I've been too busy to update my blog! Working seven days a week, long days at that. And for what? These dog days of summer have brought us no customers.
I'm biding my time until September, when things will get lively again. I've arranged the wine tasting evening, with three kinds of red french wines, a comparable Chinese wine, and a Chinese white wine. Still looking for glasses to rent.
There's a new school in town, the Oxford International College. It is a K-12 school. They had a networking evening last night, at Jagerwirt's upstairs. A number of people told me that the food the school serves is unpleasant, loaded with oil and msg. They would like sandwiches. They invited me to dialog further with their leadership about it. I don't do meats, so I will have to collaborate with Klaus to fill this contract.
I met a nice guy, I think his name is Richard, who is the Math teacher. He wants bread that is not enriched. He is a vegan, except that he eats fish.
They want white bread and white sourdough loaves.
Meanwhile, Peter started. Zhuan Xi'an, I think his name is. I hired him as a baker. He worked for 85 degrees bakery. Of course, they are a big chain, sending pre-mixed doughs to each shop. But he has experience with the kitchen equipment, and has a work ethic (to die for).
Tina is still as cute as ever, but I think I value her bookkeeping skills more than her baking. She is fey. We grease our bowls before putting the dough in to rise, for example. She sprays the oil in, and then brushes it like its a piece of cloth floating lazily in a stream. I demonstrate for her...swish swish swish and its done. She prefers her gentle way. In other words, working efficiently is not her forte, and she does not catch on to the concept easily.
Rachel and her mother work every day. Rachel works part time. She has been spending a lot of that time helping me get my application ready to become a Chinese company. Her mother is invaluable. She is industrious, and she keeps the place spotless. She plows through a mountain of bowls and bench scrapers, mops the floor ten times a day, and keeps the windows and glass spotless. She's wonderful! We miss her on her days off.
Speaking of which, we've been closing Mondays just because there isn't that much business, and also because I don't trust my team yet to spend a day without me. They need still a bit more training.
I bought a fabulous book, on the suggestion of Peter Reinhardt, called the Bakery Trade. It tells me so much about every level of starting a small bakery.
My repertoire is expanding. I've tried the miche that is on the cover of Peter's book, the bakers apprentice. It is a fabulous sour dough made of 100% rough whole wheat. Crusty, chewy, tangy.
I'm expanding my ryes. I haven't found one I like yet. They are hard, dense, not good rise. But I do use sourdough with them, to give them great flavor. They never taste like I expect rye to taste.
I'm biding my time until September, when things will get lively again. I've arranged the wine tasting evening, with three kinds of red french wines, a comparable Chinese wine, and a Chinese white wine. Still looking for glasses to rent.
There's a new school in town, the Oxford International College. It is a K-12 school. They had a networking evening last night, at Jagerwirt's upstairs. A number of people told me that the food the school serves is unpleasant, loaded with oil and msg. They would like sandwiches. They invited me to dialog further with their leadership about it. I don't do meats, so I will have to collaborate with Klaus to fill this contract.
I met a nice guy, I think his name is Richard, who is the Math teacher. He wants bread that is not enriched. He is a vegan, except that he eats fish.
They want white bread and white sourdough loaves.
Meanwhile, Peter started. Zhuan Xi'an, I think his name is. I hired him as a baker. He worked for 85 degrees bakery. Of course, they are a big chain, sending pre-mixed doughs to each shop. But he has experience with the kitchen equipment, and has a work ethic (to die for).
Tina is still as cute as ever, but I think I value her bookkeeping skills more than her baking. She is fey. We grease our bowls before putting the dough in to rise, for example. She sprays the oil in, and then brushes it like its a piece of cloth floating lazily in a stream. I demonstrate for her...swish swish swish and its done. She prefers her gentle way. In other words, working efficiently is not her forte, and she does not catch on to the concept easily.
Rachel and her mother work every day. Rachel works part time. She has been spending a lot of that time helping me get my application ready to become a Chinese company. Her mother is invaluable. She is industrious, and she keeps the place spotless. She plows through a mountain of bowls and bench scrapers, mops the floor ten times a day, and keeps the windows and glass spotless. She's wonderful! We miss her on her days off.
Speaking of which, we've been closing Mondays just because there isn't that much business, and also because I don't trust my team yet to spend a day without me. They need still a bit more training.
I bought a fabulous book, on the suggestion of Peter Reinhardt, called the Bakery Trade. It tells me so much about every level of starting a small bakery.
My repertoire is expanding. I've tried the miche that is on the cover of Peter's book, the bakers apprentice. It is a fabulous sour dough made of 100% rough whole wheat. Crusty, chewy, tangy.
I'm expanding my ryes. I haven't found one I like yet. They are hard, dense, not good rise. But I do use sourdough with them, to give them great flavor. They never taste like I expect rye to taste.
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