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Light Rain North Bellmore baker is a ‘Sweet Genius’
Taste of Home co-owner appears on Food Network competition show
Baking and sharing recipes have long been traditions in Rose Fuger’s family. Fuger, who co-owns A Taste of Home Bakery in North Bellmore with her sister, Monica Tarantino, recently shared her recipes and love of baking with a whole new audience.
The baker of more than 35 years appeared on Food Network’s “Sweet Genius,” a baking competition show. As the head baker at A Taste of Home, Fuger is accustomed to cooking on a large scale and constantly tweaking her menu as customers’ needs and wants change. When she found out she would be appearing on “Sweet Genius,” she knew she would have to scale down her recipes to create smaller portions.
Before she learned that she would be one of four contestants on the show, Fuger had to go through three interviews, which included a two-hour phone conversation and an on-camera taping. She received two weeks’ notice that she had made it onto the show, which was taped at a studio in Manhattan in January.
The show was shot over the course of two days. To prepare for it, Fuger memorized a number of recipes. “Baking is a science,” she said. “If you leave something out, you’re in trouble.”
The show, which is hosted by Chef Ron Ben-Israel, comprises three rounds. Each has required ingredients that the bakers must include in their desserts. In one round, the contestants had to use hot dog buns, and Fuger made a pan-fried bread pudding. She said that the mystery ingredients were wild cards, adding a sense of thrill to the competition. “It’s kind of fun in a way, but the clock is nerve-racking,” she said.
Fuger did not come away with the $10,000 grand prize, but she said she has no regrets about doing the show. It forced her to push her limits, she said, which she is always willing to do. She has struggled for many years with chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, a neurological disease that often leaves her arms and legs weak. Despite the affliction, she has never considered putting down her mixer. “I don’t let any excuse hold me back from doing what I want to do,” she said.
