.Well, I got a part-time baking job. The place I work at is Le Succes, a bonafide French bakery located on Staples just south of the Saratoga intersection. I just couldn't stay away from the flour, I guess.
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I hadn't realized this when I chose this picture for the blog, but the small hat makes my head look out of place, sort of like the kids on Weezer's 'I Want You To' video. I don't handle customer service, so I don't get an opportunity to freak anyone out.
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The owners Daniel and Alicia Louis are a lovely couple. As far as production goes, Daniel is the meat and bones of the operation, though Alicia does do quite a lot when she's on. When Alicia arrives to work, Daniel calls her "babe" and usually tries to give her a kiss and a squeeze. It's very easy to work for a happy pair.
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I primarily work with Daniel, though I have on occasion taken notes from Alicia and another employee at the bakery. I handle baguettes, batards, and shorter loaves of French bread. I shape a few boules with Daniel (he doesn't yet trust me shaping all of them), and usually do a few roll-outs of either croissant or danish. Unlike my former baking job, I am working without break the entire time (though I do squeeze in lunch).
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Every employee wears the uniform, owners included. The hat, direct from France, is part of it, as well as a Le Succes shirt and plain white apron (in the picture, I'm just wearing the hat). Daniel complained to me that when he and Alicia went to France last year that they couldn't find any hats. The way he said it, you would've thought the whole country had sold out.
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I'm getting paid crap, which is okay for the time being. I'm learning how to make several pastries, as well as mastering various shaping techniques. Daniel is an extremely strict teacher, making sure I gather up unused flour and getting the details of this job just right. He's a sort of Miyagi-san. He's fair, so I go along with it.
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There are so many related tales, so I'll save them for another post. I work Wednesdays and Thursdays, so drop on by if you want to say 'hi.'
