The Grands!

I named this post "The Grands" because like a grand entrance, my grandparents came into my life and left a lasting impact. They were both unforgettable and I was lucky to have them as grandparents. They taught us so many things about food and showed us importance of cooking and growing your own food. I may not have understood it as well at the time, but now I am glad that they made us work in their gardens because it has given me a lesson in saving money and consuming fewer processed or preserved foods.

In the picture above, my granddaddy appears to be holding one of his famous pound cakes. This family recipe is the one that we now use to make pound cake for our family. It is in fact the recipe I use in Jazziecakes! My granddaddy played many roles in his life - a son, father, brother, uncle, cousin, pastor, baseball coach, hunter, farmer, fisher and baker. The last three roles are quite ironic because because I am a Pastry Cook at a restaurant in Washington, DC called, "Farmers Fishers & Bakers." So many things along the way prepare you for your future, so in many ways I guess granddaddy was preparing me for my current challenges. 

When I was younger, granddaddy would have my cousins and I go in his gardens and pick corn, watermelon, okra, collards, tomatoes and anything that grew out there. He would take the whole family on fishing trips so we could learn how to fish, which most importantly included being quiet for hours so that we didn't scare the fish away. Well, quiet or not I surely never caught anything! While the boys performed outside tasks, my grandparents made sure that all of the little women in the family knew how to cook for ourselves and future families. As for me, I'm going to take those skills and bake not just for my family but for the world!

My grandmother. who is pictured above, knew how to make everything taste good! Her career was dedicated to making nutritious meals for school children. No matter how hard I have tried over the years, I can never get my food to taste like hers. Grandmothers have a special ingredient that makes all of their dishes special and none of us know what that until we ourselves are grandmothers I suppose. As I hinted earlier, girls in our family tend to do two times the work of the boys when it comes to the kitchen. My granddaddy took care of teaching us the outdoor skills, but it was my grandmother who taught us our womanly and/or wifely duties. She taught us how to scale fish, shell peas, can food, and how to fry a good piece of chicken. Grandmother also taught us how to keep a clean house, which is very important in the restaurant industry. Most importantly, my grandmother taught us that just because you are a woman it doesn't mean you should not be able to accomplish anything. This life lesson is key in an industry that has been traditionally male-dominated. I am thankful for the seeds planted so early in my life that will make me a stronger, more confident woman.

My Mom!

Meeting my mom has always been a blessing in disguise. She adopted my sister and I we were very young. She has opened so many doors for us which probably would have never been opened if we weren't taken from our birth mother. My mom has never been the chef in the family but she's been doing something right because my brother, sister and I were always well-fed and happy. When I started my business, my mom was right there to support me. She spent many late nights helping me measure ingredients and even completing projects when I was just too exhausted to continue. I know I can rely on her for anything and for that I am thankful. JazzieCakes would not have been nearly as successful without her support (and transportation). Thank you, Mom. The breadcrumbs you left and continue to leave have strengthened my foundation and helped me to become a future Culinary Institute of America student. I never imagined reaching this goal but you always believed I could. That breadcrumb of belief has been invaluable.

CIA!

The opportunity to attend The Culinary Institute of America will be one of the biggest breadcrumbs I have ever picked up. Throughout my life I have played the role of Hantzel and Gretel, picking up "breadcrumbs" left behind by people before me. Each breadcrumb has challenged me in some way - causing me to rise to the task and learn to push through.

Learning from this, I have also been sure to leave a trail behind me for the next generation to pick up. I can honestly say I am ready to pick up this rather large breadcrumb and add it in my bread bag of life. My culinary experience during my visit to CIA was significant because it established a bar to reach while operating my business and preparing for culinary school. I was so impressed by the complex flavor combinations of the colorful array of macaroons and the perfectly brûléed lemon meringue pie. CIA even had a fresh garden of herbs. This visit broadened my culinary horizons and gave me so much to look forward to learning. I am accepting the challenge on January 27, 2015 and I cannot wait to soak in everything CIA has to offer.

Cousins!

Me on the night of my Debutante Ball with my "cuzzos" there to support me
(left to right: Jonei, Kyra, Logan, Kyle, Maggi, Me and Terra)

This picture captures an important night in my life, a lot of character and most importantly "Cuzzos!" A cuzzo is a cousin, a friend, a brother, or a sister. A cuzzo is a person that you can talk to and tell anything and not be judged. They are almost like a best friend but closer. In the south (or at least where I am from), cousins are very important. We all look out for each other, make memories and just generally have a good time together. 

All of my cuzzos have had a hand in making my business, JazzieCakes, successful. My sister, Jonei, is the artist/visual arts part of my business. She makes sure everything looks good and flows together at events. From designing signage to placing merchandise, Jonei has played a key role. My brother, Logan, and cousin, Kyle, provide moving services and manual labor when I am participating in an event.When I need a tent mounted, heavy baked goods loaded, or any desserts that need to be taste tested those two are always present. 

