Baguettes are a delicious, elegant choice for any occasion. Whether sliced, toasted and slathered with your favorite soft cheese for a simple cocktail party hors d′oeuvres or shared casually among friends, drizzled with a nutty olive oil and washed down with a glass of wine, baguettes are the perfect snack or accompaniment to any meal. La Brea Bakery has over five baguettes to choose from including the French, Sourdough, Whole Grain, Wheat and Organic French (check your local grocer for varieties). Join us in celebrating the Artisan Baguette! Send us your favorite
La Brea Bakery baguette recipe, personal story or family tradition. If selected, your entry may be published on one of our baguette bags, with the chance to win a special gift bag including our famous sandwich cookbook, a La Brea Bakery apron, a flour sack towel, measuring spoons and more. No purchase necessary to be selected or win. Visit www.labreabakery.com and look for the “Submit” your own recipe, story or tradition button. Behold the amazing Artisan Baguette!

Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo

For Halloween, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo dressed up as chefs. Now the irony of that may not be apparent for those who don't know these young fellows, the culinary talent behind a catering company called Carmelized Productions, and stars of the new Food Network show, “2 Dudes Catering.” But for those who do, it's pretty funny. “People never see us like this,” laughs Shook. That's because the guys, despite a growing empire that is soon to include a book (2 Dudes and 1 Pan, to be released in August) and a restaurant on a hip stretch of Fairfax in Los Angeles (opening date TBD), are anything but uniform in their approach to food. Known around Hollywood as the Food Dudes, they've capitalized on a laid back, accessible approach to achieving gastronomic magic.

Their paths initially converged at culinary school, where the two former dishwashers met and began working together. Stints at fine restaurants left them wanting to do it their own way. Dotolo, 28, explains, “We've gone towards the simpler side of things, rather than the more technical and elaborate. It's what people really enjoy most. I'd rather have you eating my food regularly, rather than once a year.” Shook, 26, adds, “Our signature is being approachable.” That's the niche in the Los Angeles dining scene that the Food Dudes aim to tap with their new eatery. “There's opportunity here,” says Dotolo. “There are not enough good places that the average person could go a couple times a week.”

In a land known for ultra health consciousness and restrictive diets, Shook says their Hollywood clientele still gravitate toward classics done well. Dotolo attests to the importance of bread in their spreads, “I can't imagine eating any meal without some kind of bread.” Sourdough is their everyday bread of choice, but he adds, “We use rolls and different cuts of bread. We dry it, toast it, make crostini, you name it. All kinds to serve with our foods.”

For chefs hooked on classics, holidays run traditional. Thanksgiving? “Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams with marshmallows... just done right.” Hannukah? “The perfect latke!” As for their own plans? The guys have spent the holiday season together, cooking, for the past nine years, which is fine with them. Says Shook, “It′s the holidays, so you want people to feel comfortable. What else makes you more comfortable than food?”

Our sourdough starter is an essential part of the La Brea Bakery story. Developed by Nancy Silverton over 15 years ago, this simple ingredient, derived from just flour, water and organic grapes, has become critical to defining the character of our most basic and popular breads, as well as our artisanal approach to baking. The time and patience required to work with the wild yeast represents our passion for baking, and for great bread.

It never ceases to excite us when we hear from other passionate bakers around the country who, guided by Nancy′s “Breads” book, have embarked on the journey of making their own starter. As stated in the book, there are certain qualities - “crisp crust, subtly tart crumb, and beautiful, irregular interior” - that make sourdough a worthwhile pursuit, whether you are purchasing La Brea Bakery′s Country White Sourdough Round or creating your own starter. Beyond that, developing a starter becomes a very personal endeavor that results in bread with its own distinct personality, hinged not only on ingredients but also on environment. Therein lies the appeal of artisan bread: rather than being about the recipe or the ingredients, it′s about the person behind the bread. Many elements factor in-time, temperature, surroundings, even mood-each starter tells a very personal story.

Like any living thing, no two starters are exactly alike. And, much like the starter itself, the development process is alive and interactive. At La Brea Bakery, Jon Davis, our Director of Concept Development and our head R&D baker, often addresses questions emailed by people making their own starter. Many inquiries have to do with specifics of temperature and differences in raw ingredients available. While he is happy to troubleshoot when things go wrong, signing off helpful emails with encouragement: “Keep baking and have fun,” Jon echoes Nancy′s sentiment on matters of taste. “The recipes are more like guidelines, meant for individual bakers to alter as they see fit.” “Follow your own instincts, not my instructions,” Nancy advises. “Besides, in bread making, mistakes are edible.”

Set small tables with plates of food around the room to keep your guests moving and mingling. Set up one table with only drinks and one table for guests to eat. If you don′t have a large dining table or enough chairs for all of your guests, place large comfortable pillows around your coffee table and invite guests to dine in an alternative way. Nancy suggests keeping the decorations simple, “Clusters of small California-ware cups and dishes with flowers in them, and little Moroccan votive candles mixed in. No big flowers or big drama. I like the food to really shine as the main attraction.”

Nancy completes her spread of hors d′oeuvres with an assortment of sliced cured Italian meats. She buys them whole (pre-sliced meats dry out and lose their appeal), sets them out on a board, and cuts a few starter slices so people feel welcome to help themselves. She also likes to give olives a special twist: “Start with different types in a single color, like green picholines, lucques, and big La Bellas. Drain them, toss them in extra virgin olive oil, and serve them topped with a scattering of almonds roasted with olive oil and salt.” Round out the table with a basket of rustic bread (she recommends the La Brea Bakery Sourdough Batard or Baguette), sliced in tear-apart sections for easy serving. For additional entertaining ideas from Nancy and more of America's best known chefs, check out Macy′s Great Gatherings: Star Chefs Entertain at Home Cookbook on sale now at all Macy′s stores. Macy′s will donate $1.00 to Share Our Strength for each cookbook sold.