French bread

 

U.S. academic becomes the world's first expert on French bread



There is nothing unusual about a professor reap expertise on the subject of gay pertains to a large extent is home countries, universities are full of such these thinkers. In spite of that, Stephen Kaplan represents something out of the habit. This is because the U.S. academic blather slim, aged 64 years, happened to be the most important historian of the French bread in the world. Dedicated baking expert who divides his time between Cornell University and the University of Saint Konton the Filynes the bulk of his career in the history of the role of the bakers and bread in French society through the ages. And along the way, is not the main reference for the French bread, but the conscience of the French bread industry - the conscience does not hesitate to bear the hardship and effort.
Visited Kaplan, a resident of Brooklyn - New York - native France for the first time in 1962, at a time which saw the pace of the postwar recovery of the country's acceleration, but it was also a time in which it fell quality French bread due to all forms of industrial processors. After four decades, was restored roles: France is now in the grip of illness, delinquency, but French bread, despite the combination of all the factors against him, enjoyed a renaissance silent. Is the theme of the latest book titled Kaplan return of good bread (Duke University Press), and contains a brief description of how French bread industry once again returned to its roots skilled craftsmanship and brought about a recovery in the toasted bread with super quality.
Kaplan knows for sure where to find the good stuff. Three years ago, the work he and his wife Marie-Christine with each other to accomplish Cherchez pain, which is a guide to the best bakeries in Paris. The book contains detailed articles ho best hundred bakery in the city, and classification of bread, which is produced by a scale consisting of 20 points (and occupied lead Alkhbazn the de Monge and short Masyun). However, the search hard it was necessary to develop a directory - visited him and his wife of more than 600 Bakery - did not adversely affect the pleasure felt by the follow-up to this effort, which is why I found myself standing with him on the pavement of a train, after dawn directly on the morning of a hazy and we mean the Parisian suburb of Swachs to meet a French who baked the latest types of delicious French bread.
Frank Debeo was waiting for us at the station and soon Dlva into a small bakery camp in large numbers of customers (Les Atwik du Berger), in the city center. And Roofs Debeo with a childlike face of a 37-year-old on a leisurely tour inside the kitchen and then led us to the top floor where the office to taste different kinds of bread. And put a big piece of bread made from wheat flour on the table sat by Kaplan for his practice.
Habit that Kaplan assesses the bread in a way a lot closer for its gourmet liquor to determine the extent of their quality. He issued his rule according to the picture, sound, smell and taste. And threw a closer look at a piece of bread wheat, submitted to the Declaration, such as a doctor births raise a newborn child, acknowledge his finger on a bread crust. In the next step, put a piece of bread near the ears and clicked his finger again and said, "It looks like a beautiful song," We both agreed that the bread smell wonderful and taste amazing.
Kaplan and enjoy tremendous ability Description: When I met him for the first time, almost a piece of bread on the back (slat) of the body of Brigitte Bardot (famous French actress) He draws his hand in a heart-shaped circle in the air to make sure I absorbed the idea. In fact, the sense of humor enjoyed by is one of the reasons that made him likeable person in French television and radio.
If we say that Kaplan has a passion emotion about bread, we we fail in his description, he holds his bread your whenever inadvertently restaurant to the first time, and if found to be lower quality bread, addresses baking sector. And this is considered cause for embarrassment. But the amazing thing is that the exercise of those did not cause so far in the expulsion of any restaurant. Say, of course, waiters and restaurant owners often conceal the rage in their hearts. In some cases, they sat down with Kaplan to talk about bread, confessed their sins and vowed to give him a better story next time.
Concentrated latest campaigns against eating warm bread. He says in this regard: "It's an important issue for me at the present time," and added: "I argue about taste as well as flavor, and therefore can not identify it when dealing with warm bread, if that's what you're looking for forget, there is no point to go to Place baked good. "
But for Kaplan, Valkhbz of is not just about fun sense of taste, but also provides a unique window on French history, which has been studied by hosting and evicted all the details. Kaplan is a leading figure in the American academic field, thirty years ago, the food was not considered fit subject with hard science. Although dietary habits mentioned in the letters of historical and scientific articles, but make the main topic of nutrition scientific research has not happened before. Kaplan says that even within his college at Cornell University, there was some kind of concession to his work in this area. At present flooding academic sector Baloklh the Alatefaan, there patrols intellectual (gastronomy) and organizations (Association of art of eating qualitative) fully dedicated to food and drink and the American Library filled with colorful manuals talk about how these fish or fruit that changed the course of history. Kaplan contributed to make it all possible.
