Amid a pan of frosting, plastic spoons and rolls of paper towels lay an open magazine illustrating various styles of piping. Third-year College student Jessica Mathre, vice president of the Baking and Pastry Arts Association, thumbed through the pages, pausing to reflect upon the images before her.
"If we start with shells, we can do stars and shells; that way, we don't have to change tips as much," Mathre said to her assistant -- who also happens to be her mother -- who nodded in agreement while holding up a pipe and examining the tip. Meanwhile, President Nicole Oandasan, a fourth-year College student led students past tables laden with piping material into the lobby to check off names.
The first and only mandatory meeting of the BPAA had officially begun. Students clambered into their seats as Mathre detailed safety and sanitation precautions before moving on to the basic skill of piping. At later meetings, club members will learn more sophisticated culinary arts, such as how to prepare bread, desserts, chocolate and other pastry forms.
"I think [the BPAA is] so original," second-year College student Fran Holuba said. "There hasn't been any group like this where you can learn how to do things like make icing for a cake -- when will you ever do this in another class? You make birthday cakes all the time for your friends, but why not make them with cool designs?"
The BPAA established its presence on Grounds at the end of the 2007 spring term, after Oandasan and Mathre were unable to find a club where they could pursue and expand their culinary interests.
"I think it's a good idea to have a baking and pastry arts club on Grounds because a lot of people don't have kitchens," Oandasan said. "We also do the art aspect of baking and plating because it's not just how it tastes -- it's how it looks, too."
As the BPAA did not become active until this semester, it did not receive enough funding for all the materials necessary to make its planned agenda of sweets and baked goods. Members were thus required to pay $40 in annual dues before attending the first meeting or could choose to pay per event. After Newcomb Dining Hall agreed to sponsor the club, providing needed space, basic ingredients and other cooking necessities, the majority of funds collected were used to purchase each member a reusable kit including piping bags, a variety of tips, rose nails and other materials.
"We wanted people to see what they're paying for so they can take the supplies and practice at home," Oandasan said, noting that the organization's members come from a diverse background of previous cooking experience. "No experience is required -- we learn together."
Indeed, Oandasan spent the evening at work with other club members -- her own kit in tow -- while Mathre performed demos before the students. Mathre, deemed the "pastry chef," attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, completing the baking and pastry arts program.
The size of the BPAA is limited to 25 students, which allows for "more demonstration and less assembly," according to Mathre. During the instruction, Mathre and her mother gave personal attention to every member, demonstrating particular skills they wanted to underscore.
"I like having a small class because you get to do more hands-on activities," Holuba said. "You can't learn from a recipe book until you try; it's better to be watching someone doing it and trying it."
When she wasn't watching Mathre explain the technique of piping a sugary star or producing one of her own, Holuba jotted down notes and diagrams in rapt attention.
Though the first meeting of the BPAA was held in the kitchen of Shea House, future meetings will be held in the kitchens of Newcomb, depending on how many people attend and what the group will be making that week. Meetings will be held once or twice a month.
In addition to in-class instruction, the BPAA has arranged field trips to local bakeries as well as presentations by guest speakers, who will discuss and demonstrate cake decorating and other skills. The officers also plan to hold cake decorating and Iron Chef-style competitions on the Lawn every semester or annually. The possibilities of future joint events with other organizations and live demonstrations with samples for diners at Newcomb have also been discussed as a chance to promote the BPAA in the community, Oandasan said.
Until then, though, these future Iron Chefs will continue to develop and perfect their culinary techniques under the guidance of pastry chef Mathre and the BPAA.
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