as i might have mentioned somewhere (or not?) (maybe not) that i volunteer at leeds bread co-op occasionally, helping them bake sourdough bread (and sometimes, the luckier time, doughnuts and croissants as well) and even though i don't have a job, i'm choosing to bake bread for free rather than continue trying to find myself a job (which i like, maybe i haven't found a job because i've been too picky...) mainly because:

1. i love bread. and i love the smell of bread. so i don't mind going back home at midnight and go straight to bed with my whole body smells of bread (and i can't do so if it was the smell of something else...like oily deep-fried food)

2. i don't think i have any other reasons really. just the fact that i'm obsessed with good bread (or good food in general)

so baking bread at the bakery has become a kind relaxation for me. like how my flatmates go out and get wasted, i go out and bake bread.

i'm not a typical first year, obviously.

anyway, back to the bakery, they have recently (recently=two weeks ago or so) decided to put on a pop up restaurant event, a dinner consists of 7 dishes made of bread. and i went there to help with bits of this and that in the kitchen, as well as take some mouthwatering photos, and of course, eat.

i found the menu really interesting...like how could it be possible that every dish contains bread? even a drink? it was so interesting to me to the point that i needed to write about it.

so here i am.

let's start with the bread drink of the day; kvass

Kvass (vegan) A slightly alcoholic beverage, made with rye sourdough

so kvass was a russian drink my russian friend loves (by my other russian friend hates it) it's a fermented drink containing bread, sugar and water. it's bubbly and sweet and a bit bitter. and the fact that you can make it yourself quite easily amazed me somehow, because it tasted like something that has been bought from the supermarket to me.

that doesn't mean it tastes rubbish (like most things bought from supermarket did) but it taste, well, professional i guess? or commercial? i mean it's sell-able for sure.

Bread & Butter (v)

seems like an obvious thing to be here. but it's not a normal bread and butter, it was nice, fresh and warm bread with kefir butter!

hmm...what's kefir butter? yes, that was my reaction too.

kefir is, again, russian fermented milk. and that milk was churned into light and creamy butter which tasted something between whipped cream and butter

Ajo Blanco (vegan) Andalucian chilled soup; almond, garlic, white sourdough and olive oil



it was my first time eating cold soup which i found it really light and refreshing.

Leeks, spring onions, romesco (vegan) Romesco; a Catalonian sauce served at Calcot festival; peppers, hazelnuts and seeded sourdough



I LOVE THIS ROMESCO THING! it was amazingly nutty and flavourful and delicious with everything i ate, from vegetables to bread to crackers. i reminded me so much of german brotaufstrich (spread) somebody brought to a party. i absolutely adored this dish

Mussels, cucumber, pitachio tarator Tarator; a Turkish sauce served with fish; pistachio, caraway rye bread


seafood can never go wrong for me, and tarator sauce just made this dish a whole lot better

Lamb, peas, migas Migas; Spanish fried bread


the bread bit in this dish was basically croutons. the main course consisted of lamb, pea, topped with salad

wait, but when i googled it migas didn't look like croutons...maybe it was something in the lamb dish after all

Goats cheese, crackers (v)


the goat cheese used here wasn't my favourite kind of soft goat cheese, but the crackers were lovely. it was paper thin with different herbs in the middle (wild garlic, nettle) and some are topped with sesame and sea salt. tasted amazing with my yummy romesco

Rye bread, beer & date pudding, buttermilk (v) dessert common in Eastern Europe & Russia


pudding! the rye bread crumbs here was cooked in beer, the mixed with date paste and serve hot with icy buttermilk sorbet and orange zest on top...beer for dessert? it tasted very interesting!

Doughnuts (v)


these one are filled with rhubarb curd custard and rolled in rose sugar, just the right flavour of sweet and sour

and that, was how you can use stale bread to create a wonderful meal. impressive!