Warda Bouguettaya is "feeling so honored to have Saveur magazine share our story of how Warda Patisserie came to be," she posts this week.
In its latest issue, the prestigious food publication says the Detroit baker "has a remarkable knack for turning out perfect tart crusts, silky ganache and airy frangipane" at her two-month-old shop. It's part of Trinosophes, a gallery, coffeeshop and performance space at 1464 Gratiot Ave. near Eastern Market
Warda Bouguettaya "celebrates all the places I have once called home." (Photos: Facebook)
"Baking Algerian foods here has been a way for me to feel less homesick," says the immigrant, who came to this country at age 21 from northwestern Algeria, near Morocco.
On Instagram, Bouguettaya describes her offerings as "seasonal, sophisticated pastries inspired by our travels and previous life in North Africa, France and Southeast Asia."
Here's part of what she tells Saveur executive editor Stacy Andimando:
"The idea of opening a pâtisserie was to have a space that celebrates all the places I have once called home.
"The ingredients might be a little different here in the U.S. than the ones we get in Algeria, so it can never be 100 percent traditional. But I'm just trying to get people excited about something they don’t know. . . .
"This winter, I learned to better perfect griwesh, an intricately knotted honey-lacquered pastry with sesame seeds, lemon, and orange blossom water that you have to pull and layer repeatedly -- somewhat like puff pastry. It's complicated to make, but it's so unbelievably light when you bite in."
The Gratiot Avenue shop is at Trinosophes, a shared space near Eastern Market.
The food entrepreneur, who lives in Farmington, welcomes the challenge of introducing Detroiters to new tastes and treats, she says in the interview.
"Customers are less familiar with the Algerian pastries then they are with the French ones. It's a natural human behavior to be a little hesitant at first. People don't always know how to react to a new cuisine, and the French pastries have just been here and popular for so much longer.
"All across the country, Algeria is still a largely unknown place. It takes time for people to get to know new things."
