Saturday, January 5, 2008

My husband has lost his mind, and it's just fine by me



A few months ago, I wrote that I had won my husband a new bread book from the lovely folks over at A Year In Bread. We had to wait for my parents to come over to get it, and then for them to leave again for him to really start using it in earnest, but use it he has. My entire kitchen - cabinets, fridge, the works - has been completely taken over by various sponges, boules, batards, levains both liquid and stiff, couches, and various assorted vats of foul-smelling toxic waste (or so it seems) which all need to be fed at different times on different days. (Can you tell that I don't have the faintest idea what most of this stuff is? I'm sure enjoying the end results though.)

He's gone utterly and completely mad. As an example, just today he's got a sourdough baguette, two different strains of sourdough pizza dough (one aged for a week, one aged overnight, both loosely based on the techniques from the book) and a pain de campagne. Oh, and since the oven was already hot he also made a banana chocolate chip cake to serve when we have friends over this evening (after the afore-mentioned pizza) and a batch of roasted red peppers "just to make his sandwiches fun". I haven't even told you about the loaves that went to the neighbor, the cleaner and my son's afternoon program (two of them, for their "healthy food" day) yesterday. You simply can't imagine the level of mania that has taken over the kitchen lately. I'm barely managing to shove him out of the way occasionally to make actual food (i.e. not bread). Not that I'm complaining, it's all delicious albeit more than a little bit fattening. (I've prevailed on him to at least slow down a bit so that my diet has half a chance. How can I succeed with him saying "no, don't eat cottage cheese, we have all this bread and cold cuts that need to be used up"...) Right after I took that picture of him he said "Damn, I'm missing a dough!". Turns out it was in the plastic container that the cookbook was sitting on... He's mad I tell you, mad as a (very cute and very talented) hatter.

Now don't you wish he'd come visit your house (along with a cleaning crew to deal with the resulting kitchen carnage)? (In the interests of blogging accuracy (and a happy marriage), I have to admit that he did in fact clean the entire kitchen just a few minutes later and it is now sparkling and bright.)
Edited to add: Jay reminded me that in the midst of all this chaos he also made butternut squash-bulgarian cheese-sunflower seed ravioli with homemade pasta. Those went straight into the freezer though.

36 comments:

Mel said...

Can I come and stay pllllllllleeeeaaassseeee :)

Janet said...

My dad used to be a baker, and he could make the most fantastic breads! Enjoy what looks like your husband's masterpieces!

Unknown said...

What an awesome husband you have!!

Lucy said...

Wo! SEnd your mad hatter over to my house!
The hell with dieting this year Robin, Enjoy this mania your man has begun! The next obsession may be football... and then you will be craving cold cuts on Fresh warm bread! Great pics and post!

Anonymous said...

Lucky you to have a mad husband..:D

Nancy said...

I'd take a "mad husband" like that. I think that's awesome! That loaf looks yummy, and I can just about smell all that baking from way over here.

Anonymous said...

From a woman who loves to eat. I could do a couple thick slices of good bread with cheese or soup and be very, very happy. Enjoy the madness!

Darcy

Claremont First Ward said...

Actually, I would LOVE for him to come to my house and I'll even spring for the clean up. I'm a HUGE bread fan. HUGE.

Anonymous said...

That's cute! I'm just starting to cook but I would love to learn breads.

Glad he cleans up afterwards though. That's always the hard part!

sister AE said...

my wife bakes bread, but i don't think she's ever had THAT many projects going at the same time!

Kamsin said...

Ummm, home made bread! I can practically smell it from here!

Devil Mood said...

Oh! Can I borrow him for a bit, please? :)

Yummy, I love the smell of home-made bread. There's nothing quite like it!

Tumblewords: said...

Yummmo! Beautiful bread. What's not to like? I rarely eat bread anymore but my mouth is watering.

Anonymous said...

Ok I'm so totally jealous!! I'd love him to come mess up my kitchen if several loaves of home-made bread would be the result :)
I totally agree with Lucy, btw. Diet be damned! Enjoy it while it lasts. There's more to life than being thin.

