Wednesday, December 15, 2004


challah baking, a trend?

maybe it was just the recent holiday, but i think signs are pointing to a groundswell in home challah baking generally. that glezer could put out a big semi-glossy book on it is a marker as well.

i note that a rather low-volume, greasy-looking and overly dark challah, wrapped in uninspiring plastic, has suddenly appeared in my local garden of eden as well. . .

speaking of baking, i really have to offer a shout-out to mary beth at orientation. while i was a tad confused about hamelman's sourdough instructions and how to store the puppy after you make it, mary beth had no such qualms; she just went for it.

fortes fortuna adjuvat, that's what i say.

even tho' she too-modestly noted that she lacked the "organic chemistry" skills to do this, she then appears to successfully have started a bubbling, sweet-smelling culture, which she is keeping toasty in her oven with an ingenious warm water/aquarium heater-pump setup.

hamelman tells us we want our starter at 70 degrees to favor the right acetic acid/lactic acid balance. i can only admire mary beth's total commitment to good baking practice here.

of course, after folgers raised its prices, the other "big four" commercial coffee roasters are following suit. thanks to scaa chief ted lingle, we coffee lovers know their excuses are flimsy; it's mostly profiteering, as usual. . .

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