Portland Culinary Alliance

PCA members came from as far as Hoquiam and Olympia, Washington and Newport, Oregon to see baker and cookbook author Greg Patent at Bob’s Red Mill on February 12.

Patent, who lives in Missoula, Montana, was inspired by his international heritage and background to write “A Baker’s Odyssey: Celebrating Time-Honored Recipes from America’s Rich Immigrant Heritage.” He was born in Hong Kong and raised in Shanghai. As a boy he helped his Iraqi grandmother cook and also found inspiration from TV cooks, including Julia Child.

During his demonstration of baked goods that originated in Wales, Ireland, Thailand and Australia, Patent was being filmed by a Swedish film crew from Shanghai. They were making a documentary about people who had lived in a certain apartment house in Shanghai and they tracked Patent down to his PCA event at Bob’s Red Mill. It was an international night, indeed!

For his cookbook, Patent found 130 recipes from 32 countries or ethnic groups, but the sources for his recipes were all immigrants living in America. In Missoula alone, he found 18 people who contributed recipes from their own heritage. All the contributors invited Patent into their homes so he could observe their traditional methods for producing their pastries, savory bites and breads.

Patent demonstrated and shared samples of Irish soda bread, Welsh griddle cakes, Thai fritters and Anzac cookies from Australia that commemorate the World War I Battle of Gallipoli.

Members and other guests purchased “A Baker’s Odyssey” and had Patent autograph their books. Six lucky members of the audience found “Winner” stickers on the bottom of their plates and received free books, which Patent was glad to sign with the words, “Happy Baking!”