Meet the Neighbors with Olivia Cucco

Meet the Neighbors with Olivia Cucco

Welcome to the next to the last segment of “Meet the Neighbors”!  I have truly enjoyed this little mini series and getting to know so many talented and beautiful food bloggers!  I hope that you have, as well! 🙂  Today’s featured blogger is Olivia Cucco, who blogs over at The Girl Can Bake.    Olivia is a sweet, left-handed gal who enjoys sharing her love of baking with cooks of all skill levels.  Her writing is approachable and fun, making even complicated baking tasks seem doable.  It was a pleasure to visit with her and learn more about her love of sharing her baking knowledge with others.

You can find more of Olivia’s delicious work on her blog, as well as on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

What are we waiting for?  Let’s meet her! 🙂

What is your name, and where are you located? (Hint: if you live in Hawaii, I am packing my bags as we speak 😉

My name is Olivia, and I currently live in San Francisco, California.

Tell us a little bit about yourself– what is the name of your blog, and how did you get started?

My blog is The Girl Can Bake. I have loved baking since I was a child, but my passion for it started when I took Home Economics in 6th grade. We had to make pies the week of Thanksgiving, and I came home and told my mom that I would make all the pies that year. And the rest, as they say, is history! After getting my BA in neuroscience, I went to culinary school for pastry arts. I currently work full-time as a baker and blog on my nights and weekends. I started The Girl Can Bake to share my love of baking with the world. People tell me “they can’t bake” all the time. I don’t believe that is true! If you want to learn to bake you can, and The Girl Can Bake is there to help you along the way.

What is your favorite food? And what is your least favorite food?

I love food! Choosing just one favorite is an impossible task for me. It truly depends on the day and my mood, but I will say that I don’t think I’ve ever turned down ice cream if it is offered. I honestly don’t think I have a least favorite food, but my parents used to give us steamed brussels sprouts when my sister and I were young. I don’t know if you’ve ever eaten a steamed brussels sprout, but it is the worst! Roasted or sauteed only, please!

What advice would you give someone who is just starting to cook?

Do not be afraid. The worst that can happen is that you have to toss something! Start with simple recipes that help build fundamental skills. Once you have a base skill set, you can have fun and be creative!

What keeps you going, every day? Who are your greatest cheerleaders/supporters?

Both my parents and my sister are extremely supportive, but the MVP has to be my boyfriend. He has helped pick me up when my recipes have failed three times in a row and I’m in a puddle of tears on the ground. He always believes that I can pull it off, even if I’m not always so sure!

Olivia was kind enough to share with us her recipe for Jalapeno Cream Cheese Hand Pies.  Olivia says:

“This recipe is adapted from a recipe I created when I was in culinary school. It is simple, but that is the beauty of it. I love the combination of cream cheese, jalapeño, and flaky pastry.”

These look incredible, Olivia!  Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!  We are hungry for more and can’t wait to see more of your delicious recipes!  Thanks for spending some time with us here on Cookies for England! 🙂

 

 

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