

of thing,” says Komodi. “When our sisters are doing something, we’ll just be there helping.”

birthday cake. When guests at the party

Revenue from the cakes alone wasn’t quite enough to cover the cost of the commercial kitchen

started asking for

and yield a good profit. So Sava convinced Komodi that they needed a brick-and-mortar

cakes for their own

location, which could double as a café, to sell coffee and baked goods such as espresso drinks

events, Komodi’s

and croissants. While on a walk together downtown, Sava realized their favorite gelato joint was

husband knew she

closing and its location would soon be available. The building’s owner was a bit hesitant to lease

was onto something.

the space to two fresh-faced 20-somethings but took the chance.

He supported her through the

At European Café, which opened right off the square in 2013, Komodi and Sava specialize in

process of baking

European-style coffee and pastries such as single-serving quiches, shortbread cookies and

commercially,

French macarons. The plain, chocolate and ham and cheese croissants usually sell out before

eventually calling

noon, and mini cakes and lemon meringue tarts are popular afternoon and evening indulgences.

up Metropolitan Weddings, an industry

The café eventually began sustaining itself, and in 2020, they stopped offering wedding cakes to

trade show, to

focus on their efforts to open a second concept. “I don’t know that everything was thought out,”

help enter her as a

notes Komodi. “There was such a learning process for us. Now that I look back, everything just

cake caterer. After

worked out somehow, but I never had the vision that this is what it was going to be.”

fantastic feedback,

32

feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

they acquired a

Saturdays are special bake days at the café, spearheaded by Sava. Seasonal and wildcard

rental kitchen.

pastries fill the cases, including cardamom buns in the colder months or the occasional almond

Christina Sava bring a taste of their native Moldova to Springfield, Missouri.

“She is a lot more intuitive, which is what helps

“Bread is Christina’s obsession,” says Komodi.

when you work with things like dough and yeast,”

“It was clear that no matter the cost, we were

Komodi says of Sava. “You kind of have to learn

going to make proper bread in-house.”

it and feel it. Every day is different. I am very logical in my ways. I develop a technique. It’s

Everything at the brunch spot is made in-house

perfect. It works every time. I am very precise

though – even the yogurt, mayonnaise, ricotta

when it comes to my technique, so it drives me

and chicken stock. Sava spent many late nights

crazy when she just adds a pinch of something.”

in the kitchen perfecting the challah French toast and focaccia, in particular, and Komodi

“I’m like, ‘Just relax, just relax,’” Sava chimes in

used her penchant for sugar to create the

with a laugh, “and then, she’s like, ‘How does

sweet side of the menu, with offerings such as

your cake even turn out?’ To me, everything

strawberry and cream pancakes with whipped

comes down to a really well-rounded technique.”

vanilla mascarpone, macerated strawberries and strawberry dust.

Komodi and Sava work in silos in the kitchen, leading separate teams. “She trains her

“I think successful businesses don’t stop

own people and I train my own,” says Sava.

growing and don’t stop adding on,” says Sava.

“Whenever I hire people, I’m like, ‘How do you

“We have an amazing customer base now, so

bake? How do you like baking? What’s your

we could be very content and sit back and just

passion for it?’ And if they answer, ‘Well, I’ll

let it happen as is, but we understand that we

figure it out if the dough doesn’t look right,’ I’m

also have a responsibility to them. We gained

like, ‘OK, great. I need a person who will figure it

their trust, and they’re with us because of how

out.’ A lot of the baking I do is about figuring it

amazing it is. We build these relationships with

out; it’s not based on a recipe.”

them, and we’re part of their weddings or baby showers at some point. So now, we get to see

When European Café’s neighboring business,

them come in with their babies, and we want to

Queen City Wine Dive, closed during the

grow with them. We want to continue to offer

COVID-19 pandemic, the sisters were

them services and things that inspire them and

presented with the opportunity to finally open

make them feel at home.”

the second concept they had been dreaming about for three years. Specifically, they wanted their new concept to bring big city vibes to Springfield, offer unique food with a few familiar dishes and showcase local farmers and local produce. But opening Rise has also allowed the pair to utilize their talents in an croissant. In particular, the cherry and cream cheese kolaches connect the sisters to their roots.

entirely new way.

