Theo Chocolate CEO Joe Whinney and actor and Academy Award-winning movie director Ben Affleck inspect cocoa beans in eastern Congo. Photo: Piet Suess

A certain Seattle fair trade chocolate-maker has cozy ties to Ben Affleck. Affleck is known as much for his political activism as he is for his acting, directing, producing and “interesting” reveals on the state of his marriage to Jennifer Garner. More on Affleck and Theo Chocolate in a bit.

Cacao nibs from Theo Chocolate. Photo: courtesy of Theo Chocolate

During the Bay Area’s first dot-com, dot-gone boom in the late Nineties, I used to visit Seattle a few times a year for event work, often squeezing in a day or more with my family tribe up there. When my last box of pens, light-up balls and other dot-com collateral was safely shipped back to Silicon Valley, I’d hightail it to the Seattle ‘burb of Mukilteo, which looks over the Puget Sound, to rest and hang with my young cousins. The routine at my aunt and uncle’s home revolved around delicious home cookouts that reflected the local bounty—things like planked salmon (a fish that, ironically, my Uncle “Kiwi” avoids, after decades of professional sea fishing) and crab with some fresh, seasonal vegetables. Red Hook beer, made locally since 1981, was the house beverage of choice.

There were restaurant adventures, too, mainly to family-friendly Thai or Mexican joints. Aunt Kelly, who had worked in the hospitality biz, told me all about chef Tom Douglas as we noshed at his Dahlia Lounge–even today, Douglas remains a prominent Seattle chef and restaurateur, cookbook author, spice rub line and all. Once this branch of my family moved to New Zealand, where my uncle is from, the frequency of my Seattle trips tapered off…almost completely. I was therefore very excited to return to Seattle recently to explore and eat. While I did find myself pining for folks who now live on the other side of the world, the city was still its welcoming and occasionally drizzly self. Here are food-centric spots that caught my attention:

Theo Chocolate

Ben Affleck is working with Theo Chocolate to create some rather good chocolate bars, via the Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), which aims to help farmers in Africa’s Eastern Congo. Affleck founded ECI and took a hands-on approach and inspected cocoa beans with Theo Chocolate CEO Joe Whinney. The Theo tour in the fun and funky Fremont neighborhood is a must-do and tour guests get discounted pricing on many sweet treats in the retail space. Sample, see, smell, and learn about chocolate in a historic 28,000-square-foot brick factory that in recent years housed the Red Hook Brewery and up until 1941 was home to the city’s electric trolley fleet. I liked the set up of the color-coded, hour-long tour, which made for an easy-to-follow visit of a site that is gearing up to make nearly six millions pounds of chocolate annually.

Collections Café at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Both the Collections Café and sister restaurant Sky City show their affinity to Slow Food Seattle through the quality of food preparation and ingredients as well as through the wine and craft beer lists. Sky City offers a memorable meal and spectacular views atop the Space Needle, yet it is spendy and more of a special occasion spot.

View of Space Needle from Chihuly Garden and Glass
Photo: Mary Ladd

Downstairs near the Chihuly Garden and Glass space, the daily menu efforts of chefs Ivan Szilak and Jeff Maxfield at Collections Café are gentler on the pocketbook. Dishes served in a space that is directly nestled under the Space Needle include crispy Beecher’s cheese curds (made nearby) with bourbon tomato jam, salmon shrimp cakes, and the dish that got Szilak his job — chicken paprikás. Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose world famous glass work and Americana collections can be viewed at the museum, is known to stop in regularly for the burger with red onion jam, bacon, Beecher’s Marco Polo and peppadew aioli. I grew up collecting stickers, dolls, and books—so the arrangement of collections (accordions, corkscrews, radios, etc.) under glass and hanging in the restaurant kept my attention. This is museum food, but the cooking and menu show a flair and variety that is worlds away from limp institutional fare. For summertime, chef Szilak plans on serving a Bourbon Ice Cream Coke Float for a decidedly adult dessert.

Inside Collections Cafe. Photo: Mary Ladd

The Whale Wins

This is the newest restaurant from Renee Erickson, who has been cooking for over fifteen years and first broke into the culinary scene via her Boat Street Cafe and Kitchen. Renee has received accolades for her growing mini-empire of tasty restaurants that include Narwhal, an oyster mobile food truck. The James Beard Awards have come a-callin’ and Bon Appétit gave Erickson’s The Walrus and the Carpenter oyster restaurant a spot on its “20 Most Important Restaurants” list. One of the adorable factoids about Renee is that her mother, Shirlee, is involved with Renee’s Boat Street Pickles’ production.

Renee Erickson at The Whale Wins. Photo: Mary Ladd

The open kitchen at The Whale Wins. Photo: Mary Ladd

Over lunch at The Whale Wins that included views of the treasured wood-fired oven, Renee told me this about Seattle’s culinary state: “I feel very lucky to be here. In the past six to seven years, the area has exploded. We have ‘the best of’ wine, cheese makers, cheese, everything.” (Renee’s wild huckleberry Eton mess dessert could easily be a contender for that “best of” list.)

Wild Huckleberry Eton Mess Dessert from The Whale Wins. Photo: Mary Ladd

Matt’s in the Market

The “fishwiches” from Matt’s in the Market (includes killer views of the Pike Place Market) came highly recommended. Matt’s has expanded the restaurant seating area and serves six sandwiches daily, three with meat. While the falafel with pork cheeks sounded interesting, I was there for the fish. My steelhead fishwich with bacon, guacamole, miniature greens, and spicy aioli on brioche bread was a tad messy but worth the effort. Customers at the bar were enjoying a Mexican Fernet breakfast martini. The room with a view includes jovial staff in an open kitchen, big windows and fresh floral accents.

