Aggeliki Throuvala, the creative Chef behind Pastry Sinners

Meet Aggeliki Throuvala, the creative Chef behind the Pastry Sinners shop in Chios, who had shared her incredible recipe for a White Chocolate Cheesecake with Tangerine Topping & Almond Crust...and be sure to visit her shop if you're ever on the island of Chios! 

Who inspired the name "Pastry Sinners" and why?

Pastry Sinners was born from my need to create and to give back. I consider this my baby, so the name I gave my baby fits what I want to give to the world, pastries so pure and delicious they'd even make an angel sin. That's why when I asked our beloved agency, "nineteendesign", to create the logo, our little angel got a little devil's tail!

How did Pastry Sinners start in Chios?

Pastry Sinners started as a dream, like all things that win us over and make us go overboard. I was the child of a pastry chef and grew up like my sisters in the family pastry shop. When other kids were swimming in the summer, or playing carefree on the weekends or during school vacations, we only knew about work. I had promised myself that I and my own family would never follow this path! It never occurred to me to open my own pastry shop until my father retired. When the family business closed and there was nothing to haunt me, I realized that I was in major denial about accepting the direction my life should take...which had been obvious to everyone else around me, considering I had been cooking for the family since I was 12 years old.

Who is behind the "sinful" creations?

Even though it's not typical for the business owner to be the chef as well, in my case I feel equally fulfilled by both of my identities and I don't think that will change.

What satisfies you in your life and work?

In my life, I'm satisfied with the time I spend with my loved ones, which, even if it's limited, I try to make it high-quality. In my work, creating but also continuous development.

What is your favorite local ingredient in a recipe and why?

Our citrus fruits, I worship them! My parents' home has a yard all around it with citrus, and these little trees were my inspiration. I felt the difference in the seasons just from their presence since, as I said, our everyday life was always the same, school and work.

A day in Chios. What would you recommend for someone who has not visited the island before to see/do?

One day is too little. I would ask that they stay at least two days, just enough to get a little flavor and then come back to us. Visit the Kambos and its mansions, go to the Mastic Museum and then a little trip to one or two of the main mastic villages. On the way back, take the road that goes by Vessa and the village of Agios Georgios Sykousis. The next day, see the Nea Moni monastery and end up in the villages of the Northern part to see the wild beauty of our land and its wonderful beaches. That's the great thing about Chios, it combines two such different areas that spread over miles and are equally worth attention. You see, not even two days are enough!

Which recipe are you proud of and would you like to share with us? Especially for your blog, I made a recipe with Chian Tangarine Marmalade from Citrus Scent of Memory that anyone can make at home and that doesn't require any special skill. You just have to follow the recipe step by step.

Buy handmade Citrus preserves from Chios