“Over time, we’ve developed and trained with modern techniques, as we love to grow within our

“Rise is our dream

industry and always keep up with the latest trends,” says Sava, “but we always draw inspiration

come true,” says

from our childhood. Something you’ll often see on our menu is Amarena cherries – we love this

Sava. “We’re always

sweet and sour cherry that adds so much brightness to any pastry. When we were young, we had a

joking that unlike

cherry tree of our own, and every year, Mom would preserve the cherries for winter baking.”

most people, we travel for food.

Sava and Komodi’s confections are classically European but with a southern Missouri flair. They

It’s our absolute

use quality European ingredients such as Belgian chocolate and French preserves alongside

obsession and

locally sourced ingredients such as grass-fed milk from Edgewood Creamery, apples from A & A

life’s work.”

Orchard and sausage from Circle B Ranch for their quiche.

A few things on “We really want to support smaller local farms, too. We were smaller guys at one point, and people

the menu, including

had to support us and believe in us. It’s important to not just support local in general but [to] also

the Belgian yeast

give people a chance to do very well. You get to become part of their success story. I think you’ll

waffles and ricotta

find us at the farmers’ market every Saturday,” says Komodi. “It is a lifestyle for us,” adds Sava.

pancakes, are recipes that they

Although they were slow to embrace a future in baking, with eight years in business on the table

have been working

now, both sisters have discovered their niches. Komodi focuses on the scientific side of things,

on for years,

such as finicky chocolates, mousses and cakes, while Sava is in charge of all things yeast and

making them two of

dough, such as croissants and bread for Rise, the new brunch concept the pair opened in February.

their favorites. / may 2 02 1

33

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feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

As home cooks embrace bread baking, interest in flours made from whole and ancient grains is on the rise. From buckwheat to rye, explore five popular ancient grains and how to use them.

If there was a single food that defined our lives in quarantine, it was sourdough bread. As stay-at-home orders went into effect across the country and many began spending more time in the kitchen, finding a sack of all-purpose flour or a package of yeast felt like winning the larder lottery. Faced with a shortage of baker’s yeast, many turned to naturally leavened breads, such as sourdough, which rely instead on wild yeast and the lactic acid bacteria that’s naturally present in flour.

Baking bread – particularly sourdough – at home can be a laborintensive process, but simply speaking, it comes down to three things: flour, water and yeast. And as restaurants and bakeries turned into mini grocery stores, selling everything from fresh produce to locally milled flour, many bakers found themselves experimenting beyond all-purpose flour, reaching instead for those made with ancient and heirloom grains.

“There’s only so much in the family of bread that you can adjust and change, so you have to go deeper into the layers of what’s there,” says AJ Brown, co-owner of Knead Bakehouse and Provisions in St. Louis. “As far as the flour aspect, there’s a whole family of grains that you can dive into. When you’re trying to add uniqueness or different flavor components to your breads, the grains themselves are one of the key factors of making really good bread. So if you’re interested in making bread and starting that journey, it just makes sense that you’re going to go as deep into the grain process as possible.”

As the local food movement grows, ancient grains such as buckwheat, einkorn and spelt have seen renewed interest.

These grains have not been hybridized and remained largely the same for thousands of years, so they’re less processed than modern wheat. Unlike refined flour, which is milled to the point that it only retains the starchy endosperm, ancient grains (like other whole grains) retain the germ and bran, so they’re higher in vitamins, minerals and fiber. But flours made with these grains also lend complex flavors to all manner of baked goods, from cookies and cakes to pancakes and waffles to, yes, sourdough.

