Yesterday I drove 20 minutes out of my way to Clear Flour Bakery in Brookline. Despite the fact that it meant my husband had to then go 20 minutes out of his way to bring R. to daycare, we both felt it was worth it. I discovered Clear Flour's baguettes a few years ago and my first thought, was Paris. Only there had I eaten bread that had so much flavor. While the crust meets the standards of any good baguette (striations of golden brown, crisp), it is the smell that makes it more than just any loaf of bread. It sings for butter or cheese, Nutella or real fruit jam (the best being those made Christine Ferber and, as far as I know, only available in Paris). But it is so good that I can never resist eating it plain. Unlike so many other breads it has just enough salt, just enough yeast, just enough leavening time. It also is so airy that it rarely tastes as good the next day. But it always works perfectly as croutons, for mopping up soup, or toasted.
As euphoric a find as their bread was, it was stumbling into Clear Flour on a Sunday morning that I truly fell in love-there they sold cannelles. Soft dumplings like cake, caramelized to a dark brown black on the outside with an almost custard like center, I had only once had these gems-in the Marais in Paris. Clearly, I wasn't the only person to swoon-they now sell them everyday of the week. Alas, not until 11, so today's loot consisted of their delicious brioche rolls filled with Scharrfen-Berger chocolate still warm from the oven.
As time goes on I will try to list the food finds that J. and I will go anywhere for. I will keep it posted as a running list, but for now:
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