A little exploration...

So I decided to scope out the local bakery scene in town, now that I've had a week at the best cooking school in the country. I was really curious how the best bakery in town would match up against what Chef Brown coached us through last week. Well, I have to say Chef Brown wouldn't have been too pleased.

I stopped into the top artisanal bakery in town. I really love the place, actually, and have often stopped in for a sandwich or just to grab a quick pastry or something. It's an enjoyable place to hang out, and I do like their bread. However, last week I learned what good bread can be like, and I learned a little of what the marks of great bread are all about. The bread here wouldn't have passed muster over at the CIA.

I ordered a loaf of French bread, as well as a few various things to try. I cooked dinner for Meg last night, the first time we've really been able to hang out since I got back, and I thought it would be fun to try some things from the bakery.

I guess if I sound too critical here, I'll just sound like a foodie snob. Oh well...I'm plunging in. Suffice it to say that there's evidence that the dough didn't have enough time to proof properly. And the baguettes show evidence of some poor forming of the dough. The foccacia was just plain gummy from being undercooked. All of the breads in fact appeared to be underbaked. Petty, ain't it? But I'm always of the opinion that if you're going to do something, it's worth doing right, and if you go into business as a baker, you should find everything in your power to make your product the best it can be. And there's part of me that has had a dream of opening a bakery, and in some ways, I was "checking out the competition." I'm convinced that the bread we made out at the CIA would soon become the best in town. Now granted, I wasn't the mastermind behind the baking--all the credit goes to Chef Brown. But, just a couple of days with Chef Brown showed me what was possible. I pulled him aside when I was there and told him how much I enjoyed the bread baking section, how it had really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of baking terrific bread. He urged me to go to the home branch of the CIA in Hyde Park, NY, where they have both weekend and week long sessions just on baking bread. I think I could really learn quite a bit out there. Maybe that's up for next summer--I'd love to learn more.

Here's my thinking right now: I'd like to build a wood fired brick oven in the backyard. I've been thinking about this for quite some time, mainly because I think it would be fun to have one for parties--how about a homebaked pizza in your own woodfired oven? Sounds like fun to me! There's a class next May in northern Minnesota taught by the world's leading authority on building wood fired brick ovens, Allen Scott. I mentioned this class to Chef Brown, and he knew instantly who I was talking about and he told me to jump at the chance to study with the guy. I'm planning on signing up for that class, and learning from the best, then hopefully I'll come back and build one during the summer. I'd love to learn how to use a wood fired oven, and master baking bread in it.

Once I achieve a certain level of success, I was thinking I'd set up a stall at the Farmer's Market. I think with enough training, and enough practice, I could make some pretty darn tasty bread, that could go head to head with the best bakery in town. It would be fun for me, and might even bring in a little extra cash, though that would be just secondary. I have read a story of a couple who did just what I propose, however, and were quite successful at it. Chefs who came to the farmer's market on a regular basis sampled their bread. They liked it so much, they recruited the couple to make all of the bread for their restaurants. It's turned into a full time job for the couple. Now THAT would be a fun way to make a little exra money!

Then there's the whole matter of the chocolates. There's a woman out in Grand Haven who makes her own chocolates. I bought a few of those to try yesterday too. They're really quite good, excellent in fact. But I don't think that they're outside of my reach. It's not that hard, honestly. It's just a matter of messing around with the flavors you want. What is hard, I think, is the marketing. She's got that all figured out. They're beautifully packaged, and she's gone for a whole "Parisian" theme that I think is half of the appeal. I don't know...I think in the chocolate realm, I'll just be making them as gifts for friends, and messing around with recipes and flavors, until I get them just where I want them. Then maybe I could think about doing something with them. She charges $2.30 per chocolate, and it costs her about 30¢ to make each one, if that.

And just a little something about that Lavash bread I mentioned the other day. One of the gourmet food stores in town ships that stuff in from California. It looks to be really thick and clunky bread, and they're charging an arm and a leg for it. Five oz. costs $10.00! I was going to buy some to try, to "test the competition," but decided I'd keep that ten spot in my wallet. That's just nuts! The stuff we made out there was very, very tasty. I had visions of finding a fancy way to package the stuff we made out there, and dropping it off at gourmet food stores around the area. 5 oz. might cost you 25¢ to make! Once again, it's all about the marketing, and the packaging.

People do this stuff...they go beyond their dreams, and they just get up and make it happen. I'm not there yet. Basically, I'm just dreaming out loud...but I'm not just going to sit on my butt either.

PS My grandmother dreamed of opening a bakery, so I guess it's in my genes. She loved baking, and had visions of a little corner bakeshop, called "The Bake Lady." My dad encouraged her in her dream, and even made up some stamps for her to put on post cards and such to promote herself. Sadly, it never came to fruition. I find it very interesting, though, that I have such a keen interest in doing something similar.

I still use my grandmother's Kitchen Aid mixer to this day. I love that.