“In the past 10 years, the farm-to-table movement has become that much bigger,” says Clif Brown (no relation), who co-owns Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Café in Springfield, Missouri. “Of

Written by Heather Riske

course, that’s eventually going to trickle down to the bread that we eat. When it comes to cooking and baking, being in control of every ingredient is paramount. That comes down to the grain that we use, where it comes from and how we use it. It’s all about having the knowledge of where your food comes from – knowing more about the things that we’re putting in our bodies, where they come from and, ultimately, how they taste. And they will always taste better.”

Ancient grains are nothing new – but when it comes to baking, they just might be the future.

/ may 2 02 1

35

“Flour is one of the most important ingredients, but half of the time it’s so torn apart – it’s bleached and bromated and made into a product where you don’t get any of the nuance, flavors, textures and nutrition.

That’s what attracted me to ancient grains.”

Rich in fiber, iron and B vitamins, rye flour varies widely in flavor based on how much of the rye kernel is present. The more rye kernel there is, the darker the flour will be, leading to a more intense rye flavor and often a denser texture in the final product.

“Rye is phenomenal,” says baker Bryan Russo, who uses dark rye flour from

rye

Janie’s Mill in the biscuits at Songbird in St. Louis. “I don’t even know where to start because when I think of rye I think of one thing, but when I think of the dark rye that we use from Janie’s, it’s a whole different category and a new smell. That’s the only way to put it:

–Bryan Russo, Songbird in St. Louis

When you smell it, you won’t forget it.” And it’s good for much more than savory applications: Neighbor’s Mill, for instance, uses rye flour in its

Where to Buy

decadent salted chocolate rye cookies. “Rye has a wonderful floral quality, even just smelling it on its own,” says Clif Brown. “It pairs well with more

Locally Milled Flour

unusual applications like in a cookie or a sweet

Heartland Mill

bread. That beautiful floral quality to rye flour really comes through with the chocolate.”

PHOTO by paige mcdonald

< Songbird Rye Biscuits

Millet

Based in Marienthal, Kansas, Heartland Mill specializes in Kansas wheat, including heirloom Turkey Red and Golden Buffalo, along with barley, millet, spelt and light and dark rye flours. heartlandmill.com Knead Bakehouse and Provisions

Once dismissed as simply bird feed, millet has seen a surge in popularity due to both its health benefits – it’s naturally gluten-free and full of protein, fiber and antioxidants – and mildly sweet flavor. A cereal grain, millet is cultivated from

In addition to its beloved sourdough and pastries, Knead Bakehouse and Provisions in St. Louis offers a variety of pantry staples for curbside pickup, including 1½-pound bags of stone-ground, lightly sifted flour from Janie’s Mill (as well as its 8-year-old sourdough starter). kneadbakehouse.com

approximately 50 different species of small-seeded grasses and is a staple

Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Café

crop throughout parts of Africa and

At its two Springfield, Missouri, locations, Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Café sells 2- and 5-pound bags of spelt and whole-wheat flour milled in house, in addition to sourdough starter. neighborsmill.com

Asia (millet flour is a key ingredient in roti, an Indian flatbread, and bánh đa kê, a Vietnamese sweet snack).

Because it has a light, mild flavor, it’s easy to sub into both sweet and savory recipes, from cookies and cakes to biscuits and breads. “Millet is a softer one with some sweeter notes,” says AJ Brown. “It tends to have more of that ricey corn flavor. It’s more similar to quinoa in the way that it tastes.”

PHOTO by paige mcdonald

. Knead Bakehouse and Provisions Rustic Millet Loaf 36

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Janie’s Mill

A favorite of bakeries across the Midwest, Janie’s Mill in Ashkum, Illinois, grows and mills heirloom and hybrid grain varieties, including buckwheat, einkorn, light and dark rye and spelt. janiesmill.com

To learn more about the organic grain grown at Janie’s Mill, visit feastmagazine.com.

