Om Hop Yoga

Enlightened Bread-Making

I work in sustainable investing and part of my job is encouraging companies we own to be more transparent with their operations, workplace practices, supply chain management, etc.  A transparent, environmentally and socially responsible company creates greater value for itself and its employees as well as its stakeholders.  Meeting the baker of the Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Richard Bourdon, on our recent trip to the Berkshires made me contemplate the real value of transparency and honesty when it comes to running a business.

The approach the Berkshire Mountain Bakery takes in running it's business is simple:  it's bread-making with integrity.  It is evident the process is authentic and based on the way bread was traditionally baked before mechanization.  Further, they explain exactly why they use this process and break it down in layman's terms for any interested customer.  You also get to know Richard.  His bio is a story at the end of which the reader feels like she knows him.  Here's a short excerpt:

"If you have the opportunity to meet Richard Bourdon you will be struck by his energy and drive. You can find him on any given day doing any of the following: mixing the dough, shaping the loaves, stretching the pizza, sweeping the floors, bagging the cookies or helping out a customer at the counter. If you are lucky enough to have him help you, you will discover a man who still speaks with a gentle French accent who is passionate about the food he produces. His knowledge and enthusiasm will leave you wondering if this man is a baker or a teacher and philosopher. For those of us who know him well, we know he is all of the above. We invite you to taste the bread baked by a man who is truly committed to bringing better food to this world."

Even in the brief moment that Aran and I met him, I can attest that every word of that bio is true.  I think every business, service, product, or idea has a story and this website made me realize the importance of sharing it.  Since I've become more attuned to how I nourish myself I love knowing what it took for the food to arrive on my plate.  Who picked the apples, or raised the animals?  Did they raise them in a humane and sustainable way?  What is the story of the farmer or baker or chef?  This knowledge enriches my experience of eating because food doesn't just give us strength and energy to go about our days, it supports our life force and has incredible healing properties.  

Richard helped me realize that perhaps I am not allergic or sensitive to all bread.  Perhaps I can actually have bread when it's made as it should be - using the sourdough or fermentation process that makes the whole grains in the bread digestible.  When I look around, most of the business ideas and start-ups these days are centered around solving our environmental and social challenges, making our lives easier and more productive or efficient, and bringing together people who are driven to make a positive impact.  And those creating these ideas, for the most part want to do so with integrity and many are even radically changing out-dated workplace practices and being mindful of the dynamics of the business as a whole - the operations, employees, community, environment, and products or services being offered.  It's not just about the bottomline anymore.  The approach is more holistic and more and more companies that are operating this way are finding they achieve greater successes and find more market opportunities than those who are less transparent and more narrowminded about what they do and offer.  In this way, this little bakery out in the Berkshires enlightened my thinking around what is good for my body and gained a loyal, supportive customer who has been telling all her friends and family about this gem.  

Thank you Richard and Berkshire Mountain Bakery for your authenticity!

 

a welcome reprieve in the Berkshires

Spending 3 beautiful days in the Berkshires with the love of my life was just what this birthday girl needed to commence another year in this magnificent world.  You can actually breathe in the Berkshires.  This is not only because the air is so fresh, but time slows down setting a perfect pace to life.  I guess this is what vacation is about, but I honestly hadn't given my soul a chance to simply breathe and slow down in quite a while.  This was a wonderful reminder that the possibility is just around the corner and I can tap into it even via a simple meditation.  

I won't go into too much detail, but I had such a wonderful time that I simply had to recap our adventures from the weekend if only to one day take myself back to this wonderful reprieve.  

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Aran booked us a room in a motel-turned-contemporary-B&B called The Briarcliff Motel.  It was bought a couple years ago by two Brits, Richard and Clare, who couldn't be more welcoming.  The common area where I could have spent hours lounging, leafing through cooking magazines or losing myself in a good book has a cozy country feel.  They even thought to add a little fire stove which draws you in like a magnet on a cold Fall or Winter afternoon. The rooms have a very minimalist and contemporary feel and you can tell a lot of thought was put into them.  I thought the place was absolutely perfect and I honestly can't imagine staying anywhere else the next time we head up there!  It set a perfect tone for our weekend getaway! [Feel free to check out our TripAdvisor review on The Briarcliff for more photos!]

Common area with view of dining table where we had our delicious breakfast consisting of warm freshly baked scones, local yogurt with homemade granola, and of course Barrington Coffee Roasters coffee.  

Lounge where we enjoyed a few hours of leisurely reading while sipping on a great cup of Joe (Aran) or some mint tea (moi). 

Aran reveling in an almost ethereal cup of Barrington Coffee.  These guys are the real deal - no pretence, the coffee simply speaks for itself.  Unfortunately, they don't have any places in NYC that sell their coffee, but they do deliver!  And let me tell you it's worth it!  For a little inspiration, check out their website and this video!   They do have their own little shop in Boston though if you're out there. 

After checking into the Briarcliff we zipped over to the Barrington Coffee Roastery before it closed for the weekend.  Lucky us, our new friend Heck, one of the roasters, gave us an awesome tour of the digs. 

