At Large with Scott Norton #21: Dinara Kasko - Have Your Cake and Tweet It Too
Dinara Kasko is a study in contrasts.The precision of an architect, with the soul of an artist. A playful crafter of haute patisserie, with the grit to escape a Russian invasion. The poise and perfection of a pastry chef, with the daring to dance for days in the dusty desert of Burning Man.
There are pastry chefs, and then there’s Dinara Kasko—a woman who doesn’t just bake cakes but sculpts them, bending mousse and ganache into hypnotic geometric forms that feel more at home in an art gallery than a bakery display. She's been named one of the top entrepreneurial creatives on the 50 Best Restaurants list, with her creations served in patisseries from Qatar to California.
But Kasko’s journey has been anything but conventional. Originally trained as an architect, she seamlessly translated her understanding of form and structure into the ephemeral beauty of pastry, creating silicone molds that turn cakes into intricate, almost otherworldly designs. They are mesmerizing in their complexity, precision, and – as she discovered 10 years ago – are perfectly instagrammable. Social media became her stage, and like any artist navigating the pleasures and sorrows of algorithm-induced fame, she has embraced both the opportunities and the challenges of a livelihood and a life lived largely online.
Like many other guests of At Large, Dinara has made a living out of her exceptional creative abilities. However, unlike anyone else we've talked to, Dinara hails from Kharkiv, a region in Eastern Ukraine invaded by Russia in 2022, which remains under attack to this day. That year, she was forced to flee her beloved home city, leaving her pastry studio behind. She sought the refuge of a better life in Southern California with her young family of four. Here in America, she continues to build her business, refine her craft, and explore new outlets for expression and emotion at dance music festivals.
On At Large, Kasko shares her remarkable journey of resilience, reinvention, and creativity in exile—along with a recipe for kefir pancakes that, like the chef herself, is equal parts tradition and transformation.
Show Links:
- Dinara’s Instagram
- Dinara’s Pastry Molds
- Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles
- Dream State
- Burning Man
- Chris Luni (DJ)
- Kefir Pancakes
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