Many of us have been spending a lot more time at home lately. Some of us are looking to distract and engage in crafts to take breaks from the anxiety of the outside world.Kneading and baking homemade bread is one way. It is tactile, rhythmic, and delivers great rewards along with its calming properties. If you’ve already started exploring baking bread, how about taking your bread to the next level by making your own natural starter? You may not keep the starter up forever, but it will make some of the best homemade loaves you’ve ever tasted.Of course, you can make bread using a packet of dried yeast, but harnessing the power of a natural starter is a transformative experience. In fact, it was a natural starter that helped transform Macrina from a dream into bakery. No exaggeration. In 1991, Leslie Mackie was preparing for her annual harvest party, an autumn gathering of food lovers in which everyone brought food made from their gardens. Leslie decided she’d bake bread for the event with a natural starter made from grapes grown in her garden. She crushed the plump red grapes and added them to a mix of flour and water. After several days of love and regular feeding, the starter was alive and kicking. The loaf that she developed for that party was a hit and ultimately became our house bread, Macrina Casera. Now, more than 25 years later, we are still feeding that same starter every day and baking hundreds of loaves. Casera’s mild sour flavor is derivative of those grapes, that fortuitous backyard fermentation.
It was this loaf that helped Leslie decide to open Macrina Bakery in 1993 and the same loaf that put Macrina on the regional map in 1994 when the Casera won second place in a Sunset Magazine sourdough competition.We now have several other starters that we use for various breads, like the starter we developed from grapes from Hightower Cellars Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon that we use in our Pane Francese. When we were collaborating with PCC on a whole wheat baguette, Scott Owen, PCC Markets Grocery Merchandiser, said, “Macrina’s collection of sourdough starters is incredible.” We like to think so and carefully feed and nurture them daily to keep them vigorous—they’re the heart of our naturally-leavened breads.
There are many ways to make a natural starter. Here’s our favorite way:Start with fresh grapes. Discard any unfavorable grapes. Wash to remove any debris. Weigh out 1½ lbs and wrap them in cheesecloth.Weigh out 2 lbs of all-purpose flour and 3 lbs water at 75°F. Combine the water and flour and mix until smooth.Squeeze the wrapped grapes over the bowl to release their juice into the flour mixture. Submerge the grape sachet in the bowl. Let the bowl sit uncovered at room temperature for a full day. After 24 hours have elapsed, discard the grape sachet.Your starter will now have life. The natural yeasts from the grapes are doing their work. Stir the starter at least once a day for a few days until you see bubbles on the surface. Once this happens, you need to begin feeding it. Mix another 2 lbs of flour and 3 lbs of water together and then add it to your starter. Mix well and allow it to sit out another full day.
You should have a vigorous starter. Choose a recipe for naturally leavened bread (you can find the recipe for our Macrina Casera in the Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook) and taste the magic you’ve created!From this point on, you’ll need to feed your starter like a pet. Feed it with a mix of equal parts flour and water. Hopefully, you’ll be using it frequently, so it’s easy to remember. If the starter gets too large, discard half of it. If liquid begins gathering on top, you can move it into the refrigerator to slow the fermentation.Enjoy!
This simple chocolate cake is my favorite. The base layers are our moist Mom’s Chocolate Cake. The right balance of espresso and chocolate make the mocha mousse unforgettable, and the dark chocolate ganache adds flavor and elegance. Garnish it with raspberries or chocolate shavings and you’ll have a beautiful homemade cake to surprise your mother with at her celebration.
IngredientsMakes one 9-inch cakeCake2 eggs¾ cup whole milk⅓ cup canola oil2 tsp pure vanilla extract1¾ cups granulated sugar1½ cups all-purpose flour¼ cup cocoa powder1 tsp baking soda¾ tsp salt¾ cup boiling water9-inch cardboard cake circleMocha Mousse¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips¼ cup brewed espresso (or very strong coffee)4 Tbsp unsalted butter2 cups whipping cream½ cup powdered sugar, siftedGanache Glaze2 cups whipping cream1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips1 cup semisweet chocolate chipsDirectionsCakePreheat the oven to 325°F. Brush the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with canola oil. Line the base with a parchment circle. Dust the oiled edges with flour to prevent sticking.In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, canola oil and vanilla. Set aside.Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine the ingredients. Add the egg mixture in three additions, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl between. After the third addition, the mixture should be smooth.With the mixer on low speed, add the boiling water in a slow stream, taking approximately 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional minute.Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes. When finished, the top will be set and the sides should pull slightly away from the edges. Let cool for 1 hour.To remove the cake, run a knife around the edge of the pan, then invert it gently onto a piece of parchment. After the cake has completely cooled, cut it horizontally into three equal layers. Set aside.Mocha MousseIn a medium saucepan, melt the semisweet chocolate chips, espresso and unsalted butter. Remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature.In a stand mixer bowl, whip the cream to a soft peak using the whisk attachment. Add the sifted powdered sugar. Continue whipping until the mixture forms medium firm peaks.Remove the bowl. In three additions, fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. Set aside.Ganache GlazeIn a medium saucepan, bring the whipping cream to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk to make a smooth glaze. Let cool to room temperature (it will thicken slightly).AssemblySprinkle a little sugar onto the 9-inch cake circle (or cardboard cut to size and covered with aluminum foil). Top with the first cake layer and spread with one third of the mousse. Repeat this process with the second layer. Then cover with the last layer of cake. Make sure the sides line up and the top layer is flat. Adjust if needed. Then spread the last third of the mousse evenly over the top and sides until it is smooth. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.Place a 9-inch cake pan upside down on a rimmed baking sheet. Center your chilled cake on the inverted cake pan. Pour half the ganache over the top of the cake so that it is covered evenly. Allow the excess to spill over the sides. Add remaining glaze to the sides and smooth for a nice presentation. The chilled cake should allow you to model the glaze to a smooth surface.Garnish as you like. Sugar sprinkles, flowers, fresh fruits, berries and chocolate shavings are some of our favorites. Enjoy!
Our Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is now available through DoorDash. This mix makes our famous cookie easy to prepare at home. With a minimum of effort, you’ll have warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies that’ll impress the shrewdest palate.
