SCCC MARCH 2019A

MEET LAURA ANN TJAN
LA’s ARTISAN BAKERY- by Robbie Motter
Our beautiful town of Menifee has so many great jewels
and I I just recently met one. Her name is Laura Ann Tjan,
she and her husband Paul are Menifee residents. She loves
to bake and has a licensed Cottage Kitchen.
Below is a photo of a beautiful cake I just ordered. A
friend of mine introduced Laura to me and told me about
this cake that Laura had baked for her and told me it was
outstanding so decided to order one and check it out.So
can't wait to get it and taste it. Its called an Orange Grand
Marnier Three Layer Cake with Grand Marnier Simple Syrup and White Chocolate Orange Grand Marnier
Whipped Cream Frosting. Topped with Grand Marnier Infused Candied Orange Slices....
Truly beautiful and decadent adult dessert.
During her time in the military, she did three
tours of duty in Honduras. She was assigned
to a MASH unit. They serviced the local
military community and provided emergent
care to the indigent population. She said "It
was an extremely humbling experience"
.
One of her fondest memories was taking the
helicopters into the villages and immunizing
the children. she held the record for doing
971 children immunizations in one day. she
said t was hard work, but very rewarding.
After the military, she relocated to San
Francisco and became a foodie by default.
San Francisco has the highest number of
restaurants, per capita. The food culture in
San Francisco and Napa are world
renowned. Laura met her husband, Paul in
SF and they were avid cyclists. They spent more than 30 weekends a year cycling in Napa Valley,
enjoying visiting the local vineyards and restaurants. "Riding their bikes to the wineries, was not only an
amazing conversation starter, but really allowed them to experience the local food and wine culture", says
Laura.
They also toured Europe on their bikes and connected with a travel company known for their first class
trips. They would cycle from one country to the next, averaging 50 to 60 miles per day. They spent their
days enjoying lunch in a family owned cafe, followed with a dinner in a Michelin Rated Restaurant.
She fondly recalls having lunch in a remote European Village: they were on their bikes, hungry and
exhausted. This state of mind coupled with the fact that they spoke not one word of English, which forced
her to rely on her use of her high school foreign language skills." It's amazing how quickly you learn any art
or language when you are thrown into the midst of it " she said !
From her European travel experiences, she quickly learned how passionate Europeans are about their
dishes.
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