Sweet Spoon Magazine I Issue 01, April 2013 by Ingvild Mælum

w w w. sweets p o onmagaz in e.co.uk

48 06 EDITOR’S LETTER

13 IN MY KITCHEN

07 TRENDS

An insider’s guide to Maria Mayerhofer’s kitchen and thoughts

08 NEWS 09 BLOG OF THE MONTH

How the Hackney Bakery went from a collaborative food blog to an actual business

11 TOP 5 The baking books you need to have on your bookshelf

12 INTERNATIONAL The whole world comes together at London’s Borough Market 04 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

16 NEWCOMER

20 BRING BACK THE POP! Everyone’s favorite lollipop cakes in all their colourful glory

Cai Zhang discusses retro ovens and post-war cooking

42 IN FOCUS

17 HOW TO

44 LONDON LOVES GAIL’S

Get the scoop on how to turn your bake sales into profitable charity events

18 CUPCAKES AND HUMMINGBIRDS Meet the Hummingbird Bakery, the home of American baking in London

How to deal with salt and sugar in your daily diet

Gail’s and its bakers have conquered the hearts of Londoners. Baker Roy Levy explains why

48 CAKE OUTTAKE Find out what happens in the kitchen when no one is watching

54 THE CHEF Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jamie Oliver

56 TRAVEL

Enough recipes to fill your monthly baking schedule, regardless of your skill level

London’s best French macarons

57 MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION Jude Law defies you to find better cupcakes

59 TO THE MARKET Taking the baking craft to the next level at Chatsworth Road

61 BOOKS The best of literary love, life and cooking

RECIPES

28 CARROT CUPCAKES 29 CHOCOLATE BROWNIE 30 BRIGADEIRO 31 STRAWBERRY CAKE 32 CHILI CHOCOLATE ----DREAM 33 APPLE STRUDEL 34 RED VELVET CAKE 36 MANGO CHEESECAKE

THE COOKIE SPECIAL A new take on your favorite recipes! Three cookies that will change your life

39 CHOCOLATE CHIP ----COOKIES 40 BLUEBERRY AND ----WALNUT COOKIES 41 CHOCOLATE CRINKLE ----COOKIES

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 05

TRENDS

PHOTOs cathkidston.com, antHropologie

EDITOR’S LET TER

Hello there! welcome to the first edition OF Sweet Spoon, a new baking and lifestyle magazine If you are reading this magazine I assume that you are, like everyone here at Sweet Spoon, passionate about baking. With this magazine we want to inspire you to let that passion shine through your everyday life, and bring a little bit of that joy into everything you do. We hope that we have collected together a series of articles which will enable you to do so. In this first issue, we have interviews with bakers who are driven by their love for good bread and sweet pastries, such as Maria from ‘Bake With Maria’, with whom we talk kitchen interiors on page 13. We give the lowdown on where to get the best sweets and cakes for your weekend lunches, such as the Primrose Bakery (which you can read all about on page 57) and The Hummingbird Bakery (on page 18). We’ve also included tips on how to host the perfect bake sale or picnic in our “How to” section on page 17 and “Trends” section on page 07. In addition, we hope that you will enjoy our recipe section, which includes a four page cookie heaven special on page 38. Most importantly, however, we want you to be inspired to follow your passion, and to spread the love of baking with your friends and family. Happy baking!

SILJE STROMMEN

Sweet Spoon Magazine is published by London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. Ingvild Maelum Silje Strommen ART DIRECTOR Lena Sotto Mayor PHOTO EDITOR Annalaura Masciavè PRODUCTION MANAGER Angelica Carrara COMMISSIONING EDITOR Michael Barry MARKETING DIRECTOR Hayley Samela MANAGING DIRECTOR

ith spring comes the urge to spend quality time outdoors. What better way to celebrate the change of season by gathering a bunch of friends, family or that special someone, packing a basket filled with homemade brioches, freshly squeezed lemonade and newly baked cookies and heading off to your nearest park for a picnic? Illustrated throughout cultural history; maybe most famously in Jane Austen’s Emma and in Édouard Manet’s painting The Luncheon on the Grass, it is a timeless trend and the perfect way to spend one of these lazy Sunday afternoons.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

WEBSITE sweetspoonmagazine.co.uk FACEBOOK Sweet

Cute and perfect for impressing that someone special. Channel the picnic spirit in this strawberry dream dress.

Present your home made salad to your guest with a wink and the colours of spring with this fun serving set.

CATH KIDSTON £55

ANTHROPOLOGIE £32

Spoon Magazine

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Jim McBride, Tony Yard, Scott House, Ingrid Myking and Nicole Yi Ling Foo

Napkins. Do we need to say more? This set of four strawberry napkins will save the day if the worst happens.

COVER PHOTO BY INGRID MYKING

CATH KIDSTON £15

Knowing how to carry food outdoors is essential. Fill a bottle with cocoa or tea and matching lunch boxes with sandwiches, fruits, or maybe this season biggest baking trend – homemade marshmallows, and you will be assured that you and your company will not go hungry. CATH KIDSTON £12 (left) CATH KIDSTON £8 (RIGHT)

The personal views of the contributors are not necessarily the views of University of the Arts London, London College of Communication.

editor - SWEET SPOON

Although sitting in the grass sounds all so nice in books, a blanket will increase the level of comfort and help you avoid getting greenery on your clothes. Bring some extra to keep you and your guests warm if it starts to get chilly as well. After all, we are only in April. CATH KIDSTON £30

06 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 07

NEWS

PLACES

PRODUCTS

LA DOLCE VITA Longing for some sun, beautiful Italian surroundings and a relaxing week’s stay in a luxury villa? ‘Bake With Maria’ is hosting a four day long cooking adventure in a villa in Tuscany from the 12th of May until the 16th. The experienced bread-lover will teach classes on how to make the perfect focaccias and ciabattas in a wood fired oven, and her Italian chef Pino Ficara will teach how to make full Italian meals using Italian cooking techniques. Intrigued? www.BAKEWITHMARIA.COM

Tired of cupcakes and macarons? Meringues are the new “it” sweet. Out of a bakery in Hackney, Alex Hoffler and Stacey O´Gorman, also known as The Meringues Girls, are making the meringue cool again. Being mallowy in the middle, with a melt in the mouth texture, the sweet is perfect for the dessert menu. Using only the highest quality of natural ingredients, such as free range egg whites, British grown sugar and 70% dark cocoa, the girls will make sure to put a little Willy Wonka spirit into your everyday life. The meringues can be bought at several London department stores. www.meringuegirls.co.uk

PRODUCTS

SUGAR RUSH These days, we want everything to look perfect. Ok, you are eventually going to eat it, but as we all know, there is something satisfying about seeing your cake with picture perfect icing. Are you, however, one of those who need a little extra help? There is no shame in that! Squires Kitchen has just launched ready made sugar paste that you can buy by the kilo. £21.50 AT squires-shop.com

08 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

products

EDITOR’S TIP

£15 AT CATHKIDSTON.co.uk

Look cute in the kitchen and be protected against stains and flouredcovered hands at the same time with this new collection of aprons from Anthropologie. The US brand aims at making women feel beautiful and connected with their products, something that is well taken care of with their unique bright coloured aprons, as well as the rest of their 2013 collection. Featuring everything from flowers, stripes, radishes and anchors, and with a variety of finishes including buttons, bows, pleated skirts and ruffles, we are sure you will find one that is perfect for you. £32 AT ANTHROPHOLOGIE.

WORDS silje strommen PHOTOs; CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT; david loftus, cath kidston, annalaura masciavè, Stewart, Tabori & Chang Inc , ANTHROPOLOGIE, sQUIRES’ KITCHEN

MERINGUE MADNESS

What are your fondest memories from growing up? A lot of us would say those weekend days spent with our moms or grandmothers in the kitchen baking cinnamon swirls and bread. Be sure to pass the passion for baking on by inviting your kids, niece or nephew or sibling into the kitchen. Get in the mood and let the cooking begin with this adorable Cupcake Kit.

BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT by GESINE BULLOCK-PRADO (2013) Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang Inc

Peek-a-boo cakes have been said to be one of the biggest baking trends for 2013. Cutting into what seems to be a “normal” cake and finding intricate layers of patterns and designs will put a smile on anyone’s face. And what about a heart or colourful stripes? Someone who is taking all of this very seriously is Gesine Bullock-Prado, who gives a new meaning to the saying “it’s the inside that counts” with her new baking book Bake It Like You Mean It. Revealing the secrets of how to make the perfect peek-a-boo, this is the book for those who like to bring humour into the kitchen. £18.99 at amazon.co.uk

TROPICAL FLAVOUR Two ingredients is really all you need to make tasty biscuits and pancakes these days. Do you want to know the secret? Bananas. Mix two mashed bananas with four DL of oatmeal, add whatever you prefer; raisins, nuts, dried fruit, form them into small balls, and cook at gas mark 4 for 15 minutes. Voila, you now have delicious (and healthy) biscuits. For the pancakes? Just mash one banana with two eggs, add some cinnamon and whisk it all together. Then just fry it as a regular pancake. Bon appetit! SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 09

BLO G OF THE MONTH

TOP 5

WORDS HAYLEY SAMELa and silje stromMem IMAGES USED WITH PERMISSION FROM Random house, JACQUI Small LLP, QUADRILLE PUBLISHING, ACC DISTRIBUTION

The Best Baking Books We have collected the top five British baking books, full of inspiring recipes, good ideas and new tricks. Pick one for happy baking! Visit The Hackney Bakery’s blog for tips, recipes and orders at thehackneybakery. blogspot.co.uk

WORDS MICHAEL BARRY PHOTOS HACKNEY BAKERY

HACKNEY BAKERY Each month Sweet Spoon takes a closer look at some of our favorite blogs. This issue we sat down to talk with Emanuela Bajeski, manager of the Hackney Bakery, a vegan catering service which actually came about as a result of a collaborative food blog

SS How did the blog itself come about, and did you find it easy to transfer your blog audience into real-life customers once you started the business? EB There are many vegan food blogs out there, but we never came across a vegan food blog which really inspired us. So we decided to create our own, with the aim of showing people how easy it is to create great tasting vegan goodies. Many people have a fear of veganism, in that they think it is too difficult a lifestyle to follow, or that the food does not taste good - so we are attempting to break down these barriers as best we can and show how easy and tasty it can be. As the blog started to grow, so did our customer base, so the transition was smooth. SS One of the most interesting aspects of the blog is its spot-on cultural recommendations for things to do outside of the kitchen. Do you think this is one of the reasons why such a community built up around it? EB Yes, exactly. One thing which we didn’t want to do was just a standard food blog. We wanted to express our personalities through the blog. Much of what we talk about (other than vegan food of course) is concerned with the alternative lifestyles, music and art which inspires us. If we go to a cool gig, we want to tell the world.

10 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

SS Has the current vegan baking scene changed (for better or worse) in the time since you started the blog? EB Within the UK, I feel that vegans are still not always best catered for, and a lot of the time we have to ‘make do’. Although there are many bakeries which cater for vegans, there are very few, if any, that are 100% vegan. This is a real shame, and something which we hope to change. SS Is there much of a difference between the recipes which are featured on the blog, and the recipes you use in your day-to-day business? EB We always try to highlight recipes on the blog which we as vegans love, but struggle to find anywhere in London. Our customer base is predominantly cafes/galleries, so catering to these is a big step for us, but we are really pleased that there are cafes/galleries (and other small businesses) out there which are similarly open to the idea of selling our baked goods. SS What is your most popular product? EB Our most popular item overall are our delicious cinnamon buns!

The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers BY Linda Collister (2012) PUBLISHED BY EBURY PRESS

A spin off from the popular TV-show ‘The Great British Bake Off’, Linda Collister’s new book celebrates the best of British baking. With recipes for every occasion and celebration, this 320 page book attempts to “inspire everyone”. It does so by providing a wide range of different recipes, advice for different levels of expertise, and general tips on how to make your baking extra special. What about dainty cakes for afternoon tea, bread and pastry recipes for lunches/ dinner parties or mouth-watering desserts? With this book you will never be out of ideas for new baking projects.

Vintage Cakes: More Than 90 Heirloom Recipes for Tremendously Good Cakes BY JANE BROCKET (2012) PUBLISHED BY JACQUI SMALL LLP

The trend of vintage baking is more popular than ever, something which resulted in several excellent books on the theme in 2012. In this book, Jane Brocket presents a detailed and precise recipe guide suitable for newcomers as well as the more experienced. Representing a cross-section of traditional British baking, the book contains over 90 recipes, including everything from banana bread, cupcakes and scones to red velvet and madeira cake. Divided into chapters such as ‘Cake-tin Cakes’, ‘Everyday Cakes’, ‘Little Cakes’, ‘Posh Cakes’, ‘Fancies & Frivolities’ and ‘Celebration Cakes’ – the book is easy to use.

Boutique Baking: Delectable Cakes, Cupcakes and Teatime Treats BY Peggy porschen (2012)

PUBLISHED BY QUADRILLE PUBLISHING

Combining traditional baking with chic, simple finishing touches, Peggy Porschen presents a wide range of recipes that look just as good as they taste. Divided into seven chapters, ranging from ‘Beautiful Biscuits’ to ‘Classic Cakes & Bakes’, Porschen lets her passion for creating delectable works of art shine through every page. The book is a step up from basic baking. It is not over complicated, however, and it offers good guidance on a diverse range of subjects, from how to ice to what equipment to use. Unlike her previous project, which focused more on decorating, this book is filled with delicious recipes, as well as decoration ideas and techniques.

The Vintage Tea PARTY Book: A Complete Guide to Hosting your Perfect Party BY aNGEL ADOREE (2012)

PUBLISHED BY MITCHELL BEAZLEY

BRITISH BAKING

Everybody loves a good tea party. Embracing the style and class of the trendy London vintage scene, this book provides you with the guidelines for how to host the perfect tea party, including accessible tips on hair styling, makeup methods and dressing, as well as a wide range of recipes (including an amazing brie and walnut scones). As well as being a first class source of recipes, author Angel Adoree takes you through the process of creating the perfect party through beautiful images and accessible writing. A life-saving guide that will teach you how to host a tea party worthy of a queen.

BY OLIVER PEYTON (2012) published by Square Peg

Devoted to British baking, Oliver Peyton’s newest cookbook lets you forget about cupcakes etc. by focusing on the best of traditional British baking, including such treasures as Victoria Sponge, as well as sweet memories from your youth like The Fluffy Vanilla Fairy Cake. Also providing a short timeline of the recipes, the book allows you an insight into the development of traditional English baking, by including when the recipes were created, where and why. The more than 120 recipes are presented in a stylish book with a pastel color-palette and pink placeholder ribbon which is perfect for display in everyone’s kitchen.

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 11

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

IN MY KITCHEN

individual stalls, where everybody shares a passion for top quality food from all over the world, including the market’s most famous traders: Artisan Bakers deGustibus, Furness Fish & Game Supplies, Peter Gott and Sillfield Farm, and the Spanish company Brindisa. If you are looking for top quality ingredients for your daily bake, The Borough Market should be mentioned in the first part of any recipe. It is a gourmet market with food from all over the world, including fresh meat, fish, game, cheese, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, truffles, hams, spices, bread, cakes and much more. The wholesale market is open on weekday mornings from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., while the retail market is on Thursdays, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Why not make a visit to the market a part of your weekly shopping routine? Sweet Spoon is naturally a big fan of this vibrant part of London history, and the market is our first go-to for the best food shopping. Here are our favorite artisans: MAGOOS: Hand-made breakfast cereals, produced from 100 percent organic ingredients. The range consists of four muesli flavours (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, dates), four granola (ginger, orange, lemon, dates) and three porridge flavours (prunes, dates, cherry and coconut). MINI

BOROUGH MARKET

Dawson brings to Borough Market a brand of unique, homemade chutney and jams with a difference and, most importantly, a conscience.. The Golden Company: On the last Saturday of every

WORDS ANGELICA CARRARA PhotoS Annalaura Masciavè

Even if you are not out for food shopping, a lunch break at the market will be an unforgettable, mouth-filling experience:

While soaking up the atmosphere in London you must

Kappacasein: Raclette is for many, as for the Sweet

Recently another area has been marked by one of these blue plaques, marking it as the oldest fruit and vegetable market in London: The Borough Market. As you stroll on the southern side of the river, close to the London Bridge, you will inevitably be attracted to the market by perfumes and the colours that animate it. With its joyful and cosmopolitan atmosphere, The Borough Market deserves to be part of the heritage of London. Yes indeed, if only because its importance dates back almost a millennium! Since the 13th century it has been the meeting point for traders selling grain, fish and vegetables. Nowadays the tradition goes on and the market has grown to over 100 12 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

WORDS SILJE STROMMEn PhotoS Annalaura Masciavè

Rubies in the Rubble: Every Saturday Jenny

Blue PlaqueS AND multicolor Ingredients: Angelica Carrara visits THE Borough Market for a TRULY international food experience

have noticed some “blue plaques” on the walls of old houses. The idea of these “memorial tablets” was born a long time ago, in the second half of 1800, to celebrate the link between a person and a building, and to make ‘our houses their own biographers’ (The Times, 1873). In 1866 the Royal Society of Arts founded the blue plaques scheme as we know it today.

In a South Hampstead studio, Maria mayerhofer from ‘Bake With Maria’ has created a warm and inspiring kitchen from which she shares her passion for bread baking. SWEET SPOON TALKS kitchen interiors with the Danish baker

month whilst the honey season lasts, you will find the Golden Company’s Bee Guardians selling urban honey and honey related products here at Borough Market.

