rye Archives | Eat Bread 90

April 30, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

I Want to Make Them Happy: Day 28

I know what’s it like to travel with a friend on such a strict diet. So for today, I’ll try to be fun for my friends. I said ‘yes’ to Dim Sum. For those of you not familiar with this Asian culture, Dim Sum is mostly consumed at brunch. It originated from the Canton province in China, and it is similar to Tapas, where small plates of food are served. We ordered a variety of plates, and I got 2 servings of bread with the BBQ pork steamed bun.

Soft and silky steamed BBQ pork buns, Red bean glutinous rice ball covered in sesame seeds and fried noodles with bean sprouts were part of our Dim Sum brunch.

Dim sum was delicious, but we had to part ways today to go back home to our families and my well-structured life. Let’s hope they have no negative opinions on me my bread diet, which really restricted them in some ways on the types of restaurants we could go to (I apologize for not doing sushi with you!).

Upon reaching home after a 3 hour ride on the Amtrak, I was still full. I couldn’t eat anything else. Come 5 p.m., I had still about all of my day’s bread consumption not eaten. So I ate two slices, and kept the rest for the next day’s challenge.

Crispy Ciabatta and wholesome rye sourdough bread.

Here’s what I ate on Day 28 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Grand Central Baking Ciabatta Loaf	200g	560
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Bun	80 g	150
Fried noodles	6 oz	500
Chinese Broccoli	2 C	200
Glutinouse rice balls	2	380
Pork dumpling	1	90
Shrimp dumpling	1	80
Orange	1 orange	45
Cappucino	1 C	75
Coconut water	1 C	45
Walk and run		-500
Total		2185

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April 29, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

I’m SO Not Fun to Travel With: Day 27

I booked an appointment with the production lead at Grand Central Baking Co’s first location today. I wanted to capture a Facebook LIVE event showcasing the bread at their first location and also pick up some awesome sourdough bread.

The display at Grand Central Baking Company.

We started our day with a walk to a nearby Skillet restaurant. Skillet started as a food truck in Seattle, and has grown into a restaurant chain. Did I mention you can judge a restaurant by its bread? I had the Serious Toast, and it was made with a smooth and rich brioche bread. It was UNBELIEVABLY heavenly!

Skillet’s Serious Toast is made with molasses custard soaked thick cut brioche, local pit ham, raspberry jam, powdered sugar and scrambled eggs.

Just look at that toast!

Since this meal came with egg and ham, I gave those away to both my high school friends (who are still puzzled why I am eating so much bread). I couldn’t finish the double decker French toast, so I had to doggie bag it. This was half (over 250g) of my day’s consumption of bread right there. I finished them up later in the day.

A visit to Grand Central Baking

After breakfast, we made it over to Pioneer Square. Toured the first Grand Central Baking location, then wolfed down some pastries and more bread. Michael, the production lead at this location, gave me a potato roll which I finished within 12 minutes during the FB live recording. The sour of this roll was so smooth and soft.

Easy to say, that was the best-tasting potato roll I ever had. Why? Because they take a Yukon potato, skin it, cube it and mix it into the sourdough. Who in the world takes the trouble to do this? Doesn’t it show you how much passion they have for the thing they love most – making the best bread in the world? I get impressed by Grand Central Baking every time I talk to them. Their passion is evident why they remain successful.

Fresh baked pastries line their bakery case at the first Grand Central Baking Location in Pioneer Square.

We walked a whole 8 miles! This cost me 800 calories. Which meant that I could eat some more bread for dinner! I told my friends (both Asian) that we cannot eat at any noodle or rice restaurant, and one of them replied “you are so not fun to travel with at this time; can’t you just drop your bread diet?” So we compromised on Agrodolce in Fremont, an Italian trattoria which served handmade noodles and pasta.

Grand Central Baking Rye sourdough slices with Agrodolce’s antipasto misto.

They brought out their Focaccia bread. Mama Mia! This was real Focaccia! What did I say about judging a restaurant by its bread? Agrodolce not only made delicious pasta, they really knew how to make a great Focaccia as well! While my friends both had pasta, I had antipasto misto, caramelized broccoli (which was out of this world) and tomato and fennel soup with my Rye Sourdough from Grand Central Baking. We also celebrated 30 years of friendship with Prosseco and Port (not such a great idea after looking at my calorie count).

Here’s what I ate on Day 27 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Skillet’s Serious Toast	2 slices (100g)	900
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Egg	1	300
Ham	1	105
Macaroons	2 pc	120
Potato Roll	80g	120
Meat plate		300
Tomato Fennel Soup	1/2 C	75
Caramelized Brocolli	1 1/2 C	150
Tiramisu		250
Prosecco	1 glass	90
Port	1/2 glass	50
Coconut Water	2 cups	90
London Lavender Fog		150
Walk 8 miles		-800
Total		2460

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April 28, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Loaf: Day 26

I looked at my half-eaten loaf of Sonoma Sun bread from Alvarado St. Bakery and said, “You’re coming with me.” I have to go to Seattle this weekend to meet a couple of my convent high school friends, one of whom I haven’t met for 30 years. I packed my bread up and headed to the train station.

