Salted Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies!

Plus an interview with Good & Sweet cookbook author Brian Levy

Good Saturday, friends. Popping into your inbox a day ahead of schedule with a lovely chat I had with

Brian Levy

earlier this week.

Brian shares with us some background on his pastry journey, favorite kitchen tools, tips for new bakers, a baking playlist (!) and a dreamy NYE menu. Also, if you’re in the Wassaic, NY area today, he’ll be selling cookies with our mutual friend

Jessie Sheehan

and you should go say hello. Details on that below, so let’s get into it!

How did you first know you wanted to work in pastry? 

I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and I’ve always liked baking (I can remember using my sister’s Easy-Bake Oven to make oatmeal cookies when I was 4). After college, I dreamed of writing for Gourmet, and I thought professional kitchen experience as an intern–or stagiaire, to use the French term that’s used in the culinary world–would help get me there. It didn’t. But my first stage, at a small restaurant in France where I did a little of everything, did make me realize that I wanted to focus on the pastry side of things. So when I got back to New York, I 1) got an office job and 2) started calling the top pastry chefs in the city to beg to work for a stage.

What is a good tip for a novice baker? Or a few words of advice? 

A few pieces of advice from my mentor Gina DePalma echo in my head when I’m baking:

• Don’t be scared of baking and don’t listen to people who say “baking is so precise, bla bla bla.” Precision means that all you have to do is read and follow a recipe’s instructions. No improvising (until you have the hang of things) means not much thinking!

• Also: there are plenty of desserts that don’t require baking at all. And still look fancy. Make a panna cotta.

• Doing things right is more important that doing them fast. (or: get good at doing something correctly before you attempt to do it quickly.) Speed is important in the kitchen, but it’s less important than quality.

• This is a very specific piece of advice, but I’m constantly reminding myself of it: twice the hands means half the time. In other words, if you’re performing a task like transferring cookies from a countertop to a baking sheet, use both of your hands to transfer two at a time rather than one!

What are the top 5 kitchen tools you can’t live without, baking or otherwise?

• Parchment paper

• A digital kitchen scale

• Food processor (I have a Magimix and a Cuisinart)

• Stand mixer (I have a KitchenAid)

• A sharp chef’s knife

• Bonus: Multiple sizes of GIR silicone spatulas (they do not pay me); stainless steel tongs; a fine-mesh strainer

The handsome Brian Levy!

What is one of your favorite savory dishes to eat (!) around the holidays? It does not have to be a baked good!

My grandmother’s baked cauliflower with cheese sauce was always a favorite. Like a mac and cheese with a crusty top, but cauliflower rather than pasta.

Do you have any fun holiday baking traditions around the holidays that you plan on doing this year?

Many years, I’ve done mixed cookie boxes for friends and family. This year, I’m sticking to a single variety: the Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread* from Good & Sweet. On Christmas morning, I always make Stella Parks’s cinnamon roles from Bravetart, as my partner Ben is a cinnamon roll fanatic.

*If you happen to be in the area today (!) Saturday, December 9, I’ll be at Ten Mile Table in Wassaic, NY, selling these very cookies!

Jessie Sheehan

and Ariel of Vitsky Bakery will also be in the house.

Favorite music to listen to while baking? 

I often enjoy the sweet sound of silence (and small appliance motors) when I’m baking, but here’s the playlist I listened to yesterday while I bagged shortbread: Brian’s Baking Playlist (Spotify).

What is your dream NYE menu? Dessert included of course. 

Cocktail: Boulevardier

Hors d’oeuvres: An old-fashioned brie en croute (cheese baked in puff pastry); bresaola (cured beef)

Appetizer: A shaved Brussels sprouts salad with almond, parmesan, currants; Hamachi crudo

Main: Peking duck

Dessert: Mont Blanc (Meringue, chestnut puree, whipped cream. I love chestnuts.) 

Late night: PIZZA

Plenty of champagne at each course, obviously.

Obviously, I’m right there with you, Bri! And, thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully answer these questions.

Brian’s recipe for Salted Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies (below) is right my alley as they lean a bit savory. They also happen to be gluten free should you also be!