Friday evening, upon Richard and Clare's recommendation, we had dinner at Nudel in Lenox.  About a 10-15 minute drive from Great Barrington, Lenox is a darling little town.  We got there at around 4:30pm with plenty of time to stroll through the streets and peak into shops, bookstores and cafes.  Of course our bellies have minds of their own and by 5:45pm we couldn't wait to eat any longer.  We sat at the "Chef's table" at Nudel - highly recommend this as you get to be right in the midst of all the action happening in the kitchen in front of you and you will likely get a chance to chat with the Chef - and our eyes wanted to devour everything on the menu!  Thankfully we did have a bit of self-control and decided to share the chicken skin tacos (pictured above), parsnip soup, and orecchiette with beef ragu that came with a bowl of extra sauce for me because the Chef overheard I am sensitive to wheat (so incredibly thoughtful!). Delicious!  Nudel is the kind of place where you eat your meal at a leisurely pace and slowly sip on your wine as you gape at all the dishes coming out of the kitchen.  And if you're lucky you may even get treated to a little taste of some dark chocolate/ goat cheese truffles that will melt your heart and effortlessly bring you into the present moment, if the ambiance in the kitchen and your meal didn't bring you there already.  Nudel posts a new menu at around 3pm every day and it's based on what was available at the market that morning.  Brilliant. 

Saturday morning we got up bright and early, fortified ourselves with a delicious breakfast of warm freshly baked scones, local yogurt with homemade granola and Barrington coffee (all at The Briarcliff!) and set off for Bash Bish Falls.  

The hike was incredibly reviving.  It made me feel like I had finally escaped the frenetic hustle and bustle of the city.  There's nothing like nature to remind you that you can finally breathe again and allow yourself to imbibe the crisp freshness of country air in Autumn.  

Post Bash Bish Falls we were ready to eat again and before getting lunch at Ruby's (the Rubiner's Cheesemongers cafe), we sampled some stinky and decadent cheeses at Rubiner's.  At Ruby's Aran had the Cuban and I a corn quesadilla with local ham and hot peppers.  Again, delicious. 

With our bellies full, it was time to lose ourselves in Norman Rockwell's paintings at his Museum in Stockbridge.  The grounds alone are worth the visit and I imagine in the summertime they're filled with museum-goers frolicking in the grass amongst the scluptures!

I'm always astonished as to how much of life can be lived when you wake up early.  After feeding our eyes and our right brains with Norman Rockwell's art we had a pre-dinner snack at the Red Lion Inn.  Simply walking around in this historic building, with the creaky floors and antiquated furniture takes you back in time.  It has a lot of soul.  A delicious lentil soup and some deviled eggs satiated us for the time being and before heading back to The Briarcliff for some much needed lounging and reading, we wanted to check out the much raved-about Berkshire Mountain Bakery.  Again, our timing was impeccable because we had the fortune of speaking with the master baker himself!  Where the bread is baked is adjacent to their store and we couldn't resist peaking in.  Before we knew it, one of the assistant bakers, probably sensing our curiosity nudged us toward the master baker.  Of course a memorable conversation ensued and progressed for almost 30 minutes.  Richard enlightened us with the intricacies of bread-making.  We walked away feeling like we just received a lesson from a respected Professor. Even afte 25 years, Richard has an real passion and a schoolboy's curiosity for bread and bread making.  He talked to us about how drastically bread-making has changed since when humans first began eating this fluffy and crispy goodness and how important sticking with the traditional methods is to him.  He is even working with a nutritionist to figure out how to make wheat bread that is digestible to people like her who have developed a sensitivity to gluten.  If you are as fascinated as I was by this man, check out the Berkshire Mountain Bakery website for more info on his philosophy and the ways he tries to apply old world bread-making techniques to modern palates.  [The memorable conversation had to be commemorated with an impromptu photo of Richard and me.]

For my birthday dinner we went to the newly opened Bell & Anchor, a Mark Firth restaurant.  The place had a country rustic feel and while the hostess had a bit of a feisty demeanor, we grabbed a couple chairs at the bar and had a wonderfully delicious meal.  The menu is focused around ingredients from Firth’s farm, including produce, eggs, honey, maple syrup, pigs, ducks and guinea hens.  If you go, be prepared for a pretty meat-centric menu!  

On Sunday morning we took another refreshing walk and this time it was around a lake about 10 minutes from The Briarcliff.  It's amazing how ravenous fresh air and a walk in nature can make you so after checking out and bid Clare and Richard of The Briarcliff au revoir we headed over the Brickhouse for some badass grass-fed burgers.   We devoured the Mushroom Burger and the "Brickhouse Burger" and didn't look back!   Mmm mm.  

We drove home refreshed and recharged.  A perfect little birthday getaway.  

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While this entry also belongs on my photography blog, I wanted to share it with my Om Hop blog readers as an inspiration piece.  The Berkshires are no more than 3 hours away from the city by car and there, among the friendliest of locals, rejuvenating hikes, decadent organic food and some of the most ethereal coffee you'll ever drink, you will find the breathing room you may be seeking .  And you're guaranteed to come back with a little piece of the country whether it be a slice of cheese, a new friend, insights into bread-making, or a clear, relaxed and peaceful mind.