Member Spotlight: Meet Alina Myronova
Check out a sample menu from Alina’s Bakery and place your order here!
1. Can you share a bit about your background and how it led you to baking?
I was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine and emigrated to the United States in 2003. I had a successful career as a corporate recruiter having worked for Gemini Crypto, Amazon Web Services, Infosys Consultancy and several small staffing agencies. As a working mom, my children always seemed to have a request for something to bring to school - whether it was for a bake sale, or a birthday in the classroom, a fundraiser, or a gift for their teachers. The more I baked, the more I discovered the joy in what I was making and, especially, the looks on the faces of the kids (AND the teachers!) when they tried what I had baked. We lived in a tiny house in Bayonne, NJ and the kitchen was about the size of a cereal box, but somehow I managed to bake things that really brought my family and friends joy and a level of satisfaction I never experienced when I was hiring Java Developers and Project Managers!
When we moved to Morris County, the first thing we did (after ripping out the carpet in the bathrooms!) was to renovate the kitchen. I knew I wanted to pursue a business in baking and my husband and I designed a kitchen that was made for production. I’m able to customize any order to the taste and dietary needs of my clients while still sharing the joy and love I put into every one of my products. I look forward to sharing my joy of baking with clients throughout New Jersey.
In Morris County, there are so many great, local sources of fresh fruits & vegetables, eggs, meats, sausages and herbs.
2. Can you tell us about the ingredients you use and why they are important to your business?
Real. Fresh. Local. In Morris County, there are so many great, local sources of fresh fruits & vegetables, eggs, meats, sausages and herbs. From Alstead, Stony Hill and Riamede farms in Chester to Backer and Parks farms in Mendham and Totten Family and Ort farms in Long Valley, there is no shortage of fresh, homegrown, farm-raised products to choose from. And you really can taste the difference.
3. What is your favorite item to bake and why?
Pumpkin bread. I originally started making pumpkin bread to force some vegetables into my kids mouths, but they liked it so much, they started asking for it. My recipe produces a spongy, airy bread, full of sweetness and spice, a blend that I perfected after many, many tries. I hand pick the pumpkins, making several trips to the local farms, and after finally coring, cleaning, roasting, peeling, and shredding dozens of pumpkins, you come to appreciate all the hard work that went into that first taste. It ain't easy!! But so worth it. The look of ecstasy that comes over their faces as they take that first bite makes it all worthwhile! You can taste the love, and the sweat (yuck!) that goes into every bite of my Pumpkin Bread. Guaranteed Baked with Love and sold sweat free!
4. Can you share a moment or milestone since opening your new business that made you particularly proud?
Last winter, my first in business, was a treat. We signed up for a bunch of Christmas fairs throughout New Jersey. And although I'm the baker, my husband is the salesman, and he decided that we didn't need to sell the pumpkin bread or the brownies or the Italian herb bread. We didn’t need to sell ANY of my products. All we needed to do is get people to take a taste. One bite from a tray of samples we put together and that was it. The products sold themselves. I think he unintentionally scared a couple of kids with his a-bit-too-aggressive push to get them to try a bite. But that huge smile on their faces that always appeared once they did was worth the effort. We sold out of products hours before the fairs ended.
One bite from a tray of samples we put together and that was it. The products sold themselves.
5. What are your goals for the future of your business?
Don’t get me wrong. Money would be nice! Who doesn’t like money, right? But what I really get out of this is sharing what I bake with the community. A pecan pie that tastes like glue and is full of chemicals? An Italian loaf with a crust like Wonder Bread? A cannoli with a soggy shell and filling out of a can? Why? When there’s a local business that can provide homemade, delicious, all natural products, made to order, customized to individual taste and needs, and BAKED WITH LOVE.
6. Can you share a simple baking tip with our readers?
One of my kid’s teachers once asked me what my secret was. She had been trying to bake for herself and her family, but not with much success. I told her that practice would solve most of her issues. But taste? Taste is hard to define. Everyone's palette was different. So I gave her the only bit of wisdom I knew would apply to everyone. Vanilla! And lots of it. If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, add 2. And not imitation, factory made, chemically balanced artificial extract. No! The real thing is worth the cost. Real extract if you must, but nothing beats real vanilla beans. Scrape the seeds and oil out of a fresh bean pod and add it to your recipes. You’ll notice the difference right away. Madagascar (the best!), India, Mexico, Tahiti, Indonesia, Ecuador. There are plenty to choose from and, yes, they add cost to any recipe, but the results are well worth it.