More Than Just a Pretty Plate. Food Stylist, Laura Goble.

Food Stylist, Laura Goble; Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoEvery once in a while, I get the opportunity to step away from food allergies, and simply talk to beautiful and interesting people in the world of food. My conversation with Laura Goble is one of those inspirational moments that I'm honored to share with you.  ~Elisabeth

What is a Food Stylist?

“I’m lucky. I love my job.”

When you hear this at the beginning of an interview, you know the conversation will be fun. Food stylist Laura Goble loves food, knows how to cook, and has a creative streak and gobs of energy. Her job isn’t just to make food look pretty for the camera; it’s about balancing editorial and creative, and then integrating a strategy around that pretty food.  

Laura has worked with the United Dairy Farmers, Michigan Apples and the Horseradish Information Council as well as cookbook authors, film producers, and major brands and advertisers. She puts together budgets, creates recipes, and often art directs the shoot as well as styles the chow.  

The task board for this photo shoot. Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo.

But what exactly does a food stylist do?

Laura explains, “People have this perception that it’s magic. There are many tricks of the trade, like using Pine Sol to make melted cheese, or motor oil for pancake syrup. Glycerin is popular to make food look fresh, but it gets onto everything. I use very few additives like that.  I think that food is beautiful on its own. You just need the ability to see it, and then help the photographer catch it.”

Laura & Photographer, Brad Bruce on Set

Laura has always loved to cook, but food wasn’t always her gig. After a divorce seven years ago she was forced to drastically rethink her life. As she hung out at photo shoots with another mom who just happened to be a food stylist, she became hooked. Since food styling degrees don’t exist, this was a rare opportunity to apprentice with a veteran. After attending culinary school, including Boston College and the Culinary Institute of America, this mother of four stepped into the work of creating appetites.

Last January, photographer Jeff Hage and I had the chance to catch Laura in action at a photo shoot for author Stephanie Howard and “Kidlicious”, a cookbook full of plant-based foods for kids. The goal was to get twelve shots a day with a staff of four, which is ambitious, especially when working with natural light in a Michigan winter. But very cool to watch.

Food Stylist Toolbag, Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

The two most iconic images of the day were Laura’s stylist bag and back pocket. A set of dentist tweezers that screamed, “It’s about the details, folks!” was the most talked about item. As Laura dunked cilantro into Dawn dishwashing liquid to perk it up, she uncloaked a little more of the stylist mystery. Dawn also clears grease spots from soup. Trident gum is always on the job because, “you can chew it, pop it, and it’s the right thickness to make things stick.” Sometimes she magically mixes canned frosting and powdered sugar to use in place of real ice cream because it sits pretty for long periods of time and doesn’t break a sweat.

Laura w/ the iconic tweeze. Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

“Food styling uses a lot of intuition.  When you look at a bottle, it’s not a bottle. You see its shape, the light, the composition of the shot.”  

Thus, from her intuition and a pile of dishes, glasses, fabrics and colors emerged the perfect setting for smoothies, the right patterns for nachos, and some added color for a flawlessly placed noodle.

Laura is now highly successful, but she doesn’t forget that someone opened that door for her. She has a passion for developing new talent, and recently moved into a live / work space on Fulton Street called “Acorn Studios”.  She’s fully equipped to host shoots and fulfill her greater creative vision.  

And her pretty plate is chock full of vision.

The kitchen in Acorn Studios. Photo Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

Advice on Life, Work, & Becoming a Stylist

FOOD PHILOSOPHY

“Real food.  Everything about it intrigues me. I’m curious to see what and how people eat in different places. My favorite Asian market is in Cleveland – it is just fascinating to see what’s in that market, and what other cultures use for food.”

FAVE G-RAP EATS

“Brewery Vivant has really, really good food.  I’m obsessed with the kale salad at Trillium Haven, and I love Grove.”

