Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Cortes.
Hi Laura, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started baking when I was a kid. My mom had a cake decorating business and taught me the basics. I grew up liking to bake but doing it only occasionally. In 2014, I got a job in a company in Austin where there was a very nice social environment, and I started bringing baked goods to the office. The following summer, I bought an ice cream machine, and I wanted to try different recipes, so I decided to make a different recipe a week during the summer. People loved having homemade ice cream every week and I loved experimenting with recipes. Fall came around and I decided to switch to pies, for winter I did cookies, and this evolved into a monthly theme, where I picked an ingredient, technique or region of the world for each month. I would find recipes online for the most part. I did this for three years and then ran out of themes, so I decided to work on books. In 2019, I started One book/Two months, where I baked from one book for two months. It started as a one bake per week project, but I started adding bakes and now I bake as much as I possibly can.
Depending on the book and how complex the recipes are I usually make 4-6 recipes per week. These book projects have taught me so much, as each author shares a lot of knowledge and exploring the entire book is like taking a course. Traveling is another passion of mine, and I try to combine baking and traveling as much as possible. I research baked goods and bakeries wherever I go and make sure they are part of my itinerary. At one point, I started a small business taking orders from friends and coworkers, but I didn’t enjoy this and it turned baking into a chore, leaving less time for my book baking projects which is what I am most passionate about, so I now only focus on the books and baking as much as I can from them in two months! I am also very passionate about food photography. I do all the photography of my baked goods and even turned one of the rooms in my house into a photography studio. I have learned so much over the years and love the artistic aspect of photography while always trying to display the technique, textures and flavors of the bake. I take a lot of care into my pictures, same as I do with my baking because I want the pictures to look as good as the bake is!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This is my passion project and hobby, so it is where I go to escape and feel happy. At first, it was something I did to pass some free time, but it has slowly become a healthy obsession that has gotten me through the toughest times. My father died from COVID last year and this turned my life upside down. I have gone through a lot of life changes, filled with stress and uncertainty, and baking is honestly what kept me alive and kept me going. Life is not a smooth road, but baking is like the unconditional friend who helps me anytime I need it!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During the day, I am a Manager in Client Services at Bazaarvoice. I have been there seven years and absolutely love the company. I started as an Implementation project manager and have moved up, always focusing on Custom delivery which involves a lot of design. I’ll admit that my main passion is baking, but working there has allowed me to pursue this dream. The people who work there are amazing and I really miss sharing baked goods with everyone like I did before the pandemic. I hope those days come back soon!
How do you think about happiness?
Traveling and baking! Traveling because I have been traveling since I was a baby. I was born in Ecuador, grew up in Spain and Mexico. I have lived in five countries and in four states in the US. Traveling is in my blood and I crave it all the time. I love food, so my traveling is always planned around the food I want to try. Baking obviously plays a big part of that, but now that I am such a serious home baker, I love to learn to make the baked goods I like when I travel. I have a gastronomic memory, I remember the flavors of things I tasted when I was five years old, and this helps me remember the places where I ate them. Food and travel are the best, and that is what I love to do any minute I have available.
Contact Info:
- Email: chubbeekitchen@gmail.com
- Website: chubbeekitchen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chubbeekitchen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chubbeekitchen
