What's New
2012 is looking like a busy year! I've just signed up to exhibit in the Book Fair at the National Science and Engineering Festival in DC next April. The festival is huge - it had 650,000 visitors in 2 days last year! It's in the DC Convention Center. I'm brain-storming ideas for demos I can do that don't make too much of a mess. If you're in the DC area, please stop by! The festival is free to attend.
The Asheville Bread Festival is scheduled for March 24, 2012. The website has not yet been updated, but here is a press release (PDF). I will TWEET information as I receive it (see below).
I'll be teaching at the Folk School at the end of May. You can register for the class here. The class begins with simple recipes and a focus on the process of bread-making. (I'm trying to reel in my inner science teacher and make the chemistry lectures shorter!) Mid-week, students are invited to choose their own recipes, or to continue working with mine. You can learn more about the Folk School at their website. Read about my January, 2011 class on the Folk School's blog here. (If you click on the blog post, there are pictures!) I'm on the schedule again in October, 2012.
I'm not sure if my class in Bethel, Maine will come about this year. I was discussing it with the owners of the hostel, but hosting classes is a new venture for them and the space might not be ready. I still hope to attend the Maine Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, though!
I've set up a Twitter account, @twobluebooks. I don't intend to post every time I get a coffee in town. I'll only use it to announce new classes or when I post a new resource on my website. So if you're into social media, please follow me! If you're not into social media but would like to be, read my document on using Twitter.
Finally, an update on my bike trip memoir: I've got the 1200-page draft down to 607 pages. I've identified a theme! and am prepared to chop out scenes to highlight the theme ("it is better to live in the present moment"), but I still want to convey the feeling of being on the road. I did not get the Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist grant as I'd hoped, so I am dutifully saving money to hire an editor/critiquer, who hopefully will give me some perspective on this. (The "Brief Guide to Self-Publishing" and my guide to Drupal are still on the back burner.)
Upcoming Events/Classes
Saturday March 24, 2012
Asheville Artisan Bread Festival, Asheville, NC
I'll probably teach some form of "Beginning Hand Kneading"
http://ashevillebreadfestival.com/
April 28-29, 2012
Walter E. Convention Center, Washington, DC
Book Fair, USA Science and Engineering Festival
http://www.usasciencefestival.org/
I'll be selling books and running a bread science exhibit.
May 27-June 2, 2012
John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC
"The Science of Bread"
Register for the class here.
July, 2012 (tentative)
Attending the Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, Maine.
http://kneadingconference.com/
October 14-20, 2012
John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC
"The Science of Bread"
Registration should open sometime around New Years.
Archives
April 2, 2011 Hand Kneading for Beginners at the Asheville Bread Festival http://www.ashevillebreadfestival.com/
January 9 to 15, 2011 The Science of Bread at the John C Campbell Folk School http://www.folkschool.com/, Folk School Blog Post
March 20, 2010 Hand Kneading for Beginners at the Asheville Bread Festival http://www.asapconnections.org/bread2010.html
March 13, 2010 Sourdough Workshop (for beginners) at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
January 3 to 9, 2010 The Science of Bread at the John C Campbell Folk School http://www.folkschool.com/
January 23, 2010 French Baguette Workshop (for beginners) at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
December 12, 2009 Beginning Bread-Making at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
October 24, 2009 Beginning Bread-Making at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
May 16, 2009 Book giveaway on Wild Yeast Blog. Visit the blog at http://www.wildyeastblog.com/.
Visit the giveaway's entry at http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/05/10/bread-science-giveaway/.
April 23, 2009 Visit Kelly's kindergarden class to talk about bakeries.
April 19, 2009 Class auctioned in Skill-Share Auction at SEEDS DIG Garden Party, Durham, NC http://www.seedsnc.org/
April 5, 2009 Beginning Bread-Making at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
March 28, 2009 Hand Kneading for Beginners at the Asheville Bread Festival http://www.asapconnections.org/bread2009.html
February 14, 2009 Beginning Bread-Making at The Abundance Foundation http://www.theabundancefoundation.org/
October 5-11, 2008 Beginning Artisan Bread-Making at Campbell Folk School http://www.folkschool.com/
June 7, 2008 Pizza Baking at the "Art Grows in Durham" Garden Party at SEEDS http://www.seedsnc.org/art.htm
March 29, 2008 Asheville Bread Festival http://www.asapconnections.org/bread2008.htm
March 5, 2008 Radio in Vivo on WCOM, with Ernest Hood communityradio.coop radioinvivo.net
November 15, 2008 Bread Science talk with Frank Ferrell for Sigma Xi at Duke Hospital
October, 2007 I'm excited to begin writing for The Carrboro Citizen - search their archives here
August, 2007
Peter Reinhart's new book on whole grains will be out soon. Months (years?) ago, Peter had several bakers write essays for the book, including me. My essay was about enzymes in bread. The publisher, however, cut the essays, so I have posted mine here on the "Excerpts and Errata" page. (The link is in the menu to the left, up top.) Peter told me that he refers to Bread Science in his book, which is exciting in itself. I know he worked hard trying to find whole grain recipes for his book that taste good and poof up like "normal" bread. Peter keeps a weblog and sends out recipes to an army of recipe-testers; if you're interested in all this, you can check out his weblog at http://peterreinhart.typepad.com/.
Fall 2007 YES Magazine
Weaver Street Market is profiled. They used a picture of me, Tova, and Jose in the bakery with their article. The article is posted here along with the picture.
August 26, 2007 The last Bakery Open House at Weaver Street Market!
May 2007 Camp Bread, San Francisco
March 2007 Bread Science talk at the Asheville Bread Festival