Out on a limb with Tree-Top Baking

Join Us In Paris...

2012-02-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Tree-Top Baking will be heading to Paris for Europain

EUROPAIN 2010 from Europain2010 on Vimeo.

Check back for more information soon...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-12-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Now that all the presents have been opened, and the mad rush is over, it is time for a bit of rest and relaxation. We want to thank you for your great support during this past year.

We will resume our regular schedule again on April 28th when the Bayview Farmers Market resumes for our 2010 season.

Italian Panettone

2011-12-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Panettone... a sweet bread, originally from Milan, is usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Italy, Brazil, Malta, Germany and Switzerland.

It has a cupola shape, which extends from a cylindrical base. It is made during a long process that involves the fermentation of the dough, which is acidic, similar to sourdough. The proofing process alone takes several days, giving the cake its distinctive fluffy characteristics. It contains candied orange and lemon peel, lemon zest, and raisins which are added dry and not soaked. It is served in slices, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a sweet wine, such as Asti or Moscato d'Asti. In some regions of Italy, it is served with crema di mascarpone, a cream made from mascarpone, eggs, sometimes dried or candied fruits, and typically a sweet liqueur such as amaretto; if mascarpone cheese is unavailable, zabaione is sometimes used as a substitute.

The final step in mixing Panettone dough is the addition of lots of butter.

Candied orange and lemon peel, two kinds of raisins and orange zest are added to the dough.

Panettone dough in its paper collar --- before proofing (fermentation).

Six hours later the risen dough is brushed with egg wash.

Pearl sugar is sprinkled on the dough before it is placed in the oven.

Rising in the oven

Golden brown --- just about ready to be taken from the oven.

To keep the delicate dough from collapsing, Panettone is cooled upside down.

Cool and ready to be enjoyed.

Panforte (traditional Tuscan cake)

2011-12-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert containing fruits and nuts, and resembling fruitcake or Lebkuchen. It may date back to 13th century Siena, in Italy's Tuscany region. Documents from 1205 show that Panforte was paid to the monks and nuns of a local monastery as a tax or tithe. Literally, panforte means "strong bread" which refers to the spicy flavour. The original name of panforte was "panpepato" (peppered bread), due to the strong pepper used in the cake.

In the process of making Panforte, sugar is dissolved in honey and brought to a temperature 240 degrees. The thick, sticky solution is then added to a combination of dried organic Mission figs from California, candied orange and lemon peal from Holland, whole almonds and raisins from California. Flour (just enough to hold everything together), spices and a dash of black ground pepper are added...and then the mixture is baked until done.

Panforte Tuscano...

Sugar and honey are boiled to 240.

Toasted almonds and dried fruits are combined with flour, spices a bit of cocoa and a touch of black pepper. This forms a VERY sticky mass.

Over three pounds of batter is deposited into lined cake pans.

The panforte is baked for an hour at very low temperature.

After cooling, each 9" round is cut into units, wrapped and ready to enjoy. It's best eaten, cut into very thin slices, after dinner with a good port or dessert wine, tea or coffee.

Tree-Top Baking... MARZIPAN STOLLEN

2011-11-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

During the next few weeks, we will be showcasing some of our Holiday items.

This week, we feature Marzipan Stollen

Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake made with yeast, water, milk, sugar, eggs, butter and flour. Candied orange and lemon peel, raisins and slivered almonds and a special spice blend are blended in and a "rope" of marzipan is in the center to make this holiday favorite. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished cake is sprinkled with icing sugar.

Baked Stollen cooling...

Cooled Stollen is brushed with melted unsalted butter...

Now Stollen is covered with granulated sugar...

Covered with icing sugar, wrapped and ready to enjoy...

Join Us At The Holiday Market

2011-11-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Tree-Top Baking Holiday Products

See you Saturdays, 10-2 Bayview Hall

Looking Ahead At Tree-Top Baking

2011-10-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

After a short break, we will be offering a "by-order-only" for Thanksgiving.

If you would like to be added to our email list, just follow this link and you will be kept up to date.

Below is ordering information

and a list of what we are offering.

Last Market!!!

2011-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a great market season at the Bayview Farmers Market. We want to thank all our regular and new customers for supporting Tree-Top Baking this year.

This is the last week to win one of two hooded TTB sweatshirts...our thanks for the wonderful support we've gotten this market year.

Fill out this coupon and deposit it at our market booth.

Name:_______________________________________________

Phone:_______________________________________________

Bring your entry coupon to our Market booth by noon Saturday November 29.

Winners to be drawn at 1 pm October 29. No purchase necessary. Need not to be present to win.

And This Week...

BOOOO! Cookie Bags and Pumpkin Face Cakes (White or Chocolate)

Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead) Bread: Orange peel and anise flavor this rich round egg bread that's baked one time of the year --- Halloween

Five-Seed Multi Grain and South Whidbey Sourdough

Danish Kringle

Challah, Plain or Seeded

Cinnamon Rolls and Pecan Sticky Buns

Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake and Spider Web Cookes

The Count Down Is ON!

2011-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

This week at the Bayview Farmers Market....

it's

Apple Day and the Mutt Strutt, a Bayview Corner tradition.

Cran-Apple Dessert Cake: Granny Smith apples and dried cranberries in a caramel glaze top a great moist, dessert cake.

Sicilian Raisin Bread: A great semolina bread full of almonds, golden raisins and candied lemon peel, with a hint of anise. Great with cheese. Makes wonderful toast.

Fromage et Lardons: Lots of Swiss cheese and bacon in a moist semolina bread.

Orange-Cranberry Scone: Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries) and orange peel inside our traditional buttermilk scone....

Cheddar-Scallion Scone: Our savory scone continues to be one of the most popular item we bake: Filled with sharp cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.

Walnut-Apricot Rye: A great combination: Apricots and toasted walnuts in our popular medium rye.

Granny Smith apples and sweetened dried cranberries in a rich caramel glaze top our Cran-Apple Dessert Cake...one of the most flavorful combinations we've baked this year. Plain, or topped with a dollop of whipped cream, this would make the perfect ending to for a rustic Fall meal.

Fromage et Lardons

This Is Mutt Strutt Saturday

2011-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

We will be posting later on what we will be offering this week at the

Bayview Farmers Market,

lets just say that it will be

"All About The Flavors Of Fall".

Only Three More Markets To Go

2011-10-11T19:13:00.001-07:00

This Week We Bring Back Even More Of Your Tree-Top Baking Favorite...

First of we start with our "Classic Carrot Cake" This cake weighs in at well over two pounds... shocking moist, and made with fresh carrots, pineapple and raisins... then topped with our own cream cheese icing. This is the last chance to get one of these until the 2012 market season (ps: they freeze great!).

Portuguese Sweet Bread:This year we introduced this loaf Gerry featured regularly at his California bakery. It's also known known as Hawaiian Sweet Bread. A tight-crumb sweet bread great for tea and with coffee --- makes wonderful toast.

Maxwelton Country Wheat: A naturally-leavened loaf with a very wheaty flavor...perfect for hearty sandwiches and an accompaniment to cold-weather dishes.

Normandy Apple: Apple cider and lightly dried Granny Smith apples work their magic to create a very special Fall loaf. Only slightly sweet, it makes a wonderful toasted cheese sandwich.

Raspberry Oat Scones: Our flavorful oat scone topped with a dollop of imported raspberry jam..

