Interview with Randi Levin

Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old-Fashioned Recipes
Randi Levin
The Muffin Lady Inc. (2003)
ISBN 097450081X
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (9/06)

Reader Views welcomes Randi Lee Levin, author of the new specialty cookbook “Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes.” Randi is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita:  Randi, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today about your new book “Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes.”  Would you please tell us what we can expect from your new and exciting cookbook?

Randi:  Readers will discover a scrumptiously tasty, heart-filled cookbook full of passion, love and a diversity of flavors that will make one crave for more. This cookbook is guaranteed to make you smile and your palate explode with flavors that will be indulged in and enjoyed for many more years to come. Many of the recipes have been baked and devoured for over 100 years, while others have been developed per request of customers or just for the taste of something different. The tips are based on 30 years of everyday experiences adjusting family recipes to higher elevations; simply for the sake of eating well prepared, absolutely delicious homemade treats. The recipes, on the other hand are shared so that all residing or visiting locations of higher elevations can experience the simplistic ease of successfully producing the same incredible, edible homemade treats that have been easily prepared, requested and eaten throughout the years.  

Juanita:  Now, before we go any further, would you tell us how you became known as The Muffin Lady?

Randi: Wow, what a question, get ready and take a seat for I have a story to tell about how it all began:

It was April 2nd, 1991 and the clock showed the time as 1:58 pm. The day was beautiful; the blooming of new buds were shining under a cloudless, blue, spring sky, high above the snow packed mountains. I was waiting for the Doctor to come into his office with the test results. The clock kept ticking, now it was 2:00. How was I ever going to tell my parents that I was pregnant? I was over 30, not married and not really seeing anyone special. My Mother would be in utter shock, and the gossip, oh, she will never forgive me for this one.  What am I going to do; especially since something is wrong? Oh no, here he comes!

The gynecologist sat down across the desk from me. As he interlocked his fingers, he looked deeply at my face. I had just met this man 30 minutes ago, why is he staring at me like that. Then he asked if I had noticed any changes in my facial features. “Sure” I said.  ‘My face seems bigger, my brow deeper and my jaw wider; but that is because I am over 30 and pregnant, right”? “No you are not pregnant, I want to run a few more tests”, were the Doctors words. I didn’t actually hear his whole sentence for all I was thinking was ‘WHEW, that was close” Then they clicked into consciousness.
  “What did you say”, were my words. The Doctor, then finished his sentence by informing me that he thinks I have a rare disease, and a brain tumor. He informed me that my body was shutting down rapidly from an excessive amount of the growth hormone being produced and excreted throughout my body. I specifically remember asking in a bit of an obstinate tone, “Can I take the pee test again, I’ve got a baby, not a brain tumor, please get me another cup?” Unfortunately he declined this urgent request.

To this day I thank this man for saving my life, but at that very moment, 2:03 in the afternoon, I was not really hearing the words he was saying. Instead I was thinking of my kids’, the public school students and the residents at a residential facility. The previous day, I was at work, teaching and counseling at-risk and mentally ill youth. At that specific moment, I just thought about those kids and all the fun they were having torturing the Subs. I also thought about how much I need to ride my horse and hug all my babies, the dogs and the cats too, as soon as I get home.

I was startled from these thoughts when I heard the words, “I need to take some blood to run some more test, and have already made an appointment for you in the morning with a Specialist. Reality was setting in; “This is real and really bad, oh my, what am I going to do, I hate needles”. “How am I going to tell the folks, my boss?” “They are not going to shave my head!” To this day I do not recall if I verbalized these words or just thought them. What I knew at the time was that I wanted that tumor out of my head, it did not belong there. Please do not tell me I am sick, when I don’t feel sick. And do not tell me I am dying, I’d rather not hear that, thank you; I have my babies, students and clients to take care of. These were my thoughts as I approached my car to head back up the mountain 45 minutes later.

