Were you looking for another recipe video? Then you’re in luck! Bwog has teamed up with GS students and the Food Pantry to produce a four-part series of cooking videos, where recipes are crafted using ingredients from the food pantry. This week’s chef is Megan Calderazzo, and she’s making scones with berries and cream!

Interview with the Chef

Firstly, give us a quick introduction!

My name is Megan Calderazzo, and I’m a senior at GS majoring in History (Modern Europe). On campus, I’m involved with the Food Pantry, the GS Mentor Program, Reflect, and the General Studies Student Council, and served as the VP of Campus Life for this academic year.

Why and how did you get involved with the Food Pantry at Columbia, and what inspired you to make these cooking videos for them?

I got involved with the Food Pantry last year to help Matt Lynskey and to be more involved on campus. I had just gotten to GS and wanted to give back to a place that I felt had given me so much before I even stepped foot in NY. The Food Pantry was started, and I believe, still mainly run, by GS students and I wanted to be a part of it because of the important work they do and for the GS connection in particular. I contributed to the video at first as an assistant to Matt, and then became a featured chef! I am a home baker, and when the person who was going to do a dessert was unable to film on the chosen day, I offered to share my scone recipe as it is fairly easy and uses many of the ingredients the Food Pantry offers.

How did you get into cooking, and what is your favorite thing to cook?

I come from a large family, I’m the second of four kids, so my parents cooked a lot at home as opposed to going out to eat. Mealtimes always involved the six of us gathering to talk and bond in addition to sharing a delicious home-cooked meal. My grandmother (mom’s mom) had nine kids and has amazing, cheap, delicious recipes that feed a ton of people, and I liked that idea that she would cook for them all plus whoever had been at the house (often she was feeding a small army of neighborhood kids!). So my recipes are definitely family-style, mainly of the baking variety (large batch cookies and other sweets), and all fairly accessible with regards to ingredients and price. My favorite things to cook are enchiladas, roast chicken, cacio e pepe, scones, and cookies.

Where does this recipe come from? Do you use cookbooks for inspiration, or is it all trial and error?

The recipe I used for the video came from a combination of online recipes and my grandmother. I generally gather recipes by searching a broad topic online or flipping through a cookbook or magazine, find something interesting, then crowd source amongst family and friends for someone who has made it or something similar before to get tips and variety. I’ve only somewhat recently come to really love cooking, though I’ve been doing it for about 15 years, so I’m a beginner and take all the advice I can get! Watching and learning from Chris, Eric, and Andrew was an amazing personal Master Class! They were willing to answer any questions I had and demonstrated great kindness in slowing down steps so I could watch technique.

Scones with Berries and Cream

  • All-purpose flour, 2 cups
  • Baking powder, 1 tablespoon
  • Salt, ½ teaspoon
  • Unsalted butter, 5 tablespoons
  • Vanilla, 1 teaspoon
  • Heavy whipping cream, 1 cup
  • Sugar, 4 tablespoons
  • Whipped cream
  • Fruit/berries
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and prepare a baking sheet.
  2. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a regular mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Combine until the mixture is crumbly.
  3. Add the vanilla and the heavy whipping cream to the crumbly mixture. Combine until doughy. Add the sugar and mix.
  4. After mixing the ingredients together, pour out onto a surface and mold dough together into one solid piece. If the dough isn’t holding together, add heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s formed. Pat any remaining heavy cream onto the dough, then sprinkle sugar on top. Cut dough into desired slices and place onto the baking sheet. Bake for around 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  5. Add whipped cream and an assortment of fruit onto a plate with a scone. Enjoy!