Aloha all,
It has been awhile since my last confession, these are my sins… Whoah! where did that come from? I thought I had purged all that stuff.
It has been a while since the last update for a good reason, though I can’t think of one right now. Many things have taken place but probably the most pertinent to this communication is that I will be teaching a (day long) class this fall through Waimea continuing education. You can check it out here http://www.waimeaeducation.com/classes/252/breadmaking-stone-hearth-baking. They were going to use a picture but I’m too scary looking. It was just going to be a bread and dough class but I figured what the hey, I got this oven here so let’s show it off. They will even pay me money to to talk about my favorite subject in the whole world, Me. Bread too.
The other incident of importance was an article written by a friend and published in the local (very local) paper. Business after that has really picked up, also bolstered by the closing (sadly) of the only decent bread bakery on the island, O’Keefe’s. I’m really bummed about it but I am sure Jim will reinvent himself and succeed in his next venture. He has worn many hats and I think there are a few out there yet that will fit him fine.
This leaves anybody looking for good bread staring directly at me. This, however has not changed the size of my oven so I have been limited in my ability to help folks out. I have been trying to push my meager production but when I get too ambitious I tend to burn the extra amount I was going for anyway. It’s looking like 50 to 55 loaves without refiring is about the maximum. Besides I got spoiled when my brother Martin came over for the month and volunteered as oven tender and did a good job, thank you very much. He really likes lighting fires. Who knew. Except maybe his elementary school teachers and a cop or two. But he went back to Santa Cruz now that the heat is off and all of those fires that nobody can figure out how they started are out. He has a month long alibi. That leaves me to work the oven and I do okay until I try to push too hard, then oops–pre-toasted bread.
The farmer’s market in Kawaihae has now started. You should see Kay sell bread! Like a woman possessed or possibly a woman about to have stuff repossessed if the bread doesn’t sell. I simply can’t do anything but watch in amazement at her energy level. Those people don’t stand a chance. I like the idea and the location of the market, but we need more vendors to attract more shoppers. I am sure if we fill it they will come. This puts me in the locations I had envisioned early on, the triangle of Waikoloa, Waimea and Kahwaihae. These are my base of operations from which we will take over New York, Beijing and Rio de Janero… and my master plan will be complete! Ah Ha Ha Ha!
Kay and I are now in the position of trying to decide if it is time to order another slightly larger oven which would be more stationary. This could be fired early in the morning to give us a good sized batch of bread to sell, then the smaller one could be used to bake at the various sites. We need to see just what we can do with only the two of us as I am allergic to employees.
I still haven’t finished our brochure, though it is probably ready to be gone over by a professional, and tee-shirts are still pending, maybe this will be the month for those.
I hope everyone is well and happy.
Kevin Cabrera
Itinerant Baker
Big Island,
Hawaii
