BreadOfferings

Hello bread and grain friends, Do you love bagels as much as I do? They’ve been a mainstay in my home for as long as I can remember. My grandmother brought back suitcases of them every time she visited her old neighborhood in Montreal, and her aunt always toted along gifts from Zabar’s whenever she came to see us from the UWS of NYC. Punctuating these visiting bagel treats, we’d even stock the freezer with Lender’s. Remember those? I bring all this up because there’s a bagel off in Portland this month, and I’m excited to go check it … Read more

Hello bread and grain friends, Wow– Asheville Bread Fest was wonderful! I got to see many friends and colleagues I hadn’t seen in years, plus make some new friends along the way. I spent a good deal of the festival with Erin McKenney and learned more about sourdough ecology than I thought possible. What an inspiring woman! On the home front, my book is close to being finished, and I got to teach an einkorn class this past weekend. Time to bake some bread!         Here’s what’s on the menu this month: Mama Bread This month’s … Read more

Hello bread and grain friends, I’m at that time of year where I’m clearing my house of most bread products to get ready for 8 days of unleavened bread; aka bread of affliction; aka matzah. It started with a promise to my grandmother that I’d keep at least some of our Jewish traditions alive. I told her, no matter what, I’d celebrate Pesach (Passover) with my kids. And I have. And I do. In keeping with tradition, I refrain from unleavened bread during this time, which has afforded this sourdough baker (me) a yearly pause to reflect on the … Read more

Hello bread and grain friends, Well, that was a crazy snow storm. We were expecting an inch and got almost a foot. My dad had randomly picked that week to come to Oregon to ski with me, and what luck! We’ve been skiing together since I was 7, and this is one for the memory books. We had a blast. When we weren’t skiing, we were eating pretzels, and now I’m obsessed with trying to make a good pretzel. I’ll keep you posted.         Here’s what’s on the menu this month: Mama Bread This month’s Mama … Read more

Hello bread and grain friends, My kitchen has been a flurry of experimentation this past month. I’ve been getting really into making cholent and other shabbat stews. I put them in the slow cooker on Friday night and we dip out the delicious, rich stew all day on Saturday, leaving me with nothing to do but rest. Man, oh man, my ancestors sure got some things right. Of course, I need lots of bread to sop up these rich meals. So, I’m making plenty of what’s listed below. Here’s what’s on the menu this month: Mama Bread This month’s … Read more