Meet Gigi from Gigi's Kitchen, the New York cake fairy
Every month, we meet a person we like, whose life or work revolves around food, to talk about their tips for a beautiful art of living.
Welcome to the Journal de TABLE!
In April, we asked pastry chef Gigi from Gigi's Little Kitchen to answer our questions. Gigi makes vegan cakes in her Brooklyn, NY kitchen, with a whimsical look inspired by her customers' personalities. Her unique world has led her to create cakes for many celebrity clients such as Bella Hadid, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and many more. Gigi fell in love with our pastel "Brooklyn" apron, handmade in our TABLE workshop in Marseille from selected antique fabrics, one by one, and reassembled using a patchwork technique.
Who is Gigi?
What is your relationship with food?
Food has always been, and always will be, my first and greatest love. Before I started baking and creating cakes as a business, sitting around a table was also one of my fondest memories. My family is nomadic, we've lived in 5 different countries and I've lived in 8 cities. But wherever we were, gathering around a well-prepared meal was the focal point of our days. My mother is and remains a legendary cook. She shows her love by cooking. For me, food is the gateway to so many acts of love and moments of intimacy.
How do you set the table?
I don't believe in serving in a pot or a pan. It's criminal! Even when my boyfriend and I take takeaways, I make sure we serve them on more elegant plates. Food shouldn't be passive, it should be engaged. And to do that, you have to make the dining experience as beautiful as possible. I always like to serve a large dish - a big pot of rice with herbs, lots of bread in a basket, or even a huge cake - as the centerpiece. Then I expand my table by adding small, unique dishes around it. In the end, you get a beautiful plate that makes every meal memorable.
What are the secret ingredients of a perfect dinner party?
I don't drink, so for me, it's all about making sure there's something interesting and comparable to a good bottle of wine to share. An herbal drink, perhaps a delicious fruit juice... something like that in a pretty, unique glass. You MUST also plan a delicious assortment of appetizers, to be enjoyed even before the hors d'oeuvres. This doesn't take too much effort - if you go to the local market and buy a nice tapenade, canned fish, and make sure to present it in a single dish, your guests will feel pampered before they've even sat down to eat. Finally, a great playlist that you don't have to touch. No one should feel a lull in the music - and you, as the host, should feel confident that you won't have to touch your phone or adjust the song throughout the evening.
