Pane Francese Antiquato

Sometime last night a flock of flamingos descended into our front yard. I heard they were in season, and I completely understand why they  prefer our front yard to the rest of Rochester. It is the most tropical locale in town. First the Dr. Seuss trees and now this! HaHA! Spring has been good to […]

Pain Blanc Au Levain

As if I weren’t getting enough of French words in the series of recipes I have endeavored from The Village Baker, tonight I watched the French foreign film The Intouchables with a certain little club we started at Calvary, Filmosopher’s Fellowship. The plot traces an unlikely friendship between two men on either side of cultural, […]

Pain de Campagne Sur Poolish

Campagne is a “traditional country loaf” made in France. Its crust is dark and thick, almost caramelized, and dusted with flour.  A certain French philosopher, who I happen to admire not only for his Meditations but for his persistent Zooey Deschanel haircut, as very few men can pull off bangs, once wisely said this: “Wonder […]

Pain Ordinaire in Boule

Finished teaching the last installment of the Mayo Medical School course Disruptions in Development today, to which Dr. Bostwick and I brought loaves baked with our own bare hands to break and share with the students on today of all days. I then read this poem, shamelessly. From the IV movement of East Coker in […]

Pain Ordinaire in Baguette

The breads of France are beguiling, but only for their high-faluting nomenclature. Flour and water and yeast and salt. Last night’s fellowship dinner for Calvary we served the following loaf, a fail safe, I do believe. This is the basic bread in the new book, the Village Baker from my bread guru, out of print! […]