Variety Act Miami #18: Meet Julian Cousins, Photographer, Filmmaker, and Founder-Baker of LIGER's! Cookies.
A legend in the baking.
Another year (almost) over! Good morning, and happy day. You are reading issue number 18 of Variety Act Miami—she’s a grown adult, baby. I’m your compère, Natalie Guevara.
It’s December, and I’m in the mood for over-indulging in some sweets. What comes to mind when you think of “superior cookies”? Perhaps the Cookie Monster’s perfectly round, almost cartoonishly chocolate-y chocolate chip cookies, yes?
Well, I’ve come face to face, bite to bite with the corporeal version of those superior cookies in LIGER’S! At the helm of this delicious enterprise, founded last year amid the pandemic, is Julian Cousins, a Miami-based photographer, filmmaker, and new baker who, no matter the medium, specializes in visceral connection and sensory excellence.
If Willy Wonka were more chill and grounded, with excellent taste (ha!) in branding and design, he’d be Julian. It’s no surprise that in addition to their “Superior Cookies”—including the freshly added lemon cookies!—LIGER’S! also sells some sick merch (like shirts, mugs, hats, and the requisite hoodie). The holidays are nearing and you’d be wise to make someone’s year, or your own, with some LIGER’S! (And luckily, in addition to local pick-up, they also ship nationwide!)
Read on to consume more (another ha!) about LIGER’S! Cookies and get to know Julian and his Magic City favorites.
MEET JULIAN COUSINS, PHOTOGRAPHER, FILMMAKER, AND FOUNDER-BAKER OF LIGER’S! COOKIES.
On his earliest memory of using a camera as a storytelling medium:
When I was in high school, I was printing and designing shirts for a brand I had called Crooked Arrow. One afternoon, a friend of mine asked to purchase a shirt from me, but instead of paying with cash he traded me a Minolta 35mm film camera. That was my first time ever using a film camera and it made me fall in love with photography.
On the films that have left the biggest impression on him:
I would have to say, for starters, The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky. It was the first time I watched a film where everything I saw I hadn't seen before.
Other films would be There Will be Blood, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Olla, Victoria, and… damn, there are so many.
I actually recently directed and wrote my first short film titled The Florist, for anyone interested.
On how Miami serves as an intriguing muse for his work, and on the Miami areas he finds compelling:
Miami is an interesting muse for me because Miami is always sunny.
In terms of areas I find inspiring, I guess I would have to say North Miami Beach? Although nothing beats Caribbean-influenced areas.
On the subjects he’d like to explore more in his work:
I’ve been shooting a lot of food recently, which has been fun.
I would like to explore high-end fashion photography. With a big set budget and lighting budget.
I also love advertising; I can sit and watch Instagram ads all day long. So working with something related to that would be interesting, also.
On how he originally came across the cookies that would go on to inspire LIGER’S!:
I was shooting for a Bon Appétit story in Kelowna; it’s around four hours away from Vancouver by car. So, I fly into Vancouver, drive to Kelowna, and do the shoot.
Before the drive back to Vancouver, I stopped at a coffee shop. As I was ordering coffee and breakfast, I saw the staff pull fresh cookies out of the oven, so naturally I ordered one for the four-hour drive back. I slowly ate this cookie during the drive through the mountains and realized it was the best cookie I had ever had.
I got back to Miami with this cookie on my mind and was determined to find a cookie as good. When I couldn’t, I decided to bake them myself.
On perfecting LIGER’S! Cookies’ “superior” recipe, and on deciding to initially sell the cookies through a pop-up at Andrew, the downtown skateshop, last year:
A lot of credit goes to my man Khari and the guys at Andrew.
Basically, when the pandemic started I was at the house baking. When baking, the smallest amount you can make is dependent on the egg ratio. So, I can divide a cup of sugar down into sugar cubes, but there’s nothing smaller than one egg. When I would bake, it would always yield around 16 cookies. So, I would eat one—nom, nom—and think, Okay, next time I’ll try this or that.
But then, I would bring the rest of the cookies to the skateshop and have the guys try it. They would give me their opinions, which really helped a lot.
On landing on the name LIGER’S! for his cookie business:
“Black Liger” was a nickname my childhood friend Sean gave me in high school. We were late to class one day and had to get a printed sticker after signing in. This sticker had your name and the time of arrival so that you weren't counted as absent for the entire day. This system was self-input, however, so—as a joke—Sean typed his name as “Black Wolf” and mine as “Black Liger.” We wore these stupid stickers around for the day, and since then the nickname has stuck.
So, the name LIGER’S! Cookies just came from people calling me “Liger,” and they are LIGER’S! Cookies, haha. I believe Khari was the first person to actually call them “Liger’s cookies.”
On potentially adding other cookie flavors to his repertoire after successfully launching a LIGER’S! lemon cookie in 2021:
Lord, finding a new flavor is tough. Not to say that I'm lacking suggestions, ha, because everyone I meet has a flavor they desperately want me to make.
I am currently working with a friend on a new flavor for this month which I'm excited about, tee-hee.
On his cultural diet:
At the time of writing this I have actually been watching a lot of The Powerpuff Girls, which to me is hilarious to type out—but it’s the perfect low-energy show to play while baking.
I’ll also listen to Hidden Brain, or watch movie reviews on The Cosmonaut Variety Hour on YouTube.
My friend recently got me a book called How to Write Dialogue, which I'm very excited to read.
My favorite Instagram now is @back_of_a_truck.
I think that’s it… I feel like I'm consuming too much digital culture and not enough actual culture, but that’s a whole other issue.
On a Miami creative deserving of their flowers:
Tabatha González, for sure. She's a very talented painter and has recently been doing a lot of beautiful woodwork.
On what he’s up to at 4 pm on a Thursday:
Ideally, I just closed the fridge door on a fresh batch of dough for Friday and I'm thinking about what my first solid meal will be.
On where we find him at 1 pm on a Sunday:
Recently on my way to West Palm Beach, babyyy, God’s country. Or! Eating a chicken sandwich with my friend Liz.
JULIAN’S MIAMI FAVORITES.
Miami anthem (current or classic!): Damn, I don’t know, haha.
Restaurants & bars: Clive’s!
Cafés, diners, bakeries, & ventanitas: Miami is kinda lacking in this department, but I love the key lime pie from Vice City Bean with all my heart.
Cultural centers, art shops, shops & bookstores: Lower East Coast, Andrew, SOBREMESA, Books & Books.
Grooming: My bathroom.
Miami photographer, artist, or performer: Natalia Chavarría.
The Great Outdoors: Legion Memorial Park.
The recommendation you’ll always give to a first-time Miami visitor: Leave your vax card at home.
THANKS, JULIAN!
See Miami—and the world—through Julian’s eyes and lens at @blackliger_, and drool over LIGER’S! Cookies at @ligerscookies. You can also place orders for local pick-up and national delivery here. Remember to indulge in la dolce vita from time to time.
Stay tuned for our last Variety Act Miami issue of 2021 in a couple of weeks. Until then, un abrazo!