View from Matt’s in the Market. Photo: Mary Ladd

Matt’s in the Market Fishwich. Photo: Mary Ladd

Lola

Food writer Amy Sherman pointed me to the Tom’s Big Breakfast at Lola, saying, “It might change your life.” Lola is a Tom Douglas restaurant gem in Belltown, the kind of place for a “power breakfast,” going by how many folks were there in business suits. For the uninitiated, Tom’s Big Breakfast has Mediterranean octopus with Florina peppers, onions, bacon, cilantro, and garlic yogurt. Octopus for breakfast? Sure, especially when it is tender and flavorful octopus cooked to perfection. The Big Breakfast also has eggs served sunny side up with toast. Another morning menu must is the donuts to order, which arrived in a paper bag that was shaken at the table—all the better to coat the donuts with sweet sugar that is only enhanced by seasonal jelly and vanilla mascarpone accoutrements. And yes, this Tom’s Big Breakfast is best shared.

Tom’s Big Breakfast at Lola. Photo: Mary Ladd

Donuts at Lola. Photo: Mary Ladd

Related Information:

Theo Chocolate
Address: Map
3400 Phinney Avenue N.
Seattle WA 98103
(206) 632-5100
Factory tours offered daily. Reservations strongly recommended. Book three to four weeks ahead.
Facebook: Theo Chocolate
Twitter: @theochocolate

Collections Café at Chihuly Garden and Glass
Address: Map
305 Harrison St.
Seattle WA 98109
(206) 753-4935
Website
Facebook: Chihuly Garden and Glass
Twitter: @chihulygg

The Whale Wins
Address: Map
3506 Stone Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-9425
Facebook: The Whale Wins
Twitter: @Thewhalewins

Matt’s in the Market
Address:
Pike Place Market
94 Pike St #32, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-7909
Facebook: Matt’s in the Market
Twitter: @mattsinthemkt

Lola
Address: Map
2000 4th Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-1430
Facebook: Tom Douglas Restaurants
Twitter: @TomDouglasCo

Disclosure: Mary’s trip was organized by the Chihuly Garden and Glass at Seattle Center.

Marijuana-infused cookies at a trade show in Aspen, Colo. Doctors say the products need better packaging so that kids can’t consume them. Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

As some states become friendly to medical marijuana, many users are opting to eat their pot instead of smoking it. And that means marijuana dispensaries are doing heavy business in brownies, cookies, sodas, candy and other treats heavily dosed with THC.

But unlike drugs that come in bottles, these tasty marijuana foods haven’t been childproofed. And in Colorado, doctors say that kids who apparently get into their parents and grandparents’ stashes are getting sick.

Colorado legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2000. When the Obama administration said in 2009 that state laws wouldn’t be challenged by federal law enforcement authorities, the state’s medical pot industry exploded.

Marijuana gingerbread cookies, like this one sold at The Apothecarium in San Francisco, could easily appeal to kids. Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP

Wang found that after Colorado changed its marijuana laws in late 2009, 14 kids under the age of 12 came to his hospital to be treated for ingesting marijuana. Eight of the 14 cases involved medical marijuana, and seven of the kids had eaten pot-laced food. Their symptoms ranged from lethargy to respiratory problems. Two kids ended up in the intensive care unit. The results of Wang’s study — one of the first to look at how changes in state laws that legalize marijuana affect kids — appear this week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

“It is ironic that we’re seeing these unintended consequences of these [medical marijuana products] we decided to allow in public,” Wang tells The Salt. “But our goal was to educate the public so that we can try and keep things out of kids’ hands and prevent these cases.”

He’s not the first doctor to sound the alarm in Colorado. In 2010, Denver psychiatrist Christian Thurstone argued on Talk of the Nation that the state’s relaxed laws have made the drug too accessible to many adolescents.

Michael Kosnett, a medical toxicologist and associate clinical professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, notes that marijuana has grown much more potent over the years. Some of the candy bars and cookies sold in Colorado dispensaries contain over 100 milligrams of THC, which he says is well above the level known to cause adverse effects. “There’s a more serious risk to a child because they’re smaller in size,” he says.

The solution, he says, is not to ban the products but to require child-resistant packaging for marijuana edibles.

“What was concerning to us was that here were dispensaries selling products very clearly labeled as drugs, but yet these stores were not packaging them like other medications,” says Kosnett. “We know from experiencing that use of child-resistant packaging has been highly effective at preventing poisoning of children.”

Kosnett and Wang have been talking with policymakers about this issue, and just this week, Colorado’s governor signed into law a bill to require the child-resistant packaging for medical marijuana products. (That typically means a package that only 20 percent of 4- to 5-year-old kids can open in 10 minutes, Kosnett says.) The rules will be drawn up in the next week and finalized by June 1.

Children’s health experts in Washington state, which recently decriminalized marijuana, are watching Colorado’s experience closely.

“The legalization of recreational marijuana, especially the solid and liquid-infused forms permitted in Washington, will provide children greater access to cookies, candies, brownies and beverages that contain marijuana,” write Dr. William Hurley of the University of Washington and Washington Poison Center, and Suzan Mazor from Seattle Children’s Hospital, in an editorial that accompanied Wang’s study. The authors recommend training for physicians to recognize and manage toxic reactions to marijuana exposure in kids.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

A precociously independent toddler packs a healthy homemade lunch and heads off to snack in Bernal Height’s Holly Park in San Francisco.

This seriously cute video is the promo for author and BAB blogger Kim Laidlaw‘s new book Baby & Toddler On The Go: fresh, homemade foods for a busy life.

The book will be available April 30 and offers up 75 simple-to-prepare and easy-to-transport recipes made with fresh ingredients for the busy 4-month to 3-year-old child.

Kim Laidlaw took some time out to share information about her new book.

The toddler in the video is your daughter. How have you introduced her to your world of cooking and food?
Laidlaw: She has been watching me cook and bake since she was born, and now that she’s a bit older she is starting to “help” me cook and bake, which is a lot of fun. I also take her to the farmers’ market every Saturday morning and we talk about all the seasonal fruits and veggies and we try lots of samples. Oh, and we set up a little play kitchen in the kitchen so we can cook together.

What motivated you to write this book?
Laidlaw: I had just started to feed her solid food when I started writing the book, so I “learned” how to feed her by doing all the research and writing all the recipes for the book. Plus lots and lots of input from my mom and friends.

