2,000 Year Old Bread

...have been eating white bread for a long time. Ironically, healthier whole wheat breads tended to go to poor folks. Also he says that the Pompeian bread would most likely, as this chef proves, look and taste a lot like contemporary “artisinal” sourdoughs. In other words, the bread you buy at a fancy bakery like Tartine in San Francisco hasn’t changed much in 2,000 years. The British Museum has helpfully provided a recipe should you want to make yo...

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It’s Official: The End is Near

...stock, “cookies, licorice, cheese curls, candy bars, french fries, frosted wheat cereal and peanut-butter cups.” GARLAND, N.C.–When Alfred Smith’s hogs eat trail mix, they usually shun the Brazil nuts. “Pigs can be picky eaters,” Mr. Smith says, scooping a handful of banana chips, yogurt-covered raisins, dried papaya and cashews from one of the 12 one-ton boxes in his shed. Generally, he says, “they like the sweet stuff.” Mr. Smith is just happy h...

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Saturday Linkages: Covid and Non-Covid

...t the Toilet Paper Shortage This Pandemic Is Not Your Vacation Take a break from the covid links: Make your own chalkboard paint with Eric of Garden Fork (and send Eric some love–one of his dogs passed on this week) Masoor Dal (Spiced Red Lentils) Recipe Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies The Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe Fall into a German symbolist interweb hole: Nibelungenhalle and Walpurgishalle Free opera all the time thanks to the Met–watch Verdi’s Mac...

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How to Bake a Traditional German Rye Bread

...for approximately 3 hours. Note that rye ferments considerably faster than wheat. Baking A half hour before you’re ready to bake, pre-heat your oven and a dutch oven or combo cooker to 475º F. Just before you’re ready to bake, turn the oven down to 450º F. Put the boule into the dutch oven and cover. This style of bread is not slashed. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the cover from your dutch oven and bake for another 20 min...

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