Saint Paul Bread Club

As part of my ongoing quest to dominate the world of bread making, I'm a fairly faithful attendee at the quarterly meeting of the Saint Paul Bread Club (http://spbc.info/).  There's always a theme, and yesterday it was "unconventional or specialty breads."  I'm still obsessed with developing my soon-to-be-award-winning toasting loaf, so I presented that, with the reasoning it was a specialty bread in that it was designed exclusively for toasting.  Others were only marginally convinced.

The group is run by a colorful guy named Klecko (I'm not sure of his full name), whose real job is as a honcho at St. Paul's St. Agnes Baking Company (http://www.saintagnesbaking.com).  He's a pro at both the art and science of bread making, so he's a good guy to know.  His sidekick is a guy named David S. Cargo.  (I'm not kidding.)  Members include folks at all levels of the craft, from beginners to those who've won multiple awards.  One stalwart is Kim Ode, author of "Baking with The Saint Paul Bread Club" and writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Yesterday's group brought an interesting variety of specialty breads -- notably, one that was baked in a coffee can and one made primarily from beets (which was delicious). 

A plaque at the entry of St. Agnes Baking Company in Saint Paul:

"Yes, there was a St. Agnes. Our name derives from Grandma Agnes Rod who was also known as "Grandma Agnes".  In the early 1940s, when she was middle-aged, she was widowed. By necessity, she turned from homemaking to being a school cook, a job she held for over twenty years in rural Iowa.  She was a master cook and a bread baker -- and a saint!"

This woman is demonstrating her various scones recipes to an attentive crowd.

Here's Klecko, the main guy, explaining some science that's a big part of bread making.

After the formal meeting, folks gather around the table to sample the attendees' various creations.

Sláinte! A St. Patrick's Day Reunion

I (Mike) got my green on this year, much more than usual, as an old friend from my junior high days turned up in Minneapolis from his home in Manchester, England.  Jim Boran, second from left in the above photo (which I've named "Five Guys Sharing A [Flat] Beer!"), and I had re-connected several months ago when he popped up on FaceBook.  I'd had no contact with him since high school, and it turns out he's been living in England for more than 20 years, working as a prof at the University of Manchester.  He speaks with no discernible British accent. 

Jim and I hung out quite a bit back then.  One odd thing:  At that time (when no one had even imagined a cell phone, let alone owned one), my family's phone number was 929-2582.  Jim's family's was 929-2583.  What were the odds?

Anyway, we had great fun (and a great many pints of Guinness) at various bars in downtown Minneapolis. 

Others in the photo:  Jeff Krueger on the far left, Tom Rivall on the far right, and Paul Strickland next to Tom.  Great guys -- all!