By Ebony L. Morman 

Leressa Rucker leads the pastry program for Mother Earth Group, which includes Coquette. LunahZon Photography/The Plaid Penguin

Leressa Rucker’s love for food stems from her family’s history. The Johnson & Wales University graduate lived on her grandfather’s 140-acre farm in Amherst, Virginia and each generation of her family has experience in either catering or the restaurant industry. This connection to food from an early age led her to a career in hospitality; Rucker has held leadership roles in kitchens throughout Charlotte, most recently as Mother Earth Group’s executive pastry chef. 

Since last summer, Rucker’s had the pleasure of utilizing her experience, skills, and techniques at Mariposa, Something Classic, Fern, Flavors of the Garden, and Coquette. As Mother Earth Group prepared for Coquette’s opening in August, they needed French pastries — which is Rucker’s specialty — so she joined the team. 

Rucker, who started baking at age 8, learned French pastry fundamentals in pastry school and later worked at Amelie’s and Georges Brasserie in SouthPark, which closed in 2018. 

“French pastries are the foundation of everything you need to know,” she says. “That’s what we learned and that’s what I fell into.” 

It’s this experience that Rucker leverages daily at Coquette, where she also gets to explore complex flavors with one of the most interesting and popular menu items: the croissant. It’s Rucker’s recipe and she gets to play around with flavors using different butter laminations. Past flavors have included pomegranate and chocolate, as well as some savory options and unexpected flavors  — lavender, for example, is being considered for this spring. 

“We’ve enjoyed just playing around with that and releasing new items since we’ve been open,” she says. “We’re constantly honing the recipe itself as we move into the spring menu, which will be released in March.”

In the months since opening, tea cakes, which are typically served with tea or coffee, and cake slices have risen in popularity among patrons. Weekly cake slice offerings include the layered orange cake — gluten-free pound cake with candied orange slices and orange simple syrup — and the French apple cake — brown butter rum cake with granny smith apple and citrus glaze. 

Rucker’s inspiration for menus begins with her faith and her allowing the Holy Spirit to show her what recipes she should create. God knows her well, including what she enjoys and what she doesn’t, she says. 

“He collaborates with me,” Rucker says. “I’ll have an idea, or a flavor profile that I want to execute, and He gives me spiritual insight. In essence, almost like a download.”

Rucker’s specialty is classic French baked goods. Photo courtesy

From there, it’s about her desire for people to feel warmth and comfort — like they’re at home after they taste what she’s prepared.  

“The aesthetic is important now that I’m an executive pastry chef, but I want my food to have a depth to it,” she says. “I want it to be warm. I want it to be inviting. It doesn’t have to be like this five-star Michelin thing, but if you had a hard day, that might be the only sense of joy that you have during that day.”

This approach is true whether Rucker is utilizing her pastry skills at Mother Earth Group or cooking at home. It was also true when she owned and operated a home-based catering company that specialized in baking. “If I’m presenting something to you, you’re gonna see a mix of savory with sweet all the time. I love complex palates and flavors being presented well. Also, it makes you think when you taste it, and it broadens your palate.”

Rucker’s commitment to intentionality can be seen in her dedication to equipping her staff at Mother Earth Group with necessary pastry skills through education. 

“I want my pastry cooks to laminate croissants better than I do,” she says. “So the most rewarding part is teaching and training them. I always tell [my staff] I’m teaching you to be better for your next season, for your next place, for your next position. So just learn why you’re here and then go on to do better.”