We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany Peterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
I was browsing a used book store one day a few years ago when I came across an old Wilton cake decorating book from 1954. I bought it for $5.00. It is one of the very first cake decorating guides that the company ever produced. Today, anyone who has been to a craft store, knows Wilton cake decorating products. They are a staple brand in the cake industry. The title of the book is, “The Homemaker’s Pictorial Encyclopedia of Modern Cake Decorating”. It is a fascinating step back in time. On the dedication page, it reads, “Dedicated to the American Homemaker Who Constantly Searches for Better Ways to Serve Her Family and Friends”. I was not born yet when this was published, so it’s amazing to see how much our cultural norms and gender roles have changed since then. When I was a kid I always loved looking through my grandma’s old, black and white cookbooks. They are so interesting to me. This book teaches the basics of piping, frosting, pastry making, and ribbon candy art. You can see that some trends are still used today, while others were only popular during that time period. The modern wedding cake then is completely different than what we think of modern wedding cakes now. It is definitely one of my favorite books that I own!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career in pastry began over 10 years ago in a local grocery store. I always loved art, but never wanted to be a traditional artist. Once I found I could put art on food, I found my calling. All I have done since then is focus on becoming better at what I do every day. I am constantly trying to find ways to improve and am very passionate about my work. I feel that if you are going to do something, you should put your all into it and do so with purpose. Ultimately, I really just want to make people happy. I enjoy giving to others. The way I do that best is through dessert. If I can do that time and time again for others as I have been doing, then I am successful.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
There are so many places I love, but these are my favorite:
-Disneyland (Of course)
-Mortensen’s Bakery, Solvang (Amazing Scandinavian pastries)
-Bridlewood Winery, Los Olivos
-Avila Valley Barn, Avila Beach
-Morro Bay (For the sea otters)
-Senor Grubby’s, Carlsbad (Great tacos after a day at the beach)
-Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado Island
-Riley’s Farm, Oak Glen (Apple picking)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who deserve a shoutout, that I could not name just a single person. First and foremost, my grandma was the person who taught me how to bake when I was growing up, so I may not be where I’m at if it wasn’t for her. Secondly, my family deserves a lot of credit for always believing in me and supporting me unconditionally. I also would like to thank all of my culinary instructors. They taught me so much about the art of pastry while I was in culinary school. Some of my favorite memories were when I would spend hours baking every day in our school kitchen. Lastly, every bakery that I worked at prior to starting my business was really where I grew the most professionally and personally. Every person that I have worked with has impacted me in some way. These people taught me so many valuable skills, they challenged me and pushed me to be better, opened my mind to new ideas, inspired me, helped me when I needed guidance, laughed with me when I made mistakes and always celebrated my successes. I am truly thankful for everyone who has and will make a positive difference in my life.

Website: littlesugarkitchen.com
Instagram: instagram.com/littlesugarkitchen/

Image Credits
Photo of wedding cake with two pugs on top: Mikal Lok at LOKITM

Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.