Conversations with Alexis Mersel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Mersel.

Hi Alexis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a cookbook author, pizza obsessive, and recovering corporate executive who lives in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, daughter, and giant cookbook collection. After spending ten years in the media industry as a VP at Food Network and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, I was eager to get my hands dirty in the kitchen. So, I traded in my sad desk lunches for life on a 100-acre organic farm in Ireland where I attended Ballymaloe Cookery School. After returning stateside, I began editing cookbooks for Williams Sonoma, food styling, and baking bread at Tartine and other bakeries in my then-home of San Francisco. Having lived in Paris, London, New York, and San Francisco, I infuse my love of food and travel into everything I cook and bake. When I’m not cooking in or writing about my Instant Pot® (I have authored 4 cookbooks on the subject), I am in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or at my pizza oven working on my launching skills.

My latest culinary endeavor is Croûte, artisanal sourdough pizza catering: pop-ups, private dinners, and cooking classes at my home or yours. As a native New Yorker, pizza has always been in my blood and food has always been part of my world. My pizzas are Neapolitan style made with a sourdough crust, and I grow a selection of the ingredients in my garden and greenhouse — Ohio weather permitting!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I often try to take the path less traveled and let my journey be organic (pun intended), because as the cliche goes, life is what happens when you are making other plans. I trust my gut and follow my passion, which has led me to where I am today, but not without bumps on the road. Caring for my family, family illness, loss of loved ones and other uncontrollable circumstances of life have created quite a winding path, but these challenges also keep me humble and allow me to re-evaluate my journey as I go.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I run a pizza catering business called Croute (pronounced Croot, which means crust in French). I bring my pizza oven, organic ingredients, cooking tools, etc. to any location to create events and private dinners of all sizes. I cook pizzas continuously throughout the event to ensure they are hot and fresh, and so guests can sample everything at a nice pace. I like to customize the menu with the host, using as many seasonal and local ingredients as possible. I grow a selection of the ingredients in my garden and greenhouse—Ohio weather permitting! Food quality and ingredient sourcing are paramount to me.

My pizzas are Neapolitan style made with a sourdough crust. My sourdough starter has been with me since I finished culinary school in Ireland and subsequently worked at a well-known sourdough bakery in San Francisco called Tartine. As a native New Yorker, pizza has always been in my blood and food has always been part of my world—I was a digital strategy executive at Food Network and Martha Stewart for many years. Eleven years ago, I traded in my corporate life to get my hands dirty on a farm in southeastern Ireland and have never looked back. I’ve written cookbooks for Williams Sonoma and food-themed magazines for a trade publisher in NYC, but when my family and I moved to Columbus a few years ago, I began focusing more on in-person events and cooking classes. 

What’s next?
Food quality and ingredient sourcing are paramount to me. With the help of Columbus Foodscapes, I built a garden and greenhouse in my backyard so that I can grow as many ingredients as possible for my events. I teach classes around pizza, sourdough bread, family meal planning, etc. and I would like to expand my offerings as my business grows. I am also a member of a non-profit called Fork to Future, which advocates for inclusivity and access in the restaurant industry while providing resources, mentorship, education and community-building events. I have been helping Fork to Future with its digital strategy and growth, and would like to expand my role with this amazing group moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://croute.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/croutefarmhouse
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alexismersel/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=aBRDgS-NEds