> Ibis Bakery Cherry Galette

“Buckwheat has a very distinct flavor – you either love it or you hate it,” says Kathryn Ratzlaff, director of bakery operations

buckwheat

at Ibis Bakery in Kansas City.

Featuring an intensely earthy, slightly bitter flavor, it’s packed with protein, vitamins and fiber. Despite the name, buckwheat is not related to wheat at all; it’s actually a fruit seed in the rhubarb and sorrel family. Naturally gluten-free, buckwheat shines in breakfast favorites such as pancakes, waffles or crêpes and is the cornerstone of Japanese soba noodles, but you can also sub a smaller portion (approximately 25 percent) into your grain bill to add new depth to quick breads, muffins and cookies. Buckwheat is light, finely textured and very absorbent, which Ratzlaff says makes it easy to sub in for traditional flour in baked goods. “I’ve had a buckwheat cake before

spelt

and a lot of times it’s hard to get gluten-free cakes to do that,” she says. “Gluten-free flour tends to be gummy, not able to produce a light, fluffy crumb that you would find in cake.”

PHOTO by cheryl waller

Think of spelt as a gateway grain, as it’s

< Neighbor’s Mill Buckwheat Pancakes

easy to sub in for a range of baked goods and is increasingly becoming available on shelves in major supermarkets and groceries. Prized for its nutty flavor, it’s also a great source of fiber, iron and manganese.

“Spelt is one of my favorite grains to eat and to work with, not only because of its health benefits but because it’s an ancient grain, a lot of people are able to eat it compared to whole wheat,” says Clif Brown.

“Spelt still has that ‘came from the field’ grassy flavor that I find very delicious, but it’s also got that toasted Maillard [reaction] flavor to it as well that you don’t necessarily get from whole wheat.” Because spelt has a slightly higher gluten content than other alternative flours, it’s easy to sub in 1:1 for all-purpose flour – try it in pie crust, cookies or even pizza dough.

PHOTO by zach bauman

Einkorn is the most ancient of the ancient grains: It’s believed to be the first variety

einkorn

of wheat consumed by humans and was domesticated around 7500 B.C. in southeast Turkey. Although it’s not completely glutenfree, einkorn has a different gluten structure that makes it easier to digest – it contains only 14 chromosomes as opposed to the 42 in modern wheat. “Einkorn is softer, sweeter and a little more elegant in the way it tastes than other ancient grains,” says AJ Brown. When it’s milled into flour, its delicate sweetness and slightly nutty flavor shine in pie crust, cookies and cake, but you can also use the whole berries to add toothsome texture to different dishes. Sub them in for farro or wheat berries in a salad, or soak the berries overnight before cooking them into a porridge. “Einkorn

good to know Many alternative flours are lower in gluten, the protein that strengthens and binds dough, than all-purpose or bread flours.

If you’re baking bread, start by incorporating a smaller percentage of alternative flour, up to 25 percent, into your grain bill.

is so special,” says Russo. “It’s got a bit of a vanilla note to it, and it’s very soft and almost biscuity. It’s really its own thing.”

PHOTO by paige mcdonald

, Knead Bakehouse and Provisions Einkorn Granola / may 2 02 1

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Over the past year, it's been easy to feel as though you may be missing out on milestones and momentous occasions.

Feast wants to change this sentiment. That's why we’re bringing the fun right to your doorstep with the third event in our series of At-Home Celebrations.

When you sign up for Taco Tuesday, you receive a complete cocktail kit, food vouchers, gifts and goodies delivered straight to your door. Then tune in for a live cooking and cocktail-making demo for the event on Tuesday, May 4.

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Serves | 1 |

• 2 oz el Jimador silver tequila

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• .5 oz raspberry syrup • lime wheel, for garnish • raspberry, for garnish | Preparation | Combine all ingredients into shaker with ice and shake vigorously.

