HELP ME! I need a name & I need a vacation!

Posted on May 29, 2011 by zippy

Greetings and salutations, everyone!

The nameless Three Brothers Bakery Gingerbread Man here. Well I turned 62 on May 8th, and I have been working like a hotdog bun in the bakery.  every day except Passover which was my only time not in the bakery, I’ve been mixing and baking behind the scenes.  The only place I can nap is in the cookie trays in the showcase.  I’m exhausted, so I’m going on a vacation, but the only problem is I don’t have a name.  How can I go out in the world without a name?
Should I just hide out in my summer home?
Hide in the dugout or locker room at Minute Maid Park (actually it’s really fun and an honor most real people can’t say they have done)?

Have you seen that new big JumboTron at Minute Maid Park? Well Here it is!

How cool is that? I'm in the Astros Locker Room!


THE BENCH at Minute Maid Park where my beloved Astros play!

Take me with you on a vacation, PLEASE!  I’ll sit in the back, and you’ll never even know I’m there.  Just make sure I’m in a few pictures, so I can show my buds back at the Bakery I really went on a cool trip!

You'll never know I'm there! Take me with you on vacation!

Send a snapshot of me at your favorite spots and upload it to the Three Brothers Bakery Facebook fan page. Bobby, Janice, Zippy and the rest of the crew over at the bakery will be choosing winners EVERY WEEK in the month of June. Each winner will receive a dozen gingerbread men (in the continental US only). Now how’s that for a sweet summer treat?
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Three Brothers Bakery Celebrates our 62nd Anniversary with Rye Bread

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Janice Jucker
Sigmund Jucker
My father-in-law Sigmund Jucker, one of the Three Brothers and Holocaust survivor. Photo by Mark Seliger*

As I write this blog post today, it is Yom Hashoah– more commonly known in America as Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day (and really, this week) are special to all of us at Three Brothers Bakery, for it is the time my father-in-law Sigmund thinks of as his birthday.

Sigmund, his two brothers and older sister were liberated on May 8, 1945, from the Nazi concentration camps and on May 8, 1949, Three Brothers Bakery opened in Houston Texas. When we were getting ready to celebrate our 60th anniversary two years ago, I said to him, “We have to have a party; it’s our 60th anniversary!” He replied, “No, it’s our 64th.”  Why did he think it was our 64th anniversary?  He thought it was our 64th because it was on May 8, 1945, that Sigmund began to live again.

So, in honor of our 62nd anniversary as well as the the three brothers and their sister’s liberation from Nazi concentration camps, this weekend– May 6th through 8th–  we are selling our Jewish rye bread and giving ALL proceeds from the rye bread to Holocaust Museum Houston. The reason we chose our Jewish rye was because it was one of our original recipes, and the one the three brothers remembered when they were taken prisoner.  Since this family recipe was not lost, it is another victory over Hitler. We hope that you’ll come in and help us celebrate our birthday and support the second largest Holocaust museum in the United States: the Holocaust Museum Houston. Order your rye bread today >>

Holocaust Days of Remembrance Rye Bread Special

Our Rye Bread Special featured on ABC13:

*The photo of Sigmund Jucker within this post is from the book WHEN THEY CAME TO TAKE MY FATHER: Voices of the Holocaust. “(Mark Seliger) Captured here with clarity and truth are fifty images of survival, portraits of the men and women who lived through the brutality to triumph over oppression; survivors truly. Their wrenching first-person accounts accompany intimate photographs and tell of Holocaust experience swith an immediacy that is both mesmerizing and appalling.”
For more information about Mark Seliger, please visit www.markseliger.com. WHEN THEY CAME TO TAKE MY FATHER: Voices of the Holocaust is found now on www.amazon.com. Introduction by Robert Jay Lifton. Edited by Leora Kahn and Rachel Hager. Published by Arcade Publishing, distributed by Little, Brown and Company, 1996.
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Mothers Day Memories

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Janice Jucker

Many of us have great memories of our mothers. I think my first memory of my mother was sitting on the floor with her while she taught me my colors using the crayon box that was really long and flat.