Prepping a vegan cake on set. Photo: Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoFOOD TRENDS ON SET

• Clients incorporate more whole grains into recipes
• Farm to Table is hot
• Less ingredients, and those that are easy-to-find
• The use of fresh herbs, especially in compound butters
• Kale
• Cost Friendly
• People are starting to care about what they eat
• Clients aren’t as concerned with the perfect photograph, they now look for the “perfectly imperfect”

ADVICE TO BUDDING FOOD STYLISTS

“Don't be a baby.  You need stamina because you are on the go, hauling stuff, and standing a lot.  Love food. Know how to cook. Be resourceful, creative, and willing to go to many places to find just the right thing or the freshest ingredients. Clients might drive you crazy, but you can’t take it personally. It’s all about making their product look great.”

ADVICE ON FINDING A NEW PATH

“You can’t force what you aren’t ready for, and that's OK. I recommend the book by Julia Cameron called, “The Artist’s Way”.  I wrote line after line, stream of consciousness style, and got the junk out of the way. I’ve learned to always say, “yes.” It opens you up to possibilities and makes you figure out how to do it – whatever ‘it’ is. If you can’t, you can always say, ‘no’ later. But I’ve got the balls to do some crazy stuff.  Change affects me, like my kids growing up, but I don’t mind change.  It’s fun.”

 

About the Author

 Elisabeth VeltmanWriter, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies & The Tender Foodie, its blog, where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table.

A Peek Into My Day Planner - by GF Pastry Chef, Kyra Bussanich

 Kyra Bussanich (right) as she prepared to go on Food Network's Cupcake Wars. Pictured with Jackie, her lovely assistant on the show, and a manager at Kyra's Bake Shop..

Kyra is one of the most well-known gluten-free bakers in the U.S. right now, and there are two reasons for that: 1) she is an amazing pastry chef  2) she works really, really hard. She's given us a behind the scenes look into her experience as a competitor and 2-time winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, now she is giving us an inside look into her day to day life as a new cookbook author. 

BY KYRA BUSSANICH, Author of "Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for the Gluten-Free Lifestyle"

5:48am My alarm goes off with its insistent buzzing and it takes me time to shake off the grogginess enough to realize that I have to wake up. I hit the off switch and roll out of bed. My dogs jump up with me and run to the patio door to be let outside.

6:15am I'm showered and dressed, the dogs have been fed, and I pour myself a giant cup of coffee (merely my first for the day). I add one packet of stevia and a hefty dollop of heavy whipping cream to it, because that's how I roll. Cream, like bacon, makes everything better! I head into the bathroom to layer on makeup—I'm soon heading to do a segment on the local ABC affiliate so I need to apply it just a little heavier than usual to accommodate the studio lights.

7:04am I back into a parking space in front of the bake shop and open the rear doors. I will be making Creamsicle Cupcakes from my book (page 88) on air and need to have all my ingredients, as well as cupcakes in various stages of "doneness" for the camera. I load up a milk crate with bowls, spatulas, a whisk, mascarpone, eggs, orange juice and a box of our dry cake mix. I only have 7 minutes in the segment, so I am taking every shortcut I can. In addition to the cupcake ingredients, I have breakfast for the cast and crew (gooey cinnamon rolls, scones, and Everything bagels).

7:45am Traffic was extremely heavy getting across town but I'm a little early so I swing by the local coffee shop that is 2 blocks from the studio and grab another cup of coffee.

Here's the segment!

9:18am The sound technician removes my mike, tells me how much fun my segment was, and thanks me for bringing in the extra treats. She informs me that the production booth is going crazy for the cinnamon rolls and that no one can believe they're gluten-free!    

10:30am Back to the shop, I drop off the dirty dishes from the news segment and pick up the ingredients for my next event, a book signing and baking demonstration at Williams Sonoma. The girls are making biscotti (also from the cookbook) and it smells good. I snag the end pieces as they’re slicing the cookies. At times like this, I am SO thankful for the awesome team I have at the bake shop helping me prepare for all the events!

11:12am I park in the lot beneath the Williams Sonoma and start carting my supplies upstairs to the demo floor. In addition to the ingredients and equipment I will need for the mini S'Mores tartlets, I have a pack of brand new gold and silver sharpies for book signing.

2:20pm The past several hours have been a blur with people watching me bake, tasting my samples, buying books and BUY THE COOKBOOK!asking me questions on a deeper level about gluten-free baking. I love my job! Driving back to the shop, I return my travel planner friend's call. She's left me a message about an upcoming gluten-free cruise I'm doing, and I have time to chat and answer her questions while I head back to Lake Oswego.