My cousin, Maggi, is a business woman. She is naturally good at marketing and possesses an internal ambition that drives her to focus on customer satisfaction and profitability. In many ways, she is like the financial planning part of my business. My cousin Kyra is literally always a phone call (and 15 minutes travel time) away when I am at home in North Carolina. Kyra is always so eager to work,prep, bake, and pitch in whenever my load is too heavy. She has such a natural sense of urgency so when it comes to the kitchen we make a great team. Kyra always tries to keep me calm when I'm stressing about not finishing a project and she just makes a everything a lot easier. 

Finally, we have my oldest cousin Terra. Terra and Kyra are similar, so everything I said about Kyra applies to her. However, we bump heads a little more because we both think that we know more than each other! She helped me start my business in 2012 and taught me many of the recipes that started my business. I feel like she has had a huge hand in my kitchen skills. Now that I have learned so much from my other culinary mentors, I feel like we feed off of each other's knowledge. 

I love all my cuzzos they are all very supportive in everything I do! 

Me and my oldest cousin, Terra in 2006

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone that has directly or indirectly helped me and formed me into who I am today. Your breadcrumbs have set an example for greatness and I have gained so much from watching your successes and lessons learned. 

In the pictures included on this post are breads, pastries, cakes, beverages, and even candies that I have created. I will continue to learn and grow especially now because I will soon be attending the Culinary Institute of America! I am so excited to learn everything I can and take them out into the world - more breadcrumbs to collect as I travel towards my destiny. I am so proud to say that I will one day be a student and graduate of the CIA!

Helping Hands!

Throughout my life, I have crossed paths with people who have given me a helping hand. Each has left breadcrumbs and taught me so much about being a chef and making a way for yourself. I believe that most people are genuinely good and the ones that I have met along my path have been so eager to help me learn and grow.

I have told you about my family, but I haven't told you about all of the people not related to me who have treated me like nothing less than family. Now I should probably warn you that I am a very socialble person so I talk to everyone which helps me form relationships. What can I say? Its probably just my southern hospitality.

In 2012, I met Mrs.Sandra Tallant. Mrs Tallant teaches private cooking classes in Washington, DC and I was fortunate to take one as a 16th birthday present from my cousin. Mrs. Tallant taught me how to make bread. It was my very first time making bread and it was an amazing experience to watch the bread grow (proof). I felt this was a milestone in my learning because bread and the science behind making it will be a fundamental element of my pastry education. While there are many different breads that require different techniques, this experience allowed me to make something I'd never made. No pun intended, but this was a significant breadcrumb for my career. Not only was the experience rewarding, but also the bread was so good! Perfectly crusty on the outside yet soft inside. And, as the universe would have it, I was asked to make bread during the National SkillsUSA competition. Because of this experience with Mrs. Tallant, I felt comfortable practicing breads at home and then competing against other students.

After visiting my cousin for my 16th birthday, I wanted to return to Washington, DC to work during the summer. Terra spoke with my mom and I was allowed to begin working in Washington that following June. I have returned each summer and worked with various culinary-based programs and organizations. This has been an invaluable opportunity to gather more breadcrumbs and broaden my horizons.

While in Washington during my first summer, I met another key contributor to my life, Pastry Chef Tanya Logan. In the picture below, she and her husband are posing for another scholarship that I was applying for sponsored by DoSomething.org and Sprint to discourage texting and driving. Tanya and her husband have been very supportive of all my scholarships and will do anything to help just like many of the mentors in my life. Outside of her support for my scholarship efforts, Tanya has taught me so much during the two years we have known each other. I must say that her teaching has helped me learn a great deal about running a baking business. One of the most important things that she taught me when we first met was baking math and science. Having her one-on-one instruction as I help her prepare her orders allows me to get insight into how each ingredient plays a role in the things we make! 

One recipe that Tanya will not share is her lemon pound cake. This is an ongoing joke for us but I do understand that it is a family recipe that has been kept discreet for many years. I highlight it here because it's absolutely the best lemon pound cake I have tasted. The lemon flavor is so prominent yet perfectly balanced with that sweetness of a well-made pound cake. If you're ever in this area (or even if you're not), order a lemon pound cake from Soul Cakes by Tanya and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Within this post I also provide a logo for Brainfood, a summer program that I participated in for two consecutive summers in Washington, DC. During my first summer, I just learned basic kitchen skills but this was a critical starting point to give me more training and help me grow from a home-based cook to a future chef. For example, the knife skills I learned at Brainfood have helped me to be more safe and efficient in preparing my dishes. During my second summer with Brainfood, I was given an opportunity to operate a CSA with several other students. We were responsible for tending the garden, harvesting produce, marketing, strategic planning and distributing the produce boxes to customers. We even used some of the ingredients to prepare food to provide to the customers! One of my favorite items was the homemade pizza dough we made to provide to clients. The dough was frozen and we provided detailed instructions for how to make pizza using the other produce provided in the box. However, the students were allowed to make pizza to eat after our work was done for the day at it was amazing! The crust was perfectly crisp on the outside yet chewy and slightly sweet. Brainfood is a wonderful program that teaches kids about sustainable foods and cooking healthy and this breadcrumb of my life has been a significant experience. 

