Finally able to get back to writing a “Perfect Pot” page and now to find time to share all that I have collected in the last month of travels….from South Carolina, to Switzerland, NYC, Wilmington, Delaware, to Northampton, Massachusetts. So many interesting recipes, stories and images that it may take awhile to catch up. So this entry starts by sharing a bread tale and will then go back in time and I”ll fill in the past adventures.
This bread tale is from Northampton, Massachusetts (Latitude: 42.317816 / Longitude: -72.632384) where I had been told to visit a small wood fired artisan bakery, 
run by John Stevens and family with passionate co-workers and customers who wait for the bread to bake while gossiping and sharing food recipes. (http://www.hungryghostbread.com)
I came upon the bakery which sits at the foot of Smith College and is simply a small brick building that once upon a time was a telephone exchange and later became a small office—and may have housed body guards for a student at Smith. It was a truly cold, COLD Friday afternoon and it was a privilege to be quickly accepted as I asked questions and took photos of the process…John Stevens is open, sociable and a ”Maitre” of crusty breads—and shares my views of the need to deeply change the way we grow, prepare and eat our “daily bread”…
The oven is the heart and soul of the bakery…..the fire is stoked with apple wood—two flues allow the smoke to be vented and when ready, the heat to be transferred from the fire box to the oven….the dough is worked on a large table in front of the oven— it is wonderful to watch your bread being worked and transformed….
He uses starter and the dough is proofed a few times, turned, formed then baked.
The beginnings of raisin bread….
As the bread came out of the oven it was immediately packed into paper bags…and the 20 special loaves were gone in 5 minutes….all had either been reserved or the waiting crowd grabbed them up. I bought two loaves—a savory loaf “boule” of rosemary and a starter “challah”. Safe in my backpack, I was kept warm by the hot breads— walking down Main Street with a heated-back-warmer—ready to share with my friends….
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They were, of course a hit–hot breads, slices of an a light Armenian cheese and some Chianti….
The next day the challah was turned into french toast (quickly dipped in a light mix of egg, rice milk, cinammon, and madagascar vanilla) that was topped with simmered apple slices and deep rich, grade B maple syrup…..
Hungry Ghost Bread was well worth the visit—and if I am lucky next week I will be able to “shadow/learn” from the master….who knows….maybe someday I will be stoke my own woodburning ovens and load my recipes and strange bread doughs…..