“Like the omelet, which many believe to be the true test of a chef, the humble chocolate chip cookie is the baker’s crucible. So few ingredients, so many possibilities for disaster,” David Leite wrote in a 2008 New York Times article. Given the number of mediocre versions that are all too easily found, it’s hard not to agree with him.At Macrina, our house version is Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. Named after Leslie’s daughter, Olivia, the cookies are Macrina’s version of the traditional Toll House classic. A combination of butter and shortening gives the cookies a soft, rich crumb and that consummate chocolate chip cookie flavor comes from the right blend of high-quality semisweet chocolate chips and a hefty pinch of sea salt. Food and Wine even included them in a list of America’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.You can find the recipe in the Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook. But for those of you who love homemade cookies without too much fuss, try our Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. You supply a stick of butter, an egg, and a quarter cup of shortening (Crisco or another trans-fat free version). We provide everything else, including the blend of premium flours we use at the bakery.
We recommend using a stand mixer, but you can also hand mix if you don’t have one. Our mix has the sugar on top. You scoop it into the mixer and blend it with the butter and shortening. Add the egg and then dump the rest of the mix in and hand mix until incorporated. Chill the dough for two hours. (You can skip this step if you’re in a hurry, but if you’ve got the time, it helps the moisture in the dough to fully incorporate, which leads to a better consistency.) Scoop onto a tray, bake, and voilà—the best homemade cookies you’ll ever have.The cookie mix also makes a fabulous gift to mail to friends and family that could use a pick-me-up. The mix is shelf-stable so you can keep backups in the pantry for when that irrepressible urge strikes.
Our organic whole wheat bread kit makes two excellent homemade pan loaves, one for now, and one to share with a lucky neighbor. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwYWsdBcr1U&feature=youtu.be[/embed]Do you love homemade bread but have always been too intimidated to try baking it yourself? Our organic whole wheat bread kit allows you to make amazingly easy, excellent bread at home without fancy equipment or any special bread-making skills. You’ll get all the smells, two flavorful, nicely-textured loaves, and the sweet reward of having made it yourself. For those of you with kids, this is also a great project to undertake with them.We chose this loaf for our first-ever bread making kit because it’s one of Leslie’s favorites to make at home. “To me, this pan loaf is the perfect comfort food,” Leslie says. “It smells so good while it’s baking, and the organic whole wheat flour we include gives the bread an excellent texture and flavor.”
Our kit includes everything you need but a standard bread loaf pan, oil for brushing the pan, and honey (or agave or maple syrup). Our recipe has two options: A no-knead version, and a stand-mixer version. The no-knead method takes a little longer (an extra 90 minutes) but turns out a loaf equally as good as the one from the stand mixer. If you don’t have a mixer, this is the path for you—or if you just want to save yourself some extra cleanup.From start to finish, you’ll need to allow for three hours of combined proofing time (four and a half for the no-knead method) and about 45 minutes of baking time. The active time—mixing the dough and shaping the loaf—won’t account for more than 20 minutes of your time.If you’re tired of being confined to your home and want to try something new, this kit gives you the chance to turn out professional loaves without the stress. You’ll enjoy the rewards, one slice at a time, for days. 
Not all heroes wear capes, but many wear masks. And scrubs. And they’ve been working insanely long hours during this crisis, giving their all to serve those in need. To express our appreciation and admiration, Macrina Bakery is donating 220 care packages each week in April to area hospitals. Each care package contains a Sliced Oatmeal Buttermilk Loaf, Rye Crostini, Sardinian Flatbread, Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Granola Bar Cookies.
Chris at Overlake said, “Everything was great! My staff greatly appreciated the generosity and gratitude.” Julie at Swedish Edmonds wrote, “I can’t tell you how much the staff appreciated the care packages. They were SO excited! Thank you so much; we very much appreciate this thoughtful gesture!"
If you’d like to help us support them, you can donate a care package, and we’ll deliver it on your behalf. The care packages are $25 and we are currently visiting Overlake, Harborview, Swedish Edmonds, UW Northwest and Seattle Children’s.
In addition to the frontline healthcare workers, we know that many others are giving themselves to serve others. Our care packages are available for anyone you know who could use a little extra support right now. A huge thank you to all of you who have already ordered them.
To order care packages, please call 206-448-4089 or visit one of our cafés.
This recipe makes a great appetizer or can be enjoyed as an open-faced sandwich with a green salad for a light meal. Flat iron steak is nearly as tender as tenderloin but is more economical. The marbling in this cut adds flavor, and the meat grills beautifully. If you can’t find it, try substituting hanger steak or tenderloin. Seasoning with black pepper adds a piquant roundness to the meat. Vibrant lemon aioli and crisp arugula enhance each bite with flavor and texture. The crostini pair well with red wine.IngredientsMakes 12 crostini1½ lbs flat iron steak3 Tbsp cracked black pepper2 Tbsp kosher salt¼ cup aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar from Modena), dividedMacrina Baguette1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided3 bunches fresh arugula1 lemon (zest and juice)2 egg yolks1½ tsp Dijon mustard1½ tsp chopped garlic1½ cups canola or sunflower oilDirections:Season both sides of the flat iron steak with the cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of aceto balsamico over the steak and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.Cut the baguette on the bias (diagonal cuts) into slices measuring roughly a ½-inch thick. Slices should be about 4 inches long. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the baguette with olive oil and grill until crisp and marked by the grill. Set aside.Wash and remove the fibrous stems from the arugula. Set aside in paper towels to dry. Zest the lemon and set aside.To make the aioli, whisk the yolks, 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, mustard and garlic in a medium bowl until combined. Continuing to whisk vigorously, add the canola oil in a slow stream until it’s fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the aioli until you’re ready to use it.Preheat oven to 400°F.Preheat the grill pan or your grill to medium-high and sear each side of the steak with grill marks, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven (or place the steaks to the side of the flame on your outdoor grill and cover) for 6 to 8 minutes. For medium-rare steaks, the internal temperature should be 135°F. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes.Spread the grilled crostini out on a platter and top each with 1 tsp of aioli. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula leaves with the lemon zest, the remaining lemon juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the arugula between the crostini.Thinly slice the steak and place 2 to 3 slices on each crostini. Finish the crostini with a dollop of aioli and a drizzle of aceto balsamico. Enjoy!Printable PDF.
