Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Gafencu.
Hi Adriana, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was a little girl, I remember sitting next to my mom Leontina and watch her make bread every week. Her passion for dough and baking started during communism in Romania when everything was limited, and bread was rarely sold in stores. That’s when my mom started to learn on her own about the different types of flour, bread, and easy affordable recipes. I grew up watching her bloom and flourish in European culinary arts, pastries, and more, and as a homeschool mom myself I bake alongside with her and together we serve our European community in DFW.
We specialize in specialty bread, seasonal pastries, and festival goodies. This year we have been catering, setting up for events, and more!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been smooth road, since we had to relocate and move to Texas in 2019, but we got to connect and meet new people. One of the biggest struggles baking in Romania was the time frame of electricity shut off and flour was hard to find at times. Being limited taught us to appreciate and manage time, especially with a growing dough. Since we moved to Dallas, we bake a lot of pastries than food. One of the most popular items is seasoned bread, pretzels, walnut brioche, cheese danishes, and layered cakes. We also make Sarmale – stuffed cabbage rolls, winter preserves, and jams.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a Romanian becoming a US Citizen, I have learned to incorporate both cultures and their food for events in Dallas. My mom @tinasgoodies and I @storyofmylifeandkids have learned to communicate in both languages and understand our customers and their requests for pastries. We are known to make seasonal bread, brioches with different flavors, layered cakes, and culinary arts such as Sarmale, Soups, Meat appetizers, etc. I believe our traditional Romanian pastries is what truly sets us apart! We have kept the original recipes and created some of our own, that we are super proud of!
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories in Romania was the summer trips to the mountains bordering Ukraine to find mushrooms to use for winter canning. I absolutely loved watching my parents prepare for winter. Not only did I learn the recipes but also the passion that came with it.
Pricing:
- Round bread $8
- Traditional Bread $20
- Cheese Danishes $3.75 pc
- Walnut Bread $40
- Layered Cakes $4.99 pc
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinasgoodies www.Instagram.com/storyofmylifeandkids
- Facebook: Tina’s Goodies
