STIR THE POTS

Whole food shoppers! David Lebovitz in the butter aisle!

What other blogger could talk about butter, joke about man-purses, give wonderful advice on ice cream and just generally be a really nice person? David Lebovitz of course! Today I was in despair as the Mets petered out of the season and my vollkorn bread was just as horrid! So I rushed off to the city to meet David at City Bakery. While my  I-Pod was belting out tunes in my ear on my walk from the train at  Union Square I realized I had completly forgotten where City Bakery was! I asked directions and found myself only a block and a half away! A sign that I was close was Maury Rubin walking by and a sign on the scaffolding above on 18th street. I made my way up from the entrance where the sign indicated a book signing on the mezzanine, I got to the top and there was David! I felt like a blushing teenage groupie, pulled out my digital for a snap, how rude! David sounded just like he did when I talked to him and I couldn't wait to say hello! Just when I thought I was next some bearded fellow with pierced ears and a man-purse just cut in front! Scuse me, I was next I thought? So I went and purchased a book, he already had one in that bag of his! Another two people in line in front of me, finally a cute girl was talking on and on so David sweetly sent her off, he was here to sign books! He said hello and sort of hesitated for a minute but recognized me! We chatted and he signed my book with a sharpie, asking me again how to spell my name. He told me to help myself to some Baileys but I excused myself so I could catch the last bit of the baseball game and shove my bread in the oven!
Thanks David for all your good work and that interview you did with me. Oh yeah, the Mets lost, but the bread was fabulous!

Dan Leader

When I got my copy recently of Dan Leaders book Local Breads, it reminded me of how it was his first book with the namesake of his bakery Bread Alone that had inspired me to learn how to make sourdough breads. Later on I actually took a nine-month course at the FCI where Dan had set up the curriculum for the schools bread program. So this past Saturday as I furiously pedaled from my home in Queens to Prospect park in  Brooklyn where we agreed to meet for an interview I tried putting some intelligent questions through my head that would make some sense! Just making time at the appointed hour I was to meet Dan I got off my saddle and made for the Bread Alone stand full of bread and people waiting in line to buy loaves. Dan was standing there, I recognized him from pictures from his book, "hey Dan, umm hello ", he didn't hear me, it was the street noise ,drilling in the street and so many peoples voices in the market. He  just happened to turn around  as my hand was outstretched to meet his, "hi I'm Jeremy, Jeremy Shapiro, from stirthepots ?" Dan said hello and started by saying what a beautiful day it was, he then asked me about my blog and what made me talk about bread! This interview was by far I think my favorite, the reason being that Dan I think of all the bakers I have spoken with really loves baking, and yet he isn't going to dissuade you from entertaining the idea of starting a bakery, no, instead he encourages and warns you to  make sure you know what your getting into first, It’s hard work!

This is information regarding Dan's work in South Africa check it out!

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Hey look, a boulangerie for rent!

One morning on our way to buy some breakfast in the town neighboring our campsite on the shores of Lake Leman, I admired the  boulangeries  breads and assorted pastries in front of us, I asked sheepishly if I could take some pictures, the  owner sort of smiling relented and I got in some bread porn. I grabbed the bags of croissants and pain aux chocolat as we made our way down the cobble stoned streets,the town was so quiet we looked through windows of the closed shops, the boucherie with fabulous sausages and meat neatly arranged,and so clean! I needed to get some of that later I thought, when right in front of me was a shuttered bakery, the for rent sign was staring me in the face! I didn't hesitate, I snapped a picture and told my sister jokingly to call my Mother and tell her I was setting up shop! Hey you can dream can't you?

Those favorite things, like liver cheese (leberkase)!

