One of many successful innovations from the Zingerman’s “Community of Businesses” is BAKE! — a hands-on teaching bakery located between the Zingerman’s Bakehouse and Zingerman’s Creamery on Ann Arbor’s south side. BAKE! is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and over that time has come to be nationally renowned for its educational model that shares the expertise of Zingerman’s team with a large community of home bakers.
From humble beginnings with just two full-time instructors teaching 10 courses, BAKE! has grown to four instructors, two assistants, two fully equipped baking classrooms and some 40 sessions each month, consisting of a total of 80 classes.
Since its inception, teaching people how to bake and spreading an interest in baking has been central to the mission at Zingerman’s Bakehouse. BAKE! allows the team to do just that, committing time to encourage home bakers to make food from real ingredients to be shared with family and friends as a healthy expression of community.
The month of August will be devoted to celebrating the big anniversary, with a number of special events and gifts as well as special guest instructors that will join the team from across the country. Dorie Greenspan, a New York Times bestseller and six-time James Beard award-winning author, will present demonstrations Aug. 4-5 — tickets sold out in less than two hours.
An “open-mic night” is also planned for a number of long-term BAKE! students who will pay their learning forward and share their recipes and expertise with newer students. Their dedication to the success of the program is likely what has industry leaders like Rachael Ray giving BAKE! her seal of approval, calling the program one of “the best, most affordable ones out there.” Midwest Living called it a “chocolate-dipped, cream-filled opportunity to learn from the best.”
For more information on their anniversary celebration and all things BAKE!, visit www.bakewithzing.com/10years.
Cool Jacks Opens In Sylvan Lake
If you love Cool Jacks homemade and handcrafted ice cream sandwiches, you’re in luck. The treat that started with an ice cream truck concept conceived by husband-and-wife team Josh and Jill Charlip and made its way into local grocery stores last year has crawled out of the freezer section and landed in Sylvan Lake.
A free-standing Cool Jacks brick-and-mortar location is now open, just in time for summer (2530 Orchard Lake Road). The store is open daily at 11 a.m. with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
You can also drop in to the Bagel Factory in Southfield for the retail Cool Jacks experience (24551 W. 12 Mile Road).
Save The Dates
Mark your calendar for a few can’t-miss events coming up in the next few
months …
- ORT Rub-A-Dub — Wednesday, Aug. 17, 5:30 p.m. at Franklin Hills Country Club in Farmington Hills.
- National Council of Jewish Women’s Annual Women of Vision Event honoring Alicia Stillman and Ellie Slovis and featuring guest speaker Jenna Bush Hager — Thursday, Sept. 8, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
- Yad Ezra’s Annual Dinner honoring Rachel and Jason Zimmerman — Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
Mazel Tov!
Happy birthday to Sissy Yellen, Ricki Rogow, Vicki Barnett, Brittany Turner, Ethan Weisman, Sheldon Kay, Shawn Silver, Hal Ostrow, Craig Fahle and to a woman who deserves a lot of praise and a special day, mostly because she has to deal with me — my mom, Ann Fishman. Happy birthday, Mom! I love you.