7 Questions with Leah Stewart
7 Questions is a series of interviews with the culinary movers and shakers you want or ought to know.
Last month I was invited to a taping of a series called “Aha Moments” by Mutual of Omaha. That’s right the Wild Kingdom people. As those of you who have seen my segment know it went well and I was able to share my story of being a Wannabe TV Chef with the country. After the clip was posted to “the youtube” I watched a few of the other interviewees.
I was struck by one in particular, a restauranteur from Waco, Texas named Leah Stewart. Stewart (no relation) is the owner of The Olive Branch Bakery & Cafe. The Olive Branch is a comfortable place for fellowship: a meal with friends or co-workers, a power breakfast meeting, or a dessert-and-coffee date right in downtown Waco. It has been one of the “it” places in the city since it opened in 2003.
One of the things that struck me about Stewart was her devotion to her family. Her mother, especially, is very active in her business. That’s a side of America that we’ve lost over the decades and it is always nice to see someone who bridges the hominess of yesteryear with the modern lifestyle of the 21st Century.
Leah also dabbles in food blogging on her site To Taste which incidentally is also the name of her cookbook. In a moment you’ll get a chance to view Leah’s Aha Moment but first she answers 7 Questions:
1. How old were you when you first started to cook?
Oh, that’s a good question. I’d say I was in high school.
2. What is it about the hospitality industry that inspires you?
I love working with people and I love getting to be apart of big events in their lives. I think that that’s really fun. I really enjoy being “that place” people want to come for birthdays. Or being the one that you get your kid’s birthday cake from every year and people bring in pictures of their kids as they grow. It’s exciting to be apart of the community that way.
3. How did you decide on the name The Olive Branch for your cafe?
I get the name The Olive Branch directly out of the story of Noah. I’ve always loved that story; it’s probably my favorite Bible story. The dove returning with the olive branch was the first sign that he wasn’t crazy and they were actually going to get off the boat.
4. How would you describe the cuisine on the menu at The Olive Branch?
We’re an American bakery/cafe. We bake all of our own breads, all of our own pastas, our pasta sauces. We make all of our own desserts. We make our own dressings. We do soups, salads, quiches. We’re open breakfast and lunch. We do as much from scratch as we can.
5. It appears that you take coffee very seriously, why such attention to detail?
I actually got into the food industry as a assistant manager at a coffee house here in Waco. I was a manager there for six years and all we did was coffee so I had a lot of training as a barista, a lot of interaction with coffee companies. I’ve been to coffee plantations so I’ve seen to process from start to finish and I find that process fascinating. I want it to be an experience and I want to enjoy it. I don’t want to drink a product just to be drinking it I want it to be good.
We’ve got our own espresso bar. We have four different kinds of drip coffee that we do. We created our own coffee blend.
6. What part does your family play in the day-to-day operations of the cafe?
My parents and sister are investors and they certainly are always willing to help. My mother and I always laugh because for the past eight years Mother’s Day has always been her at the restaurant washing dishes with me. They’re always willing to come up and help on a busy weekend. Or if I get to take some time off my mom usually comes up and takes my place here at the restaurant.
7. What’s next for Leah Stewart?
That’s a really big question there. Honestly I think growing this business and doing the best I can with the business I have here. We’re in our third location, we’ve been open for eight years, this location we have has so many more possibilities than I’ve had before. I’m really enjoying the possibilities of what I can do here and how far I can go with the Olive Branch just where it is. I really love writing recipes. I’ve got a cookbook, too. I’m trying to stay open and see what the next avenue is.
7 Questions with Sheri Chen
7 Questions is a series of interviews with the culinary movers and shakers you want or ought to know.
When you are the mother of a very picky two-year-old how do you know when you’ve struck the right balance between satisfying your child’s nutritional needs and making food they will actually eat? When the New York Times does a story about you, that’s when.
That’s what happened to Sheri Chen when she began using the quaint Japanese custom of packing a well balanced lunch in artfully crafted packages known as Obentos (Bento boxes). Chen disguised her healthy vittles with kid-friendly shapes like bunnies and kittens and her formerly finicky youngling began gobbling up her cherry tomatoes, broccoli and boiled eggs.
It went over so well that this stay-at-home-mother began sharing her ideas via her popular blog Happy Little Bento. The blog includes instructions and a plethora of photos of what can only be described as happy little bento. Soon came guest appearances on the Cooking Channel, PureNaturalDiva.com, TheKitchn.com and Glamour Magazine.
At the bottom of this post there is a gallery of some of Sheri’s creative Bento but first she answers 7 Questions:
1. For those unfamiliar with the term, what is a Bento?
A bento is loosely defined as a meal packed inside a box. Originating in Japan, this lunch style has been adopted worldwide; the traditional foods easily replaced by other cultural options. In addition to being convenient, a bento lunch is an excellent way to ensure a balanced meal with the additional bonus of being visually pleasing. The style of bento can range from a time-consuming artistic creation depicting real animals and character (charaben) to a standard colorful array anyone might put together in a few minutes.