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There back..................... Booooooooooooooooooooooo Cookie Bags!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Win a TTB Hooded Sweatshirt!

As a "thank you" for a great year, we're

giving away two TTB Sweatshirts.

Fill out this coupon and deposit it at our market booth.

Name:_______________________________________________

Phone:_______________________________________________

Bring your entry coupon to our Market booth by noon Saturday November 29.

Winners to be drawn at 1 pm October 29. No purchase necessary. Need not to be present to win.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Countdown Is On... Only Four More Markets This Season

2011-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Again this week, we bring back old favorites

and new ones.

Last week to enjoy Lemon Dessert Cake, Sonoma Fruit

With only four weeks left this market season, we're running out of time to bake all your favorites. So this week we continue letting you know what will be the final bake for certain items.

This Saturday will be the last time this year we'll be baking:

Lemon Dessert Cake: A delicious, moist vanilla cake with a luscious lemon filling inside and on top of the cake. It's topped with a generous amount of our butter streusel which adds another textural layer to a delicious dessert.

Mighty Millet: Described by several customers as "the best bread" we bake, this flat round loaf is full of millet seeds and flecked with poppy seeds. It's a rich, moist wonderful bread that makes amazing sandwiches

Sonoma Fruit: This is the great fruit-filled loaf we found in Australia earlier this year. Lightly spiced, this whole wheat-spelt bread includes lots of figs, dates, apricots and two kinds of raisins....wow...this is a very special loaf.

Pumpkin-Craisin Scones: The flavors of fall come together in this moist scone with dried cranberries.

For a full list of this weeks island-baked treats, check out our website.

Favorites Return One Last Time This Season

2011-09-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Tree-Top Baking
With only five more markets to go, we will be bringing back some of this season's popular items along with returning seasonal favorites.

New South Wales Banana Cake with Caramel Icing

First introduced this year after our discovery "Down Under" in Australia... "Bakers/Wholesome Style Cakes". After a visit with friend/fellow baker Peter Groeneveld's Bakery Culture, it inspired our New South Wales Banana Cake with Caramel Icing. This cake is loaded with ripe bananas, and a large amount o whole wheat flour is used.

Normandy Apple Bread

Apple juice and home-dried Washington apples give a great flavor to this wheaty bread we bake each Fall. Add a slice (or two) of cheese and you've got a great sandwich.

Garden Vegetable Bread

A soft egg bread that's a meal in itself. Fresh veggies (broccoli, red and green bell peppers, yellow onions, scallions, cheddar and Parmesan cheese and a touch of cracked black pepper) add a natural sweetness to a rich egg bread in this round loaf, one of the most popular we make each year.

Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

Fall bring with it the smell and warmth of the upcoming holiday seasons. We start off again this year with our traditional pumpkin bread. This bread is rich, moist and not too sweet, loaded with pumpkin and just the right touch of spice. Great as is or with a smear of fresh goat cheese.

English Muffin Toasting Bread

With the cooler mornings, nothing says fall like a warm, crispy piece of English Muffin Toasting bread. Topped with a bit of butter and your favorite jam. Add a cup of hot steaming coffee or tea and you are set.

Rustic Baguette

New this fall is our Rustic Baguette. We just added this variety to our ever popular Bayview Baguettes as a more rustic version. While similar, this baguette is made from high extraction flour, and a nice amount of wheatgerm.

It Is Kringle Weekend

2011-09-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

This week we feature Danish Kringle.

Enjoy the video.

Want To See More About Tree-Top Baking?

2011-09-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Friend, fellow baker and Bakery/Bread blogger MC Farine recently visited Tree-Top Baking.

During her visit we baked a batch of Buckwheat Batons. For more about us...and how to recreate the bread, check out MC's blog

Summer... Bring It On!

2011-09-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

It may be after Labor Day (the traditional slowdown of our summer season), but with this nice weather we are having (clear, and in the upper 70's for the next week plus) we are going as strong as ever. We might be a little "behind the 8 ball" with the blog, but we are baking up a storm!

Classic Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

This week we are featuring our Classic Carrot Cake, full of fresh grated carrots, plump raisins and sweet pineapple. We the top of this little lovely with our own cream cheese icing with just a touch of freshly grated orange zest... WOW, these are great!

Now that it is September, and yes fall is just around the corner, this week we re-introduce two of our favorite fall treats...

Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

Ginger Spice Cookies

Ginzano (Country Italian) and English Muffin Toasting Bread

Croissants, Plain or Pan au Chocolat

Bayview BBQ Buns (plain or sesame). We will continue to make these every Saturday until the weather turns cool.

Dunkles Roggen Brot (A dark heavy rye bread... this is German loaf that is very very substantial, great sliced really thin and topped with cheese).

For a full list of what we are offering this week, checkout out our website.

It's Kringle Weekend!!!

2011-08-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Danish Kringle

It's the last weekend of the month and that means one thing for us --- it's time to bake more Danish Kringle. We've had an unusually large number of inquiries this month, so please note....this is the week to get one of our

wonderful flaky pastries filled with almond paste

and raisins, and topped with slivered almonds

and coarse sugar.

Laminated Danish Dough

Filled with Almond Paste, Sugar, Butter and Raisins

Shaped into a "Pretzel"

Panned and Ready To Bake

YUM!!!

It's Island County Fair Weekend

2011-08-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

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AND THIS WEEK FROM TREE-TOP BAKING...

So, time's flying...and if there is something we've made that you'd like us to repeat...let us know. We've already planned another one of two bakes of Garden Vegetable Bread (including this week)...and, of course, beginning in September we'll be bringing back pumpkin loaf and cranberry items. But before then, if you want something....let us know!

Garden Vegetable Bread... Before and After Bake

Five-Seed Multigrain

Challah... Plain or Seeded

Multigrain Sourdough (Freshly Milled Wheat, Rye, Spelt, Kamut)

New South Wales Banana Cake... with Caramel Icing

Ginzano (Country Italian)

And So Much More....

New And Old Favorites This Week

2011-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Lemon Dessert Cake...this is the first time we have offered this moist tangy desert cake. Buttery cake with tangy lemon curd swirled inside.

Fromage et Lardons...a great savory bread just begging to be the bread for your BLT (yes, there are ripe island-grown tomatoes at the Bayview Farmers Market)

MORE TO COME IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS!!!

Upside Down Cakes Featured This Weekend...

2011-08-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

All ready for this weeks bake!!!

This week... Upside Down Cakes (Pineapple, Marionberry, Italian Plum or Peach)

This week's sandwich bread Honey Oat

It Is Kringle Weekend

2011-07-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kringle from the beginning to the end...

how sweet it is!

Dough mixing on the spiral mixer

Laminated dough (layers of dough and butter)

Dough sheeted out, spread with almond paste filling and raisins

Folded and shaped into a "pretzel"

Panned, proofed, and ready for the oven

Baked, cooled and ready for you this weekend

Interior of the Kringle...

SUMMER ARRIVES TIHS WEEKEND !!!!

2011-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

After a very long wait, summer is supposed to arrive here on Whidbey Island this weekend.

Raspberry Currant Dessert Cake with fresh currents

from Skymeadow Farm on Whidbey Island.

