I still can’t believe it - it’s like the end of an era. Eugenie was our very first employee, and has had major influence on the shape of this bakery. Even before product development, there was branding, and from day one Eugenie has represented The Sensitive Baker with grace and class.

As for product development, which is really what she signed on for, what a star! The Morning Glory muffin, the Quinoa-Cranberry Cookie, the cheese that everybody goes “nuts” for on the pizza — these were all Eugenie’s creations, and remain some of our most popular products.

Eugenie has played every role in this bakery, literally from chief cook to bottle washer. She’s represented us at events, on the radio, and on TV. But it’s been almost a year and a half, and gone are the days of whipping up new taste sensations every day. Welcome instead to the world of churning out chocolate chip cookies, as many and as often as possible. Over and over and over again.

She says she loves doing it, but it’s like tying up a bird. Eugenie was born to fly.

Whatever Eugenie turns her hand to becomes infused with Quality. Here’s an example: We were experimenting with tuna salad, and every day Eugenie would make this delicious but kind of gourmet dish with, like, artichoke hearts and olives and garbanzo beans. But my father-in-law is a pretty big influence around here, too, and believe me he is not a fan of garbanzo beans in his tuna sandwich! I had to ask Eugenie: make the PLAINEST tuna salad possible. Imagine something you’d get from a cafeteria.

Eugenie wasn’t so thrilled with this directive. (Would you ask Beethoven to tone it down? He should do a little Muzak, maybe?) “I’ve never wanted to think of us as being like a cafeteria, making mass-produced garbage,” I think she said, and I never did either, but we need to appeal to everyone; from gourmets, to little kids, to the newly-diagnosed with still-sensitive stomaches.

So Eugenie came up with a dressing (no “bits” of ANYTHING) made from olive-oil mayonnaise, and fresh lemon juice, and other secret stuff. It makes the plainest looking tuna salad you ever saw, but if you eat a scoop of it on freshly toasted focaccia you’re going to swear it’s the best tuna sandwich you EVER tasted! Even my father-in-law thinks so!

Ah, Eugenie, we are going to miss you so much(!) but we wish you all the best! I know we’ll see you on Food Network one day — maybe making allergen-free birthday cakes for grateful children!

(Did I mention that the vegan chocolate cake / cupcake was her baby too?)

The question of the week seems to be, “What do you have for Passover?” Yeah. Um… Our bad, once again — We’re closed the entire week of Passover, and half the next week, as well. (We opened a can of worms when we brought oats into this place - we were essentially kosher for Passover until that moment. Not that the rabbis would allow any of our recipes — everything contains rice, which Jews of European descent don’t eat on Passover. But we wouldn’t have had to clean.) (sigh.)

Anyway, the point is, I thought it wouldn’t matter so much if we’re open Passover, since it’s the one time a year you can find a trustworthy gf-cake at a NORMAL bakery! Don’t believe me? Try this: Delice Bakery.

[Please note they're closed the whole week of Passover, too. That's what the "Chol Hamoed" bit means. The cakes are sold the week before Passover, starting April 13th.]

Kosher bakeries seem a tad slow getting on the internet (what’s up with that?), but I called:

Eilat bakery (310-205-8700) will be kosher-for-Passover. They’re closed the week of, selling GF products the week before, by reservation only. The Fairfax store (323-933-5000) may be open mid-week.

Schwartz Bakery (310-854-0592) Fairfax store (323-653-1683) will have kosher-for-Passover products packaged & sealed (be careful because they’re also selling chametz right up to the last day!); including bagels made from potato starch!

So, just to re-cap:

We are OPEN Thursday April 17th,
until 6:00 or until we run out of food, whichever comes first.

We are CLOSED Friday April 18th THROUGH Tuesday April 29th, 2008.

We Re-OPEN Wednesday April 30th.

SAVE THIS DATE:
Saturday May 3rd,
Moseley-Salvatori Conference Center
Good Samaritan Hospital
Los Angeles, California
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

This conference is always the event of the year for the gluten-sensitive and those of us who love you guys.

And this year’s speaker / guest list reads like a veritable Who’s Who of West Coast Celiac Disease. Here’s who they’re featuring:

Michelle Pietzak, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Pietzak will speak twice, once on Testing for Celiac Disease, and once on Follow-up Care for Diagnosed Celiacs.

Martin F. Kagnoff, MD, Director, Wm. K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease, will lecture on Current Research at the center.

Danna Korn, Founder of R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids), author of “Living Gluten Free For Dummies” & “Cooking Gluten-Free for Dummies”; will talk about Living and Loving the Gluten-Free Lifestyle. She’ll also do a book signing - if you’ve worn out your copy of Living Gluten Free for Dummies (I know mine is about shot!) this is a good time to upgrade to an autographed edition.

Shauna James Ahern will have the luminous Gluten Free Girl available, and Karen Fine will promote her book for children, How I Eat Without Wheat. (Do you know Karen flew helicopters for the Navy for a few years? Is that cool or what?!)

There’s lots more going on as well - those are just the local heroes! But, speaking of local heroes, let us not forget to mention that the Celiac Disease Foundation itself is THE national organization providing support for celiacs and their families, and it’s founded right here in Studio City. Being part of a support group and getting the advice of a registered dietitian are considered to be the two top factors that correlate to a successful life as a celiac, living gluten-free. (I can’t quote my source offhand, but I’m sure I read that somewhere.) And note, please, that they’re also providing registered dietitians to answer your questions, right here at the conference.

Furthermore, the CDF promotes awareness of CD, in many different groups of people, from doctors so that they’ll diagnose more people correctly, to food manufacturers so that they’ll produce more safe food. They’re giving away the 2008 Champion for Celiac Disease Awareness Award - my vote is for whoever got them to take the barley malt flavoring out of the Rice Chex cereal!

Take a look at the program on the CDF website here. You can register online here. Do it now, the price goes up on the 11th. (Why wait? You know you’re going.)

Oh, and I almost forgot. Your Dinner Secret will be there and they’ll be sampling out our brownies. And, we’re providing our breadsticks for the luncheon. In fact, the whole day you will be plied with gluten-free goodies, from every gf-manufacturer in the country. (Why would you even think about not going?)

(And, why do I suddenly feel, like, Amish or something?)