2. What is it about Bento that makes them so appealing?
Kids and adults alike appreciate an appetizing meal. Not only does a bento box allow one to present a complete meal all at once, this type of display encourages one to use attractive and varied colors (fruits, veg, protein, carb), which results in a nutritious meal. If your food looks delicious and lovely, you’re more likely to feel excited about eating it, and kids especially become adventurous and more willing to finish. It’s an act of love to take the time and effort to choose and arrange food in a thoughtful manner for someone to enjoy. I really believe in the power of bento to encourage a lifestyle of healthy eating habits and enjoyment of food, as well as the bonding it fosters between parent and child.
3. What was the inspiration for starting your blog, Happy Little Bento?
For years I had been happily packing bento for my kids and going along my merry way. I actually used to keep a handwritten diary of what I fed my son each day since he started on solid food until I realized I could simply take a picture and keep an online photo diary. The day I posted my first picture and received my first comment, I discovered a whole new network of friends with similar interests. It seemed natural to start the blog and make it easier to maintain the connections with other parents. Since then I’ve found that it also serves to bring new people to bento, which has been one of the biggest thrills of my blogging life.
4. You have been featured in the New York Times and on the Cooking Channel. Are you surprised by the attention your blog has attracted?
When I started I certainly never expected to attract any special attention; my main goal was a personal reference for future bento planning. In the past few years I’ve witnessed a huge growth in the bento-making community of parents, and they want to learn more for the benefit of their children. I’m very fortunate to be a part of this movement gaining wide popularity and it makes me very excited to help bring attention to bento.
5. What do your kids think of all this?
My second-grade boy likes to act pretty cool about it while my 4 year old daughter likes to talk about it to her friends and teachers. They’ve both shared their photo session experiences at school. She loves the spotlight so all the attention is right up her alley. They’ve grown up with bento all their lives so it’s nice that they get to take part in sharing it with others.
6. Do your readers ever share their ideas with you?
I hear from parents all over the world who tell me that they’ve become inspired to pack bento for their kids when they see how easy it looks, or that their kids see the photos and ask to bring one to school. Usually they ask questions but sometimes they tell me about how they’ve used bento to successfully transform their kids’ mealtimes. I love those emails because they inspire me to continue sharing my experience and to strive to improve my efforts with my own bentomaking.
7. Are their any plans for a book based on your blog?
Not at the moment but I’m open for the next challenge!
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7 Questions with Zuzy Martin Lynch
7 Questions is a series of interviews with the culinary movers and shakers you want or ought to know better.
Cooking for the Clueless is a web site for all of those folks who realized that they hit the big 3-0 without ever learning how to cook. It was started by the bi-coastal couple of Zuzy Martin Lynch and Rick Lynch. Rick is a California guy who grew up living the hipster West Coast lifestyle which included eating out a lot. The same was true for Zuzy who grew up in the glamor of the East Coast where dining out is as common to New Yorkers as breathing. But somewhere along the way neither learned their way around the kitchen.
According to the web site, “Cooking for the Clueless was born in our living room after realizing that we had a storage full of kitchen gadgets, appliances, and registry must-haves that we didn’t know how to use.” The site features cooking tips and videos, recipes, a team of chefs and food writers that provide expert advice on everything from special diets to supermarket shopping strategies.
The web site soon produced a DVD also entitled Cooking for the Clueless that has been described as a must-have for anyone looking to tackle the kitchen. The DVD is available on their site and at amazon.com (HERE). It has received a lot of accolades including winning a coveted Tasty Award for best DVD in 2010. High praise indeed.
Recently Zuzy Martin Lynch was kind enough to answer 7 Questions:
1. How old were you when you first started to cook?
Hmmm. This is an embarrassing one, but then again, I am the founder of “Cooking for the Clueless” so the real answer is: late, too late. I learned how to entertain at a very early age. I learned how to eat out very young too. Learning how to cook came late, in my thirties!
2. What was the inspiration for “Cooking for the Clueless?”
My husband and I grew tired of eating out every night because we didn’t know how to cook. One day after realizing that eating out everyday was exhausting and expensive, we decided to get help and help others in our boat (about half of America)!
3. Who would you say has influenced you the most?
My grandmothers, have by far, been the biggest influence on who I am. This includes good and bad habits. LOL. So, I have good old-fashioned values and I’m super nurturing, but I never knew how to cook because they spoiled me instead of teaching me how to cook. Ok, so now that I’m an adult, I won’t blame poor grandmas (God bless them), but they did take part in making me “clueless.”
4. If you hadn’t followed this career path, what other career could you see yourself in?
Journalism. Most definitely. I love asking questions and understanding the world through the stories and experiences of others.
5. What’s the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my Cooking for the Clueless career has been appearing on some fun morning shows, winning a Tasty Award and meeting my favorite TV chefs in person including Fabio Viviani of Top Chef!
6. What has winning a Tasty Award meant to you?
I love my Tasty Award! It has been great being recognized for admitting that I was clueless in the kitchen and trying to help the millions of America who are most definitely in the same boat. I also love how the Tastys bring all the foodie peeps together in one place – they are so much fun!
7. What’s next for Zuzy Martin Lynch?
This spring (TODAY), we’re launching Fridays with Fabio where I interview chef Fabio Viviani of Top Chef during a weekly series – asking him anything we want to know. My dream is to bring Cooking for the Clueless to more people – exposing them not only to the kitchen, but to cultures, customs and foods from around the world.
Fridays with Fabio: