Midnight Smack BY FU

Next generation = fine dining survives. 

I’ll eat to that!

Meet Mia

I’ll be honest — I’ve always been a little conflicted about GoFundMe. My generation was raised on the gospel of “figure it out yourself, take on three jobs, sleep when you’re dead.” We didn’t ask, we hustled. I literally am still doing it. But lately I’ve started to wonder… what if asking is part of the hustle? Not for me, mind you. I’m at the tail end of things. FU is my hobby farm. As I’ve told everyone willing to listen, I just want to pay rent the rest is all FUn. 

Especially this:

When I heard about Mia Peña — packing her bags (perhaps knives) for a world-renowned culinary school in Paris, to become a pastry chef — I don’t just see a kid chasing a dream. I see the future of the food world I care so much about. The one that’s slowly disappearing under a pile of drive-thru bags and mediocre fast casual restaurants I am so sick of.

So yeah, she started a GoFundMe. And I contributed. And now I want to do more — because maybe this isn’t just about helping her get to France. Maybe it’s about proving that fine craftsmanship still matters. That butter laminated into dough by hand still deserves applause. That precision, patience, and obsession are still worth investing in. Before we lose it.

So I asked if I could interview her — not to beg on her behalf, but to give you a reason to root for her. Because if we want better food in the world, it starts with backing the people willing to make it.

LZ- Hi Mia, Thanks for doing this with me. You really have me intrigued and I can’t wait to learn and share your journey! 

Mia– Hello LeeAnn, thank you for considering me as a subject of interest. My name is Mia Peña, and I am nineteen years old. I came to Rochester about eight years ago from Portland Oregon for everyone’s favorite reason: health issues. While living in Portland, I developed a chronic illness called CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) due to black mold poisoning. I was an extremely sick child, and moving away from that environment saved my life. Through my illness I learned the value of community, and used food as a means to build my own. 

LZ– Oh gosh ok. Well, first, How are you feeling now? 

Mia– I am doing much better now! I believe that aging and living in tune with my body have greatly benefited my outlook on the matter.

LZ- What did you want to be when you grew up? Just for insight I wanted to be a private detective so things can change. 

Mia-I have always dreamed of going into gastronomy, but I initially wanted to go into culinary arts. 

LZ– Same- well the cooking side of things. In the end it never happened. 

Mia– I still am completely enamored with cooking, but I find it to be much more personal to me. There is more emotion involved with that gastronomic branch. I chose pastry because of the balance between science and creativity. I’m a very technical person; I like it when things have rhyme and reason.

LZ– Exact opposite for me. Haha. No science or math for this gal. Just what tastes amazing and what’s the easiest way to get there. 

LZ– So, living in tune with your body. I can only assume that whole and quality food feeds into that?

Mia– I do believe that eating with the seasons keeps your body happy and allows you to extract the most possible nutrients. I love a summer tomato; there’s just something explosive about it. I find that better quality ingredients make a dish far more memorable

LZ– For sure and France is likely to have pristine ingredients and amazing cheese. What happens when you get your first job that doesn’t necessarily have those perfect items?

Mia– I wouldn’t say that good flavor is impossible to create with poorer ingredients. It just takes more energy to get to that outcome. I do think that health is important, and that truly is all about balance. Butter is my best friend; we will not part ways until my arteries clog.

LZ– Who had the most influence on you? 

Mia- My high school English teacher, Jean Prokott, is also Rochester’s Poet Laureate and my so-called Forever Teacher. She was the one who taught me that everything is poetry, from beauty to discomfort, all have poetry within. This ideology not only translates into my own poems but also into the food I create. I believe that food is a form of devotion, spending your time crafting something with the intention to nourish, and to experience the sensation of the food itself is its own poetry. Prokott helped me grow into myself; we collaborated on a poetry event, this past spring, titled Trust the Hours, which gave me the confidence to share who I am in a raw, fully human way. I try to live by her mantra “Do no harm, take no shit.”

LZ- Poetry! I just discovered poetry or maybe better put, started to understand/appreciate poetry beyond the Dr Seuss rhymes and Edgar Allen Poe. At Food Union we have done several poetry events, though not with Jean. What a wonderful colab that could be! An event idea, Forever Teacher, Forever Pastry, Forever Poetry. Well something like that.

Mia: Yes! I used to struggle with metaphors because I couldn’t grasp the why. Why would someone dance around topics and emotions instead of being clear? I later learned that so much can be told through metaphor; it helps us put words to the incomprehensible and tangibility to the taboo.

LZ– Well right there, that’s poetry to my ears. 

LZ– What are your hobbies?

Mia– As previously mentioned, I write poetry, and I have some pieces published in literary magazines. I also work as a Figure Model, although it’s technically work, I view it more as an art form. I love a good moshpit, loud music with a side of neck pain is my happy place. 

LZ– Nice. Help me understand what a Figure Model is? 

Mia– Figure Modeling or Art Modeling is basically allowing your likeness to be transformed into art. I sit in the middle of a room, and artists draw me in a variety of poses. I absolutely adore this line of work; it has helped me grow confident in my appearance and realize that everyone views me differently. 

LZ– Do you have a favorite Chef? Why? 

Mia-I don’t have one particular Chef that I idolize, yet I find attributes from different chefs to be inspiring. Lately, I’ve been loving José Andrés and the way he uses food as a form of devotion and activism is extremely admirable. I adore his mind.

LZ– Ah yes. Just finished the Netflix series with him. I actually love that he is conflicted to pull back or forge ahead, at this point in his life. That is definitely always on my mind. I was in Washington DC at a food show a few years ago. We stopped by Jaleo and after a day of eating at the show, we still made our way through a fair amount of the menu. And of course he paved the way for Serrano, Iberico and all the lovelies from Spain to come to the US.

LZ How about Pastry Chef and why? 

Mia– No, not necessarily.

LZ– Hmmm that’s interesting.Keep me posted on that!

LZ– What are your top three favorite restaurants?

Mia- Micaela in Mérida, Mexico, I’ve never tasted corn so sweet and fresh. Bianco in Paris, a very quick, yet comforting environment. Lucky in Paris as well, this spot was a hole in the wall Asian restaurant that served the fluffiest bao buns.

LZ– What is the name of the school you are going to? 

Mia– École Ducasse

LZ– Why did you choose that one? 

Mia– École Ducasse is the only school I applied to 

LZ– I’m super impressed that that all came together! 

Mia- Yes, I have been officially accepted into the Bachelor’s in French Pastry Arts program. The pastry program at the Paris campus accepts about 60 students per year. 

LZ– Congrats!! How long is the program? 

LZ– How long is the program, and how many students are accepted each year?

Mia–  It’s a three-year program.Each year is broken into two semesters: one in the lab, and the other is an internship at a location [internship site] of your choosing

LZ– What’s the first thing you hope to master at École Ducasse? 

Mia– I would love to gain more confidence in creating my own recipes. To get a better understanding of which ingredients cause which reactions.

LZ– Is there a particular pastry or dessert style you’re most excited to explore? 

Mia– I’ll be studying in Paris, to definitely viennoiserie. I’m not too familiar with the lamination process, so I’m extremely eager to learn everything about it.

LZ– OK not going to lie, I had to look up viennoiserie. So for anyone else not in the know “Viennoiseries are yeast-leavened doughs that sit somewhere between bread and pastry — think croissants and pain au chocolat.”

LZ- Do you have any long-term goals as a pastry chef after graduation? (opening your own place, yikes talk to me before you do that lol. Working with a certain chef, etc.) 

Mia– Immediately after graduation, I would like to work in a fancy hotel or pastry shop. Possibly somewhere in Europe or in Mexico. After that, I would love to have a shop where I live above it. Should I be scared?

LZ– you know what? the answer to that, is no, don’t be scared. I’m pretty sure if you want to open your own place you will. And you will have the discipline behind you. I can’t tell you how many times I have hear… “everyone says I’m a great cook and should open my own restaurant.” The food is only a very small portion of running a restaurant. But, I think you know that. 

LZ-Do you eat fast food junk food? If so what?

Mia-I don’t usually eat fast food, but when it comes to junk food, I definitely enjoy sour gummy worms.

LZ-What is your comfort food maybe it is what is above :)? 

Mia– I think this is a popular one, but it’s true to my heart. My mom’s chicken soup. It takes her all day to build the layers of flavor within the soup base, every spice and aromatic creating a full sensory experience. The warmth I feel within my body and heart fills me with a sense of safety and love.

LZ– Love this so much!

LZ- What’s the most memorable dish or dessert you’ve ever made, and why does it stick with you? 

Mia – I always come back to flourless chocolate cake; it was one of the first desserts I ever felt like I mastered. It always surprised the science behind it always surprised people, which gave it a sort of wow factor.

LZ-If you could design your ultimate comfort dessert, what would it be?

Mia- I would definitely go with something warm and gooey with a lot of chocolate.

LZ– What’s something about you that most people wouldn’t know?

Mia– I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at sixteen years old. This has helped me learn more about myself and the way I approach life. 

LZ– I think we decided that it would be lovely to throw a little pastry night here at FU thanking those that have contributed to your Go Fund Me page after I post this blog. I am super excited about that. Can you give us just a couple of examples of what you could maybe do? 

Mia– I love experimenting with flavors. I’ve been really into sesame desserts or liquors. Maybe some mini cakes or entremets.

LZ– What are you currently watching on Netflix? 

Mia-One of my favorite films Empire Records is currently running its course on Netflix, so I’ve been watching it as much as possible before it inevitably disappears. 

LZ– We always ask —What is your secret FOOD UNION, something you eat that’s unusual and you love? For example mine WAS cottage cheese and ripple potato chips but it’s not weird any more cottage cheeses has made a comeback. 

Mia– I think my food obsession is stinky cheese, anything funky is my love language. 

LZ– Ok hang on. Stinky and Cheese is not weird. LOL! Stinky cheese and peanut butter is weird or stinky cheese and gummy worms? Maybe we should try that together, 

Mia– I was definitely drawing a blank on that one. I bet stinky cheese and peanut butter would be delicious!

So as I mentioned at the start, I want to help propel beautiful food into the future. I’m not exactly a big-time influencer — my following is more “cozy dinner party” than “stadium crowd” — but I do believe Mia’s story deserves to be out there. We need to get her to Paris, and then beyond, one step at a time.

Friends, I’d like to encourage you to support Mia in her future. Here’s her GoFundMe link. Before she heads off to school next year, we’ll celebrate with a free event for all contributors — think a little cheese, a little wine, and a whole lot of pastry. I’ve told Mia I’ll happily fund this, and I hope Jean, Mia’s most influential teacher and a brilliant poet, will join me to make it a proper to-do. Because if we want the next generation of food talent to thrive, it starts with us backing them now. Stay tuned for details, and please consider sharing this with anyone else who believes the future of food should taste amazing.

A little help now = a lot of pastry later. Support Mia’s journey to Paris here