Spoon editorial team, a love affair. It’s all about the potatoes a little boiled and a little grilled and then the melted Ogleshield cheese; the Borough Market version has tiny salty cornichons wedged inside that makes it one of a kind.

Le Marché di Quartier: HHave you ever heard

about the hot duck confit roll? Go to Le Marche du Quarter. The duck is slow cooked until it is tender and generously piled on to leave you in ducky heaven.

Brindisa: As the queue in front of the stall attests, it

is impossible to go past Brindisa’s chorizo and pepper roll. Cooked on a little hot plate right next to the Borough’s Brindisa’s shop, the ingredients are simple: top quality, fiery chorizo, slow roasted red pepper and rocket all drizzled with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and sandwiched in a floury bun. Pure perfection

In an open studio space, just far enough away from Camden

to avoid wannabe hipsters and tourists, but close enough to be accessed easily, Danish-born Maria Mayerhofer has created a home away from home; a kitchen, that is. After teaching baking classes in her home for two and a half years, she decided that more space and flexibility was needed, and went kitchen hunting. Put off expensive rental spaces she, like “one does”, started looking around Camden, before finding a vacant, hidden-away studio just around the corner from her own home in South Hampstead. It was the light that attracted her. A firm believer of having windows in the kitchen so one can look at the outside world while kneading dough, whisking eggs and measuring sugar, the row of glass which covers the entire wall over the wooden kitchen table was a huge plus. Not to mention the skylight, which blazes the space with sunlight. “It’s a bit hard to find,” Maria says apologetically, as she opens her blue door and welcomes us into her Baking Lab, which officially opened in November 2011. The smell of baking immediately hits us. There is, just as we had hoped, a cake in the oven. We are, after all, meeting with a woman famous for her passion for homemade bread, and buns that make your mouth water. Inside, her threemonth-old baby son Kasper greets us. As soon as we have settled down and pressed play on the tape recorder, he decides that it is time to get noticed (much to our delight as he is, with his piercing blue eyes, as cute as a cupcake). “I carry him with me everywhere I go,” Maria says, and shows us the flying cot, which has been installed in the back of the open space. Just a shell when she first got her hands on it, the loft has, with good help from a Danish architect friend,

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 13

IN MY KITCHEN

been transformed into a warm and encouraging workplace. The original staircase up to the loft (which now works as a combined office and storage facility) was moved in order to create more floor space. Three ovens with accompanying steel benches were installed in the back of the room, and two large wooden tables placed in the middle of the room. The walls are decorated with porcelain plates, a photo showing different types of bread, and other graphic images. A bookcase on the right wall is filled with titles containing the words baking and bread, bowls in different sizes and colours and totes which are decorated with her own logo. The overall impression? A perfect environment in which to teach the art of baking. Maria’s explanation of “I’m not really into pink” accounts for the lack of the bright colour which is often synonymous with baking. Instead, Scandinavian minimalism is well accounted for. “In the kitchen, I’m more into the rustic and simple style,” she says, explaining the atmosphere which suggests an industrial, vintage approach. “Originally, I wanted to start a bakery, but when I talked to another Danish baker about it, he just looked at me and said, “Maria, if I could give you one piece of advice it would be to not start a bakery.” It is a lot of hard work. And just think about the hours, having to get up at three in the morning to bake bread,” Maria laughs. Born in Denmark, the 33-yearold blonde, whose favourite thing to bake is sour bread, found moving to the UK frustrating, bread-wise. Fed up with ready-sliced supermarket bread she started to make her own. Even though she had always been baking while growing up, it was now that she got really into it. Ten years later, Maria has never looked back. Setting aside the dream of a bakery, she thought that there must be others out there who wanted to eat good, healthy, homemade bread, so she set up a website, offering baking classes out of her own home. It quickly became a huge success and, as you already know, the hunt for the perfect location started. “I really enjoy teaching. When I first started out I was nervous, but it turned out to be oh so fun. You meet a lot of great people, and some of them keep coming back, and it’s just like hanging out with a group of friends, having fun”, she says of stepping into the role of teacher. Sitting around the big wooden table used

14 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

for classes it is easy to understand why someone would sign up several times. The vibe is intimate and with classes lasting for four hours there is plenty of room and time to get acquainted. Attracting everyone from men who want to learn how to make bread (“they are often into the scientific side of it – how gluten and yeast work,” Maria smiles), teenagers, and pensioners, UK residents and travellers, Maria has help from three pastry chefs, one other baker and a total of ten interns. After giving birth to Kasper, she cut back from working up to 12-13 hours a day, seven days a week, to teaching one class and taking care of the business part of it. “Although it is a lot of work, it is a dream job. A lot of the people who come in here say, “Oh, I’m not going to bake at home because I don’t have enough space.” So yes, the kitchen is important in your life. If it is a place that you like to spend time in, you will do so, and by doing so you will produce more. I spend a lot of my time in here, since I have everything I need,” the baker states, and takes a glance around her home away from home. In April, Maria is going to New York to teach at Haven’s Kitchen, a trip she believes will be a lot of fun. While there, she is going to educate the Americans on basic bread baking, while also letting them in on the secrets of Scandinavian bread, and introducing them to such delights as Danish rye bread and cinnamon twists. “When I

go away I do miss my own kitchen, but it’s OK because I have learned to appreciate others. I think that you like some kitchens more than others because of their different layouts. You appreciate different things, such as the difference between at home where I have a marble kitchen counter, which is nice, and here where we use wood, which is good when you work with dough. When I go to Tuscany (something that she will be doing for four days in May), we work in this amazing kitchen, and you are thankful for the time and effort others have put into that.” Although Maria tells us that in the Baking Lab, no one day is alike she admits that a lot of her time does end up being spent behind the computer in her loft office, “just sorting stuff out.” Then there are the days where the name “Baking Lab” fully comes to rights, when she and her team figure out new classes and do test baking, “And then we have great days where we just bake and have fun.” When talking about her favourite memories, the Lab’s grand opening party pops up. “My parents came over from Denmark, and all of my friends and previous students came over. It was so much fun. We had beer, wine and this whole table was filled with pastry and other things I baked. Ultimately, that is what baking is all about, sharing it with your friends.” Yes, it is indeed.

Interested? Read more about Maria and her baking school at bakewithmaria.com

B/w portrait COURTESY OF MARIA MAYERHOFER

MARIA’S KITCHEN DECORATION IS TRUE TO HER SCANDINAVIAN ORIGINS. “I’m not that into pink”

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 15

NEWCOMER

HOW TO

Hay Day SWEET SPOON talks VINTAGE ovens and “The Retro Haybox project” with this issue’s newcomer, UAL Food Society leader Cai Zhang WORDS NICOLE YI LING FOO

“I

ILLUSTRATION BY LENA SOTTO MAYOR W/ IMAGES FROM CAI ZHANG AND SAM KELLY (VIA CREATIVE COMMONS)

t is, I suppose, learning how to use the oven you possess or come across. Like a language.” This is how Cai Zhang defines baking, when asked about it. If this is the case, then luscious and mouthwatering breads, pastries and other baked goods could be likened to the sounds made when we speak. The beautiful sounds of French immediately come to mind, ushering along images of famous Parisian patisseries: Pierre Hermé’s unconventionally flavored macaroons; Pain de Sucre’s baba au rhum perfection; artisan Jean-Paul Hévin’s chocolate tartlets… Cai’s perception of baking is refreshingly different to many of the generic things one would hear on the subject. With this passion for food, she leads the University of the Arts London (UAL) Food Society. She first became interested in baking when she noticed that, everywhere she went, there were ovens - the staple in the European kitchen set up. Cai was drawn by the many functions and uses of the oven - perfect for heating, baking, drying; or slow cooking and keeping things warm in its residual heat. She is one of the few souls I have met who have a love for the process of baking, and are not solely focused on the end result of cookies and goodies. Cai is currently working on something she named the Retro Haybox project. This project is an extension of her current research, where she is investigating how food eaten in today’s austere Britain compares with the ingenuity of WWII ration cooking. Haybox? What does a box of hay have anything to do with cooking? Puzzled, I could initially only imagine a box filled sheep and cow fodder. “A haybox is essentially an insulated container that allows

16 • SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE

you to continue cooking food, while also conserving energy,” she explains. In the 1940s, many stoves were fueled using paraffin. During the war, the Ministry of Food advised people to cook using the haybox method as a way of saving fuel, which was rationed. Cooking a leftover stew for hours was simply too wasteful. The haybox was the basis for the invention of the slow cooker (also known as the crockpot). A box was stuffed with hay, and when the pot of stew was at boiling point, it would be transferred into the haybox. Hay is a natural insulator, and will prevent the wastage of energy, allowing the heat to continue cooking the stew for hours. A potential DIY slow cooker that costs next to nothing? Ingenious! Through her research, Cai found that, although the shortage of food during WWII was severe due to the decrease in imports and homeland production - people in that time ate a much healthier diet when compared to the poorest families in the present. This shocking find, along with her interest in baking techniques and ovens, was the inspiration for this clever and resourceful project.”I still haven’t really decided where to take the haybox project… I suppose the next step is to cook in one properly.” Well Cai, we will be looking forward to your haybox stew!

