Ringing in the New Year

          It's the end of 2012...I would have thought that I'd have found time to come up for air, relax, take a day or two off...hasn't happened.  Still, there are a few days left before New Years Day and there are two things that I can still partake of that will help get me into the spirit of the season.
          And that brings me to Doug's Stolen...

          For me, this has become an essential part of my holiday celebration.  I discovered it several years ago at Play it Again Sam's cafe before Doug opened his Evergrain Bakery.  I forget WHY it was that he gave me a loaf - right before Thanksgiving - but I'll never forget having my first taste.  I was reluctant - too many visions of bad fruit cake dancing in my head but I decided to try it.  Oh my...this was different.  A few days later a friend came to visit, we went to the cafe for coffee, bought a loaf and the two of us finished about half of it before we got up from the table...
          This is a labor of love...fruit soaked in brandy (rumor has it that it's for a year now) all fresh ingredients, wrapped in powdered sugar...and now you can have it with a cappuccino to eat in...or as I prefer, at home with Spanish Coffee...comes but once a year...enjoy it while you still can and there is some left...
          Stay tuned for New Years Egg Nog...better late than never.

Our Lives are marked and bound together by Concentric Rings

         It's easy to get used to what I see on my walk to the bakery every morning...the Royal Farm Store on the corner of 219 and Philosopher's Terrace, The Kent County Court House with it's centuries of history that whisper to me as I walk along the moss covered brick walk way, Leslie and Suzanne, Margot and Mary on their morning walks, the sycamores that stand and lean keeping watch over Cross and High Street.  There used to be two outside the Evergrain windows, familiar sentinels that had stood there for decades.
         On Tuesday one of those creatures was taken down...Had I not seen the red X that is always a sign that a tree is going to be cut down...was I really that oblivious to its impending fate?  And so I sat, not reading the morning N.Y.Times but instead I looked out the window watching, pausing for a moment to say goodbye.  

          Later in the day, around 3 PM I decided to walk back to the bakery to see the stump and count the rings (and get a pastry) but lo and behold, a new tree was in it's place, new life to grow, clean the air once Spring arrives.  Matilda says its a pin oak.  I go inside, get a cup of coffee and a scone, look out the window and try to imagine what the world will be like when that new planting reaches its full maturity...

I'm reminded of what I believe to be a Jewish blessing..."may you be buried in a casket made from a 100 year old tree...that I will plant for you this day."

The title of today's blog is taken from the chorus of a song by Pam Ortiz...the Story of the Wood...www.pamortizmusic.com  

Do they know where they are?

           There was a time when I used to think that I lived in a sit com...like Cheers (which I never watched) or Seinfeld.  And  I imagined that I had a part in this sit com...a walk on part as the town furniture maker.  When I walk into the bakery wearing my apron I sometimes kid people by telling them that the town pays me to walk around in that costume to add "local color.."  Sometimes people actually believe me.
         These days I no longer believe that I live in a sit com.  I live in a novel.  Chestertown is a living novel.  Everyone around here has a role.  That's why you can be sitting at the bakery, by yourself, reading the paper and the next thing you know you're in the middle of some else's conversation sitting at the next table...or someone walks in - whom you barely know - and soon they are telling you what they think about what you just said to someone else.  Really...this happens all the time.
          By and large, I'm willing to play along...it's usually entertaining, frequently fun and sometimes I learn something about a issue of which I know nothing.  But there's a limit...there are some questions and conversations that leave me feeling like Ricky Ricardo...

         

          Here's a partial list of the questions that make me crazy when I hear them in the bakery:
          How many calories are in these croissants?
          Do you have any low fat pastries?
          Do you have any gluten free bread or pastries?
          Do you have any skim milk?
         
          Really?  You've walked into a French Bakery where quality ingredients are what rule the day.   The bread and pastries are made by hand, daily, not in a factory where everything is apportioned by machine.  Today's sun bun might be just a tad bigger - or smaller than last week's.  It's about the butter and cream and chocolate and...it's about the aromas, the romance of fine hand crafted foods
         Yes, I know that I'm preaching to the choir...just had to get it off my chest...been holding this in for a while...I feel better now.  Thanks.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

          I know...the weather doesn't seem like that time of year.  December 3rd and I walked to work this morning in a sweater...still this was what the window at Evergrain looked like yesterday...