I have so many memories baking with my mother (remember– I married into this family).  She always took the time to let me help her even though it certainly lengthened the task.  She always let us lick the bowl and beaters.  My job was to grease the pans and my sister got to turn the mixing bowl (I realize now the mixer was broken all my life). We always sifted the flour and helped put the cookie dough on the baking pan, and we were there when they came out of the oven.  I’m smiling as I recall that memory.

One time, when I was older and in ninth grade, I was out very late. An adult asked if I needed to call my parents to let them know where I was (remember– this was before cell phones).  I said, “I don’t need to call them; I don’t have a curfew.” I arrived home at three o’clock in the morning and my mom was sitting on my bed with her arms crossed, her hair wrapped in toilet paper with the hairnet (that’s what they did to preserve the weekly beehive hairdo). Boy was she mad!  Dad was sound asleep.  I learned then to always call my mom, so even when I was 30 years old and visiting my parents from out of town I still called her at midnight to let her know I was okay.

Bobby has some interesting stories about his mother as well. When Bobby was eight years old, he stayed from school one day, sick. There were only three television stations at the time, so I guess the ads were geared more toward adults.   A few days later– maybe a week– someone knocks on the door, and  his mom answers and there is a man standing there. He says “ Is Robert Jucker there?”   And his mom says, “ He is not here right now can I help you with something?”   So the man says he has a delivery for Robert Jucker. So his mother asks, “ Delivery? What kind of delivery?”   He replies, “Well, Mr. Jucker  ordered these two chinchillas and I have them here and he needs to pay me $1200.” At which point you could have picked Bobby’s mom off the floor (remember– this is the 60s).   So then his mother says, “ Robert is not here today. He is in school. Robert Jucker is eight years old.” This time you could have picked the driver up off the floor for he had driven all the way from Nebraska. He then asked Bobby’s mother if she would like to buy them. Another great memory!

Cherish your memories with your mom and keep making them. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – CREATE MEMORIES!

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Ready for A Royal Affair with My Royal Tankard and Commemorative Plate!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Janice Jucker

Today I got my royal tankard and plate in honor of Prince William and (Future) Princess Kate’s wedding. HOW EXCITING IS THAT?! We’re all about weddings at Three Brothers Bakery and this is the wedding of a lifetime! (Actually, it’s the second wedding of my lifetime because I remember Princess Diana’s wedding…)

It came all perfectly wrapped in its royal tissue paper gift wrap with its embossed gold insignia. The wedding seal peeked through the tissue paper, enhancing the entire package. I had to keep myself from ripping it apart in excitement, because to have done so would have been a tragedy.

So I carefully unwrapped the royal wrapping paper to find the beautiful blue presentation boxes. Then, my excitement was almost on edge as I opened up the box that contained my royal tankard! It was wrapped in bubble wrap, and when I removed the royal bubble wrap there was yet another set of tissue paper around the tankard. The tissue paper itself was gorgeous with a white filigree and damask design, which reminded me of a wedding cake. Imagine that!

And then, there it was.
My royal tankard!

The Royal Tankard!

I set the tankard down to take a picture of the “W” and then turned it around as the “C” became intertwined with it. To my surprise, as I was turning the tankard around, I was met with the most beautiful lovebirds sitting on a gold wedding band. And I wasn’t even expecting them! What a lovely surprise.

And if that wasn’t enough, I then opened the box which contained *gasp* the royal commemorative plate!
…and went through all the excitement all over again!


My friends- the lovebirds- were on the plate, and I couldn’t help but run my fingers atop all the intricate details. The gold work, the raised paints– you could tell that someone had put a lot of thought and love into this creation.

I later learned that the china is made in Staffordshire, using traditional methods which have remained unchanged for the last 250 years, which made me think about how we do things at the bakery. Many of our recipes haven’t been touched for 200+ years, and sometimes that’s the way things ought to stay.

