For the Love of Bread

(image credit)
Join me tomorrow evening, during Detroit's annual Noel Night, 

to delight in freshly toasted bread twists!

P R E F A C E /

Looking back on a trip to Europe, I vividly remember residing at a small hostel situated alongside a cobblestone road and waking up the morning (or afternoon, was it?), following New Years Eve to find that breakfast would be served around a large communal table. At first, I found it a bit strange to have to literally break bread with a table full of people I barely knew, if at all. Especially memorable was the way the baguettes were passed around and broken off with bare hands, yet in a way it made me feel more connected with those around me. Not only did we share the bread, but also an array of cheeses, ripe avocado, jams and unsalted butter, which we salted anyway. I remember feeling more of a connection with these new strangers whose language I barely grasped than most friendly acquaintances I sat around a table with back home, where there was no need to share since we always had our own plate of individually ordered food. Let us allude to the former.

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and a few more links:

- view final proposal pdf, here

- check out our class blog

- watch: a video by tiger in a jar

(photo/recipe source)

P R O P O S A L /

Community, togetherness, warmth and nostalgia will prevail at 7:30pm on December 1^st, 2012 at the corner of Second Avenue and West Hancock. The collaboration of events FOR THE LOVE OF BREAD and FRAMING THE REVIVAL aim to create an inviting atmosphere through a minimalist approach to communal bread making while experiencing an intimate look into fond memories of times past. In and through toasting dough wrapped sticks over hot coals during Detroit's Noel Night, FOR THE LOVE OF BREAD examines the way this food staple promotes a strong common ground and brings together people from all wakes of life. In contrast, FRAMING THE REVIVAL is a montage of lost family footage taking place from the 1920s onward, set in the city of Detroit. The juxtaposition between the two awaken an exchange of dialog and a focus on nourishing the mind, body and soul, while the act of being surrounded by a local community reconsiders simplistic preconceptions of entertainment and sociability.

G O O D  I N T E N T I O N S /

Inherently, what I am interested in is a wholesome quality food that not only nourishes the body, but also provides warmth and comfort. It is through my commons project that I will unpack the significance of bread—one of the oldest prepared foods that was once thought of as an important staple, but that no longer carries the same symbol of sustenance or cultural affinity once so treasured. In part, the significance of bread lay in the fact that it is commonplace amongst many cultures and ethnic background, but whose appearance may differ according to geographic location. My intention is to observe the ways in which we look at and think of bread. Instead of considering it as a quick fuel fix for the body, we ought to view the consumption as more of an experience that nourishes the body as well as the mind.  In order to do so we must allow ourselves to slow down and concentrate on the rich, tactile method of baking homemade bread, and the sustainability it provides.

Of course, the happy consequence of baking more is sharing more, and to achieve this satisfaction I will prepare an ample amount of handcrafted dough for us to toast over hot coals. In splendid addition, I will demonstrate the ways in which bread should be consumed—around friends, old and new, while enjoying each other’s company. It is through this project that I aim to explore not only the importance of this age old food, but to address the way it promotes a common ground on which people can shed their all too protective veils while welcoming newly found friends into our conversations. Deepening the bonds of friendship in this way promotes the vision of moral community that, like the bread we share, nourishes us all.