Special Events

Lebanese Baking Demonstration with Maureen Abood

Join us for a demonstration class with Michigan cookbook author and IACP finalist, Maureen Abood. Sit back and enjoy some delicious Lebansese recipes from Maureen's newest cookbook, Lebanese Baking (Countryman Press, 2025).** There will be a tasting and a book signing.

What sets Lebanese Baking apart is its sense of purpose. Abood writes not just as a recipe
developer, but as an archivist of family memory and a chronicler of Lebanese American identity
through food. After her mother’s passing, she returned to the kitchen with quiet urgency to
preserve not only the recipes she grew up with, but the stories, language, and tenderness that
shaped them.

**A copy of the cookbook is included in the price of the class.

Meet the Instructor

Maureen Abood's mission is to help her Lebanese-food-loving community keep Lebanese culinary traditions alive. She learned to cherish and master Lebanese cuisine growing up in her big family in Michigan and later attending culinary school in San Francisco. Her award-winning debut cookbook, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from My Lebanese Kitchen (Running Press, 2015), her popular website, MaureenAbrood.com, and her social media channels are beloved for her trusted recipes made easy, and the deep personal connections of family, food, and memories she makes in her fun, vibrant style with her growing community. Her writing and recipes have also appeared widely, including in the New York Times, Washington Post, Saveur, Food52, and on National Public Radio. Maureen lives in Harbor Springs and East Lansing, Michigan.

The Evolution of American Baking with Amy Halloran

We are delighted to welcome Amy Halloran back to the Bakehouse for a talk and a light dinner.

The last time Amy joined us, back in 2019, we learned about regional grain systems and creating new relationships from field to loaf. This time Amy will speak about the evolution of American baking. Throughout the 19th century, advances in grain farming and milling technology led to wheat belts and milling centers; these changes allowed for innovation in bakeries that led to factory bread. Learn how this mesh of food facts influenced home and professional baking, and see whether the corner bakeshops that once existed resemble the naturally leavened bakeries of today. 

Join us for Amy's talk on American baking and a cozy Fall evening meal featuring artisan breads and regional whole grains! The menu will include Tomato De-vine soup, assorted Bakehouse sandwiches, and our American cookies made with locally grown whole grains.

Food will be available from 5:30pm; the talk will start at 6:00pm. 

Meet the Instructor

Amy Halloran writes about flour and baking. The author of The New Bread Basket (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015), which chronicles the revival of regional grain production, she lives in Upstate New York. Currently, she's working on a book about the twinned histories of the modern American woman and the modern American loaf. To learn more about Amy and her work, head to her website and check out our 2019 interview with her on our blog.