STIR THE POTS

Vollkorn=good loaf!

Since doctor Atkins knocked off there have been these signs around the city stating that whole grains are good for your brain, duh! Who told people that eating a steak was a good thing? We don't pump antibiotics into loaves of bread do we? That is another subject!
My search for the brain food, and I mean the whole grain has taken me to forums in the land where I was born, Germany!
Words like Roggen, schrot,mehl, indeed! I haven't  truly spoken the language since I was a kid! So my years in a state of debauchery in the guise of a cold warrior stationed in Stuttgart was simply that, a beer swigging pretzel munching fellow who liked those whole grain brotchens and those wicked wursts!
Of late I am straying between the Italian Pugliese, which I am still trying to perfect in the style of Jim Lahey, the "no knead" guru;then into German rye paste loaves grain specked and  mysterious art not yet known on these shores to the most common loaves and misinterpreted "le baguette!"
It's hot, sticky and humid, the wife is out of the house! Pretzels are on my radar! For the moment though I have a couple loaves, one is 3 flour sour as a forum friend suggested I call it,based on a whole wheat formula he posted, I strayed with some mix of triticale in the levain build, and then some white whole wheat with a touch of regular whole wheat to boot!
Jumping into the German rye I made what is called a Schinkenvollkornbrot, ham bread! No ham in it, it's all rye! I'm giving it some time for the crumb to set before I slap some fine ham and butter to it!

Jim Lahey

Today I rushed from work for an interview with one of New York's baking icons, Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. I wait and wait; his assistant apologizes and tells me he is tied up in another interview. So I sit down and the first thing that hits me are the bread smells, the sign of the Italian sounding names of pizza di fungi, filone, Puligese, all familiar from the former entity in Soho now relocated to it's current incarnation on a  non-descript street in Hell's Kitchen though with no less a crowd who enjoy the goods! There’s a lady who is shipping some dark Filone in a postal box, a girl buys three Italianized chocolate brownies, the guy across from me wolfs down my own favorite the patate pizza, an onion smothered, Yukon gold potato layered and speckled with rosemary on a thin crisp dough, Italian knish?
So I start to investigate the premises it's a carbon copy of the  former bakery downtown, like it had fallen from the sky onto the very spot! My attention is drawn by an article on the factional toll on Iraqi bakers, something I have read a lot about, seems they, (the bakers) get all the shit sandwiches and have to take a bite! ("Full metal jacket," Joker man!)
Restless and thinking of my starters at home, I try to prepare my tools and questions, take a deep breath, clear throat, sit up straight…Controversy starts now!
No knead to ask why, Jim Lahey reads the riot act, dismisses fallacies,lays waist to my conventional baking theories learned at school, steps on some toes, ok now I am worried!

Listen and see what you think? I am trying the loaf his way, see if I can get it right this time? I am a lazy baker!

* So as not to defame anyone that may have been mentioned during this interview I seriously edited some controversial statements, though freedom of speech is a priority and right on my list of important isms! I still felt it was necessary to remove some of Jim's statements. To be fair to Jim I turned on the microphone even before we really got into the true heart of conversation, no knead bread and told him there would be some editing! As I was nervous and felt I needed to contact someone mentioned, I contacted Dan Lepard, e=mailing is one of the worst way's to talk to someone,apologize's are sent to both parties through me, sorry!

Also I wish to post and e-mail which Dan Lepard, who I contacted to forewarn, asked me to post and I will out of fairness, and also  hope  that Jim and He will speak about the good things,like bread!

From: Jim Lahey [mailto:jim@sullivanstreetbakery.com]

Sent: 07 November 2006 03:54

To: webmaster@danlepard.com

Subject: Dear Dan

Could you please get your info on Sullivan street/ exeter street correct Exeter street is not an offshoot simply another imitator.

Just read your book thought it was quite good. Thanks best, Jim Lahey

Click to listen Podcast

Sandwich and subway series

Ok I have bloggers guilt! (Melissa?) My work schedule permitted me some in between shift bread making day's when the weather was  not as hot as it supposed to next week well into the 90's ! So with my lazy Saturday invested primarily in some baseball between New York’s rivals the Mets and Yankees, I settled in with a nice cold lager...what it's lunch time!
So it's into the fridge that is rather stark, save a couple of bread starters and condiments; anchovies, mustard, capers, some cold cuts and some lettuce looking to die if I don't use it! Oh great a hunk of mozzarella!
Sandwich! What's in a sandwich, with these bare bone essentials I slap some kalamata olive paste from a tube, sun dried tomato paste, also in a tube! Start with a layer of some prosciutto, mozzarella, mesclun salad and finally some tasty home baked levain! Don't forget some olive oil! It's like being in the box seats at the game, minus the hot dogs and shouting fans,  well at least were in front of the tube!

Mangia.... Oh yeah, lets go Mets!

The score 8-11, we lost!

Brotchen and currywurst

Last week my friend and local restaurateur Tim, of Quaint asked me what sort of food he should offer as summer is upon us! He thought of putting different sorts of street food themed items for quick and friendly eating . I had mentioned to his chef John recently that our local butcher and my friend Johnny of Sunnyside meat market made a mean variety of sausages; Currywurst a dish I sampled on a regular basis in Stuttgart was where I was introduced to this classic kiosk favorite. Basically it's a nice grilled bratwurst with ketchup and a dose of powdered curry dusted with a crusty roll, oh yeah a beer helps it all go down nicely!
So in a neighborly spirit Tim went to Johnny bought some bratwurst,some knockwurst,and he even went for a loaf of babka! He is going to try the currywurst and to help him along I am making some Krüsti,(a brotchen from Stuttgart!) I started it out lacking some rye, so I did a little change up and fed my rye with spelt, this morning it was bubbling and ready! At the grocery I stocked up on some flour as I was going to make a large batch of 30- 104g size brotchen, the recipe was a school tested one, never attempted at home!
All my neu friends in the German bread forums I belong to now are encouraging me on my baby steps into a less popular bread species, rye! Amongst the least known types of bread and looked at with a lot of misunderstanding by most bakers. I find these breads with integral whole grain totally satisfying with any good ham or just some slather of schmaltz!
So Tim wants me to come by and judge his version, it's gonna be tough....3 years in the army and my beer soaked brain,well ok I can try it, you should too!

Cracked up rye!

On the Oz site of Graham Prichard, there was a loaf I had made sometime back with a cracked up non slashed loaf. A few of the people on the forum asked how to get that look on there loaves and some tried . We then had a professional baker show off his wonderful looking 80% rye loaves he had produced in his bakery! Envious and still not comfortable with rye's I couldn't pass up the chance at this challenge! The taste was rather mild in the sour sense and the crumb still not mature, could sit and settle some more, but it is a winner!

The Thai Chef

Some years back I was asked to find some guest chefs to prepare some dinners for our club, the members wanted to try some Mexican and Thai! So instead of feeling like I was not appreciated, I called a friend who worked at Vong who I had known from my day's at the Drake Hotel. He sent over a lady who's name now completely escapes me, but let me tell you this woman made the best Thai I ever tasted, with her small crew and her very elaborately detailed menu choices she wowed us!  I never was able to really thank her and while looking through my pictures I put together some selections of her in action making some of the most scintillating and tasty dishes! My Sous-chef and I tasted every dish and when we were cleaning up saved the leftover sauces and tidbits to chow down for another day, awesome!

Montreal

Two years ago I went to Montreal for the first time for four day's. If your Jonesing for France and your not to far from the great white north, go and enjoy a great food town! I tried some fine bread, beer,cider as well as great food, unpretentious service and really a small city that felt like a village sort of atmosphere!