A Life in Baking, Pastry, and Libations.
Einkorn Grains Einkorn is an ancient grain that is often regarded as the predecessor of modern wheat. There is some debate about this origin story as the grain is also believed to have evolved from wild emmer wheat. Either way, einkorn is undergoing a renaissance in part because of its nutritional profile, but also because... Continue Reading →
Bread, the staff of life. All sorrows are less with bread. We pray for our daily bread. Bread has been instrumental in sustaining the diets and wages of rural peasants and the urban poor throughout history. Large swathes of the world’s population depend on bread for sustenance which made the bread supply a concern of... Continue Reading →
During the late aughts, the classical dessert repertoire of vanilla crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé ended. Ambitious pastry chefs featured fennel, tarragon, microwave sponge cakes and explored molecular techniques that transported desserts into experimental territory. Where such culinary wanderings may have been tolerated in the savory kitchen, food critics did not hold sweet alchemy in... Continue Reading →
"The free bread basket is off the table." Breaking bread before the meal begins is a social more that transcends the globe and dates back thousands of years. Not surprisingly, tampering with ‘the staff of life’ has led to many bread riots, some of which fomented the early stages of the French Revolution. In today’s... Continue Reading →
My interview with Jeremy Cherfas of 'Eat This Podcast', a one person labor of love that reveals the intersection of the historical, scientific, and cultural aspects of food that we often overlook amidst daily life. Of particular interest to those who eat out often is where I find the inspiration for my desserts and... Continue Reading →
Here is an interesting article on why Southerners excel at making biscuits. That is, until they move to the Northern part of the United States where ice cold water and a delicate touch do little to turn out fluffy biscuits that rise to unimaginable heights. The answer revealed much about the regional differences in the... Continue Reading →
Buttery. Salted. Caramel. 