Start-up baker cooks in SE kitchen

Discover how this woman, well known as a founding member of the Montavilla Food Co-op, came to bake her goodies in inner Southeast Portland …

At a “pop-up market” in Montavilla, her home neighborhood, baker Luby Wind entices shoppers with her goodies – including this plate of Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies, gluten-free and vegan – and delicious!

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Some people know Luby Wind as a volunteer, busy in the kitchen, cooking for special community events. During her weekday, Wind is part of the “People and Strategies Team” at Mercy Corps.

But this woman of seemingly boundless energy is also working on her “next career”, starting a homegrown catering service and goodies bakery shop under the names “Fare Winds” and “Caffé Lubina”.

Luby Wind works in this Westmoreland commercial kitchen, giving the apples bound for apple pie a “medium dice”.

“For friends and families I cook out of my home, but now that I’m selling my bakery items, I’m baking out of the 365 Commissary Kitchen on S.E. McLoughlin Boulevard at 18th Avenue,” Wind said as she hand-peeled a batch of apples.

“This kitchen is great, now that I’m cooking for public sale; it’s licensed, so people know that I’m preparing it in a sanitary, approved environment,” Wind told East Portland News.

“I took a break from food service about 25 years ago, and realize how much I like working with my hands – Including peeling apples, making pies, baking breads, growing herbs for my cooking, and catering,” she said. “And when I turned 50, I got involved again in cooking and catering on the side, and realized that I really wanted to go back to it.”

A timer went off, and Wind hustled over to a convection oven where she took out trays. “These are nine pounds of ‘Sweet and Sassy Nuts’, a friend’s recipe; I take orders for these around the Holidays.”

“Most of my customers are from my neighborhood, or from co-workers of Mercy Corps,” Wind said. “I haven’t advertised much because, working by myself, I have only so much capacity – there are only so many apples I can peel in a day!”

Out of the oven come trays of Luby Wind’s “Sweet and Sassy Nuts”.

What sets her products apart from those made by others, she said, is that hers are made by her hands, in small batches, from top quality ingredients. “Whether it is baking with my brother’s challah bread recipe, my pies, cakes or cookies – when you share foods that taste good and are made with love, people know it.”

She doesn’t expect to have a storefront any time soon, but you can learn more on her Facebook page: CLICK HERE.

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