Little did I know, as I left his office that day, that my life as I knew it was coming to an abrupt end? I never anticipated on that beautiful, spring day that a brain tumor can cause miracles to happen. I now know differently.

While undergoing surgery a kind neighbor watched my babies for me. It was not a difficult responsibility, but time consuming to feed and water a horse, 9 dogs and 2 cats. Upon return from the hospital, I offered to pay her for her kindness, but she adamantly refused any monetary compensation. So I baked a batch of cookies and gave them to her as a way to show my appreciation. She enjoyed them so very much that she suggested that I market them.

Having lots of time on my hands and a passion for baking (which began decades before while learning and tasting in my Grandmother’s kitchen), I searched my Grandmother’s inherited recipe box, found a few more recipes, made the high altitude adjustments and took a few different treats to a new coffee shop in hopes of sales. The excess samples were gingerly placed into a large basket to take to friends and businesses around town. All were impressed with the scents and tasty temptations so affectionately prepared, that they bought them immediately and to my delight, asked for more. These first customers were as encouraging as could be, requesting more and if I can bake this or that.

As the weeks passed, I developed a ‘route’ for my deliveries.  I would wake as early as 2 am, bake a variety of muffins, cakes, brownies, cookies, etc. and deliver them around town throughout the morning. All welcomed this endeavor and my daily clientele grew as did the requests for more. (Yes, that lovely tumor remained in my head for 8 more years, but it did stop me, nope; rather helped me to grow in more ways than one!)

Then one morning, with basket in hand, I walked into the back of the local Post Office, as I had done many times before, and out of no-where I suddenly heard the deep voice of one of the employees passionately called out: “Muffin Lady’s here!” Oh my, I had been given a title!  Amazingly as many things do in small towns, this new title spread rapidly and I became known as The Muffin Lady and legalized this title a few months later.

To this day, I remain immensely grateful to that day in April so long ago; when I was diagnosed with that horrid disease and tumor, for it really did make me who I am today; The Muffin Lady.
 
Juanita:  What inspired you to write your first book, “Baking at High Altitude”?

Randi: Throughout the years of delivering my treats, many would request this or that recipe and many more would ask just how I can bake such wonderfully moist treats at high altitudes while avoiding results such as flat cookies, concave cakes and brownies and muffins, bars and strudels that seem to dry out so rapidly up here. These wonderful people who made up my daily route wanted my secrets and communicated such to me on many an occasion.
As one who achieved several degrees, I learned young that knowledge is for sharing not hoarding, for if info is not passed along, it gets lost. I had knowledge that people wanted; such as experienced tips and secrets to successfully bake at high altitudes and the requested recipes formatted or developed for such unusual conditions. The time had come for them to be shared.
So upon advice of another friend, I asked my heart to guide me and sat down and wrote a cookbook. The purpose of this book is so that all may enjoy the tasty, successful results of scratch-baked, homemade goodness in higher elevations.

Juanita: How/why does altitude affect baking?  Does it affect all cooking styles, or just recipes that call for rising agents?

Randi:   Please keep in mind when reading the answer to these questions, that I am not a scientist or certified culinary professional and have never studied the scientific components of foods and food preparation. With this said, I can say that the higher one goes in elevation, the lower the air pressure becomes, hence the dryer and thinner the air becomes.  It is this dry and thin air that can cause “High Altitude Sickness”, rapid breathing for those who are not accustomed to such and a great tan in a short period of time; for you truly are a little closer to the sun.

Unfortunately this thin, dryer air also can induce a few minor changes to how one prepares foods. For example the higher one goes in elevation the thinner and dryer the air becomes, hence leading to what I refer to as ‘The Hot Air Balloon Affect’, whereby baked goods will rise beautifully in the oven and then deflate just as rapidly as if the hot air in a balloon was turned off. This is why adjustments in many baked recipes become necessary for the product to look and taste as the cook intends. For instance foods will take longer to cook and bake in higher elevations. The increased length of time can be anywhere from 1 minute for cookies to 2 hours for a roast. Many will suggest increasing the temperature to compensate for this, causing less oven time. However, my experience has shown that if I increase the temperature, although the product will turn out fine, it also dries out twice as quick for all I have done is increase the hot dry oven air in an already dryer environment.

