Miriam Rieder owns Taste by Spellbound  in Connecticut

Name: Miriam Hope Rieder
Age: 24
Current City: Avon, CT and South Windsor, CT
Current Job: Owner/Baker at Taste by Spellbound

What is your background in baking/pastry and how did you get to where you are today?
I'm a self taught bakery and truffle maker. My talent was discovered by a famous radio host which launched my career to go viral overnight.

Truffles are Rieder's specialty.

What do you love about your job?
I love being able to create new and unique items daily. Coming up with interesting flavor combos and seeing the joy on my customers face when trying Taste treats.

What are your favorite dishes/products to make?
In all honesty, I don't have one. I love all of it. I love anything creative and baking is just that.

What do you consider to be the biggest food trends impacting your business, and how are you responding?
Anything hybrid. We do our own take on the cruffin, which is a croissant/muffin. French macarons are obviously on the up-n-up. We're always striving to create our own look and differentiate ourselves from the pack.

Salted Caramel Cruffins made by Rieder.

What is the best advice you have received from other bakers/ chefs?

Work in the field before trying to open your own business. It's not all sweet sugar and candy. It's hard work and long hours but it pays off with happy customers and beautiful creations.

Who would you would like to collaborate with in the kitchen?
Oh man, this is a loaded question. As far as pastry chefs go, Thiago Silva, Roy Fares and Anna Polyviou. For chefs, my friend Christian Petroni of Fortina.

What is the best thing you’ve eaten lately?
This is going to sound funny but coffee cake from our shop. This past Sunday it was a rainy and dreary day so I cut myself a nice piece of coffee cake and washed it down with Raus Cold Roman Kiss, which is a cold espresso drink, it was pretty much perfection.

Rieder became a baking star after being discovered by a national radio DJ.

When you are not in the bakery, where can you be found?
I spend a lot of my free time in New York City. I call it my second home. I also love to hike, bike ride and explore new areas.

In terms of innovation, what do you think your generation brings to the table?
We are such a social media age, that you can go from being nothing to a big deal within seconds. Although that's not always positive, it can help with careers early on and expand peoples minds

What is something you would like to achieve that you have not done already?
I could write a book on this. Lets just say, you haven't seen this last of me.