Refresh, Renew & Lime Walnut Bread Too!

Happy New Year, here we go for another trip around the sun.  2011 was a good year here in Bagel-land, but personally I am ready for 2012.  Something about the new year, resolutions, fresh starts ..it all makes me very hopeful.

An ongoing tradition at Los Bagels is that we close from December 24th through January 2nd, this gives everyone a nice break and time to actually enjoy the Holidays with family and friends.  It also gives us a chance to do major upgrades to the shops and some serious deep cleaning.  The truly great part of this break is that everyone comes back refreshed, and in good spirits.  We employ about 45 people, most doing customer service and production work, our staff is a tight knit group.  However, by December 23rd even the most diehard Bagelero is pretty well "over it", tempers flair, limits are pushed and friendships are tested.  Keeping the shops running smoothly can be a little touch and go right up until the closed sign gets flipped at 5 p.m. 

Coming back to work after New Year's is really a treat. Everyone is talking about their adventures while we were on vacation.  Who headed south to LA? Who saw a great New Years Eve concert in San Francisco? Who stayed up here and got Redwood National Park to themselves?

All of us in the Los Bagels family are lucky to have this break to recharge, refresh and renew.  It is only unfortunate for Humboldt natives who live out of the area and return for the Holidays, only to find their favorite bagel shop in the world closed.  We hope you understand and it's a good excuse to visit at another time of year.

This year our most popular Holiday Bread was our outrageously good "Lime Walnut Bread"  to start the year out on a generous note, here is the recipe.  Feel free to share this with your friends and family to keep them warm and toasty through the coming months.  This recipe and all your other fav's are in Los Bagels Recipes & Lore, 3rd edition. Feliz Año Nuevo!

Become "One" with the Huckleberry

Los Bagel's Huckleberry Loaves are coming out of the oven as we speak, the smell wafting down "I" Street in Arcata has people wandering into the shop...they don't even know why.  Their eyes are glazed over, their lips are trembling and their eyes are searching for the source of the outrageously good smell.

Fresh baked Huckleberry loaves just don't happen.  All summer and fall our friends Peter and Tsering, way out in Petrolia on the Lost Coast, are hand picking these sensational berries.  Hucks are a small juicy berry with an unparallelled flavor, way better than a blackberry, more delicate than the raspberry, and don't even get me going about blueberries. 

If you've ever done any berry picking, you know that it is hard work and takes an enormous amount of patience, diligence and self control.  Tsering annually picks about 200 lbs of hucks for us!

These berries truly shine in our Holiday Dessert Loaf.  Grab one at the shop, or order one online to treat your friends and loved ones. Feeling adventurous? Grab a copy of our Cookbook and make the bread yourself, the recipe is in there...along with all your other favorites!

Among the really hard core berry pickers, secret picking spots are protected and shared only with trusted family members.  After some serious picking we've seen people with red stained arms all the way to their elbows.  ...No, this business is not for the light of heart or the weak of spirit, you must be "one" with the berry.

Tom Kent at www.florafinder.com is totally at "one" with the berry.  Check it out his description of the mighty Huckleberry.

This image of ripe Huckleberries in the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is taken by Gordon Leppig and Andrea J. Pickart. Click on the berries to check out the great chart they built detailing the flora about 15 miles south of Los Bagels. 

Here's Wishing You a Berriliscous Holiday Season!
Los Bagels

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos at Los Bagels!

El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, November 1 and 2, is a national holiday in Mexico.  It's origins are found in ancient ceremonies of indigenous Mexicans.

Death has a unique persona in Mexico which is not found anywhere else in the world.  In the pre-Hispanic cultures death was just a further step in life itself, a step which offered a security and serenity markedly contrasting with the suffering and worries which afflicted mankind in this world of hardships.  Life and death compliment each other.  The ancient Mexicans believed that life issued from death just as death issued from life.

With the introduction of Catholicism, attention was no longer focused on Death itself, but rather on the dead and on the spirits.  And so the Mexican people celebrate every November 2 on the return of their dear departed who, as ethereal souls, come back for one day to their burial place and the home where they lived.

In many homes a ritual altar is prepared to honor the returning souls.  The altars are often adorned with Zempasuchitl, a kind of marigold which is the traditional flower of the dead.  There is incense (copal) and a candle to light the way for each returning soul.  Food is prepared, always the dish of which the dead is fondest in life.  A glass of water is set out and the personal mementos and an image of the person.

For children, delightful toys, usually skeletons made of paper mache and wire are created for the Day of the Dead.  These calaveras or skulls, and dancing skeletons are wonderfully amusing.  All walks of life and occupations are depicted.  there are even toy cardboard coffins from which a skeleton can be made to jump by pulling a string.