Like I said, we’re all about weddings at Three Brothers Bakery, and can’t wait to celebrate April 29th, 2011 with the good ole chaps in America.

The only thing about this entire experience is that to this day, I frankly have no idea how much everything cost, because it was all in pounds. And yes, even after reviewing my “royal bill,” I haven’t a clue, really.

My Royal Set!

But that’s okay.
Because it was worth every shilling.

P.S. I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t buy the royal wedding commemorative pill box. Oh well. There’s always Harry!


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Three Brothers Bakery on Food Network’s Outrageous Food!

Posted on April 8, 2011 by zippy

When you are in our line of business, there are few things that say “YOU DID IT!” such as waking up in the morning and knowing that your bakery will have some very important visitors that day…

…that is, if those visitors are from Food Network itself!

Bobby Jucker and Outrageous Food host Tom Pizzica

Bobby Jucker and Outrageous Food host Tom Pizzica

Three Brothers Bakery was honored and excited to play host to Tom Pizzica of the hit television show Outrageous Food and his amazing crew. And of course, we had tons to show him!

Our Pumpecapple Piecake

We started off by showing him our pumpecapple piecake. Our pumpecapple piecake is our signature cake that stands 11 inches tall and weights 23.5 pounds, combining layers upon layers of pumpkin pie baked in pumpkin spice cake, pecan pie baked inside a chocolate cake and apple pie baked in its own spice cake.

And of course, we couldn’t send our Food Network friends home without pulling out all the stops and showcasing some of our more “extreme” creations. After all, the show IS called Outrageous Food, right? :) With a crowd of friends and Three Brothers Bakery patrons, we lit up the night sky with our Firebreathing Serpent and Oil Derrick Blowout Cakes!

Oil Derrick and Fire-Breathing Serpent Cakes

Oil Derrick and Fire-Breathing Dragon Cakes

Don’t forget to catch us on Friday, April 8 at 10:00 PM ET/PT (that’s 9:00 PM CST for all of our Houston friends!) on Food Network’s “Outrageous Food.” Thank you again to Tom Pizzica and the staff and crew of Food Network’s Outrageous Food for the opportunity to be on the show!

Here is the YouTube Link to FoodNetwork  TV and the clip of the Outrageous Food segment on the Pumpecapple.

Outrageous Food
In Outrageous Food, “Big Chef” Tom Pizzica, season six finalist from The Next Food Network Star, is on a quest to unearth the most jaw-dropping, eye-popping, occasionally heart-stopping foods in the country – dishes that give “outrageous” a whole new meaning. From the oversized (60-inch pizzas carried by crane to the table) and absurdly spicy (“Ninja” sushi rolls made with fresh habaneros, cayenne peppers and wasabi oil) to the ridiculously pricey (the $175 burger made with Kobe beef, black truffles and foie gras) and the blatantly bizarre (corn-on-the-cob flavored ice cream), Tom learns the secrets of these out-of-this-world eats from the chefs at all the locales. Years of experience working in kitchens coupled with his every-guy likeability, sharp wit, and appetite for bold food, Tom Pizzica takes Outrageous Food to new heights.

For more information visit: www.foodnetwork.com/outrageousfood

ABOUT TOM PIZZICA:
In August 2010, Tom Pizzica finished among the final three contestants on season six of The Next Food Network Star. His “Big Chef” personality and culinary curiosity make him the ideal host of Food Network’s primetime series, Outrageous Food. Originally from West Chester, Penn., Tom’s passion for cooking began at an early age, learning the basics from his mother and cooking for his siblings while growing up. Tom’s 15 years of experience working his way up through restaurant kitchens includes being a dishwasher, server, prep cook, line cook, and most recently as executive chef of the restaurant within his family-owned hotel in Maryland. He graduated from George Washington University in 2000 with a degree in Speech Pathology and California Culinary Academy in 2004 with an Associate of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts. Tom lives with his wife, Rachel, in San Francisco, Calif.

