By Maria Isabella, Interview by Bev Shaffer
Jennifer Brush is not one to sit still. She owns The Pastry Brush, a
certified and registered home bakery in Chardon, Ohio. She teaches bread and
gluten-free classes. She bakes for private clients. She teaches at the Western
Reserve School of Cooking in Hudson. She cooks with her husband. And she bakes
with her eight-year-old daughter. Whew!
“I love to cook and I
love to learn,” says Jennifer. “But most importantly, I like for my family to
be healthy.
“Being able to cook with locally sourced products whenever
possible means that we don’t eat preservatives, dyes, or things that are not
found in nature! I think it’s worth the time it takes to make meals from
scratch and to pass that on to my daughter. In fact, it’s something the entire
family can do together.”
With a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, a master’s in
speech language pathology, a professional pastry diploma, certification as a
specialist of wine, and advanced certification in wine and spirits, Jennifer
brings a broad wealth of knowledge to her current roles. But there was actually
a time when things were much simpler.
“My father’s family was from Greece, and they made wonderful
bread, always shaped in a braid with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The crust
was thin and golden brown, the inside was soft and chewy, and it tasted sweet
from a spice called Mahlab (ground sour cherry pits).
“I would watch my paternal grandmother make the dough by
first placing a large black pot on the kitchen floor and emptying 10 pounds of
flour into it! She never referred to any written recipe. I have now learned her
recipe, tweaked it to make it my own, and bake it weekly with my daughter!”
While studying in Paris as a college student, Jennifer also
learned to love French pastries. Which might explain why her favorite comfort
food today is dark chocolate and red wine. But the most unusual thing she’s
ever eaten? “Sweetbreads—and I don’t mean the yeasty kind!” she says with a
laugh.
As for which chef (living or deceased) she would want to
invite over, that’s simple. “I would love to invite Julia Child over for a
summer picnic and sit outside in my garden while sipping wine together. I
actually have a ‘Julia Child’ rose in one of my gardens!”
Learn more about Jennifer as she shares some fun and
interesting insights about herself.
What food always
reminds you of home? For me, the ultimate home-cooked meal is Greek-style
roasted leg of lamb with orzo (baked right in the roasting pan so all of the
meat juices drip on it).
Any favorite
indulgences? I love pâté de foie gras on crusty French bread with a
medium-bodied red wine.
How do you like
to entertain? With wine and bread, and simple food that can be all placed
on a platter in the middle of the table so everyone can have a bit of this and
a bit of that. Usually I make something rich and decadent for dessert so all
one needs is a “little sliver.” I do enjoy the art and challenge of food and
wine pairing. I like to find wines that no one has tried before.
Do you have a
signature dish? Every year my husband asks for carrot cake with cream
cheese/sour cream frosting for his birthday. I put raisins in it that I’ve soaked
in rum for a week. It took me about 5 years to tweak the recipe, but now it’s
perfect. I made it for a restaurant each week for a few years, and it was a
favorite. I have never given away the recipe to anyone.
What’s your
go-to, quick-and-easy dinner? Sesame peanut butter noodles with pea pods.
What’s your
favorite dessert to prepare? Hmm, that’s a hard one. Probably my two
favorites are chocolate espresso buttermilk cake and almond cake with sour
cherries.
What’s one
ingredient you can’t live without? Eggs. They are so versatile. You can
make sweet or savory dishes or an entire meal with eggs. I like to buy organic,
cage-free, locally raised eggs.
Name 3 things
that are always in your refrigerator. Two kinds of yeast, eggs, and
bittersweet dark chocolate.
Name 3 gadgets
you can’t live without. A Globe 10-quart mixer, offset spatula, and sharp
chef knife.
What would
people be surprised to find in your kitchen? Store-bought cookies! I have
never been much of a cookie maker, so I let my daughter pick out cookies at the
grocery store.
The meeting wrapped up with a delectable dinner of vegetarian lasagna, fruit salad, and assorted appetizers, all graciously donated by Vitamix. In fact, all money from the event went directly into the Les Dames d'Escoffier bank account. So a very big THANK YOU to Vitamix for everything!