The traveling Sonoma Sun loaf in my bread bag.

The accompaniments in the bread bag.

I have to admit, I was fearful and excited at the same time. I had never boarded an Amtrak train before and I really don’t know what is proper train etiquette. Plus, this is the first time I am traveling on a bread diet. You know how diets are ruined with travels!

lin - eat bread 90

I started the day really disciplined, until I saw Ivar’s clam chowder soup at the Bistro car. Yes! My mind was saying no, but my taste buds were screaming for a taste of delicious creamy and chunky clam chowder. So, this happened.

Ivar’s Clam Chowder with slices of Sonoma Sun bread is the ultimate Amtrak combo!

That was truly a bad choice for my diet, but I doubt it would be the last bad choice I’ll make this trip.

I immediately went for a 2 mile run upon reaching my destination. Wished I could do more, but I had to meet another friend of mine for dinner at Anchovies and Olives (a seafood tapas restaurant). My challenge was to make sure that I consumed the rest of the bread in the restaurant.

Grilled sun choke salad with Aioli, scallion and mint (top left), smoked fish crostini with pickled onion (top right), and grilled macrina foccacia with bang caudal (bottom): my meal at Anchovies & Olives.

Did you know that you can judge a restaurant by the bread it serves? This restaurant had no clue what a foccacia is. Their grilled focaccia was a glamorized ciabatta with grill marks. I could hear my husband say, “Don’t be a bread snob,” and I really needed to consume my fill of bread for the day, so I had to eat it—regardless of whether or not it met my standards of foccacia. It just puzzled me why they can’t just call it grilled ciabatta.

Here’s what I ate on Day 26 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Brioche French Toast		800
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Egg		300
Ham	1	105
Macaroons	2 pc	120
Potato Roll	80g	120
Meat plate		300
Tomato Basil soup	1/2 C	75
Caramelized Brocolli	1 1/2 C	150
Tiramisu		250
Prosecco	1 glass	90
Port	1/2 glass	50
Coconut water	2 cups	90
Walk 8 miles		-800
Total		2210

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March 29, 2017August 2, 2017 by Katie Jones

The Benefits of Bread

Bread has a long history as a nutritive food source. As the oldest known prepared food, it’s no surprise the benefits of bread are many. The nutrition packed away in those grains are an essential part of a healthy diet. Regular consumption of bread prolongs life and can protect our body from common diseases.

People have been eating bread for ages. The origin of bread can be closely linked to the beginning of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent area. Grain was crushed and mixed with water to form gruel. Then, the gruel was baked on hot stones into primitive flat breads. The gruel was then exposed to natural yeasts and microflora and fermented before baking. Three types of bread can be traced back to these early loaves: Multigrain Bread, Rye Breads and Fruit Bread.

whole grains nutrition benefits of bread

Multigrain Bread

Multigrain breads are made from a mixture of whole meal, white or rye flour which contains wheat germ, honey, gluten, non-flat milk solids, cracked and whole grains of wheat and other cereals. Multigrain breads can be obtained by blending various grains, vegetable pieces, nuts, seeds, fruit and spices.

Rye Breads

Rye bread is made from a mix of rye and wheat flour. Rye bread contains only small amounts of dough strengthening proteins. Rye flour has more amylase enzyme which breaks down starch into sugars. Rye doughs have less water than dough from ordinary flour to remain stiff and keep their shape.

Fruit Bread

Fruit breads use a normal bread recipe to which fruit and sugar are added. The fruits used are raisins, currants, orange peel and dried fruits. Some ingredients are used to enhance the appearance and flavor of breads such as cinnamon, nutmeg, egg wash, sugar and water wash.

The Benefits of Bread

Flour and bread are fortified with essential micro-nutrients, provide fiber, proteins and minerals that can aid in the prevention of chronic diseases.

Multigrain bread is nutritious. Frequent consumption of Multigrain bread can reduce the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease. It can assist with weight maintenance and the recommended intake of fiber. Ingredients such as whole grain mentioned above provide vitamin E which is an intracellular antioxidant that protects polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes from oxidative damage. This vitamin E obtained from whole grains keeps selenium in the reduced state and inhibits the formation of nitrosamines especially at low pH.

The old saying that bread is the staff of life should get you thinking about the fundamental role bread has played in our lives. The benefits of bread can’t be ignored, definitely earnning a place at our tables and with our meals.

References

Jenson, Heather. Food and Nutrition Resources for Educators, Parents, and Professionals. Nova Science Incorporated, 20 July 2014.
Lindberg, Alice E. Vitamin E : Nutrition, Side Effects, and Supplements. WorldCat. 26 Mar. 2017. www.worldcat.org/title/vitamin-e-nutrition-side-effects-and-supplements/oclc/839304254. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.
Rosell, Cristina M., Joanna Bajerska, and El Sheikha Aly F. Bread and Its Fortification: Nutrition and Health Benefits. Boca Raton: CRC, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016.

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