Food Friday: Baking 7/27/18

Dora Swan and Rob Handel of fin: your fishmonger in Guilderland, New York join Food Friday to discuss seafood grilling. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

Tony Carlotto and Darby Weigel of Rolling Rock Farm shift their focus from seasonings to cheese as they join Leah and Justin Kruszyna from the upcoming Cheshire Cheese Fest in western Massachusetts. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

Summer has officially arrived and farmers markets are in full swing in the WAMC region. Joining us on Food Friday is Liz Comitale, the manager of the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market. Vendors Dale Ila Riggs of The Berry Patch and Jess Garritty of Collar City Cold Pressed Juice are also in the studio. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

Bruce Weinstein joins Food Friday to discuss his latest book with his co-author Mark Scarbrough, The Kitchen Shortcut Bible. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

Dale Davidson and Ariel Robinson of Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar in Albany, NY join Food Friday to explore world cuisine. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

Elisabeth Grace is a retired clinical social worker with English and Scottish roots, who shares her home in Columbia County with a demanding blue-eyed cat and a newcomer, a little brown dog named Lilah.

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Making a lemon meringue pie from scratch is labor intensive. I need a special occasion to embark on it, like a Thanksgiving dinner or a significant birthday, so when I was invited to the party planned to celebrate two special birthdays one day last summer, I asked one of the two hostesses, wife of one of the birthday boys, if such a pie would be acceptable. “One of my favorites!” she responded enthusiastically.

The red and white checquered cook-book fell open at page 311, as if I made lemon meringue pies every day. I scanned the ingredients, checked what I was missing and went to the supermarket the following day to buy frozen pie-shells (I'm not a purist) and pick out three perfect lemons.

This is the must-have baking book for bakers of all skill levels. Since 1992, Michigan's renowned artisanal bakery, Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, has fed a fan base across the United States and beyond with their chewy-sweet brownies and gingersnaps, famous sour cream coffee cake, and fragrant loaves of Jewish rye, challah, and sourdough. It's no wonder Zingerman's is a cultural and culinary institution. Now, for the first time, to celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Zingerman's bakers share 65 meticulously tested, carefully detailed recipes in a beautiful hardcover book featuring more than 50 color photographs and bountiful illustrations. Behind-the-scenes stories of the business enrich this collection of best-of-kind, delicious recipes for every "I can't believe I get to make this at home!" treat.

Frank Carollo, baker extraordinaire and co-owner of Zingerman's Bakehouse, joins us this morning. 

  Bill Yosses was the White House Pastry Chef from 2007-2014, hired by First Lady Laura Bush and baking under The Obamas -- working with First Lady Michelle Obama on her Let’s Move! Campaign - specifically by increasing the use of fresh, natural ingredients and decreasing the portion size and amount of refined sugar.

Since leaving Washington DC, Yosses has operated The Perfect Pie in New York City and since February he’s provided the pre-show pies for the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney-Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street in New York City.

The Sweet Spot: Dialing Back Sugar and Amping Up Flavor is a new cookbook, co-written by Yosses and Peter Kaminsky and featuring wonderful photographs by Evan Sung.

Food Friday favorite Amy Halloran returns to the show today. She is joined by Sharon Burns Leader of Bread Alone Bakery, which has numerous locations in the NY's Hudson Valley. They are here to discuss baking. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

  Jeanne Sauvage is a blogger, baker, and author who lives with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington.

She has two baking books to check out, Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays: 60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treatsand her new book Gluten-Free Wish List: Sweet and Savory Treats You've Missed the Most.