I remember years ago when I was a younger man, my fathers wife told us about a  restaurant serving a German delicacy, leberkase! My brother was the first to try it and made it known to me that we would be headed to this place ASAP! If your wondering what I am talking about well It's a pork liver meatloaf with crisp top and pink meat inside it's center, literally translated as liver cheese?
Fidelisback Backerei in Wangen is an institution, one of the seven food wonders of my culinary world!
Back in the day we would ride our bikes along the hill country of Allgau and meander to Wangen for a slice of this meatloaf, served with some mustard, a basket of incredible breads and some seriously monster beers! After partaking somewhat full and  feeling light headed we rode off into the hills licking our lips with satisfaction! Just this past August we had been visiting a town close to the border with Germany, I hadn't even considered leberkase, when we entered a butcher shop with some really swell looking sausages,pates and assorted good things, blam! Right there in front of me on the counter was a specimen of leberkase, I had to have it before I salivated all over the beautiful showcase window! Yes there were jaegerwurst, another favorite, but I can get those here in NYC, leberkase is something completely different!
Grabbing a loaf of 100% rye we made our way to a local park, bio bier in hand and that steaming hot leberkase, calling me till we reached some picnic tables! My sister cut pieces with a swiss army knife, and we smeared our mustard on the bread, then without hesitation I slapped a piece of this succulent beauty onto my rye and took my first bite, god I love this stuff! Next visit if I can afford anything, I am off to Wangen, first stop!

Stone age, slow pesto!

David Lebovitz  is coming to NYC this Sunday for a book signing, at City bakery next to Union Square!
He recently had a post about his mortar and pestle, and I was so inspired I whipped up a pesto the old fashioned way! First is trying to make believe a processor doesn't exist, while your pounding or grinding the ingredients there is definitely a workout in store! No pulse or on off it's pure stamina, but what comes from all this primal pounding ? What I discovered was a slow food moment, by not using electricity instead I let stone meeting stone divine what is a truly unctuous sauce that is truly rustic and the flavor is well different?

Get a mortar and pestle it won't leave a carbon foot print!

Bread museum

Any excuse to look or taste bread and I am there, so when  my sister found a bread museum on the internet we could go and to visit in the Vaud region, I was psyched! The Vaud is what Kansas is to America, sort of the bread basket of Switzerland! The day was hot and we made our way through the mittelland (flat region)  to the rolling rolling wheat field and pastureland known as the Vaud, a canton dotted with castles and  villages  that had a Swiss look but with French sounding names. Echallens is a quiet looking town, especially in august on a sunday! We had a little picnic in the main square across from the museum, what else bread and sausages!

The Museum is housed in a renovated farmhouse and was opened in 1981, Outside there is a large millstone and a outdoor cafe! I couldn't wait to get in!

There are rooms that are numbered that you follow through with different exhibits, a movie in French, English and German about the history of bread and the region itself. The different rooms are filled with old grain machines, photo's of grain production and bread making. Besides the interesting informative  exhibits,wafting from below was the smell of bread and the heat from the oven downstairs. Without a doubt it  made me follow the scent, as we hurried through the final rooms. There is a small shop to buy books and even some great linen lined bannetons, unfortunately the dollar was so bad I hesitated and didn't buy even one! My sister and I made our way  to the cafe where we each ordered a taste of afternoon goodies! I admired the ovens, but the bakers had left several hours ago as it was Sunday and they had a shorter shift! I picked a pain aux raisin and she had a tarte aux creme, a sugary creme confection that had my dentists number on it, ouch so sweet!

If your in the Vaud and you want to some bread do visit the museum, I had to get a loaf of bread too, it was spelt with some grains, stayed fresh for 3 days and delicious!

 

Ein pferd ist ein horse of course...unless he is Mr.Ed

A few years ago I visited my brother on a dude ranch he was working at in Colorado, on that visit I rode western style for the first time, I even met the famous horse whisperer guy too! Fast forward to Paris and I am enjoying a steak with Béarnaise sauce with crisp pommes frite on the banks of the Seine. I notice a sweet taste to the beef and ask the waiter where this beef is from, he grins and tells me its horse! Without feeling a bit guilty I dig in, and am reminded of burgers I used to eat when I was stationed in Germany, they were spiced meat on small brotchen. My friend John would whinny like a horse and call them pony burgers!
So this last vacation I actually ate some horse entrecote at my sisters, my brother in-law loves horsemeat! The day we were returning from a grueling ride from my visit to Maisprach, my brother in-law suggested we pick up some steaks, my only concern was to get over the next hill and into the shower! We made it home and my sister put together a meal that was wonderful, kohlrabi gratin, green beans and pasta, with horse steak smothered with herb butter! What would Mr. Ed say?

Dinner with Inge!

