"How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" --Julia Child
Eric wants Zambia be a great nation, so in November he made his first loaf of bread. Since then he's made over 100 artisan loaves. I've been married to this man for nearly a decade, and I'm shocked by his new obsession. However, looking back I should have noticed the warning signs:
1.
Eric didn't want to make bread from store-bought yeast. Ohhhhhh, no. He had to make is
own natural yeast starter out of organic grapes from our yard which, as a concept is delightful. The reality is that it's like caring for
another child. What's more, he created this monster and then went on a business trip, so yours truly had to babysit it for a week. He was so concerned that I would murder the fermenting glob that he posted this note and urged my daughter to remind me
every-single-night not to forget "Daddy's starter." Which she did. Every. Single. Night.
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| Care instructions for the Monster |
2.
Eric bought himself a wheat grinder for Christmas. The internet insists that commercially ground wheat loses vitamins, but the truth is, you are a better human if you grind your own wheat. It's even better if you have friends who are organic farmers. Pesticide-free wheat, I'm told, may include some grain weevils. Here's Wikipedia's fun fact about grain weevils: Females nibble a hole in a kernel, lay an egg, and then seal hole with
a "gelatinous secretion." That's like a superfood on steroids!
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| The Baker |
3.
Eric's found like-minded bread fanatics. While he's converted most of these people himself, he discovered another male, bread-baking kindred spirit after
five minutes of meeting him. They've since exchanged flax seed, crushed soy beans, and sourdough starter. They may even have a special handshake and t-shirts by now.
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| My homemade jam makes the bread. |
I love to tease my husband, but I must be careful, because the truth is, his bread is the best bread in Zambia. I sure don't want to be cut off his supply chain, especially when the alternative tastes like Kleenex.