BBQ Buns (plain or sesame)

Garlic Scape Focaccia (fresh garlic scapes from Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie)

Mazzarine Bars (almond and raspberry)

Tuscan Olive Loaf (kalamata olives and thyme)

Cracked Wheat Sourdough

And so much more.... see us tomorrow at the Bayview Farmers Market

Bayview Corner, 10-2

Celebration Challah

2011-07-20T12:58:00.002-07:00

A big Challah for a special occasions...yes, we're happy to oblige. This week we were asked by a good customer if we could bake an extra large loaf of Challah for an upcoming Bat Mitzvah. We thought we'd do a dry run --- and we're happy to say it turned out well. The 22-inch loaf weighs nearly four pounds and is perfect for a big gathering. If you need one this --- any other size --- give us a call and we'll be happy to help. We bake 1.25-pound Challah (plain, sesame or poppy seeded) every week for the market and the bread has a loyal following among folks who say it makes the best French toast you've eaten!

More Keeping It Local

2011-07-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Garlic Scape Focaccia (made with fresh garlic scapes from Georgie Smith's Willowood Farm Of Ebey's Prairie). We made this twice this year, and this Saturday will be the last time this season..... Oh, and they sell out REALLY FAST!

Keeping It Local

2011-07-19T06:41:00.001-07:00

Raspberry-Currant Dessert Cake

is just one of the Tree-Top offerings this week that include local products. Check back for more information Thursday and Friday. For a full listing of this

weeks offerings, check out our website.

14-Carrot Gold !!!

2011-07-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

14-Carrot Double Gold Cake

South Whidbey Sourdough

Challah, plain or seeded

Kolachky with Apple or Raspberry.... and Genzano (Country Italian)

Join Us This Weekend For...

2011-07-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Angel Food Cake... great with fresh Washington Grown Strawberries

Fromage et Lardons and Buckwheat Batton

Anzac Biscuits and Kalochy

Multi-Grain Sourdough and Coconut Macaroons

Croissants... Pain au Chocolate or Butter

Celebrate The 4th With Us

2011-06-29T16:14:00.001-07:00

4th of July Party Cakes (white or chocolate)... and there's more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Five-Seed Multigrain and South Whidbey Sourdough

Challah... Plain, Sesame or Poppy Seed

Danish Kringle... this is the week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANZAC Biscuits and Coconut Macaroons

Holiday Sugar Cookies

We Will NOT Be Baking This Week But...

2011-06-19T14:52:00.002-07:00

Join us again for the big Holiday Weekend, July 2nd for a full line up of your favorite Tree-Top Breads and Pastries.

Check back next week for our Fresh Baked List

In the meantime, here are some non-bakery related photos taken around the bakery this summer

Father's Day and Graduation Weekend

2011-06-12T19:42:00.001-07:00

It's Father's Day weekend and we've got a special cake for your favorite dad or granddad....it's a moist two-layer yellow cake with chocolate buttercream and topped with toffee candy....ummm...what a delicious treat! And this weekend we also bring back an old favorite --- Walnut-Raisin Wheat....a scrumptious bread that pairs wonderfully with fresh goat cheese from fellow vendor Vicky Brown of Little Brown Farm. Stop by for a sample this week.

NOTE: We will not be at the market Saturday June 25. Will return with a gigantic lineup of holiday breads, pastries and cakes on July 2

New Breads This Week...

2011-06-07T14:44:00.003-07:00

This Week @ Tree-Top Baking...

This week we bake for the first time this year Sprouted Spelt. It is very similar to our very popular Sprouted Wheat. The Sprouted Wheat has a slightly pronounced nutty (richer) flavor then the wheat.

The process start out with "sprouting" the spelt berries for two days. They are ready as soon as the grain can be easily broken, but long before there is any visual "sprouting". If the grain was let fully sprout, the natural enzymes in the berry will basically "eat" the gluten resulting in a... well lets say brick.

Spelt berries soaking... day one.

Dough just coming together.

Dough fully mixed.

Final product!!!

New Items This Week...

2011-06-03T07:34:00.001-07:00

Late Spring On The Bird Feeder

Our pair posing for photos...

We are introducing a few new items this week...

Sunflower Rye: This bread is a heavy dense "toothsome" rye with toasted sunflower seeds inside and rolled in more. This bread will be baked in unusual pans we got while in Australia.
They are much deeper but narrower and shorter than the US made pans. They make a really cool loaf of bread!

Portuguese Sweet Bread: A soft sweet round bread (also known as Hawaiian Sweet Bread), The bread is usually served simply with butter and is sometimes eaten with meals (breakfast in particular), but often as a dessert. Portuguese sweet bread is common in both Hawaiian cuisine and New England cuisine as it was brought to those regions by their large Portuguese immigrant populations. (photo to come)

New South Wales Banana Caramel Cake: New South Wales Banana-Caramel Cake. This moist, perfect Summer sour cream cake includes whole wheat and white flours and lots of ripe bananas. It's topped with a brown-sugar caramel icing. Wow!

It's Kringle Weekend!!!

2011-05-25T10:08:00.001-07:00

The last Saturday of the month is

Kringle weekend at Tree-Top Baking.

Kringle is a is a Scandinavian pastry, a Nordic variety of pretzel, which arrived with Roman Catholic monks in the 13th century, especially in Denmark.

Danish Pastry dough mixing.

The dough is then folded with butter (laminated), resulting in 100's of layer s of flaky pastry.

Divided into units, the pastry is topped with a almond paste/sugar/butter mixture, sprinkled with raisins.

The filling and raisins are encased in the dough, then shaped into a "pretzel".

After proofing (raising), the pastry is egg washed, sprinkled with sliced almonds and coarse sugar.

The finished product, a flaky sweet pastry that we make the last Saturday of the month... enjoy!!!

It's All About Golden Syrup

2011-05-17T05:27:00.002-07:00

Those of you who have tried our Anzac Biscuits know how great they are. Well there is one little hitch.... they call for a product called Golden Syrup. This is a product that is available here in the US, but the only brand we have ever found is Lyle's Golden Syrup. While it is a great product, the cost is prohibitive for the amount we use. But wait... there is a sugar refiner in Canada that makes it and it's called Rogers Golden Syrup !!! The bad news is that they don't import it to the US.

Since Gerry's dad was born in Canada, and he had a real "sweet tooth", we always had some on hand. When we decided to start making it for our customers, we picked up a few jars on a visit to Vancouver. Now into week three of our market, we realized that a few jars was not near enough. After a web search, we found that it was available from a bakery supplier in Vancouver BC. Thanks to Snow Cap Bakery supply in Burnaby and a quick trip up... well not that quick (think US border control and 100 lbs of syrup) we should be set for the season.

Now that we have enough Golden Syrup, Anzac Biscuits are yours for the season, get yours this week at the Bayview Farmers Market, Saturdays 10-2.

14-Carrot Double Gold Dessert Cake

By now you likely know we were really impressed with almost everything we found in Australia earlier this year. This week we introduce a new line of cakes -- we call them dessert cakes. In Australia they're known as "health" cakes or "baker's" cakes. We're calling this week's variety "14-Carrot Double Gold Dessert Cake." A cousin of our popular Carrot Cake,14-Carrot Double Gold Cake has fresh-shredded carrots, dried apricots, walnuts... and is made with white AND whole wheat flours. It's finished with a light cream-cheese icing infused with orange zest. You're sure to like it...order one for Saturday

Start Your Saturday With Us

2011-05-11T08:47:00.002-07:00

Sprouted Wheat

One of our most popular breads is back again this year. Sprouted Wheat starts out Tuesday morning as 20+ pounds of hard spring wheat berries. They're poured into a large container and filled with water that's changed twice a day until Thursday morning. By that point the grains have softened and begun to sprout. Thursday afternoon the soaked berries are ground into a mash and then refrigerated until the dough is mixed Friday afternoon. Each loaf includes more than a pound of the sprouted berries, a touch of salt, yeast and a very small portion of hi-gluten flour (to help provide structure to the bread). The loaf has a great texture, is slightly sweet, and is like nothing else we bake. Stop by Saturday for a sample...and add Sprouted Wheat Bread to your list of TTB favorites.


