Zingerman's

How excited would you be if this box arrived just days before your birthday? I persuaded Todd that it had to be opened immediately because of the perishables sticker on it. Of course, Todd knew what was in it, and that most of it wasn't perishable, but he let me open it anyway.

One of the few perishables in the box was a big loaf of Zingerman's paesano bread, with a thick, crusty crust and soft interior with huge holes. Zingerman's is a collection of foodie shops (bakery, creamery, deli, etc.) in Ann Arbor; I have the book Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, which is broken into chapters on things like olive oil, honey, cheese, etc. and explains how they're made and what makes them great. It's the perfect book for someone who doesn't like to cook. It's good for cooks, too, but it teaches how to buy such great ingredients that you hardly have to do any cooking at all to make an impressive spread. Zingerman's also does a lot of mail-order from their web site.