progress on the prairie

Something about the wintertime makes me crave bread, bread, and more bread, and I’ve had some gooooooood luck satisfying my urges of late. Some of my favorites around Tulsa:

Mexican Bakery, a block South of Admiral on Garnett, a bit past the traffic circle. That’s how we give directions around here, people! But honestly, these folks make fresh bread that is out-of-this-world, and (unbelievably) a loaf costs under $1. My friend MizH brought some to share with me a couple of weeks ago. I cooked for a group of 4: a penne pasta with caramelized onion and garlic red sauce tossed with bacon bits and parmesan, asiago, and Romano cheeses. It was good. But this bread! Ay! Just slice it and put a few pats of butter on it and heat it in the oven. It has a perfectly light and flaky-crunchy crust, with plenty of soft, fluffy center. We started with 2 whole loaves, and between 4 hungry adults, every crumb of it was devoured. It speaks to the seriously delicious nature of this bread when I say that I am fully convinced we each could have eaten an entire loaf by ourselves.

Blue Moon Cafe & Bakery on Brookside in Tulsa, OK. The best French Toast I’ve EVER had. The chef even arranged the pieces of toast to look like a heart, and I left her a thank you note because it was such a satisfying breakfast. -XOXO- The first time I’ve ever done that. I also must say that this place gets bonus points for having self-serve coffee. Helping yourself when you go out to eat may not be everyone’s cup, but I drink ALOT of coffee. Especially at breakfast. I like being able to doctor it myself, and, whenever I feel so inclined, to just dump out the old and refill with fresh.

Lunabread. This company doesn’t have a website or a store. All I know about the company is that the baker is named Chris, and he is at the Farmers’ Market in the Summer. But all year ’round, you can find his pastries (like the heavenly ALMOND CROISSANT) at Shades of Brown Coffee Shop. Because what goes better with a buttery, soul-hugging pastry than a cup of fresh coffee with cream? Not much.

Farrell Family Organic Bread. My ultra-low budget doesn’t allow me to spend $5-$7 on one loaf of bread very often, but when I can, I run straight to the comforting artisan arms of the Farrell Family’s breads. Based here in Tulsa, their breads can be found at many locations in Tulsa and OKC. My personal favorites are the Asiago Cheese bread and the Foccacia Loaf. Why don’t you just read for yourself (and drool over) their baking methods:

The dough we make is minimally mixed, and all loaves are 100% hand-formed. Gentle hand shaping gives our loaves varying holes inside, and a more complex flavor than any other method. Slow, cool fermentation allows the dough to develop flavor naturally, without added sugars or flavoring agents. Next, our hearth oven produces a crispy and caramelized crust by injecting live steam during baking.

So, if you live in or near Tulsa and you love yummy breads, you are in luck!

Also, if you are interested in a yummier, more peaceful culinary life, the Slow Food Movement is growing in Tulsa, and you can read about it here.

Also, if you are so inclined, here is some informative reading about food and the political/ legal battles involved in producing food on a national and global level: Food Freedom!

Chow!

Spring