24-hours after first being soaked, grains have swollen nearly twice their size. Dough ready for final proof. Last Minute Addition...

Kolackys

A very tender buttery pastry (kind of a cross between Danish Pastry and a cookie). Topped with either raspberry or Apple.

It's Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-04T09:54:00.001-07:00

Two Special Cakes For That Special Mom

Chocolate Indulgence: Three layers of moist chocolate cake, switched with two layers of rich chocolate filling, iced with chocolate buttercream and enrobed with chocolate truffle... $19.

Strawberry Indulgence: Three layers of moist white cake, sandwiched with two layers of strawberry jam, iced with buttercream and enrobed in white truffle. Decorated with fresh strawberries... $19.

This Week's Sourdough.... Cracked Wheat

Croissants... we do both, Butter or Pain au Chocoalte.

For the coconut lovers... Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Just A Preview Of Things To Come

2011-04-24T14:44:00.002-07:00

Cinnamon Rolls, Pecan Sticky Buns...

Five-Seed Multigrain and Sough Whidbey Sourdough...

Challah, plain or seeded...

Danish Kringle Pastry... get it this week, it won't be back for a month!

This week we also will be baking some new treats we discovered while visiting Australia this winter.

Lamingtons: Delicate sponge type cake, cut into squares, dipped in a chocolate glazed and rolled in dessicated coconut.

ANZAC Biscuits: A crunchy oat/coconut cookie, they are super great with a great cup of coffee or tea.
Sonoma Fruit Loaf: If you like a slightly spiced bread, studded with dried fruits, this one is for you. This bread, some good cheese (think Little Brown Farm's fresh goat cheese) and a glass of wine is all you need.

The Beginning Of Season #5 Of Tree-Top Baking

2011-04-18T07:20:00.001-07:00

Easter Cakes... White with lemon nest cake, or Chocolate enrobed chocolate cake

Hot Cross Buns.....

There is no delaying it any longer, the season starts this week for Tree-Top. We are two weeks away from the opening of the Bayview Farmers Market, Saturday April 30.

To start off the season, this Saturday we will be taking special orders for or Easter baked goods. To see a list of the items, and pickup time/location please check our website.

Farmers Markket, San Luis Obispo, Califoria

2011-04-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

The mountains (Questa Grade, right) overlooking San Luis Obispo, California

Every Thursday evening, year around from 6-9 pm (ok, not if it is raining, yes they are delicate there) San Luis Obisop Farmers Market is a must see. Starting in 1977 in a very interesting way it has become a major local and tourist destination with yearly sales above 3 million and over 120 vendors last year.

Farmers Market mascot, the kids love it!!!

Strawberry season is in full swing, three baskets for $5 (and they are not the flavorless ones) and artichokes, 10 for $10!!!

Santa Maria Style BBQ (Tri-Tip sandwiches on toasted garlic rolls, piled high with super tender tasty tri-tip)

Only in California, they offer a Bike Valet, park, shop and ride!

Chicago, end of the visit

2011-04-02T12:53:00.002-07:00

Chicago French Market, is a year around market, similar to Pike Place market. Located at the West Loop in the MetraMarket.

Exquisite desserts from Vanille Patisserie, we did not make it to their main location in Lincoln Park, but they do a wonderful job a fine dessert pastries.

Al Khayam Bakery, in the Al Khayam Grocery in the Albany Park area was a real find. We happened into the store and heard a loud slapping sound from the back of the store. Larry checked and found a baker deflating pieces of dough, getting ready to bake them in an old-style oven. The baker and his assistant were more than happy to pose for us --- but they referred questions to the owner of the store who spoke English. The oven is used to bake Pitas and Taboon Bread, (shown). The store also makes and bakes an incredible selection of baklavas. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

Taste ~ Eat ~ Enjoy

2011-03-29T05:32:00.001-07:00

The day started out a bit late, late enough for lunch. Portillo's Hot Dogs (don't let the name fool you) is a Chicago institution. Yes, it is a chain restaurant with four different styles and yes they are even out of state (California and Indiana). Italian Beef and the chop salad are highly on our "must have again" list.

While this is not a real cake, it is one of the items on display at the Navy Pier's exhibition of stained glass.

We found that Mondays are the day that some bakeries (and restaurants) are closed, but this window display at Bittersweet Pastry caught our eye.

Dinkel's Bakery on Lincoln Ave has been in operation since 1922. It's a traditional bakery with tons of cookies, pastries and cakes. For us, the almond bearclaw, cinnamon roll and hot cross bun really hit the spot.

This poppyseed swirl loaf came from Austrian Bakery and Deli on Clark St. We were there just a bit after the lunch rush, and most of the morning pastries were sold out, but it is definitely a great bakery/deli in the European style.

La Farine Bakery is a small European bakery located in the West Town neighborhood, the Almond Mocha slice and a double espresso (so far the best in Chicago) was just the mid-afternoon jolt we needed. Their website unfortunately does not have much information.

La Farine Bakery

Cakes take center stage at Pierre's Bakery on North Milwaukee Ave. They have three locations and specialize in European artesian breads. Wedding cakes birthday cakes, sweet 16 cakes, Gelato, French pastries, cookies, Mexican and American pastries.

Pierre's Bakery Case

It was later in the afternoon when we finally got back to Pasieka Bakery located just doors from the Polish restaurant we had dinner at the other night. Both are located in the Polish/Logan Square neighborhood on North Milwaukee Ave.

We walked and walked...to and from L stations...and back again....for a very full (chilly) day!

A weekend in Chicago

2011-03-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

A classic Chicago River view of downtown Chicago.

It's still cold but it's clear here in "The Windy City." Larry spent Saturday and Sunday at Kendall College at a class on "American Baking in the Heartland"sponsored by the Bread Bakers Guild of America. Gerry spent the two days trying to keep warm while walking through (and taking pictures) of downtown Chicago....where there's a phenomenal variety of architectural styles.

Among the bakery items made during the class were (clockwise from left) strawberry-whipped cream pazckis (Polish-style filled donuts), apple strudel, bienenstich (German pastry cream-whipped cream filled pastries with candied almond topping, custard-filled pazckis, and fruit filed kolachkys. Unfortunately, most of the items are too time-intensive to fit into our market production schedule.

Instructor Jory Downer, owner of Bennison's Bakery, Evanston, stretches paper-thin strudel dough

Streusel-topped apple pie --- delicious and baked in a brown paper bag.

New and old architectural styles are side-by-side throughout the city.

The Chicago Tribune tower from Michigan Avenue

Four (elevated) L train lines circle "The Loop" providing good service to most parts of the city.

The second most visited tourist spot in Chicago is Milennium Park built over Illinois Central Railroad tracks. It's an amazing space with all sorts of interesting features including the "Cloud Gate" sculpture.

A view of Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan from the top of the John Hancock Center, the city's second tallest building.

