The mission of positivity and inclusiveness is walked and talked by Dana Spandet. She seems at ease as a role model, both as a woman entrepreneur and a proud member of the Milwaukee LGBTQ community. As Spandet describes it, the native Chicagoan came to Milwaukee for a Pride weekend a couple decades ago and “quite literally never left.” Milwaukee “felt like ‘Cheers’” – where everyone knows your name – a complete contrast to her hometown, where “you feel kind of faceless and anonymous.”

The first recipe here – the Dutch baby (or German pancake) – connects her to a certain time in her life and a special person. “In my 20s, brunch was the gay thing. You just did your Saturday, Sunday morning gay brunches. It’s always held a really strong place in my heart as just ‘community,’ and we’ve translated those now to our home,” says Spandet, who is married and raising two children.

The pancake is also a powerful reminder of Spandet’s grandmother – it’s her recipe. “Whenever I come home [to her parents], [the dish] I ask my mom to make is Grandma’s Dutch baby. So we have it pretty, pretty frequently there and my kids are really into it. And it’s just become a family staple,” she says.

The finished creation – which has a cavernous, custardy middle and a crisp, airy rim that rises inches above the pan – makes it look more complicated than it is. It also lends itself to so many serving guises. “My mother has never deviated ever from just Dutch baby, powdered sugar, maple syrup.” In Spandet’s hands, the baby is paired with things like grilled stone fruit with basil.

The memories are as sweet as the toppings. “It’s such a childhood thing… we would line up in front of the oven at my grandma’s house. She had this big wood-burning cast-iron oven and we would get to watch it rise.” When it slowly puffs up, “that’s the magical moment.”

Any oven-safe skillet will do, but cast-iron is a natural for this baby.