{ 2 } lemon tart
In honor of her being awarded as one of the Top 50 Local-Style Bakeries in New York, the Perkville Gazette conducted an interview with Bonnie Palomer, founder of Bonnie's Bakery.
Interviewer: Good Morning Ms. Palomer. It's great to meet you!
Bonnie: It's great to meet you, too! And please, call me Bonnie!
Interviewer: Alright, Bonnie. Before we get to the questions, I see you've brought something with you to the interview. It smells absolutely delicious!
Bonnie: Haha, thank you so much. It's a lemon tart. I enjoy making them to sell in my shop. Here's a slice.
Interviewer: Mmhmm, that was delicious! Just that one bite makes me want to live in a house made of it.
Bonnie: I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you!
Interviewer: So, congratulations on your award. You must be somewhat of a celebrity amongst Perkville citizens. Tell me what that's like.
Bonnie: Well, it's really exciting to see new faces in the shop everyday. Though, at times, it can get kinda hectic. There are only a few bakers behind the counter so we sometimes feel hassled.
Interviewer: Trying to keep it a family run shop?
Bonnie: Something like that. Most of the bakers are friends that I've grown up baking with. And then there's my grandmother.
Interviewer: That's absolutely precious! Does your grandmother help out full time?
Bonnie: I won't let her! She does too much for me and it would just be awful if I made her work all the time. She insists that she bakes for the shop, but I still won't let her.
Interviewer: I'm assuming your grandmother doesn't find baking a chore?
Bonnie: Not at all! She was actually the one to get me into baking. Grandmère, that's what I call her, raised me so I always knew her to be in the kitchen, baking something. Even though I went to culinary school, I can proudly say I learned all my tricks from Grandmère.
Interviewer: Well, let me congratulate your grandmother for teaching you how to make that stellar lemon tart!
Bonnie: That's funny, because I believe if you tasted Grandmère's lemon tart, I'm afraid you'd have fainted! Her baking skills are far superior.
Interviewer: Not possible! If you truly believe that your baking is inferior, how was it like growing in the "shadows" of your grandmother?
Bonnie: Terrible! I'm just kidding! Grandmère is an amazing person and it's absolutely wonderful that I was raised and taught by her. She's incredibly humble.
Interviewer: That's a beautiful thing to say about your grandmother. Is there an exact moment where you remember wanting to open your own bakery?
Bonnie: Not exactly. I've always loved eating dessert and when I was allowed to handle kitchen supplies, I was taught how to bake. My room was filled with cookbooks and Easy Bake supplies. I would hold imaginary bake sales and charge my grandmother per cookie.
Interviewer: How cute! And did your grandmother believe you could open your own shop? You know, not running from your bedroom?
Bonnie: One Hundred Percent! We'd used to get into baking contests and I would make batches of baked goods with my Easy Bake oven and Grandmère would always eat them. I can't imagine how awful and undercooked they must have tasted. But every single time, she would tell me that she'd be absolutely blessed to see me have my own shop.
Interviewer: And now that you've opened your shop, what would you say to your younger self?
Bonnie: Don't jump over steps. Take everything one step at a time. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Interviewer: Is that the same advice you'd give all the other budding bakers?
Bonnie: Yes, and never give up no matter how many times people tell you your Easy Bake cookies are atrocious!
Interviewer: Charming as ever! Thank you Ms. Palomer for your time and the delicious lemon tart.
Bonnie: My pleasure!
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