Bakeries and the University of Chicago

2011-03-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

On our early jaunt (cold and windy) we headed to Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. The owner, Jory Downer is teaching the class Larry is taking this today and Sunday. Their bakery is very traditional, can you say Crumb Cakes, Danish, and the most amazing red-velvet donuts!!!

Next stop was Pasticceria Natalina, a small gem Italian bakery tucked along North Clark Street. The two owners were there, and we so enjoyed their wit and beautiful products.

Owner, Natalina starting the day's baking.

Simple but very elegant!

A suggestion was to check out Sweet Mandy B's in Lincoln Park, a very cute bakery/cupcake shop. They are a super busy place, and we could see why.

We met up with Whidbey Island friends Nicole and Luke, it was great to catch up, and they showed us around the University of Chicago campus on the city's south side. What incredible architecture on a campus about five blocks from President Obama's Chicago home.

On the way home (by train from the Hyde Park neighborhood) we walked along Michigan Avenue. It was after dark and the clear night offered some wonderful opportunities to see classic landmark buildings.

Day one in Chicago

2011-03-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

We're in Chicago for a Bread Bakers Guild class on Midwestern Baking....and we're spending a bit of off time exploring the city where Larry was born -- and lived -- until he was in seventh grade .... a long, long, long (yes, it was) time ago. Our plane was held up in Seattle 2.75 hours by weather delays in Chicago...and blustery weather continued Wednesday. As I write this, it's snowing... We bought a seven-day transit pass and are taking L-trains and busses all over. Our place --- the Affinia Hotel --- is two blocks from the Chicago Water Tower (and four blocks from Lake Michigan).

Low clouds present a gray view from our room.

The "L" Red line train is elevated in much of the city but underground in the Loop

Many, many years ago Mary Ellen (my sister) and I and our mom and dad lived in this small place on Kostner Avenue --- across the street from the Milwaukee Road railway --- now a Metra train route.

Big chocolate bar at the Hershey's Store nearby. We didn't buy it (or any!)

The line-up was halfway down the block and two cars deep as downtown customers waited in line for drive-through service at Portillo's Hot Dogs. Half a dozen car hops handed out menus to speed service as the lines continued during the busy hours.

We haven't found any Seattle's Best Coffee Shops, but they must be around because there sure are a lot of billboards advertising them. This one was across the street from this the biggest McDonald's we've ever seen. Get a load of those (above, below)

We hadn't planned to go, but we were near Ed Debevic's about lunch-time and so we stopped in for a delicious Midwest meal: Gerry had a hot dog and fries. I had a cheeseburger and fries...and we shared a greasy side of onion rings. Food was okay but the show was great --- sassy (you might even say rude) waitresses sashayed around the place taking orders and insulting guests with gusto. Our waitress delivered our plates and said "don't bother me any more...After all, I don't go to your place of business and inerrupt you while you're working." Quite a place.

L tracks run above city streets. Stations are a maze of lines.

And, of course, the city's filled with great architecture....old, new and re-newed buildings line every street.

Vancouver BC March 2011

2011-03-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

Downtown Vancouver from Granville Island.

Canada Center (downtown) from Stanley Park

Graneville Island "eats and treats"

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Tropical Fruit

Woman's high heel shoe --- made of chocolate.

Veggies, bagels and yummy olives.

Cooking demonstration

Terra Bread and flowers

Crowd watching street artist on Granville Island.

BC Ferry landing at Horseshoe Bay

View of Stanley Park, and Lions Gate Bridge from North
Vancouver.

The People of Australia

2011-02-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

A candid look on the streets of Sydney, Canberra

and Melbourne, January 2011

Australia Day...and our final days in Australia

2011-01-30T14:15:00.002-08:00

The Final Post


This backpack is the just thing for an Australia Day (think 4th of July) picnic

With only a few days left on our trip, we tried to pack as much into the hours as possible. Gerry was feeling better as we revisited markets, strolled along streets and said our goodbyes to the wonderful people and places we'd visited. If these pictures make Australia look inviting --- plan a trip there for yourselves...you'll find it even more wonderful in person. But bring along a few extra dollars....prices are a bit higher than in other places we've visited. Even so, it's worth it....even if it's for nothing other than to hear that great Aussie ""G-Day!"

Pretty yellow calla lilies and sausage rolls and quiche tarts.

Beautiful pastries at Laurent Bakery

Great-looking loaves at French Fantasies and flowers at Vic Market

$300 million renovation and lots of planning makes for a beautiful new downtown Melbourne Myer Department Store

Two young Aussies handle a baby alligator (left) and snake at a reptile show at the Jam Factory in South Yarrow

Thousands watched musicians perform at Federation Square, thanks to this giant TV monitor

Anne and Dave dressed up in their Australia Day gear. They also gathered and brought this after-dinner picnic we ate along the river waiting for fireworks to begin.

Crowds gather along the river...and two friends proudly wear flags over their shoulders.

Arts Centre tower (left) and downtown buildings as darkness falls.

Twenty minutes of fireworks off buildings and in parks.

A pensive Gerry and semi-smiling Larry back on Sydney on our final day in Australia enjoying a last Australian beer at Circular Quay watching as the day comes to a close.

With apologies to our vegetarian friends, we really "pigged out" for our final meal at Lowenbrau
A lemon meringue tart just waiting to be served.

Time to get back to the hotel

They're ready for Valentines Day at Haight's Candy

An almost hypnotizing display of face and body products from Aesop at the Strand Arcade, the home of Australian Fassion

Stylish clothes for kids for the Austrian Open --- Sydney window display

Leaving Sydney

Goodbye --- Sydney Harbor, we will be back!

A last-minute (unplanned) bakery visit

2011-01-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

We were only planning to get coffee and a breakfast pastry when we stopped by the Alexandria Bourke Street Bakery this morning. Then we started a conversation with the staff and they said co-owner Paul Allam (below) was around. He came out, offered a firm handshake and smile and gave us a short tour. Bourke Street Bakery is probably the most successful artisan bakery in Sydney. Their breads and pastries are spot-on. Among the beautiful breads being offered today was a pillowy olive ciabatta, their signature sourdough and an unusual (to us) flaxeed/soy(bean) bread. We hope to experiment over the next few months to come up with a number of Australian-inspired products for the market.

Shaping bread to be baked for a busy Saturday at the company's three stores

Most bakeries we've seen use stainless steel benches

Some beautiful loaves just out of the oven.

Sourdough and ciabatta

And, of course, baguettes --- the most beautiful we've seen since we arrived.

Day Trip To Phillip Island

2011-01-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

We are a couple days off on our posting schedule, will try to get caught up this morning looking out over the Sydney airport from our hotel room. We leave Sydney at 3:15 p.m.(today the 28th), and arrive in Seattle via Los Angeles at 3:33 p.m (the 28th). Needless to say, it will be a long day.

Anne Thorsen (our "friend of a friend" and personal tour guide who grew up on Whidbey island) picked us up in a convertible and whisked us off to Phillip Island, and the Phillip Island Nature Parks about 90 minutes from Melbourne.

First stop was The Gurdies Winery overlooking the lowlands of Phillip Island.

The winery is a great place for a picnic or just a nice relaxing glass of wine (or two)

The rolling hills are pasture for many of the cattle that roam the area. This is some serious free-rage cattle, mostly all grass fed

Agapanthus grow all over the area, flanked by yellow/green shrubs.

Jacaranda -- one of my favorite trees ---unfortunately does not like cooler temperatures in Western Washington.

