It can't be. But it is!

So Kate and I were waiting for our hamburgers at Fox and Obel (yes, delicious hamburgers can be consumed at an upscale grocery store. Ahh, the perks of Chicago...) when I noticed a flyer on our table for an upcoming event at the store:

A class in conjunction with the University of Chicago Graham School of General Studies…

This Is Not A Baguette

Leora Auslander, Historian, University of Chicago
Pamela Fitzpatrick, Executive Baker, Fox & Obel

Thursday, March 10th, 6-8 pm, $45

Everyone claims to know what a French baguette is, but not many really do. How many, for instance, can tell the difference between a baguette, a batard, and a ficelle? How did the baguette come to be, what is its cultural significance, and how can you tell a good one? Join us for an animated discussion of the art and science of the baguette, during which you will learn how and why baguettes made in France carry different meanings as well as different flavors. The program will feature Pamela Fitzpatrick, Fox & Obel Food Market’s celebrated executive baker, and University of Chicago historian Leora Auslander, whose many works on the history and culture of France include Taste and Power: Furnishing Modern France.

Leora Auslander was my prof for Modern European Jewish History, a class I really enjoyed, and frankly my opinion of her has only gone up now that I know of her Fox and Obel connection. She is totally who I want to be when I grow up.