Guide To Misadventures in Bread Baking
In the 1960’s, during the height of American Wonder Bread, Julia Child said, “How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?” Mass-produced packaged bread was expensive, convenient, and represented by cute cartoon commercials… it was a symbol of stability and privilege. Oh Julia, how we’ve changed. Artisan bakeries and fresh-baked bread are all the rage in America now… how many café’s do you see advertising a turkey and swiss on Sunbeam? Nope, focaccia and ciabatta are the buzzwords of today. The advent of homemade bread goes right along with organics and farm to table… but the reason I gravitate toward it has nothing to do with saving the environment.
Imagine a foot long loaf of warm, yeasty, crusty bread 2 hours out of the oven… then imagine the loaf being portioned in half by a mother, who watched in horror as the grubby fist of her 8 year old tore through the soft, chewy crumb just to feel the texture of the bread as it squished from airiness into a dense lump. That obnoxious little kid was me… and the horror of my mother had more to do with the mangling of a precious loaf than the proximity of my arm to the knife. Yes, the flavor, the smell, the impossibly crisp crust of homemade bread makes it more attractive than the plastic baggie version in the store. But the texture — the chewy, moist bite — is what makes homemade bread irresistible. Read more
Chef Lamar: Notes on Flour
Use the right flour for the right dish. The type of flour used is vital to getting the recipe correct, don’t change flours called for in a recipe if you want to make that particular dish. There are consequences and you can ruin a dessert or bread by changing named flours. In other words don’t use bread flour when the recipe says cake flour. Why? Hard or soft wheat, high or low gluten, fine, coarse or superfine are words to pay strict attention to as each imparts a different flavor and texture, and most of all, TASTE. Use the right flour for the right job, the results are your reward. This flour section is a good section to cut and save for your future baking references. Read more
Letter From The Editor 3/10
Several have asked if I could post my monthly Letter From The Editor, from the paper, in this format. That request I can oblige.
For those who have never read my Letters From The Editor of the past will notice these aren’t the standard issue “letters from the editor” you’ll find in other publications that highlight the articles you’ll find inside the paper. Rather, these small articles — limited by print real estate — are intended to be quick “food for thought” pieces, and nothing more.
Those of you who frequent the Atlanta Cuisine website know that I’m a poll geek. Truth be told, I’d position polls more prominently on the site if it were up to me.
To Govern, Or Not To Govern
In a recent poll our readers struggled with the touchy subject of whether or not to regulate terms such as “local” and “farm-to-table.” At the end of the day, those in favor of less regulation eeked out a slim margin of victory with 50% of the vote, “yes to regulations” registered 48% while “not sure” took up the remaining 2%. Read more
The Delicate Flavors Of Romance Arise With The Marriage Of Earth & Wave
February is a good month for personal treats. Our Georgia weather is a wild ride of warm cold cool warm cool wet and then that weird warm touch in the middle of February, it’s a stretch of extremes varied enough to call for something special to brighten the long nights of winter.
Luckily, we have Valentine’s Day and that means a romantic meal in the company of a hoped for love or found desire. Some of us go out to eat, and some cook at home. If you are dining out then make reservations a month in advance and ask for a special table. If you want to avoid the huge crowds of Valentine’s Day dining then make your home the romance. The wonderful thing is that romance can be found anywhere, even in the kitchen. The pressures of such a day can be overwhelming for the novice in romance. A great way to lighten the heaviness of it all is to share the duties of shopping, and even better of preparing a wonderful dinner together in the warmth and security of your own home. When choosing the foods think of the sea, the earth, of eating with your hands and of course of the air full with intoxicating aromas of spice and mulled fruits. Celebrate life and love on this day and all days with the romantic ideal that we live to eat, not that you eat to live. Make the meal an event. This month our culinary aphrodisiacs are Maine lobster, artichokes, asparagus, fruit and very rich cheese. Read more
Eating Israel
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience” ~James Beard
My ten day trip to Israel peaked on day three at Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. Established in the 19th century on an empty lot, the market was one of the only available shopping destinations for residents outside the Old City. Read more
Word From The Publisher 2/10
Several have asked if I could post my monthly Word From the Publisher, from the paper, in this format. That request I can oblige.
