Before Food Network, before “EVOO” and “Bam!” entered the stockpot of our lexicon, and well before the cult of celebrity replaced the cult of capability, there was a series on PBS called Great Chefs. Narrated by Mary Lou Conroy in her inviting southern drawl, the shows were the best thing before food TV and have remained the greatest thing since. Episodes were built around cities and their great foods, focusing tightly on technique, flavor, and craftspeople. They were a gateway drug that led me to Baking with Julia, Jacques Pépin, and beyond. It is no exaggeration to say that I received my informal culinary education in thirty-minute chunks. Following Julia, I found a French bread recipe, published in the New York Times magazine, which I hoped would approximate the flavor of loaves we could buy at the West Side Market in Cleveland. It was my first attempt at a hand-shaped artisan bread.