Earlier this year KRL wrote about a young woman named Natalie Cruz from Reedley who started her own coffee company, Zolú Café. When I attended the Reedley Farmers Market at Reedley College a few weeks ago to meet Natalie in person and finally try her coffee for myself (which is awesome by the way), I also met another young Reedley woman who had started her own business—Grace Fedor.
The Pie Mamas is the true definition of what it means to “keep it in the family.” Anna Covarrubias, alongside her two sisters, their mom and dad, her own children, and her nieces and nephews, are the driving force behind the Fresno-based bakery, The Pie Mamas.
Pasteleria Plaza in Reedley was opened in December of 2007 by cake decorator Martha Plaza. With the help of her son Luis, who translated for us, we chatted with Martha recently.
When Aimee’s Vanilla Bean Bakery opened in 2014, it was some of the biggest news in Selma...we are a relatively small town so new businesses are exciting! Since then Aimee’s has stayed a staple in the downtown that has welcomed some new businesses and said farewell to others. Situated on the corner of McCall and High Street, it’s one of the first storefronts you see when entering the downtown. The friendly window decorations and writing that states “Cupcakes” with a heart and then “Candy” invites you in to indulge or to satisfy a craving.
It used to be that cupcakes were made by mom’s for class parties or mass-produced by the Hostess Company. Now, the cupcake has become a specialty niche, with shops specializing in the single-serving-size treats. This month, The Great Food Search has risked life and digestion to bring you samples of the Valley’s variety of micro-cakes.
INGREDIENTS:
* 15 years catering experience
* 1 dream long-desired
* 1 prayer answered
* 2 watchful eyes on a desired property (with a great location)
* 1 amazing Aunt Helen (who pitched in financially & artfully with interior design)
I honestly did not intend to love P*DE*Q (pão de queijo). I did not really intend or expect to like it. I don’t know why. I just didn’t. Maybe I did not want to fall for a bakery. Maybe I had too many bad memories of something I don’t remember. Maybe I have no idea what I am talking about.
The artist’s hands move quickly but accurately as she molds together dozens of bright blue, pink and yellow miniature sculptures, adding details into each figure. Today’s masterpiece: a topsy-turvy Tinker Bell cake for a 13-year-old’s birthday party.
