Joe Parker, better known as JP, grew up with a wheat allergy. This was before Celiac disease was well-known, and there were not many gluten-free (and hence, wheat-free) options. After attending UNC, he decided to pursue a career as a pastry baker. When asked why, JP says, “I just wanted to feel normal. I wanted to have a cake that tasted normal, that no one could tell was gluten free when I served it at parties.”
JP attended several culinary arts programs including the San Francisco Baking Institute’s Gluten-Free Baking Class. He now runs JP’s Pastries with two coworkers. His interest in chemistry is a natural fit for someone experimenting with baking. When he’s working on a recipe, he mixes different gluten-free flours such as rice, sorghum, and tapioca to find the right combination. JP calls himself a “texture guy”; he doesn’t settle on a formula until the pastry feels right, usually after a number of testings. His mission? “To change the world’s view on what gluten free is. It’s not cardboard.”
JP’s Pastries makes everything by hand, from scratch. They bake every day in a certified kitchen that JP built onto his home in Raleigh. There are four commercial ovens, and the garage is so filled with freezers that he can no longer get the car inside.
“We’re excited to be at Weaver Street Market,” JP says. “It’s a good partnership.” We’re excited, too! We’ll be serving JP’s Pastries at the coffee bar. (JP’s Pastries are preservative-free and therefore should be consumed within 3-4 days, and kept in the refrigerator.) Look for blueberry and lemon poppyseed muffins, vanilla and chocolate poundcakes, chocolate chip and cranberry oatmeal cookies, and vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
Visit JP’s Pastries online at http://www.jpspastry.com/.