3:00pm Lunch time! I keep a stash of healthy treats in the staff fridge at the bake shop and pull out some slices of pepper turkey, a few string cheeses, a packet of Justin's Nutbutter (maple almond), and an avocado, which I dice and drizzle with 25 year aged balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. This, along with a big bottle of fizzy water, will (mostly) tide me over for the next few hours.

3:29pm The phone rings with my afternoon interview for Delight Gluten-Free magazine. Kristin and I have a lovely discussion about my experiences learning to bake gluten-free. She asks me, if I could have anyone over to dinner, who would I have and what would I make. I think about this for a minute and ask if I can invite more than one person. "Sure!" Kristin responds. The invitation part is easy: Oprah, Dr. Oz, Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Rachael Ray, Giada de Laurentiis, and my mentor Laura Byrne Russell. The hard part is figuring out what I would make for these heavy hitting idols of mine. I settle on garlic roasted chicken, rosemary whipped parsnips, lemony kale salad with parmesan and slivered almonds, and for dessert: Chocolate Mousse Meringue Pie and Lilikoi (passionfruit) Chiffon Pie. An occasion like this calls for (at least) 2 desserts!

4:45pm I've spent the last hour answering emails and in discussion with Jackie and Jen, managers at my shop making plans for next week's events, and it's time to head to my next class: a baking class for the Portland Culinary Alliance, I'll be demo-ing in a space I'm not accustomed to, so I don't know how the ovens will run, or how clean the kitchen will be.

5:39pm Lauren, the class coordinator, offers me something to eat before I begin the class, since it will be 4 hours before I can really eat dinner. I eat a millet burger, some kalamata olives and more fizzy water, and then tie my hair up and wash my hands in preparation for the class. My contacts are starting to bother me, so I have switched to glasses for this class. I look like I''m pretending to be a grownup.

8:52pm The class wraps up and there is a line of people waiting to have a few words with me and ask me to personalize their copy of my book. One woman tells me she has been afraid to try baking since she went gluten-free, but the tips and tricks I have shared during the class have inspired her to buy some gluten-free flours and start playing in the kitchen. I am humbled and honored.

9:16pm I pull into my driveway. My puppies are waiting at the door for me, wagging their tails so hard, their little bodies are curving into jelly beans. My husband is lounging on the couch and I grab an apple and plop down next to him to watch an episode of one of our shows (currently, it's House of Cards).

10:02pm The show is over, so we take the dogs out, then brush our teeth, I wash my face, and crawl into bed and get ready to do it all again tomorrow. Lights out. Sweet dreams.

You can find her cookbook on Amazon.com!

About Kyra

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop (now Kyra's Bake Shop), and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.

More Articles By & About Kyra

Behind the Scenes of Cupcake Wars w/Kyra by Elisabeth Veltman

Kyra's Baking Class Replacing Common Ingredients by Kyra Bussanich

Sweet Cravings: Adventures in Writing My First Cookbook by Kyra Bussanic

Truffle Fudge Brownie Recipe from Kyra Bussanich

Truffle Fudge Brownie Recipe (Paleo Version) from Kyra Bussanich

My Chat with Crave & the First Gluten-Free Winner fo Cupcake Wars by Elisabeth Veltman

Treats and a Toast: Celebrating the release of local Pastry Chef Krya Bussanich's new Cookbook

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013!: If you are near Portland, OR (Lake Oswego), stop by for the book release party for Tender Foodie Guest Blogger, Kyra Bussanich! Congratulations, Kyra on this next super sweet milestone in your career, and in our baking nirvana!

The Oilerie Lake Oswego will be hosting a book signing for local Lake Oswego pastry chef Kyra Bussanich in honor of her newly released cookbook, Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle on September 17th, 2013, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The Oilerie Lake Oswego is located downtown Lake Oswego, 438 1st Street, between A& B Avenue, 503-675-6457.

Join Kyra for a toast and some treats showcasing some of the recipes in her new cookbook.  Kyra will also be signing copies of Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle.

