It is rare that I use the word daily and bread in the same sentence. It is also rare for me to eat bread. This is mainly due to the carbohydrates and the calories. However, when Daryl makes her special Irish soda bread; or I am in France, splurging on a fresh baguette is tops on my list.
In January, 1993, during our honeymoon in Chamonix, France, Bob and I discovered the most wonderful "Baguettes Cereals." It was the 11 seed/grain bread of The Restaurant Albert 1er. Over the course of the week, I ate it every chance that I had; it is no wonder that I came home carrying an additional 10 pounds! The kitchen invited me for a 3:00 am bread bake but I politely declined; what regret I have today for choosing sleep over learning the secrets of making this French luxury. The restaurant was kind enough to send me off with the recipe which I treasure to this day.
My daily diet does not include splurging on bread; in fact, I try to keep the thought of it out of my mind. However, when I do have a hankering, there are some alternatives that meet my criteria - calories, carbohydrate and content (fiber, protein, whole grain, etc.). Keep in mind, these are not French baguette substitutions; these are healthy, satisfying breads made from bakeries that have interesting stories. I found this bread at Costco in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, during the holidays last year. I bought it because I liked what it said on the package, it looked really hearty and good; full of seeds like some of the breads that you find in Europe. After researching further, I really appreciate the story of the founder Dave, an ex con that created this business after spending many years in prison.
My favorite is Killer Good Seed Bread. This is the bread that I purchased at Costco. When I got home, I tried to find it locally. To my dismay, the closet market that carried this product was in Tracy, CA. So, I decided to order direct. Yes, you can do this and receive up to 4 loaves. Because of the calories and the carbs, I decided to try Good Seed Killer Light and 21 Whole Grain Killer Light. Both are approximately half the calories and half the carbs of Killer Good Seed Bread.
"Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..." Rainier Bakery from the Northwest got inspiration for their bread from this bible verse. I became aware of this product from Dr. Ann Louise Gittlemen's Fat Flush Plan. This bread was introduced during phase two of the program as a "friendly carbohydrate" and again in the final or the lifestyle eating phase. It is one of my two favorite breads that are available locally. You can find it at the Whole Foods Market.
My favorite is the low sodium version of this bread. Recently, I tried their cinnamon raison
as recommended by my friend Sharon. She introduced a little diet trick using this bread; add approximately 1/4 cup of cottage cheese (I prefer nonfat), a sprinkle of cinnamon and a quick 20-30 second blast in the microwave. This 120 calorie treat tastes just like a warm cheese danish!
In my road warrior days, I flew through the Minneapolis/St. Paul International airport quite a bit. I stumbled upon the French Meadow Bakery as I was looking for something healthy and good to eat. Voila! The bakery not only offered really "good" airport food but also really great bread! They even had fresh loaves to go; I selected their "Women's Bread." From that day forward every time that I flew through, I would pick up a loaf or two to bring home not realizing that many of the bay area grocery stores carry this product.
"Women's Bread with Soy Isoflavones, is one of four functional breads baked at French Meadow's bakery" and is my favorite. "French Meadow's first foray into functional foods was the creation of its Women's Bread. Similar to most of the company's new products, Women's Bread was created to satiate the needs of Gordon (founder). Two events in her life prompted the creation of a bread catered to women. First, Gordon's mother passed away at the age of 42 from ovarian cancer. When Gordon approached a similar age her children and doctors urged her to get a hysterectomy to lessen the chances of Gordon getting cancer. However, Gordon did not want to take the hormone replacement therapy that followed the procedure. “I researched and discovered that soy isoflavones were a good source of phytoestrogen, and I knew I needed estrogen," Gordon says. In lieu of hormone replacement therapy, French Meadow formulated a loaf of bread that contains 512 mgs of soy isoflavones, which Gordon says lessens the severity of symptoms associated with menopause. Soy isoflavones also are ideal for lowering cholesterol and supporting a healthy heart. The company also uses organic flaxseed, organic sprouted grains and organic cranberries in the formula. These ingredients support healthy skin and increase the metabolism of fats."
You can read more about the 20 year history of this Minneapolis based bakery, their products, and founder Lynn Gordon's vision in French Meadow revolutionizes bread baking by Keith Seiz, posted on baking-management.com. French Meadow Bakery offers delicious products "that contains a laundry list of healthful ingredients."
This New England artisan bakery makes wonderful handcrafted pre-sliced or par-baked breads. During my annual July trek to Hull, MA to celebrate Priscila's birthday, I found this delicious treasure. I tried the Seeded Whole Grain and Low-Carb Whole Wheat; both I enjoyed. Of course the Low-Carb bread is less than 1/2 the calories and 1/3 of the carbs of the Seeded Whole Grain.
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Claude-Henri Saunier Bonjour Paris/Hello Paris Cartes d'Art Postcard purchased in Paris, France |
I purchased several loaves and shipped them home ground; BIG mistake! Thankfully, the bakery offers a shipping program and they know how to get the fresh wonders to your door. In fact, they have a "standing order" program where you can select deliveries weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. I, however, am lucky; I can bypass this step altogether when Priscilla delivers direct to me.
If after all of these great options, you would still rather have a French baguette, maybe you should consider making it yourself? There is a recipe and instructions in "The Baguette" an article from the Art of Eating, back issue number 73/74. It is a round loaf recipe with many advantages of a baguette. Please keep in mind that I have not yet attempted to make this, but understand from a very good source that it is worth the splurge!
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