An American in Provence

A few months ago, while browsing aimlessly at local bookstore, I found a recipe book entitled "Bagels, Comme à New York" and bought it. Here is the explanation on the back as to what exactly, to the unenlightened Frenchperson, of what a bagel is:

"Petits pains ronds troués, pochés dans l'eau bouillante et cuits au four, à garnir de multiples façons pour faire comme à New York. En version salé : poissons fumés, fromages frais aromatisés maison, oignons rouges, pickles, pousses de toutes sortes, houmous etc. En version sucrée : beurre de cachuète, apple butter, fromages faris aux fruits rouges, etc."

You will notice some odd things about the above paragraph:
1) pickels. (not translated)
2) peanut butter used as a promotional item for French
3) Apple butter (not translated)

The book also has a section on donuts: "Beignets ronds troués et recourverts d'un glaçage fondant, glacagé traditionnel au sucre, ou bien au chocolat, à la cannelle, à la vanille."

Missing the bagels from Bodo's from my time in Virginia, and not being able to find decent bagels in France (besides the ones from the Bagel Story) I decided to try to make my own.

It took me awhile to gather necessary ingredients (still have no idea where to find Cassonade or Gluten de Blé in the nearby Casino grocery store, but hey, when cooking, "When in doubt, go without" right? No?)

Decided I would start with the most basic (n°1 - le classique) and leave the mixing up to my new best friend, my bread machine, and after adding the flour, molasses, salt, water, yeast, and olive oil. Left out: gluten de blé and farine de mais, but as the gluten was marked 'facultatif' (optional) and the farine de mais was only a pincée, I figured I could do without (we shall see).

(If anybody knows where I can find these items, or what they look like, it would be a big help. The workers at the store just look at me like I am an alien when I ask them "Gluten de Blé"?)

Twenty minutes later, after the mixing stage of the bread machine's program 1, I pulled out what could well pass for a rubber soccer ball and started forming the bagels (divide into ten equal balls, roll out and shape into bagels, place on baking sheet). Let them rise for about two hours (didn't rise a whole lot), then filled my largest pot with boiling water, to which I added molasses, salt, and fécule de pomme de terre (just looked it up- potato starch).

Stuck three bagels at a time in the boiling water, and let them boil on each side for about a minute before fishing them out.

With ten bagels my baking sheet was quite full- next time I make bagels I might well cut the recipe in half, also, I don't know how quickly I can eat ten. Quickly, but not that quickly.

Baked them for about 30 minutes and let them cool.



Now I just need to figure out how to make all the toppings- the book has recipes for Apple Butter, Houmous, etc. Other suggestions given by the book: Nutella, almond butter, lemond curd, honey, and marmelade.

I love this explanation for peanut butter and jelly:

Beurre de cachuètes : Les petits Américains en raffolent, surtout avec de la gelée
(little americans are crazy about it, especially with jelly)
Gelée de rainsins : Le partenaire du beurre de cachuètes dans le fameux "PB&J" (Peanut Butter and Jelly)
(peanut butter's partner in the famous PB&J)

That's for sure.

Verdict: Not bad for my first attempt.
Alain's comment: Where are the holes?
My response: Oh hush!