Joseph Mussomeli
Man may not live by bread alone, but a goodly baked bread goes a long way to rendering us joyful and content. Bread-making is both a sensual and spiritual experience. It satisfies a yearning for deeper bonding among friends and family, and it restores us to a less stressed, more thankful awareness of life.

Many years ago, as a young diplomat straining to learn French, I was amused to realize that the French word for bread is spelled pain. Of course, it is not pronounced as such, but being steadfastly immature well into adulthood, I was nonetheless inclined to laugh each time I saw the word. For me, bread has always had a soothing, almost medicinal and certainly spiritual, aspect to it. It was the furthest thing from pain; indeed, it is nearly pain’s antithesis. Man may not live by bread alone, but a goodly baked bread goes a long way to rendering us joyful and content. This is especially true for breads we make on special occasions, particularly Christmas, where the aroma of fresh yeast, flour, and cardamom blend perfectly with the other familiar smells—wreaths, fir trees, and candles—of that holiday. Together, they render me emotionally intoxicated and spiritually renewed.
For others, I am sure, the smell of hot chocolate or eggnog or a roasting ham may conjure up warm feelings and inner stirrings, and perhaps equally pleasant memories. But my memories of the special cardamom bread we bake every Christmas Eve are my fondest of each Christmas season. I think part of the reason for this is because while breaking bread together is a great goodness, it cannot rival making bread together. If St. Augustine was right that “he who sings prays twice,” then those who make bread together while singing certainly pray thrice. Gathered around the kitchen table each Christmas Eve as carols are sung,  » Read More
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