Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliesha Genevieve Vinar.
Hi Aliesha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Baking has always been sacred and personal for me. Years ago, I stood on a chair at the kitchen counter, learning my first recipe: butter biscuits. The kitchen became my little kingdom. By my early teens, I felt like a potions maker, stirring up concoctions for comfort, happiness, and beauty—muffins, cookies, and cakes that delighted everyone. Pastry was magic. But in middle school, I developed health difficulties and an eating disorder. Pastry became a complicated enemy. I tried to make it work; I learned gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, everything-free baking. Gradually, I returned to the kitchen as an escape from the difficulties of my teen years. In college, I left baking behind to focus on “adult pursuits.” The eating disorder, anxiety, and depression degraded my existence—I was deeply out of touch with my body and the world around me. I graduated in a state of burnout and misery. I took a barista job. The cafe owners asked me to develop their in-house pastry kitchen. I was back where I belonged. Like magic, healing worked its way into my body and mind as I returned to my realm and became reacquainted with myself. I trained at a high-end French patisserie, and my passion for pastry exploded. I wished I could pour my experience of healing into every pastry I made—if only I could build a magical kingdom for others to reconnect with their bodies and minds like I had. I now craft my cakes, macarons, or tarts with the care and intention of a little potions-maker. I dream that the sight, smell, taste, and texture of each item would draw you to the present, that you would give your body kindness, be comforted, and encounter a healing moment of magic.
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?
An artistic craft requires fortitude. I relate to pastry as a language to share the inner gifts that I’ve received: freedom, beauty, and healing. To copy another’s language is difficult—to learn the language for oneself and translate it is a gorgeous, lifelong challenge. Learning the ways of pastry requires time and patience; I worked long, strenuous days at the French patisserie where I learned professional pastry skills. Many days, I’d go home and cry from exhaustion. I still do that now from time to time. Now, I face the difficulty of managing my own business; I am constantly facing my insecurities, failures, and fears. It’s terrifying. It’s not just physical work; it’s emotional work. I’m determined to remain in touch with myself, to cooperate with the challenges as avenues for becoming stronger. Sometimes, I work long hours baking and managing the business. But the most important work I do is continually reaching deep to translate the best parts of who I am into this craft I love so that maybe you can have a tangible experience of beautiful, abstract realities. That makes all the difficulty in the world worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to apply my passion for beauty and detail to cakes, macarons, and French-style desserts. Excellence is everything to me. I only use high-quality flours, real butter, and seasonal fruits when I can. Offering gluten-free options will always remain a priority for me—I’m tired the ever-growing gluten-sensitive community being left behind. Many of my recipes are naturally gluten-free, such as the oatmeal cookie crust for my tarts, my flourless double chocolate cookies, and of course, macarons. I offer all my cakes with a gluten-free option—and they’re really good. I strive to add an element of ~magic~ to everything I bake: scones with lemon curd hidden inside them, cakes decorated intricately with real flowers, macarons with fillings bursting with flavor that balance the sweetness of the shell. I’m continually experimenting to improve the experience of my pastry, while holding to the nostalgia of home-baked goods and the tradition of French pastry.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
My friend, Sally Hand, is a skilled nutritional counselor with an incredible YouTube channel that explores a healing lifestyle and freedom with eating. Her content, as well as the person she is, has deeply impacted my journey toward health and freedom with food and baking. youtube.com/@SallyHand
Insta: @s.r.hand
Contact Info:
- Website: alieshagenevieve.com/pastry
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alieshagenevieve/
Image Credits
Amelia Vinar
Aliesha Vinar
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