While most people say music is the international language, others beg to differ. If there’s one common thread that brings people together, it’s food. School of Management Juniors Lyndsay Maggin and Michelle Rappoli have found a way to use it to bring their fellow students together by creating the Culinary Arts and Kitchen Entertainment, a.ka. C.A.K.E, a club dedicated to the love of food.
Maggin and Rappoli met at orientation – the two both transferred to Boston University this year. After they realized each other’s passion for food (they both transferred to SMG in the hopes of one day owning a bakery, they decided to start a club. “We both bake – we’re both middle children,” Rappoli said.
Maggin said after she told her parents how much she and Rappoli had in common, they encouraged her to start the club.
They decided to form the club in the third week of September, the weekend before the deadline to turn in forms for new student organizations.
“Literally, I solicited our group to all of my classes,” Rappoli said. “It’s kind of funny because we don’t know much about student groups and we just got here and we decided we’re going to start our own.”
The girls expected to find out a decision about their acceptance within a week, but instead they did not find out until this past weekend. They were told the Student Activities Office had had to vote between them and another cooking club.
“It was really unexpected because there was nothing about cooking and then when we thought of it, somebody else thought of the idea,” Maggin said.
According to the SAO website, students attempting to form a club need to turn in a roster with 10 members, but C.A.K.E. had 28 people sign up.
The two created a Facebook page, which has now grown to almost 40 members. Less than a week after their acceptance, the girls already have big plans for the group.
“We’re going to plan fundraising and bake sales, cook-offs and stuff like that – just make it like a really fun group,” Maggin said. “We’re definitely going to do holiday stuff.”
“A lot of things I was thinking of is a lot like competition because people get really excited,” Rappoli added.” It’s really fun though – even we just did a few little workshops.”
Their goal is to create an Iron Chef: College Edition, using an ingredient the average college student would be familiar with, such as Ramen Noodles.
“That’s where [C.A.K.E.] stemmed from,” Rappoli said. “Everyone wants to be on that show.”
Both Maggin and Rappoli have a strong background with baking. Maggin, who previously attended the University of Colorado, had her own catering company when she was a sophomore.
“I started making these really cool figures out of frosting so the whole cake was edible. I put the pictures on Facebook and…college students would message me, ‘Can you make me this cake?’” Maggin said. “I have a lot of practice with dirty cakes.”
She took her portfolio to a catering company in Colorado, Frontrange Catering, where she made wedding cakes.
Rappoli said she loved baking, but did not realize it could be a career until she began working at a bakery when she was 14 years old. “It was so intense; they put me in charge so quickly,” she said.
After graduating high school, Rappoli attended the Culinary Institute of America, where she received an associate degree in baking.
“Some of the things that we made at culinary school were really odd,” Rappoli said. “My chefs were crazy. When you make some of the meringues, you’re supposed to add hot sugar. So you melt the sugar until it’s 240 degrees…and they would just…dip their fingers in it to test it. That was the hardest thing for me to do.”
The two girls are hoping to use the group not only as a creative outlet for people who want to bake, but also for those who just love food.
“Even if you don’t like to cook, everyone likes to eat,” Rappoli said.