Leslie Mackie finds a measure of tranquility in these uncertain times by planting her garden with visions of friends feasting at her table.
Planning my next garden begins almost as soon as I’m pulling the last of the late fall produce. What would I like more of? Are there new vegetables to introduce? More dahlias? As I’m ordering seeds, I imagine the dinner parties my garden will help supply. What I never imagined in all the planning is that I’d be planting the seeds in a time of such uncertainty and fear, at a time when I can’t even invite friends over.
From the age of 22, I have always tended some type of garden. It started with multiple herb pots on window ledges. Eventually, I graduated to amending soil along parking strips, eking the most out any sunny area, often removing grass or overgrown scrubs to create a garden bed. No matter how small the garden, it’s always given me a sense of security. I’ve also found, that amid all the busyness and stress of starting and operating a busy bakery, gardening forced me to slow down. Even if only for part of an hour, the time in the garden steadied me with its stillness.
This year, with all the swirling anxiety, I need that stillness more than ever. With my hands in the dirt—planting seeds, weeding, or harvesting—I’m literally connected to the earth. It takes my overstimulated mind away from the media and gives me a reprieve from wanting to solve all the world’s problems. While I garden I dream of dinner parties I don’t yet know I’ll be able to have, but it helps to think of my friends gathered on a summer evening on my garden patio. Hopefully, it will happen.
One of the first crops I always get in is my sugar snap peas. Then I lay out the summer mix. I don’t rush to get everything in—even now that I live on six acres on Vashon and have had to start thinking more like a farmer than an urban gardener. Pacing things and considering what I’m likely to eat in abundance, mainly so I don’t get overwhelmed by all the work. I also plant crops like lettuce and kale in stages by seeding new crops once a month to keep the supply going all summer.
To keep things manageable, I fenced off my property to concentrate most of my garden and “garden life” to just under two acres. That’s still a lot, compared to my city apartments, but I enjoy it. My dogs and chickens roam the fenced area. Bushes of berries and a grape arbor help form a kind of outdoor architecture. Roses and Dahlia’s for cutting provide beauty and a long patio for entertaining extends from my house into the garden.
I use my raised garden beds for a rotation of summer vegetables, herbs, and fruit. I intermingle flowers throughout. Not only does it add beauty to a leafy garden, but they can help provide shade to plants like arugula that will bolt in full sun. They also help with pollination, attracting those ever-important bees.
Despite all my planning, when the summer abundance arrives, I build dinners from what’s available. If I’ve planted well, I always have a steady supply of herbs and varieties of lettuce ready for picking.
To make watering more manageable, I added a simple irrigation system and a timer to help water the raised beds. On hot days, I'm often inclined to give them a bit more water, but it helps take the anxiety out of letting the garden get too dry.
When things begin to grow, it’s important to visit your gardens often. Not only does it leave me with that inner-stillness I mentioned, but it’s important to remember that the more you harvest, the more new growth you get. This goes for flowers as well.
Every year there comes a time when I wish I’d planted something differently, but I’m always grateful for what I have. More importantly, the slow, quiet work and the planning for lovely meals and gatherings, and the promise of growth and beauty fills me with hope and serenity. This year, I need that more than ever.
If you’ve got the space, even just a balcony, get a few pots going. Planting a seed in good soil and carefully tending it shows us the natural power of transformation. And when the time comes, nothing tastes better than homegrown herbs and vegetables. Your long-awaited dinner party will have a meal full of vibrant, just-picked flavor and your quiet satisfaction at the journey you and your seeds have made from a time of anxiety to one of renewal.
Stuck at home and wondering how to fill the time? When we have the time, we love to cook. And in times like these, our thoughts turn to comfort food. The Lentil Bacon soup from Seasons, the new Macrina Cookbook, is one of our favorites. It's hearty and simple to prepare. Of course, we recommend serving it with a fresh baguette, which, if you don't want to go out, can be ordered through DoorDash. (Pro tip: use code MACRINA10 for 10% off your first order during the month of March.)
Our cookbook as available at the cafés or you can order it delivered through our website.
LENTIL BACON SOUP
This lentil soup is simple to prepare and provides nourishing warmth—perfect for a winter lunch or light dinner. It has layers of flavor: the smokiness of the bacon, an aromatic base of onions and carrots, and the acidity of the tomatoes. The savory lentils absorb all the flavors and thicken the soup. As it simmers, the fragrance of garlic and fresh thyme fills the kitchen. Leftovers are even better the next day.
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium fennel bulb, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
½ cup white wine
1 cup dried lentils
6 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a medium soup pot or deep saucepan, combine the olive oil, onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery and fennel. Cook over medium heat with the lid partially on to steam the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are translucent and smell sweet, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bacon. Cook for 3 minutes until the garlic smells sweet but is not dark or burnt. Add the white wine and reduce by half. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom and stir into the mix. Add the lentils and stock. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour in order to concentrate and develop the flavors. Lentils should still hold their shape. Season with salt and pepper. This is delicious topped with sour cream and served with warm crusty bread.
