Featured Maker: A & J King Artisan Bakers in Salem

Much of my day is spent in this fine establishment working for Andy and Jackie. They are damn good at what they do as you can see. Andy makes most of the breads with help from John and Jereme and Jackie does the pastries with Sarah. I do the selling and displays with Joanne, Mary, Anna, Kayla and Mariel (who is also chief barista). I am embarassed to admit that I often linger around after I'm out of work and even come in on my days off because I like working there so much and have become good friends with everyone.

I have to gush. Andy and Jackie are really the hardest working people I've ever met. They are both talented and care a great deal about what they do. They go out of their way to find ingredients that measure up to their values of buying locally and sustainably and don't take crappy shortcuts in their processes. Everything at the bakery is insanely delicious and aesthetically pleasing too. I am in love with the fougasse which is a ciabatta dough pounded flat, cut to resemble a sand dollar and sprinkled with salt and seeds. Jackie's seasonal tarts are also unbelievable and it's apple season now which is my favorite variety!

They are better at explaining artisan baking and their values than I am so take a look at their new blog!

The last photo is a set of paintings I made for Andy and Jackie on the bakery's one year anniversary. It is of a baguette nosewhal (a narwhal with a baguette nose) and an epilope (a jackalope with epi for antlers). You can see the epi and baguette from the bakery in the photo right above the one of the paintings. I've made a few things inspired by working at the bakery.