Where are you from and how did you get where you are today?
I am a self taught home baker living in Brooklyn, NY. I was born in Singapore, lived in Indonesia, grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the States to pursue a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I spent a decade designing in the fashion industry, and during that time I launched my "50 Pies 50 States" project, which led me to slinging pies at Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop and then launching my cookbook - 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter to the United States Through Pie. Now, my pies have been featured by Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, Eater, and beyond.
If you could peek inside any person’s house (dead or alive) to see how it’s decorated, who would that be and why?
Hands down without a doubt, Dolly Parton. I would pay big money for Architectural Digest to do an Open Door episode about her house. I love her so much and would love to see how she organizes all those sequins and wigs. Plus I think she probably has a pretty bad ass Pyrex collection.
How does lighting play a role in how you design a space?
I am not a fan of the big light. I am a scarf over the lamp shade, moody candle light kind of person. Lighting can make or break a meal at a restaurant to me. If you're ever looking for a list of the restaurants with the best lighting in the city, I'm your girl. The current top contender, Kellogg's Diner. It's hard to not fall in love there under the soft warm light while sharing a strawberry pretzel salad and a mound of onion rings.
What are your current home obsessions?
I am obsessed with using glassware for other purposes than drinking. I am a little bit of a glassware freak and have started using them to display photos on my bookshelves. It breaks the shelf up visually and helps me justify buying more glasses. Quilts of all kinds, quilts for the bed, quilts for cuddling on the couch, comfort and patterns are top of mind for me. Wallpaper over painting, I recently wallpapered my bathroom and it changed the entire feel of that room. It's not as hard as you think!
Do you have any projects (professional or personal) you're working on right now that you're excited about?
I am currently working on an episode for Proof, America's Test Kitchen's podcast, about my immigration journey and the crossroads I'm at now. It's due to come out July 3rd wherever you listen to podcasts! I also have a fun event in July with the James Beard Foundation Platform, come hang and eat pies from the cookbook with me! Tickets sold on the foundations website.
Tulip Spotlight: Stacey Mei Yan Fong
Where are you from and how did you get where you are today?
I am a self taught home baker living in Brooklyn, NY. I was born in Singapore, lived in Indonesia, grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the States to pursue a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I spent a decade designing in the fashion industry, and during that time I launched my "50 Pies 50 States" project, which led me to slinging pies at Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop and then launching my cookbook - 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter to the United States Through Pie. Now, my pies have been featured by Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, Eater, and beyond.
If you could peek inside any person’s house (dead or alive) to see how it’s decorated, who would that be and why?
Hands down without a doubt, Dolly Parton. I would pay big money for Architectural Digest to do an Open Door episode about her house. I love her so much and would love to see how she organizes all those sequins and wigs. Plus I think she probably has a pretty bad ass Pyrex collection.
How does lighting play a role in how you design a space?
I am not a fan of the big light. I am a scarf over the lamp shade, moody candle light kind of person. Lighting can make or break a meal at a restaurant to me. If you're ever looking for a list of the restaurants with the best lighting in the city, I'm your girl. The current top contender, Kellogg's Diner. It's hard to not fall in love there under the soft warm light while sharing a strawberry pretzel salad and a mound of onion rings.
What are your current home obsessions?
I am obsessed with using glassware for other purposes than drinking. I am a little bit of a glassware freak and have started using them to display photos on my bookshelves. It breaks the shelf up visually and helps me justify buying more glasses. Quilts of all kinds, quilts for the bed, quilts for cuddling on the couch, comfort and patterns are top of mind for me. Wallpaper over painting, I recently wallpapered my bathroom and it changed the entire feel of that room. It's not as hard as you think!
Do you have any projects (professional or personal) you're working on right now that you're excited about?
I am currently working on an episode for Proof, America's Test Kitchen's podcast, about my immigration journey and the crossroads I'm at now. It's due to come out July 3rd wherever you listen to podcasts! I also have a fun event in July with the James Beard Foundation Platform, come hang and eat pies from the cookbook with me! Tickets sold on the foundations website.