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Gingerbread men.

Gingerbread is a term used to describe a variety of sweet food products, which can range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger biscuit. What they have in common are the predominant flavors of ginger and a tendency to use honey or molasses (treacle) rather than just sugar. They probably also share a common history.

Etymology[link]

Originally, the term gingerbread (from Latin zingiber via Old French gingebras) referred to preserved ginger. It then referred to a confection made with honey and spices. Gingerbread is often used to translate the French term pain d'épices (literally "spice bread") or the German term Lebkuchen (bread of life, literally: cake of life) or Pfefferkuchen (pepperbread, literally: pepper cake). The term Lebkuchen is unspecified in the German language. It can mean Leben (life) or Laib (loaf), while the last term comes from the wide range of spices used in this product.

History[link]

Traditional Toruń gingerbread

A Lebkuchen house

Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis (Gregory Makar) (Grégoire de Nicopolis). He left Nicopolis Pompeii, to live in Bondaroy (France), near the town of Pithiviers. He stayed there 7 years, and taught the Gingerbread cooking to French priests and Christians. He died in 999.^[1][2][3]

During the 13th century, it was brought to Sweden by German immigrants. Early references from the Vadstena Abbey show how the Swedish nuns were baking gingerbread to ease indigestion in 1444.^[4] It was the custom to bake white biscuits and paint them as window decorations.

The first documented trade of gingerbread biscuits dates to the 16th century, where they were sold in monasteries, pharmacies and town square farmers' markets. One hundred years later the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire, UK became known for its gingerbread, as is proudly displayed on their town's welcome sign. The first recorded mention of gingerbread being baked in the town dates back to 1793; however, it was probably made earlier, as ginger was stocked in high street businesses from the 1640s. Gingerbread became widely available in the 18th century.

Varieties[link]

A gingerbread house

Gingerbread in cake form

Akin to the original Middle Eastern recipes, English gingerbread is a dense, treacly (molasses-based) spice cake or bread. Some recipes add mustard, pepper, raisins, nuts, apple, and/or other spices/ingredients to the batter. The usual way of making it is to melt the fat and then mix all the ingredients in a bowl (called "the gingerbread method") rather than using rubbing in or creaming to get the fat absorbed into the flour, and this makes it a particularly easy kind of cake to make.

It is usually baked in a loaf or square shape, rather than in the round form common for fruit cakes or sponges. It is traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night. As a dessert, the bread usually omits raisins or nuts and is often served with warm lemon sauce.

In the United States, this form of gingerbread is sometimes called "gingerbread cake" or "ginger cake" to distinguish it from the harder forms; as in England it is typically served in winter, but it is particularly associated with Christmas. French pain d'épices is somewhat similar, though generally slightly drier, and always involves honey rather than treacle (and originally its recipe did not involve ginger).

Parkin is a form of hard gingerbread made with oatmeal and treacle which is popular in the North of England.

In Germany gingerbread is made in two forms: a soft form called Lebkuchen and a harder form, particularly associated with carnivals and street markets such as the Christmas markets that occur in many German towns. The hard gingerbread is made in decorative shapes, which are then further decorated with sweets and icing. The tradition of cutting gingerbread into shapes takes many other forms, and exists in many countries, a well-known example being the gingerbread man. Traditionally, these were dunked in port wine.

In the Nordic countries, the most popular form of ginger confection is the pepperkaker (Norwegian), pepparkakor (Swedish), brunkager (Danish), piparkakut (Finnish), piparkūkas (Latvian) or piparkoogid (Estonian). They are thin, very brittle biscuits that are particularly associated with the extended Christmas period. In Norway and Sweden, pepperkaker/pepparkakor is also used as window decorations, the pepperkaker/pepparkakor are then a little thicker than usual and decorated with glaze and candy. Many families bake pepperkaker/pepparkakor/brunkager as a tradition with their kids. In English, pepperkaker/pepparkakor/brunkager would be referred to as ginger biscuits rather than gingerbread.^{[citation needed]}

In Switzerland, a gingerbread confection known as "biber" is typically a three-quarter inch thick rectangular gingerbread cake with a marzipan filling. Biber are famously from the cantons of Appenzell or St. Gallen and respective biber are artfully adorned with images of the Appenzell bear or the St. Gallen cathedral by engraving or icing.

In the Netherlands and Belgium, a soft and crumbly gingerbread called Peperkoek or Ontbijtkoek is popularly served at breakfast time or during the day, thickly sliced and often with butter on top.

Gingerbreads are known in Russia. The most famous gingerbreads there are baked in the ancient cities Tula (Tula gingerbread), Vyazma, and Gorodets.

In Poland, gingerbreads are known as Pierniki. The most famous one is called Toruń gingerbread (Toruński Piernik), a traditional Polish gingerbread that has been produced since the Middle Ages in the city of Toruń (Thorn).

In Croatia, gingerbread known as licitar is traditionally made in the shape of a heart and is used as an ornamental gift.

In Romania, gingerbread is called turtă dulce and is usually coated with sugar glazing.

In Brazil, a type of cake similar to gingerbread is known as pão de mel ("honey bread"), it can be as big as a coffee cake, or bite-sized, and it's usually coated with chocolate

[edit] Gingerbread houses and decorations

A gingerbread house with candy decorations.

The harder German-style Gingerbread is often used to build gingerbread houses similar to the "witch's house" encountered by Hansel and Gretel. These houses, covered with a variety of candies and icing, are popular Christmas decorations,^[5] often built by children with the help of their parents.

