Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

Recently, I wrote a post about Carolyn Ferguson’s wonderful Belle Epicurean. She makes various French-inspired pastry concoctions which she calls “buns” (brioche really). Yes, they have the sticky consistency of your average bun, but there the resemblance ends. Carolyn’s chocolate walnut bun is to die for: a combination of butter, pastry and chocolate that is heaven itself. Likewise, her ham and cheese galette. Try one of these and you can’t ask for a tastier lunch or snack. And it looks like gourmet ice creams are on the way as well! Now they’ve covered pretty much all my major taste buds.

By the way, congratulations to Carolyn and her husband on the birth of their first baby, a girl who’s one month old today. May they share much joy together!

I met Carolyn’s husband (sorry I’m terrible with names and he’s told me his several times!) again today at the Belle’s Buns stall at the University District Farmer’s Market. He told me that Carolyn got a call from Food & Wine Magazine, which was interested in including her in a story they were planning about artisanal bakeries. The Magazine couldn’t have picked a baker more deserving of this honor. Plus, if Carolyn’s delightful pastry finds its way into the pages of the publication it will be perfect promotion for their new retail shop coming to Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel this fall (stay tuned here for news of her opening). Of course, you can buy Belle’s lovely buns at the U District Market through November (I’ve heard the market may even run longer this year). Tell ‘em I sent you!

What was especially wonderful for me to hear from him was that they believe that my earlier post about them was what turned Food & Wine on to them. The staff member who spoke with Carolyn said they’d read about Belle Epicurean in a blog and mine is the only one that has featured her (so far–but that’ll change soon). I love being a matchmaker in this way and wish Carolyn continued success in her business and hope that Food & Wine includes her in the final version of the story (for more on this stay turned here where I’ll announce when the article comes out).