Jim Henkens: A photographer of refined tastes

Posted on by

If you have picked up Leslie Mackie’s latest book More from Macrina, you may have spent some time gazing at the photos…and salivating for what you see. We don’t blame you! Jim Henkens is one of the Northwest’s finest fashion, food and travel photographers, and he captures our artisan loaves,chocolate ganache and coconut cream tartlets among others with delicate and natural elegance. Throughout the book, the photos exhibit a beautiful attention to detail that conveys exactly how Leslie intended each of her creations to be. You will notice the character of Macrina: a true, effortless determination to create beautiful culinary masterpieces from scratch.

Eighteen years ago, Jim began his career in photography shooting fashion in Milan. Inspired by his passions for travel, cooking, wine and gardening, Jim’s repertoire has expanded to include all of these areas with a perfectionist’s subtle tone. Throughout all of his work, Jim’s attention to detail and ability to exhibit the simplicity of a loaf of bread with depth and tastefulness is stunning.

We are thrilled and proud to display Jim’s photography as it is a perfect and precise portrayal of Macrina’s offerings, as well as the kitchen itself— not much different from your kitchen— simple, refined and with traces of flour sprinkled throughout.

During the month of November, you’ll find some of Jim’s photography from the cookbook on the walls of our Belltown café. We hope you enjoy them just as much as we do.

Leslie’s Book Signing Events

Posted on by

After a year of writing, editing and recipe testing, More from Macrina is now available for you to experience our humble bakery in your home kitchen. To celebrate the book’s release, Leslie will be at several book-signing events during the upcoming months.

Pick up your copy of the cookbook and catch her at:

The Book Larder                                                            November 5 from 6:30-8pm

Ballard Town and Country Market                                 November 8 from 3-6pm

Shoreline Central Market                                               November 9 from 3-6pm

Vashon Book Shop                                                        November 10 from 5-7pm

Poulsbo Central Market                                                 November 14 from 3-6pm

City Kitchens                                                                  November 15 from 11:30-1:30pm

Bainbridge Town and Country Market                           November 16 from 3-6pm

Elliott Bay Book Company                                              November 18 from 2-3pm

University Book Store                                                     November 28 from 7pm

Mill Creek Central Market                                              November 30 from 3-6pm

Mrs. Cook’s  University Village                                       December 1 from 11:30-1:30pm

Metropolitan Market Kirkland                                         December 6 from 4-6pm

Metropolitan Market Sand Point                                     December 7 from 4-6pm

Top Pot Bellevue                                                             December 8 from 11:30-1:30pm

Island Books                                                                    December 12 from 11:30-1:30pm

More from Macrina Cookbook Launch Party

Posted on by
Leslie's new book!

Leslie’s new book!

Last night we held a celebration for the launch of Leslie’s new cookbook, More from Macrina. It was an opportunity to gather with friends and family while honoring the Macrina community. Leslie signed cookbooks while sampling some of the delicious recipes. Favorites included the Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chocolate Melts, the Best BLT Ever and our Pane Francese with Mission Fig and Kalamata Tapenade.

Kelly and Tim Hightower from Hightower Cellars provided glasses of their Estate Blend, which is made from the same grapes that we use in the starter for our Pane Francese.

It was a great night! Leslie will be signing her new cookbook at various locations around town, beginning with our own cafes this weekend. Catch her at our Belltown Café on Saturday and our McGraw Café on Sunday. Both events start at 10am. Leslie will be signing books until 1pm. We’ll also be sampling recipes, decorating cupcakes and making cookies until 4pm. Be sure to check our blog again for more book signing updates!

The Perfect Roll for a Perfect Sandwich at Paseo

Posted on by

The Cuban RoastEvery day four of our bakers spend several hours forming, shaping and baking hundreds of our crusty, fragrant Giuseppe rolls for delivery to one of Seattle’s favorite eateries, Paseo.

Lorenzo Lorenzo (his real name – Paseo’s owner and chef) has worked for years to perfect the Cuban Roast, a sandwich made with succulent pulled pork marinated in his secret combination of spices and served with seasoned aioli, cilantro, incredibly delectable, grilled onions, and crispy romaine.

Our Giuseppe roll is the perfect roll for a robust sandwich like the Cuban Roast. The secret to a great sandwich, we think, is the bread that holds it all together, and we’re very proud that our Giuseppe roll serves as the perfect foundation for Lorenzo’s creation. Not so soft that it collapses under the weight and juices of the sandwich ingredients and not so firm that the sandwich’s ingredients spill out into your lap when you take a bite.

Lunch!Our Giuseppe roll not only holds together Lorenzo’s creation, but perfectly complements the beautiful flavors in a way that helps Paseo sell an amazing 1,500 to 1,800 Cuban Roasts every day.

