Gerry Klaskala, chef-owner of Aria and co-owner of Canoe, arrived for his visit to the Southern Chefs Series with two freshly baked loaves of bread, European butter and sea salt to sprinkle on top. And as far as I’m concerned, he could’ve stopped right there.

(He didn’t, of course. More on that in another post).

The women were on my side: Each one said they could die happily on a belly full of bread and butter. The men said they’d prefer steak. And it struck me how those ancient rituals — men hunting; women baking bread — still feed our cravings centuries later.

Bread touches something deep within us; I think it’s a big reason that artisan breads have made such a comeback.

Gerry sliced the rye on a mandoline so it was razor thin, toasted and served it as part of the Sunday night dinner. My first bite jarred a childhood memory of the rye melba toasts I loved as an after-school snack when I was 10 years old. It was a box brand called Old London and I’d smear them with butter, sip Red Rock ginger ale and watch Bewitched.

Gerry topped his version with housemade cold-smoked salmon he’d marinated overnight in layers of coriander and cardamom, salt and pepper. The next morning he scraped off the spices and cold-smoked it, a process that makes the fish taste much less smoky than hot smoke. I don’t like smoked salmon for that exact reason, but this one had me salivating and figuring out two things:

1. How soon I could get to Aria to have more

2. How to make my own cold smoker

According to Gerry, all I need is a smoker, some galvanized pipe and a refrigerator. It’s genius and totally doable with a little help from Quinn’s boyfriend, Lucas.

This could very well be my new summer backyard décor.

Join me next week for more details about Gerry’s Alsatian-themed visit, featuring bacon cooked in goose fat he rendered after Christmas dinner.