The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Birthday cake and wood oven bagels

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Birthday cake and wood oven bagels

A busy morning today.  First up was a birthday party for my son at a local rollerskating rink.  The high point was the Spy vs. Spy theme cake that dstroy decorated:

Based on this image.  Note that the wick of the bomb was a candle.

After that it was over to Tastebud, where Peter Reinhart was meeting with a bunch of Portlanders who are testing the recipes for his upcoming book.

I met a number of his testers and tried a few of their creations, which were all good.  As I said in my previous post, I'm looking forward to trying the new set of recipes they are coming up with.

We also tried some of the wood oven bagels that they make at Tastebud.

Delicious, dense, shiny, and chewy, definitely the best bagels I've had in Portland. 

Tastebud is walking distance from the apartment I lived in in college and where we lived when we got married.  Sigh... if only it had been there when I lived in the neighborhood, back when "weekend mornings" meant "brunch," not "cartoons."  Oh well...

Comments

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Wonderful photos...looks like you guys had a great time!  Hey,  today is also my Grandson's 12th Birthday!!  I've been up since 4:30AM this morning and went on my second ever Ocean fishing trip with the family! 

Sylvia

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Wow, exciting.  Happy Birthday!

mountaindog's picture
mountaindog

Wow, I see dstroy hasn't lost her touch with the birthday cakes, that's a good one! Must have been nice for you and Peter to catch up, Portland sounds like a city of great bakers and bakeries!

dstroy's picture
dstroy

heh thanks!

The funniest part was when the boy went to blow out the candle and Floyd popped a paper bag that made the kids jump. :-D

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

What an adorable cake you have made for your sons birthday!   I got such a laugh out of what Floyd did with the paper bag...I can just see those kids faces!!

Sylvia

xaipete's picture
xaipete

That's really funny. Sounds like something I would have done when our kids were young! Great looking cake!

--Pamela

Marni's picture
Marni

Does your son pick these designs for his cakes?  Not many kids know these characters!  I  love the "bang" sound effect.

How do you know Peter Reinhart?  I've seen the interview with him on the front page, but haven't read it yet.  I guess TFL is more famous than I realized.  Thanks for bringing all this to us  on the web!

Marni

Floydm's picture
Floydm

I gave my son a book of Spy vs. Spy cartoons for Christmas this year.  He loves them, so we figured it would make a good birthday design.  But, yes, you are right that most of the people who go "Spy vs. Spy?   Wow, what a great idea!" are a generation or two older than he is.

I worked in Peter's bakery while I was in high school (I just noticed the pajamas I'm wearing tonight is a ratty old Brother Juniper's sweat shirt I still have and a pair of sweatpants).  We've kept in touch a bit since and, yes, the experience I had in his bakery was certainly the primary inspiration for the baking I've done since (not to mention starting this website).

raidar's picture
raidar

Spy vs Spy is awesome. Great work...and you worked with Peter..fantastic!

mredwood's picture
mredwood

I have to add my thanks for the photos taken at Tastebud. I really wanted to be there but ... You know life sometimes changes your plans. I had a terrible nite and didn't sleep and a friend came over in the morning. I thought I probably should finish my bagel boiling and baking instead of going to Tastebud and having the best bagel in town. My bagels come out ok. Not as dense as they should be and very, very sour. I had added a touch of ascorbic acid to my sour dough. I don't know if that made the sour sourer or that I had it out and refreshed it every day for a week. Very very sour. I actually liked them but they are not good enough to give away.

Everyones loaves of bread look so wonderful it always makes me hunger for a nice piece of  bread. 

How does one become a tester? Sounds like that might be serious business fun. 

Thank you all for taking the time to post. This is a wonderful website. I have learned so much from so many.

Mariah

LindyD's picture
LindyD

You sure have a flair, dstroy, for creative cakery.  Accolades to you - and to Floyd for the sound effects.  Hope you had your cameras going as that had make for some funny moments.

Nice photos of bakers P & F.  Not sure if I'm more envious of the gathering at Tastebuds or the fact you don't need to be draped in goose down!

Mariah, you can sign up to be a tester for Peter by responding when he puts out a public call for volunteers at his website.  

ETA:  Apparently there is a new call for volunteers - you'll find more info at his forum for testers.

MikeC's picture
MikeC

Floyd,

Your wife did a great job decorating that cake.  How wonderful you are able to spend time with Peter, it must be very enlightening.  It sounds like the day was fun for everyone.

M

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Thanks for sharing another Birthday original! Love the wick and the sound effects! Bet you had them all screaming!

And thank you for some pics of Peter and You and Bagels! Oooh..I have got to try some. Do you believe I went home to Connecticut on Friday for my Aunt's 80th birthday and didn't even get a chance to grab a bagel that I have been missing for so long!! and here I am, back on Sunday..I came home a day early to miss the nor'easter that was coming in!! They're talking a foot or more of snow in 12 hours. But all is not lost..now I can go taste test a toothsome bagel..now that I have heard your blessing!

Betty