We’re proud to be a part of what makes Paseo a Seattle landmark and a must-have for food lovers across the city.  We hope when you visit Paseo (and we know you will) you’ll think of Macrina with every bite of that Cuban Roast sandwich that you’re already picturing yourself eating.

Toulouse Petit – Queen Anne

Posted on by

We’ve loved Toulouse Petit ever since owner Brian Hutmacher opened his New Orleans inspired restaurant in late 2009. Voted in 2010 as one of the Ten Best Happy Hours in the Nation, the warm, airy space is the perfect setting to enjoy their Big Easy inspired menus created by Executive Chef Eric Donnelly.

Eric appreciates that Toulouse Petit is not just one of Macrina’s customers. He’s happy when he sees Leslie and Rebecca Early, our Sales Manager, in to entertain friends or to simply have a bite to eat. “It’s good to maintain those relationships,” he says. “We’ve always been a fan of the product and the people there. They’ve taken care of us.”

We’re proud to say that our breads are a delicious part of some of their signature items. They use our potato buns during Happy Hours on their sliders and our brioche is the foundation of their beloved French Toast and their decadent White Chocolate Bread pudding. Our Potato Rolls serve as the foundation for three of their most popular sandwiches. That most New Orleanian of sandwiches, the muffaletta, comes piled with hot coppa, mortadella, soppresatta, provolone, spicy olive-pepper relish and fresh herb mayonnaise. Their hamburger is a blend of prime rib eye, Painted Hills natural short ribs and skirt steak ground in house and topped with Delice de Bourgogne Triple Cream Brie and fresh herb mayonnaise. Eric is especially proud of their lamb burger. Lamb sirloin from Anderson Ranch in the Willamette Valley is ground with shallots, clove, cumin, cardamom and other spices for a delicious, juicy burger that they top with chevre. With an a accompanying salad of hot pepper jelly, arugula, Mama Lil’s peppers, cornichons and parsley, it may be one of the best kept burger secrets in the city!

 

Introducing More from Macrina – Leslie’s Newest Cookbook

Posted on by

In 2003, I published my first cookbook, Macrina Bakery & Café, with Sasquatch Books. I felt truly blessed when it became a local best seller, as many aspiring bakers and fans of Macrina took to their kitchens to recreate some of their favorite treats from our cafes.

It’s nearly 10 years later, and Macrina has grown quite a bit. I’ve since worked with my incredible colleagues within the Macrina community to come up with so many new recipes that embrace the bakery’s roots, using locally sourced ingredients and baking and cooking with love and attention to detail. So I’m very excited to announce that on October 30, we’ll be presenting More from Macrina (once again with Sasquatch Books) – a new cookbook featuring several of my favorite recipes for artisanal breads, cakes, scones, pies, muffins and brunch specials from the Macrina kitchen.

In addition to over 70 recipes, More features baking tips and suggestions from our kitchen on “must have” and “nice to have” kitchen supplies, as well as stories about the people and partnerships that have created the Macrina community, all illustrated through beautiful photography by Jim Henkens.

I’m really excited to share this book with our friends and fans, and we’ll be launching a series of events (including book signings and demos at some of our cafes, area bookstores, retailers and some of our partner’s cafes – like Top Pot Doughnuts) where I’ll be sharing a few tips to help you recreate our recipes at home, and where you’ll be able to pick up a signed copy of the book while enjoying some of my favorite Macrina treats.

While More is a cookbook, it’s also the story of Macrina’s history and community with reflections about the people and partnerships that make Macrina such a unique and wonderful place.  The book is a great resource for bakers and chefs of all skill levels, and is a ”thank you” to everyone who has supported us over the years. As we approach the publication date at the end of October, we’ll will be posting more stories about our people, our partners and events we have planned to celebrate More from Macrina. 

I expect you’ll find the book to be a great addition to your home, and I hope it will inspire you to do what we do every day at Macrina – create delicious food that will encourage you to gather with friends and family, share stories and feed your body and soul.

Stiebrs Farms Eggs

Posted on by

Are you a fan of our fabulous weekend brunch menus and our Bialy Egg Sandwiches? This June our cafes made the switch to using cage-free eggs from Stiebrs Farms in Yelm. With their amazing golden yolks, their fresh eggs look great and taste delicious. We’re very proud to be using them for all of our brunch and café pastry offerings.

Leslie first became familiar with Stiebrs Farms eggs at the grocery store. She was delighted to learn that the eggs that she bought for home use were from Yelm. It was natural to want to use them at our cafes. As eggs age, they lose both flavor and nutritional value. Stiebrs’ proximity to Seattle helps ensure that the eggs we use are as fresh as can be.

Stiebrs Farms was one of Washington’s first cage-free and organic egg producers. Jan and Zelma Stiebrs immigrated to the United States from Latvia with their two children, Anita and Jon in 1949. They made a home for themselves in Yelm and decided to start a farm with just a dozen chickens. By 1953, their hard work had paid off and the farm had enough hens to start selling their eggs door-to-door and later to businesses in Tacoma.