         That's Matilda Wessel decorating the tree.  With the expansion of the bakery there are now twice as many windows to decorate as last year to say nothing of mouths to feed when you throw in farmer's markets in Balston, Virginia, Easton and Denton.

         My son Daniel has been waiting for the arrival of Egg Nog at Evergrain but as for me, the main event is the arrival of Doug's "Stolen."  I still remember the first time I tried it several years ago.  I was skeptical but a friend of mine was visiting from Baltimore, we ordered two slices and a cup of coffee and what a surprise.  Details when I can finally announce it's arrival in Chestertown.

         Speaking of egg nog, I posted my father's egg nog recipe last year and will do the same in a few weeks but I'm also thinking of experimenting and making a "Mocha" egg nog...using Kahlua as the new ingredient...I'll keep you posted.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Dear Doug and everyone else at Evergrain,
         This was a rare weekday morning for me.  It's Thanksgiving day so... no walk to the bakery, no Matilda, no Doug, no Kelly, no Michael, no Allie, no Anna, no Abbey...no regulars to wish a good day, say good morning to or compare notes with- about the latest happenings in town...to say nothing about no aromas of freshly baked bread or pastries as I round the corner onto Queen Street on my way to the bakery.  No baguettes, no brioche bread, no plain croissants and jam...no blueberry muffins, sun buns, miches, or cappuccinos, no Tim O'Brian's coffees, no sandwiches that make me think for a moment (if I close my eyes) that I'm in a patisserie in Paris, no soups or salads by Michael.
           Still on this day, I have a long list of the many things that I am thankful for and on that list is the Evergrain Bakery...a place that nourishes and refreshes so many things, not just my appetite or love for French breads and pastries, but also nourishes my spirit, my outlook on life and in some very tangible ways, the community were I live.

Thank you all, and Happy Thanksgiving

P.S.
Thanks also for the cranberry, gran manier sauce that I sampled yesterday and brought home for the turkey this afternoon...

Also, Check out the new release - Rattle Them Chains  by Pam Ortiz and her band (I'm a member) on sale at the Bakery - we're sort of the "house" band...makes a great stocking stuffer...

After the Hurricane...Holloween

After a day of being closed due to Hurricane Sandy, the bakery reopened this morning...and who should be in the window decorating..."Pumpkin Head"...I mean..."the great pumpkin"...no, ugh...oh yes, it was Matilda Wessel...a shinning sight to behold after days of grey, rain, wind and scenes of devastation and destruction.
I raised a cup of coffee this morning wishing a quick recovery to my old neighborhood in Greenwich Village and lower Manhattan...
Here's a link to a new song from Pam Ortiz's just released album "Rattle Them Chains" that seems appropriate to these past few days...the song is titled "After The Hurricane."

Brioche !!!

     Many posts ago I mentioned something to the effect that I've waited for Evergrain to open in my neighborhood for about 4 decades - ever since I left Greenwich Village, and the French Bakery a block from our apartment.  And, ever since Evergrain opened in Chestertown, I've been quietly, patiently and hopefully waiting for the arrival of brioche - my favorite.  Alas...it's here.
      Brioche has many descriptions, it should be light and moist.  Some would describe it as an enriched bread or to quote author and chef Michael Ruhlman, "good brioche is a celebratory bread,  a cross between bread and cake.  Hell, it's really cake sneaking in as bread."  The one that I had this morning was excellent, light and moist. I had my own private celebration!   With a side of jam (yes, you can get some jam for your brioche, croissant or scone for a little bit extra - I chose raspberry today) and a cup of coffee...I'm a happy camper with a smile on my face for the rest of the morning.
       Look for the brioche roles on the left at the checkout counter but leave one for me.  Rumor has it that the traditional brioche roll, formed like a woman's head with pinned up hair  (brioche-a-tete) may be coming soon.  

