The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot in our society. This includes aiding people in finding their true passions as they spent time in isolation during the intense lockdowns.
Miriam Weiskind perfected her pizza dough during that time. It takes her five days of prep and 60 seconds of baking to make her famous pizzas.
"My goal is to is to open a brick-and-mortar where I can continue to bake pies in honor of my mom's memory and to continue doing good for my community," she said of her mother, Hyla, who died of COVID-19 in August 2020. "To continue to inspire people to be good, and to do good for others because we don't know where we're headed, but the best we can do is be kind."
Weiskind used to be a creative director but became a pizza baker within the last two years. She started baking pizzas daily and giving them away to people in need.
"My mom had told me to help others out, so the rule of the pizza was if anyone lost her job, was a first responder, low income, essential worker or needed a reason to smile -- the pizza was free for them," she explained.
In July 2020, Weiskind's mother and father were diagnosed with COVID-19. Her mother was quickly put on a ventilator and passed away five weeks later.
"It was hard. The night that she passed away, I still baked 20 pizzas for the people, because I know that my mom would have said, 'You need to make sure you get the pizza to the people that are relying on it.'"
Her pizzas have been called "perfection" by many, including New York food creator and TV personality Jaymee Siree.