As you may have guessed, most of my outings are with my kids, and sometimes my husband is fortunate enough to get to come as well.  It’s a rare occasion that I get to do something fun on my own.  Friday’s rain, however, gave me a well-timed opportunity.  My husband could stay in the with the kids while I learned a new way to bake bread.

It started with a soup and bread supper at the Arlington, MN, Community Center, with tasty soups, delicious slices of bread, and, naturally, because this is Minnesota, bars.  (Had the event been held at a Lutheran church, red jello and pickles would likely have been served as well, but the Friends of the Library, who coordinated the program, are exempt from those requirements.)

Following the meal was the main event.  Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (with apologies to Zoe because I don’t know how to do the proper French characters of her name on my computer) talked about their books, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and showed us how to make these yummy yeast breads that require no kneading.  I loved hearing the story of how their breads began and how their cookbooks came about, but the real treat was in seeing firsthand how easy this bread is to make.  Jeff and Zoe were generous in dishing out tips to make things easier, or substitutions that could be made, and responded to many audience questions.  I was especially pleased that they offer some gluten-free recipes, and they were willing to help me with some recipe alterations so I can make bread that my son, who’s on a restricted diet, can eat.  To see what you missed, see this Amazon video that outlines their method, or visit their website, breadinfive.com, which offers many tips and ideas as well as plenty of feedback from the authors.

This program was paid for by a grant from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund from the State of Minnesota.  There are many, many special programs being offered through this grant program throughout the state–author visits, concerts, classes, and more–for both children and adults, so if you’re a Minnesota resident, be sure to keep an eye open for these special programs, which are free to attend, or check with your local public library to see if anything unique is happening.

I enjoyed both the meal and the author presentation, as did a large crowd of people in Arlington last night.  Judging by the number of books that were being sold, I suspect that the smell of fresh bread will be commonplace in the Arlington area this week.

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I found it interesting that Amazon also sells a Kindle version of this book, so I could take it along with me on my iPod Touch if I were hitting the road.  If you’re looking for iPhone apps for kids, you know to head over to BestKidApps, right?  I’m doing my best to win their iPad contest!

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