Best Bitches
From time to time, we come across someone whose vibe is just so very aligned with ours. Our Best Bitches have our best interests at heart and love telling our stories as much as we love telling theirs.
Erin Clarkson (she/her)
- Explain your relationship with baking. My relationship with baking is a long one - It was something I loved doing as a kid, which then turned into something I used as my love language, then something which helped the homesickness when I moved to NYC, and then sort of just turned into my job! I've been a full time baking blogger for six years now and am convinced I am the luckiest ever that I get to do this as my job.
- How are you kind in your day-to-day life? Kindness is so important to me - I really believe that if your rights are not in danger, it is your job to stick up for those whose are. It can be shown in a huge range of ways - from speaking out, to just being there for people. I love my people super hard and always make sure to tell them how much I appreciate them.
- Baking disaster / success story? My life is FULL of baking disasters - recipe testing as a job means that I have some epic fails all the time. The worst was probably when we were renting a crappy apartment in nyc and without thinking I poured a failed batch of molten sugar down the sink and instantly candied the plug hole, however I seem to be prone to making a huge mess all the time, but it is all part of the fun!
Petra Galler (she/her)
- Explain your relationship with baking. I have loved baking ever since I was a kid; I made my first cake at 7, much to my mothers shock! I got totally obsessed with it in my teens, baking every chance I could. Cooking, and baking especially I think, is such a love language. It's the ultimate way to show you care for someone. I grew up in a Jewish household where good food was the centre of absolutely everything, and with busy working parents, meal time was the only chance we all had to sit down together, chat and catch up. Bar a handful of moments cheffing in restaurants (some of which were code red stressy situations!), baking has always been a really calming thing for me. It's my ultimate unwind activity, even now! There is such a lot of room to be uber creative with flavour profiles and textures; it's just so bloody fun! I have a mouthful of sweet teeth, inhaling cake batter for breakfast most days at the moment, so that is obviously a major work perk!
- How are you kind in your day-to-day life? I have lived on Karangahape Rd in Auckland, a super colourful part of town that I absolutely love, for about 7 years now. As fabulous and fun as it is, it is also the where homelessness is rife and the real life struggles of people trying to make ends meet is right in your face. Being here for so long, you see the same people day in and day out and so I always make it a point to buy a coffee or some hot food for them when I can. It's a small thing, but something that I wish more people did. Sometimes people get dealt the worst possible hand in life, and I think a little bit of kindness from a stranger can make such a difference. On the other end of the scale, I cook dinner for my partner every night which he loves, and I love doing.
- Baking disaster / success story? I had a total disaster very early on in my career which still makes me shudder to think about! It was my very first cheffing job at a French bistro in Ponsonby. I had grovelled my way in there, zero training or experience but a lot of enthusiasm. I was a couple months into the role, still so nervous and shy. I was the last one to leave the kitchen one night and when closing down, I accidently switched the huge walk in fridge off. The amount of prep and food that was ruined was absolutely outrageous and I WEPT for hours over it. I don't think I have ever felt so anxious in my life! To make matters worse, this was on a Friday night; Saturday dinner service was always the busiest of the week. Needless to say, I have never made that mistake again!