Churchill Island Heritage Farm (dating back to 1801) is the first farm in Victoria

One of the farm's many birds.

At the east end of the island, you come to The Nobbies, and Australia's largest seal colony and millions of feeding seagulls.

Local birds along the path, and one very different type of goose, the Cape Barren Goose.

At the island's Koala Conservation Center, two elevated treetop boardwalks allow close viewing of wild koalas in six hectares of Australian bushland. The center Center plays host to a special koala breeding program which forms a vital part of the center's ongoing research activities. Originally established 1991, the Center is dedicated to koala research and conservation and has played a vital role in saving Phillip Island’s koala population. The center is also home to a host of Australian wildlife – swamp wallabies, nocturnal brushtail and ringtail Possums, echidnas and over 150 species of birds

For this kangaroo, it's time for lunch!

The Fairy (Little Blue) Penguin is the smallest penguin in the world. Every evening, after dusk (it was about 9:30 when we were there) they come up from the ocean in groups. Due to the low tide the evening we were there (huddled under a blanket in a drizzle) they came up slower and in fewer numbers than normal, but walking back on the boardwalk, hundreds of babies penguins could be seen and heard calling out to their parents for food. Since no photos of any type were allowed, these were taken off the their website.

We got back to our apartment around 12:30 at night, it was a fun day and great to get up close to some of the native animals.

An afternoon around town

2011-01-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

The weather's managed to be wonderful during our stay. We had a sprinkle last night visiting Phillip Island (to see the penguins come in after a day at sea -- more on that later), but otherwise there have been blue skies, warm breezes...and oh so friendly people. With the exception of a bit of attitude in one store, people everywhere have been incredibly open, friendly, and curious. They're proud of their country --- as they should be --- and it shows.

Today we've been out and about watching people observe Australia Day....and tonight we're heading to see fireworks on the Yarra River.

Another beautiful Merlbourne building --- which I can't properly identify --- in the Carlton district.

If you like to eat and want a selection of books you'll find nowhere in the US, head to Books For Cooks on Gertrude Street. Spend a half hour with owner Tim White and you'll know all about the food scene in Australia and elsewhere.

We like Tim's logo!

This tile sofa --- really a street bench --- might be a big uncomfortable.

Gargoyles keep and eye out along a street in the Carlton (Italian) district.

Busy baristas at Brunetti's -- an incredible Italian bakery, delicatessen, coffee, gelatalo and restaurant. This place was hopping --- lots of beautiful, pure Italian pastries and cakes. Not cheap...but wonderful!

Exquisite, petite, flavorful cookie masterpieces at Brunetti's

How about a slice of this cake?

Outside the Prahran Market --- another great place to shop.

Alison Baker --- who's an incredibly passionate bread fanatic --- runs Alison's handmade breads....here Alison waits on a customer while young associate Tom catches up on his reading!

Celebrating all over the place!

2011-01-25T14:26:00.001-08:00

Where you are it may just be an ordinary day,

but here in Australia everyone's celebrating.

Steak (or lamb or sausages) on the barbie, parades in the streets....and all sorts

of partying....fireworks later.

It's Australia Day...and we're headed out to see how

these great folks celebtrate it.

Another post later today!

A sunny Sunday in Melbourne

2011-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather continues to hold...and that's great for us. Gerry's cold continues to get better, Larry hasn't come down with anything yet, and we've still got a few more days here in Wonderful Melbourne. Sunday we explored the city by tram....and there was lots to see.

The Melbourne GPO on Bourke Street no longer processes mail....but has shops with expensive, couture items. We like the building but didn't explore the stores. Not quite our style.

A quiet Bourke Street Mall early in the day.

A case of mannequins watches over a busy crowd on Acland Street

Big crowds of people congregate on the expansive lawn of the Melbourne City Library in the evening.

You'll find this shot tower inside a tall conical-shaped building in the Central Business District.

Pastries, pastries proudly displayed in this bakery's window.

More goodies: Four bakeries next to each other on Acland Street

A Sunday afternoon crowd on Acland Street....everybody was all smiles and having fun.

Four friends get their pictures taken in a park...everyone was out for a great weekend!

A Yarra River footbridge with the Eureka Tower in the background.

Oranges --- and more --- at a colorful Elizabeth Street Juice Bar right down from our apartment, they make great juice combinations for every taste.

The most incedible market we've ever visited....

2011-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00


Enter and be amazed....you could spend several days exploring everything that's here.

The headline says it all: this is the most incredible market we've ever visited. That's not to say there may not be similar places around the world...but we haven't seen them. The Queen Victoria Market has it all: Meat, seafood, pasta, bread, cheese, produce, donuts, deli items, spices, wines, a big "trash and treasures" area, and dozens and dozens of places to eat warm, freshly prepared meals. We're going back. And if you like to shop, you should, too....book your trip to Melbourne soon....it's Summer here! QVM is the kind of place we'd like Pike Place Market to be. (Prices are per kilo. To figure the price per-pound, divide by 2.2)

It's not all our style...but this bakery stand has a large following. They're three deep waiting their turn.

Lots of cookies -- and cakes....and just about everything else you can think of!


Deli meats here...lots of sausages elsewhere. There's more than 30 stores selling meats


Fresh ground "mince". Buy the met and they'll custom grind it.

Crab, lobster, shrimp....and everything else from the sea

A new take on BYOB....bring your empty bottle (or buy one) and have it filled from the barrel at "Re-Wine"

Produce!

Nuts, dried fruit, peas and beans and........

Everybody's got a basket --- a full basket! Bayview Farmers Market needs these.

There's a line 15-deep (on the other side of the van) for glazed raised donuts.... 5/$6


Want a bottle? This producer sell his own at the market.

More inexpensive produce.

Navigating the aisles gets interesting --- this is where LOCALS shop five days a week!

A warm welcome to Melbourne

2011-01-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

A breezy day at the beach in Melbourne --- a nice welcome to Victoria's wonderful "big" city

The VirginBlue plane trip from Canberra to Melbourne was quick and easy --- what a bright, smiling crew of cabin attendants compared to the bored, "been-working-way-too-many-years-I-hate-this-job-but-I'd-never-be-able-to-find-something-else-that-pays-this-well-so-I'll-hang-on-a-while-longer-but-resent-it-every-day-I-show-up-for-work United crew that brought us over from San Francisco.

Former South Whidbey High School grad --- and former Clinton resident (now a permanent resident of Australia) Anne Thorsen greeted us at the gate (hear you can --- sensibly --- meet and greet passengers as they leave or arrive) with a wonderful smile, energetic spirit, and amazing energy. Our baggage arrived quickly and we were off on a half hour ride into Melbourne a metro area of nearly 4 million people who live in dozens and dozens of very small-town-feel neighborhoods and/or suburbs.

After a whirlwind site-seeing trip, we checked into our very very very (get the idea?) small apartment in the central business district, then left for more of Anne's city-tour...ending up at their place. By amazing coincidence Anne's husband David Bruce pulled into the driveway right behind us..and we spent the next four hours asking questions, swapping stories and enjoying Aussie hospitality which included an amazing spread by Anne and Dave which included a gigantic prawn-fruit appetizer, grilled lamb and mint sausages, grilled kangaroo loin, grilled whole snapper (with lemons, onions and cilantro), potato salad, orange, almond bean and green salad...and, of course, great Australian beer. And for dessert, Anne made and served one of Australia's favorite desserts: Pavlova . Stuffed, she drove us back to our space -- with the convertible top down -- driving along incredibly busy, bustling streets filled with throngs of weekenders having a late Friday night meal.

