Something magical occurs when you reheat a baguette. Even the most pedestrian (even day old) baguettes become perfectly crusty and delicious. It is truly magical.
I learned this trick from my friend Lucien, the famous chef. Back in the day, we would bring customers into our KFI culinary center to sell them Kraft Ingredients. Lucien would buy baguettes at Costco. He would serve the baguettes reheated to customers and get rave reviews. Customers thought the baguettes were from one of Lucien’s secret family recipes from the south of France. So we didn’t tell them about Costco, but the bread was magical.
(Lucien and Paul having fun in the kitchen)
Today I am using this trick to stage virtual wine group zoom sessions during the pandemic. I have been making baguettes and using them as a center piece for a fun evening.
PK (and the “baguette fairy” to provide baguettes and pesto in the afternoon
5:30 AC and SH reheat baguettes
6:00 we get together virtually via zoom with baguettes and a bottle
This also works if you don’t have a “baguette fairy” in the neighborhood. Trust me, you can buy the baguettes (and the wine) at Costco, tell everyone that the baguette is from a secret family recipe from the south of France. If you reheat the baguette for 6 to 8 minutes in a 400 degree oven…magic will occur.
Grandson Declan as the “Baguette Fairy”
By the way…The magic gets even better after a second bottle of wine
The “Baguette Fairy” destroying the evidence to protect his grandfather
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.
Bagels Test number 5 We are having trouble with the Mailchimp blog distribution Emails picked up on iPhones come through with no pictures. If anyone is having this problem please let meknow.Apologies for the confusion
Who doesn’t love a good bagel? Maybe I should ask, who knows what a good bagel should taste like? The best way to answer this question is with a story.
When our daughter Jennifer was 10 years old, she would spend summers at her grandmother’s (Mom mom) beach house in Westhampton NY. One day when she was eating a bagel at home in Memphis she asked: Why don’t bagels taste the same at home as they do at Mom mom’s?
A good fresh New York bagel is just different. For me, a lot of the difference is texture. The crust is a perfect amount of crunchy. The inside is chewy. A fresh warm bagel in New York is heaven. A day-old bagel that has been perfectly toasted, is another version of heaven.
At this point, my guess is that some of you are thinking: Here he goes again, the elitist former New Yorker (I have lived in Memphis for 32 years and still stutter when saying I am from Memphis. Yes, I will always be a Yankee). Another story
When we first moved to Memphis we had dinner with my friend Jeff from Connecticut. Back in the early 1980’s we had moved from Bedford NY to California and Jeff and Terry had moved from Greenwich Connecticut to Australia. We were talking about the cultural difference between Sydney Australia and Memphis Tennessee. In mid-sentence Jeff says: In both places they call you a Yankee. The big difference is that in Australia, it is not an insult.
Getting back to bagels. The truth is that people tend to like the foods they grew up with. New Yorkers like New York Pizza. People from Chicago like Chicago Pizza. People from Memphis like BBQ on their pizza. This former New Yorker likes a good New York Bagel.
You can find some great bagels outside of the New York Metropolitan area. We used to be able get an excellent bagel in Memphis. Then my favorite bagel place went out of business. Someone bought the business and refurbished the building. We were very excited for the reopening, but when they refurbished, they changed their process. The new process made a lousy product. The bagel crust was not crunchy. The inside texture was like Wonder Bread White Bread.
Making bagels has been on the list for a long time. I once read an article that basically said, homemade bagels are ok, but you cannot compete with a good bagel shop bagel. Given the demise of my favorite Memphis bagel shop and the promise of a good winter ice storm, I decided to give homemade bagels a try.
SOMETIMES YOU WILL AMAZE YOURSELF HOW GOOD A PRODUCT YOU CAN MAKE.
Following is a youtube video demonstrating how to make bagels
My homemade bagels were pretty darn good. The crust, taste and texture were excellent. Was the bagel as good as Mom Mom’s bagel shop in Westhampton? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but these bagels are pretty good.
Toast up a section of bagel crust and you have a wonderful platform for an amazing array of appetizers: Bagel Crust with:
The toasted bagel wedge, a perfect base for a broad range of appetizers
Salami, Cream Cheese, Onion, Capers
Ham, Cream Cheese, Red Onion, Dill pickle
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread with Horseradish and Dill
Lox with Cream Cheese and Red Onion
Steak with Boursin
Bagel Bite with Salmon Spread and Smoked Salmon
One can go on and on. The truth is that a bagel crust is as good as any canape or crostini crust. Proving, Bagels are not just for breakfast anymore.
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.
Bagels This is a fourth test. We are having trouble with the Mailchimp blog distribution. Apologies for the confusion
Who doesn’t love a good bagel? Maybe I should ask, who knows what a good bagel should taste like? The best way to answer this question is with a story.
When our daughter Jennifer was 10 years old, she would spend summers at her grandmother’s (Mom mom) beach house in Westhampton NY. One day when she was eating a bagel at home in Memphis she asked: Why don’t bagels taste the same at home as they do at Mom mom’s?
A good fresh New York bagel is just different. For me, a lot of the difference is texture. The crust is a perfect amount of crunchy. The inside is chewy. A fresh warm bagel in New York is heaven. A day-old bagel that has been perfectly toasted, is another version of heaven.
At this point, my guess is that some of you are thinking: Here he goes again, the elitist former New Yorker (I have lived in Memphis for 32 years and still stutter when saying I am from Memphis. Yes, I will always be a Yankee). Another story
When we first moved to Memphis we had dinner with my friend Jeff from Connecticut. Back in the early 1980’s we had moved from Bedford NY to California and Jeff and Terry had moved from Greenwich Connecticut to Australia. We were talking about the cultural difference between Sydney Australia and Memphis Tennessee. In mid-sentence Jeff says: In both places they call you a Yankee. The big difference is that in Australia, it is not an insult.
Getting back to bagels. The truth is that people tend to like the foods they grew up with. New Yorkers like New York Pizza. People from Chicago like Chicago Pizza. People from Memphis like BBQ on their pizza. This former New Yorker likes a good New York Bagel.
You can find some great bagels outside of the New York Metropolitan area. We used to be able get an excellent bagel in Memphis. Then my favorite bagel place went out of business. Someone bought the business and refurbished the building. We were very excited for the reopening, but when they refurbished, they changed their process. The new process made a lousy product. The bagel crust was not crunchy. The inside texture was like Wonder Bread White Bread.
Making bagels has been on the list for a long time. I once read an article that basically said, homemade bagels are ok, but you cannot compete with a good bagel shop bagel. Given the demise of my favorite Memphis bagel shop and the promise of a good winter ice storm, I decided to give homemade bagels a try.
SOMETIMES YOU WILL AMAZE YOURSELF HOW GOOD A PRODUCT YOU CAN MAKE.
Following is a youtube video demonstrating how to make bagels
My homemade bagels were pretty darn good. The crust, taste and texture were excellent. Was the bagel as good as Mom Mom’s bagel shop in Westhampton? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but these bagels are pretty good.
Toast up a section of bagel crust and you have a wonderful platform for an amazing array of appetizers: Bagel Crust with:
The toasted bagel wedge, a perfect base for a broad range of appetizers
Salami, Cream Cheese, Onion, Capers
Ham, Cream Cheese, Red Onion, Dill pickle
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread with Horseradish and Dill
Lox with Cream Cheese and Red Onion
Steak with Boursin
Bagel Bite with Salmon Spread and Smoked Salmon
One can go on and on. The truth is that a bagel crust is as good as any canape or crostini crust. Proving, Bagels are not just for breakfast anymore.
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.