Premiering Friday, April 8th at 10pm ET/PT

“The World’s Biggest Burger”
In the season two premiere episode, Tom Pizzica heads to Mallie’s Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, Mich., to help set a Guinness World Record for the largest burger ever made. In Bedford, Pa., Tom visits Bad Boyz Bistro where they serve up hot wings in a sauce that nearly reaches two million Scoville units. For his last stop, Tom travels to Three Brothers Bakery in Houston where they bake pies into cakes and stack them almost a foot tall.

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Passover with the Jucker Family

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Janice Jucker
Preparing a Passover Feast!

Preparing a Passover Feast!

I have been in charge of seders for my entire family for the past five years or so, and the guest list has ranged from a 20-person head count to a 50-person head count. I know some of you feel my pain! For those of you who have never had the privilege (ahem) of preparing a 50-person seder, here is a sneak peek at a typical shopping list:

  • 27 pounds of chicken
  • 30 pounds of brisket
  • 75 eggs
  • 20 onions
  • 10 pounds of carrots
  • 8 pounds of celery
  • 4 pounds of walnuts
  • 20 green apples
  • 10 pounds of Matzo
  • Maror (unless you plan on making it at home; I for one vow to never do that again!)
  • 15 bottles of screw top Magen David wine (I did the fancy wine the first year and no one drank it – the only variety that was gone was the screw top wine, so cheap wine it is!)

Once I gather all of the ingredients at the grocery store (in Houston you had better be one of the first to get to Beldons, so you have everything you need), it’s back to work I go – in the kitchen, that is. The first thing on my list includes 10 gallons of chicken soup and 180 matzo balls. My chicken soup and matzo balls take SEVENTEEN woman hours to make.

Over the years, I have learned (the hard way) that you cannot take a one batch matzo ball recipe and multiply it by ten. Your matzo balls turn out to be cannon balls. It gets exponentially worse if you attempt this at midnight, like I did the very first time I prepared a Passover feast. Not only did I forget to use club soda instead of water (club soda is the key to light and fluffy matzo balls) but in my haste, I DID make one recipe X 10. Suffice it to say, no one in my entire family ate a matzo ball that year (except my cousin Marjorie who graciously said, “Well, I like them hard!”) and from then on everyone had something to say about Janice’s “cannon ball matzo balls.” One person’s matzo ball even jumped out of the soup bowl and flew across the room (luckily no one was hurt).

Preparing the chicken soup and the matzo balls is probably the hardest out of all of the preparations. However, they are not the only things that need to be prepared. Don’t forget that you will have also make 75 hard-boiled eggs (I am probably the only person on earth who has difficulty making hard boiled eggs and has to practice with a small group first) and gefilte fish (you must use your mother-in-law’s recipe… though I will tell you now that you will fail miserably every single time, guaranteed – never as good as Mom used to make). Make sure you cook as much as you can in advance so you can freeze and reheat. Not only does this save you time, but it will save your sanity as well! Of course, this means you might have to get a separate freezer… but take it from me when I say it is truly the lesser of two evils!

Once the food situation has been taken care of (well, as “taken care of” as any pre-Passover preparations can be), then comes a whole horde of additional tasks that must be done, including (but not limited to):

  • Ironing 50 napkins and 10 table cloths
  • Polishing the silver
  • Dusting the glasses and crystal
  • Borrowing all the tables and chairs and everything else you don’t have enough of
  • Setting the table for 50 people (really 5 tables)
  • Finding 30 Yarmulkes from weddings and bar mitzvahs for the men to wear
  • Preparing 5 seder plates with everything on it – don’t forget the oranges
  • Making 50 mini seder plates to put at each place
  • Getting your husband on track and studying for the seder, so it runs smoothly (a gal can dream, can’t she?)

After my first 50-person seder, I was absolutely BEAT. I can’t even imagine what I would have done if I had to bake the dessert. Not having to bake was the only saving grace throughout this entire ordeal! Thank you to my amazing husband Bobby for bringing home whatever was leftover from the bakery for us.