Morning Coffee

       

          At the risk of being accused of laziness,  this morning I've decided to post a link to a wonderful article that is currently on the home page of the on line newspaper, The Chestertown Spy.  The article, written by Matthew Swanson with photographs by Robbi Behr, is titled "Wake Up and Smell the Espresso."  But to my mind, it's so much more.
           I greatly admire Swanson's style of writing...humorous, insightful, inviting the reader to look over his shoulder.  Behr's photos tell a story all by themselves and as I told Doug after I read the article..."I saw your photo in that article...you've never looked better." So check out the article of what's new at Evergrain...you'll have a greater appreciation of the thinking, passion, planning that it takes make something (in this case coffee and bread) well.

          Here's the link to the article  http://chestertownspy.com/2012/08/31/wake-up-and-smell-the-espresso/

          Here's a link to Matthew and Robbie's website/blog http://idiotsbooks.com

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

If a picture is worth a thousand words...starting today...here are three pictures that say it all...

Who is that Barista???

MMMM....

Come in, order from the café board, get a sun bun, have a seat, relax.  Priceless...

To quote Young Frankenstein, "was that a yummy sound I heard you make?"

A Post while I'm NOT at the Bakery

I'm not living in Paris but sometimes, I like to think I can pretend.  I try to do that, in a very small way, by slowing down in August when I'm told that the continent goes on vacation.  I swear that the sun is hotter than it used to be and that makes me slow down even more these days...I'm still - mentally - on vacation.  But I'm posting this morning because Michael sent me this photo

...I took one look and...it was love at first sight...great colors...the sandwiches - smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese on miche - are being prepared as I write this by Allie...right behind the counter...for lunch...today.  Do I need to call?...does this count as placing an order?  I'd better call...410-778-3333 - save me one!

Todo Cambia (Everything Changes)

        At long last the bakery expansion has taken place.   The wall is open, the new display cases filled with pastries...more room to spread out, more sunlight - the better to see friends coming in the door.  And yet, I'm surprised at the feeling that I'm going to miss (just a little bit) the "old" place.

        It's a curious clash of emotions that I'm experiencing here. It's like watching (I can't call it my child because it's not my child) but it is like watching a child I care about growing up and moving onto the next phase of their life.  I have a feeling that many of us "regulars" will feel this way about "our" bakery.
All of which goes to say...thanks Doug, Kelly, David, Matilda, Michael and the rest of the crew for this wonderful place that you've created here in our community.

Yet Another Summer Soup Not To Be Missed

          So...it's 12:15 PM and my shop is already hot.  I don't have AC in my woodworking studio.   I figure I'll walk over to the bakery and, if I'm lucky, Michael will have made some chilled watermelon, cucumber gazpacho soup and I'll have that for lunch.  It will cool me off, is light to eat on a hot day and it will help me make it through what's sure to be a hot afternoon.    I scan the menu board and there it is...watermelon gazpacho but wait...what's this other new soup?  Cold cantaloupe soup with strawberry garnish...hmmm, I'm not the biggest fan of cantaloupe but I ask if I can try a sample and ... oh my... I have to have this!!!  But I want the watermelon also...what to do?

          It took me about 2 seconds to figure that out...a cup of gazpacho with a slice of Doug's miche for lunch and a cup of the cantaloupe for dessert (no bread... it's dessert.)   

          It's supposed to be near 100 degrees tomorrow with a heat index of 110.  Try the cantaloupe, you won't be sorry...just leave me some if you can.

           Lastly, a tip of the hat to the late Nora Ephron who passed away this week.  When asked, in a 2006 "Fresh Air" interview, what was her sense was of what the next 20 years would be like, responded, " the next 20 years?  This is a crap shoot, this is a lottery...so I feel...I don't think about the next 20 years.  I think about today and I've already been to a bakery this morning.  This is the thing that I'm obsessed with...carbohydrates.  I feel like I'm now living in an age where there is the best bread that we've ever had in the history of the world..."  

