Nomadic Baker Beginnings

In the fall of 2016 my parents were driving through Denver on their way from California back to Oklahoma in a 1969 MGB GT named Rolo. It was the end of summer and another busy camp season for me as a full-time staff member at Sky Ranch Horn Creek. I took advantage of their visit by leaving camp in Westcliffe to meet them to explore the city. At dinner that night my dad mentioned how they'd hoped to be able to visit me in CO again, but it was only a few months before I'd be leaving CO to move to Arkansas to go to culinary school starting in January. In defense my dad quipped, “We didn’t know you’d be so nomadic.” Well neither did I, but nomadic I have been.

At that time I had lived in two states with my family and two without, and I was planning on adding another to the list. Since then I can say I’ve lived in seven states and have visited 42. Seven seems like the perfect number for resident status, but I’m planning on crossing off visiting all 50 before too long. One of my required classes at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food was chocolates and confections. Our final was to make a box of chocolates with a business label, and it was then I remembered my dad’s apropos adjective. Nomadic Baker was born! I couldn't have predicted how true the name was, though. After culinary school in Arkansas, I went on to add two more states thousands of miles apart (and away from my home state of OK) to my docket. My travels, the places, and the people I met along the way have made me the baker I am today. While I’m hopeful my nomadic lifestyle is winding down, I will definitely keep baking.

From left: Coffee Caramels, Coconut filled bon bons, and Coffee and Cardamom truffles

#Bakinggoals

In 2021 I finished my five years-long quest to make every recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François. I don't know when I decided to make every recipe, and I didn't anticipate it taking five years (nor kumquats holding me up 10 months to finish the last recipe!). But when I finished I felt a sense of accomplishment since I’ve never baked my way through a whole book before. It also didn’t hurt that I, along with my family and friends, got to eat some delicious food throughout my quest.

Victoria Sponge filled with Kumquat Champagne Confit - my last recipe in Bread in 5!

In the middle of that baking endeavor, for Christmas 2018 I was gifted The Harvest Baker: 150 Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the Fresh-Picked Flavors of Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables by Ken Haedrich. After a quick perusal and only making one recipe, cornmeal buttermilk biscuits, I knew I wanted to try all of them. Almost four years later – fall of 2022, I decided to set a deadline. In my hopes to model vulnerability that would do everyone good (thanks, Brené Brown) and set and achieve goals that I talk to my students about, I’m chronicling my journey of finishing all 150 recipes in one year. Currently I’ve made 20 out of the 150 recipes, so there are plenty more culinary experiments to be had! Follow along, and if you’re in the Norman or Tulsa area, you may get to taste some delicious treats, too. 😊