Bakery Days

May 2011 . The Lost Art of Real Cooking

“You are an extrovert trapped in the body of an introvert.”

His comment was accurate. That’s the side effect of a 16-year friendship. I’ve spent my days observing myself–inside and out–noticing the changes occurring all around and I feel so fortunate to have these actualizations. Today was the first day of my countdown. In less than a month, I’ll finish the last few pages of this last chapter and begin writing my next one. I’ve got plenty of zesty books to read and plenty of friends to share them with. Day 1 complete. Time to break out of my introvert-like shell.

December 2010 . Guava

Most of us living today hardly know where our foods come from. At best, we are dimly aware of the geographic and cultural origins of the crop genetic resources that form the living foundations of our food supply. We seem to believe that as long as we wish to eat, those resources will be invariably provided to the seed curators, plant breeders, nurserymen, and farmers who make our agricultural supply-and-delivery chain function.

That phrase came from Gary Paul Nabhan’s Where Our Food Comes From, a wonderful book that recounts the tale of Nikolay Vavilov’s work. I’m only 40 percent through the book and it’s already got me thinking and rethinking the way I think of food. I love when books help foster constructive thinking.

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February 2011 . Ebelskiver Pan

Okay…What…Is that?

We were dining at 1300 on Fillmore, a wonderful restaurant in San Francisco’s live music district that serves up ‘soulful american’ cuisine, when our waiter perplex-idly stared at the unusual looking pan. The pan, with seven small wells, was indeed funny shaped and not something you’d see a patron whip out while at a restaurant–heck, or any cooking gadget for that matter. To clear the confusion, my friends and I explained that this was part of a gift exchange. This pan, while not known widely here in the U.S., is used for making traditional Dutch snacks or desserts. Do you know what it is?

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July 2010 . Sweetness & Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee

“…eating is an intimate activity. The desire for knowledge is behind the success of farmers’ markets, where you can meet producers face-to-face, ask questions, and get a sense of who they are, in the process of discovering what is on your doorstep.”

Some of my favorite passages comes from this book, Sweetness and Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee by Hattie Ellis. » Read the rest of this entry «

June 2010 . Tartine Cookbook

Another day. Another month. Another year. It’s been full of unexpected surprises and changes. I recently received this lovely cookbook from a very dear friend of mine. The companion piece to the wonderfully delicious bakery, Tartine Bakery, located on the corner of 18th and Guerrero Street in the Mission, each recipe contains beautiful drool-worthy photos, stories and recipes. » Read the rest of this entry «