From politics to baking — Claire Mack is always in the mix

BAKING SOMETHING SPECIAL: CLAIRE MACK MIXES UP HOMEMADE CAKES THAT MAKE ANY DAY A HOLIDAY. Former mayor of San Mateo and now busy professional baker Claire Mack of Claire’s Crunch Cakes shares cooking memories, gives her thoughts about good food and tells how her family’s favorite holiday dessert became her own in-demand specialty.

DJ: Who taught you how to bake?

CM: My mother, Eva Garrett Cullen. My mother was an excellent cook. One of my duties was creaming the butter and sugar for her. That was quite a task for a 9- or 10-year-old.

DJ: Where do you do your baking?

CM: I bake at home in a lovely kitchen, I had no idea I would be using this kitchen for this use. One of my daughters, Lesli, is a professional chef and when we remodeled, I’m sure we had her in mind. I used to love to do fancy parties so our kitchen was redone with the idea that we would be partying the rest of our lives, but who knows where life will take you, so now my kitchen is mainly used to do baking of all sorts. During the holidays we make a peach cobbler.

DJ: Why did you decide to focus on crunch cake?

CM: Crunch cake was a family favorite. I don’t remember the years San Mateo was graced with a Blum’s, that fine confectionary that featured crunch cakes. By all standards the cake was an expensive commodity but we always bought one during the holidays. Our families’ favorite was the lemon crunch cake for Easter Sunday, but the store didn’t always have that cake. So, we settled for the mocha or coffee crunch cake. I focused on the crunch cake because it was so tasty and no one was making it on the Peninsula, that I knew of. I found a need and filled it!

DJ: What do you bake most often for your own family?

CM: I think the pineapple upside down cake is the one most popular with my family, although the strawberry crunch cake runs a close tie. Blum’s did not make a strawberry crunch cake. I came up with that one on my own. I also do a vanilla crunch cake, a tropical crunch cake, featuring kiwi, mandarin oranges and strawberries, a banana and a chocolate crunch cake. I’ve also done an apple and a peanut butter crunch cake, but those were one-time requests.

DJ: What are your favorite ingredients and flavors?

CM: I love food and I have no favorite ingredients or flavors. Good food is good food and I feel lucky and blessed to grow up in a part of the country that is so rich in diverse cuisines. I used to say that in the city of San Mateo, one can eat all over the world. We’re a bit short, or just short on good German and middle European restaurants, but we still have a plethora of good dining on the Peninsula. One of my favorite restaurants from the past was La Cigogne, a French restaurant run by the Wagner brothers, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Shadows. The Shadows featured German cuisine and made the best soups this side of heaven. It was one of the first restaurants in San Mateo to allow people of color to dine inside. Blum’s did not! Blum’s had a bakery counter and of course we bought our cakes to go!

DJ: What is your favorite dessert to order when you eat out?

CM: A good apple pie. Pies without butter crusts. Dairy and I don’t get along. Yes, I do not eat crunch cakes or even pineapple upside down drenched in dairy! Lactose intolerance has me on one side and diabetes has me on the other. Phooey! But I’m glad to be alive in a time when we can meet people’s dietary needs. I make eggless, gluten free and sometimes sugarless cakes at an additional cost. I know how it feels to not be able to eat exactly what you want. No dairy for me for sure.

DJ: Do you watch baking shows?

CM: Yes, I do watch some baking shows. But when the TV’s on I primarily am a news junkie. Gotta know what’s going on in the world. This last election was heart-warming in many aspects. I’m proud of American women!

DJ: What would your advice be to someone who wants to learn how to bake?

CM: My advice is to find a person in the neighborhood like me, ask if you can come by and wash dishes or something. Hands-on experience is so important. And YouTube is my encyclopedia! Go to YouTube — you can find epicurean treasures at the click of a button.

DJ: Do you have a holiday recipe that you would like to share?

CM: Yes, though it is not a cake recipe. My aunt Ozie Stewart made a crab salad that I’m going to make and share with a lot of people.

Aunt Ozie’s Crab Salad

• Fresh or canned crab (from Costco)

• bay shrimp

• celery

• onions

• mayonnaise

• lemon juice

• garlic salt

Chop the celery and onion fine

Dump in the crab and shrimp

Add mayo

Sprinkle lemon juice and condiments to taste

To garnish the salad, cover the top with large prawns

(EXPENSIVE! BUT WHAT THE HECK, IT’S THE HOLIDAYS!)

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAIRE MACK AND HER AMAZING CAKES: https://clairescrunchcake.wixsite.com/cakes or (650) 344-8690