Greetings Reader!
Do you, like me, feel an anticipation of the coming season? I don't mean just because we're already hearing holiday music in the stores (and have been since Halloween!?), but because, regardless of our irritation with what seems to be an ever-earlier commercial onslaught, something real and meaningful does occur this time of year.
Families and friends come together, catch up and reconnect. Frequently, they also share a meal together: they break bread. Which is, of course, what I'm inviting you to do, metaphorically speaking, when you go with me on this virtual tour of the Taproot ISSUE 12::BREAD.
Should what you see tickle your fancy, I'd be really pleased if you'd take the time to subscribe (and get the swell subscriber bonus of mini-prints of our 2014 covers by Geninne Zlatkis). I'd hurry, though, because the number of copies we have with them included is limited.
Subscriber Bonus of mini-prints of 2014 Cover Art by Geninne Zlatkis.
As you might expect from a BREAD-themed issue, there are plenty of recipes for bread, gluten-free and gluten-rich, yeasted and sourdough. There's even an article on building your own cob oven. Let's take a look.
Regular contributor Phoebe Wahl has shared both the art of watercolor and the art of baking in this issue, hand-illustrating her family's simple bread recipe. As we were putting the magazine together, naturally we had to try it out. It's so easy to make and vary each time with sweet or savory additions, it's become one of our family favorites as well.
For the gluten-free gang (celiacs like the author, or those experimenting with their diet), the article by new contributor Tara Barker will show you that the term Gluten-Free Sourdough isn't oxymoronic, it's tasty. You'll want to be sure to try out her bagels and flatbread regardless of your tolerance of that pesky protein.
While this issue is chock full of still more recipes and ruminations on bread, we do veer off to take some time with Chris Knapp (interviewed in ISSUE 5::DREAM) to learn about carving wood. To make wood-carving a joy, you need a sharp knife, so we produced our very first video so you can learn how to do it properly. Take a look.
There's so much more inside (Even I'm still getting used to 96 pages of ad-free content!), it'd probably best to just head over to taprootmag.com now and take a look at ISSUE 12.
Of course, it wouldn't be a new issue without a new signed print in the Print Shop. In this issue we have one of Phoebe Wahl's family scenes depicted in Bakers (I love the father's bare feet and the flour underneath his helper!). Reproduced in its vibrant glory in an archival format, it's signed by the author herself, ready to be framed and hung wherever you need bread baking inspiration.
ISSUE 12 marks the end of our third year, so we have a new collection to offer, one that includes all 12 issues published to date, our Year 1, 2 + 3 Collection. It can be a perfect gift for anyone on your list (including yourself). If you order that (and subscribe), be sure to choose to start your subscription with ISSUE 13::SONG coming March 2015.
We'd like to take a moment to thank Geninne Zlatkis, our 2014 cover artist for the amazing work she did for us this year. If you would like additional copies of the mini-prints to share with friends or family, they're also available in the shop.
That leaves us with one other bit of business to cover, the announcement of our 2015 cover artist. After gracing the interior of Taproot for all of our issues, Phoebe Wahl moves to the front. Look for her inimitable playful and whimsical art on the covers of SONG, WILD, FOLK and SHELTER. If your subscription is up, take the time to renew now. You won't want to miss a single issue!
As ever, I thank you kindly for your support,
Jason