Kosher Baking Guru Paula Shoyer Talks About Her Passion for All Things Baking

Paula Shoyer, a household name in the kosher baking world, is a prolific cookbook author and pastry chef. This year she will be CKCA’s Master of Ceremonies at the 7^th annual Kosherfest Chef Competition on November 12^th. During her busy book tour for “The Holiday Kosher Baker,” we grabbed the opportunity to spend time with Paula to learn how she became a kosher baking guru.

What kind of professional training do you have?

In 1996, while I was living in Switzerland and studying at the well-known French cooking school Ritz Escoffier in Paris, I received a degree in French Pastry Arts. I wanted to learn how to cook and bake better, not as a career move but purely for fun so I pursued pastry arts since it was easier kashrut-wise.  

How long have you been working in the kosher food business?

Since 1996.

How did you start out and what was your first job in the kosher food world?

I started working while still in school doing catering jobs as well as desserts and special occasion cakes in Geneva.  I started a business called Paula’s Parisian Pastries, taught baking classes and edited two cookbooks for well known author, Susie Fishbein of the kosher cookbook series Kosher By Design.

In one sentence, describe your current role in the kosher food industry?

I am a cookbook author, freelance writer, cooking and baking teacher and a kosher baking consultant.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

I make people happy and I feel that I am improving the quality of kosher desserts everywhere.

What do you find to be most challenging as a well-known pastry arts chef?

The constant testing and retesting of recipes until I am truly satisfied with the results.  My approach is -- if I have an idea, I’ll keep working on it faithfully until I achieve my goal.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Never take a “no” too personally and keep moving forward. Know in your heart that if you do what you love, something really good will come of it.

What is the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to you on the job?

Two years ago I competed on the Food Network’s “Sweet Genius”. I thought I was truly ready for the show, but surprisingly I felt awkward being on TV. It was surreal being on air and not just a viewer.

What are your passions outside of baking and cooking?

My family and I love traveling.

What do you want to be known for in the baking and culinary world?

I hope to be known for improving the quality of kosher-parve desserts served in people’s home, bakeries and by caterers.

Where did you have your best meal (outside of your own home of course)?

At Tierra Sur, the restaurant at the Herzog winery in California.

What advise do you have for someone interested in becoming a kosher chef?

Find an area where you can contribute something new or unique and be open to new opportunities. If you believe people are settling for lower standards in kosher, don’t be satisfied. Also, push hard for natural ingredients.

How do you think kosher food will change over the next 5 to 10 years?

I’m hoping that parve products will become healthier and more natural.  I’d love for bakeries to get back to artisan baking and to stop using commercial tasteless ingredients to assemble baked goods.  Let’s hope that bakeries will look like the parve bakeries of Paris, such as Contini and Le XXV.

FLASH QUESTIONS

~ Favorite food?  Fried Chicken.

~ Favorite food to cook?  Inventing new soups and baking French tarts.

~ Favorite cookbook? Olive Trees and Honey, by Gil Marks.

~ Favorite cooking show or celebrity chef? I’m a huge fan of Martha Stewart (she’s done Teshuva), her recipes are accessible and I use her books as resources.

~ Favorite kitchen tool? The silicone spatula.

~ Your best tip for successful baking? Read through the entire recipe before you start and be sure to measure properly.

Be sure to check out Paula Shoyer's cookbook “The Holiday KOSHER BAKER”, and her upcoming release for 2015, “The New PASSOVER MENU”!

Kosher Tween Eitan Bernath Competes on Food Network's "Chopped"!

In September of 2014, Teaneck, NJ's kosher tween Eitan Bernath competed in the Food Network show "Chopped," in a special episode for young cooks with culinary passion and talent. CKCA was lucky enough to catch up with Eitan for an interview between his Bar Mitzvah lessons and home cooking classes.



Photo Credit: Food Network

How did you become involved in “Chopped”?

A friend of my dad’s told me that they were casting for the show. I never thought that I would make the cut, but I had video and phone interviews that went really well and I was accepted! I was so surprised when they emailed me that I was going to be filmed for 13-14 hours for the show! 



Photo Credit: Food Network 

Have you ever taken any cooking classes that you feel helped you in competing on “Chopped”?

Everything has helped to prepare me, mostly my experimenting, reading and learning about cooking. After the filming of "Chopped", I took a summer class at the Bergen Academy. It was cool to be cooking in an industrial kitchen, baking 300 cookies instead of 30 and making  huge quantities of food, really different from cooking in my mom's kitchen at home.

I also went to Le Gourmet Factory in Englewood, NJ, which is more a boutique type cooking school for kids my age. My instructor Chef Dana Cohen actually came in third place on the show "Hell’s Kitchen"! I enjoyed my summer classes so much that I'm continuing to take private lessons at home. I can't wait to learn how to make new fun appetizers, sugar treats, my own snicker bars, pulled sugar, French pastry and my favorites -- Indian and Mexican food (especially fish tacos).

How long have you been interested in cooking?

When I was 9 years old I really got interested trying new foods and fell in love with cooking. I especially enjoy cooking new foods for my family. For Rosh Hashanah I made French macaroons with apple cinnamon jam. They were a big hit!

In one sentence describe what your dream job would be in the kosher food industry?  

I want to cook professionally and eventually author and publish my own cookbook.

What do you find most rewarding about cooking?

That I get to eat and enjoy what I make.

Which do you enjoy more cooking or baking and why?

I like cooking a bit more because there are no boundaries with the amount of ingredients you can use.

What do you find the most challenging/frustrating about cooking?

Having to start the dish over from scratch when you make a mistake.

What is the most important lesson you ever learned while cooking?

To always keep an eye on the flame and always stay focused (and yes, I prefer gas burners).

What is the most bizarre thing that ever happened to you in the kitchen?

I was making an omelet with fried onions and it burst into flames!

What do find the hardest to make?

A few things. Making homemade butter, ice cream, my own cheese and creating an original recipe for the demo I'm doing for the public...my creation of steak burritos and sliders really pushed me.

What are you passions outside of cooking/baking?

I love blogging about food and my favorite blog is "Cooking With Amber".  I'm also working on getting a chicken so I can have fresh eggs on hand, I know it sounds crazy but food tastes different when you know where it comes from.

What do you want to be known for in the culinary/baking world? 

Homemade foods like butter ice cream and making Dulce de Leche from scratch.

Describe the best meal you ever had… 

I had the best super spicy burger, even the waiter warned me before I ate it! It was a habanero patty with grilled jalapeño with seed and a house spicy sauce. Have I mentioned that I make my own hot sauce?

What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in getting into the kosher food business? 
Apply your mind to something and you can learn how to do it no matter how hard it is.

FLASH QUESTIONS!
~Favorite food to eat? Butter. I can’t live without it.

~Favorite Cookbook?  Food Network’s You Tube page.

~Favorite Cooking / Baking Show / Celeb Chef? Guy Fieri, the host of  "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," my favorite Food Network show. I also love “Chopped” of course. 

~Favorite kitchen tool(s)? A blender and my own hands.

~Best tip for successful cooking / baking? Don't do other things while you cook and don't text and cook!

Follow Eitan on Facebook, Instagram @chefeitanbernath and Twitter @chefeitan and check out his website http://www.cookwithchefeitan.com.