Inside the Wisconsin Union Pastry Kitchen: Meet Chef Maria Conforti
The bagels, banana bread and many of the other baked goods you find in Badger Markets and Wisconsin Union cafes across campus are made in our very own Wisconsin Union kitchens.
Tucked in the basement of Union South, the Wisconsin Union pastry kitchen is home to a variety of delectable creations and a team dedicated to bringing high quality, fresh food to the UW-Madison community.
One member of the Wisconsin Union pastry team is Sous Chef Maria Conforti. Maria studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. After completing her training, she worked in fine dining restaurants throughout Chicago before moving with her family to Madison and starting her role with the Wisconsin Union at the end of 2018. Her love of the kitchen, however, started long before her formal training.
“My grandmother baked a lot,” Maria said. “Cooking and baking has always been a part of my life.”
I had the chance to speak with Maria to learn more about her role and what it means to be serving people across campus, and we met where it all happens: in the kitchen.
During our conversation, Maria and another member of the team were making one of the Wisconsin Union’s most popular items: the cardamom orange knots. The team makes approximately 180 cardamom knots per week. Up to 600 Wisconsin Union bagels may be made for patrons in just one weekend, a glimpse into the extensive weekly pastry team production.
Cardamom knots and bagels are some of the most popular retail items made by the team. Maria and her team are also responsible for making food for events in Wisconsin Union spaces and catering orders. These orders give the team the chance to make a variety of food beyond their typical weekly menu.
For Maria, the love of the job goes beyond the food. For her, it’s the people who help make it. Just like many departments throughout the Wisconsin Union, Maria has students working with her in the kitchen. She believes that, just as it was for her, working in the kitchen can be a valuable experience for any student.
“We try to bring in students and find out what their strengths are,” said Maria. “We want to foster their ability to work at a job but also learn how to work with people from diverse backgrounds.”
As Maria and her team finished rolling the last of the cardamom knots, Maria emphasized that the work she is doing in her pastry kitchen isn’t meant to feel unattainable for anyone. Although the intensity and production level of the Wisconsin Union kitchen may differ from a home kitchen, Maria encourages anyone who has a kitchen to use it.
“I tell people, don’t be afraid of baking at home, you just have to get to know your oven,” Maria said. “Every kitchen I’ve worked in, it is completely different everywhere so you just have to adjust.”
Maria’s love of baking is evident in the attention to detail she puts into each and every item placed on our shelves and in her care for the people alongside her who help make it all happen.
“The community that we built here,” she said. “This kitchen is my home away from home.”