This riff on the American classic makes decadent cupcakes fit for any occasion. Its combination of buttery yellow cake, silky pastry cream and dark chocolate ganache has been popular since the first Boston Cream Pie in 1881. While making all three elements may look like a lot of work, you can make the pastry cream and ganache while the cupcakes are baking. Once everything cools, filling and frosting the cupcakes is quick and easy.INGREDIENTSMakes 12 to 14 cupcakesCupcakes8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature1½ cups granulated sugar1¾ cups all-purpose flour1 tsp salt3½ tsp baking powder3 eggs1 cup + 2 Tbsp whole milk2 Tbsp canola oil1 Tbsp vanilla extractVanilla Pastry Cream2 cups half and half½ cup granulated sugar, dividedPinch salt4 egg yolks¼ cup cornstarch½ tsp powdered gelatin1 Tbsp vanilla extract2 Tbsp unsalted butterGanache Frosting1½ cups whipping cream½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips½ cup semisweet chocolate chipsDIRECTIONS:CupcakesPreheat oven to 350°F. Brush the top of a 12 cup standard muffin tin lightly with oil to prevent the tops from sticking after baking. Place cupcake liners in the tin.In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 3 to 4 minutes. It should be soft and pale in color.While the butter is creaming, sift the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in 3 additions. Stop the mixer between each addition to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix for another minute to breakdown any remaining clumps of butter.Keep the mixer on low speed and add the egg mixture in 3 additions. Continue to scrape the sides of the bowl between additions. Once all the egg mixture is added, increase the speed to medium and mix for another minute.Scoop the batter into each liner until about ¾ full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The cupcakes should be set on top and golden brown at the edges. Let cool for 45 minutes.Vanilla Pastry CreamPlace the half and half and ¼ cup sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.In a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugar, salt, egg yolks, cornstarch and gelatin.Add small amounts of the scalded half and half to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the yolk mixture. When ¾ of the half and half is combined, pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the pastry cream thickens, remove it from the heat to prevent curdling. Whisk in the vanilla and butter and combine well. Strain the pastry cream into a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap against the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the covered pastry cream for 45 minutes or until cool.Ganache FrostingIn a medium saucepan, warm the whipping cream over medium heat. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk to dissolve the chocolate. Pour the ganache into a bowl and let cool for 30 minutes. Swirl it with a spatula occasionally for even cooling. Refrigerate the ganache for the last 10 minutes. The ganache should be smooth and spreadable.AssemblyRemove the cooled cupcakes from the muffin tin. With a spoon or a small scoop, remove a large gumball size scoop from the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with cooled pastry cream. Using a spatula, generously spread chocolate ganache frosting across the tops and garnish as you please. Chocolate shavings, brandied cherries or colored sprinkles are our favorite toppings.Enjoy!Printable PDF.
Does “great taste” come to mind when you think of heritage grains?
Many Americans consider heritage grains a health food—something they should eat, not something they want to eat. Fortunately, that appears to be on the cusp of change. Top chefs and bakers have been cooking with new heritage grain hybrids to thrilling results.
One of my favorite events of the year is Grain Gathering, an annual three-day event held every July at the Bread Lab (the event started in 2011). Expert bakers, millers, grain scientists, farmers, and industry representatives gather in the Skagit Valley. Their goal is to break the dominance of commodity wheat and to find a way to sell America on the benefits of heritage grains. Flavor is the number one selling point. Nutrition is another along with environmental sustainability. Virtually every community in America used to grow wheat. More robust heritage wheat hybrids could again make this economically feasible, benefitting local economies.At a Grain Gathering a few years ago, I was introduced to two hybrids developed by Bread Lab. One is called Skagit Magic, which is grown in the Skagit Valley and milled at nearby Cairn Springs Mill. The other is called Expresso Wheat (or, in the lab, T-85). It is grown in Walla Walla and also milled at Cairn Springs Mill. When I started Macrina, flours like these just weren’t available.For Macrina’s twenty-fifth anniversary this year, I developed two new breads that utilized these new organic flours. I spent many hours playing around with various techniques and found the heritage flours work best with a slow fermentation. This helps develop subtle, bright flavors and hydrates the bran. I made our Skagit Sourdough with the Skagit Magic. This is one of our most grain-forward and flavorful loaves. The Whole Grain Baguette is our other new loaf, which we make with the Expr results. At Macrina, our two latest breads feature heritage wheats—the primary reason being the astonishing flavor they add. Edouardo Jordan, the star chef and creator of JuneBaby, named America’s best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, opened Lucinda Grain Bar, a concept focused on ancient grains. “As Americans, we eat some of the most flavorless, unhealthy grain-based products in the world,” Jordan said. “Commercialization has stripped down all the nutritional value in our grain product. We are excited to explore the flavor and potential of ancient grains.” Jordan noted that some of the best grains in the world are grown in the Skagit Valley.
The Bread Lab, located in the Skagit Valley, deserves no small amount of credit for this. Part science lab, part high-end bakery, this extension of Washington State University occupies a 12,000 square feet space in Mount Vernon that includes a research and baking kitchen, a cytology lab, the King Arthur Flour Baking School, a milling laboratory and a professional kitchen. The director of the Bread Lab, Dr. Stephen Jones, is currently one of the most influential voices in the food world. Jones is determined to bring diversity to the range of flours widely available. Currently, the bland, chalky white flour born of industrial agriculture is found in almost all the bread sold in America. You won’t find much else at your local supermarket either. By breeding heritage grains that have both taste and nutritional benefits, but that also have the robustness that farmers need to produce high yield crops, Jones hopes to make regional grain farming viable again.The standard flour available at grocery stores today comes from wheat that has been bred to be optimal for a fast-food hamburger bun. A hundred years ago that wasn’t the case. Diverse wheats grew and were milled in communities across America. Between 1890 and 1930 America went from over 22,000 flour mills to less than 200. The State of Washington had 160. Now there are two. The widespread use of new roller mills that could efficiently strip the grain of both the bran and the germ creating a flour that had an almost indefinite shelf life ushered in this change. This coincided with the rise of the industrial production of food. We got sliced bread in plastic bags and the phrase, “The greatest thing since sliced bread.” However, we lost a wide range of regional flours milled from an incredible range of wheats, many of which had much better flavor than what worked best for industrial bakeries. Not to mention nutrition. Jones writes, “By using only the white portion of the seed, wheat is reduced from a nutrient-dense food to one that lacks basic nutrition.”When I started Macrina in 1993, it was thrilling to be part of the artisan bread movement that brought French and Italian-style breads to many cities in America. I’m even more excited about the heritage grain movement—so much so that I’m growing heritage wheat on my Vashon Island farm this year! Seeing grain scientists, farmers and bakers unite around the idea of building a better tasting and healthier bread may just be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
This island-to-table restaurant is a rare gem that doesn’t unduly abuse the wallet. “We didn’t want to price out the farmers who supply us,” says chef Rustle Biehn.
Every so often you stumble into a waking dream. The Ruby Brink, an eatery that opened this spring on Vashon Island, is the sort of place that inspires such astonishment. It’s an island-to-table experience, equal parts public house, restaurant, whole-animal butcher shop, and farm kitchen.