Since 1991, the people of Bergen, Norway, have built a city of gingerbread houses each year before Christmas. Named Pepperkakebyen (Norwegian for "gingerbread city"), it is claimed to be the world's largest such city.^[6] It's free for every child under the age of 12 to make their own house with the help of their parents. In 2009, the people of Bergen were shocked when the gingerbread city was destroyed in an act of vandalism.^[7]

Another type of model-making with gingerbread uses a boiled dough that can be molded like clay to form inedible statuettes or other decorations. Medieval bakers used carved boards to create elaborate designs.^[5]

A significant form of popular art in Europe^[8], major centers of gingerbread mold carvings included Lyon, Nürnberg, Pest, Prague, Pardubice, Pulsnitz, Ulm, and Toruń. Gingerbread molds often displayed the "news", showing carved portraits of new kings, emperors, and queens, for example.^{[citation needed]} Substantial mold collections are held at the Ethnographic Museum in Toruń, Poland and the Bread Museum in Ulm, Germany.

See also[link]

• Ginger snaps
• Gingerbread man
• Lebkuchen - German Gingerbread
• Licitar
• Android 2.3 (codenamed Gingerbread)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gingerbread

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Gingerbread

• Gingerbread at the Open Directory Project
• Gingerbread house recipe and building techniques

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John Krasinski
Krasinski in March 2009
Born	John Burke Krasinski (1979-10-20) October 20, 1979 (age 32) Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Alma mater	Brown University
Occupation	Actor, Director
Years active	2000–present
Spouse	Emily Blunt (2010–present)
Parents	Dr. Ronald Krasinski Mary Clare Doyle

John Burke Krasinski (pronounced /krəˈzɪnski/; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office. He also has a film career appearing in several films including Away We Go, Leatherheads, License to Wed, Big Miracle, Something Borrowed, and It's Complicated.

Early life[link]

Krasinski was born in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of a Polish-American father, internist Dr. Ronald Krasinski,^[1] and an Irish-American mother, Mary Clare (née Doyle).^[2] He has two older brothers, Kevin and Paul, and was raised Roman Catholic.^[3]

Before entering college, Krasinski taught English in Costa Rica.^[4] From there, he went to Brown University, studying theatre arts with Lowry Marshall and John Emigh, and graduating in 2001 as a playwright with an honors thesis entitled "Contents Under Pressure".^[5] During his time at Brown, he was a member of the sketch comedy group Out of Bounds. In college, he also helped coach youth basketball at The Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island. He then attended the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut.^[6]

Career[link]

Television and feature films[link]

Besides training at the National Theater Institute, he also studied at The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England and The Actors Center in New York City. After graduating from Brown University, Krasinski went to New York City to pursue acting, appearing in commercials and guest spots on television shows, as well as doing readings of off-Broadway plays while working as a waiter.^[7] He starred in the play What the Eunuch Saw, which was written and directed by a former college classmate.^[8] In 2000, Krasinski was a script intern on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.^[9][10]

Krasinski filmed the footage of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for The Office, including the clips shown in the opening credits.^[11] Krasinski directed an episode of The Office, titled "Sabre", the fourteenth episode of The Office's sixth season. He has also directed the third episode of the show's eighth season, titled "Lotto".

Krasinski starred as Gideon in A New Wave, released in 2007. He also starred as Brevin in the Gregg Araki film Smiley Face, filmed in 2006. More recently, he had major roles in the films License to Wed, with Mandy Moore and Robin Williams, and Leatherheads with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. From April to June 2008 he filmed Away We Go, directed by Sam Mendes and co-starring Maya Rudolph.^[12] He appeared with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in the Nancy Meyers romantic comedy It's Complicated, released in late 2009.^[13]

In 2006, Krasinski wrote and directed Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, an adaptation of David Foster Wallace's collection of short stories. It premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.^[14]

Krasinski's other television credits include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Without A Trace, Ed,^[15] American Dad!,^[16] and an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. His feature film credits include Kinsey, Duane Hopwood, Jarhead, The Holiday and Shrek the Third. He also had minor roles in For Your Consideration and Dreamgirls.

Krasinski played the role of Ethan in a film adaptation of the novel Something Borrowed. He also signed on to star with Drew Barrymore in Big Miracle.^[17] Krasinski will also play the lead in an indie movie called Nobody Walks.^[18] He will appear in and also serve as executive producer alongside Aaron Sorkin on an HBO miniseries about the Chateau Marmont Hotel.^[19] Krasinski co-wrote Promised Land with Matt Damon and will also appear in the film, set to begin production in April 2012.^[20][21]

Other work[link]

Beginning in March 2006, Krasinski narrated a series of commercials for Ask.com.^{[citation needed]} He has also narrated commercials for Apple TV, Verizon Wireless, Allstate Insurance, Esurance,^[22] BlackBerry Storm,^[23] My Coke Rewards,^[24] and Carnival Cruise Lines,^[25] and has appeared in print advertisements for Gap.^[26]

In April 2011, he starred in a New Era/Major League Baseball ad campaign with Alec Baldwin, playing off the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.^[27]

Personal life[link]

This section requires expansion.

Krasinski's first stage experience was starring as Daddy Warbucks in a 6th-grade school production of Annie. His next role was in a satirical play written and cast by his Office co-star B.J. Novak when they were high school seniors. The two graduated from Newton South High School in 1997.^[28][29]

He received publicity for donating money to a prospective college student from San Francisco through the organization ScholarMatch.^[30]

In November 2008, Krasinski began dating British actress Emily Blunt, although, despite reports to the contrary, they were not set up by Emily's friend Anne Hathaway^[31] The couple married on July 10, 2010, in Italy with the accompaniment of celebrity friends George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stanley Tucci, David Schwimmer, and Meryl Streep. ^[32]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Krasinski at the 2008 Emmy Awards

Television[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Krasinski

• John Krasinski at the Internet Movie Database
• John Krasinski interview for License to Wed and The Office at TheCinemaSource.com
• John Krasinski Interview at AMCtv.com