Meet Jaleesa Mason-al Kassem | Pastry Chef & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaleesa Mason-al Kassem and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaleesa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After a scary incident with my son pooping red for 2 days after consuming red velvet cake for his first birthday, I knew I wanted to make clean, feel-good desserts. Something that I would feel comfortable feeding my child. It was from that exact moment that I decided to make a cake business where every baked item was made without any extracts or artificial dyes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always been goal-oriented. And by all accounts, whenever I set my mind on something — that’s absolutely what I’m going to do. I had a goal/ vision of quintessential baked goods. Thanks to a combination of my culinary school education and playful curiosity, I figured out how to extract flavors from the source and amplify it. If I wanted to start my own cake business, I needed to find what would set me apart from everyone else and I didn’t see anyone who focused on being extract and dye-free. I didn’t know if that would be enough to stand out but I decided to try. Thankfully, people have become increasingly conscientious on the foods we consume and I received a great amount of positive feedback on what I was doing. Not just from the natural aspect but in taste!

It was easy figuring out what to do, but difficult figuring out how. This required creativity, patience, and of course money. Research and development. I found the process exciting but exhausting when recipes wouldn’t come out right. Then it felt like a game of detective to trace back what went wrong and then the challenge of fixing it.

There’s a true art and admiration in finding the appreciation in what food provides for us. Take a simple strawberry for example: it provides fragrance, beautiful color, meaty texture, and of course a unique flavor. Coming up with my strawberry cake recipe (as simple as it sounds!) has been one of the most rewarding flavors I created without extracts or dyes.

I want the world to know just how much I love and respect food and its ingredients. I want them to be able to taste how much care and thought I placed in every item I’ve baked. To make a great product requires knowledge, respect, and discipline. This has becoming my brand and story behind Mo and Jay Pastry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Right now, I reside in northern New Jersey. I would take them to Yasmeen for lunch. It’s the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had in my life. Then we would cross over to NYC and have some fun with The Squid Game Experience. I LOVE immersive experiences, like escape rooms and VR, so I think participating in a version of The Squid Game would be really exciting. Then to end the night with some drinks and a bite to eat, I would take us the The Flatiron Room. It’s quintessential NYC. It’s grand, beautiful, and literally everything on the menu to eat or drink is top tier.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my mom for trusting and believing in me to pursue my dreams and career. My first time ever baking with with you and I’m so happy you watered my seeds to see what it would blossom into.

Shoutout to my late father who was unapologetic with his skills in the kitchen. Although he was not a professional chef, he actually taught me how to cook, and showed me what it looked like to take risks in the kitchen. I’ve never seen someone who proud of me to go to culinary school

Shoutout to my pastry chef instructor in culinary school, Chef Bailey. He was the only chef who actually saw something special in me and pushed me to become a better pastry chef. He lit a spark in me that helped me to see that I had a talent.

Website: https://Moandjaypastry.com

Instagram: @mo_and_jay_pastry

Facebook: @mo_and_jay_pastry

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@moandjaypastry