The book is designed to feed 4-month to 3-year-old children. How did you tailor your recipes nutritionally and tastewise to this age group?
Laidlaw: I did quite a lot of research, and also used the sister book Baby & Toddler Cookbook as my starting point. Then I just tried to get as many age-appropriate veggies, fruits, meats and dairy into the recipes to keep them healthy but friendly.

Author Kim Laidlaw and her daughter

Economically speaking, how do costs compare preparing fresh foods for kids versus buying healthy store bought alternatives?
Laidlaw: Well, I think if you can buy seasonal fruits and veggies you will save a lot of money, and many of the purees and minis can be made in bulk and frozen. Making your own food is definitely cheaper than buying individually-sized pre-packaged foods.

Sometimes kids are picky about eating diverse types of healthy food. What are 3 tips you can share with parents about teaching kids to be food-curious.

Laidlaw:
• Take your kids to the farmers’ market or the grocery store and let them help you pick things out that look good to them.
• Then, let them help you cook so they can see you making the things you picked out together.
• Finally, eat together at the table as much as you can (my daughter always wants to eat what I’m eating).

Take a Sneak Peek and Get Recipes

Disclosure: In addition to Kim Laidlaw being a BAB blogger she and her daughter are personal friends.

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert.
Photo courtesy of Good vs. Evil

The two rather famous best friends wore similar dark suits and their set looked like the boxing matches from the 1940s and 1950s, with one ominous lamp shining over an uncomfortable chair against a dark backdrop. It was a night that was billed as Good vs. Evil, and started out with Bourdain interrogating Ripert. One of the nicest surprises was how well Ripert was able to dish back to his pal Tony with that rather sexy French accent of his.

Orpheum Theatre. Photo: Mary Ladd

Bourdain and Ripert were in town for a short amount of time before heading to San Jose for a Saturday night show. Later tweets showed that Tony planned on hitting up a 7-11 store to find food to feed Ripert in San Jose. As for where to eat in the City, Bourdain said that he loves having a “crab with the crab fat“ at Swan Oyster Depot and Ripert responded that he wanted to go there with Tony for breakfast [which they apparently did do]. Bourdain also pointed out that the Bay Area has produce that is the envy of the East Coast.

When the talk turned to Alice Waters, Bourdain showed restraint, a gentlemanly move given the recent fire at Chez Panisse. Audience, he’s sure they would get along swimmingly if they met at a party… but do remember, he warned, that Waters chose shark fin soup as her last meal on a panel he did with her and Duff Goldman–a fact that had the audience guffawing. He appeared to have publicly forgiven Waters, as well as other famous food celebs ranging from Rachael Ray to Emeril. Ray sent him a fruit basket, and “how can I not love” someone who made a joke that Mario Batali will loan you a scrunchie if you give him a blow job—-a jab Ray made at a roast for the ponytailed chef.

Ripert got flack from Tony for letting Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, The Situation, and Snooki take their respective spots at the table at his award winning Le Bernardin restaurant. “You gave The Situation and Snooki a kitchen tour, too?” he asked, and Ripert said, “Yes.”

When pushed, Ripert said that tennis star John McEnroe is the one star he would not let dine at his restaurant. “He hurt your feelings!” Bourdain said, as Ripert sheepishly nodded under the bright interrogation lamp. Ripert later said that hipsters are allowed at his restaurant and that guests can take photos of the food at Le Bernardin as long as they don’t use a flash. Bourdain posited that hipsters are “people who are younger than us” and that Ripert felt that the founders of Le Bernardin, Gilbert and Maguy le Coze were hipsters of an earlier era.

Ripert said that he is anti-corkage fee yet also anti-bring-your own wine. He pointed out that Le Bernardin is after all a business (a fair point for any restaurant), and Bourdain said that he thought Le Bernardin had the best sommelier. Ripert waffled a bit on the bring-your-own-wine bit when he conceded that he would be open to guests bringing a great bottle of wine in, but only if they please share a glass with him.

Paula Deen is the one culinary star Bourdain will not forgive, because he is “genuinely appalled by her acts on the planet” which include hyping Southern cooking “into something it’s not.”

Bourdain gave major props to Mission Chinese Food and said that it is rare to see a San Francisco restaurant find such big and immediate success in New York. “I am sure they will take over the world,” he said. Bourdain was aware that Mission Chinese Food plans to next open in Paris, and giggled over the fact that Ripert had to run to the bathroom during his first visit to Mission Chinese, because “he couldn’t handle” how spicy the food was. Clearly Bourdain, given his far flung travels and history of eating dishes like calves brain and pig anus on air makes him the more adventurous eater. Yet Ripert aptly pointed out that Bourdain has not been a kitchen chef in fifteen years. Touché, Monsieur.

One exclusive that Bourdain and Ripert shared with us at the La Cocina meet and greet: they filmed in the mountains of Peru together for Bourdain’s Parts Unknown show on CNN. The series debuted Sunday and viewers can see the friendly pair doing a variety of activities that sound potentially interesting. “We were looking for cacao beans and cooked chicken together, which is a departure for the show,” said Bourdain. “Eric kept telling me, ‘one more mountain’ while I was stumbling around” on their way to find cacao. Bourdain rolled his eyes and laughed as he continued with, “He’s from the Pyrenees, where there’s yodeling and he’s pretty used to all those hills.” Ripert laughed and nodded at this.

They showed a comfort and ease with each other that continued through the meet and greet, where they signed everything from books to body parts while digging into a big plate of La Cocina treats. La Cocina Executive Director Caleb Zigas said that the after party event came about when Bourdain’s production company, Zero Point Zero contacted him. Proceeds from the meet and greet went to La Cocina and Zigas said the party provided an avenue for the La Cocina businesses who have brick and mortar locations. The two hundred or so guests in the green room gawked and took photos of Bourdain and Ripert, and a line snaked around the room for the chance to get autographs.

