Lei Shishak - Beach house baking: an endless summer of delicious desserts

Copyright 2014 by Lei Shishak

Photographs copyright 2014 by Lei Shishak

Additional materials copyright 2017 by Lei Shishak

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-51071-925-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2491-4

Printed in China

It doesnt matter where you go in life
as long as you go to the beach.

contents

introduction

Journey to the beach. I wasnt always a beach girl. In fact, growing up in rural Pennsylvania I was more of a country bumpkin. And if that wasnt enough I spent four long cold winters in Maine during my college years before moving to Manhattan to begin a career in Private Banking. While the job did more than pay my bills, I was missing a creative outlet. I wanted to work with my hands and create. I wanted to work with food. I wanted to bake. But, I wondered, Was I just being nostalgic recalling baking with my mom as a child? Was baking only meant to be a hobby for me? Did I really want to bake professionally?

One morning on my way to the bank, I saw a small bakery with a Now Hiring sign hanging in the window. The bakery, Buttercup Bake Shop, was owned by Jennifer Appel, who co-founded the famed Magnolia Bakery. I somehow convinced her I was worth hiring and became a weekend cake decorator at her shop. Used to sitting at a cubicle all day, my body shut down after my first day on the job at the bakery. When I got back to my apartment, I soaked in epsom salt for hours and liberally applied Bengay onto my wrists and ankles until they were numb. I had never labored so hardand I was only a part-time cake decorator! Thankfully, after my first week there, my body acclimated to the rigors of kitchen work, and I was on a perpetual high dreaming of a career in food. After over a year there, I left both my baking and banking jobs and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. It was there that I learned baking and pastry arts from some of the most knowledgeable chefs I have ever met. For all those who fear the demands and rigor of culinary school, yes, the Chefs will push you, but thats what you should want to be there for. After graduating at the top of my class with honors, it was time to head out West to the beach. California is not only a physical destination its also a state of mind. I was eager, ready for a career change and felt like I was destined to do some great things. Quite frankly as well, I had spent the first 26 years of my life shoveling snow and scraping ice off of my windshield, and I was over it. I packed up my bags and headed to California.

I began working with Chef Scott Leibfried in Los Angeles. Though I was a lowly pastry cook, I was given great responsibility and was held to high standards. I learned to work efficiently and educated myself on the importance of using seasonal and fresh ingredients. After a stint at another popular Los Angeles restaurant I moved down the coast to Orange County and became the Executive Pastry Chef at Michael Minas Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach. Moving to the fine dining realm was another unforgettable professional experience as I learned from some of the best front- and back-of-the-house experts. I learned the art of plating, the importance of paying attention to the details, and numerous innovative pastry techniques from Chef Lincoln Carson. I learned that the guest is always right (until you get off work and have a drink) and that it is far more fulfilling to create an unforgettable experience for a guest than to push your vision onto someone. After five incredible years at Stonehill Tavern it was time to go out on my own and start my own beach town bakery.

By now I had fallen in love with the beach lifestyle and knew that I could never leave. I chose to open my bakery in the beach town of San Clemente. Its low-key lifestyle and coastal location had always appealed to me and lucky for me, there was a dearth of bakeries in town. I opened Sugar Blossom Bake Shop in early 2010 and hit the ground running. To summarize, running your own business is both exhilarating and exhausting. Thankfully, with a lot of hard work has come much success. I could never have imagined how satisfying it would be to be an entrepreneur. Being the daughter of immigrants, I can attest to how lucky we are to live in America where opportunity is ours for the taking. It is refreshing to bake my own creations on a daily basis and see the smiles my sweet treats bring to peoples faces. If there ever was a dream job for me, this is it.

Life at the beach. I cant imagine not living near the beach. Discovering secluded beaches and hidden coves, kayaking in the early mornings, watching the sun set, and exploring tidal pools are just some of the wonderful things I get to do every day because I live by the beach. I love the sound of waves crashing, the smell of ocean air, and the feel of the Pacific breeze through my hair. Everything seems better when done at the beach if you think about it: sipping a Bordeaux, sharing a secret, indulging in dark chocolate, setting up a picnic, receiving a proposal, sneaking in a workout, getting lost in a good read, firing up a barbeque, even taking a nap!

Baking by the beach. At home when I bake, the beach house fills with the most delicious aromas while the sunlight pours in through the tall windows above. I like to stand in these shafts of light to warm up while taking in a deep breath of the sweets I have baking in the oven. As I look out my loft windows, I see the infinity beyond the ocean and the view makes me feel like nothing is impossible, every day is another chance to do something good, and my life is such a gift.

I wanted to write this book so others could experience the beach lifestyle I and many others are fortunate to have. I get to bake every day in the prettiest place on earth. I wanted to share these tried and truly delicious recipes that I enjoy baking and sharing with everyone in my life. My high quality, made-from-scratch desserts will transport you to beaches and tropical paradises youve always hoped to visit. Not only will this book bring you into the kitchen, it will take you to places beyond.