Cookie Monstah

My name is Missy Gale, and I've been obsessed with food for as long as I can remember. My mother was the one who taught me how to bake, like many others. When it came to Rita, you needed to keep a tight eye on everything because there wasn't a set recipe for the dish; rather, it consisted of a bit of this and a little of that. A simple shake of the head or a few taps on the foot served as the measurement.... Never over mix and don't over bake. This is, to this day, still the case. Baking has always been my true love, and when I was 15 years old and selling Grandma Rome's Chocolate Fudge Cake to the friends of my parents, I realized that baking was actually my calling. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in food service, I decided to start a career in the industry. I was in charge of making desserts for both the West Street Grill and Locke'ober. Shortly after that, I found myself delivering cheesecakes to 75 Chestnut, apple pies to Joe's American Bar and Grill, chocolate chip cake to Sky, and chocolate chunk cookies to Seattle's Best in Downtown Crossing, Boston. All of these establishments are located in Boston. I started a retail bakery called Dessert Oasis at Filene's and ran it for a number of years, during which time I offered mouthwatering handmade baked products. Around this time is when I started dating the man who would later become my husband. He was working on the Big Dig. My objective was to have a line of people wearing bright orange shirts having their 10-minute break and eating hot apple crisp as a group. Check. After selling the bakery, I moved to work for a beautiful firm for eight years in management, but I never lost the desire to bake. Taking gorgeous unprocessed ingredients and transforming them into a timeless classic—the chocolate chip cookie.