Justice of the Pies honors your late father’s memory. Beyond the name, what are three key aspects of the bakery that capture and celebrate his legacy?
As a criminal defense attorney, my dad was always "for the people". In my own way, I show up for the people by creating a storefront that focuses on accessibility. As a person living with a disability, it was important for me to create a space that went above and beyond in its inclusiveness for people living with disabilities. My dad loved to eat; talking about food and experimenting with a recipe was his hobby that he treated like a second job. I embrace that side of him through my aim to be creative about what I'm cooking, push the envelope with flavors, and have fun with the work I'm doing in the kitchen. My dad was the most unserious person and told jokes constantly. While I am a more intense and studious person, I try to approach food from a place of lightheartedness. He loved to have fun and was the life of the party- I aim to "play" when developing new recipes and trying foods that I normally may not have.
Cooking and baking are often considered cathartic. How do you feel emotionally when you’re fully immersed in the process of baking, crafting something meaningful from start to finish?
Cooking, for me, can be a meditative experience. I am an
introvert, and I am perfectly fine with being alone with my thoughts. As a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, I'm lucky that I can easily give myself "quiet hours" where I can simply take out my hearing aids and block out sounds around me. During those moments of quietude, cooking and baking becomes a ritualistic act of centering my mind, allowing my thoughts to wander as I work in the kitchen, and allowing new ideas to flow through me.