You may know her for her pies, or her helpful but relatable how-to videos, or maybe you just know her from Instagram, where you follow along for the occasional sighting of her little dog, Brimley!
But here at the CIA, Erin McDowell is family, and like all of our alumni, we’re proud to boast about what she’s been up to (we also reserve the right to show her new friends old family photos).
If you haven’t heard her name before, you’ve probably spotted her food on Food 52, in Sift magazine from King Arthur Flour, or this incredible pie spread in The New York Times. Erin is a CIA graduate (she studied Baking and Pastry arts on our Hyde Park, NY campus) who has made a living as a food writer, recipe developer, and talented food stylist. She’s embraced a non-traditional culinary career path in the boldest way.
Luckily for us, Erin began her career right here at the CIA, working with our on-campus publishing team to write and edit cookbooks, develop recipes, and to help style photographs that you can find in CIA cookbooks like Cooking at Home 2e, Preserving,and Street Foods. As a student and employee, she was a sponge who absorbed the years of experience from those around her, while also bringing a young and modern point of view to a tradition-driven industry.
About her time at the CIA, Erin said, “My favorite part of attending CIA was the invaluable experiences I had with each individual instructor. In one class, I'd learn a technique for a recipe that I loved. A few weeks later, another chef might weigh in with a twist on that same technique, and I'd love that too. This showed me an important lesson that I carry with me every day in my current career: there can be multiple successful ways to achieve a desired result. It encouraged me to think outside the box and stretch my creativity as I built on the foundations I learned in school. I felt like every day I was learning more than the syllabus by miles and miles - and I'm forever grateful!”
In her media-driven corner of the industry, Erin is challenged every day to create something eye-catching and craveable, and luckily for all of us, she’s brought along a recipe to share. This Double-Crust Berry Gallette is a swoon-worthy showpiece that, like most of Erin’s recipes, is fun to make, but better to eat.
You can find this recipe and others in Erin’s first cookbook, The Fearless Baker (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017). In it, you’ll find user-friendly recipes and the confidence to tackle cookies, cakes, and even puff pastry! Rumor has it she’s working on another book all about pies – and we can’t wait!