Calabrese Bread, From My Sister's Table

The word companion traces back to Latin: com, together with, and panis, bread. Literally, one who shares bread with you. The etymology is old and worth keeping in mind, because it tells you what bread is for, before anything else.

This is Calabrese bread, made by an artisan baker near my sister’s home in Brazil. She knows how much I love it, and whenever I have the privilege of visiting, she makes sure it is on the table. The photo is from one of those visits. I could not have been in better company: with my sister, her family, my family.

The bread itself is what you would hope it to be: soft, deeply colored crust, the kind of structure that comes from a serious oven. The flavor… I will not even try to describe it. Take a look at this picture and try to imagine it yourself.