Following a severe battle for her health, and a conversion to eating gluten-free, Kyra Bussanich graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu and opened her award-winning bakery “Kyra’s Bake Shop” (formerly called Crave Bake Shop) in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Her specialty is "gluten-free, deliciously"- and she quickly became a sensation and picked up national media attention as a “must see when you visit Portland.”

Kyra is a two-time winner of The Food Network’s hit show “Cupcake Wars.” She won even though her recipes are exclusively gluten-free (beating “regular” bakers), with glowing reviews from judges believing it impossible to get such flavor with this “handicap.”

While she started out making award-winning pastries, she's branched beyond desserts to other goods in order to help those similarly with celiac or other autoimmune diseases enjoy delicious items while still adhering to eating gluten-free. With gluten-free quickly becoming a lasting and commonly accepted lifestyle, everyone is searching for “the winning secret formula.” Kyra is delivering it.

 BUY THE COOKBOOK!

Watch this Cute Video

READ MORE ABOUT & FROM KYRA

Behind the Scenes of Cupcake Wars w/Kyra by Elisabeth Veltman

Kyra's Baking Class Replacing Common Ingredients by Kyra Bussanich

Sweet Cravings: Adventures in Writing My First Cookbook by Kyra Bussanic

Truffle Fudge Brownie Recipe from Kyra Bussanich

Truffle Fudge Brownie Recipe (Paleo Version) from Kyra Bussanich

My Chat with Crave & the First Gluten-Free Winner fo Cupcake Wars by Elisabeth Veltman

Ice. The Diamonds of Cuisine: Interview with Randy Finch, Ice Guru

Randy Finch in a photograph by Steph Harding from 2012

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPH HARDING

Interview by Elisabeth Veltman

Chef, artist, TV personality, and chainsaw genius, Randy Finch, along with his partner Derek Maxfield, have come to embody the words, “ice” and “art.” Their team has been featured on the Discovery Channel; are in “Ripley’s Believe it Or Not”, and were featured in a show called “Ice Brigade” on The Food Network. I had the privilege to catch Randy for a chat, and visit his very “cool” studio with Steph Harding, photographer, for a fun departure from our regularly scheduled subject matter (food allergies).  

TENDERFOODIE:  Ice sculpture has rather utilitarian roots didn’t it?  But, within a century it became quite an elaborate art form.  When did the art of ice sculpture really begin?

RANDY:  The beginning is debatable. The first documented ice sculpture, was the famous ice palace of 1740, commissioned As seen in Women's Lifestyle Magazine, June 2013by Empress Anna Ivanovna of Russia. She had commissioned this palace and staged a mock wedding there.

TENDERFOODIE:  I read about that! She forced some guy she was angry with to marry one of her servants, spend the entire night in the palace, and expected them to sleep on a bed made of pure ice.

RANDY: Yes! I actually have an original article about this from 1741. It was published in a gentleman’s magazine at the time. The palace was quite elaborate, with trees, birds, and an elephant all made of ice.  

TENDERFOODIE:  Wow.  Tell us more about how ice sculpture has evolved since then.

RANDY:  Mostly, ice was used to keep food cool on the table, and it evolved into art. This was a technique used in the creation of Peach Melba. In fact, they originally used ice swans to display that dessert.

TENDERFOODIE:  Oh, Peach Melba! Created for the legendary opera singer, Nelly Melba, correct?

RANDY:  That is correct.  In the early 1900’s, ice chandeliers, fountains and elaborate sculptures became more common. The quality sagged off in the U.S. for a while, and now it is coming full circle, and more elaborate sculptures are once again becoming common.

TENDERFOODIE:  Why the resurgence?  

RANDY:  People are looking for unique and different things today. Until recent years, it wasn’t just elaborate sculptures that took time; simple products did as well. For instance we used to hand produce little sorbet dishes made of ice, and each would cost at least $35. New technology allows us to make them more quickly and at much less cost. We were the first to use computerized equipment in the U.S. We started using it in Grand Rapids, MI, three months ahead of Las Vegas!

TENDERFOODIE:  Seriously?  How did this happen?

RANDY:  We’ve been in the business for a long time and have many personal relationships in the ice business. We knew the guy who was making the equipment in Canada, and had first dibs.

TENDERFOODIE:  What other products come from this equipment?