In the final picture, I am standing beside an alum from the CIA! Ashley Soto is the executive pastry chef at my job, Farmers Fishers Bakers. I met her last summer and began working for her to learn how to better myself and my craft. Working in such a popular Washington, DC restaurant, I have learned so many things just by watching and listening to people around me. Lucky for me, the management at the restaurant have allowed me to gain industry experience and shadowing opportunities in just about each area of the business. Most days, I am a Pastry Cook but I also have been able to learn aspects of hosting, serving and and being "Future Manager."

Me with Chef Sandra Tallant

Me with Chef Ashley Soto

Chef Tanya Logan and her husband posing for my DoSomething.org scholarship

Brainfood Washington, DC

The Chambers!

My aunt Carol is one of our family's best cooks. Remember the great aunt Carolyn that I was talking about? Well, Aunt Carol may very well be her sequel! My aunt Carol can cook and bake almost anything she gets her hands on. She used to bake specialty birthday cakes but now she hires me just to encourage and support my business. Her role in my life has made me more well-rounded in catering and conducting business. Here she's cooking a chicken and boy I wish I could have a bite when she's done! 

Uncle Lester is married to Aunt Carol and in this picture he is most likely helping my aunt in the kitchen. A great example of a husband and father, my uncle is a pastor and correctional officer. Strangely enough, my uncle's career is connected to one of my early food memories. When I was younger, we had a big sleepover with all the cousins at Uncle Lester and Aunt Carol's house. My uncle told us about his job and the many reasons why we should avoid wrongdoing that may lead to imprisonment. As part of his story, Uncle Lester decided to make for us a dish served in the prison cafeteria. The one-pot dish, "Set up," included rice, ramen, ground beef, carrots and peas. The dish was quite popular at the facility because it was inexpensive and simple to make. While this was meant to be a lesson, the kids all loved the dish! We often laugh about that night but luckily none of us has taken a path that would give us an opportunity to taste the real thing. 

My First Example of Entrepreneurship

In this picture, my aunt Laurie (center) is shown in the kitchen in the early 1980's. Like me, my aunt is an entrepreneur and she gave me my first example of a successful business owner. She is a seamstress, hair dresser, nanny and she sells hand-made accessories and clothing. Call her a "Jill of all trades," but her work ethic and ability to create have always inspired me. My favorite dish that she makes is Russian Tea.  This is a treat for my family each Christmas - a blend of slowly steeped black tea sweetened and spiced to perfection with pineapple and orange juices, cinnamon and cloves. This was one of the first homemade beverages I learned to make outside of fresh squeezed lemonade and powder-based punches.

The Greats!

When I told the family that I was creating a food journal for this scholarship I had no idea what kind of food history our family had. I was amazed receiving some of these pictures from my aunts and mother - especially since some of them are so old! As I have mentioned, I was adopted into this great family when I was six years old, but looking at the food history you would think I was in this family much longer. In the above picture is a very old newspaper article that shows my great grandmother and another lady telling their secrets to a long life. In front of them is a pound cake and I am pretty sure that had something to do with the secret. I never got to meet my great grandmother but I have learned so many great things about her. She was a very old fashioned southern, Native American woman who lived to be 98 years old. Her lessons and care molded and shaped some of the very people who molded and shaped me. And yes, even the recipes and food traditions shared today were taught by her. I am thankful for her role in making me who I am. 

There is a reason why this article is called, "The Greats." Within the large amount of pictures I received in support of this scholarship, my family sent me a very old picture of a professional baker that I did not know existed in our genealogy. I have been told that Aunt Carolyn (above) was a professional baker which I find to be very cool. We had someone in our family that shared my same passion! I never got to meet her but my grandmother named one of my aunts after her and ironically they too have a love of baking in common. 

I guess good food just runs through the blood lines of our family. 

“First we eat, then we do everything else."

This picture was taken in the 1950's... That's 45 years before I was born!!! The people in this picture are family members I have never met, but the MFK Fisher quote, "First we eat then we do everything else," was so fitting for my family then and now. This quote stood out to me more than any of her other notable sayings because food and fellowship has clearly always at the center of our family. Honestly, I have never heard of anyone doing great things on an empty stomach!

Crumbs!

This is my family. We all are different but one thing we do have in common is food. Almost everyone in this picture has a special dish that they have mastered how to whip together. Some even know to whip together just about anything! These are my roots. These are the people who taught me how to be awesome by leaving invaluable breadcrumbs for me to collect and use for my personal growth. It wouldn't be fair for me to not tell you where I picked up a majority of my skills. This food journal is dedicated to my family. I love you guys.

Proofing

Hi, my name is Jasmine Northcutt. I am 18 years old and I love to bake...