#GIRLBOSS SPOTLIGHT: ASIA BULLOCK

Written by: Amy Ann

Ladies and gents give a round of applause for Asia! She’s a young up and coming entrepreneur who knows how to throw it down in the kitchen. With her southern pizazz she adds her own twists onto modern pastries and meals. Read all about how she became a #girlboss.

Amy Ann:

You talk a lot about your family and how it’s made an impact on you as a chef, what’s one of your favorite family dishes? Why? What’s in it?

Asia Bullock:

Yes, my great grandmother had a huge impact on me cooking . It stems from the times when I would cook in the kitchen with her when I was little. My family has a southern background so that's where I got my passion from. My favorite family dish would have to be my grandma's butter milk fried chicken and her cornbread, that was my favorite family dish growing up. No one could cook crispy buttermilk fried chicken like she did, and her cornbread it was soo good. With the cornbread she would spring a little sugar on top while it was still warm and melt some butter on top. I could still taste it now.

AA: As a chef you cook a lot of dishes. What was the most difficult dish you had to cook and why?

AB: That's a tough one! Honestly I would say the hardest dish I've had to make was rice and peas. I suck at making rice (lol). It never comes out nice and fluffy, instead it comes out hard and mushy.

AA: As a chef do you think it's all about the ingredients or how the dish is made and why?

AB: I think the ingredients is important when it comes to making dishes, because you want your food to taste good. Another important factor is the appearance of the food.

AA: A lot of people people may not know, but most of your dishes are gluten free. Why is that? And what is gluten?

AB: Some of my food and desserts are gluten-free. Also some of my clients have a gluten food allergy as well. Two years ago I found out that I have a gluten allergy. Gluten is a protein found primarily in wheat, barley, and rye. If a person has a gluten intolerance, this protein can cause digestive problems such as gassiness, and abdominal pain. The best way to find out if you have a food allergy is to go visit a holistic doctor that testes for all food allergies.

AA: You conducted your first dessert tasting in 2017, tell us what that process was like prepping for the event?

AB: It was a bit challenging for me planning the event when it came to budgeting. Things I had to consider was the venue, the types of desserts I would be making, how many people will be arriving, etc. I felt the love and hands-on support of my mom, grandmother and my hubby.

AA: In 2019 you got to participate in NJ's Girl Scout Cookie cook off, tell us about that experience?

AB: It was a great experience for me. The Girl Scout Cookie cook off was fun, and I got the opportunity to make one of the girl scout cookies as a dessert for the 200+ guests that attended the country club . It was overall a fun experience.

AA: What do you feel is one of the biggest challenges you face as an up and coming chef?

AB: The biggest challenges I have faced as an up and coming chef is having the ability to continue to believe in myself, my vision and to have confidence in myself as a chef.

AA: You have a cookbook coming out, congratulations by the way! What should we expect to read?

AB: Thank you so much and I am very excited about this! It is an digital cookbook with a few recipes on how to cook on a budget at home. This book will help you save money instead going out to eat all the time. It's a little project I have been working on for a while, so I am excited to finally share my recipes.

AA: For any up and coming chef's inspired by this interview, what are three important tips you would share when starting this type of business?

AB: Well, that's a great one. For one if you have a passion for becoming a chef I would just start. Try not to think too hard about it. 2. Focus on being the best version of yourself. Doing so can help you figure out what type of chef you want to be. And 3. Most importantly map out and brainstorm your goals.

To stay tuned on Asia’s journey be sure to follow her business Asia B’s Sweet Treats on instagram. Be sure to pre-order your copy of ‘Cooking on a Budget with Chef Asia B. - we sure did!