RANDY: We can make large bins of ice that hold ice cream for parties, dishes, drink dispensers, and parts for drink luges where the party guest can interact with the sculpture. That is our niche: Interactive ice sculpture that is both functional and beautiful.

TENDERFOODIE:  I saw a video of the ice desk that you did, and oh that grand piano that actually plays, and the pool table! What other interactive sculptures do you do?

RANDY:  The desk was for a Food Network executive. That was really fun. One of the most outrageous projects was a 30-foot long mousetrap game that included a double, fully functional Ferris wheel, and a cannon that lights up and fires. It is based upon the concept of Rube Goldberg, an artist that did drawings of very elaborate ways of doing the simplest things. We did the Mousetrap game for a show called “Recreation Nation” on the Discovery Channel.

TENDERFOODIE: I saw your mousetrap sculpture on YouTube. Truly amazing. Is this your favorite project?

RANDY:  The double Ferris wheel is nearest and dearest to my heart. It actually made it into Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.  But other than that, the next project is always my favorite, whatever the next project might be. We recently did a 32-foot ice dessert bar and a live performance. We created an ice motorcycle with live pyrotechnics coming from the tail pipe right on stage. We are doing a lot more live performance shows as well. We love doing them.

TENDERFOODIE:  You are a chef, and artist, and you must be an engineer of sorts to do what you do. How did you go from chef to an ice sculptor wielding a chain saw?

RANDY: Well, I also studied architecture, and we are known for our power tools. In fact we often choose the chainsaw or drill, even if a chisel is easier! But I did start out as a chef. I went to culinary school and worked as a private chef for Jay Van Andel for quite some time. I was the chef at Cygnus and for Peter Island Resort. My culinary training helps make for great relationships with chefs. I know how to design for any food without being taught. If the chef wants a caviar station, then I know we also need to accommodate blini, and how to design any sculpture so that it works for whatever food creation the chef can dream up.

TENDERFOODIE: What does an ice sculptor do in the summer?

RANDY: One of the biggest things we do in summer is sell our scrap ice, because it melts so much more slowly than regular cubed ice. Fishermen and tailgaters drop off their coolers on Monday, and pick them up on Friday for the weekend.  As we do weddings and graduation sculptures, we throw the extra into their coolers. We are also doing sculpture for Kid Rock backstage.

TENDERFOODIE:  Tell me, ice & cold are rather counter-intuitive symbols of romance. Why do you think it has come to be so closely connected with celebrations and love?

RANDY:  There is a simple elegance to ice. It is artistic. Art and romance have always gone together.  Ice sculpture is created for one, single event. It’s just for you. Ice swans, for instance, are typical sculptures for weddings because they mate for life.  Ice is sensuous. It has clarity and a slickness. Like a diamond, the light gives the sculpture a life of its own.  Like life itself, the ice sculpture transforms the entire time it exists. That’s why people love it and that’s why I love working with it.

 See more about Randy and his team...

About Elisabeth

Owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, Elisabeth is also The Tender Foodie. She started this blog and The Tender Palate, to help those food allergies and sensitivities.

"Sweet Cravings": Adventures in writing my first cookbook

BY GUEST BLOGGER, KYRA BUSSANICH of Crave Bake Shop

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner and two-time champion of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra's new cookbook, "Sweet Cravings" is due to be published in September, 2013. 

Persian Love Cakes

Suspence Novel or Cookbook? 

Pre-order to get Kyra's cookbook at a big discount today! 

I had always dreamed of one day writing a book. Of course, when I was younger, long before I became a pastry chef, I thought I would simply turn one of my vividly crazy dreams into a suspense novel. I even sketched an outline and wrote a few pages for the particular dream I had in mind (a case of identical twins, and a horrible accident that left one dead and the other to unwittingly claim his brother's identity), but life got in the way and I was too busy with my hobbies, and then dating my now-husband to put my effort into the novel.

After I became a pastry cheThe cookbook manuscript!f and opened my gluten-free bake shop, putting together a cookbook seemed like a no-brainer. Afterall, each of my recipes is original, and when I develop them, I also compile them alphabetically in order to find and recreate them for my shop. Plus, based upon my lackluster experiences with the gluten-free pastries available on the market (when I first went gluten-free eight years ago and before I started baking), it seemed that there was definitely a need for a cookbook full of gluten-free desserts that you could proudly serve to gluten-eaters.

