Despite rain, all ages turn out for Bread Fest

Rain did not keep people away from the Community Justice and Mediation Center's second annual Bread Fest at the Monroe County History Center Wednesday night. After all, it snowed last year, Community Justice & Mediation Center board member Wain Martin said. \nThe Bread Fest benefit raises money for and awareness of the Community Justice and Mediation Center, which provides a variety of mediation services, including disputes between landlords and tenants, businesses and clients and roommates.\n"We try to find more constructive ways to deal with conflicts than the ways we are normally taught," Tina Nabatchi, volunteer mediator and IU doctoral student said.\nWinners were chosen for three categories of bread by a panel of judges, plus a "people's choice" winner chosen by the crowd. Guests were given five tokens upon arrival to place in cups by the breads they enjoyed the most.\nSix judges chose winners in the three bread categories: yeast, quick and "celebration." Three of the six judges were food experts and three were Monroe County Circuit Court judges. \nRob Himmel, owner of The City Bakery, was chosen as a food expert judge for the second year in a row; Himmel judged breads in the quick category. Judges were given certain criteria such as color, texture and flavor to evaluate the breads. Quick breads are supposed to have an even structure, a slight loft in the loaf and not as many holes as yeast bread, Himmel said. \nEvaluating criteria like flavor does become somewhat personal, Himmel said. He tries to see what it does to the tongue.\n"Does it make you want to go back for more or get a glass of water to get the taste off your tongue?" Himmel said he asks himself.\nMike Diekhoff and his daughter decided to tag along with his wife, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff, because they are "both big bread fans," he said. The judge evaluated breads in the yeast category, the type of bread she personally prefers.\n"I'm not a big sweet bread eater," she said. "I like the more traditional breads."\nAfter a lot of talking, drinking and tasting bread, the winners were announced. Marisa Stewart's "stud muffin" bread tied 11-year-old Hannah Small's chocolate chip bread. Small proved to be tough competition for Stewart's husband, Jim, as well. Small's chocolate chip bread tied Jim Stewart's beer-cheese bread for second place in the quick bread category. Marisa Stewart also took first place in the celebration category for her panettone bread.\nThe Stewarts said they love to bake bread and give it away. Marisa Stewart said she enjoys using wild yeast to make her sourdough bread because it's a challenge to her, while her husband Jim said he enjoys baking artisan breads.\n"It's a more hands-on style," he said. "I ferment the dough overnight and use high gluten flour."\nBoth Jim and Marisa Stewart agreed there are certain ingredients not included in their recipes that help them bake such good bread.\n"We do our best cooking with a glass of wine and smooth jazz," she said.