Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Boucher.
Hi Laurie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a former attorney turned pasta instructor. I practiced law for 30 years and in 2017, with my kids getting older and heading off to college, I decided to pursue a dream of mine which was to attend culinary school. I attended the Hotel Culinary Arts & Tourism Institute through Anne Arundel Community College and earned my A.A.S. degree in Culinary Arts in 2020. I am finishing my last class this term (Spring 2024) to complete my degree in Baking and Pastry Arts.
My desire to attend culinary school stemmed from a desire to become a better home cook. My pasta journey was separate from culinary school. I have always been fascinated with pasta and it was the first meal I made for my husband Henry while we were dating! I made a spinach-infused fettuccine and still recall the “curious” look on his face when I presented the plate of pasta to him. I found that making pasta was very meditative, and creative, and by delving into it more, discovered there was an entire pasta world out there. I decided to immerse myself into learning as much as possible.
I have respect for the deep-rooted traditions of pasta, both in recipes and methods, but over time, I became fascinated with the more creative side of pasta. I specifically became interested in the beautiful southern hand-formed pasta shapes, of which there are many. I also immersed myself in learning more about how to naturally color pasta with vegetables, herbs, and superfoods. I would use those colored pastas to create pasta “textiles” with which I could then make beautiful pasta shapes and forms. I did not see any classes in the Baltimore area teaching those specific things so I designed some classes that would fit the formats of different local businesses.
I reached out to local businesses to offer free demonstrations and lo and behold, I was hired to teach my personally designed pasta classes in several local businesses and cookshops. Over time my teaching expanded to more businesses and schools here in Baltimore and beyond. I currently continue to teach pasta making in local schools and businesses as well as offer private pasta workshops in the Baltimore region as well as in Ocean City and other shore points.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Completely changing careers was not an easy transition. To go from being an attorney to attending culinary school and ultimately working in the food industry was quite a jump! I had my fair share of experiencing the imposter syndrome, and it took several years of learning and teaching to overcome that and become confident in doing what I invested so much time and passion in.
One struggle I had was adapting to the completely different culture of the food industry as compared to the legal industry. It was so foreign on so many levels and it took some time for me to adapt and learn how to navigate through different ways of communicating and working with others in the food industry.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I refer to myself as a Pastapreneur. I am passionate about making the art of making pasta approachable and accessible for anyone who wants to learn. I continue to teach in local businesses and schools. I have partnered with a fellow Italian American, Chef Frank Granito, and together we host small group Pasta Like a Pro and Pasta Like a Pro to Go hands-on pasta workshops. We work in local businesses, breweries, and restaurants as well as offer team building and in-home private classes. I am the pasta nerd of the duo and am continually fascinated with all things pasta. I am known for respecting the traditions of pasta making, as well as branching into more creative aspects of pasta making. I believe there is room for all of it!
I am very proud that I am self-taught and have managed to turn this pasta obsession I have into a small business. In addition to teaching all manner of pasta making, I have an Etsy site, PastaArt, where I sell miscellaneous pasta-themed items I have either designed or created on my own. I sell textured pasta boards, pasta themed keychains, ornaments, and jewelry.
Contact Info:
- Etsy Site: https://pastaart.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baltimorehomecook/
- Facebook: Laurie Boucher