Today in Mexico, Day of the Dead is a tradition that is rapidly changing.  Although celebrated traditionally in rural Mexico, in the urban centers the Halloween influence of the United States is evident.  It is important to remember that Dia de los Muertos is not Halloween for its' origin and traditions are different.  It is from the ancient indigenous traditions and beliefs which held that Death defines life and that our deaths illuminate our lives.

We make pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) everyday, but we produce a special type for Day of the Dead.  It comes in three shapes, (two human forms) men, women and round with crossed bones on top.  They are made from a bread dough which is flavored with cinnamon and sugar and decorated with colored sugars, and are great with Mexican hot chocolate.  They are a symbol of the departed family and friends and are also an offering on the ofrenda.  The bread is baked for both the living and the dead- since antiquity bread has symbolized the mainstay of human life.

Look for Pan de Muerto and ofrendas at all three Los Bagels locations during the Dia da los Muertos celebration, or order it online and have it shipped in for Wednesday November 2nd.

The altar (ofrenda) is central to observing the Day of the Dead and is maintained to ensure good relations between the family on earth and family in the after world.

Whatever the deceased enjoyed in life is remembered in preparing the alter.  Photographs occupy the center, and names are spelled out with cloves on fruits and with pen on nuts. Religious images are placed on the alter, in the hope that the saints thus venerated will intercede for the protection of the soul on its' journey back to the after world.  Decorations may also include a Tree of Death, tombstones, lyres, flowers, skulls and skeletons of all sizes and materials, copal and delicately formed hearts.

Altars can be an eight-course, multi-level feat with enough "soul foods" set out to provide the sustenance required for the visiting soul.  These include dishes traditionally prepared for the Day of the Dead, such as chicken in red or black mole sprinkled with sesame seeds; fruit., beans, tortillas, and tamales made from fresh hand-ground corn; soft drinks; and as always, a glass of water to refresh the travel-wearied souls.  Altars honoring children include a small bowl of milk, special cakes called mamones, copal, pieces of chocolate, little apples, miniature candlesticks and a profusion of toys and sweetmeats. Los Bagels will be offering mole on a bagel, starting October 29th.

Once the honored guest has extracted the essence of the refreshments, they are shared with family and friends, who have often traveled long distances to take part in the family's annual reunion.

Hasta la proxima vida.

Lime Corn or Corn Lime

Los Bagels Lime Corn cookies are one of the freakishly good items that you can only get at Los Bagels.  The recipe was developed years ago by our long time baker Jodie Harriel and to date, this is our best selling sweet treat. This cookie is the epitome of a multicultural experience...are there any other cookies on earth that get referred to as "zesty"  ...we think not.   

The magic taste of this cookie has traveled outside Humboldt County.  Tierra Vegetables in Windsor California is a fan,  we hear someone is working on a Gluten Free version  and now you can purchase them straight from the source and we will ship them right to your door.

If you are ready to get in the kitchen and make them yourself (they are incredible right out of the oven!)  here is the recipe.  This is taken from Los Bagels Recipes and Lore.

Whether you call them "Lime Corn Cookies" or "Corn Lime Cookies"  we don't mind, just remember the first place you tried the original zesty cookie.

Getting Toasted, and the Fountain of Youth



Our New T-shirt.



"Would you like that toasted?"  Believe it or not these words never echoed through Los Bagels until the late 1990's when Dennis, Peter and John finally broke down and bought a toaster.  As any purist will tell you, a bagel should not be toasted, it should be eaten fresh out of the oven in all its' chewy glory. 

Luckily, heaps of people like their bagels toasted.  It does have some benefits, such as, crispy edges, melted cream cheese, and the seeds which adorn the exterior of the bagel, reaching their flavor peak.  I count myself among the toasted bagel population and I am not ashamed of this fact, even at the expense of a wee bit of my "bagel street cred"...which is extensive.

This week, Los Bagels did it again, bringing in toasters to the Humboldt State Depot where no toaster has gone before.  HSU Students can now share in the magical phrase, "Would you like that toasted?"

Speaking of students, life here at Los Bagels and I'm sure many other college towns, revolves around the yearly influx and inevitable retreat of college students.  Spending time on campus indoctrinating the newbies into the ways of our multicultural cafe gave me great joy this year.  Seeing the 18 years olds, fresh from Southern California, staring at the redwood trees and trying to look "cool." Their proud parents sharing stories, and wondering why it is so cold here in August.   I enjoyed the energy of transformation as "move in day" got rolling in the early dawn hours.  Talking to the students and parents, giving unsolicited advice on where you have the best chance to see Bigfoot. Mud splattered cars packed to the gills with all the stuff a college freshman needs, kids on skateboards blowing through stop signs without an apparent care in the world. 

