Pickels and brioche

Hmmmm farmers markets close soon, and farmers go to hibernate. Yesterday I pickled every vegetable in my apartment. I figure every thing can be pickled, sooooo I did turnips, eggplant, chiles, peppers, shallots, garlic, leeks, onions, carrots, and jalapenos. Can you tell it's autumn and it's the end of season.

Brioche, hmmm just wanted to make brioche because it makes me happy, me and my gal. Brioche may actually make her happier then it makes me, but it is so very satisfying to see/smell just baked brioche cooling.

Must keep cooking, feel compelled to feed the desire in my soul and the hunger in the bellies of others.

Pig head goes on brine tomorrow!!

Dinner party on friday

So I have a 3 pound bone in pork loin waiting for me tomorrow. The anticipation makes me excited. I haven't really cooked in a long while. I have been working on my projects and cooking my normal 2 am post baking shift suppers for the night owls of my life. But it's been a while since I have cooked Dinner (w/ a capitol D). To break bread, and breathe in the love of friends. To drink up conversations and satisfy my craving to share something so intimate as food.

A very wise man once told me that the only way to be closer to someone then cooking for them is to make love to them. Not sure those are the words he used, and not sure I have expressed it well but I think you get the essence. In reflection a portrait photographer can be quite close someone as well.

So a soup to start, I think a smokey bacon broth with mushrooms and apples, garnished with mustard oil and maybe some rye croutons.

progress

Sooooo that bacon hasn't yet moved mountains but it has moved two local chefs to use it as inspiration in their menus. Yes it is that good.

Hakuri turnip flan with cider caramel, locally smoked bacon and celeriac puree.

Hmmm how about that autumn??

Gotta start thinkin about my next project. A friend offerd the use of his charcuterie cave to hang sausage. Thinkin that may be a good direction. Another friend wants me to make some head cheese for a halloween party!! And I still need to can some hen of the woods mushrooms!

Grrr never enough hours in the day.

Winter Warmer

So I had some pluots that I wanted to jam or pickle, but they stayed on the back burner and never happened. So I took what was left, covered them in calvados, pink peppercorns and bay. Looking foward to turning that into some punch come cold weather and friendly faces..

Ms Bone

This morning I went to a class put on my Ediable Boston, held at Cambridge Culinary(just a few block up mass ave) and taught by, yes Miss Bone, Eugenia Bone noted cookbook auther, daughter of famed italian chef. Anyway an informative session that affirmed that in keeping with my reading of all this canned and preserved, I am doing things right. She gave me a place to begin with canning hen of the woods mushrooms in a barigoule style.

Hmmm think I may try to bake some bannana bread tonite!!

Up in smoke

So another saterday night and I'm not working. Hmmmm it feels very odd. Well the bacon has been smoked!! It took 4 hours, and I set off 4 of my neighbor's smoke detectors.. but it looks devin.e All dark and dry and roastey just like the speck I ate in Bad Goisern. I hope it's not too smokey.

progress

the concord grapes finally got made in to jelly..canned and cooling as we speak!!!

not your average smuckers jelly...this has soul and character!

What I like about you

I once had the pleasure of working in a world class kitchen in the Napa Valley. It was an incredible experience that moved me in oh so many ways. The short six months I was employed there left a great big impression on me. So many things were inpressive. My father asked me as I was packing up my tiny apartment to leave Napa, "what made the biggest impression on you"

I paused thought for a long time and answered with great conviction "the level of thought"

I tell this story becouse the bake shop I joyfully roll along in has that "level of thought"

to be continued...

the autumn leaves

Yesterday on my drive to work I was reminded that summer has finally left us, as the cool breeze made the fallen leaves dance and sing; and again this morning as my favorite farmers at the market had no tomatoes to sell. I was inspired to pull out an old sweater and an old poem.

Ducks in flight
Leaves gone gold
Jumpers on and air gone crisp
Game on the table
Pumpkins are smiling bright
Autumn is here and
Joy soars to a new height

progress on the home front

Today I have bought a smoker for when the bacon comes off cure next week. Tomorrow I process concord grapes for jelly!!!

feels like the first time

Last night I was a commis again. Lost in a world that revolves around the manipulation of the life cycle of yeast. The bakeshop has it's own sounds, it's own language, it's own pecking order and it's own rhythm.

The first sound my ears had the pleasure to imbibe as I rolled up the door (bike in one hand confusion in the other,) was The Clash "Rudie can"t fail". I took it as an omen of good things to come. It was only a prelude of choice musical selections for the durration of the shift.

Then the storm of jargon roared past me. Batches of bread being called FB's or FL's or french 1,2,3,4, or retail, or or or...

Shaping bread will be my primary task for weeks to come I'm told. I must have rolled 200 bagettes, it's so Zen like. With each loaf the opportunity to improve on the last one. Looking down at the other shapers loaves for inspiration and wonder. I ponder how many bagettes I've eaten in my lifetime, and whose hands they were born in. It is a slightly intimate connection I have with my comunity now, knowing that my work has become their daily bread.

first day of school/bacon is on cure

this morning was dedicated to bacon....and bread and butters.
off to work I go, few jitters says the newly titled baker..