Hi. I am Jennifer James, the founder of 
Last month I made a quick trip to New York for a meeting and for an amazing event with Panera Bread*. If you saw the #PaneraBaking hashtag floating around Twitter in October, here’s what all the buzz was about.
Tom Gumpel, Panera Bread’s Head Baker, former associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America, and Captain of the 1999 U.S. Baking Team that captured the grand prize at the prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Cup of Baking), was on hand to teach us parent bloggers a thing or two or three about bread.
I learned there is such a thing as bread pairing. I though that was reserved for wine and cheese. I also learned that some bread just calls for butter and cheese, diets be damned! And, I also learned that walking into Cooking by the Book in Tribeca when bread is being baked is nothing short of heaven on earth.
Link Love:
Kitchen Conundrum: Renee makes Tom’s Asiago Strata (Don’t read this if you’re hungry!)
Seriously Soupy: Serena published the bread pairings suggested by Panera Bread
Mom in the City: Check out Kim’s video of Tom Gumpel making Chocolate Pecan Babka
I also received a $25 gift card to Panera Bread that I am giving away. Leave a comment to win. A random drawing will be made on November 30, just in time to receive it for yourself or a great stocking stuffer!
* I worked with a PR team to invite parent bloggers to the Panera Bread event.
Friday, November 12th, 2010, 6:35 pm | 
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November 12, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Oh I love Panera Bread! Was always my hangout last year when my youngest was in preschool 3 mornings a week. Awesome bagels + free wifi is a win-win for me!
November 12, 2010 at 6:56 pm
No fair! I can practically smell the bread rising now, and it’s making me hungry.
November 12, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Me! Me! It will help finance my wedding to Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels.
November 12, 2010 at 7:09 pm
We love Panera and are so excited to have one in our town now!
November 12, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I love Panera! You Pick 2 is my lunch favorite. Thank you for a chance to win!
November 12, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Would love to have the Gift Card
November 12, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I absolutely love their salads and their french onion soup (in a breadbowl of course!). Panera is also a great place to take the kids for lunch!
November 12, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Panera Bread is a favorite of mine, I love my carbs!!! I would love to win this prize and take my daughter out to lunch
November 12, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I would love to win! Thank you for giving us the chance!
November 13, 2010 at 12:51 am
Oooh, I would love to win! Thank you for the opportunity!
November 13, 2010 at 12:52 am
I would love to win this gift card! Thank you! One of my favorite smell is the smell of fresh baked bread! Delicious!
November 13, 2010 at 12:55 am
Looks like you had fun, thanks for the giveaway!
November 13, 2010 at 1:02 am
I love Panera! Looked like a fun event!
November 13, 2010 at 1:07 am
I already ate but you just made me hungry again! Thanks alot!
thanks for the chance!
November 13, 2010 at 1:07 am
You lucky, lucky lady!! I would give this to my college age daughter who could use a nice meal out! Thanks for the offer.
~Mimi
mnjesusfreak at gmail dot com
November 13, 2010 at 1:31 am
I love Panera Bread. Thanks for the chance =)
November 13, 2010 at 1:40 am
Oh I would love to win this I just LOVE panera bread
November 13, 2010 at 1:47 am
My husband and I love, love, love Pannera. It’s our favorite date restaurant. So glad they have wi-fi too!
November 13, 2010 at 1:50 am
Oh I haven’t ate at Panera Bread in forever, It would be great to treat myself!
November 13, 2010 at 1:50 am
I LOVE Panera. My hubby always wants to go out for steak, and I always say that I’m drooling over a salad I want at Panera. Would love to win!
November 13, 2010 at 2:20 am
Sounds like a fun event you attended! Would love to win the gift card, thanks!
November 13, 2010 at 2:22 am
If you can believe it I have never gone before. The gift card would be a great way to get me in the door and take my husband to lunch
November 13, 2010 at 3:12 am
Lucky you! Bakers have my respect. I have baked at home since I was 7 years old, but not like people who bake real artisan breads and such. They are real bakers! I love the Panera salads and sandwiches, and it’s great to go with my whole family.
