Binding Agents: A Cook/Book Shop
908 Christian StreetDiscover the vast and varied Polish baking tradition, old and new, Jewish and diasporic, with Binding Agents and James Beard Award finalist Laurel Kratochvila! Laurel, an American-born, French-trained, Berlin-based baker, will tell us all about her bakery and cafe (Fine Bagels), her new book (Dobre Dobre), and how she captured Poland's exciting baking culture in 120 recipes.
Laurel will be joined in conversation by local chef and writer Ari Miller. The talk will be followed by a signing.
About the Book
Poland’s distinctive baking culture is a product of its rich and complicated history, from the World Wars to the rise of Communism to the cultural exchange that inevitably happens to a country with seven neighbors and endless migration. Step into the Polish piekarnia (bakery) and be greeted by an abundance of tiny cookies and rugelach, decorative layer cakes and cheesecakes, sweet yeast buns and danishes, and hearty rye breads and sourdough loaves.
In Dobre Dobre, a repertoire-expanding baking book, American-born, Berlin-based baker and 2023 James Beard Award finalist Laurel Kratochvila brings you more than 120 familiar and inventive treasures—innovative recipes of her own and from pioneering Polish bakers.
About the Author
Laurel Kratochvila is an American-born writer and baker based in Berlin and trained in France. She runs the iconic Fine Bagels bakery and the natural wine bar, Le Balto. Her first book, New European Baking, was a finalist for a James Beard award in 2023.
About the MC
Ari Miller draws upon the cuisines of Tel Aviv and his Eastern European heritage and specializes in open fire cooking. He was the chef/owner of Musi, a critically acclaimed BYO in Philadelphia, PA, where he specialized in zero-waste, non-industrial sourcing while addressing how a restaurant can best serve its employees, guests, and community in an approach he called “Relationship Cuisine.” He is the originator of the FrizWit, the only non-industrial cheesesteak with a cult following (not to mention ShroomWit and Pork & Greens). He has been featured in Food & Wine, Haaretz, Blazer Magazine, and Time Out Tel Aviv. Prior to cooking, Ari was the Arts & Entertainment editor at The Jerusalem Post.
Thu, Oct 16, 2025 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Binding Agents: A Cook/Book Shop
908 Christian Street
Binding Agents is Philly's bookshop for cooks and eaters. Located in South Philly’s culinary epicenter, the 9th Street Italian Market, we’re your go-to source for new cookbooks and food-focused reads, plus gifts and goods for making, serving and enjoying. We’re independent, women-owned, fun & funky. Learn more at bindingagentsphilly.com.
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