HOW TO... HOST A BAKE SALE

HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST! As much as we love baking for one another, we also love baking for those in need. Choose a charity of your choice and get ready to host a bake sale

ASK EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO BAKE

HOLD A PAY-TO-ENTER BAKE OFF COMPETITION

CREATE POSTERS, PLACE ADS OR START AN EVENT GROUP WEBSITE TO PROMOTE YOUR EXCLUSIVE 1-DAY BAKE SALE

VARIETY IS KEY! HAVE DIFFERENT DESSERT DISHES TO SATISFY EVERYONE’S TASTES

DO ASK FOR A DONATION EACH TIME PEOPLE SAMPLE A SWEET TREAT

HAVE BAKED GOODS IN BASKETS AS GIVEAWAYS FOR A TICKET RAFFLE DRAWING

COMPLIMENTARY COCKTAILS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: THE MORE YOU BAKE, THE MORE MONEY YOU’LL MAKE

WORDS HAYLEY SAMELA PHOTO ANNALAURA MASCIAVÈ

You’re the “hostess with the mostest” and you’ve got a lot to give. Your heart is as big as can be and your talent for taste is what makes you the best baker on the block. Your confectionary creations are admired by all, and there’s simply no one else who can whip up the cream or stir the batter as well as you. Baking those cookies, pies, brownies, and cakes is all delightful and good, but throwing a bake sale isn’t anything like hosting a dinner. Forget the place setting, the course menu, and the dress code and think more about how to turn your bake sale into the most charitable event of the month. Here is a quick how to. Check out these useful hints and tips and you’ll be well on your way to hosting the perfect bake sale!

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 17

F E AT U R E

SWEET SPOON visits The Hummingbird Bakery and gets the scoop on London’s best American sweets WORDS ANGELICA CARRARA PhotoS Annalaura Masciavè

American-style cakes and find yourself in London, The Hummingbird Bakery is a definite go-to destination. The selection of always-fresh-from-the-oven cupcakes, loaves, layer cakes, biscuits, brownies and cheesecakes will make your mouth water as soon as you step into one of their London bakeries. If you have a passion for great,

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F E AT U R E

The Hummingbird first opened its doors on the fashionable Portobello Road in Notting Hill in 2004. Since then it has established itself as the home of American baking in London. Indeed, it was the ﬁrst bakery to introduce the “Red Velvet” cake to the UK. Today, its ﬁve branches sell an average of 22,000 cupcakes a week. “Red Velvet is always a big seller and Black Bottom cupcakes are also very popular with our customers. Both have chocolate flavours in the sponge, so that might be a factor,” explains Ursula Kelly, one of the bakers at the bakery’s Soho branch. Another treat which has found its way into the hearts and stomachs of the British people is the Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies, which according to Kelly, they just “can’t bake enough of ”. Consisting of a layer of chocolate brownie and a layer of cheesecake,

topped with fresh raspberry cream, the baker assures us they are as delicious as they sound. Kelly has worked with The Hummingbird for five years now, and although the bakery has its existing bestsellers, she firmly believes that innovation is important in keeping the customers coming back. “Coming up with new recipes is a group effort. We’re lucky to have a Product Development team who are great at turning ideas into recipes that we can actually make at The Hummingbird Bakery. Our cakes are inspired by traditional American home baking, with a strong emphasis on using good quality, authentic ingredients and making whatever we make in very generous quantities!” The American inspiration shines through every part of The Hummingbird Bakery. The idea of this combination is what inspired founder Tarek Malouf in the first place; enjoying American cupcakes on his many trips to the US, he decided to set up The Hummingbird Bakery in response to what he saw as a lack of any places in London in which to enjoy the aromatic smell and taste of truly authentic American-style baking. The cupcakeentrepreneur famously described the sweet thusly: “A cupcake is a little larger than a fairy cake and has a ﬂat, not domed, top. But the real difference is the taste. Authentic cupcakes should be really light and moist - you have to make them fresh each day - and the icing should always be butter cream or cream cheese, not hard fondant. The secret? It is all homemade, every day.” Another secret is that having a cupcake as a treat can bring a little piece of joy into everyday life. It’s a treat that not even celebrities can resist; seeing Lady Gaga, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna, Keira Knightley, Kelly Osbourne (among others) with a Hummingbird Cupcake is a regular occurrence. “Cupcakes are an affordable luxury that can be easily purchased to enjoy for a bit of me time, to share with friends or as a gift to brighten up someone else’s day”, Malouf said when launching the bakery’s Cake Days recipe book in 2011. For Soho baker Ursula Kelly, just baking the cupcakes and seeing customers enjoy them can be enough to brighten up her day. “Knowing that someone will take pleasure from enjoying some of the cakes I’ve made is the most satisfying part of being a baker.”

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EDITORIAL

Cake pops, the delicious bite-sized cakes molded into balls and decorated with icing, are taking over the baking world. Seemingly everywhere lately, these sweet pops appeal to kids as well as to grown ups and turn every cake table into a colourful affair Get inspired by this beautiful editorial, featuring pops from PopKakery PhotographY by Annalaura Masciavé

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EDITORIAL

What about a chilli chocolate dream cake which will make your mouth water, or a smooth cheesecake perfect for a weekend treat in the spring sun? Just turn the page and let your next adventure in the kitchen begin PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNALAURA MASCIAVÈ

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RECIPES: EASY

RECIPE BY ANNALAURA MASCIAVÈ

Carrot Cupcakes As we are approaching easter, these Carrot Cupcakes will be perfect for your holiday brunch. Decorate them with ORANGE CREAM icing for the perfect finish DIFFICULTY:

PORTION SIZE: 12 UNITS

225 g carrots 130 g raisins 2 eggs 130 g custer sugar 12 dl di mazola corn oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoon french orange zest 120 g plain flour 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 175 g cream cheese 450 g icing sugar 125 g butter 1 orange

GAS MARK: 4/180 O C

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/ gas mark 4. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake cases or papers. 2. Combine the grated carrots and raisins in a large bowl using a wooden spoon and put to one side. Beat the eggs and sugar together for several minutes and then carefully add the oil, vanilla extract and orange zest and beat well. 3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon into a separate bowl and then slowly add these ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. 4. Then pour this mixture into the bowl containing the carrots and raisins and mix by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula until they are well incorporated.

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TIME: 40 MINS

5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcakes cases, filling each case about two-thirds of the way up the paper. 6. Place the trays in the oven and bake for approx 25 mins. When cooked the cupcakes will be quite dark brown in colour and feel ‘spongy’ to the touch. Allow them to cool in their tins for 10 mins or so before placing on a wire rack to cool. 7. For the orange cream cheese icing: Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat well until thoroughly combined and the icing is smooth and pale. 8. Once you have iced the carrot cupcakes, you can finish them off with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

RECIPE BY INGVILD MAELUM

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE A good sweet with chocolate never goes out of fashion, nor does it ever become boring. This chocolate brownie will melt In your mouth DIFFICULTY:

100 gr butter 2 1/2 dl sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 dl (90 gr) flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar 4 tablespoons cocoa

PORTION SIZE: 9 PIECES

GAS MARK: 4/175 O C

1. Heat up the butter in a boiler. 2. When it is melted, take it off the heat and whisk in sugar and eggs. 3. Mix in the dry ingredients and stir well. 4. Butter a roasting pan, pour in the batter and bake the cake in

TIME: 25 MINS

the oven for 20-25 minutes on gas mark 4/175 degrees. 5. When properly cooked, the cake should be soft in the middle. 6. Cut into pieces and serve with ice cream and chocolate sauce on the top.

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RECIPES: EASY

RECIPES: MEDIUM

RECIPE BY LENA SOTTO MAYOR

RECIPE BY ANNALAURA MASCIAVè

BRIGADEIRO

STRAWBERRY CAKE

This brazilian truffle-like chocolate delicacy has been enchantinG party guests for decades. now it’s time to LEARN its sweet secrets

Feeling the need FOR something sweet and full of spring? Look no further than this strawberry cake DIFFICULTY:

DIFFICULTY:

3 tablespoons of chocolate powder 1 can of condensed milk 1 full tablespoon of butter Chocolate sprinkles

PORTION SIZE: 12 UNITS

GAS MARK: 4/180 O C

TIME: 1 HR

TIME: 15 MINS

1. Add the chocolate powder, condensed milk and butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and stops sticking to the bottom of the pan (about 10 minutes). 2. Transfer the mixture to a buttered dish until cool enough to handle.