Nothing better than a home cooked meal I always say! That being even more the case when I go to visit my brother in-laws mothers home. Inge is truly a fine cook, not your average mama cook either! Inge learned to cook in Austria, Italy and Switzerland, her story reads like a great novel, I wish I could write it! One year she made some of the simplest but most refined meals, bratwurst smothered with onions, pesto and pasta, she always likes to give me more,  and who is going to argue! Wine is always a common language with cooks, red is my favorite as I think it is with Inge! She especially likes Californian reds, some zinfs and some others we brought over on our visits.
This particular visit Inge cooked a real classic, the appetizer was sort of a stewed tomato with basil and eggs?  I didn't fancy the idea of eggs really, but Andre my brother in-law relished it and praised his mom for making one of his favorites, I concurred with the first and second bite, delicious! ( I wished I hadn't eaten so many bretzels and dranks so many biers earlier!).
The main course which I had spied on entering her kitchen was a pastry shell covering a dish, a mystery? So classic, I wondered what was under the crisp brown dough, ahh chicken! Hmmm, pot pie in Switzerland! I asked Inge what the dish was called, she shrugged her shoulders, "dunno really? ", she laughed!
She cracked the top and out came pieces of chicken with a julienne of vegetables with a lightly creamed jus, steamed basmati rice, first thought was the chicken breast would be too dry, no way! It was perfect, and I even spilled my wine getting seconds, Inge said not to worry the table was children proof, cheers Inge!

llamas and wurstli

During my travels in Baselland, we decided on a traditional outdoor Swiss meal, but it's like a weenie roast, I can't recall the spelling  it's brotli or something like that? My sister will box my ears regarding my misspelling, for sure!
Making our way down the road in the family automobile I winced  from my previous days excursion on bike to Maisprach as we passed some hilly country!  My brother in-law suggested we take a short ride around this area, no way! We were headed for a town called Reigoldswil, just a few km's away, scenic for sure!
Parking the car and disembarking the kids from the family van, we got on a gondola and headed up the side of the mountain adjacent to the town, you could admire the blue skies and even see the Black forest not so far away just yonder! The kids loved showing me the different landmarks, and just below we saw some llamas!!
I snapped away and we walked to a path after choosing not to climb any higher, god if we did I would of croaked from exhaustion!
We staked out a camp fire that was already used and sent the kids and Unkel Jerry to fetch wood for the fire as my sister unpacked some potato chips and readied our wurstli. My Swiss army knife came in quite handy, a must when in Switzerland, you never know what situation you will find yourself, believe me!
The kids climbed up the sides of the hills as I waited below less motivated than usual. The first sticks were shaved and pointed like little spears for the wurst, the rest was parked over the stones and we sparked up the wood, a crackling fire was at work! The various wurstli were impaled on sticks as they turned there skin browned and the smoke hissed when the juices kissed the hot coals. This is my second brotli, the first I have to say was a bit tastier, we had some bier, this outing was simpler, though the wurst were delicious and I didn't mind stopping by to see the llamas, I called out to them in Spanish, saying, "hola primo!" I should of known they spoke only Swiss German!
Now that we were on the mountain, we had to get down, what else would this family of mine think of, a wanderweg, but on the most challenging Jaeger route! The end of the road led to a local bakery for some gelati, my sister and kids quickly faded as me and Andre piloted our way back home, I was ready for a beer!

Summer food, fall menu

Nothing is more difficult then coming off a summer vacation and coming  up with a new fall menu. Staring blindly at my computer screen as I scoured my brain trying come up with some new dishes, instead my mind  was running a  blank! I was thinking how nice summer had been and  how bountiful the harvest was when I was in Europe! there is nothing like picking your own fresh  vegetables from a garden instead of the local cold aisles of a  supermarket. Instead you can enjoy some handpicked berries from a bush in the forest as you walk to some castle nestled on a picturesque hill. I always look forward to get away from "The Big Apple"  in august,instead of walking amongst the crowds in the concrete jungle I was picking fresh apples from a tree!

Seasons really do exist outside of the city where so many chefs and cooks don't have the opportunity to harvest what they can prepare for the table.My sister would plan the menu according to what she had ready and picked. Our days and evenings were spent enjoying the food produced locally, literally in the backyard , and the most wonderful feeling is sitting at the table enjoying the fruits of your labor,literally! So as I put my finishing touches on this fall menu, I sip a glass of schnapps, cherry red from the orchard picked in July; now that is seasonal! Here are some views from the trip.