Saturday, February 11, 2012

My Kingdom for a Bagel

Jay's little circles of bagelly sunshine
Winnipeg's Jewish community has a sizable, prominent and influential presence here. So why can't a girl get herself a decent bagel in this town?

Gee, I hope that didn't sound cliche.

But seriously. When we were moving to Winnipeg, I was beside myself with excitement over my bagel prospects. I couldn't wait to find the famous North End. Surely here I would find the Mecca of Bageldom.

Nope.

I found one local baker who made a New York style. But again, seriously? Anyone who loves their bagels knows full well that Montreal-style is the ONLY style. And here, I've found out from my reputable Jewish friends, there is NO Montreal-style.

Gaaaaah.

So. Cut to scene: since we can't go to Bageldom, henceforth Bageldom shall come to us. Our street cred is that Jay's a lab rat. He tinkers with test tubes, mass spectrometers, and gas chromatographs for a living. So really, could building a better bagel be all that hard?

So far we've had three batches, three different recipes. Tasting as we go. Adding extra notches to our belts. Stay tuned for the thrilling outcome, when just one bagel will be left standing.  Here, on Bagel Island.

5 comments:

Romy said...

I love bagels! Being a Montreal girl now, I'm coming around to the Montreal bagel. I will confess that I didn't love them at first - if you didn't get them fresh, they are bleh. Siegel's in Vancouver is still ranked up there for me. Have you tried Gunn's Bakery for bagels? Maybe you and Jay could start up a li'l side business once Jay perfects his recipe :)

Olivebits said...

Oh yes, me darlin', we've tried Gunn's. Meh. And indeed, that little side business is in our sights :-D. Thanks for poppin' by...love your comments, always!

J.Ro. said...

The water-bagels I've made were some of the best bagels in the world, and I'm not a great cook. I don't understand why nobody capitalizes on this. Gunn's is definitely meh.

MightyBrownOwl said...

I have a bagel recipe my cousin and I used to some success, although without the woodfired oven scene it's never the perfect one - I'll send it to you when I'm home from aloha-land! xo

Sophie said...

Like Romy, living in bagel heaven makes it a tad easier for me. Still love the old Fairmont vs St-Viateur debate. Silly debate, since they both rock my world, but entertaining as hell!

If ever you want a pack shipped, say the word...although old, mouldy bagels are not quite as tasty.

Next time I go in for a lox and bagel, I'll save a thought for your poor Winnipeg ass.