           ...a woman after my own heart...rest in peace, Nora.  

Outrageously Wonderful

      Be on the look out for a wonderful soup that pastry chef and soup guru Michael Wessel unveiled late last week...Watermelon, cucumber gazpacho soup.  Okay, now that I've said it...think about that for a moment...sweet and soft, tangy and firm, smooth and spicy...all cool and all at once...heaven on a hot day.  What could be better...oh yes, a slice of Doug's miche along side.
      And yes, the cup was full when I first took out the camera to photograph the soup...the benefits of blogging!

NEWS FLASH!!!   Wednesday 8:30 AM  As I write this Michael is preparing more Watermelon, Cucumber , Gazpacho Soup...cool yourself on a hot day...you'll be glad you did!  It will be ready later this morning.  

And the Wall Came Tumbling Down...sort of

Finally, after months of preparation, demolition and construction the wall between the bakery and the shop next door came down this past Sunday.  It started with a small opening - above - ...that's Rob Comfort (the bit of red peaking through the hole) in the other room.  Helping him, in blue, is Rob Hearn.   I thought that perhaps we could duct tape a hard hat to Doug's head, pick him up by his arms and legs, use him as a battering ram and knock down the wall.  It would have made a great photo but alas it was not to be.

It may not be Joshua at Jerico but for those of us awaiting the next adventure to come at the Bakery...a milestone to be remembered.
Here's the video:

  That long cabinet with the maple counter that you can see in the new space has some history to it.  It was part of one of the lanes of an old bowling alley in Baltimore.  It's a place where Babe Ruth bowled...thanks to Alex Castro we have a small piece of Baltimore history here at the Bakery.

Best of the Eastern Shore!

What's Up Eastern Shore Award Certificate

The polls have closed, the results are in, the people have voted...Evergrain Bread Co., Chestertown...best bread on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Hurray for us (we already knew that it's the best) and congratulations to Doug, Kelly, David, Michael, Matilda, Stu, Tony and the rest of the crew.  You're the best!

Ye Colonial Bayke Shoppe

Authentic in every detail, Abbey, Sofia, Lindsey and Kelly are dressed in Colonial garb out in front of the bakery.   When I inquired about the authenticity of Abbey's aviator sunglasses, I was told that they were a previously unknown style of glasses invented by Benjamin Franklin.  He called them 'coachman' glasses.  Really???

Rumor has it that Doug has refused to pay the British Flour tax...so Michael  -  with red coats in hot pursuit to impound the illegally baked goods  -  delivers the contraband to the booth where throngs of colonists eagerly await to purchase the bounty of the bakery.

All in all, a day of hard and hot work for everyone at the bakery but, without a doubt, the word continues to grow about our gem of a bakery here in Chestertown.

The Signs They Are A-Changin'

At 7:30 this morning (May 22nd) out went the old sign...it really is official now...Against The Grain has been renamed as  Evergrain Bread Co...

Doug is actually standing on the step that has a label reading, 'do not stand on this step - even if your mother is holding the ladder!'

This is just the beginning of changes to come...my mind swoons as I imagine all the delicacies that the expanded bakery might have...


I've been AWOL for a while, though not from my regular seat early in the mornings at the Bakery.   But now, with change in the air, news to report, progress to chronicle and keeping all of us up to date on the "crew," I hope that there will be more writing...and more tasting!  Stay tuned.

After Hours at the Bakery

         Unlike most places of business that begin their day in the morning or as the sun rises, by the time the doors open to the public at 6:30 AM, the bakery has been open for more than 12 hours.  For the next few weeks, I thought it would be fun to give everyone a bit of a peek behind the counter, go in the back and meet everyone who makes all those baked goods that we've come to know, eat and love.
       

