01 Feb “High Altitude Baking with Chef Bud Thomas” at Telluride Museum, 2/3
Chef Bud and Jenna Thomas
Telluride is always high. And we mean that in a good way. The town and its surrounding mountains range between 9,000 – 14,000 feet, great if you like skiing, hiking, parasailing, mountain biking, lots of sports, but challenging for basics such as breathing and cooking. Just ask “The Tomboy Bride,” Harriet Backus.
In her memoir, Backus wrote “’The Rocky Mountain Cook Book’ became my guide, philosopher and daily companion.” One memorable Thanksgiving at their Tomboy cabin, the Backuses and friends sat down for what was sure to be the best meal of the year, only to find the bird still quite frozen.
With the Rocky Mountain Cook Book; advice from Beth Batcheller, her neighbor turned best friend; and, of course, trial and error, the Tomboy Bride was eventually able to overcome the challenges inherent to cooking in the clouds.
At elevations exceeding just 2,000 feet, less air pressure results in lower boiling points and therefor slower cooking times. Baking presents a whole other set of challenges. “There is no uniform formula, but plenty of considerations, variables and different schools of thought,” says Chef Bud Thomas. But just like the Tomboy Bride, “It is possible overcome these challenges,” assures the Chef, who teams up with the Telluride Historical Museum to host a one-hour cooking show, “High Altitude Baking with Chef Bud Thomas,” noon, February 3.
Chef Bud, owner of TasteBuds Catering, has worked as a chef in top restaurants in Arizona, England, and Telluride. As host of the popular “Books & Cooks” series at the Wilkinson Public Library, his goal is to demystify food preparation, sharing techniques, recipes, insights, and advice via live cooking shows. Unable to make it to the museum on Wednesday? Stream the contents from a library of video clips available from the Chef’s website, chefbud.com: “High Altitude Cooking with Chef Bud Thomas.”
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