Opening shots

Twilight in the city of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Pink streaks over the New Jersey meadowlands, a shriek of bus brakes on the Lincoln Tunnel Helix. It's cold and drizzly and windy, and I'm asking myself - "What next?"

By which I mean, not what will happen in the next 10 minutes, but what will I do in the next phase.

I've been a community college professor for the past 24 years. Before that I was an X-ray technician and my whole adult life I've been a photographer. But now that retirement looms (Yea!) I find myself not ready to slow down, but to speed up. And become a GF baker.

Lots of ego in that. Most pro bakers train hard in school, work their butts off in other people's shops and take huge financial risks opening their own businesses. So the first thing I want to say is, if you are reading this and you are a pro, I don't want to diss you by suggesting I'm qualified to jump into your field just because I say I am. It's more like, I'm wondering if I can.

I've had years of practice GF baking. Both my wife and I have Celiac disorder, and Leslie doesn't bake.

Now I know that home kitchens are not commercial kitchens, and I do have a lot to learn, but I think I'm off to a good start b/c I love hard work and I love to invent stuff. Plus I have an axe to grind: GF baked goods cost too damn much.

So here's my dream solution: a GF baker's collective. Several of us working together to make inexpensive, tasty, celiac-friendly baked goods. Socialism in the dough.

My part of this, besides coming up with the idea, will be natural-leavened hearth breads.

But enough self-promotion. Cut to the story line: Will I Create A GF Bakers' Collective And Switch Careers? Keep Reading And Find Out.

Oh, about this site's name: My Celia are in my gut, but mycelia are the underground “roots” of fungi. Which are my hobby. The collection, identification and consumption thereof. Or at least that's my summer hobby - in the winter I change hats and become a back country skier.

You can find more about me on my web site:

http://www.underthewildsky.com/