           Up first is Stu Cawley.  In this photo he's preparing dough for croissants.  Stu is a pastry chef.  That's his title but take a moment to speak with him and you'll quickly learn that there is much more to him than meets the eye.  There is a saying that goes: a laborer works with his hands.  A craftsman works with his hands and head.  An artist works with his hands, head and heart.   Luckily for all of us, Stu works with his hands, head and heart.  During our conversation the other night I was struck by how he is as concerned in his craft, with some of the same issues that I am in my craft as a furniture maker...issues of maintaining quality, focus and attention to detail.

           Here's a quick look at Stu preparing dough for croissants, a brief moment in a process that starts in the early evening and unfolds over many hours throughout the night.

            Thanks to my daughter, Sofia who works part time at the bakery for helping me upload this video.  Stay tuned for more features from "Behind the Counter" at the bakery.

If You Build It, They Will Come

  Here are some photos that I took this morning of the beginning of work on the expansion of the bakery.  I'm not really sure of what Doug and company have in mind but I've been having fun fantasizing what the expansion will look like - not to mention the new bakery offerings that will result from the expansion.   

In the photo at right, the wall between the "old" and new spaces is being opened.  You can see that at one time the spaces were joined...the opening was a lot smaller.  It's that portion on the left hand side of the section that has been opened.

     That's Rob Comfort who works for Patrick G. Jones, Inc. opening up a section of wall.  Standing behind Rob is Miley...I think she's the quality control inspector who oversees everything that Rob does.
Tune in to this blog for updates and photos as work on the expansion progresses.

      Thanks to those of you who have sent along suggestions for renaming the bakery...we'll keep you posted here on the renaming...winning entry gets a $25 gift certificate from "Bob At the Bakery."

For those who may have missed my prior post, the bakery is being renamed because "Against the Grain" is a registered trademark of another company with deeper pockets than our beloved Chestertown Against The Grain. A letter arrived several weeks ago essentially saying cease and desist or else. 
So...since expansion is coming this is probably a good time to make this change also.
Bob Ortiz

What's in a Name?

     So...last week a letter arrives at the Bakery...I hear that it was polite but to the point...in a nut shell it went something like..."you're infringing on our registered trademark "Against the Grain."  You must change the name of your business.  It was not an early April Fools letter.  It was the real thing.
    Is there good news here?  Sure...the bakery will continue.  The bad news is that it needs a new name...so here's your chance...help Doug and Kelly and the rest of the crew come up with a new name.  Let's make this turn of events into something positive and turn this lemon into lemonade.
     Respond to this post with your suggestions or reply to ortizstudios@verizon.net  with your suggestion and if your name gets picked Bob at the Bakery will send you a $25 gift card good at the bakery.  In case of a tie one winner will be chosen by coin toss or picking the name out of a hat in the case of three or more winning entrants.

    I tend to be a creature of habit,  I get to the bakery about 7:10 - I have my coffee and pastry, read the news, finish up, say good-bye - walk out the door - turn right and head back to the shop to start my day.  It's easy to forget that I'm just two blocks from the river...but every now and then, when the sky is flame red, or a mysterious mist rolls up High Street, I find that I can't resist the urge to see what's happening on the river.  Last Friday was one of those mornings...so I took my i-Pad with me and shot this photo...a Chestertown morning...

 

Who knew you could make cheese at Home?

 

      My daughter who is 16 and works at the Bakery, has begun to develop an interest in cooking.  Her interest these days is Middle Eastern Foods.  I was intrigued last Sunday when she came home from work with 5 cups of that wonderful plain yogurt sold at Against The Grain made by Pequea Valley Farms.  I assumed it was for lunch for the coming week..."nope."  She was going to make Labneh, a yogurt cheese made in Lebanon frequently served for breakfast with tomatoes and pita bread. 

      As you can see from the photos...it's pretty straight forward, low tech, she had fun making it, we had fun watching it being made.  And of course the best part...eating it!

 Plain yogurt, cheese cloth to strain the yogurt and a bowl.

The yogurt, wrapped in cheese cloth is placed where it can hang and strain for 24 hours...hmmm, looks like  the bowl should be closer...next time!

And, 24 hours later...Ta Da....Labneh!

