ya never know who's watching
I mentioned yesterday, that I would post the letter I got from Hermann Ried. Mr. Ried builds a full line of pretzel producing equipment, donut fryers and grease filters. He also has a written a book about homemade jams. Not sure how the two are related but....
He is a baker and konditor as well. Here is the post that I mentioned:
Dear Jory,
the parcel together with your friendly message has arrived recently. Cordially thanks for that !
I would like to respond in detail to the parcel´s content. You may know, that we as Germans are not so convinced on both US food and the habits of eating in your country. We also know about strange combinations of flavors in the US, at least we think it is.
According to all that we were very skeptic to what you´ve sent us.
Never before we found ourselves so surprised ! Beside the wonderful FLORENTINER your STOLLEN: a real masterpiece ! For years I had never been eating such a stollen. And believe me, this compliment is meant just honest.
I know what to talk about, because I am master (Handwerksmeister) in both as baker and confectioner and still like to consume cookies and sweets.
Unfortunately here Stollen is going to become gradually worsening in quality and taste, a mass product during the season. Our bakers should try the American Stollen …
Again, many thanks (and when your pretzels taste like your stollen, it would be a good advise to rent a booth at the Munich Octoberfest !)
----------------------------------------
Kind reagrds from Germany,
ried-Nahrungstechnik
Hermann Ried
Hochvogelweg 18
Probstried
D-87463 Dietmannsried
I took this an ultimate compliment. I also heard from Yvonne, our pretzel dipper smuggler, and she told me that he contacted her, and wanted me to know that his comments were not to be taken lightly. I also sent the women that did all the work getting our stollen forms/moulds thru customs. I think English was an issue for her, her "Thank you" response, to me, was funny, and cute, at the same time. We had a call last week from a customer that wanted stollen, only four. Had it been twelve, I'd a made it. Make twelve for her and another six or eight for myself, get me thru til' Thanksgiving.
Yesterday. Matt ordered a new monitor to be used in our store. We've been running various recordings, Raymond Calvel instructional video's and footage from past Coupe competitions, on a regular video recorder,dvd player/television. A few months ago, we bought an upscale video camera. Matt has been shooting, whatever is going on behind the scenes. He will put together a really cool video, that we will run all day long. Something about our new server having more capacity. We plan to do holiday ones as well. Nothing can catch someone's eye, better than the construction of a gingerbread house. Hope to have it all running by the first of February.
Mr. George Christy called me yesterday, from Pasadena, California. Said "I've been following your blog. Can you send me a few things"? He wants apfelstrudel. I told him "Doesn't travel well". He said "Doesn't matter just wrap it up and send it". I told him "It's goin' out Monday". He doesn't know how jazzed I can get over a call like that.
Gotta get upstairs, got some apples to peel.
He is a baker and konditor as well. Here is the post that I mentioned:
Dear Jory,
the parcel together with your friendly message has arrived recently. Cordially thanks for that !
I would like to respond in detail to the parcel´s content. You may know, that we as Germans are not so convinced on both US food and the habits of eating in your country. We also know about strange combinations of flavors in the US, at least we think it is.
According to all that we were very skeptic to what you´ve sent us.
Never before we found ourselves so surprised ! Beside the wonderful FLORENTINER your STOLLEN: a real masterpiece ! For years I had never been eating such a stollen. And believe me, this compliment is meant just honest.
I know what to talk about, because I am master (Handwerksmeister) in both as baker and confectioner and still like to consume cookies and sweets.
Unfortunately here Stollen is going to become gradually worsening in quality and taste, a mass product during the season. Our bakers should try the American Stollen …
Again, many thanks (and when your pretzels taste like your stollen, it would be a good advise to rent a booth at the Munich Octoberfest !)
----------------------------------------
Kind reagrds from Germany,
ried-Nahrungstechnik
Hermann Ried
Hochvogelweg 18
Probstried
D-87463 Dietmannsried
I took this an ultimate compliment. I also heard from Yvonne, our pretzel dipper smuggler, and she told me that he contacted her, and wanted me to know that his comments were not to be taken lightly. I also sent the women that did all the work getting our stollen forms/moulds thru customs. I think English was an issue for her, her "Thank you" response, to me, was funny, and cute, at the same time. We had a call last week from a customer that wanted stollen, only four. Had it been twelve, I'd a made it. Make twelve for her and another six or eight for myself, get me thru til' Thanksgiving.
Yesterday. Matt ordered a new monitor to be used in our store. We've been running various recordings, Raymond Calvel instructional video's and footage from past Coupe competitions, on a regular video recorder,dvd player/television. A few months ago, we bought an upscale video camera. Matt has been shooting, whatever is going on behind the scenes. He will put together a really cool video, that we will run all day long. Something about our new server having more capacity. We plan to do holiday ones as well. Nothing can catch someone's eye, better than the construction of a gingerbread house. Hope to have it all running by the first of February.
Mr. George Christy called me yesterday, from Pasadena, California. Said "I've been following your blog. Can you send me a few things"? He wants apfelstrudel. I told him "Doesn't travel well". He said "Doesn't matter just wrap it up and send it". I told him "It's goin' out Monday". He doesn't know how jazzed I can get over a call like that.
Gotta get upstairs, got some apples to peel.
posted by Jory Downer at
4:59 AM
4 Comments:
shoulda told me; I'd have taken a couple stollen, too. And sent some to my parents, while I'm at it.
Meanwhile, I made the pretzels/rolls again. I ended up mixing/kneading the dough BY HAND. Yeah; no mixer at Alan's house. Got a good upper body workout. Other problem was that his kitchen is cold (with granite counters), so raising was slooooowwwww. But, hey, I've only made them twice, so I have two more tries to get it right.
This time I didn't egg wash them, just sprinkled the salt on them, and I liked that better. The baking soda works just fine, as does malted barley sugar and dried yeast.
Cool comments from the German fans; not surprised, though.
if only i'da known!!
malted barley sugar? please enlighten me.
yeah, sad about the german bakery situation. i've had other emails with him. the situation in germany has gone the same way as here, no time this, no time that, frozen raw product, etc. i assured him there are a few renegades......
Mr. Christy is not your only blog follower way out of reach of all the deliciousness you write about. I live in Memphis and dream of taking a road trip that revolves around a visit to Bennisons! But what I really wanted to tell you is that you need to write a book (in your spare time). It could be about anything and I'm sure it would be a best seller. You need to give this some thought!
my wife and i are headin' to memphis, february 18th. been thru there before, but this time, goin' to graceland.
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