Inticing Creations baker Kelly Zubal crafted a stunning cake in the shape of a duck press for Bourdain and Ripert. She said that it took her three hours to make and she even brought an edible pen with the hopes of getting a signature on her sweet treat. Zubal confirmed with Bay Area Bites over email that, “Bourdain couldn’t believe I made a duck press and wrote ‘best cake ever’ on it. It now has a place on my cake display area at my cake studio.” Sounds like Bourdain was acting more good than evil to us.

We wish this one was televised, too: Alice Waters, Martin Yan, Joanne Weir, Virginia Willis, Nell Newman, Rick Bayless, Thomas Keller, Charles Phan, Joel Riddell and Irvin Lin were among the folks who took the stage for Tuesday night’s 2013 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards ceremony in San Francisco. Oakland Food Connection and food incubator La Cocina were also honored. IACP’s professional awards are widely viewed in the food world as something of a gold standard for cookbooks, food writing, digital media and culinary tours. The awards marked the closing night of the organization’s 35th annual conference, which went with a “Dirt to Digital” theme this year.

Check out the full list of award finalists and the grand list of winners. While the awards ceremony stretched out over a few hours and was oddly lacking any form of culinary nourishment (there were definite rumblings after the ceremony about that), it offered quirks, songs and even a few dick jokes courtesy of Libbie Summers, whose Salted and Styled blog won for Best Culinary Blog. On the other end of the spectrum, the evening kicked off with all guests looking up and saying “thank you” as a dedication to publisher Peter Workman, who passed away just this week. It was also emotional for Lifetime Achievement Award winner Alice Waters, who gratefully accepted her prize and joked in her speech that while she cannot farm, “I am a picker,” which got the audience laughing–wise words from the founder of Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard. Waters also professed her admiration for cooking teachers because: “I cannot teach.” She immediately went on to acknowledge IACP attendee and stalwart Darina Allen, whose Ballymaloe cooking school she visits every year (for her birthday).

When Charles Phan won in the Chefs and Restaurants cookbook category for his “Vietnamese Home Cooking” (co-authored with Tasting Table Senior Editor Jessica Battilana), he confessed that he did not have a speech but had enjoyed some bourbon to presumably get warmed up. Phan thanked Battilana, his agent and wife, Angkana. “My wife made sure I turned the book manuscript in, so I wouldn’t have to return the book advance money to Ten Speed Press.”

“Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, received the award for Cookbook of the Year, and Marion Nestle garnered a prize in the Food Matters category for her weighty tome, “Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.” The deeply satisfying sugar-rush images in the Bouchon Bakery cookbook garnered an award for Food Photography and Styling, and the Dining Around with Joel Riddell radio show won in the Long Format Audio category. The team at Chronicle Books may still be celebrating given their author Diane Morgan won for her book, “Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes.”

Culinary Tour Operator of the Year went to Copita chef Joanne Weir, who shared that as a child, she told her father that she wanted to be a bus driver, so that she could drive a bus on every road in the world. Her confession seemed to scare him a little. Weir dedicated her prize to him because he passed away last year. Food blogger Irvin Lin won the Best in Show prize for his photography, and he asked the IACP crowd to “hire me, I’m available,” a sentiment which was echoed by the next winner.

The conference itself is that rare chance to possibly figure out how to eke out a living doing things in the culinary field–it can be exciting but also daunting in the number of possibilities it presents. There were various declarations for members to support each other and that each one “stands on the shoulders” of those who have come before and after them. That may sound hokey and like general conference speak yet three people we spoke with found these pronouncements to be inspiring.

Many attendees shared with Bay Area Bites that the chance of learning from so many different people doing interesting things is one of the main draws of shelling out $750 to $950 to register for the full conference—that’s on top of the $280 it costs to initially join IACP. Off the record, we were told that IACP is in the midst of something of a revamp and that costs and programming issues have been noted if not yet changed. These folks said that they attend as much for the learning sessions on, say, the meaning of restaurant reviews in the era of Yelp to getting a lowdown on sourdough or video content strategy. The coffee breaks are also highly valued and networking even happens in the bathrooms. Yes, really.

Kale salad and eating local may remain a big trend, but IACP attendees see much, much more at play in the food world. We asked some notable thought leaders to answer a few questions in person:

• What is this conference about for you?
• The theme of the conference is Dirt to Digital; what does it mean to you?
• How does the theme translate to the food industry?
• What did you learn about in the workshops and what are the clear trends that emerged from the conference?

Here are insights from Corby Kummer, Danielle Gould, Sandor Katz, Joanne Weir and Sarah Copeland. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Corby Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic magazine. Known as “the dean of food writing,” Kummer’s 1990 Atlantic series about coffee is a benchmark for excellence in long-form food writing. He is the author of “The Joy of Coffee,” based on his Atlantic series, and the recently published “The Pleasures of Slow Food.” Kummer is the recipient of three James Beard Journalism Awards, including the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award.

Kummer: This conference is about seeing people who are following food issues on the level of the home cook. It’s about how the things that we in the media are interested in and write about play out in real life and the home of a consumer.

IACP has always been the most connected to the real world of any group because it’s people making their living as culinary professionals. They are in touch with sustainability, farming and local issues. I thought the conference was brilliantly named “Dirt to Digital” because online is where all of the IACP members need to be marketing themselves and their products.

With social media, no one yet knows how to master it but everyone’s trying to learn. IACP has always been at the forefront of practical and real world applications. That’s a unique role because being so smartly focused attracts the most interesting, lively and active people in the food world. And I’ll take any opportunity to connect with them.

Danielle Gould is the Founder and CEO of Food+Tech Connect, a media company and network for innovators transforming the business of food. Through news and analysis, events, and custom research, Gould helps companies of all sizes drive innovation and understand how information and technology are changing the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed. She is also a founding member of the Culinary Institute of America’s Sustainable Business Leadership Council and is a regular contributor to Forbes.