The next day Gerry confirmed what he expected: The cold he had caught along the way wasn't getting better. He managed a morning at Queen Vic Market, a brief outing to a park in the afternoon, and a meal at a Chinatown restaurant....but that was it he: He slept all night and until 2 p.m. Saturday in hopes the rest would help him feel better.

Anne --- who smiles like this ALL THE TIME!

David/Dave --- a brilliant man with an amazing sense of humor.

Ann's molded potato salad: with sundried tomatoes, leeks, spinach....very very good

And the fruit-topped melt-in-your-mouth Pavlova

Sydney to Canberra to Melbourne

2011-01-21T14:57:00.001-08:00

How does a week evaporate so quickly? All of a sudden it was time to leave Sydney and head south by train to Canberra, Australia's capital city and a very interesting place. To see a bit more of the country (we've elected to not rent a car), we took the CountryLink train and got a wide-window view of rolling hills, grasslands, scrub brush, and some steep canyons.

We were met at Canberra by friend (and baker) Peter Groeneveld who took us to Bakery Culture, his bakery in Jamison Center, a newly renovated neighborhood indoor shopping center. Peter and his crew turn out a big line of breads, pastries and cakes in a compact, well-organized shop. Among his great offerings was a good selection of meat pies and sausage rolls...

Later we went to Peter's suburban home for an evening meal with Cindy (his wife) and Eloise and Isabelle, his two energetic, smart and cute children. Lots of food, bread and desserts later, we left, were driven to the city center and checked in to our Novotel room and fell to sleep immediately. (Traveling can be exhausting!)

The next day the Groenevelds played tour guide, proudly showing us their city of 400,000. We visited the spectacular National Museum, Parliament House, and had a relaxing evening meal at the Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

We're next on to Melbourne...

Ready to go --- clean, comfortable and sleek...CountryLink is a great way to travel Australia

Rolling countryside south of Sydney

Lots and lots of grass along the way.

Sheep and lambs along the way are spooked by the train --- which makes only 3 round trips a day.

We're welcomed to Canberra

Cindy (left), Eloise and Isabelle make Anzac biscuits

Peter works his magic on the BBQ

Reflecting pool at the center of the Australian National Museum

One of the many aboriginal wall hangings on display. So much to learn about life in this great place!

We're still fascinated with the amazing variety of Eucalyptus bark

Puffy, billowy clouds over Lake Burley Griffin....and it's warm, too!

Microwave, radio and TV antennas atop Canberra's Telstra Tower on Black Mountain

Lake Burley Griffin from atop the tower

Downtown neat and tidy Canberra

Entrance to the striking Australian Parliament House.

From Parliament House, looking to old Parliament House (white) and War Memorial (red in background)

Southern Cross Yacht Club --- for a relaxing meal.

Baker Bill molds bread at Bakery Culture

If Peter had his way, he'd be producing more sourdough loaves --- but many of his customers prefer yeasted pan breads

More breads and rolls

Patricia and fellow staffer wait on customers

So what appeals to you?

New to us: caramel slices and Lamingtons

Fish...and more food...two posts for the price of one

2011-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

If we had only a few more days in Sydney there's a good chance we would have been able to get jobs as information booth agents for CityRail -- we really got good use of our week's pass. Unfortunately, the tram and monorail are owned and operated by private companies and using them required additional fares. But without a car, public transportation was our best option to get to some places...like the Sydney Fish Market. We got to the market too late for the early morning (5 am) daily fish auction, and too early for the noon lunch rush crowds. That meant we got there at the right time for good picture taking....just as merchants of the two dozen stores/stalls were completing their displays. And we had a late fish breakfast: Gerry devoured four gigantic head-on shrimp and four freshly-shucked oysters and Larry had pan-fried barramundi.

If it sounds like everything we're doing is food-related, I guess to a certain extent, that's the case. Much as we love the island, it's hard not to go crazy when you're given the opportunity to see and try new foods -- sweet and savory.

To that end, we met up with Jordan Miller of Sonoma Baking, a big organic sourdough wholesale bakery. The company provides a wide variety of breads to stores and restaurants all over New South Whales and down to Victoria. I marvel at the Spelt Fruit Bread --- and hope to borrow their inspiration for a loaf to offer this Summer. (It's an all-spelt sourdough loaf filled with dates, raisins, apricots with a touch of spices.)

Later, a ride to the top of Sydney Tower for a 360-degree view of the city and some great shots. (The Tower is in --- or perhaps it's better said --- built above a Westfield Shopping Center....one of many, many operated by the Australian-owned developer.)

After a walk to nearby Hyde Park for coffee, we watch a street performer entertain kids with big soap bubbles. At night we returned to a bustling Chinatown, where we realized just how many types of Asian food we'd forgotten we loved. Yum. Back to the hotel to wash and iron clothes to pack for an early morning train trip to Canberra and friend Peter Groeneveld and family.

A seafood salad at the first market

Lots and lots of snapper!

Beautiful fresh fish

Prawn, oyster and lobster Take-a-Way

Can you say fresh!

Anzac Bridge near the Fish Market

View of the City from Sydney Tower

Another view of the Central Business District

Plenty of people and places to eat in Sydney's Chinatown

Street artist makes soap balloons for children.

Off to Katoomba

2011-01-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a while -- we've had some full days and Gerry's been battling a cold. But we're on our way to Canberra (Country Link Explorer train) and trying to catch up.

Sydney's was great and we'd love to come back. Two days ago we took a two-hour train trip to the Blue Mountains going from the suburbs and flat lands, rapidly ascending through miles and miles of eucalyptus trees. As the haze of the city disappeared, blue skies and billowy clouds greeted us in Katoomba...a relaxed, laid back town tourist town that had managed to maintain a vital downtown.

At Hominy Bakery we found some great bread, cookies and cakes and two friendly staffers who showed great pride in what their bakery offered the community. Three doors down we met Tara Lilburne at The Hattery, a store like no other we'd seen. Because of intense Australian sun, everyone's encouraged to wear headgear and the Hattery "has you covered" in every way. A full wall of casual and dress hats for men, practical and whimsical hats for women, and everyday gear for kids (who, Tara says, aren't allowed on school playgrounds during recess without hats.)

After a "garden lunch" at the Parakeet Cafe (pie and salad) we gave in, ponied up the cash and joined the tourist trolley to the Blue Mountains National Park. Access to the most interesting sites, was by three means of travel Larry didn't understand until it was too late: Across a valley (with a view of a spectacular waterfall) on a tram, down to the forest floor via the world's steepest railway, and back up to the visitor's center by cableway -- all higher than the 10-foot ladder he refuses to climb.

Rail stations in Australia are freshly painted in colorful oranges and browns

Squashy Rhubarb Apple Cake at Hominy Bakery --- want some?

What a beautiful display of breads at Katoomba's Hominy Bakery.... Breads are wrapped in paper before being bagged.

Gerry looks over the menu at the Parakeet garden eating area.

Fancy ways for women to protect themselves from the sun.

For men, there's a lot to choose from at The hattery

Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains -- without tourists

Looking across the Blue Mountains

Ferns at the base of the cliff

How we got back up the hill

Yea there are electronic signs all around, but we liked this original at the Katoomba station.