Vashon is sometimes described as an island surrounded by reality, both positively and negatively. Still, one thing that is beyond contention is its concentration of independent, organic farms and its pastoral beauty. Led by an ensemble cast, The Ruby Brink was born of a dream to create a gathering place that offered the best of Vashon: comfort, beauty, a kind of timelessness, and the delicious best each season has to give. The unique blend has led to The Ruby Brink becoming an epicurean hub in Vashon’s eclectic community.
Located in the historic Vashon Landing building on the central corner in the town of Vashon, The Ruby Brink’s spacious interior underwent a lengthy remodel as the owners tailored the interior to their vision. The space is comfortable and elegant in a way that feels suitable for an anniversary dinner or a beer and sandwich after a day on the farm. The classic J-shaped bar is an invitation to sidle up and start a conversation. Comfortable booths and an array of variously-sized tables accommodate couples and large groups.
The owners are butcher Lauren Garaventa, chef Rustle Biehn, and bartender Jake Heil. Lauren’s background includes stints at Vashon’s Sea Breeze Farms, one of the local pioneers of sustainably-focused, grass-pastured meat and later at the farm-to-table Rain Shadow Meats in Pioneer Square. She and Rustle were the duo behind Meat & Noodle Soup Club, the celebrated pop-up. Jake moved to the island from Portland where he co-opened and managed the Multnomah Whiskey Library, called one of the 15 best whiskey bars in the world. Of his experience working at one of the most exclusive places in the Northwest, Jake says, “The legacy of that for me is less about whiskey, and more about hospitality. Here I’ve curated a back bar that is less exclusive, more local, but, I think, just as intriguing. Each bottle has a story.”
The Ruby Brink exudes a kind of relaxed island hospitality, refined and timely, without any big-city pretension. This carries over to the food. “Nothing about this says fine-dining except for the amount of attention that gets paid to the ingredients,” Lauren says. “That’s the number one thing we have in common with any of the fine-dining restaurants in Seattle: we’re able to curate our ingredients to a really high standard.”Not surprising, given The Ruby Brink’s focus on sustainability, local meat and produce, and simple, clear, lovely flavors. It’s healthy food that is so tasty it leaves you craving more. Jake says, “We wanted to make it as accessible as possible, a place for neighbors and people visiting the island to enjoy each other, the space, have drinks, a snack or a meal.”
The butcher shop, located in one corner of the ample space, offers a variety of cuts and meats as well as one of the best-tasting bone broths you’ll find anywhere. “We’re a one-cow-a-month restaurant,” Lauren says. “Figuring out how to divide up the meat between retail and the restaurant is a puzzle. At the end of the month, every bit of the cow is used, eaten, with nothing left.”
This kind of approach requires a lot of planning. Lauren and Rustle confer each afternoon, and a new menu is printed every day. You may not find the same thing on the menu from one visit to the next. What you will find is balanced, flavorful food served in beautifully composed plates. You’ll always find a Meat & Noodle bowl, but the meat and vegetables will vary. And you’ll always find a sausage served on a Macrina Challah Roll, but the type of sausage will change. Both carnivores and vegetarians are sure to find something to love on the list of starters, sandwiches, salads, rice dishes, and entrees like roasted half-chicken or whole pork chops. “We want you to feel like someone cared deeply about the ingredients and prepared them with love,” Jake says. “That feeling passes through everything we do, whether it’s drinks, food, or service.”
Leslie Mackie, Macrina’s founder, and a Vashon resident, says, “The Ruby Brink quickly became a beloved island hang out and gathering spot. The menu showcases what they are getting from local farmers and what Lauren is working on in her butcher shop. The food is always delicious and inspiring. Macrina is very proud to provide The Ruby Brink with bread and flatbreads.”
CHOCOLATE CUSTARD AND CARAMEL TOPPING
When Leslie Mackie opened Macrina Bakery in 1993, she hoped her love of artisan breads would lead to Macrina becoming a community gathering spot. To her delight, that didn’t take long. As the Macrina community grew, we added another café and started wholesaling bread and pastries. Leslie’s spirit of hard work, a positive outlook, and uncompromising quality guided the team that made all this happen.
When we sat down to put these values into words, we didn’t have to look beyond the diverse team of bakers, pastry chefs, savory cooks, baristas, café staff and delivery drivers that make up Macrina. Our employees live the values every day in their mission to enrich communities through the joy of artisan baking.
We’re proud of our 2019 core value winners and the example they set. We wouldn’t be where we are without their shining contributions.
Working Hard: Erica Olsen, Pastry General Manager
When Leslie first met Erica, she was cradled in her mother’s arms. At the time, Leslie was the head baker at Grand Central Bakery and worked with Erica’s mom. More than 25 years later, Erica had graduated from the Seattle Culinary Academy with honors. She joined Macrina in 2017, and was quickly promoted to Pastry General Manager. Erica and her team of pastry chefs produce all of Macrina’s pastries. Erica’s hard work, ambition, and dedication continue to make Macrina more efficient and consistent each year. Her skill is on display in each delicious and beautiful pastry.
Remaining Positive: Sergio Castaneda, Delivery General Manager
Sergio has been with Macrina since 2002 and oversees a large team of delivery drivers. When Sergio is asked how his day went, he always answers with a smile and an honest response, often detailing positive solutions he found to unexpected challenges Most days, he’s in at 4 A.M. working shoulder to shoulder with the packers and drivers to ensure our customers get their orders on time. Before most have us have even awakened, he’s dealt with mechanical issues, staffing, and drivers stuck in traffic. Tall in stature, his employees call him the gentle giant.
Never Settling: Thanh Huyen Dang, Bread General Manager
Thanh Huyen Dang, who goes by Huyen (pronounced “Wen”), has worked at Macrina since 2002 and as the Bread General Manager since 2012. She works tirelessly to find efficiencies in wholesale production, pushes through challenges, and jumps in to assist managers and employees whenever help is needed. She holds her team to high standards and effectively communicates the many details required to produce so many hand-formed loaves with an exacting consistency. Huyen takes on more responsibility each year and works with her team to ensure our food safety plan is rigidly followed
Embracing Diversity: Trevor Kitchin, Food Safety General Manager
Trevor manages an integral department—food safety—and does so with an international team. Together they speak five languages. To ensure everyone is clear on the many details they must master, Trevor has become an expert in communication. A gentle soul, he is patient and takes the time to huddle frequently with his team so that all policies and procedures are understood and executed. He makes a point to make everyone feel welcome and respected.