Gould: This is my first time at IACP and they invited me to talk about food and tech trends and hackathons as a model for food innovation. Our panel touched on the opportunity and the medium, as well as how to demystify technology. It is also about helping people understand the knowledge and the challenges that are out there. We’re trying to empower people to put that knowledge out there where they’re collaborating with designers and developers to solve that problem. I travel the whole country and spread the gospel and learn about how people are thinking. It’s about using technology to help solve problems, spread messages and improve business models and just accelerate innovation that’s happening on a small scale.

In the past, a book would take you two years and a product would take 18 months. For a food producer or chef, that means that it takes awhile to market things. Technology offers opportunities: now you can self-publish that cookbook in close to real time, and get feedback on your product.

“Dirt to Digital” is at the heart of what food technology is. You’re looking across the supply chain, and food is interconnected. It is a system, and that goes to the consumer. A lot of times when people think of digital, they think of consumers. Emerging trends and what role technology is for each trend is a part of that. Technology is very broad and means so much to so many different people.

I just love learning how people respond to technology and food and how they use it. The other major takeaway was a lot of the panels weren’t very popular or not as sexy but were about funding. Everyone’s having trouble making money in the food space.

Sandor Ellix Katz, “one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene” according to The New York Times, is a self-taught fermentation experimentalist. His books “The Art of Fermentation” and “Wild Fermentation,” and the fermentation workshops he has taught across North America and beyond, have helped to catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts.

Katz: I’ve never been to IACP before. I don’t think of myself as a culinary professional. The work that I do is demystifying and sharing skills with people who aren’t necessarily culinary professionals. The highlight for me has been to meet people whose books are influential. [Katz was sitting with Bruce Aidells when we caught up with him and Aidells shared the table with us while we caught up.]

Aidells: What’s good sauerkraut without good sausages?

Katz: A kraut — quesadilla is my fast food, and I make it with Pepper Jack. That’s one of my standard meals.

The theme of the conference is significant. What does “Dirt to Digital” mean? I was just on this panel that was high tech versus low tech yet I don’t necessarily see things that way. I’m interested in understanding these processes in their simplicity. So that doesn’t mean you can’t use technology to have more control over the processes. It’s very empowering to see how the underlying principles don’t need equipment. If you get involved in sausage making, you can use a funnel for the casing. You can also just be there with you hands, pushing the meat through to the casing.

For cheese, you can buy nice molds, perhaps. There are elegant crocks to make things but you can also do it with a jar that’s already in your pantry. I appreciate the conference and there’s much information spreading by digital means but it may be telling people how to use their hands.

Joanne Weir is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, host and executive producer for the award-winning television series Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence. She is the chef-owner of Copita, a tequileria and restaurant in Sausalito. The author of 17 cookbooks, including the newly released “Cooking Confidence,” Joanne is the Culinary Editor at Large at Fine Cooking! magazine. She travels and teaches extensively around the world as well as in her studio kitchen.

Weir: This conference was so interesting because I’ve approached it differently as a restaurateur this year. I usually approach it as “I write for magazines” or my cookbooks or how to fill your cooking classes. This time I’m taking in things that are really different. I want to sit in on the reviewing and Yelping session.

I still love to see all the people I know when I come to IACP. And I love that it’s in SF and I get to share Copita–they’re going over by ferry. I did a tour on Saturday and people loved it. I’ve shared in a different way and am still excited about my restaurant.

For me with “Dirt to Digital,” I don’t know if I put the two together. Yet every single thing I do is fresh. I have an organic farm — and my next series is called “Fresh” for TV. I am always interested in digital media. The market has changed and the whole landscape is changing. My hope is it that it goes back to dirt and less digital. Is that so ‘Chez Panisse’ of me? (laughs) I do digital but food is still my passion. Perhaps next year the IACP theme should be “Back to Passion.”

IACP is pretty current on things. What they’ve done this year is now bloggers have been integrated. I left feeling in past years that I had to do so much on my own blog. I’ve always done food that is following my passion and on what brings about major possibilities for me. I attended a book session that talked about book advance spending and how book tours are back and rely on the digital medium.

My trend is always Mexican, and that comes with owning Copita. I saw the trendologist Kara Nielsen here and she said, “You couldn’t be in a more trendy thing, with Mexican food and tequila.”

I do modern Mexican food.

We used to think of Italian red tablecloths and Chianti — yet now Italian food has come a long way. One of the trends here is taking cuisines and elevating and educating around the cuisine. Thomas Keller was talking about that and I have seen that in this conference.

Sarah Copeland is the Food Director at Real Simple and author of “The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes for Cooking With and For Each Other.” Her book, “Feast” will be published in December this year and she has authored numerous articles and recipes for Real Simple, Saveur, Food & Wine, Health, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens and Food Network Magazine. She has appeared as a guest on The Martha Stewart Show, Good Morning America and ABC News Now.

Copeland: A lot of the conference is about relationships. I see faces from every different facet of my career and have been reconnecting and catching up on what people are doing that is new and exciting. There’s a chance to celebrate successes while hopefully helping a few people too.

On “Dirt to Digital,” one of the most challenging things of this industry from my perspective is that I started in print. That part has changed so dramatically in ten years or even five years. For most food people who are in love with food, it is very tactile how we communicate yet that is changing so much. The dirt part communicates place, smell, and touch, which are all the good things. It includes the agriculture, and the farmer. There are so many layers and it is complex with dirt. That’s how food is to me: we touch humanity and civilization, nutrition and wellness. In the digital sphere, how do you capture that? I think we are all figuring that out.

I did a panel on recipes and copyright for the conference. There were folks from Pillsbury there who were trying to figure out their contest. We also had teachers, bakery owners and bloggers. As Food Director at Real Simple, I have to be savvy and think about those aspects.

On almost every panel I ask, ‘What’s the best panel?’ This year, everyone is focusing on video. I worked at the Food Network — and yet this industry has been print for so long. With Hungry and YouTube and different avenues, it’s just so video-focused. The trailer for my first book is a minute and a half but my next one will probably be half that, to seventy-five seconds. My new book ‘Feast’ from Chronicle Books is coming out in December and I’ve learned a few things that I’ll do differently. I am coming away from the conference with the feeling that there is room for every voice and every talent. If you are generous, they will help you, too.

