Ellie

During the wee hours of the morning while you are still in dreamland, Ellie is whipping butter, flour and sugar into croissants, scones and cookies as assistant baker at Café Soliel on the Capitol Square. As a recent grad from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS in Community and Environmental Sociology and a certificate in Environmental Studies, Ellie spends most of her newfound brainspace in her wee kitchen concocting edibles with whatever happens to be available on her shelves (and perhaps the infrequent foray into her dear housemate’s stores). Stop by if you’re in the downtown neighborhood and find zesty danishes, flakey pain au chocolate or a savory brioche bun to delight your senses in the sweet space of Café Soliel!

Ellie has a serious interest in the social value of food. She sees the world through an edible lens on many levels: both in the individual (with respect to physical and emotional satisfaction) and community (with respect to food production, processing and consumption). This is due to her more recent education, but also is a remnant of her food-oriented youth growing up in Door County, Wisc. There, cherries were synonymous with locals, dinner was always sit down family-style, and she began baking at the Town Hall Bakery of Jacksonport at the ripe young age of 14.

For now, Ellie loves being in any kitchen, but finds true bliss only when there is someone — preferably a group of someones — to feed. She sees each recipe as a set of suggestions rather than a formula for success and will often realize halfway through a foodie adventure that some substituting will be involved in the cooking process. Needless to say, the problem-solving found between the cutting board and the stove is one of her favorite ways to use time and is often improved by a jam jar or two of good cheap malbec or a solid swig of Bourbon. Hell, her dishes are often improved by the addition of either libation as well! At the end of the day, there are a few things Ellie knows are reliable and true: butter will make everything butter, one should never be out of chocolate and food has the power to build a vibrant community of wonderful people.