Integrity in All We Do: Amy Bui, Wholesale Sales Manager
Few know Macrina’s products like Amy Bui does. She’s grown up with them. Her father is Phuong Bui, our Head Baker, and longest-tenured employee. Amy first started coming to Macrina to visit her dad when she was three. Now, all grown up, Amy heads our wholesale sales team. She builds and maintains trusting relationships with our customers through integrity— of product, of communication, and of her word. Additionally, her savvy command of technology has elevated the efficiency of our sales team.
Located inside a Sodo club for car lovers, the restaurant Derby offers a great bar scene and excellent food.
The food isn’t served on the hood of a Ferrari, but you’d be excused for remembering it that way. The Shop, a club for gearheads, houses the upscale comfort food restaurant Derby. The spacious, sleek dining area has broad windows opening onto rows and rows of exquisite vehicles gleaming in the clean, well-lit garage. While that’s unique, it’s hardly the best reason to visit Derby. Come for the food (and leave with Lamborghini dreams).
Executive Chef Nick Taseris serves the kind of food your mother might have made if she was a professionally-trained chef that sourced high-quality meats and produce from the Pacific Northwest. Take, for example, their Bad-Ass BLT. It’s served on lightly toasted Macrina sourdough, with thick slices of good tomato, just-ripe avocado, lettuce—and the namesake Bad-Ass Bacon. Not only is this probably not how your mother referred to her bacon, but it’s also nothing like the bacon most of us grew up eating. Derby gets the meat cut in quarter-pound strips from a ranch in Pendleton, Oregon. Nick and his crew coat it in a house-made cayenne-maple glaze, slow-roast it, drizzle it with maple syrup and sprinkle it with Maldon salt. It’s thick, rich, and bursting with salty-sweet flavor. And, yes, you can order a side of the bacon all day off the happy hour menu.
Raised in Texas, Nick brings some of that Lone Star smokehouse know-how to the cuisine. The beef brisket, pastrami, and corned beef are smoked in-house, low and slow, and the tender meat is served in generous portions. You won’t go wrong with the Pastrami Reuben on Macrina’s rye bread, or the Brisket Sandwich served with bbq sauce.
And as with any pub-style fare worth racing for, the burger better be good enough to land pole position. Derby’s is a winner. A Macrina Brioche Bun, topped with sesame seeds, is slathered in Derby sauce (horseradish-infused aioli) and holds a hefty patty topped with American cheese, red onion marmalade, house-made pickles and a thick slice of good tomato. The medium-cut fries are crisp with a light, fluffy interior. You won’t leave hungry.
For those inclined to lighter fare, the Cobb, Chicken Caeser, and Steak salads do not disappoint. The dinner menu builds on the lunch menu to offer a few hearty entrees, including a pasta, crab cakes, and a smoked meatloaf. For those with a Maserati metabolism, Derby’s poutine has a Texas inflection with their house-smoked brisket and red-eye gravy. Order one to share. Or if you’re in that YOLO state of mind—indulge. You can always retire to the heavy leather sofas and chairs in Derby’s lounge for an after-dinner bourbon and another lingering gaze at the two and four-wheeled beauties preening in the garage.
Lunch Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Dinner Wed–Sat 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Sun–Tues 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Brunch Sat, Sun 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Happy Hour Menu Daily 3 p.m.– 6 p.m.
The long-time local favorite now has spacious indoor seating and an expanded menu.
In episode one of the original Twin Peaks, filmed in North Bend, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper tastes a cup of the fictitious town’s brew—he liked it black as midnight on a moonless night—and declares it, “damn fine.” That was the same year that Huxdotter Coffee opened. Located less than two minutes from I-90, just past the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum, the first drive-through in North Bend quickly became the busiest spot in the area to grab a coffee.
Photo Credit: Aaron Locke/BCRA
Now that drive-through with “damn fine” coffee has grown up. Huxdotter Coffee’s new home is a surprisingly modern building of wood, glass and steel that opened for business last August. Not only does the new building have an improved drive-through, but it also has a roomy interior with soaring ceilings. An array of tables and counter seats provide a welcome space for those wishing to leisurely enjoy espresso drinks and pastries, made-to-order lunch sandwiches and hot breakfast sandwiches. Others use the free wifi to get some work done while they sip their coffee.
The inspired new digs are the brainchild of Jeremy Westlake, whose local roots run back several generations. Jeremy bought Huxdotter in 2016 with the dream of adding indoor seating and expanding the menu. After two years of planning, construction started. Closing down the busiest drive through in the area for ten months was painful, but the results have proved worth it. The café is full of locals and travelers on their way to Snoqualmie Pass, Mt. Si, or Snoqualmie Falls. And the drive-through is faster than ever before, with more room for cars to line up, a better workspace, and even a barista with an iPad who speeds up the wait by walking the line and taking orders when it's busy.
While contractors worked on the building, Jeremy worked to upgrade Huxdotter’s menu. He visited many bakeries throughout the area, favoring Macrina Bakery. Unfortunately, North Bend was then outside of Macrina’s delivery area. He offered up some estimates of the quantity of bread and pastries he thought he’d need, and an agreement was made to deliver to a restaurant in Issaquah, where Huxdotter could pick the order up. For the first month, Jeremy’s parents drove the 30 minutes to Issaquah and back at 4:30 in the morning so that Huxdotter’s customers would be able to get their Macrina fix when the café opened. It quickly became apparent that Jeremy’s estimates were solid—the café was indeed busy enough to justify expanding a route just for him. Nearly half a year later, the buzz has spread and Huxdotter continues to grow.
One thing about Huxdotter that especially stands out is its friendly, helpful baristas. Even after shutting down ten months for construction, nearly the entire staff returned. Watching the way they hustle to keep the drive-through line moving and the banter at the counter upbeat is invigorating.