My editor and I wondered what it is like to be a woman in the culinary field right now. I talked to three Bay Area women: Elvia Buendia of the newly opened La Luna Cupcakes, Prospect Restaurant Chef and Partner Pam Mazzola, and Strong Table Owner Fontaine McFadden. I asked them about their own personal growth as a woman in the food industry, their experiences being female in the culinary profession, whether or not they have female mentors, the “state of women” in culinary arts, and what it is like to work with other women in the food industry. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity. Here are their thoughts, in their own words:

Elvia Buendia. Photo courtesy of Eric Wolfinger

As a woman, I have received so much support from local organizations like CEO Women, a nonprofit based in Oakland that no longer exists, and La Cocina, the incubator program based in San Francisco. Both programs target and assist entrepreneur women, like myself, to succeed in the world of business. Before participating in CEO Women, I had no idea how to do a business plan, in fact I did not even know what that was or its importance!

My passion for pastries and baking pushed me to pursue my dream in opening my own cupcake shop despite physical struggles such as English as my second language, finances, and even social discouragement. In fact, many people constantly asked me, “how are you going to open a business if you don’t even speak English?” And I always told them, “I’m going to sell my cupcakes, not my English skills.”

Being a woman has been a blessing and has encouraged me to push myself for my own well-being as well as for the well-being of my family. I wanted to inspire my children, now 15 and 21, to reach for their dreams no matter how many struggles they faced to meet their goals. I think so far I’m doing well with constant support from programs such as La Cocina.

La Cocina has been a huge help and I admire the women that have given me words of wisdom regarding food and business, among those included are Leticia Landa, Carola Mulero, and Daniella Sawaya. Without their help, support, and words of wisdom, I do not know where I would be.

Overall, my culinary experience is related to the pleasure I receive when I see people eating and enjoying my cupcakes. I am truly honored to contribute to the culinary and baking world, as I bring a mixture of different flavors from my own cultural background and I look forward to continue my professional development as a baking chef in the field.

Pam Mazzola. Photo courtesy of Jeannie O’Connor

I started my career cooking at the Fairmont Hotel in a male-driven kitchen and quickly realized this was not the direction I wanted my career to go in. My entire cooking career has been at single-owner, female chef-directed restaurants. This has allowed me to be very focused in what I do. Having worked with a great partner and true collaborator (Nancy Oakes) for the past 25 years has allowed me to achieve the success that I have. As in any solid relationship, Nancy and I have always shared in the responsibility of what we do together. We have common goals, a similar sensibility in food, and are like-minded in terms of desires for our careers as well as our lives outside of the restaurant. I raised three children while I was cooking at Boulevard, and I don’t think that would have been possible if I had not been working with someone who was sensitive to my family needs and with whom I shared a deep trust.

I’ve seen a marked growth in gender equality in the restaurant field. Female chefs share equal status with male chefs. The difference I see is that there is a natural camaraderie between women in this industry, and a real sense of shared responsibility between women who work together.

Fontaine McFadden. Photo courtesy of Fontaine McFadden

My experience in the culinary world started with my first job out of college working the front of the house at an Italian restaurant on Nantucket Island. I then worked as a florist for years, had a brief and uninspiring job in marketing, dabbled in sustainable building and did some personal organization before finding my way back to food when I enrolled in culinary school. I lucked out with my externship turned job at Hands On Gourmet where I worked between the kitchen and the office as the Director of Operations for two and a half years. In November of last year I left to start my own business and am now reveling in that best/worst decision ever. I run a prepared Paleo meal service available for pick up out of local Crossfit gyms. It’s been crazy and amazing and I have a long way to go, but I’m excited to take on the hard work ahead.

To get at the very broad question of what it’s like to be a woman in the culinary field I would have to rewind a bit and start with what it was like to grow up with my Dad and big brothers. I have been wholly shaped by them and can’t really separate out my experience in the workforce as a woman without first pointing to them.

I grew up on an organic farm in Mendocino county and my Dad put me to work, treating me as an equal to my brothers. We all drove tractors, we all did carpentry, we all got up at 5 a.m. and worked in the vineyards until it was too hot to be out in the sun. I built fences, I branded cattle, I installed solar panels and I even did some time in the office. My Dad did an incredible job of instilling a strong work ethic in us all, regardless of the fact they were boys and I was the little girl. And it was the same story with school and sports and social activities; we were all held to an equal standard of excellence. Growing up working, playing and competing with my brothers prepared me to jump into a world dominate by men in charge and taught me how to thrive in that environment. I’ve been really lucky in that way. My life has not been shaped by discouraging moments or impossible obstacles attributed to my sex alone. I have always seen my abilities and inabilities to be based around who I am as a person and don’t believe that something is possible or impossible just because I am a woman.

Having said that, I realize that this is not the norm and the fight for equal rights among the sexes is not over (what fight against inequity is truly over?). I have encountered plenty of situations where my own view of gender equality is definitely not shared. In those instances I use that ignorance to fuel my motivation beyond what is inherent in me. Maybe by throwing back dirty kitchen talk, or changing a tire in a dress… whatever it is, I like to mess with gender-based assumptions. And in brandishing this viewpoint I have found that I generally end up working harder than I might otherwise, thus becoming more successful and proving my point all the more.

Obviously, there are many avenues to explore within this broad topic of women in the workplace. One of the more interesting and applicable ones for me, is the struggle for balance between masculine and feminine. I believe that chivalry is not dead. I love having doors opened for me, but I also want to be taken seriously in my career and respected as a member of my community. Luckily, these are not mutually exclusive. As I’ve gotten older I have found a better balance between my more overt tomboy tendencies and my girly-girl attributes (of which there are many). I used to think that it was one or the other but thankfully I am finding ways for those two to coexist. For me, the most important thing is that I act in a way that is indicative of how I want to be treated. That is all I can control and if I do my best in that area then I’m feelin’ good.

This bread wreath is always a stunner at dinner parties, and would make a beautiful addition to any table. It also happens to be delicious and wholesome, full of good things like buttermilk, honey, and butter.

