Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Baumann.
Hi Cynthia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Italy and grew up in a very Italian household in Boston. That means that my family grew their own vegetables, made their own pasta, jarred home-grown tomatoes, made wine, cheese, prosciutto, you get the idea. I fondly remember helping my mother and Nonna make authentic Italian dishes for our family and friends, particularly recipes from the Campagna region of Italy, and it was here that my experiences in the kitchen began.
Since childhood, I’ve always loved working with my hands to make beautiful and /or useful things. My interests varied, and they utilized a number of different skills – skills that have served me well today. Making things to present as gifts gave me so much pleasure.
After I left the nest, got married, and finally had a home of my own, I realized that my husband and I enjoyed hosting friends for dinners and parties at our house. I often handled everything – the cooking, the decorating, and even the activity if there was going to be one. It has always been my pleasure to cook delicious, homemade food in a lovely setting for all to enjoy.
The more I entertained, the more I realized how gratifying it is to bring out, at the end of the meal, a delicious, eye-catching, dessert. For me it’s like presenting a beautifully-wrapped package that everyone takes part in unwrapping by eating it. Their reactions and responses made me want to do more of that by offering my desserts to people locally. But what could I offer that a million other bakeries in this area don’t already have? Coming from Boston, a city of strong Italian heritage, I realized that I don’t see much in authentic, southern Italian food or desserts here in Dallas so I dived into my recipe file and chose a few of my favorite traditional Italian cookie and cake recipes that have been handed down to me – ones that are most familiar to the many Italians who come from the New England area.
I decided to give it a go by designing my own website and putting together a small menu where people can see what I offer. Then I put the word out to a few friends and local residents, and the orders started coming in; thus, my home cottage bakery was born. Word has gotten around some, and so far, customers have been very pleased. Yay! This has been very gratifying for me, and it motivates me to grow my menu.
In addition to my Italian home bakery, I had also entertained the possibility of hosting cooking lessons out of my kitchen. This idea crystalized when I answered an ad to work in a pastry kitchen of a well-known establishment. I really didn’t want the job, but I wanted the interview to see if they’d even consider me. After testing my abilities in their kitchen, they offered me the job, which I didn’t take. I did, however, have the experience of making over 60 Tiramisus that day using their recipe. I have to say that I was not impressed with their recipe, and when I returned home, I closed the door behind me and loudly said to my husband, “That’s it! I need to teach people how to make my version of Tiramisu!” And so, I announced my first “Tiramisu class”. I wasn’t sure if anyone would respond, but I underestimated the popularity of this class. Yay, again! Now, by popular demand, I’ve expanded my classes to offer a variety of Italian dishes geared mostly toward dishes to be served as meals.
In all it’s always exciting to receive bakery orders and to prepare them for my customers. I love the act of packaging their items and presenting them with their “box(es) of goodies”. The smile on each face as I hand them their box and then receiving their feedback is most exciting and what fuels my passion to continue. As for the cooking classes, I am delighted that the participants are learning new dishes and techniques while enjoying themselves socially.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
So far, it’s been pretty smooth-sailing, but working all by myself in my home kitchen can sometimes be challenging. I am a one-person operation and make everything from scratch! I like to work alone, but during the holidays, it can be overwhelming with orders coming in.
As word spreads and orders increase, the greater challenge will be to determine if and how I wish to scale up this operation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I sell traditional, authentic Italian desserts (cookies and cakes) – items that you might only find in an Italian bakery or grew up with if you come from Italian heritage. I work from my home and make everything, myself, from scratch using quality ingredients. I also bake-to-order, which means that you get your items fresh and as close to your needed date as possible.
My cooking classes are small and intimate (2-4 people). I foster an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable learning how to make some of my favorite dishes (dishes that you will, oftentimes, take home – how cool is that!) All the classes are hands-on so that you take part in learning every step of the process with very little-to-no sharing of tasks. My intention is to make you feel confident enough to reproduce the dishes in your home. I demonstrate and explain my methods while assisting those in need and sometimes offer background information about the dishes and about the items and ingredients I use. In addition, my classes offer the option to enjoy a full, sit-down meal together featuring the dish of the day while we get to know each other.
One comment that I’ve consistently received from my students is about my ability to explain things in a clear and understandable manner. This is especially important in a cooking class b/c everyone has a different skillset and experience in the kitchen. I try to demonstrate some of the finer points about the techniques I use, and I aim toward assisting those who need that little bit of extra guidance.
I constantly strive to hone my own skills and learn new ones. I recently challenged myself to make from scratch the notoriously-difficult “French croissant”. Based on lots of reading and watching others on the subtleties involved, I carefully made my first batch. I must say that I was SO delighted with the outcome! I mean I’ve seen and eaten many croissants in my life (some not so impressive), and I was thrilled to see that my first batch came out crispy and light with an evenly-layered, airy crumb. For me, it was a moment of joy and pride! From there I went on to try my hand at making “French baguettes” with similar, positive results.
In summary, I do love to challenge myself, learn new skills, create beautiful things, and then teach what I’ve learned.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Don’t be cocky because mistakes can and do happen! Stick with a proven technique and/or recipe and don’t tweak anything when fulfilling a customer’s order. Leave the tweaking and experimentation on your own time.
One thing for sure is to “hug my customers” – that means that it’s important to, sometimes, do the little “extra” things that make customers feel valued so they know that I care about their satisfaction. At the same time, I must learn to not undervalue my time and effort, which is still a challenge.
Contact Info:
- Email: c.baum@sbcglobal.net
- Website: cucina-dolce.com
