Welcome! I’m Sarah.
Originally from Springfield, I’ve spent my adult life in the Netherlands. I got my MA in Utrecht doing some feminist stuff, and then got my culinary diploma in Amsterdam. Now I'm back home, recovering from recent life events... Luckily I have lots of love, friendship, food and music giving me life! I've been pleasantly surprised by the active local business community of Springfield - and many women-owned!Why Cake?
I got into cake-making in the Netherlands. I was surprised that the Dutch don't serve layer-cakes at birthdays; rather they typically serve apple pie! I love apple pie, but being the ostentatious American, I required something more... dramatic for celebrations. Suddenly I became the resident cake-baker among my friends. I was surprised at how sentimental and comforting it was to prepare this standard American fare. I learned other lessons as a "buitenlander." I learned to mistrust any sense of security, and hesitated to put down roots. I couldn’t predict eviction from my Amsterdam apartment, or getting bypassed on a job application in favor of a native-Dutch-speaker; but I know exactly what happens when you heat sugar to a certain temperature. I’ve gravitated towards the kitchen when I’m restless, creative, excited, frustrated, grieving, heart-broken, and everything in between. More than a happy place, it grounds and connects me to myself and others. Professional chefs learn to approach food prep as science, as procedure. I find comfort in that. But there’s also something special happening when we cook and share food. It relies upon, and creates, community. It’s service and self-care. The moments I’ve felt the most peace and contentment in life probably involved enjoying food with people I like. If I can make a little cake to accompany those moments, I can feel pretty good about that. That's why I am, for the moment, putting down some muddy roots and trying to be proud of what grows.Why Vegan?
Not long ago it wouldn't have been strange for me to say something like “vegan baked-goods are garbage! Nothing replaces eggs! Nothing tastes as good as butter!” That attitude came from laziness and a lack of imagination! (Well, technically I still agree about eggs and butter… but obviously I’ve learned that delicious vegan treats are indeed very possible!)Cooking in commercial kitchens typically involves lots of animal products… and waste of these products, which came at such cost. At some point I'd had enough; I didn't want to be a part of it anymore. But veganism isn't necessarily very highly regarded by professional chefs (see my above commentary, and anything written by my fantasy-bestie/chef, Anthony Bourdain). That invalidating attitude was contradicting my conscience, but eventually it wasn't even a choice. Increasingly I care about what I consume, and how products are made; and I'm not alone! When I learned how Chef Humm rebuilt his Michelen-restaurant to be all-vegan, my inner chef-snob ran out of excuses. It's now my mission to develop vegan recipes that even established butter-lovers such as myself would love to eat.
I got no beef (ha) with all you gorgeous non-vegans. It’s great if you’re vegan, or just vegan-curious! Even PETA says that “body purity” veganism might actually be counter-productive as it supports the misperception that veganism is an impossible, inaccessible, joyless and self-punishing siege practiced only by impossible, fussy individuals (how dare you presume things about me that are true!;-)) The fact that you’re here means you’re looking into more responsible ways of consumption. I’ll call that a net gain, even if you don’t order one of my cakes!What I hope to create at Mud-Honey are tasty vegan cakes and sweets. I take care to research the products with which I work. It's my priority to source ingredients as ethically as possible (see FAQ ).I also do my utmost to avoid single-use plastic items of any kind, whether in production (no disposable plastic piping bags!) or packaging.