I took a moment to realize that in fact these students and their parents embody the cycle of life.  We are so blessed to share in this cycle, I may never be 18 again, but in about 17 years, I will hopefully be at some college sharing in my sons' dreams of the future.  My grandfather said that existence was about "life everlasting"...and I'm starting to understand what he meant.

What is LOX?

Is there anything tastier than a bagel with cream cheese and lox?  Perhaps the only thing better is a bagel with cream cheese, lox, Larrupin sauce, Slug Slime and Tabasco. We are truly blessed here on the Redwood Coast to live in close proximity to salmon habitat.  Off the coast of Humboldt County it has been a banner year for salmon fishing.  This is very encouraging not only for everyone who likes to eat salmon, but for all the people who work at restoring their habitat and ensuring their survival for future generations.  Here is a picture of three Chinook Salmon caught this week about four miles south of Trinidad, the two on the right weighted about 17 pounds each.

At Los Bagels, our salmon come from Alaska. Our fish are wild, as opposed to farmed, and our most popular variety is"lox."   One of the eternal questions of bagel culture is "What is lox?"
 
Lox is a salmon fillet that has been cured.   In its most popular form, it is thinly sliced—less than 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in thickness—and, typically, served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato or capers.  Noted for its importance in Ashkenazic Jewish cuisine, the food and its name were introduced to the United States through Scandinavian immigrants, though it was popularized by Jewish immigrants. The term lox derives from Lachs in German and לאַקס (laks) in Yiddish, meaning "salmon".

Lox is traditionally made by brining the salmon in a solution of water, salt, sugars and spices (the brine).

Then the brined fish is cold smoked.  This means it is placed in a smoker which stays at about 70 degrees °F.   In this temperature range, foods take on a smoked flavor, but remain relatively moist. Cold smoking does not cook foods. This leaves the salmon with a beautiful red/pink color and a great texture.  Of course, this process has many variations depending on cultures and types of salmon.

There you have it, a brief description of how lox is made.  And now for a picture of a fishing GOD.  Thank you Salmon.

The History of the Truchas Gallery

Step into Los Bagels Bakery and Café, on Second Street in Old Town Eureka, and experience one of the great landmarks on the North Coast.  Los Bagels is the multicultural hot spot for the region.  Even before you taste the food, your eyes will feast on the eclectic mix of artwork adorning the walls.  The Truchas Gallery is located within the café.   The name “Truchas” comes from the Spanish word “trout” and was named, not only for Los Bagels founder Dennis Rael’s fondness for fishing, but for the town of Truchas, New Mexico.  Mr. Rael’s family has roots in this beautiful region of the Southwest, long before his grandparents migrated west to California.

Dennis Rael as a (very) young man

Featuring a rotating selection of the region’s best artists, the exposed brick wall leaves plenty of room for large works and three dimensional displays.  The other walls house a permanent collection, featuring a large three panel mural created by children at the Equinox School in Arcata. 

   

Equinox School mural

Above the deli area are a collection of large caricatures originally created for a Martin Luther King Jr. parade at the Trinidad Town Hall.  These images represent Rosa Parks, Stevie Wonder, Mother Teresa, Frida Kahlo and Martin Luther King Jr., and capture the true multicultural essence of Los Bagels. 

 

Quietly hung out of harm’s way, are also two rare giclee prints by Robert Cassila.  Cassila illustrated the bestselling children’s book, “Jalapeno Bagels” by Natasha Wing.  This book is based on Los Bagels and founder Dennis Rael.  Mr. Rael grew up with a Jewish mother and a Latino father, celebrating customs from both sides of his family.  His multicultural upbringing in southern California inspired Mr. Rael to start Los Bagels over 26 years ago.  Natasha Wing’s story is based on a boy named Pablo who can’t decide what to bring to school for “International Day.”  This book has been a best seller in children’s literature, and is currently required reading for many second graders across America.  Signed copies of the book are available in the café and online.

Depending on the season the café may be adorned with a Day of the Dead ofrenda, a collection of Judaica from around the world, or even handmade tin hearts from Oaxaca, Mexico.   The menu at Los Bagels is as diverse as the collection of artwork.  Featuring the tastes of Mexico combined with traditional Jewish fare, Los Bagels offers boiled then baked bagels, along with a great selection of toppings, including smoked turkey, lox, hummus and a great variety of spreads.  In the pastry case find handmade croissants, rugalah, challah and a selection of muffins and cookies that is sure to please. Serving fresh seasonal local produce, gourmet coffee and espresso, Los Bagels will delight the most discriminating palette, yet is fun and family friendly.