November 13, 2010 at 3:17 am
The family loves Panera bread. A gift certificate would be great!!
November 13, 2010 at 3:20 am
i am so hungry right now… and this is making me even hungrier! could go for an awesome Panera Sandwich!!
November 13, 2010 at 6:57 am
I have a Panera in my local outdoor shopping mall, it’s right across from my favorite movie theatre, Panera + a good Movie is always a winter favorite after I do my holiday shopping! and with the cold winters we get here I absolutely love their soup and sandwich combos!
November 13, 2010 at 12:56 pm
OMG, I LOVE Panera’s Bread!! I would definitely keep this one for a lunch date with my hubby.
November 13, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I love Panera Bread. We have one near my home but not near my office so I can only lunch there on wkends. *sigh*
November 13, 2010 at 9:40 pm
how wonderful to go and see how to make bread. The pictures are great, except for the girl with the long red hair – she should pull it back -maybe you should send her over to http://www.polkadotposies.com and have her order a Pony-O or a bow….something to pull it back while handling food. Glad you got to go to NYC and see.
November 14, 2010 at 12:15 am
Bread pairing, eh? I’ll have to investigate that further. I LOVE Panera! I just had one of their awesome Asiago cheese bagels for breakfast today.
)
November 14, 2010 at 1:38 am
I love Panera!
November 15, 2010 at 12:45 pm
You had me at bread. Bread is my downfall. Just this weekend I had a fancy dinner at a restaurant in Georgetown in D.C. I filled up on bread. I took my dinner home as leftovers. I enjoyed the left overs and the bread!
November 20, 2010 at 11:06 am
Panera Bread Gift Certificates make a great holiday gift! There’s something for EVERYBODY at Panera…
November 23, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Looks like a blast, thank you for the giveaway!
November 23, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I’ve NEVER been to Panera. Seriously! So I’d love to win something for MEEEE.
November 23, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Keep it for myself or give it as a gift? Hmmm, the real question is do you really want an honest answer?
November 23, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Panera bread is delicious enter me please.
November 23, 2010 at 9:23 pm
I love Panera and would love to have the gift card!
November 23, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I have a Panera Bread nearby and we love taking our daughters there!
November 23, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Panera holds a special place in my child’s history. (He is 13 now) When he was 4, I used to take him there for breakfast every Friday before school. One morning, he looked at me and said “Mommy, what’s 5 + Fire?” I just stared. “Huh?” He rolled his eyes at me like I was stupid. (And I was just about to find out how stupid I really was compared to him.)
“Mommy, what is 5 + Fire?”
“I dunno.”
Another eye roll. “Duh, it’s nothing. Fire burned up all the numbers.”
And, he just took college algebra this past summer at the age of 12. So I always think of Panera when I look at Quinn’s mighty little brain. Must have been the French Bread Bagels.
November 23, 2010 at 9:46 pm
What a great giveaway! YEA!
November 23, 2010 at 9:59 pm
What’s not too love about Panera! It’s the best place to go to eat and to catch up on my blogging!
November 23, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Panera – yum. Count me in.
November 23, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I love panera bread!
November 23, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Pick me, pick me!!! Panera Bread is my favorite place to take my daughter for one on one “date nights”. Their broccoli cheese soup is amazing! Thanks for the chance… ((fingers crossed))
November 24, 2010 at 1:27 am
MMMMMMMmmmmm, Panera!!! I could eat there every day of the week and try something new each time! YUMMY!!
November 24, 2010 at 2:06 am
Panera…how I love thee! Your bagels with honey walnut cream cheese, hazelnut coffee, free wi-fi, time away from my four kids…an hour, maybe two, I feel like a real human again!
November 24, 2010 at 3:11 am
Yum! Panera is one of my favorites! Thanks for the giveaway!
November 24, 2010 at 4:50 am
I’d love to win this Panera gift card. I’ll be in New York in January for a small business conference Martha Stewart is giving and would love to win this.
Thanks for hosting a fun giveaway & Happy Thanksgiving!
November 24, 2010 at 6:00 am
Id love to win! Panera is awesome!