Bagel Mania

We’ve been on a bagel kick lately, or at least, I have been. The only problem is, bagels are expensive and hard to find. I’m not talking about the frozen kind you get at the store, I’m talking real boiled bagels, a la New York and Montreal. Now I’m not kidding myself into thinking I can find Montreal bagels around here, but at least New York style. There were a couple of places that had them, one better than the other.

The Baker’s Corner in WRJ had my favorite bagels, boiled and funny looking just like they’re supposed to be. The other choice was Bagel Basement, whose bagels were not as good, but good enough. As luck would have it, both places just went out of business. I was surprised, but that’s life in a tough economy.

The two places were far from us, as well, and it was difficult to get fresh bagels. I would buy a bunch and put them in the fridge, toasting them when needed. The local deli carried them, as well, but they were expensive. Now I don’t know where they get their bagels.

I finally decided to make them again, but like all things in life, it requires a lot of initiative not to mention work. One thing that makes it easier this time around is that I’m skipping all the toppings and just going with plain. The kids prefer them, and it makes it a lot easier to produce them. I’m all for that.

They are not as good as professional bagels, I’m still trying to get that killer crispy outside and chewy inside. The insides are not bad, it’s the outside part that eludes me. Keep plugging along, right?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to mndrbndr for the pic.