Show Notes
Today’s guests are Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, the founders of Levain Bakery, the beloved New York bakery known for its signature thick cookies. Levain started as a small bread shop on the Upper West Side in 1995, and has since grown into one of the most recognizable bakeries in the country, with more than 20 locations and fans lined up for their famous chocolate chip walnut cookies.
Connie and Pam join host Jessie Sheehan to talk about how they met while training for triathlons, how their bread business began with the support of Anthony Bourdain, and how a call from then-New York Times columnist Amanda Hesser helped put their now-iconic cookie on the map.
Connie and Pam also talk about their memoir, “Levain Bakery: A Story of Friendship, Community, and Cookies,” and why community has always been at the heart of Levain.
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More on Levain: Instagram, website, "Levain Bakery" book More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook
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Today’s guest is Erin Jeanne McDowell. Erin is a baker, food stylist, teacher, and video host. She’s also the author of four baking books, including her brand-new “Bake Anything: Essential Recipes and Techniques to Build On for Endless Possibilities.”
Today’s guests are Claudia Fleming and Melissa Clark. Claudia is a legendary, award-winning New York City pastry chef and the executive culinary director at Daily Provisions. Melissa is a beloved home cook, author, New York Times Food reporter, and New York Times Cooking contributor.
Today’s guest is Anna Gordon. Anna is a pastry chef and the founder and CEO of The Good Batch Bakery in Brooklyn. Anna started The Good Batch in 2010, selling hand-pressed stroopwafels at the Brooklyn Flea, and later opened her brick-and-mortar bakery in Clinton Hill in 2014. She joins Jessie to talk about discovering her love of baking as a kid, learning through curiosity and experimentation, and growing The Good Batch from a market stand into a beloved Brooklyn bakery.
Today’s guest is Ruby Bhogal, baker, recipe developer, and cookbook author based in England. Ruby was a finalist on “The Great British Bake Off” in 2018, and she’s the author of “One Bake, Two Ways.” Her brand-new book, “Around the World in 80 Cakes,” is out this Tuesday in the U.S.
Today’s episode is a special live taping of She’s My Cherry Pie from Cherry Bombe House in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Host Jessie Sheehan sits down with Dona Murad of Librae and Lucie Franc de Ferriere of From Lucie to talk about their beloved New York City bakeries and their beautiful cookbooks—Dona’s “Librae: Third-culture Recipes from a Cult New York Bakery,” and Lucie’s “Cake From Lucie: Recipes and Techniques from the French Countryside to New York City.”