 Sure leavening agents need to be adjusted and decreased a little for some recipes, (i.e. muffins, cakes, cookies, etc) although increased a smidgen for others (i.e. crackers). It is all a matter of trial, effort and tasting, possibly tossing and then trying again.   

Juanita:  What are some of your recommendations/adaptations to remember when cooking at high altitudes?

Randi: Cook or bake the product longer, and always test the product for doneness prior to removing from the heat source. Institute logic, believe in and practice trial and error until you achieve the desired results.

Juanita: Do you mention specific tips in your book, or do the recipes just reflect the specialized techniques/alterations?

Randi: I begin the book with an Introduction and then have many pages of tips for adjusting your own recipes and for handling the products once removed from the oven. Many unknown customers have communicated to me that my tips are some of the best they have ever received and have thanked me for sharing such in wonderful detail.

Juanita: Randi, what types of recipes do you include in your book “Baking at High Altitude”?  How do you categorize the recipes?

Randi: Please see categories below. The recipes are diverse and include many variations so that all may enjoy the goodness of homebaked treats, including those who have special dietary needs, i.e. many of the recipes can be altered to be lower in fat and/or cholesterol, diabetic friendly, wheat free and/or dairy free if need be. Such adjustments can be found in the list of ingredients or in the substitutions list at the back of the book.
 
Cookies……… Chocolate Chip, Shortbread, Snickerdoodles, Rugelach

Cakes……Coffeecakes, fruit-filled cakes, Layer Cakes

Muffins……… Everything from Blueberry to Zucchini to Cheese and Broccoli Muffins with all that you would want in-betweeen.

Breads…………Primarily Sweet Breads ranging from fruit–filled to Scones to absolutely to die for Cinnamon Sticky Buns.

Fruit-Filled Bars………Old Fashioned Cobblers, Crisps and bars, including Cherry or Apple Brown Betty, just like Grandma’s used to bake.

Brownies and Such…… Chocolate Fudge, orgasmic White Chocolate brownies and Pecan Caramel Fudge that could knock your socks off.

Pies……… Ah, the ease of pies ranging from fruit-filled to crème pies to quell over. 

Strudels…… I am one baker who believes in ease of baking good and scrumptious and this chapter fits that quest from the easy of Apple Strudels to those filled with Crème Cheese and beyond.

Substitutions………Most that you can ask for when you are in the middle of baking and go to grab an ingredient, i.e. baking powder and find that there is no more left.

Index……… detailed
Metric conversions…….. listed for those who measure more comfortably in milliliters and ounces.

Juanita:  How did you go about choosing the recipes in “Baking at High Altitude”?  Did you create them yourself?

Randi: Yes many of the recipes within the pages were developed on a whim or a request on my own. But, many more have been made for decades for they were my Grandmother’s and Great grandmother’s and have been said to be the best of the best.
Choosing the recipes was an easy venture, for each of the recipes within the pages have been requested by family, friends and customers for years and the time had come for them to be shared.

Juanita:  Do you have any favorites, and what are one’s that typically get the best remarks?

Randi: Yes, my favorite recipe in the book is my Grandmother’s Rugelach cookies, I will eat way too many whenever I bake them. Honestly these are my all-time favorite baked good. But then again whenever I attempt to bake a Chocolate Crème Pie, I have a tendency to eat much too much of the filling before it makes it into the shell. What can I say, the filling makes a perfectly awesome HOT CHOCOLATE PUDDING.
What gets the “best remarks” wow! It depends on who you are talking to; some prefer the brownies, while others prefer the muffins or cookies. I can say that my Great Grandmother’s Cinnamon Streusel Cake is praised regularly, but then so are the Snickerdoodles or the Peachy Streusel Cake. Honestly is really is a matter of personal choice and personal tastes, for they are all very good.  