Jo said...

wow, that's a lotta bread and it looks so good, go, Jay, go.

Unknown said...

My husband makes bread too and he does a great job, but the kitchen looks like a flour tornado has hit when he is done...people really should think of giving a cleaning crew with the books.
Great post.
This is my first week doing Sunday Scribblings, my entry is at: http://wannabeawritersomeday.blogspot.com/2008/01/sunday-scribbles-edition-1.htmlings

Unknown said...

I forgot that Jay won the book. I'm so freaking jealous I could just cry. I'm the breadbaker in the family, but our kitchen is so minute that we have no space, NONE, for keeping starters. So I have to stick to regular boring old sandwich breads when I'm dying to make sourdough and other artisinal breads. I'm so jealous I could spit!

Beau Brackish said...

That is great for you, but he is making us toaster impaired husbands look bad!

Memarie Lane said...

My husband looked at the year in bread stuff awhile back and wanted ME to do it. Riiiight. I wish my husband would get into something like that!

Anonymous said...

That looks SOOO good, but today I came by for a different reason, Robin. My neighbor friend at 4URPets just got tagged by Gina and now I've been tagged too!
4URPets is a new blogger with a great sense of humor, so although I don't care for tags, I couldn't possibly say no to this one, and in honor of her three Chihuahuas and pet blog, I'm tagging people who recently came by my blog and who have posted about their pets. This is by no means an obligation, as these tags can sometimes be downright bothersome, but if you want to participate, then you can.
· Robin at Around The Island, whose children are pictured riding a camel;
· Playful Professional at Talent To Play will run a half-marathon for a kitten;
· Nicholas at A Gentleman's Domain, who tells his cats he loves them;
· Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer has a sick rat;
· SJ at Pink Flamingo, who has a blessed 6-inch kitten;
· Sarah at Puss Reboots photographs cats.

Christine said...

I'll bet your house just smells sooooooooooooo good! Nothing like warm, fresh bread.

Pieces of Me said...

That's a cool kitchen you have there with a lot of yumminess.

That's madness taken to yummy heights..but then there's clean-up oh well. Can't have them both ways.

Shelly Kneupper Tucker said...

He can cook for me ANY day! I'll even clean the kitchen. Bread is better than dessert for me.
Shelly

Shannon said...

He bakes AND cleans??!!! He's a keeper for sure!! I am a bread lover so I would absolutely love a house full of fresh baked bread. Congrats girl!

Anonymous said...

He's stealing my heart. Bless him.

Scribbit said...

A man who bakes. Now that's attractive.

mandy said...

wow! i'm impressed....

my husband "loses his mind" about three times a year, and he throws together some AWFUL made up recipe that would make frat boys cry.

Anonymous said...

how wonderful for you ....that bread looks heavenly...i am glad he cleaned up for you though :)

Granny Smith said...

Yum! My favorite part of any meal is the bread. Unfortunately, I am VERY seldom inspired to bake at home. We're lucky to have several good bakeries nearby, but nothing compares to bread fresh from the oven.

Encourage his lunacy! (And his thoughful clean-up afterwards.)

Anonymous said...

Gadzooks that is a gorgeous loaf - what a man you have there - lucky YOU!

Becca said...

What a great new hobby for your husband!

Anonymous said...

Swoon....

A man that makes ravioli from scratch and Cleans. Up. After. Himself.

You hit the jackpot babe.

Anonymous said...

Yummy! Everything looks so good. How lucky you are to have him making all that wonderful bread!

Anonymous said...

Oh yum yum and yum! I love artisan bread. I wish Tom had a hobby like that...Hmmm...maybe if I get him the book...LOL!

Anonymous said...

Tell Hi to yours husband from my - he occasionally making bread too. I just provide herbs from my garden. Well... I also clean after.

Fourier Analyst said...

Love a man who can cook! But my DH is one of the real reasons I can't seem to find my waist!