Good evening, friends and neighbors.
Tonight I’m writing from a corner seat of The Nerd Out, which is- oddly- the right mix of quiet and busy.
My feeling has always been that if you are going to write about life, you should surround yourself with life. It’s why I do my best work in cafes and bars.
Tonight, though, it’s because I can’t get myself to relax and focus enough to write at home.
Here it is, everyone! The Amazon Kindle version of “Blood, Sweat, and Butter” is available NOW! Thank you so much to everyone who pre-ordered!
Click to check it out on Amazon Kindle!
Good afternoon, friends and neighbors!
Between my day job at the bakery, trying to keep up with this blog, and the release of the book (IN 3 DAYS!!,) I’ve actually managed to run a little low on energy for other parts of my life.
Which is why, last night, I decided I was going to give myself a weird form of self-care and fix myself a slightly advanced version of Matt’s Nights In In College.
Don’t make that face. This doesn’t come from nowhere. Nothing we eat does.
Good afternoon, friends and neighbors!
It’s been a minute (and two jobs) since I wrote one of these entries, and it’s something a lot of folks ask me about:
“What’s it like being the morning baker/ ovenmaster in a French bakery?”
Well here we go.
Good afternoon, friends and neighbors!
My regular blog posts will resume tomorrow, because for right now I have something BIG to announce:
Here’s the deal…
Good evening, friends and neighbors.
I get to work these days before dawn. As I walk in, the first order of business is checking the oven to make sure the settings are right.
Next, the days first load of croissants- waiting patiently in the proof box since the night before. They need to be in the oven in 30 minutes.
They aren’t ready. Small and sticky still. Crap… that’s not right.
A quick look at the control panel on the box confirms my fears. They’re gonna be late.
Right- time for Plan B. The cookies have time to go in.
Wait… that doesn’t look right. Why is the oven temperature tanking? Ugh… ok. Back on track, make up the time later.
The new wholesale management system is messed up. No one to call to check numbers for retail. Dammit… ok, just fudge the numbers. Wholesale is accounted for, I can bake more for the store later if needed.
The piping tip I need is missing. Use a similar one and change technique to compensate.
Not enough sheet pans- the other stores haven’t been sending them back. Rummage around and condense. There’s gotta be stuff to layer.
It’s cool. I’ll figure it out. It’s fine.
“Totally fine… I’ve got this. I’ve got this…”
“At least I’m learning some interesting tricks…”
Good evening, friends and neighbors.
We cooks exist outside of our natural habitat, you know.
We can breathe atmospheric air, are generally harmless unless provoked, and can even function in polite society.
Not necessarily that we LIKE it, of course… but we can.