Also, honey, thank you for going through the garbage every year to find that one tiny little piece of silver that was scraped into the garbage can and HAD to be found.  I know you always find it in the last bag of the 5 bags of garbage, but you always find it and we’re proud of you for doing so. ;)

Hag Sameach to all

and let me know how your Seders turn out this year!

Enjoy,

Janice

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The Story Behind Hamantaschen and Why We Eat Them on Purim

Posted on March 15, 2011 by zippy

The season of Purim is a very special one to Three Brothers Bakery. Purim is a holiday that celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman the Agagite. Jews and Christians alike may be familiar with the Megillah (the story of Esther), but we decided to share one portion of our culture with you, our extended family, by telling you all about the story behind hamantaschen.

Hamentashen

Three Brothers Bakery Hamantaschen

What are Hamantaschen? Hamantaschen are delicious little sugar cookies stuffed with delicious fillings (typically fruit). These sugar cookies are pinched into little triangle “hats” to represent Haman the Agagite. If you’ve heard the term “the whole Megillah,” you know that Haman the Agagite was the man who wanted to rid the ancient Persian empire of the Jews. Haman wore a hat that was in a triangular shape (I once heard them referred to as “Napoleon hats or French hats,” which made me chuckle), which is where we get the name: HAMAN-taschen or the singular hamantash.

Every Purim at Sundown, we go to the Synagogue and the Rabbi reads us the story of Esther. As we listen to the Rabbi read us the Megillah, we make sure the name “Haman” is written on the bottom of our shoes and that we have Gregors on hand. Gregors are noisemakers that are made of wood, metal or aluminum that spin around and make a very loud noise. When we hear the name “Haman,” we stamp our feet and spin our Gregors so we drown out the wretched name of Haman.

Celebrating Purim is fun for the entire family. You could almost think of Purim as our version of the fun part of Halloween in that we wear costumes like the characters in the Megillah – Queen Esther (our heroine), Queen Vashti, Haman, Mordecai and King Ahasuerus, who was the King of Persia. It’s a lot of fun! And, not to be forgotten, we get to eat lots of hamantaschen.

Traditionally, hamantaschen are filled with some favorite fillings such as prune and poppyseed (mon), apricot and other fruit fillings such as raspberry, cherry and others. Nowadays, you can find hamantaschen filled with other types of fruits such as lemon, blueberry and pineapple, as well as non-fruit varieties such as chocolate or cheese fillings. The Americanized version are the cookie dough type and the traditional hamantaschen are made with yeast.

Three Brothers Bakery serves hamantaschen all year round, but are happy to be able to provide families all across the country celebrating Purim every year with a little bit of history. Not to brag, but many say Three Brothers Bakery has the best hamantaschen in the country (maybe in the world).

This year, Purim is from March 7-8, 2012
but don’t wait till Purim
order your hamantaschen today!

Great song by the Maccabeats about the Megillah!

Website with easy Do It Yourself Gregor!

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Tradition of the King Cake Trinket

Posted on March 7, 2011 by zippy

Did you happen to bite into a small trinket while enjoying a king cake this year? It’s your lucky day!

Mardi Gras Trinkets

Mardi Gras Trinkets

What is this thing?!

Traditionally, small trinkets are baked or placed in a King Cake. These trinkets can be ceramic dolls, small beans or (if you’re in America) a tiny, plastic toy doll. If you’ve gotten your king cake at Three Brothers Bakery, you might notice we used chocolate coins instead. For some, the small doll represents the baby Jesus, especially if the King Cake is being served on the last day of the 12 days of Christmas. For others, the trinket has no religious meaning and is meant only to play a role in the King Cake Tradition!

What is the King Cake Tradition?

If you are at a Mardi Gras party and you find the trinket, lucky you– literally! Not only are you deemed the “king” or “queen” of the event, but it is also said that the person who finds the trinket will be very lucky.