Juanita:  I understand that you make your recipes accessible for those with special dietary needs?  Would you comment on this and how do you incorporate this into the recipes?

Randi: I believe that treats should be made for all to enjoy and that just because a body can not process some foods does not mean that the person should have to give up some of the delicacies in life, such as a well-prepared tasty baked good.
Being a Special Ed. Teacher and viewing a few kids with Developmental Disabilities who were unable to eat snacks because of dietary problems, I would feel bad and often developed a few recipes for them, so that they could be a part of the group so to speak. I simply played around with different ingredients until the product came out tasty and looking good.

Because, I used to supply Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, I quickly learned a few more tricks to this trade of baking for those with special dietary needs. Additionally, my Father had a heart condition and considering that he thought me to be his personal baker, he would affectionately commanded me to bake him things whenever I visited; to which I had to oblige. Consequently his heart condition also developed into Diabetes and then one day while visiting he again commanded me to bake him something while flushing Mom’s cookies down the garbage disposal. We argued as only a father and daughter lovingly can and I proceeded to call his Dr. That was the day I developed a Fruit Bar recipe and learned how to bake for such dietary dilemmas without quite as much playtime and tossing of disasters.
I list these special adjustments directly in the ingredient lists of specific recipes, in addition to displaying little graphic icons under the recipe title indicating if the recipe can be made heart friendly and/or diabetic friendly.

Juanita: Randi, what is it about baking that has captured your interest so intently?  What do you love about cooking?

Randi: Honestly, I love sweets and I treasure a well made baked treats. I also prefer anything homemade over store bought, always have and always will! What do I love about cooking and baking, SHARING THE FINAL PRODUCT, HEARING THE OUU’S AND AHH’S, AND SEEING THE SMILES THAT THEY BRING!!!!!! For me that is what it is all about, sharing the goodness that comes from well-prepared foods!

Juanita: Randi, where do you live?  Have you always lived at high-altitudes?

Randi: I live 8000 feet above the ocean in Evergreen, Colorado; a lovely town high up in the Rocky Mountains. I was raised in Philadelphia, PA. and first visited Colorado at the age of 15. Something told me I was home and at 17, I moved out here to attend college. I graduated at 20 years of age (somehow please do not ask how I did it in 3 years) and was about to move back east when I got a job in Evergreen, and the rest is history.

Juanita:  I understand that ““Baking at High Altitude” has won a couple awards.  Would you tell us more about the wonderful successes your book had so far?

Randi: Yes I won a 1st Place EVVY award from Colorado Independent Publishers, the 2nd award was the absolute shock of my life, for I had no idea what contest I entered it into.

On Feb.11th 2005 in Orebro, Sweden my ‘Baking’ book was announced BEST FIRST COOKBOOK in the WORLD from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
These awards are truly considered the ‘Oscars’ of the Cookbook industry and are given on ones ability to “cook with words” and the quantity and quality of the writing and associated book.
Since then I am a current member of IACP/International Association of Culinary Professionals, and some of the members consider me a high altitude food expert a wonderful compliment especially coming from such professionals.. 

Juanita:  Randi, thank for taking the time to talk with us today. Best of luck to you!  How can readers find out more about you and your book?

Randi: They can contact me directly through e-mail or my website: muffinchic@earthlink.net, or www.themuffinlady.com

IF they e-mail and mention this interview, I would be more than happy to give them a bit of a discount on their purchase for the Baking at High Altitude Book. Additionally, this book is available at Barnes & Noble and Borders Bookstores, several Independent bookstores and a few Gourmet type kitchen stores as well as of course Amazon.com

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