So much of what was on the market was dry, crumbly, and tasted like overly-sweetened sawdust (which is probably why gluten-eaters are still hesitant to taste gluten-free pastries for the first time). But this didn't really become my focus until I wowed the judges on "Cupcake Wars."

The Gift of Cupcake Wars

Award Winning African Yam Cupcakes - got the win on Cupcake Wars!When I first appeared on the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" in 2010, I was the first gluten-free baker they had ever had on the show. I had been told by many people that my cupcakes were better than anything else out there (gluten-free or NOT), so I was hopeful that the judges on the show would feel the same way. And once Candace Nelson and Florian Bellanger raved about the "moist, light, tender crumb" and the "flawlessly executed flavor," the phone started ringing off the hook. Ten minutes into the east coast premiere of the show.

By the time the show had aired on the west coast, I had more than a thousand emails in my inbox. Some people just wanted to thank me for showing the world that gluten-free can be absolutely delicious. Some folks wanted to share their story about their diagnosis or their struggle to find delicious gluten-free pastries. Most wanted to place an order for cupcakes or cinnamon rolls, and overnight, I had to figure out how to adequately ship! It was a steep learning curve (and I realized that no matter how many bright orange "FRAGILE" stickers you slap on a box, the ungentle hands of the delivery system don't necessarily heed them).

Four days after the show aired for the first time, I received a phone call from an editor at "Gluten-Free Living" magazine. Kendall told me that she usually catches a few minutes of whatever is on the Food Network as she's unwinding from her day. She often falls asleep to the station. This particular day, however, she heard mention of "gluten-free cupcakes" and sat up straight. Kendall told me it was the first full episode she had seen, and even though I ultimately came in runner up (losing to Brenda's very sleek and elegant sleigh display in the final round), Kendall was impressed. In our phone call, she mentioned that I had inspired the idea of an article called "Cupcakes Coast to Coast," and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed. I welcomed the idea, mostly because I have long felt like an ambassador for the gluten-free world, wanting to show people a little that gluten-free can be delicious. And it can be the start of a vibrant and healthy life.

More than Cupcakes, Just Awesome Gluten-free Desserts

HanantaschenI happened to be featured in the article next to some very well-known and high-profile gluten-free bakers. In particular, Elana Amsterdam (from Elana's Kitchen and author of "The Almond Flour Cookbook") and Erin McKenna (owner of Babycakes Bakery in NYC and LA), both of whom have cookbooks published by Ten Speed Press (an imprint of Random House). In the article, I mentioned that I was compiling a cookbook of gluten-free desserts, not just cupcakes, but also including tiramisu, cannoli, muffins, scones, cakes, pies, tarts and cookies. My cookbook isn't vegan, and it isn't grain-free/paleo/primal. It is simply awesome desserts and pastries that just happen to be made with gluten-free ingredients. Apparently, my Ten Speed editor Lisa Westmoreland was following up on the two published authors and liked what I had to say in my interview. She sent me an email, opening the dialog to begin working together.

Decisions, Luck, & More Decisions

Raspberry Linzertorte Bars (Chapter 4)

Now, let me be frank. I hadn't considered trying to hook up with an established publishing house, mostly because, from what I hear, editors don't really look at authors unless those authors have an agent. At the time, I was still agentless. And agents prefer to only take on clients who have a proven track record for being able to make things happen. So it's difficult to land an agent without already having published, and it's difficult to get interest from an editor unless you have an agent. I happened to get lucky and be in the right place at the right time. But Lisa was very nice, and walked me through the process of writing a proposal (54 pages long!) about exactly what my book would cover. And my mentor Laura B Russell (another Ten Speed author) has published many books and coached me on what to include in my proposal.