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mission taco chorizo Serves | 4 |

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• 1 Tbsp cumin • 1 tsp black pepper • 2 tsp sugar • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar • 2 Tbsp cold water • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

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| Preparation | Place the pork in a small bowl and add the ingredients. Mix by hand until all ingredients are fully combined. Let rest at least 6 hours and up to 2 days before cooking. Cook in a skillet over medium heat breaking up with a spoon until pork is fully cooked and slightly browned.

Drain excess grease and serve.

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eljimador.com Enjoy 100 percent responsibly.Tequila el Jimador, 40% Alc. by Vol., Imported by Brown-Forman, Louisville, KY EL JIMADOR is a registered trademark. ©2019 Brown-Forman. All rights reserved.

Let’s Eat

A weekly treasure trove of tastiness, featuring reviews from restaurant critic Ian Froeb and how-to videos by food writer Dan Neman.

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%PG

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W

hen you pick up a

Upper Crust takes online orders early in the

was kind of the perfect storm; finally it just

however, are the more unusual loaves such

just-baked loaf

week; pickup is Saturday afternoon at Moll’s

came to a head [during the pandemic], like, let

as paprika-rosemary, turmeric-poppy seed

from Upper Crust

apartment in South St. Louis. Text him when

me see if it’ll work. I’ll give it a shot.”

and walnut-black sesame. You’ll also find

Bread in St. Louis,

you’re there and he’ll appear in his driveway,

it feels like you’re

masked up, toting a bag of bread scorched from

Moll launched Upper Crust Bread in early 2021,

the oven and wrapped in parchment paper.

offering naturally leavened sourdough loaves

grabbing a treat from an especially talented friend. Although for years Jeffrey Moll has

compound butter, sauerkraut and Japanesestyle milk bread on the menu.

that are baked in his apartment once a week.

“It’s actually starting to get away from me a

been best known as the lauded mixologist

“I started making bread a couple years ago,”

He has classic options such as country loaf,

little bit, which may be a good problem,” he

behind the bar programs at Planter’s House

says Moll. “People at Planter’s House have

Turkey wheat and focaccia, plus specialty flour

says with a laugh. “All in all, it’s been pretty

and the now-shuttered Randolfi’s, he recently

been telling me to start selling it for a while,

loaves, including buckwheat, sesame-semolina

good and a lot of fun – a lot of lost sleep,

added a new title to his résumé: cottage baker.

[saying] ‘You’re getting really good at this.’ It

and rye with caraway. Most intriguing,

but it’s very rewarding.”

sh . ip

C

s r o tt e k a age b e m food l o aws give h

a p ew n a

entrepreneu o t r th

Written by nancy stiles

pies and pick them up, but she can’t sell at Kansas City, Missouri, farmers’ markets, for example.

oll was able to start Upper Crust thanks to Missouri’s cottage food

law, which went into effect on August 28, 2014, giving home bakers

a new path to entrepreneurship. Missouri Senate Bill 525 specifies

“[In Kansas,] cottage bakers fall under the same regulations that somebody selling at farmers’

that Missourians can sell baked goods that are made in their

markets would; we’re not required to be licensed,” says Brumm. “But there are strict criteria that

residence – as opposed to a commercial kitchen – directly to

we have to abide – we have to include ingredient labels in a specific format, that sort of thing.”

consumers. Many states have similar laws, though Missouri does have a few very specific restrictions on the practice: Baked goods are defined as “cookies, cakes, breads, Danish, donuts,

Brumm had to consider the regulations her state does have when she began to think seriously

pastries, pies and other items that are prepared by baking the item in an oven,” with an additional

about Pie Goddess in 2020. Like many, she began baking more during lockdown last year and

stipulation for “canned jam or jelly” and “dried herb or herb mix.”

started posting her decorative pies on Instagram and baking for local fundraisers. Soon, friends and friends of friends were asking if they could buy her pies. After investigating the cottage

Although the cottage industry has been on the rise for years, the pandemic has led to a renewed

food law in Kansas, with some guidance from the Kansas Small Business Development Center at

interest in the business model. With countless chefs and bakers furloughed from full-time

