Wednesday, August 24, 2005


i feel exactly the same way

". . 'there is nothing more exalting than a good baguette. . .its attractive appearance seduces you and gives you an appetite to go farther. when you squeeze it, its golden brown crust should crackle and even sing.

its aroma should be a little bit sweet, a little bit toasty. there should be a good marriage between its crust and its interior crumb.

when the crumb is pressed, it should spring back rapidly. its color should be off-white and its cavities widely distributed and uneven in size.

its nutty, buttery taste should be both sweet and savory -- like a good chardonnay'..."

of course long-time readers know that kaplan is a man after my own heart. but here's where he and i leap onto the same waverlength 100%:

"sometimes i make my own. but there's no other bread i will eat."

it's true. even nowadays when he we hear the word "artisanal" tossed about so much in nyc, most bread is tasteless. or it may have a slight hint of wheat.

but that gorgeous chardonnay, dried-apricot quality kaplan describes -- which is immediately present in even a half-competent beginner's home-made baguette -- is completely lacking.

anyone who's had dinner with me has watched me take a tiny chunk of bread from even supposedly "good" restaurants and put it down with disappointment. because frankly, your own fresh, home-made bread just is better.

about 100 times better. at first baking your bread seems overwhelming, but actually it's not difficult; it just requires a little practice.

i highly recommend hamelman's fantastic baguette (or boule) recipe. his instructions really are foolproof even for total newbies. . .

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