Harriette Halepis Professional Writer

My dad wasn’t on the Food Network and he didn’t publish any books. Still, he was a fantastic chef. Day in and day out my dad would support his family by pleasing other people’s palates.

Like a true chef, my dad had very little tolerance for anyone hanging around his kitchen space. When he wanted to teach me something, he’d simply scream “Harriette! Come watch!” he’d then proceeded to show me a fast maneuver with his knife, or teach me how to spruce up a lame plate of mashed potatoes.

This is how I learned to cook, and as I grew older he’d not only teach me different skills, but he’d also stand over my shoulder as I over-salted family meals.

My dad also had a fascination with cookbooks. He would scoop up cookbooks from bookstores and yard sales alike. As my mom recently told me, he enjoyed “supporting my passion for cooking” as he’d give me one book after another.

Recently, I noticed stacks of dusty books lining my kitchen walls, spilling out of my living room bookcase, and teetering on the edge of every available surface (some even act as stands for other objects). My mission throughout each page of the Unbejeweled Baker will be to go through each of these books at random by choosing all kinds of complex meals, simple dishes, and creative confections to explore, create, and share with you.

I hope to create at least three posts per week, which shouldn’t be too difficult given the fact that I try to make a meal from scratch every night. Homemade meals are something that my lovely mother (who also happens to be a pastry perfectionist) taught me at a young age – there’s no doubt that I gained my love of candy and pastry-making from her.

Read, comment, enjoy, and feel free to ask me for any recipe that I may have forgotten to post!

P.S. Why Unbejeweled Baker? My dad’s biggest pet peeve was chefs who wore jewelry while cooking. “You don’t wear bracelets, watches, or rings in a kitchen!” he’d often yell at his students or at a television screen. Why? These items tend to collect bits of dough, butter, and other scraps that aren’t the least bit appetizing.

That’s why, to this day, you’ll never catch me with any wrist or hand jewelry on while I’m baking or cooking.