5-27-2023 4:18am

Philosophizing About Food With Francine: French Baguettes

Lesley Misko Editor

by Francine Black

Good bread gives me a feeling of home!

A favorite photo of mine shows a French gentleman bicycling home with a baguette tucked under his arm. I love it because I distinctly recall my own grandpere doing much the same thing.

In France, it is essential that every meal, whether soup, salad, or grand feast, is served with a beautiful loaf at its center. This is how I grew up, taking for granted that excellent bread, wine, and cheese were the core elements of our gastronomie.

Sadly, we Americans have, for decades, had to endure the classic white or so-called whole wheat, plastic clad loaf that is the result of mass production and made with poor quality flour and unpronounceable and unhealthy additives.

But the story is changing. There is a great movement in our country to use heritage grains of the best quality and a return to actual bread baking by artisan bakeries.

As home bakers, we also have access to the finest flours produced in this country and abroad. In fact, my ever resourceful and thoughtful daughter, Tammy, ordered a really excellent French flour for my Mother’s Day gift that just happens to be my namesake. I had to try it out and it made terrific baguettes!

You can make your own bread as many folks are doing or find a good artisan bakery near you. I hope you give it a try.

Bon appetit, my friends!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.