On Tuesday we had the labneh with some olive oil and olive paste with pita bread and a variety of Middle Eastern Foods prepared by the newest cook in the family.  The next day I went out and bought some apricot preserves...I thought the sweet would work as a nice contrast to the cheese ... on a Pita Cracker...it was a nice combination if I do say so myself! 

     NEWS FLASH!!!   (hopefully I'm not the last to know but...) I just became aware that the soups being served at Against the Grain are now being made in house by Michael...I had a taste of a soup that's being served tomorrow (Thursday the 9th) potato with leek and fennel...very nice with a slice of miche.  

Searching for the Holy Grail

         It's January - a Friday -7 AM -  28 degrees out  and the bakery is empty.  I come in at my usual time, put my things down at a table, go to the counter, say hi to Matilda and order a...Brioche! Hay...this is new!...and a small coffee.  I'm figuring this is going to be a quiet morning until...
         Doug comes out from the back and says, "we're going to have a baguette tasting.  We're trying 5 different flours...wanna join us?"  So much for a quiet morning...I'm in the back ready to eat...I mean "taste" faster than you can say "Oui monsieur."   I've seen people do this before, I'm sure I can do this...I leave the coffee aside, ask for a cup of water (to clean the palate between baguettes, I've seen that on TV - I want to look like I know what I'm doing) and get a piece of paper and pencil to write down my observations.  (Surely that will make me look like I know what I'm doing.)
         We started out as three:  Doug, Tony Stein a bread baker visiting from California and myself.  We were soon joined by Matthew Swanson who lives next door and writes a blog that you can see at Idiots Books he's got photos of the "taste test" on the blog.    Unlike the rest of us who were in work clothes, Matthew is still in his flannel pj's and slippers - what's his job...I want it!

       The 5 different flours were from Canada and the US, if memory serves me correctly (I got so into EATING the baguettes that I forgot to WRITE anything down on the aforementioned paper - so much for knowing what I'd doing) two were organic flours.  We started out by savoring the aromas of the baguettes.  Doug suggested that we thoroughly chew the pieces we sampled to get a good sense of the taste.
         I was immediately struck by how I did not have the vocabulary that I needed to describe what I was tasting.  Mercifully, Doug came to our rescue suggesting different words that might describe the different loaves...fleshy, airy, ashy (yes ashy).
         In his dedication to his craft, Doug continues to research different flours exploring the different characteristics that each flour possesses in the search for the perfect baguette...(forget the Grail, I'd rather be on the search for the perfect baguette)...For those of us who get to be customers of Against the Grain, it doesn't get any better than knowing that "our baker" has such a dedication to excellence.
         In the end I had two favorites.  The last one that I tried, the one with the ashy taste (and the crunchiest crust.)  If I were having a baguette with just butter or with cheese, this is the one I'd want.   The other baguette made with organic flour would be the one I'd have either by itself or with ham and cheese, mustard and butter in a sandwich.
          Next time I'll remember to write things down so I can give more detail!

What's For Dinner...Breakfast, of course!

So...last night we got home after performing at the Martin Luther King concert (Pam and I accompanied by our friend Ford Schumann (www.pamortizmusic.com) were on the "bill" with 9 other groups) at Washington College.  It was 8 PM.  Who feels like cooking?  What about carry out?...nah.  And then it came to me...what about that "Country French Pullman Bread" that we bought this morning at the bakery?....didn't you get some fresh fruit at the grocery store?  Let's make French Toast!!!  Who can resist?

I'd like to suggest that in addition to the Chestertown Christmas Egg Nog Cook Off, we should have a Chestertown French Toast Contest...so many recipes to try...so little time...

After years of making furniture I can say with confidence that I've gotten good at being able to cut consistent 1 inch thick slices of bread, nice and straight...just the right size for French Toast.  Doug's country French Pullman is a wonderful choice for French Bread, no matter how you prepare it.  Ours was just great with some organic maple syrup and a cup of coffee.

 

Got a French Toast recipe you'd like to share...send it to me and I'll post it.  I think I know how to do that.

By the way...Happy New Year