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PORTION SIZE: 8 SLICES

3. Take a teaspoon full of the mix and roll it between your buttered hands to mold into balls. 4. Roll the balls around on a dish filled with sprinkles to coat all sides. 5. Serve in paper cups.

1 dl flour 1 dl sugar 2.3 dl fresh crushed strawberry 2.3 dl powder sugar 1 teaspoon of baking power 2 tablespoon melted butter 1.5 teaspoon vanilla A pinch of salt 113 g butter 2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4). 2. Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder. 3. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for a total of 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. 4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with

strawberries. Beat for two minutes. 5. Pour the batter into two a 25cm round greased and floured cake pan. 6. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 2530 minutes. 7. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool. 8. When cool, top with Strawberry Glaze and enjoy.

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RECIPES: MEDIUM

RECIPE BY SILJE STROMMEN

APPLE STRUDEL CHILI CHOCOLATE DREAM This chocolate dream will melt on your tongue, and give you that extra kick with its hint of chili

Often associated with the Austrian cuisine, the strudel is a layered pastry with a sweet filling and often served with cream on the side. Try out Teresa Catenaro’s Apple Strudel for aN international experience DIFFICULTY:

DIFFICULTY:

PORTION SIZE: 8 SLICES

270 g butter 170 g dark chocolate 4 eggs 270 g sugar 170 g plain flour 4 tablespoons of cocoa 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon sea salt CHOCOLATE Icing 2 dl icing sugar 100 g dark chocolate 2 tablespoons cocoa

GAS MARK: 4/180 C

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees (gas mark 4). 2. On low heat, melt the butter and add the dark chocolate. Let it cool. 3. Whisk sugar and egg into eggnog. 4. When the eggnog is looking fine and fluffy, carefully mix in the flour, cocoa and chili. 5. Add the now chilled mixture of butter and chocolate. 6. Butter a round cake pan (25 cm) and ad the batter. 7. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sea salt on the top of the cake.

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PORTION SIZE: 6 SLICES

GAS MARK: 6/200 O C

TIME: 1 HR 10 MIN

TIME: 40 MINS

When the cake is finished, the middle will still be wobbly. Let it rest for at least an hour before serving in order for it to settle. When the cake is cold you can add the frosting. For the chocolate icing: 1. Melt the dark chocolate. 2. Mix together the cocoa, icing sugar and dark chocolate with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it until you have a nice, steady frosting. 3. Cover the top of the cake with it, and sprinkle a tablespoon of sea salt on top. Let it cool.

1 egg 1 pinch of salt 250 g flour 150 g bread crumbs 220 g butter 120 g sugar 50 g pinenuts 100 g raisins 30 g almonds 1 lemon 10 dl water 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons of rum 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1.5 kg apples Confectioners’ sugar

1. Mix the flour with egg, salt and extra virgin olive oil.

cinnamon, sugar, pine nuts and the lemon grated rind.

2. Slowly add water to the mixture while stirring.

8. Divide the dough in two sheets and spread it. Put in the oven at 200 degrees.

3. Form a ball with the mixture, grease it with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for half an hour in a cool place. 4. Soak the raisins in the rum. 5. Toast the bread crumb in the butter. 6. Mix the chopped apples with the drained raisins. 7. Add to the mixture the ground

9. Melt 120 g of butter. Anoint the dough with the melted butter, leaving a border of 2-3 cm. 10. Sprinkle the dough with the breadcrumbs (already toasted in the butter). 11. Place the apple mixture on the pastry and roll the strudel.

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RECIPES: HARD

3 eggs 150 g of caster sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 4 table spoons of Greek yoghurt 150 g of BUTTER 1-2 drops of red food colouring 150 g of self raising flour 50 g cocoa powder 1 tablespoon of milk Icing 500 g of icing sugar 200 g of cream cheese 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 100 g of butter

Red Velvet Cake A traditional American sweet, the layered Red Velvet Cake is a wonder of cocoa, red food coloring and cream cheese. It NOT only tasteS wonderful, it also lookS LIKE SOMETHING STRAIGHT OUT OF A FAIRY TALE

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RECIPE BY ANNALAURA MASCIAVè

DIFFICULTY:

PORTION SIZE: 6 SLICES

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180°.

GAS MARK: 4/180 O C

TIME: 90 MINS

5. Add flour, cocoa powder and milk to the cake mixture and beat well.

8. Once you added all the sugar, add the lemon juice and keep on beating.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after adding each one.

6. Spoon the mixture in a previously greased deep and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

9. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.

4. Mix the yoghurt with the food colouring and add the yoghurt to the cake mixture.

7. For the icing: mix butter and cream cheese, and add the icing sugar a little at a time.

2. Mix and beat sugar, vanilla and butter.

10. Slice the cake into three equal layers and sandwich them together with the icing. Finish with a layer of icing on top.

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RECIPES: HARD

2 eggs 500 g of cream cheese 150 ml of sour cream 60 ml of yellow rum 125 g of caster sugar 75 g of butter 85 g of soaked raisins Half teaspoon of vanilla extract 150 g of digestive biscuits

Rum and Raisin Cheesecake THIS CREAMY RECIPE MAKES THE PERFECT DESSERT FOR THAT SPECIAL DINNER. SUBSTITUTE THE RUM FOR ORANGE JUICE FOR AN ALCOHOL FREE VERSION

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DIFFICULTY:

PORTION SIZE: 8-10 SLICES

1. Preheat the oven at 170oC (gas mark 3). 2. Crush the biscuits and mix them with the melted butter. Press into the base of a tin and bake for ten minutes. Let it cool.

GAS MARK: 3/170 O C

3. Beat the cream cheese, and when it’s smooth add caster sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Beat well. 3. Stir the raisins in the mixture and pour it over the base.

TIME: 35-40 MINS

4. Place the cake in the preheated oven to bake from 35 to 40 minutes. 5. After cooled, let the cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.

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CO OKIE SPECIAL

RECIPE BY Kremmerhuset

Cookie Heaven These three cookies will change your life, or at least your impression of what a biscuit is. Indulge yourself with our chocolate chip, blueberry and chocolate crinkle cookies. Easy and quick to make, they are perfect for surprising friends and family, or simply enjoying by yourself. Happy cooking!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES DIFFICULTY: PORTION SIZE: 12 UNITS GAS MARK: 4/18O O C TIME: 15 MIN

6 dl flour 1 ts baking soda 1 ts salt 230 g butter 2 dl white sugar 2 dl brown sugar 2 ts vanilla extract 2 eggs 200 g dark chocolate chopped

1. Heat up the butter and mix it with sugar and vanilla extract.

between the cookies, as they will rise in the oven.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time.

7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes on gas mark 4/180 degrees, until they show a golden colour.

3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in another baking bowl. 4. Mix the two portions together. 5. Mix in chopped chocolate at the end. The dough should be sticky, but easy to shape. 6. With the help of a spoon make cookies into balls that you then give a light press on top. Allow for enough space

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8. Cool them off on a grate. TIP Why not try something a bit different? Wrap the cookie dough around an Oreo cookie, and bake as usual. Enjoy the 2-for-1 cookie when it’s still hot for a mouth watering experience.

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CO OKIE SPECIAL

RECIPE BY Kremmerhuset/SILJE STROMMEN

BLUEBERRY AND WALNUT COOKIES DIFFICULTY: PORTION SIZE: 12 UNITS GAS MARK: 4/180 O C TIME: 15 MIN

6 dl flour 1 ts baking soda 1 ts salt 230 g butter 2 dl white sugar 2 dl brown sugar 2 ts vanilla extract 2 eggs 100 g blueberries 100 g chopped walnuts

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1. Heat up the butter and mix it with sugar and vanilla extract. 2. Add the eggs, one by one. 3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in another baking bowl. 4. Mix the two portions together. 5. Carefully mix in the blueberries and walnuts, be careful so the blueberries don’t get too crushed. The dough should be sticky, but easy to shape.

6. Make cookies into balls that you give a light press on the top, with the help of a spoon. Allow for enough space between the cookies, as they will rise in the oven. 7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes on gas mark 4/180 degrees, until they show a golden colour. 8. Cool them off on a grate.

RECIPE BY HAYLEY SAMELA

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES DIFFICULTY: PORTION SIZE: 12 UNITS GAS MARK: 4/17O O C TIME: 15 MIN

1 dl vegetable oil 4.7 dl granulated sugar 4.7 dl flour 1 dl powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons baking powder 113 g chocolate 4 eggs

1. In a large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. 2. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. 3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. 4. Heat oven to gas mark 4/170 degrees. Grease a baking tray.