His masterpiece literary fascinating is his mauve Paris and bread case 1700 - 1775 (University Press Duke, 1996), consisting of a 760 page dealing with the study of the role of food, symbolic and political game of bread in France before the Revolution, and in the eighteenth century, bread was the main source of the lives of most French, so the production and distribution they constitute a decisive factor in promoting or undermining social stability. And in the hands of a popular historian, the fact that the price of bread rose to a record level of 14 July 1789 on the same day on which the invasion of the Bastille prison and the French Revolution broke out, is bound to pose as an example of cause and effect.
And as a thinker eligible to submit the past under the light of a quiet, Kaplan irresistible urge simplification and exaggeration: it is his view that this flow of events could not have been more than a coincidence. The book has already sealed 14 years ago from the outbreak of the revolution. This is probably flooding the story less plot, but the book still offers breathtaking picture to the pre-revolutionary France and the standard of living of the French bakers during the eighteenth century.
The book records the author of the twentieth century, entitled the return of good bread long-term collapse events and the recent recovery of the French bread industry. The transformation of the bread industry positioned at the ready to yeast fermentation, which began in the twenties of the last century, is the real sin was the most important factor behind the decline in the quality of the bread. Did not help wars to correct things, not even convert bakery to the mechanism ovens in the sixties of the last century, which produced a bumper crop of bad bread. Through the urging of by millers French who were suffering their jobs as a result of the continued weakness lure bread, the bakers eventually began to reverse things in the eighties of the last century. The improvement mainly through the efforts made by the creators involved, and in particular the late Lionel Bualana, who was able to reconcile the "practices craft (fermentation for a long time, baking in the oven wood, etc.), and production-scale semi-industrial," which his genius Kaplan also wrote a comprehensive "outlined in Note that characterize the acidity cutting bread retained excellent."
Kaplan's story about life back to French bread employs bahreg social drama. The chapter on bread fierce competition in particular roumoungi Street captures the mind. He has two of the most skilled bakers French Eric Caesar and Dominique Saebrn, famous shops on roumoungi street near the Sorbonne, and that this neighborhood, and their different personal ignited the flames of war of self-esteem.
Caesar descendant of the bakers and Saebrn the family self-made man has no roots in the industry. It is a noble man and the upstart, always blend incinerator. The summarized Kaplan conflicts Caesar - Saebrn invaluable: "The battle Monge was a conflict between the Giants: What was at risk of dexterity technical superior, self-esteem, reputation and sometimes the nerves. Has been a battle of religious - raging about facts conceptual, technical and aesthetic contradictory. In this war was a major weapons aromas and flavors. has been a battle midst strikes both direct and collateral damage have made bread eaters very pleased. "
Kaplan was quick to recognize that the title of his book is somewhat misleading: the return of good bread, but to a limited extent. According to the appreciation, about 15 per cent of French bakers produce bread worth eating, so the constant vigilance is required. Of course, his passion towards the French bread and know it has paid to assume the role of pro urging gently (and sometimes not such a degree of kindness) bakers for the best performance. There is a sense that it has become a moral compass for this ancient profession. It is closely related with a number of prominent bakers, and it seems he has the freedom to enter their kitchens when they wanted to.
However, this three-pronged presence - the thinker, committed to including the dictates of conscience, buddy - can cause problems. In the past year, while he was visiting a private kitchen Boukbaz and famous, who had friendly relations with him a long time ago, Kaplan saw one aide carrying a box of additives. This was not a welcome sight in a baker reputation is based in part on the production is supposed to be completely normal. Kaplan found himself in a dilemma, on the one hand, he felt that duty requires him to call his friend, but he also realized that if you spread the news of this fraud, you may have a disastrous effect on the morale of the industry. It was feared that it generates cynicism among young bakers and discourage from the path of the craft. But before you act about what happened, talking about unpleasant discovery was listening baker who expressed dissatisfaction Kaplan. It was common sense, Kaplan says: "I lied to and it is more of skill that uses these harmful additives", and then disturb the friendship. Bread may be a simple pleasure, but the policy of bread less fun.