Batter Chatter: Interview with Kimm Moore, Pastry Chef at Spitfire Grill, Seattle
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 
When I attended CupcakeCamp Seattle a couple of months ago, I encountered a sweet surprise: several creative cupcake entries from an unexpected source: Kimm Moore, the pastry chef at Spitfire Grill. Why such a surprise? Well, for one thing, I didn't even know that they had a pastry chef--after all, it's a sports bar! Not exactly a place that you'd expect delicious pastries. But these were very tasty cakes, friends. I simply had to learn more--here's a sweet interview with Kimm!
CakeSpy: Tell me how you got involved in the pastry arts.
Kimm Moore: I have been cooking and baking professionally for about 5 years now. Growing up, I knew I wanted to career that is active, creative, fun, precise, and help people look at food differently. I love the pastry arts because it lets me be creative with food/desserts.
CS: How did you become the pastry chef at the Spitfire Grill, which identifies as "a gathering space for sports"?
KM: I have been working, at Spitfire - Microsoft main campus location, for almost one year. Yes, we do identify ourselves as a "casual sports bar" but we do much more. We hold private parties, banquets for morale events, inside and outside catering events, and dessert banquets. I am the pastry chef, but also a line cook. I started as a line cook, then showed my bosses all the pastry work in my past. I wanted to help Spitfire grow, pastry-wise.
CS: What kind of desserts can be found on your menu?
KM: From a basic brownie sundae to my homemade pound cake bread pudding. I also do banquet dessert items, which can include mini cupcakes, lemon tarts, caramel tarts, and chocolate rum mousse cups. We do receive orders for special items, which I am happy to make.
CS: Do you have a lot of creative license in the kitchen, to design new desserts?
KM: To an extent. There are "set" items on the menu, which regular people like to see, but I love to get creative with banquet dessert items.
CS: At CupcakeCamp Seattle, you brought an amazingly creative roster of cupcakes to the event. Any chance we could get any of those at your work?
KM: Yes! I love making and creating new cupcakes also. If someone wants a special request cupcake, I am sure to do it!
CS: What is your favorite dessert to make?
KM: As simple as it sounds, I love to make cookies. They are a sweet item everyone loves and has favorite. You can get very creative and artistic with cookies...or just make a simple batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Also, there is some "science" to different mixing methods, for cookies, which I love.
CS: What is your favorite dessert to eat?
KM: There is something child-like about eating a good quality ice-cream, or gelato, in a waffle cone. Frozen desserts are in a world of their own, and I tend to favor those. I have a weakness for semi-freddos.
CS: Pie and cake are alone in a dark alley with switchblades. Who's going to come out the victor in this battle?
KM: Pie and cake are similar to cupcakes, because all have a "home-like" appeal to the masses. I believe pie will come out as a winner. Pie tends to be "lighter" versus cake. I like what High 5 Pie is doing around Seattle, bring more people aware of "good" pie. I love baking pie, too. I went to a National Pie Baking Contest, in Kissimee, Florida, and has a blast meeting with fellow pie bakers from across the country.
CS: If I were to ask something obnoxious like "do you see any emerging trends in the world of pastry?" what would you have to say?
KM: Honestly I see: beer in desserts, small bite banquet desserts, and healthy, especially gluten-free and vegan, desserts/baked goods.
CS: What is one of your proudest baking moments?
KM: When I was a bread baker, for COBS BREAD, our bakery's Country Grain bread placed 1st in a bread baking contest in Canada. I felt like waking up at 2 am everyday, for work, FINALLY paid off! I also, felt very proud at Cupcake Camp and meeting fellow cupcake bakers and lovers. I always feel happy and confident when someone says they love my work! What are some of your ultimate goals as a baker? As a baker, I want to change how people look at pastry items and how good ingredients equals a better product. You do not need to buy prepackaged cookies or take 'n' bake cookie dough, you can make your own cookies with good ingredients. Some people tend to "skimp" on baking ingredients which makes a less quality product. I also want people to eat better, healthier baked goods. I love baking healthy, gluten-free, and vegan items. I give them to people to taste, and they say "Wow! Can't even taste a difference!"
You can taste Kimm's desserts at The Spitfire Grill!
batter chatter
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Kim, your cookies and cupcakes look awesome! I go to spitfire on occasion with my husband. I'll have to give your desserts a try. :)
I met Kimm and her parents at Cupcake Camp and they were so nice to me and my daughter :)