Food

“Bakers and their Baguettes. In Paris, small artisan bake shops rarely produce baguettes because people place a ceiling on how much they will pay for one baguette, meaning most are made in larger production bakeries. The conversation we should be having is how to adjust our value of this craft that takes mostly labor, time, and deep care. Bakers transform grain into a nutritional digestible food. The world as we know it would be much different without them.” – From Karen Man

“We need to rethink the way we value what we put in our bodies.”

Karen Man is an incredible person who happens to make beautiful bread, among other wonderful things. We have had many conversations about the value of food and the labor and unseen costs behind it. Bread is one of the commodities that we take for granted. I hope we can begin the kind of work that may change that perspective. Please support your local bakery. Karen is currently baking in Lima, Peru. But you can also find her here: bread.blog/

Photo Credit: Karen Man at San Francisco Baking Institute. March, 2019

Thinking back to last summer and what I learned in challenging myself to put together a tasting menu that reflected some of my own style and creativity.

This “Elote Eclair” was one of the highlights for me. A savory take on a pastry dish that was also an ode to the food I grew up with.

There are times when we challenge ourselves to do the kinds of tasks that maybe we wouldn’t normally do on a daily basis, just to know that if put to the test, we can succeed. Almost like a mental exercise or a way to practice certain skills so they don’t get lost. It’s also a chance to express ideas and concepts and see where they take you. I was very happy with the menu and food that I was able to put together. I had a real surety that I could continue to refine it to a place that I could really be proud of and consistently execute. Practice makes perfect, right?