I first came across this recipe in Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois’ Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. The wreath is created by forming the dough into a ring and then cutting it with a pair of kitchen scissors at a sharp angle. It is super easy and makes for an impressive presentation. For a great step-by-step visual of how to do this, check out their post here.

You can use this wreath technique using any dough recipe, but my favorite is this easy Whole Wheat Honey Rolls recipe. This wholesome bread bakes up tender and soft. The best part of this bread though is the honey butter that you should make to go with it. Honey butter is actually the real party trick here. It is dead simple – literally, you just mix together softened butter and honey – but the result is pure, homey, bliss.

Enjoy this bread wreath, friends! Pass it around while it’s still warm, let people rip a hunk off for themselves, and don’t forget to slather it in honey butter goodness.

Honey-Wheat Bread Wreath with Honey Butter
This beautiful bread wreath makes for an impressive touch to any table, and is much easier than it looks. It also happens to be delicious and wholesome, full of good things like buttermilk, honey, and butter. (Adapted from A Taste of Home’s Whole Wheat Honey Rolls and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day’s Holiday Wreath Bread.)

Prep Time: 25 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes rising time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm buttermilk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour + about 1/2 cup for kneading

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm buttermilk. Add the butter, honey, whole wheat flour, salt and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Stir in all-purpose flour to form a soft dough (if it is looking too soft to knead, add more flour).
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and stretch the dough into a ring. Place the ring on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Let rest for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 450°.
4. Right before baking, sprinkle the dough with flour. Using kitchen scissors, snip the wreath at a sharp angle, almost to the bottom of the ring to form points. The points should still be connected to the ring since you’re not cutting clean through. Now lay the points out so that they are fanned out a bit.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

For the Honey Butter:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
fleur de sel or sea salt

Mix the butter and honey until smooth. Place in a ramekin or serving bowl and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Watch people swoon as they slather it on their warm bread and inhale.

Juliana Calderon, Dennis Leary and Luis Euan

Great eats alert: in the very near future, Dennis Leary will open two new spots–Cafe Terminus and a to-be-named bar at the corner of Geary and Leavenworth in San Francisco. The chef has also added a 40-acre Capay Valley farm to his roster and is the chef-owner of spots that showcase culinary consistency (pulled pork with mustard cabbage sandwich on freshly baked bread, anyone?) with a deeply personal feel: from Canteen, to Golden West, The Sentinel and a bar, plus House of Shields. Leary’s goal of operating seven eateries is getting closer to becoming a reality—the name of his corporation is Pleiades, which means “seven sisters” and is from Greek mythology. Leary presents as a focused and driven chef and is not one to use Twitter or other social media, although he lets his staff post menu updates since they are excited to do so. He appears to be succeeding without being trendy–an example being no TV or clock for a definite old school charm at House of Shields. He is exploring a “100 Menus Project” based upon the 1971 tome, The Hundred Glories of French Cuisine by Robert Courtine at Canteen. A “100 Menus” dinner costs “around 50 bucks.” His office is above the Sentinel and is lined with books and historical images. We caught up in person recently to find out more about his new spots and ideas on hospitality. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Books in Chef Leary’s office

Bay Area Bites: Who are your mentors & how have you grown in this business?
Leary: My business mentors are Angelo Sangiacomo, Drew Nieporent and Chip Conley. Alain Rondelli is a great chef. Angelo and his wife called to congratulate me when I was first starting and I admire that he is self-made, 100 percent. After awhile in this industry, it has become just self-taught and self-directed for me. I don’t think my style is derivative. I have a lot of customers who trust what I do and get it.

I got a nice letter of congratulations from Thomas Keller. That was such a classy gesture and a cool thing for me to see ‘oh, he’s paying attention.’

Publicity upsets the balance. People come in with expectations. I built a restaurant with $50,000 and it’s next to a bathroom and dorm by the Academy of Art. I’m not using fancy china and there aren’t plush seats. Whatever money I make goes back into the restaurants. I’m using the most basic packaging and china, and keeping it as simple as possible. I want people to go in and enjoy themselves with a dining experience that harkens back to maternal child connections. Pretty much every meal we eat, that dynamic is at play and it is always present with just the very act of being served. However, you’re paying for it. That is a relationship that’s attractive to a lot of people and they want a clean transaction.

The service industry has exploded and people don’t make their lunch anymore. They go and get it. With my places, we want to provide sustenance and not get in the way. I love talking to people and feel like I have a real connection to my customers.

Bay Area Bites: Tell us about your new places and farm in Capay Valley.
Leary: The two San Francisco deals are technically done and we’re applying for our liquor license for the bar. I haven’t spent more than 30 seconds in there but am interested in the bar from a design and hospitality standpoint. It’s a tiny place that will become small and beautiful. We’ll have some great cocktails. The area where the bar is still feels urban and interesting and getting the bar space was one of these six degrees of separation things: there’s a whole network of brokers and listing agents that you talk to all the time. Getting the spot has to do with the fact that basic politeness pays off and we made an offer that is attractive.

For Café Terminus, we’re dedicated to simple food and drinks, also with strong hospitality. People want their name remembered—I know I like places where the staff remembers me. There’s more competition in the Financial District now: get a sushi burrito, or visit the grilled cheese chain. But that doesn’t matter. I’m more concerned in referencing culinary tradition in a way without being retro and nostalgic. When you’re trying to do old timey SF nostalgic shit, it doesn’t work.

I use knives and wooden spoons in my cooking style and don’t use a lot of fancy new techniques although I am certainly familiar with them. I’m just not interested and feel like food should not get in the way. I’m not selling an experience. What I want is a lively dining room with a convivial atmosphere and food to be delicious and well-prepared. It’s a business. I’m not trying to prove that I’m smart and it’s not a monument to myself.