Johnson County Community College, Brumm launched the business in October.

restaurant jobs and others stuck at home during quarantine, many turned to a favorite pastime: baking. The cottage model allows these home bakers to turn a profit from their sweet and

Pie Goddess serves up classic pies such as apple, blueberry and cherry, plus other baked goods, including

savory treats, albeit with a few other constraints.

double chocolate, peanut butter-chocolate and Kahlúa-espresso brownies. Brumm has garnered a lot of acclaim for her custom pies, which feature intricate crust designs – imagine Kansas sunflowers, a dolphin

Cottage businesses must sell directly to consumers for delivery or pickup or at outlets such

jumping out of the ocean and even Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

as a farmers’ market, and annual gross income must not exceed $50,000. Sales in restaurants, grocery stores and online are strictly prohibited, though customers can place an order online or

The ability to operate under

through, say, an Instagram DM and then pick it up in person.

cottage law was key for Brumm, as it’s a part-time gig –

The FDA regulates interstate food sales and only allows home kitchens to be used for

she has continued her career

charity bake sales. States can then choose to expand upon that allowance – and almost all

as a nonprofit management

have – so cottage food laws can vary widely by location. That makes things tricky for bi-state

consultant. Pie Goddess would

communities such as St. Louis and Kansas City, where bakers have to take into account the

likely never have come to

cottage food laws in Illinois and Kansas. “As a cottage business [in Kansas], the pies I make are

fruition if she would have had

required to be shelf-stable,” explains Kristin Brumm, owner of Pie Goddess in Olathe, Kansas.

to rent a commercial kitchen

“So that limits me a little bit. I can do all manner of fruit pies; I’m just not able to do custard-

space and pay for health

based pies.” Brumm is also unable to sell across state lines; Missouri customers can order her

department inspections.

PICTURED from top to bottom: Kristin Brumm, Pie Goddess strawberry-rhubarb pie photography by lisa corson

ellen Neville-Verdugo, midsommar gardens kaffekaka (coffee cake) photography by cheryl waller

J’llysa Dobson, Bread of the Month Club Raspberry Brioche Babka photography by lisa corson

/ may 2 02 1

41

For Jenna Rozum, owner of Sommersweet

family baby showers and holiday gatherings,

cottage law gave Ellen Neville-Verdugo the

flexible. I’ve worked for several area bakeries in

Bakery in Columbia, Missouri, the flexibility

and when that was a success, she posted her

opportunity to test the market. Midsommar

the past and I’ve seen firsthand the struggles

allowed by the state’s cottage food law was

creations on Facebook. The orders started

Gardens specializes in Swedish-style baked

that being responsible for a storefront can

essential, as she works as a horticulturalist

coming, and she realized she could turn

goods such as cardamom buns and kaffekaka

bring. There are advantages and disadvantages

at the University of Missouri by day.

Sommersweet into a real business.

(coffee cake), so Neville-Verdugo wasn’t sure

to both, but taking this route took very little in

if there would even be a demand for her treats

terms of startup costs for me.”

Sommersweet Bakery, which Rozum started out of her home in late 2019, offers custom-

“The nice thing about cottage law here in

in the Ozarks. During the week, she works as

decorated sugar cookies, from wedding-

Missouri is that it allows you to do this from

a librarian – which gave her a perfect outlet to

Neville-Verdugo says that the setup was fairly

ready calligraphy and local business logos to

home – because in some states it doesn’t,” says

research small business and cottage food law.

easy. She was able to research everything she

Missouri Tigers and White Claw can cookies for

Rozum. “There’s really no overhead, as long as

bachelorette parties.

you have an oven. In order to have a storefront,

“Cottage-style baking has really given me the

was far less red tape than a full storefront

there are just so many upfront expenses. The

ability to see what people in Springfield are

would have. “For me, it’s been most appealing

Initially, Rozum tried using royal icing after

costs are insurmountable if you don’t have the

hungry for,” she says. “My items are pretty

because of the flexibility. I just love being at

watching cooking shows, and she got so good

desire to make this your full-time [job].”

