Opening a Restaurant During a Global Pandemic
04/13/20
by Genie Kwon
Like many of you, Tim and I were looking forward to a new year and new decade. Sure a new year is great and everything, but a new decade, now that can expunge a lot of stupidity. Hindsight is 20/20 after all. Fuck fear was the mentality towards pursuing a lifelong dream. As terrifying as it was (and still is) to move forward, it paled in comparison to the regret of not trying.
After years of searching we found a space, connected with a great team, and our time frame to open was exactly on track. We named the restaurant Kasama which, translated from Tagalog, means including or together (ironic, don’t you think?) As COVID-19 emerged we were concerned but never imagined it would be this resilient in its attempt to decimate the service industry. Concern is now an understatement as people are sick, dying, out of work, and struggling to keep their businesses open.
As a pastry chef, I rarely find myself thinking in a gray zone. When I cook it either works or it doesn’t. When there is a problem, there is a solution. Now amidst this pandemic I find myself in a world of gray. For someone who is so adamant about controlling my future, I am forced to let nature run its course, wondering what the outcome will be. I never thought a desire to feed people could be so complicated.
For now we stay at home trying to help flatten the curve. We go over details of the restaurant. We order take out and cook at home. Tim does all of the cooking. I’ll tell you a secret. I don’t think I love cooking as much as people think I do or should to do it as a career. I certainly do not cook for myself. I cook for people and any satisfaction from doing so is a result of their reaction to something I make specifically for them. Don’t tell anybody though. As for Kasama, we are ready and waiting for the day when providing hospitality can accomplish what it was meant to do; create joy rather than fear.
One recipe for different applications.
Mix equal parts (by weight)
almond flour
sugar
whole eggs
butter
a.k.a: almond cream!
Optional add-ins: vanilla extract, pinch of salt, all-purpose flour (add 10% of the weight of one of the main ingredients)
Cream together the room-temperature ingredients until light and fluffy. Because it is gluten-free (without the optional addition of all-purpose flour), I am not concerned about it being over mixed.
This almond cream can be:
- Used as a baked filling for tart shells, pastries, or cakes
- Baked on it’s own as a gluten free cake, and top it with berries, whipped cream, etc.
- Spread it thin on a silpat and bake until golden brown to use as a tuile or crumble for texture
Replace butter for diary-free butter to make it gluten-free and lactose-free.
People who ask my advice about cooking are too often intimidated about how exact baking is. The biggest thing that helps me when creating something without a recipe is understanding what each ingredient’s purpose is in a recipe. Once you understand how those ingredients behave you can experiment. Yes, baking is more precise but it doesn’t have to be complicated. A pound cake, after all, is literally a pound each of 4 ingredients mixed together.
Genie Kwon was born in New Orleans and moved frequently across the country and overseas growing up. She left a degree in Biochemistry to focus on pastry as a career when she enrolled in culinary school and obtained her first industry job at Flour Bakery & Café in Boston. After working in New York City and overseas she moved to Chicago where she was the pastry chef at Boka, GT Fish & Oyster, and Oriole. She is currently the chef/owner of Kasama along with her partner Tim Flores, opening this summer.
Genie Kwon worked on this piece with Won Kim, the Quarantine Times Monday editor. Each week, Won Kim selects a Chicago artist to share a commissioned creative response to the pandemic.
