The upside to the blogging blues

I’ve been experiencing a little bit of the blogging blues lately. From angry posters to photo credit mixups, it’s been a bad blogging week. I have so many recipes, pictures, and thoughts to post but I can’t get myself to post. Diagnosis: blogirus (blog + virus). Symptons: procrastination, antipathy towards blog, suicidal blogging thoughts. The cure: share some laughs and talk with your blogging pals, who couldn’t be more awesome. I think Robin from Caviar and Codfish and Joy from Joy the Baker are two of the nicest girls in the blogosphere. I wish I lived closer to these gals so we could share our blogging adventures over copious amounts of champagne but emails will have to do for now.

 

 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Joy, who answered my questions and let me share some of her delicious photos with approval, of course. The next time I am in Los Angeles, you can bet she and I will be on a bakery extravaganza, kind of like her commendable donut world tour she just embarked one. Speaking with her and Robin have kicked my blogging butt in to motion so posting will go back to normal this coming week. Enjoy the chit chat and head on over to Joy’s blog to get recipes.

What are your earliest memories of spending time in the kitchen? 

My earliest memory in the kitchen is helping my Dad roll out pie crust in the middle of the night.  My Dad used to work the night shift.  He would get home around 4:30 in the morning, wake my sister and I up and have us help him roll out pie crust.  My sister and I actually just sat there holding the plastic rolling mat that my dad liked to work with.  He didn’t really need us to hold it, he just wanted the company of his girls.  Our reward?  Pie crust scrap cookies with cinnamon and sugar!  So worth it.

Do you own your own bakery or work at a bakery? 

I don’t own a bakery, and I don’t even work in one right now.  I’m luck enough to write about and photograph food and restaurants all day.  I have put in my time in industrial kitchens.  I’ve worked as a baker in about 5 lovely bakeries.  My last lovely bakery job just ended a few months ago when I started getting paid to write silly things about cookies and such.

Where are you located? 

I’m in crazy crazy Hollywood, California.  

Do you think going to a culinary academy is important? Do you think it plays a role in owning your bakery? 

Culinary school could be great for some people.  It sure is expensive though!  

How did you get in to blogging? 

I was surfing the internet looking for a recipe when I stumbled upon Smitten Kitchen.  I thought “I want to do that!”… and now I’m doing it!

What do find to be the best reward about blogging? 

I love being able to connect with people who are as nutty about food as I am.  It’s amazing!  I have friends in New Zealand now!  How cool is that!? 

What are 5 of your favorite blogs out there? 

I love Linda at butterfloursugar.  http://buttersugarflour.com/    She’s so cute and her photographs are always incredible.

I love Slush .  She’s so open and honest about everything that’s going on in her life.  She’s so genuine.  Her boys are super cute.  And I don’t understand how she has to time to host all of the blogging events she hosts. Amazing! 

Pioneer Woman blows my mind wide open.  

Sarah at The Delicious Life is sassy. Love.  

Dooce-  Musings.  Laughing.  Pretty rad.

What is the biggest downfall about working in a bakery? 

I love love love working in a bakery.  If you work with a great team, it’s probably the most fun you’ll have in your life.  One hard bit, and I say this as a true morning person, is that the hours can sometimes take over your life.  If you have to wake up at 3:30am to get to work by 4am, then you probably have to go to sleep around 7pm when your boyfriend is just getting home from his job.   

What is your favorite baked good? 

Oh My God!   Hardest question ever.  I love anything I can eat warm from the oven.  Cookies, cinnamon rolls, chocolate cupcakes.  I have come to understand that I became a baker mostly because I love to eat things fresh from the oven without anyone telling me I can’t.  

What is your signature treat? 

Chocolate cupcakes with  chocolate buttercream frosting  or Apple Pie.  I can make an  Apple Pie that will make you want to  slap your Grandma. 

It’s your last meal: what would you have? 

Two grilled hot dogs with brown mustard and sauerkraut, ruffled potato chips with onion dip, and my dad’s potato salad.  For desert, Triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate mousse frosting and slightly melted reese’s peanut butter cups.  Yes! 

Thanks for answering my questions, Joy. When I’m in LA, the donuts & coffee are on me :)