Foodie Instaview with a Chef
Over the last few weeks I’ve had the privilege of talking with the fascinating and talented Chef Lo ( @cheflo2016 ). She’s the Pastry Chef & Catering Manager at Bread+Butter ( @breadbutterpb ) and is responsible for some amazing creations such as the Moose Drool Brown Ale Cupcakes that B+B served at the Bootheel Beerfest.
PBF: Where did you learn how to make your amazing desserts?
CL: I have never attended formal culinary school. My training is all directly through restaurant and bakery experience, family, and self-taught.
PBF: When did you know that you wanted to make pastries and desserts for a living?
CL: I started making cheesecakes for friends and family when I was about 19. I always thought photography was my ideal career choice though. I grew up loving to cook and watching the matriarchs of my family making everything from scratch. The more I tasted things I ate elsewhere, the more I realized I could make it taste better. I very distinctly remember tasting red velvet cake for the first time, grocery store brand, and I was so disappointed. I read so many descriptions of it that would make my mouth water. I thought this can't possibly be right. So, I set out to make it myself, from scratch. Then came the ah ha moment. I had achieved it. If I could do that, surely, I could create more. When I figured out I was better than pretty good at baking, I decided to sell morsels to whoever would buy them.
PBF: Do you still do any photography?
CL: Yes I still take pictures....of food lol
PBF: Who was the biggest influence in your current career path and why?
CL: My kids are my biggest influence. They are all almost grown now but I wanted to do something that they could be proud of. Something that would make them say "yea that's MY mom". I think most single parents strive for that.
PBF: I can totally agree with that my kids are more of an influence than they will ever know. What is your favorite thing to prepare?
CL: I don't if I could narrow down a single favorite thing to prepare. Pasta dishes, ceviche, and chicken & dumplings would probably top the list. Desserts of course... especially cheesecake, tiramisu, and tres leches (milk cake).
PBF: I’ve never tried ceviche or tres leches, but they both look amazing. What recipe still intimidated you?
CL: Grilling and cutting meat is intimidating to me. I'd definitely like to greatly improve my skills in those areas.
PBF: That is an avenue I’ve tried to teach my self over the last few years, The Scott Rea Project ( @scottreaproject_ ) helped me out a lot. What is your feelings/ opinions on the current Farm-to-table trends?
CL: Farm-to-table is fantastic if the resources are available. Supporting local business is what makes smaller towns survive/thrive. In some instances, the best quality ingredients have to be purchased elsewhere.
PBF: I feel like Poplar Bluff is a difficult place to find many quality ingredients, do you struggle with this or have any favorite places you like to shop?
CL: Yes, depending on the season, vegetable and fruit choices are so limited. Making anything out of the ordinary poses an issue too because the ethnic foods sections in our grocery stores is minimal. When I cook, I tend to get ingredients from Aldi and Kroger. Baking products tend to come from Walmart and Kroger. I wish we had a whole foods type market (not specifically Whole Foods chain). I went to one in Springfield last year that was impressive, ...vanilla beans, lavender, herbs, spices... and I didn't have to sever a limb to purchase them. It was nice!
PBF: Many of my favorite shows on TV are cooking/food shows and I tend to follow several chefs on instagram, which celebrity chef do you follow?
CL: For me, meeting a celebrity chef would be equivalent to meeting an A-list movie star. Alton Brown ( @altonbrown ), Morimoto ( @chef_morimoto ), Gordon Ramsey ( @gordongram )... I'd squeal and act ridiculous if I ever met them. I'd love to bake with Ron Ben-Isreal ( @rbicakes ). He's brilliant.
The majority of people and pages I follow are chefs/food related. I am intrigued and excited by food. If they peak my interest, I'm in.
PBF: I’m the same Alton Brown is my hero. Where would you like to go on your next Food Trip?
CL: I would love to go back to New Orleans during one of their food festivals. I drove through there a couple years ago, on my way to Florida. I had a crawfish omelet that did nothing but make me crave more lol. I need more of the Cajun goodness.
PBF: Oh, yes, I’m a Cajun food slut. What is your favorite dish at Bread + Butter?
CL: My favorite is the Brekky Burger (juicy hamburger, toasted bun, homemade sausage gravy, crispy hash browns, and one glorious, over easy egg) .... you could probably put a fried egg on just about anything and it'll be delicious
PBF: I love a runny egg on a burger. What’s your favorite dessert?
CL: My favorite dessert is creme brulee.
PBF: Before we leave, can you share a simple recipe with us?
CL: My bruschetta is one of the easiest morsels I make. Dice 4 tomatoes, 1 purple onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, a container Portobello mushrooms, 1 cucumber, and if you don't loathe them as I do, you can add olives 🤢🤢🤢. Put that all in a large bowl, add sea salt, cracked pepper and toss. Pour in one bottle of Girard’s Greek dressing. Stir to coat all veggies. Let marinate in fridge about 30 minutes. While that's doing it's magic, slice a baguette, drizzle with Olive oil and sea salt. Toast until golden. As soon as you get it out of the oven, rub a garlic clove over each piece. Get your veggies out and toss in a container of feta cheese. Serve on top of toast.
PBF: That sounds delicious. Thank you for spending the time talking with me, I’ve had a wonderful time.
CL: Thank you so much for interviewing me. I'm very flattered and humbled by your consideration. I always enjoy reading your critiques and I hope we can collaborate again in the future.
Be sure to stop by Bread + Butter to try all of Chef Lo’s creation. My personal favorites are her Gooey Butter Cake and her Cheesecake. Let me know in the comments what your favorites are and what I should try next.
Enjoy
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I have to confess that I'm a bit of a gas station "cappuccino" aficionado. Truthfully anything beyond Foldgers is a bit of an adventure. However, with all the buzz about Foxtrot Coffee, I knew I needed to check them out. 
Armed with my new knowledge I stopped in this morning to see what all the buzz was about. OMG this place is gorgeous! The mix of rustic brick and industrial modern accents make it difficult to hang on to your stress. I finally quit gawking long enough to order a French Vanilla Latte and a bagel. The show of adding milk and foam to your coffee builds the anticipation until you are craning your neck like a kid at the ice cream counter. The only negative that I had was when the barista pulled out the Country Crock for my bagel, I had asked for butter since they were out of cream cheese.
