-
-
-
Ah, the memories. When I was a kid in the 70s we used to make monkey bread, both the buttery original and the cinnamon-glaze variant, in my aunt's bakery (Big Loaf on Jefferson Blvd.). It did indeed get crazy during the holidays as hordes descended for their multiple loaves of bread. Later on we sold it in many SoCal Ralphs markets.
Today I think you might find a half-decent monkey bread at Kreme Krop bakery in Inglewood (no guarantee on the spelling).
-
-
Hi Zeroone:
I've never heard of Gorilla Bread, but they used to sell Monkey Bread in some of the Black bakeries in South Central L.A. The (sadly) defunct Jimmy's Bakery of Leimert Park had the best Monkey Bread I ever tasted away from a home kitchen. During the Holidays it used to get CRAZY at Jimmy's, with people elbowing and jockeying for cobblers and Monkey Bread.
The last time I saw Monkey Bread for sale at a bakery was a little Jamaican bakery that was only open for a few months in a strip mall on LaBrea and Colliseum, near the Coldstone Creamery. In any case, their Monkey Bread didn't look quite right to me.
Your best bet will probably be to go to Thees International Bakery in the farmer's Market, and buy a package of Parker House Rolls that are stuck together. They are delicious, and very similar in taste and texture to Monkey Bread. They are also made right, with lots of butter.
If you're feeling adventurous, I have an old Monkey Bread recipe that I obtained from the mother of a friend. This recipe floated around the Black community in L.A. about 15 years ago, and is reputed to be Jimmy's recipe (may he rest in peace). Whatever you do, DO NOT use the recipe in Beard on Bread because it will be a huge waste of time for a mediocre (and inauthentic) result. I don't know eher he found that recipe, but it sucks.
T-D.
›5 Replies -
Woolsey
Aug 10, 2007 05:49 AM
The only place in L.A. I've ever heard of serving monkey bread is Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch, and they apparently stopped doing that years ago. In fact, one friend of mine uses that milestone to demarcate exactly when Aunt Kizzy's quality began to decline.
Even in the South, where such baked goods are more common, I've never seen the dish sold in a bakery. But maybe Nancy Reagan can steer you towards a good one...