niche, and this gives me the flexibility to make

home, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, any

exactly what I want to in smaller quantities.

opportunity to minimize contact with others is

Additionally, it allows my time to be really

good. So this has been kind of perfect timing.”

at it that her family encouraged her to start a business. She began taking commissions for

At Midsommar Gardens in Springfield, Missouri,

needed in terms of paperwork online, and it

Sompit Vasey, Ma Yim Bakery shrimp curry puffs photography by jennifer silverberg

In St. Louis, cottage baking was a natural choice for Sompit

International Institute of St. Louis before launching Ma Yim

“I asked her, ‘What did you do for the legal part of it?’ She said,

Vasey after she moved from Thailand with her now-husband.

Bakery with the help of a grant from The BALSA Foundation;

‘You just follow the Missouri cottage food law.’ I was like, ‘What

When the couple ultimately decided to move to the U.S., Vasey’s

she also credits Square One Bootcamp hosted by the Center

is that?’ I looked into it, and it was easy. I didn’t have any trouble,”

degree didn’t transfer, limiting her options for work. She

for Emerging Technologies (CET) in helping her get started.

says Dobson. “I really wanted to do this more as a hobby. It’s just

considered going back to school, but with daughters at home,

Ultimately, she'd like to be able to sell frozen curry puffs in local

something I really enjoy – I have a full-time day job. And I didn’t

she turned to an old skill: cooking. She also took baking and cake

grocery stores, though that will require further certifications.

expect it to do as well as it’s done, but it’s been a fun challenge.”

decorating classes to expand her skill set.

In Kansas City, J’llysa Dobson debuted Bread of the Month Club

Many businesses have been forced to close during the

Ma Yim Bakery specializes in curry puffs, a savory pastry

after she started working from home during the pandemic.

pandemic, but cottage food law provides a socially distanced

popular in Southeast Asia. They’re perfect party appetizers,

Instead of commuting, she began baking. “Have you ever heard

way for bakers to reach customers or launch a new business

says Vasey, as she delivers them ready to pop in the oven. Vasey

of a book of the month club, where every month you can choose

without the restrictions and overhead that a brick-and-

uses French techniques – think puff pastry or croissants – to

a book and then it will come to you in the mail, and it’s really

mortar location requires. Porch pickup and local delivery have

give the curry puffs a light, crispy and flaky texture wrapped

exciting? That’s where I got the idea,” she says. “I was like, well, I

practically become a way of life over the past year.

around tender meats such as duck, shrimp and chicken.

should do that locally for bread. I like to do things that are more unique that you wouldn’t just buy in a store somewhere. The first

“While the cottage food law limits what you can make, there

“That’s where I had the idea: Maybe I don’t have to go to school

month I did a raspberry brioche babka; the second month I did a

are a lot of advantages, especially for me, making a new item

when I’m 55 years old; maybe I can use my skills to do this,” says

lemon braided bread.”

that I haven’t seen in Springfield before – I didn’t know if anyone

Vasey. “Why don’t I have a storefront? I could take a loan, but [this way] I can take care of my daughters.”

Vasey attended a three-month business class at the

42

feastmagazine.com / m ay 2 0 2 1

would be interested in it at all,” says Neville-Verdugo. “It was Dobson has a friend who was already baking under the cottage

a natural step for me to turn my love of baking, gardening and

food law who helped her understand what paperwork was

Scandinavian traditions into a business. As an introvert and a

needed to get Bread of the Month Club off the ground.

homebody, being able to bake my products at home is a dream.”

It’s It’stime. time.

Kansas Kansas CityCity St. Louis St. Louis Springfield Springfield Columbia Columbia 281 281 - 5200 www.libertyfruit.com www.libertyfruit.com(913) (913) - 5200

/ may 2 02 1

43

THE BEST ANGUS BEEF. EVER.

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