I have a 40-acre farm in Capay Valley called Gauchito Hill Farm. There’s a river through it and two farmers, Thea Rittenhouse and Andres Marega own and run their own business and are my tenants. Their business is expanding and this summer I will use some of their produce on my menus. I want to help them out to the extent that I can and not be in the way. They have lettuce and spring mixes, Asian greens, carrots, and herbs. In Capay Valley, there are people who have lived for generations up there. I appreciate that.

I will also start taking my restaurant compost up to the farm, and started training my staff on doing that. I’d rather use the compost myself than see it go to Recology.

Bay Area Bites: What factors are at play with your culinary work in a small restaurant space like Canteen?
Leary: The economics of the Canteen space demand that the food be very simple. It is a business. No one goes into the restaurant business to make a living. You go into it because you enjoy it. I’m not some East Bay idealist and use organic everything and then fail. My food is dominated by necessity and I have to factor in, “What can I get that people will like?”

I’m not there to prove that I’m smart or forage or pickle my own things. Now there’s a whole legion of people doing that and when I did have the time I used to pickle, cure and butcher. Now it comes down to, “What’s a realistic use of my time?”

It’s just me and the sous chef working there and we want things to taste right and go out hot or cold, as they are meant to.

Bay Area Bites: Your sandwiches are creative and have a popular following downtown. What are the bestseller sandwiches for the Sentinel and Golden West?
Leary: At Golden West, it’s the short rib sandwich. Corned beef is the best seller at the Sentinel. I rarely eat anything when I’m at the Sentinel. I just pick and choose bites of things. Our production kitchen is over at Golden West, so there is a lot of logistics to coordinate there.

Rabbit Pate Sandwich from the Sentinel Photo: Mary Ladd

Bay Area Bites: Where do you like to eat in the Bay Area?
Leary: I like Yuet Lee, and places in North Beach, where I live. I like Calzone’s look and that it has neon on the front. They’re nice there and it’s fun to go there on a Monday night. The places I like have been in San Francisco for years. You don’t have to wait in line. They’re not flooded with people. They’re real. You can’t try to be authentic. You need a little weariness and to have been around for awhile. The whole notion of an instant classic, I don’t buy it.

Related Information:

Canteen
Address: Map
817 Sutter St.
San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 928-8870

Golden West
Address: Map
8 Trinity St.
San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 216-6443

House of Shields
Address: Map
39 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco CA 94105
(415) 216-6443

The Sentinel
Address: Map
35 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco CA 94105
(415) 284-9960

Gauchito Hill Farm
Brooks CA
(530) 796-0704
Email Address: gauchitohillfarm@gmail.com

It’s that time of year again to let the luck of the Irish rub off on us. Every year, I take this as an excuse to whip up a batch of my favorite homemade Irish Cream.

It’s always a fun little self-imposed challenge of mine to figure out what to do with all that Irish Cream. This year, we’re classin’ it up with cream puffs: Irish Cream Cream Puffs. Double the cream. How could you go wrong with that?

Cream puffs are made from a versatile dough called pâte à choux. It’s a lot easier than it seems to make this impressive looking dessert. Here’s how you do it:

Melt a stick of butter with water, a pinch of salt, and a touch of sugar. When it just starts to boil, dump in all the flour at once and stir like crazy.

Soon enough your dough will form a ball and pull away from the sides of the pan. Off the heat and stir more to cool down the mixture. There’s a lot of stirring in pâte à choux, but the arm workout is worth it. Cream puffs and buff arms – a winning combination.

Add your eggs one at a time, each time stirring until smooth before adding the next egg.

Your dough will get slippery and clumpy looking when you first add the egg. Don’t sweat it. Just keep stirring.

It will smooth out. Trust me.

Add your Irish spirit and transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

Now here’s the fun part. Pipe out your puffs into the shape of a Hershey Kiss (or gnome hat).

Wet your fingers and tap down the tips of the cream puffs so they don’t burn when you bake them up. And into the oven they go!

Meanwhile, whip up your Irish Cream Cream into soft, billowy mounds that you want to ski in. Transfer to a piping bag and keep chilled in the fridge.

When the puffs are done, take the tip of a paring knife and make a little hole in the bottom. Fill those puffs with creamy goodness. And just wait for those sassy leprechauns to shower you with gold.

Irish Cream Cream Puffs
A St. Paddy’s Day treat fit for a classy leprechaun. Green for good luck. Stuffed with Irish Cream Cream for deliciousness.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cooling and Assembly Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Yield: about 36 cream puffs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter
1 cup water
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup flour
3 eggs
15 drops green food coloring
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Place the butter, water, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter melts and the water just begins to boil.
3. Add the flour all at once and stir like crazy with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. It should form a ball and pull away from the sides of the pan. You may also see a faint skin form on the bottom of the pan if you don’t stir it for a few seconds.
4. Remove the pan from heat and continue to stir until it is cool enough to touch. It will still feel warm, but won’t be so hot that the mixture cooks the eggs you’re about to add in.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth before adding the next egg. When you add the egg, the mixture will separate and look slippery. Don’t worry, keep mixing, it will smooth out. When you add the last egg, add in the food coloring and mix until smooth and even in color.
6. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a round tip (I like to use a size 806 tip). With your piping bag held directly vertical to a parchment-lined baking sheet, squeeze out a mound about 1½-inch in diameter and pull up as you release, forming a Hershey’s kiss shape. Repeat until all the cream puff mixture is gone. Wet your finger and push down the tips of all the puffs so that they don’t burn when they bake.
7. Bake until puffed and firm, about 25 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the puffs in for another 10 minutes to dry out. Take the puffs out of the oven and let cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, whip together the cream and sifted sugar until soft peaks form. Add the Irish Cream and continue whipping until you have the consistency of whipped cream. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (size 804) and keep chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
9. When the cream puffs have cooled, take the tip of a paring knife and make a hole on the bottom of the puffs large enough to fit your piping tip. Fill the puffs with the Irish Cream whipped cream. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately!

Make Ahead Note: You can make the dough and cream filling the night before and have them ready to go in your piping bags until the next day. You could even bake off the puffs the day before. If they feel like they’ve gotten a bit too soft, just reheat them a bit in the oven to dry them out again.

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