Aimee Sosa may have fallen into cooking by accident, but she got there with a little natural baking talent. Sosa was the pastry chef for Royal, the beautiful little coffee shop inside the Phoenix Public Market. Do you remember the bacon brownies that were the talk of downtown? Those are Sosa's doing, and we gave her a Best of Phoenix award for them in 2010.
Not too long afterwards, Chef Wade Moises asked her to transition to become a full-time market chef. Being a jack of all trades, not only did she fit right in, but she felt right up to the task to making some treats for Caramelpalooza.
Q: Do you follow any Food Network stars?
A: No not really, I try not to watch TV.
Q:What's your favorite ingredient as of recent?
A: Red Russian Kale. I can use it in almost anything. Right now I've got it in some soup at home.
Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: I love the farmers markets in the South of France. But it'd have to be a culinary tour of Europe and Asia.
Q: Who have inspired you as a chef?
A: Chef Wade, Chef Justin, and Chef Danielle. She'd suggest some random things to me and I'd say, "That's just what I needed to know." So encouraging.
Q: What's a place in town you currently like to eat?
A: Azteca is really good Mexican restaurant. It's family owned and they make their own tortillas. Gallo Blanco is a good one, too.
Find Aimee and 17 other chefs at Caramelpalooza, Friday, March 2, from 7 til the caramel runs out, Smeeks candy store, northwest corner of Central and Camelback.