Suzen runs her cooking school, Cooking by the Book, here in Manhattan. A hundred people or more come through our kitchen each week to cook, laugh, and enjoy their creations. It’s intense with the dayes beginning by 8AM with early deliveries and ending only after 10PM as the last of the staff retreats home. By the end of the week, Suzi can be pretty tired. Or even exhausted.
So, what does a weary woman do to recover? She bakes. And she bakes. This picture is from last Sunday and shows her typical output. She creates on Sunday so there is fresh bread for the week. Her bread, which really is as good as anything in Paris, is employed in appetizers, salads, stuffings, and desserts. It’s beautiful to behold — she uses the Tartine technique of baking in a firey hot cast iron pot with the lid on. So beautiful that there is just a touch of sadness at carving up such artistry. But I know each Sunday will bring a new round of perfection.
If you think this looks great, you should smell it. Or hear the knife crackle through the crust. Better it, you should taste it.