For those who have never read my Word From the Publishers of the past will notice these aren’t the standard issue “letters from the editor” that highlight the articles you’ll find inside the paper. Rather, these small articles — limited by print real estate — are intended to be quick “food for thought” pieces, and nothing more. Read more
A Pierogi Story
During a month when fairytales, fables, and stories play such an important role to many family celebrations, this foodie though it was time to introduce a Polish parable…
Once upon a time, there was a little dumpling named Pieróg. Pieróg was born sometime during the 16th century in a small village within today’s Poland, for the Kucharski family’s Christmas dinner. Mama Kucharski mixed flour with eggs, sour cream, and a pinch of salt. But mixing these ingredients wasn’t enough—she squeezed and pulled until the dough was smooth and pliable. Read more
Pomegranate In The House Is Very Nice
Of the Seven Holy Species of plant pomegranate is the crown, the fertile one, the mystery, it is also one of the fruits of the Garden of Eden. The Seven Species indicates the plants given to ancient Israel. They are named in the Old Testament. They are: 1) Wheat, 2) Barley, 3) Grapes, 4) Figs, 5) Pomegranates, 6) Olives, 7) Date Honey or Dates. It is easy to see why these fruits and seeds are sacred species in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as they are staples in the world of flora that provide us with life and health. The pomegranate is symbolic of the 613 points in the Torah section of the Old Testament since it was believed the fruit bore 613 seeds. Solomon designed his crown based upon the bottom crown of the pomegranate. It is a shrub and can have as many as 40 or more fruit at at time during the growing season. Read more
Primal: Meat, Wood-Fired Foods, and Whole Animal Utilization
A room full of meat. Wood-fired oysters and Artisan cheeses. Whole animal utilization demos. Does this sound like a picture perfect Saturday night to you? If so, then you are probably a meat geek and might want to make a date with Primal this Saturday night (November 21) at SweetWater Brewery.
The chef line-up is stellar, and if you decide to take the VIP route, you’ll receive reserve wines, Benton’s Bacon and wood-fired oysters to go along with a fascinating evening of watching top local chefs put their sharp steel to raw flesh.
Butchers Chefs:
Todd Mussman of Muss Turners
Todd Richards of Rolling Bones BBQ
Gary Mennie of Livingston
Tommy Searcy of Gum Creek Farms
Tony Seichrist
Manny Vizcaino – Master Butcher
Alex Friendman of P’cheen
Duane Nutter of One Flew South
Reggie Washington of One Flew South
Sustainable Sliders by Grindhouse Burgers
Matt Palmerlee of Farm 255
Edward Russell of Farm 255
Nick Melvin of Parish
Cory Mosser
Farmer D Organics
featuring Gum Creek Farms
featuring Hodge Ranch Grass Fed Beef
Tickets:
$55 General (inclusive of wines, butcher demo, brew, meat tasting)
$100 VIP Experience — (reserve wines, Benton’s Bacon, cheese, oysters, breads and special brews)
Industry Discounts
$10 off general admission – “atlanta”
$20 off VIP – “vip”
Things Go Bump in the Night at One Buford Bistro
Buford – “I think we should setup base right here,” says Ed Laughlin, pointing to a small two-top near the front door of Aqua Terra Bistro (55 East Main St., Buford Tel: 770.271.3000), a popular Buford dining destination.
Laughlin, founder of a local group called Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations (GOGPI), is a real life ghost hunter. Think TAPS, minus the tattoos.
“Hey guys, come take a look at this,” Beth Peters, case investigator and sensitive, gleefully calls out to the rest of the group, while previewing a series of pics she took moments earlier with her digital camera. Read more
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