5. Drop dough by tea spoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on a baking tray. 6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. 7. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

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IN FOCUS

A Spoonful of Sugar and a Tad Too Much of Salt The next time you sit down for a meal and reach for the saltshaker, think twice and remember SALT is really not THAT GOOD FOR YOU WORDS HAYLEY SAMELA

hen it comes to baking, we tend to disregard exact measurements. Using our fingers to add a pinch of this and a splash of that, we easily overlook certain things. For example, salt content. If the batter doesn’t taste just right, how often do we think to add a bit more of x, y, or z? In the case of salt, adding too much can have detrimental effects on one’s health in the long-term. That pinch of salt may be all you need, but anything more will tip your scale. According to the National Health Service (NHS), 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals. Too much salt in your diet can lead to raised blood pressure; thereby making you more susceptible to developing heart disease and more likely to undergo a stroke. The NHS reports that adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Exactly how much is 6g of salt? One full teaspoon! So the next time you sit down for a meal and reach for the saltshaker, think twice and remember it’s really not nice. As for recipes that call for salt, it never hurts to add less. But before you toss out all the products in your pantry that have the word ‘salt’ in them, find out how you can cut down on your daily salt intake. From simple substitutes to exercising self-control, you’re sure to enjoy the benefits! Just keep in mind that “less is more!”

TIPS FOR SALT MANAGEMENT ALWAYS SHOP FOR PRODUCTS THAT ARE LOWER IN SALT INSTEAD OF CRACKERS AND CRISPS, CHOOSE FRUITS AND VEGGIES LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SAUCE AND TABLE CONDIMENTS AVAILABLE USE BLACK PEPPER, GARLIC, OR LIME AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR SEASONING COOK MEALS VERSUS PURCHASING PRE-PACKAGED PRODUCTS CHOOSE CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES OVER PIZZA AND PASTA

Stevia promises you a calorie-free sweet experience, but there are a few things to think about before using it in your baking WORDS INGVILD MAELUM

tevia is a natural herb that grows in Brazil and Paraguay and has been around as a sweetening product for more than 1,500 years. So why has it not been allowed into the UK, the US or many other countries until recently? Mainly because the risk of side effects when consuming large amounts of the product has yet to be determined.However, recent research has shown that it’s neither carcinogenic nor harmful to our genes or fertility, which has effectively changed our views on the herb. In Japan, where it was introduced in 1971, they have yet not seen any side effects, and today the natural sweetener accounts for 40% of their sugar market.

After making it through the final EU approval, Stevia is now entering the market as a healthier alternative to sugar. Stevia has a sweet taste, does not affect your blood sugar level, is calorie-free and is an indispensable replacement for those with diabetes. The sweetener is said to be 200 times sweeter than regular sugar, but be aware of the slightly bitter after taste, which may not live up to the sweet expectations of your baking recipe. So how to use it successfully? Stevia products come in both powder and liquid form. The latter is recommended for liquid recipes, and the powder for everything else. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as just replacing all sugar with Stevia. The manufacturers recommend using Stevia in recipes with strong flavours, such as chocolate, lemon, berries and coffee, because the sweetening product can disappear when baking with subtle flavours as vanilla. You therefore have to experiment and test to find your ideal Stevia recipes. If the product is as good a replacement as promised, it will definitely be worth it.

For more information, visit stevia.com // replacesugar.com

PHOTO ANNALAURA MASCIAVÈ

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PHOTO ANNALAURA MASCIAVÈ

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F E AT U R E

LONDON LOVES GAIL’S IT ALL STARTED WITH BREAD. NOW GAIL’S AND ITS BAKERS HAVE CONQUERED THE HEARTS (AND STOMACHS) OF CUSTOMERS ALL OVER LONDON. SWEET SPOON MET BREAD-LOVER ROY LEVY TO GET TO KNOW WHY WORDS ANGELICA CARRARA PHOTOS courtesy of Gail’s and Reyhaan Day at Gerber PR

It all started with some FLour, water, yeast and salt... the

simplest ingredients ever, but also the essentials for making classic breads at The Bread Factory, with an eventual result of 13 bakery cafes, one restaurant with dishes inspired by the bread oven, presence in over 50 branches of Waitrose, and the Harvey Nichols’ food court and Ocado. In the early 1990s Gail Stephens started a company called Gail Force to provide London’s top chefs with the bread she collected every morning from bakeries all over the city. The idea to make her own outstanding, innovative craft bread for the most exigent palates led to her putting together a small team of bakers, to make what would become the bread of choice for top London chefs.

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After building one of the most respected craft bakeries in the city, Gail realised that there were still opportunities for her business to grow even further. In 2004 she met Ran Avidan and Tom Molnar, the two businessmen behind the Gail’s Bakery chain. After falling in love with the Gail’s story and seeing its potential, they were ready to invest in the bakery world, and set to the task of turning bread into something luxurious. After many hours, days and months ‘baking’ the idea, the Gail’s concept came to life. Since then, the Gail’s bakery has produced amazing artisanal breads, pastries and cakes that are no longer just for the best restaurants and hotels in London, but are now available to the general public.

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F E AT U R E

We wanted to know more about the success of those people who have been able to make London fall in love with carbs again! So we had the pleasure of interviewing Gail’s Head Pastry Chef: Roy Levy.

is a great baker and my grandmother was too, so I like reviving recipes from my baking heritage. Our pecan cinnamon crumb cake was a recipe of my grandmothers that I tweaked.

SS How long have you been baking for, and did you always have a special interest in baking breads/desserts? RL I’ve been baking for about 15 years, since I was about 18. I was a trainee at a bakery in Tel Aviv to fund my way through university, but after I graduated I spent a few years being a theatre director. Then I went back to baking when I found it had become a passion.

SS How has working at Gail’s influenced your own personal baking style? RL My style and the Gail’s style are really intertwined. Ran and Tom (founders of Gail’s) and I have really similar ideas in terms of flavour and look, so we fit together really well. We all want to be baking the best stuff, fresh every day - so we’re talking the same language.

SS How did you get involved with Gail’s? RL Gail invited me over to London to work for Baker & Spice, her ﬁrst bakery. My interview was a trip to New Covent Garden market at 4 a.m.! After four years at Baker & Spice, I moved across to her other business at Gail’s - Id been involved since the start, helping to bake in Hampstead when we ﬁrst opened, but it took a while to go full time there. SS Where do the ideas for Gail’s more particular delicacies come from? RL Usually it is just my everyday life. Eating, reading, cookbooks, trips to Paris, Barcelona, New York, and going home to Tel Aviv as well. My mum

SS What has been popular with the customers at Gail’s recently? RL Sourdough is getting more and more popular and people are understanding more and more why great bread is better for you - and nicer! - than the stuff you can buy in supermarkets. So we’re really proud to be part of the movement towards real bread. Our potato & rosemary sourdough gets more popular by the second! SS What is the most satisfying aspect of your job at Gail’s? RL I love feeding people! It’s my favourite way of communicating. You can feed people and stay silent but you know that they’re happy.

THE THREE SIDES OF GAIL’S

PURISTS

A selection of handmade breads, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and other assorted pastries will tempt you as soon as you pop into one of the Gails Bakeries in London. What makes it brilliant is that despite being a chain, it feels like a small, independent, artisan bakery; the colour of the furnishing is strictly red and white, because a rainbow of sourdough treats is what really colours the atmosphere!

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Gail’s artisan bakers use only natural ingredients – nuts, fruit, vegetables and herbs – and no preservatives or chemicals.

INSPIRATION Gail’s recipes are multicultural and the fruit of experiments with diverse ingredients, kneading a reﬂection of different cultures into the ﬂour.

COMMUNITY Not just a shop, but an environment where the everyday customers become friends. Gail’s also offers friendly conversation in a relaxing location.

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EDITORIAL

Who said you can’t have fun baking? Find out what happens in the kitchen when no one is watching PhotographY Ingrid Myking Styling Silje Strommen Hair Sarah Hjorthol Models Martin Kalgård and Mia Marcinko

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EDITORIAL

Mia wears Shoes by Office, fishnet stockings by Primark and pecil skirt by Topshop.

EDITORIAL

PREVIOUS PAGE, Mia wears Studded Peter Pan Collar by Miss. Selfridges AND Flannel Shirt by Cheap Monday. This page, martin wears Shoes, chinos, blazer, shirt and bow tie FROM HIS PERSONAL WARDROBRE and mia wears Pencil skirt and singlet by TopshoP, Fishnet Stockings by Primark and Oxford Shoes by Office. 50 • SWEET SWEETSPOONMAGAZINE.CO.UK SPOON MAGAZINE

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EDITORIAL

Mia wears Glasses AND SHIRT FROM HER PERSONAL WARDROBE

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THE CHEF

ot all of his memories of cuisine are so positive, however. Oliver seems to have hit a rough patch early on in his career, when he was faced with the harsh reality of the commercial food industry. It was a mindset which stands in stark contrast to his initial romantic culinary experiences, as well as the crusading attitude to food he would later adopt. “I remember twenty years ago when I graduated from college... it was dark out there. It was all about feeding really rich people very well. Very port and cream-heavy, foie gras-y food. It was about the best of the best and actually that’s not what nourishing a community is about.”

