January 2, 2012 - 8:20pm
KC Area TFL Meet Up - Jan 21, 2012
I've made a tentative reservation for a meet up of KC area TFL folks at Barley's Brewhouse in Shawnee, KS. The location is approximately midway between all the home towns of the majority of the area bakers that have contacted me so far. The meet up date and time is planned for 4-6PM on 21 January 2012. The restaurant is a no smoking establishment. We will have a separate area from the bar that seats 35 people.
If you're interested in attending and haven't contacted me yet, please do so soon so that I can give the restaurant a number of expected attendees.
I've updated the post as of 10 January 2012 further down the list of entries. Just read a little bit further on.
Jim Gemborys
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I plan to be there, Jim.
Paul
Count me in too!
Wow, I am new to TLF from KC area, have been interested in the art of bread baking. I couldn't really believe my senses, when I saw that we were having a gathering for the bread lovers and appreciators in Shawnee, KS. This sounds very exciting, my wife and I plan to be there. Since, I am new to this forum, if someone could give me a background/agenda on our first group meeting it would great.
Agenda? What agenda? In all honesty, I have no big agenda in mind at all. This is a just a meet up to see who is on the other side of the screen names, bat the breeze about baking bread, and give our spouses and SOs a chance to realize that there are other people that enjoy baking bread. While I want to encourage folks to bring along any dried sourdough starter they may have to swap, give away, or to help someone get off the ground in sourdough baking, you don't need to do so to gain entrance. This is intended to be fun.
Some of the subjects we should be ready to share is where to find flours, both fresh milled and packaged, at the best prices, gadgets and widgets that home bakers use, and bakeries that are worth stopping by. Anything else that relates to bread baking will be a welcome addition. We can have the space for about two hours. I don't know if we can find enough to keep everybody interested for two hours but I figure that everything new that I learn will be all bonus.
Besides your wife, bring your enthusiasm, any information you have that's worth sharing, and a willingness to listen. It could get loud on occasion.
Jim Gemborys
Jim,
Thanks for your feedback/background on the meeting, sounds good to me. I am not sure about the sourdough starter- since, I haven't dwelt into that category yet- but would love to get started. I will for sure bring my enthusiasm and my tales on bread baking and beyond.
I received a confirmation call from Barley's Brewhouse banquet manager tonight. We discussed what the intention of the meeting was and who the attendees might be. They aren't intimidated by the prospect of people talking about and sampling breads. Because of the nature of the meeting, they will give us individual checks for our orders whether they be coffee, soda, or adult beverages. We'll be meeting in their loft area.
As I mentioned earlier, they're OK with us bringing in samples of what we bake to be shared among us. I don't know how they would feel if someone were to bring in a cutting board and bread knife so perhaps pre-sliced samples might be a good idea unless the bread is meant to be simply torn by hand. Can someone bring a small bottle of olive oil?
I've received an excellent suggestion that we show our appreciation to the business by bringing in a loaf of bread for the manager. I think that we should also consider loaves for the wait staff and bartenders. Five loaves or so around 1 lb. each should make the employees happy. If you agree with me and are willing to bake a loaf for the employees, get in touch with me through the TFL message service.
So things are in motion now. If everyone that has expressed interest in the meeting shows up, we should have an interesting crowd. If there are people who were sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see if anything got off the ground before speaking up, you're still welcome. Please get in touch so I can keep the restaurant informed as to the number of attendees to expect.
Jim Gemborys