A lot of readers and customers

Q: Cynthia, where did you learn to bake and cook?
A: I learned how to bake and cook thru DOING it and traveling. I think exposing myself to new kinds of foods has been an important influence in my career as a cook. But the most important thing is inspiration – you can never fake it, copy it or borrow it and it is the one thing that will get you going and keep you that way.

Q: Where do you get your recipes from?
A: I derive my recipes either from sense memories, like chocolate chip cookies or I develop them from a vision I have, like the Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake. In any case, I always have a vision – an image of where I want to go with an idea, or an ingredient.

Q: Has anybody ever been a role model for you in the kitchen? If yes, who?
A: Well, I think both my Mother and my Grandmother were role models for me in the kitchen. They were real ladies and very concerned with pleasing the family with their creations. I can totally relate to that: when I cook or especially bake something, it is almost always for someone else. It really means a lot to me, whether it is a customer or a family member, to see someone really experience the food that I make and enjoy it.

Q: How did you come to think of opening cafés in Berlin?
A: Necessity is the mother of invention. I had a longing for good coffee and the foods I love and grew up with. I suppose it was actually a very selfish idea!

Q: Can you imagine opening more cafés or delis in Berlin or even nationwide?
A: Oh no, I cannot imagine expanding in the way of shops. I am interested in so many other projects related to Barcomi's like cookbooks (my next one about celebration food is coming out this September), my own spice line, aprons, etc. Two stores are enough. I wouldn't want to turn into a chain and lose my quality, which is EVERYTHING!

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Oh, I love so many kind of foods, anything really fresh and seasonal like berries, soft shell crabs, herbs from my garden. But I also love cookies, cakes and pies. I really enjoy any kind of food which comes from the heart, as it were.

Q: You cook and bake all these delicious things and yet you are very slim. How do you do it?
A: I stay slim and healthy by exercise (chasing after the children) and healthy eating, which means finding a balance.  I do enjoy sweets, but I don’t overdo it. I have gained (and lost) 60 pounds with each of my four pregnancies and it was not easy. It is more fun to keep it off than lose it. Having said that, I do believe it is a question of balance and feeling healthy.