Bread, Not Politics, Rules The Day
posted by Dan Filler
A day after a major election, what rises to the top of the New York Times’ “most emailed” list? Rumsfeld’s resignation? The power shift in the House? No. Instead, a delightful pair: The Secret of Great Bread – Let Time Do The Work and its companion Recipe: No Knead Bread. Perhaps this intense interest in baking is understandable. The election is over and everyone needs a break. What could be more soothing than preparing a delicious loaf of homemade bread, then eating it? Perhaps all of us – Dems and Republicans alike – should get together over a fat yeasty loaf prepared strictly according to the Times recipe.
I wonder how long this languid state will continue. Will tomorrow’s most emailed article be another feel good piece – island spa massages under the stars, perhaps? – a chirpy politics cum pop-culture article (Obama’s book hits #1 on the charts) – or an anxiety inducing review of the Supreme Court’s argument on partial birth abortion? I know that I’ll need a day or two to relax and return to my normal business. Lacking the time to engage a fabulous slow-rising boule, perhaps I’ll stroll over to Cosi and purchase a squagel. It’ll go perfectly with the morning paper.
November 9, 2006 at 12:14 am
Posted in: Culture
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Responses (4)
NJLS - November 9, 2006 at 10:00 am
Perhaps the picture is not as bleak as you paint it, and perhaps the American electorate doesn’t necessarily need “a break” — perhaps the metric you are relying on is inappropriate. The top 10 most searched terms on the NYT’s website include: election, Iraq, China, North Korea, India, immigration, education, and Saddam. “Bread” is noticeably not listed. There probably is not much of a need to email someone a story about the election, Iraq or North Korea because the major news outlets are covering them extensively.
So cheer up — I doubt we are mired in a “languid state” . . . while we could always use a more informed, active, and concerned electorate, I would be hesitant to base such wide-sweeping pessimism on an emailed recipe.
kmg - November 9, 2006 at 10:06 am
Now, Dan, that’s not completely fair. I’ve been looking for a good no-knead bread recipe since before I could vote, and after staying up until nearly 1am to watch returns, I wasn’t in very good shape to do much else.
Dan Filler - November 9, 2006 at 4:46 pm
NJLS, I must not have been clear. I wasn’t displeased or pessimistic by the popular interest in bread. Indeed, I promptly clipped the recipe as an activity for a cold winter day.
NJLS - November 9, 2006 at 5:01 pm
My apologies…I read the posting to express disappointment in popular discussion following the election. As for the recipe, I thank you for pointing it out — I forwarded it along w/ the hopes of it appearing on my family’s Thanksgiving table!
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