The Hard Work to Make it Easy - for Everyone

Classic Cream PuffsIt took me 3 months to write and polish that proposal (submitted July 4th, 2011), and even though I had most of the recipes written at that point, it took me another 11 months to write the manuscript and have non-pastry chefs (teenagers, men, and cooks who adamantly stay away from baking) repeatedly test out each recipe. I wanted them to be as straightforward as possible, making it as easy to replicate my results as can be. Each recipe of the 7 chapters is marked according to ease of preparation ("Easy" for the things ANYONE could follow, even if they only skim over the directions; "Intermediate" for the recipes that have a few more steps and require you to slow down a bit; "Advanced" for techniques that are very familiar to professional pastry chefs but may be a little more intimidating for home bakers). Mostly, I want this book to be accessible. It can be intimidating to bake gluten-free, especially if you're new to the different flours and ingredients. I wanted to simplify this as much as possible. Each recipe is given in the traditional volume measurements that most home bakers are familiar with (such as 1/3 cup, 2 tablespoons), but since it is always more accurate to measure by weight, I also give the weights in grams. This way, someone in Australia who is used to the metric system could still use these recipes. A home baker here in the States who happens to be allergic to millet flour would know exactly how much of an alternative ingredient to substitute (because a cup of say, tapioca starch or sweet white right flour does NOT equal a cup of millet flour).

Final Manuscript & Book Tour!

I turned in the "final" version of my manuscript on June 30th, 2012 (just days after my fourth appearance on "Cupcake Wars"). There is still some fine-tuning and polishing that I'm doing, and just last week, we re-shot a few of the photos for recipes in the book. I am very visual, and I only buy cookbooks with gorgeous photography of edible and delectable looking dishes, so I want the photos in my book to look as inviting as possible. I am very proud to say that "Sweet Cravings" will come out on September 10th, and though I don't yet know details, there WILL be a book tour!

Can You Do it All?

My Gluten-free Sisters!

I've often been asked how in the world I managed to compete on Cupcake Wars so many times (with 2 wins!), run the bake shop, write the cookbook AND still have a personal life. The honest answer is that I haven't. My personal life was the first to go: I have let many friendships lapse, and date nights with my husband have gone by the wayside.

I have an amazing team of staff who keep the bake shop humming along (in particular, my managers Jackie Eizik, who was my assistant on Cupcake Wars, Jen Petersmark, Lisa Horness and Carly Sullivan). We bake 17 hours a day, beginning with a midnight shift, and thank goodness I no longer need to be present the entire time the shop is open. And the conferences are things that I probably shouldn't have time for, but I really enjoy. I have made some friends who feel like family and these expos are the only time we see eachother. It's a lot like summer camp friends who actually stay in touch. We bond over good food (and food we can ALL eat, as each and every one of us is gluten-intolerant), and email, text and talk during the months in between conferences. And though the show hours are long and grueling, knowing that I'll be having dinner with my sisters makes it all worth it.

Secrets: Almost Losing it All

Being passionate about what you're doing makes it all worth it, but there are indeed sacrifices along the way. Most people don't know this, but in the very early days, before I had my retail location, my husband Jason was out of work and looking for his place to land. We couldn't keep the mortgage with the paycheck from my restaurant job and we wiped out our savings and my 401K trying. Eventually, we decided to put what little money we had left into the bake shop and while we were building the brick and mortar storefront, we lost the house that we had owned for 8 years, and had to move into Jason's dad's house. Every penny I earned from the business went back into the business.

Things Get Better!

My New Mixes!Along the way, Jason found a great job, and eventually bought the practice. The bake shop was immediately busy and I scrambled to hire the right employees. I went back on "Cupcake Wars" (and again and again). My new line of gluten-free cake and cupcake mixes has come out, too!  The mixes use the actual recipes that I won "Cupcake Wars" with: The Vanilla mix was used for the Spicy Peach Bellini, NY Cheesecake and the Coffee & Doughnuts cupcakes; the Snickerdoodle mix was used for the Chai Spice and Apple Fritter cupcakes; the Chocolate mix for Chocolate Hazelnut, the Dark Chocolate Delight and the Ding Dong cupcakes). And now my book!

I do have regrets along the way (if only I knew then what I know now!), but my job is never one of them. Everything that has happened has been for the best, and I am truly excited to see where things go from here!

More Articles About Kyra on TenderFoodie

2011:  My Chat w/ Crave - the First Gluten-free Baker to Win Cupcake Wars

Behind the Scenes of Cupcake Wars with Kyra Bussanich

About the Author, Kyra Bussanich

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.