When the sun shines on a warm day, the wide garage door that separates the large outdoor patio from the indoor seats opens to merge the two spaces. On a summer afternoon, tired hikers and those returning from work fill the chairs refreshing themselves with coffee, sweet treats or one of the PNW craft beers that rotate through the six taps on hand. Huxdotter also carries quite a variety of canned beers and a small selection of Washington wine.
One wall is decorated with large framed black and white photos of Jeremy’s ancestors who settled in the Snoqualmie Valley generations ago, and on another you’ll find an oversized topographical map of the area—perfect for planning your next hike or visit to the many nearby attractions.
Huxdotter Coffee is open weekdays from 5 A.M. to 7 P.M. and from 6 A.M. to 7 P.M. on weekends
The quintessential Italian breakfast pastry is the cornetto (singular form of the plural cornetti), a pastry similar to its French cousin the croissant. A bit more rustic than a croissant, they are light and airy and a little sweet with a hint of salt. This simple recipe elevates the cornetti for a lovely brunch treat. You can buy the cornetti the day before—traditionally bakeries use their day-old croissants for these—and you can prepare the almond cream and quick raspberry jam before your guests arrive. Then all you need to do before serving is to assemble and pop them in the oven! These twice baked treats are beautiful, especially dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with a few fresh raspberries. This recipe calls for plain cornetti, but chocolate cornetti also work and add another dimension of flavor.
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 egg
3/4 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 Macrina Cornetti
1/2 cup sliced almonds
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roast the whole almonds on the baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes until they are golden brown and fragrant. Let cool.
In a food processor, blend the whole almonds, butter, 1/4 cup sugar, egg, vanilla and all-purpose our until smooth. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add the raspberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, dissolving the sugar and releasing the juices from the berries. Combine the water and cornstarch and add the mix to the berries. Once it has thickened, remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.
Cut each cornetto horizontally, leaving a hinge. On the lined baking sheet, place the 4 open-faced cornetti. Spread half the almond mixture on the bottom half of each cornetto. Save the remainder of the mix for later.
Place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes to melt the almond mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of the raspberry jam onto the almond mixture and ip the top of each cornetto closed. Spread the remaining almond mixture over the tops of the cornetti and sprinkle with the sliced almonds (the almonds should stick to the almond mixture). Return the baking sheet pan to the oven for 3 more minutes to toast the almonds and warm the cornetti.
Serve them for brunch, or simply with a hot cup of coffee, tea or a frothy cappuccino. Enjoy!
Looking for something with delicious flavor to add to your holiday table? Or a showy appetizer? Our Winter Pear Crown will make a gorgeous addition to any meal. Or serve it as an appetizer with Cambozola or your favorite blue cheese.
Made with ripe Washington State pears and spiked with a dash of black pepper, the bread has a natural sweetness and the moist texture of a classic French loaf.
Leslie began making this beautiful hand-formed crown during the holiday season in Macrina’s early days, and it has earned a devoted following. Utilizing the excellent late-season pears—Washington State is the top grower of pears in the country—we dice the plumpest, tender Bartlett pears available and gently mix them into the dough with just enough black pepper to casually announce itself. Phuong Bui, our head baker, and his team then hand-shape each loaf into a crown.
Any leftovers make a luxurious breakfast treat. Warm it and serve slices with butter, or up your game and present it with a ramekin of olive tapenade. The bread is versatile, makes a stunning table centerpiece, and goes with almost anything. Get one while you can. We only make them during the holiday season.
At Macrina, we love baking and we love community. The annual holiday cookie exchange is a great example of this—each cookie a story, each an act of love. It’s a time to visit your neighbors and share good tidings. Not much tops baking family recipes with friends, but when you don’t have the time, Macrina has you covered. Our collection of 20 holiday cookies, sold in a reusable Panibois wooden baking box, will bring joy to your friends and neighbors. Each of the six delicious types of cookie has a story and a distinct flavor.
Read our blog to hear how one of Macrina’s partners, Michelle Galvin, has rekindled and nurtured dear friendships through an annual holiday cookie baking gathering and to learn more about our Holiday Cookie Box.
A few years after college, newly married and busy establishing a career, finding time to visit with dear friends was a challenge. In high school, Trina, Kerri and I would spend whole days together, talking every day. But now, despite the desire, we barely saw each other.
With Christmas approaching, we made a promise we’d start a new tradition: a holiday cookie party. We all loved baking and revered the neighborly tradition of the cookie exchange. What better way to reconnect than spending an afternoon sharing and baking family recipes together?
At the first gathering, Trina brought a vintage pizzelle maker. The family heirloom looked, uh, well-loved. It was easy to imagine the hundreds or thousands of thin wafer-like cookies it had produced over the years. Making 200 pizzelles alone would be a monotonous task, but the repetitive task of spooning dollop after dollop of dough into the rustic pizzelle iron with friends made it fun. We laughed a lot and had plenty of time to catch up.
Next, Trina taught us her Nonna’s biscotti recipe, the best in all of Montecatini she’d claimed. Her “trick” was to toast the almonds before adding them to the dough. Nothing satisfies the need for crunch like biscotti do, and I loved hearing the stories of Trina’s grandmother.
Since only two baking sheets could fit in the oven at a time, we spent an entire Saturday baking. It was like old times, talking of matters big and small, remembering old stories and sharing new ones. And at the end of it, we each had a large box of cookies to share with our friends, neighbors and family.
We promised we’d do it again the next year. And we did. And the year after that, too. Sometime in the early aughts, one of us showed up with a special holiday cookie edition of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. We tried making her Chocolate Crackle Cookies. Soon our hands were sticky with chocolate dough. But they were so delicious straight from the oven—chocolate crack-le!—I worried we wouldn’t have enough to give away. Of course, they got added to the yearly event. Even after all these years, Kerri and Trina still debate whether they should be crisp or chewy and how long to bake them. I love them both ways—and both of them—so I sit back and enjoy the playful debate.
As we added cookies, we also added kids. Gingerbread cookies with bright white royal frosting and decorated sugar cookies made their way onto our cookie trays. With the many small helping hands, the mess grew exponentially. The number of hands helping clean up did not! But the kids were thrilled to help. Though some of them struggled just a little to part with the cookies, they were all proud to present their teachers with plates of cookies they’d helped make.