So I found the trinket. Now what?

A caveat to the Mardi Gras King Cake tradition is that as part of your luck, you get to bring King Cake to the next event! We know that “kings” and “queens” deserve the best, so we’re going to make it easy for you! Present your king cake trinket at the bakery, and we will give you 10% off your king cake purchase! Talk about getting the royal treatment!

Three Brothers Bakery Extra Large King Cake

Three Brothers Bakery Extra Large King Cake

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Viens-ici! It’s Mardi Gras Season!

Posted on February 21, 2011 by zippy

There’s a great story behind everything. Behind a piece of art, your favorite song- heck, even behind your friendly neighborhood bakery! This Mardi Gras season lends itself to tons of culture and history, and we at Three Brothers Bakery want to celebrate with you.

Mardi Gras King Cake

Three Brothers Bakery Extra Large King Cake

The dessert associated most with Mardi Gras is the almighty (and mighty delectable!) KING CAKE. King cakes can be found in a variety of forms, but typically they come in a round ring of sweet, cinnamony bread, with a choice of fillings and topped with icing, sprinkles and of course the all famous Mardi Gras colored beads. King cakes are found with either a little baby hidden inside or chocolate coins. The one who finds the prize is the recipient of much good luck and, most importantly, is responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party!

King cakes are typically in season from the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Twelfth Night and Epiphany Day) through Mardi Gras day, which falls on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. The name “king cake” comes from the story of the Biblical three kings. Catholic tradition states that the three kings journeyed from Bethlehem over the duration of twelve days Ever wondered where the 12 days of Christmas came from? Now you know!

Another item that many oftentimes associate with Mardi Gras are the fun and colorful Mardi Gras masks! These feathered masks are fun to make and definitely take place of other, well, questionable Mardi Gras activities. To download templates and view the instructions on how to make your own fun masks, visit the DLTK-Kids Website here.

Last but not least, don’t forget to visit Three Brothers Bakery for sweets and treats this Mardi Gras! It may be a month before we see you (as we know many give up sweets for Lent), but then again, don’t forget – we offer tons of yummy, healthy breads and sugar-free items as well!

Three Brothers Bakery Mardi Gras Cake with Mask

Three Brothers Bakery Mardi Gras Cake with Mask

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FOX 26 Names Three Brothers Bakery’s Chocolate Delight Cake the Best in Houston!

Posted on February 2, 2011 by zippy

Needless to say, January was a VERY busy month for Three Brothers Bakery. First, we rang in the New Year with the Houston Bridal Extravaganza, then celebrated National Pie Day. What could round off an amazing month of happenings than National Chocolate Cake Day?

Last Thursday, we called all chocoholics of Houston to UNITE and join us in celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day by offering $3.00 off all our whole chocolate cakes. In addition, we were invited to FOX 26 Morning News Extra, during which radio talk show host Cleverley Stone, Danny Trace, executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston, and two Houston Texans cheerleaders served as judges on “FOX 26 Morning News Extra” to determine the source of the best chocolate cake in the Houston area.

FOX 26 Morning News Best Chocolate Cake in Houston Contest

FOX 26 Morning News Best Chocolate Cake in Houston Contest

FOX 26 Morning News Best Chocolate Cake in Houston Contest

And guess what….

Three Brothers Bakery was named the home of the best chocolate cake!

We were so excited and honored to have our Chocolate Delight Cake named the Best in Houston! Bobby had such a great time with everyone and said ALL of the cakes were wonderful. Kudos to The Chocolate Bar and Dessert Gallery!

Three Brothers Bakery's "Chocolate Delight" Cake Named Best Chocolate Cake in Houston!

Three Brothers Bakery's "Chocolate Delight" Cake Named Best Chocolate Cake in Houston!

To check out FOX 26 Morning News’ recap of National Chocolate Cake Day, visit their site here. To try the Best Chocolate Cake in Houston yourself, visit our site to place your easy, convenient order.

Thanks again, Houston!

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