Welcome to S.A.C.S!!

Imagine for a moment that you’re back in your mom’s or grandmother's kitchen, or perhaps your aunt's or your best friend’s mom, a place of nostalgia. You take a deep breath, and the sweet scent of baking sugar fills your senses. As you take a seat or do a little happy dance around the kitchen, you eagerly await the question, “Would you like one?” You nod because words escape you. You gaze longingly at the treat, maybe even closing your eyes in anticipation before taking a bite. Instinctively, your eyes shut again as your entire being falls in love with the delightful flavor you’re experiencing. That’s the feeling you’ll get at Stephanie’s Authentic Cookies & Sweets (S.A.C.S). At S.A.C.S, you’ll find yourself wrapped in the joyful and comforting memories of simpler times.

When I was eleven years old, I went to Panama for the summer; I’d not been back since I was three. My family is from there, and what a wonderful time we had! My maternal grandparents and I went to visit my great-grandmother, Mrs. Esmeralda Barnes Lewis (as she was known); she’s my grandmother’s mother. It was Gran-Gran that gave me my first baking lesson. On the menu were Ranger Cookies, which feature oats, Rice Krispies, and coconut and are delicious. The crispness of the Rice Krispies and the pillowy softness of the oats create an exceptional burst of flavor. Unknown to me, at the time, that would be the first of many lessons in baking. 

 My next baking lesson was more of a trial than a lesson, a tough trial at that. In this trial, my grandmother handed me a recipe and said, “Bake this,” then left the kitchen. I, of course, protested and said, “I can’t make this by myself.” She turned and said, “You can read,” and went to her bedroom. I stood there for a moment, utterly unsure of what to do—so I took a deep breath, found the ingredients, and tried to perform my best impression of my Grandma Carmen. 

 So, the cake turned out horribly, and then Grandma Carmen said, after throwing the cake in the trash, “Now you know what not to do, let’s do it right…” After wiping away my tears, we made the four-layered Mocha Chocolate Cream Cake together, and that sparked something in me. I didn’t know those first moments would matter so much to me today, but honoring these wonderful women —Gran-Gran and Grandma Carmen — is what S.A.C.S. will do—everything that is created is in their honor.

 The passion, dedication, and endurance stem from what’s in my DNA, passed down from both sides of my family; it's not lost on me the importance family plays in the bakery and the opportunity to do what my Grandma Carmen didn’t get a chance to do. She died at 56, young by today’s standards; she was dearly missed. Not only was she my granny, but she was also my best friend. What does one do for their best friend? Try to love them, honor them, and care about what they care about. Grandma Carmen was the first entrepreneur I knew; the term wasn’t used as widely as it is today, but there she was.

 Grandma Carmen had a soup kitchen in Panama right across the street from the Pedro Miguel Locks of the Panama Canal. The kitchen would serve breakfast and lunch, opening at 5 a.m. and closing around 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The workers and locals would flock to her kitchen and grab food; some would sit and chat for a while before heading to work. The makeshift seating area was the carport, which had a few small tables and chairs. When she came to the States, specifically Brooklyn, New York, she started catering; I was her assistant—she taught me about presentation and the concept of “eating with your eyes first.” While doing so, I had no idea that those lessons would be as valuable as they are today! The kitchen had a few sweets, but her Butter Pound Cake was heavenly; to look at it, you wouldn't think much of it, but the flavor is exceptional—with the addition of nutmeg, she’d say, “It gives it a little something…” and, yeah, she was right! So, since she wasn’t able to open her banquet hall and continue her catering, S.A.C.S will do it instead—creating deliciousness and giving taste buds dance parties every day.