Day 4 -- Boat to Parramatta (train back to Sydney)

2011-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00


Swimmer in glass-bottom rooftop pool unaware of photographers six stories below

We've been doing a lot of walking the past few days..so today we took other forms of transportation....a Sydney Ferry to Parramatta...an hour ride on a smaller catamaran-style boat. The downtown was deserted...but two hours later in a gigantic Westfield Mall (six stories spread over what hat to be six blocks above and underground with literally dozens and dozens of food court choices on every level) we found where lots of locals spend a Sunday. After being dazed by it all, we went to the lower level and hopped on a CityRail train back to Sydney. Later we returned to Circular Quay, explored around The Rocks, and ate and drank outside at The Australian Heritage Hotel. We managed to stay up until after dark (hard for most of our friends to hear, I know) and Gerry good some great shots of the Sydney Bridge at night.

On the water --- it started out as a gray day.


The Parramatta gets pretty narrow upstream!

Very quiet main drag in Parramatta...the action was in a mall nearby

CityRail is a great way to get around --- frequent trains all over the city and burbs

Lots of beer to choose from at the Australian Heritage Hotel

Moroccan Lamb pizza --- it was wonderful!

The view you've seen before is even more incredible in person. You've got to visit this amazing place.

Day 3 in Sydney -- it's (mostly) all about food!

2011-01-14T23:01:00.002-08:00

Weekend nightlife in the CBD (Central Business District) here in Sydney is rollicking --- noises from happy party-goers ricochets off buildings and easily reaches our 17th floor room. Even so, we got another good night's sleep....and wonder why we haven't felt any major jet-lag. Yesterday we bought a rail pass and today we took CityRail to a big indoor Farmers Market -- the Eveleigh Market. Walking from the station to the market we passed a number of beautiful shedding bark Eucalyptus...great colors and patterns.

It was early -- the crowds came later, as we left...but here you get some idea of how great it is to be able to vend inside (as opposed to having to set up and tear down a canopy each week). We met new friends and learned about Australian preserves (with honey) and pickles, figs and spreads, chutneys, cheeses, veggies, poultry, and, of course BREAD -- ones we'd love to bake for our customers. this year. Gerry bought two spatchcocks from Thirlmere Poultry that he's baking tonight. We also picked up some interesting-looking (although fairly ordinary, we're told) golden delight potatoes broccoli and salad fixings. (It smells good in the apartment as I write).

Six-fruit (banana, fig, date, raisin and two others I can't remember and don't detect) loaf from Shepherd's Bakehouse

La Tartine's fruit sourdough includes some amazing figs and lots and lots of whole almonds on the bottom!


Sonoma Baking's seeded (whole) rye bread is dense and great with Australian goat cheese we picked up at the market.

We returned to the apartment to store perishables -- then set out for the Taylor's Corner Farmers Market in Darlinghurst. It's a much smaller venue. Rainbow flags fly on lightposts on Oxford Street and the market is next to an old brick building that is covered with tiles that tell touching stories of gay Australians who made it to adulthood as vital people, despite homophobia and difficult family situations.

It had been two hours since we'd been to a bakery -- and we were in withdrawal -- so we walked 20 blocks to the Bourke Street Bakery and were amazed line out the door (which never shortened the half hour we were there). We really weren't hungry, but had a hard time resisting a sausage roll --- Gerry picked a lamb, nut and spice variety that was amazing.


The line-up at the Bourke Street Bakery --- amazing breads and pastries and much sought-after by neighbors.

Which would you choose at Bourke Street?


Is this poster for real? It's elicited interest!

We ended the day at Market City and Paddy's Market --- a five-story block square building near Sydney's Chinatown. The lower level includes hundreds of stalls with all everything you can imagine (for sale)...including, of course, incredibly priced inexpensive fresh fruits and vegetables....unique meat cuts (all parts of the pig) and a big fresh fish market.


Fruits and vegetables at Paddy's Market.

So you want some bulk spices....this Paddy's Market vendor has most anything you'd want!

Day 2 in Sydney

2011-01-14T00:36:00.000-08:00


High rise construction in Sydney's Central Business District.

After a good night's sleep, we began our first full day in Sydney walking through the Central Business District, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and to the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Gerry first noticed a flutter in the trees in the gardens....then we realized we were looking at hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of bats hanging from trees.

Aerial photos show the Opera House as white, but up close it's made of a light beige tiles that sweep skyward. Half a dozen different shows -- this week including the opera Carmen -- are presented every day of the week.

Chocolate -- lots of it -- is sold (and I presumed consumed) in the city. Here some Guiylan Belgian chocolate delicacies are featured at "The Chocolate Cafe" -- one of four all-chocolate places we saw today.

After a half ferry hour ride to Manly, we spent a restful afternoon catching local color --- lots of scantily clad bodies sunning or swimming at the beach.

Lunch was a meal of traditional Australian meat pies at Hamlet's Pies at Manly. The shop features more than a dozen types of pie including Thai vegetarian (Larry's choice) and Steak and Potato (Gerry's choice). Yum!

A Very Long Day

2011-01-12T23:39:00.001-08:00

Day One

The flight from Seattle to San Francisco was uneventful as usual. Now just remember, we
tarted this trip on the 11:00 am ferry. The flight to San Francisco is only about an 1.75 hours which left on time @ 4:10.

The plan was to enjoy the two complimentary passes to the Alaska Board room during our layover. well, so much for that idea. When we checked the monitor in San Francisco for the flight to Sydney, the yellow flashing "DELAYED" greeted us. The 10:30 flight is now departing at 11:59 (why not just wait until midnight).The flight is overbooked, and they are asking for volunteers to take tomrrow's flight (now there is only one flight on United from SFO each day).

The anty for taking the next flight is $400 cash, an overnight stay here in SF and food vouchers. We respectgully descline.

The plane pulls away from the gate, the engines are started and we taxi a quarter of a mile and the pilot announces a problem with a hydraulic valve that controls the air conditioning and the pressurization. He hopes it can be fixed quickly. By the time we get back to Gate 94 (we circle the airport 10 minutes to get there) a crew is waiting. We had a good view of the work from our window and it was quite a show: Ladders are brought out, hydraulic lifts are engaged, cars, trucks and bicycles come and go. Two hours later everyone appears to be finished. We prepare for takeoff...and do so at 2:15.

Dinner -- a pretty sad combination of beef, potatoes, a warm salad and dreadful roll -- is served and eating is an interesting exercise in balancing as we rock and roll our way across the Pacific. Turbulance -- some of it severe -- continues for nearly half of the trip.
Four movies and several TV shows later we land in a warm, 82F and humid Sydney about noon January 13.

A quick taxi ride drops us off at our hotel -- the Medina Grand -- in the middle of the "city center" and instantly we're among thousands and thousands of beautiful people of all sizes, shapes and colors....it's amazing...and well worth the ordeal to get here.

Archibald Fountain at Hyde Park

We wandered around for four hours before exhaustion sets in --- and now we're back at the hotel, watching TV, looking foward to a good of sleep. Australin beer is REALLY GOOD!

Flowers at Hyde Park

St. Mary's Cathedral

Queen Victoria Center

Darling Harbor

The flooding is horable in parts of Queensland Australia, but this is one country that is proud of who they are, and stick together, watching the news paints a very sad story.

Enjoying a new treat, Lamingtons, and much more to come.

Our day is done, we are ready to turn in, it is only 6:30, the sun is still shining, but 36 hours is enough.