Wood-Fired

Jeremy has a dream--he has for quite some time. He dreams of his very own wood-fired pizza oven in the backyard.

So when I saw that someone in the community was offering a class about the design, construction and use of wood-fired brick ovens, I knew Jeremy had to go.  Coincidentally, it was offered the day before Fathers' Day, so we celebrated Fathers' Day, a day early and gifted Jeremy with this class for the afternoon.

On a side note: little kids can not keep secrets.  Luckily the boys kept calling it a "pizza class", because I  had told them that a part of the class was baking their own pizza's in the oven, so regardless the bits Jeremy did get from the boys didn't tell him exactly what we had planned for him--or how cool it was!

Unfortunately rain was on the forecast that day, and the class materials had said the class would be moved to the community center in case of inclement weather.  I was so nervous, and of course it started raining a half hour before the class was supposed to begin. 

I was totally bummed.

We drove by the guy's house anyway, because the whole point is actually seeing this guy's oven in action, anyone can go check out a book from the library to learn the theory of it all, and I was sure that the other participants would agree and wouldn't mind the rain.

Well, the other participants did agree.  And even though the organization the class was offered through tried to get him to change the location because of the rain, Matt wouldn't.  Besides, he'd already had his oven firing for a few hours before the class even began.

They ended up going down in his basement for the lecture aspect of the class, but came back out to construct pizzas, and luckily, the rain was basically done by then.

When we came to pick up Jeremy a few hours later he was waiting around with a few of the stragglers for Matt's oven to cool down enough for cooking some sourdough boules.  So we unloaded the boys to hang out in their yard for a bit.

(It was a new experience for us, getting the reaction to unloading our "four boys?!" --including the week and a half old Rory.)

The boys were a little disappointed to not get pizza (not that we'd promised them any), but they were generously offered slices of sourdough--which was delicious.  And we learned that the person we need to hit up for some starter is actually the dean of Jeremy's college! 

I can imagine this conversation: Hey remember how you just shook my hand when I graduated with a PhD. last month but I don't actually have a job, so I was thinking of taking up sourdough bread-baking instead.  What do you think, will you hook me up with some starter?!

Classic. 

Jeremy came home from the class super-excited.  One step closer to having his own wood-fired masonry oven.  Next place we move he says. 

And as for me--I was feeling generally on top of the world for being such a stellar wife, and sending him to this class.