Here at Sweet Spoon we love everything to do with baking, so we were delighted to have the chance to sit down with someone who manages to dominate several areas of the food industry. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Mr. Jamie Oliver Words Michael Barry

PHOTOS BY DAVID LOFTUS, COURTESY OF PETER BERRY

ince bursting onto our screens in The Naked Chef back in (can you believe it) 1997, Jamie Oliver has already done more than enough to cement his current position as national treasure-in-waiting. When not presenting hit television shows like Ministry of Food, whose tie-in books similarly proved to be a godsend for the domestic publishing industry, Oliver has launched several public health crusades, as well as a culinary training program for the disadvantaged. After spending some time talking with him, it becomes clear that food was always going to be a key part of his life, even if he wasn’t initially aware of the success that this interest would ultimately entail. Some of his earliest memories are of food, and culinary adventures seemed to be a key part of his experience growing up. “My first cooking memories are full of erratic British summers: Dad swearing at a barbecue that he couldn’t put together, and eventually eating charred sausages, feeling brilliant. It always felt like an event, and even with my naive palate I knew that pretty much everything tasted better from fire – I just didn’t know why.”

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His television and book success has allowed him to renegotiate that commercial restaurant mindset, by giving him a platform to assert what he feels are the important values where food is concerned. This can be seen in the way he waxes lyrical on subjects like the importance of local produce. “Often if you get down to your local market you’ll get great stuff. Some of it’s imported, but there should always be a good amount of local stuff. Also, those slightly unappealing-looking signs next to the road anywhere in the countryside (which isn’t too far away from anywhere really) often have really good produce at a really good price. They often overdeliver. You can get a sack of beautiful potatoes for next to nothing. They’ll have root vegetables to die for. You know the little signs that none of us ever pay any attention to? Often they’re wicked.” Jamie’s most recent solo series was Channel 4’s selfexplanatory Fifteen Minute Meals. The series felt like a natural next-step for Jamie, given how well-received his previous Thirty Minute Meals title was, and how much of his career in general has been devoted to demystifying the cooking process. The tie-in book was a similar success. “I just hope that people enjoy cooking from it because I put so much time, energy and passion into my books that it’s just wonderful to get feedback. I never sit back and think ‘I hope this sells millions of copies’ – it’s more important to me that people treasure the books, use them, get inspired to cook more and hopefully start creating their own recipe ideas.” “I’ve always been the sort of person who has wanted to inspire people to cook better and eat better. Even if you look back to the first shows, the Naked Chef series, I’m trying to get people to think about food and cooking as fun and easy and not a chore. When that series was on TV in the UK, I used to have loads of blokes coming up to me in the street and thanking me for turning them on to cooking because it made their girlfriends happy with them. So what was the catalyst? I don’t think there was one because it’s always been a part of what I am.”

SO WHAT WAS THE

CATALYST? I DON’T THINK THERE WAS ONE BECAUSE IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF WHAT I AM

All of this does come at a price. His continued commercial and philanthropic success means that he regularly faces an even more extreme form of the struggle to maintain a work-life balance that many of us face. “I work as hard as any other dad that works hard. I see the kids every morning and then that’s it in the week. Then I’ll see them all weekend. I don’t particularly like it, but I don’t feel guilty because Jools is all over it like a rash. I’ve got lots of responsibility and it’s a shame you can’t be a bit more available in the week, but it’s tough. If the kids ever mentioned anything, obviously that might change. Over the next two/three years, I hope to be able to claw back half a day on a Friday.” On the plus side, the Oliver children do seem to have inherited their father’s love of food. “Mine are pretty good at eating most things. (For example) They love the American one-cup pancakes in the Food Revolution book, and they help me to make them.” What is apparent is that Jamie retains the same joy for food he projects on screen in real life. He is as animated as ever when discussing his latest obsession: clootie dumplings. “It’s dramatic and delicious and you can use it in so many ways. I’ve used it under game birds, toasted with lovely pan gravies. I’ve used it with cheese plates. I’ve had it just as it is, with a cup of tea and butter.” This continued enthusiasm is consciously maintained, as Jamie seems to realise its importance for success in general. “It never gets boring, ever. It only gets boring if you resign yourself to an easy life, to settling for the status quo. But if you put yourself into an exposed position where you’ve got a bit of creative influence? It’s just a joy.”

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 55

T R AV E L

M O N T H LY R E C O M M E N D AT I O N

A SMALL PIECE OF PARIS IN LONDON You no longer need to go across the Channel to get your hands on a perfect macaron WORDS SILJE STROMMEn PHOTO Annalaura MasCIAVÈ

CAKE AND THE CITY

itting by a corner table, sipping a cappuccino and dipping pieces of my croissant into strawberry jam while eavesdropping on the flirty conversation between the two bakers behind the counter, I could very much close my eyes and imagine I’m in Paris. Wait, I don’t even have to close my eyes. The aforementioned staff, who are now sending each other longing looks over the fresh pastry, are speaking in French. Out of the speakers discreetly hidden in a corner French music is flowing, and the interior of the café I find myself sitting in? Utterly French inspired, with small tables, checked floors and wooden chairs. Where am I though? London, United Kingdom. You no longer need to go to Paris in order to get that famous French feeling. As of the last few years, London has slowly been filling up with croissants. On every corner there is a patisserie, in every shop there is a section for baguettes and French, and the Costas and Starbucks are receiving hard competition from chains such as Paul, Gail’s, and Le Pain Quotidien. One can question why. The French and the English have a long history of not being “especially fond of each other. Both countries like to do things their own way – particularly when it comes to food. A long line of jealousy, rivalry and differing opinions has divided the two countries. Now, however, a mutual love of sweet pastries seems to have brought us all together. Macarons have been the ‘it’ treat for some time now, flowering every store opening, fashion event and blog gathering. These flavoured biscuits joined by a layer of cream – famous for their crispy outside and soft inside, have brought out the love for elegant food in all of us. Elegancy is seemingly what French pastry is all about. A visit to the legendary Ladurée at Harrods will prove

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that. The small shop, with its iconic boxes, is the picture perfect ideal of French baking, with staff dressed in aprons and counters filled with the tiniest edible masterpieces. I once spent a good 45 minutes queuing in their ChampsÉlysées flagship store. Believe me when I say it was so worth it. The moment you bite into whatever it is you fancy; a buttered croissant, a chausson aux pommes or a tart, the wait is worth it. As the sweetness of your chosen pastry fills you up, it does not matter where in the world you are, you still feel like you’re standing on a street corner in Paris.

The best French patisseries in London Ladurée The famous French patisserie has established its London flagship inside luxury department store Harrods. Here you can enjoy one of the brand’s iconic macarons in a breathtaking chic venue. Harrods (ground floor) - Entrance on Hans Road Knightsbridge London  SW1X 7XL Macaron Said to have croissants that are among the best in London, Macaron in Clapham Common is worth a visit. 22 The Pavement Clapham London SW4 0HY Sable D’or Located in Crouch End in North London, this patisserie is charming, cozy and has an amazing range of pastry. Their chausson aux pommes is highly recommended. 43 Crouch End Broadway London N8 8DT

PASTEL COLORS, FINE BAKING AND FAMOUS CUSTOMERS ALL MEET AT PRIMROSE BAKERY FOR SOME OF LONDON’S BEST SWEET TREATS WORDS Lena Sotto MayoR PHOTOs Annalaura MasCIAVÈ

reated in 2004 by friends-turnedbusiness partners Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, Primrose Bakery is a modern bakery with vintage charm. A mixture of 1950s furniture, great service and amazing recipes makes this young London bakery a joy to visit. What was once just playful home baking for children’s parties turned into a serious business when they discovered that there was a gap in the British market for this type of cuisine. Nine years ago, before the world rediscovered the art of baking, cupcakes and pastries were not that easy to find – or to sell. The ladies behind Primrose Bakery took a risk, and it paid off. With venues in some of London’s finest locations, the bakery has gathered famous fans and quite a reputation. Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson gave it her approval, and actor Jude Law was once quoted as defying anyone to find better cupcakes. Their celebrity fan base also includes Kate Moss, Lara Stone and Elton John. Apart from its starry costumers, Primrose Bakery also supplies cakes to traditional British stores such as Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges Food Hall and Liberty. The amount of love and dedication put into the business is evident in every corner of their two shops, from their utmost inviting couches to their colorful windows. Based

in idyllic Primrose Hill, and with a venue at London’s Covent Garden, the bakery offers its consumers a variety of cakes, loaves, biscuits and everyone’s favorite: cupcakes. Apart from in-house sales, Primrose Bakery also offers catering for events, wedding cake orders and private baking classes. In addition, the brand also encompasses two cookbooks (with a third in development) and a best-selling app. Even though one is able to learn some of Primrose’s culinary secrets, the bakery’s commercial environment accounts for half of its qualities. The yellow façade of the bakery’s Covent Garden site invites costumers inside for a slice of cake and a cup of tea. A couple of round tables and a few seats pair perfectly with pastel coloured walls to create an intimate site suited for small gatherings, adding retro charm to even the most cloudy afternoon in London.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT primrose-bakery.co.uk

Nonetheless, despite the colour of the skies, it’s impossible not to feel joyful after a share of Primrose’s fine service and exclusive recipes. Even a brief visit to Primrose Bakery is enough to notice the secret ingredient for their success: a genuine passion for baking. It feels just like home, but with Jude Law sitting at the next table.