In 1978 Jan and Zelma retired, passing the farm to their son Jon and his wife Dianna. Along with their children, they now employ about 70 people across 800 acres of farmland. The hens all perch in community houses and are outside all day, except when the temperature is too cold.  The Stiebrs own a feed mill and produce all of their feed for the chickens on the farm, using a blend of corn, wheat, soybean meal and oyster shells which help to create a stronger eggshell.  They also employ a nutritionist to make sure that each chicken’s diet is complete. Jon is quick to point out that their source of eggs is self-sustaining; they raise all of their replacement hens.  John is very proud of the quality of his eggs and we are pleased to be using them.

When we are not baking bread…

Posted on by
Trusty baguettes in hand, Rebecca Early, Christina Gimenez, Scott and Rebecca France, Jane Cho, Fanny Alvarado and Anna Moomaw gird for the Dash.

Trusty baguettes in hand, Rebecca Early, Christina Gimenez, Scott and Renee France, Jane Cho, Fanny Alvarado and Anna Moomaw gird for the Dash.

Fire. Cargo net obstacles. Barricades. Rusted out vehicles. Lots and lots of mud. A scene out of some post-apocalyptic nightmare or a pleasantly diverting way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Our staff would say the latter.

During a meeting few months ago, someone (no one can remember who) thought that it would be fun to go on a team-building outing. The Warrior Dash came up, and a week or so later, Scott France was asking who wanted to join in the muddy fun. So a couple of weeks ago, Head Pastry Chef Jane Cho, Wholesale Manager Fanny Alvarado, Wholesale Sales Manager Rebecca Early, Wholesale and Wedding Cake Coordinator Anna Moomaw, Benefits Administrator Christina Gimenez, Scott and Renee France and Matt Galvin ran in this year’s Warrior Dash. The “Macrina Maniacs” as they called themselves steeled themselves for what was sure to be a tough day. The Dash calls itself “as much a mental challenge as a physical one” and the Maniacs agree. Wielding loaves of Macrina baguettes, they ran, crawled, climbed, jumped and scrambled their way over a 3.5-mile course filled with a variety of body-bruising obstacles.

Two obstacles in particular were notable for their difficulty. The Deadman’s Drop was a wall that had small ledges in it for footing about 20 feet high that bowed out slightly at the top. Rebecca said this one was particularly challenging, as you had to throw your leg over the top part of the wall to make it over. The Muddy Mayhem was just gross. Imagine wading chest deep in a chocolate milkshake, except smellier. And muddier.

Both Rebecca and Anna said that it was an extremely challenging course but agreed that they were both exhilarated after the race and were “absolutely” going to run in it next year. Scott saw it was a good chance to get together outside of work and have some fun…even if only one baguette survived the Dash!

 

The Feast Of St. Macrina

Posted on by

Anyone who has ever visited a predominantly Catholic country has likely experienced store closures due to a feast day of the town’s patron saint.  Looking at the calendar of Catholic Feast days, one may quickly be impressed by the sheer number of them. February 1st alone has 67. When one considers that there are more saints than days of the year and that there is a ranking system to assign how Feast days are celebrated, it can get confusing. Many Feast days involve processions through the streets, feasts and festivals to remember the saint of honor. Depending on the importance of the saint, businesses in the whole town may close for the day. Lesser-known saints may simply have their name mentioned during Mass.

There are only a few days you’ll find our bakery and café closed for a feast, Saint Macrina’s Feast Day is one of them. Though technically her feast day is July 19th, we will be closing at noon on Tuesday, July 17th, for our own company feast to celebrate our great staff, their families and our community here at Macrina. We will resume our normal business hours on July 18th.  Learn a little more about how our company was named on our history page.

Bread Guild

Posted on by

We’re very proud that our founder, Leslie Mackie, has been elected as a board member of The Bread Bakers Guild of America! The Bread Bakers Guild is the nation’s premier organization that is devoted to the art and the science of bread.  More than 1,300 members from across the United States and around the world make up the Guild community. Leslie joined the Guild 19 years ago. She was eager to meet and connect with the other bakers, millers, farmers and suppliers that make up the membership of the Guild.  She says that it was and continues to be a great support system and resource. Thanks to the Guild, Leslie has met bakers who have become friends from all over the country.

This appointment reflects the respect that the professional baking community has for Leslie and her dedication to making artisanal breads accessible to everyone.  Keeping in mind that there is always something new to learn, the Guild is committed to providing continuing education and educational resources to artisanal bakers, supporting them and celebrating their craft and passion.  Leslie’s enthusiasm and love of baking will serve her well as a member of the Membership and National Events committees. She is very excited to serve on the Board, noting that it will be “interesting and fun” to be closer to the visionaries of the Guild and will give her the chance to meet more bakers from around the country.

Congratulations Leslie!