Not only did I catch up with my friends, but now we also traded parenting secrets and potty training strategies. Later those stories included the challenges of starting new schools, puberty and middle school, sharing the car keys with new drivers, and college tours.
Not that it was all free of tragedy. At one gathering, midway through the pizzelle making, Trina dropped the heirloom iron and it broke. (Thank goodness, it was her—not me!) We raced out to a fancy kitchen store for a replacement. It sufficed but didn’t make cookies anywhere nearly as good, or as beautiful. So, we took to eBay for a replacement, carefully inspecting images and bidding patiently. Three years later, we had not one but two vintage pizzelle makers—exact replicas—safe cover if the dropsies came over us again.
With more kids and more plates of cookies to assemble, the single oven was a bottleneck. So, we ventured down to the Macrina test kitchen in Kent. The kitchen had so much space and fancy ovens galore. We were like pros in there. In just three hours, we had plates and plates of cookies, and we’d barely broken a sweat! We realized that the point of the gathering wasn’t about speed and efficiency (although the convection oven with rotating racks that baked all our cookies evenly was amazing), but nurturing friendships of more than 40 years. We’re back to the two cookie sheets oven.
Fortunately, it is the exception when time and circumstance doesn’t allow for our annual event. The few times it has happened, all three of us were very grateful that we could count on the fabulous bakers at Macrina. Sure, we missed the time together. But we were still able to bring our friends, family and neighbors lovely gift boxes of homemade holiday cookies we could be proud of.
Macrina Holiday Cookie box is an assortment of 20 cookies bundled in a reusable Panibois wooden baking box. It contains:
2 Gingerbread
3 Chocolate Crinkle
3 Mexican Wedding Balls
4 Cranberry Orange Almond Biscotti
4 Pecan Rosemary Shortbread
4 Rugelach
This lighter variation of our pumpkin pie practically floats. The fluffy texture comes from separating the eggs and folding the stiff whites into the batter. A topping of whipped cream adds to the feeling that you’re lifting an airy pumpkin dream to your mouth. At Macrina, butternut squash is the not-so-secret ingredient in our pumpkin pies. Simply put, we think pumpkin pies taste better with a dollop of roasted butternut squash. In this recipe however, butternut squash can replace the pumpkin altogether. We hope the cloud-like combination of sweetened squash, crystalized ginger and buttery graham cracker crust becomes an annual holiday tradition.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8-10
6 ounces graham crackers (2 cups), crushed in food processor
1/2 cup coconut our
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 cups roasted butternut squash, puréed (or substitute a 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon + 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons crystalized ginger, medium dice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 packet powdered gelatin (1/4 ounce)
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
Garnish
1 tablespoon crystalized ginger, thinly sliced
Sugared cranberries or pomegranate seeds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F and center the oven rack.
In a medium bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, coconut flour and melted butter. Mix well with a spoon. Press the mixture into a 9" pie pan so that the edges and base have a uniform thickness. Bake for 5-10 minutes until edges are golden brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the puréed butternut squash (or pumpkin), maple syrup and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Place a medium bowl over a saucepan filled with 2" of water (or use a double boiler). Add the milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, crystalized ginger, nutmeg and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the powdered gelatin and whisk to combine.
Add 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Continue adding the milk mixture in 1/4 cup increments until it’s all added. Return the incorporated mixture to the double boiler over medium heat and whisk for 3 minutes to thicken the custard. Stir in the squash purée and cook for another 3 minutes to evaporate any excess water from the squash.
Transfer the pie filling to a clean bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.
Whip the egg whites in a stand mixer until they look foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and whip until the whites are gently firm.
Fold the egg white mixture into the cooled pie filling. Ensure that it’s uniformly combined before pouring the mixture into the prepared graham cracker shell. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream. As the mixture starts to firm up, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
Top the pie with the sweetened heavy cream. It is best if you chill the pie for another 2 hours before serving to let the whipped cream set up. For a festive presentation, garnish with crystalized ginger and sugared cranberries or pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
With two beloved cookbooks covering many of our most popular breads and pastries, why did we produce a third? Well, after 25 years of creating impassioned dishes—savory and sweet—for customers at our five Seattle area cafés, we kept hearing, Can I get the recipe for that?This compilation of customers’ favorite new dishes and desserts from the Macrina kitchen is organized around the many seasonal delicacies of the Puget Sound. The easy-to-follow recipes feature big flavors and beautiful food. Local photographer Jim Henkens spent many days at Leslie Mackie’s farm on Vashon Island capturing the spirit and flair of these well-tested recipes and the rural beauty that serves as Leslie’s inspiration.
Leslie Mackie opened Macrina Bakery in 1993 to share her joy of artisan baking. Her passion shined through the hand-formed breads and pastries, and when she opened the cafe shortly after that, it shined in the soups, sandwiches and other savories.A decade later, when she moved to a rustic farm on Vashon Island, a short ferry ride away from Seattle, her connection to sustainable farming and seasonal produce deepened. Vashon is a lightly populated island of hills, twisty backwoods roads, forests and sprawling meadows. Free-range eggs, berries and freshly picked produce beckon passersby from roadside self-serve farm stands. Payment is frequently on the honor system. During the growing season, a bustling farmers market in the small town overflows with some of the best food grown in the Pacific Northwest.
Leslie enthusiastically gathers friends around great food. Most of the cookbook recipes first debuted at meals with the farmers, chefs, bakers, teachers and food lovers who make up Leslie’s community. When one of the new dishes hit a particularly high note, Leslie added the recipe to her notebook. After they were refined and tested, they were shared through Macrina’s recipe-of-the-month newsletter.Macrina Bakery’s Seasons is a compilation of the best. Each recipe is rooted in the distinctive foods of spring, summer, fall and winter in the Pacific Northwest. Leslie designed the recipes for the home cook. Most use easy-to-find ingredients, and for rarer items, she has provided suggestions for substitutions. Except for a few, you should be able to prepare the recipes in less than an hour so that you can spend time with your guests enjoying a taste of the good life.