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 57

F E AT U R E

TO THE MARKET Despite popular reasoning, gentrification is not the only guarantee of diverse and experimental baking. Sweet Spoon visited The Chatsworth Road Market in Hackney to sample the delicious curiosities offered by its artisans Words Michael Barry

there are very few constants. Disgruntled cyclists and weird smells on the Tube aside, one of the city’s most reliable features is its markets. From the giant festival on Portobello Road to local church bake sales, the market is a key touchstone of London life, and one of the easiest ways of experiencing both old and new in the space of an afternoon. One of the lesser-sung markets in the capital takes places every Sunday right in the heart of Hackney, on Chatsworth Road. The Chatsworth Road Market dates back to the 1930s, and retains an old-world feel which jars pleasantly with the idiosyncratic mix of food, furniture, and homemade toiletries on offer. In a city as hard to pin down as London,

The market is particularly appealing for those with

an interest in baking, in terms of both businesses and individual consumers. While baked delicacies are a mainstay of most street markets, some of the city’s most interesting start-up bakery businesses have ended up setting up shop at Chatsworth Road. One of the outfits who have made their home at the market are the Bamber Brothers. Brothers in both literal and culinary terms, the Bambers (Pat and Tim) were attracted to the market due the opportunities it originally offered for “hobbyist” bakers, before becoming market mainstays. “We started selling our cheesecakes at the first Boilerhouse Food Markets run by UpMarket on Brick Lane. Their rent was way beyond what a start-up like us could afford, so we quickly dropped out. We were also on the lookout for a market with a better mix of local community as

SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 59

F E AT U R E

BOOKS

COZY CORNER BOOK CLUB Use the time spent waiting for your lemon drizzle to get cooked to perfection by reading one of these books about love, life and cooking

PHOTOS BY MICHELE PANZERI (BAMBER BROTHERS) AND COURTESY OF MIKE MEEHAN (THE PIE CART)

well as ‘tourist’ shoppers. Six months later, when the Chatsworth Road Market trials began, it was like the perfect opportunity landed right on our laps! We got in there from the start - we’re Clapton residents and it felt great that it was a local community-driven initiative. We’re now one of Chatsworth’s longest-standing traders.” Their experience at Chatsworth Road has further fuelled their street food ambitions, and future plans now include “converting a rickshaw bike we bought to carry cheesecakes! We could then sell cheesecakes on the street!” The market’s mixture of consistency and surprise is also noted as one of its key advantages by Mike Meehan of The Pie Cart. The Pie Cart is a Hackneybased enterprise which (naturally) specialises in pies, and founder Mike was living around the corner in Clapton when he first got involved with the market. “The positive things about the market are the amazing traders who come week in week out, and the interesting mix of shoppers who come and buy. (However) they are mainly locals. It hasn’t yet turned into a destination market. It’s more word of mouth bringing people in.” The market’s clientele is nevertheless eclectic enough to allow The Pie Cart to display its talent. “We sell our whole range of products here, big pies, mini pies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, croquettes, sweet pies, and in general they all sell pretty well. Being a Sunday we get plenty of people buying pies to feed their families as an alternative to Sunday lunch, and I’m right down with that!” Although the market’s welcoming atmosphere makes it an important outlet for first-time traders, its community-based approach has its own limits. Damini from Laddu is a current purveyor of amazingly delicate treats, and a former Chatsworth Road trader. Damini moved on only recently, and states that, while the market’s ethos perfectly reflected hers as a baker, it can still be limiting

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in a commercial sense. “I am now looking to develop orders and delivery systems for Laddu. One of my prime reasons for this has been that, when trading in perishable goods at a market, one has to bake that which sells most. This can inhibit creativity, and limit my ability to offer the best of Laddu’s creativity and innovative flavours to customers. I can maintain this better in the context of orders and supply.” Like Mike, Damini mentions limited publicity as one of the possible reasons as to the lack of consistent customer footfall, and the consequent limitations imposed by restricted demand.

The positive things about the market are the amazing traders who come week in week out, and the interesting mix of shoppers who come and buy.

Despite its current limitations, the market still has a huge amount going for it. All traders, past and present, seem to agree that the market’s unique position is one of the reasons behind its undeniable appeal. For artisans, it offers a community-focused means of getting your product out there, and a reassuring, if somewhat inconsistent, testing ground for experiments in baking. As Damini puts it: “I loved having the opportunity to meet other people in the same position as me, and to have a more personal connection to customers, with whom I built relationships over time.” The market’s appeal for the consumer is even more obvious; it combines the relaxed feel of a traditional British parish fete, with an up-to-date approximation of London’s current culinary landscape. This general feeling is reflected in the baking, which presents regular market fare in unexpected ways. Chatsworth Road is thus definitely worth the extra stretch of overground, purely to visit one of the most delightfully under-wraps baking outlets in London.

Mike Meehan

for more information VISIT bamberbrothers.com // laddu.co.uk thepiecart.co.uk // CHATSWORTHROADE5.CO.UK

(The Pie Cart)

Words HAYLEY SAMELA

The Queen of Minor Disasters Antonietta Mariottini (2012) SELF-PUBLISHED

Seemingly having it all, Stella is the master of fixing other peoples problems, offering “food-therapy” while managing her brother’s Jersey Shore restaurant. But when her boyfriend gives her the cold shoulder, her life starts to fall apart. On top of that, a mysterious guy from her past continues to mess with her head, her parents are having problems of their own, and her relationship with her best friend might not be as honest as she thought. Full of laugh-out-loud moments, we follow the twenty-seven year old “queen of minor disasters” as she figures out what she wants in life.

Cupcakes at Carrington’s

The Food of Love

PUBLISHED BY HARPER

PUBLISHED BY SPHERE

Alexandra Brown (2013)

Realizing that beer money won’t cover her champagne drinking, Georgie Hart finds herself leaving her dream life working as a personal shopper in London (where she regularly leaves Mulberry launch parties with a Louis Vuitton goody bag on her hand), for the pretty seaside town of Mulberry Bay. Running a luxury bag concession, her lavish spending is confined to a red velvet cupcake with buttercream icing in the café of Carrington’s Department Store. However, small town life is soon shaken up by the arrival of Maxine, the arrival of Tom and a fight for her boss’ attention.

Anthony Capella (2005)

The Food of Love tells the story of twenty-something Laura who travels to Italy and gets completely enamoured of everything Rome has to offer, including the handsome and charming Tommaso, who quickly woos her with his cooking. As it turns out, Tommaso is living a sweet lie, and that it is his shy friend Bruno, who has fallen in love with Laura, who is the talent behind the many amazing meals he has been serving her. And so a classical romantic comedy begins.

Angelina’s Bachelors: A Novel with Food

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

PUBLISHED BY GALLERY BOOKS

PUBLISHED BY WINDMILL BOOKS

Brian O’Reilly (2011)

Having to face the sorrows of becoming a widow at a young age, Angelina D’Angelo finds comfort in the kitchen. Here she lets all of her anger and grief out by building layer upon layer of thick, rich lasagne, braid loaves of yeasty bread, and ends up spoiling her tight-knit SouthPhiladelphia community with food. Word of her amazing cooking soon gets around. Smitten with Angelina’s food, Basil Cupertino offers her a job cooking for him. Six other bachelors quickly follow, and in the process Angelina discovers the magical power food possesses: to heal, to bring people together... and maybe even to provide a second chance at love. IMAGES Random house, LITTLE BROWN BOOK

Aimee Bender (2011)

As Rose Edelstein on the eve of her ninth birthday takes a bite of her mother’s lemon-chocolate cake her life changes forever. Discovering the magical gift of tasting the cook’s feelings in everything she eats, food becomes perilous. Now, she is forced to confront the mysteries of her own family. As she grows up, she realizes that some secrets not even her taste buds can detect. In a book about the heartbreak of loving those you know too much, Rose gets to experience the strangeness of everyday life. SWEET SPOON MAGAZINE • 61

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