My good friend Sally and her husband Will run a wonderful bakery called the Bread Company Montclair right in my hometown. Stop into their cozy, cheerful store on Walnut Street and you’ll find shelves loaded with a dazzling array of delectable, lovingly prepared organic baked goods, from savory, wholesome breads and muffins to fantastic pizzas. Recently, I’ve taken a few breaks from my desk and helped Sally and Will out a bit at the store and the local farmer’s market, which has been fun. It’s given me the perfect excuse to sample lots of their creations — a treat in itself!

My son Alex just loves the Bread Company’s tasty carrot-nut and double-chocolate muffins — and so do I. But our all-time favorite has to be Will’s sensational olive-oregano bread. Each loaf is a work of art: Perfectly round, nutty in flavor, and bursting with bits of olive and fragrant oregano. Paired with a basil parmesan dipping oil, it’s absolutely heavenly. And healthy, too!

So what does all this have to with writing dangerously? Well, I’m right in the middle of my YA novel about a girl named Britomar who masquerades as boy and serves as the page to a knight. One of her daily duties is preparing breakfast for him. Now, what more delicious and tantalizing fare could I have her bake one morning than a round and savory olive-oregano loaf of bread? What fun it will be to capture the sensual look and flavor of one of Will’s edible masterpieces! What a mouth-watering challenge to do it justice in print! For inspiration, I’m going to buy a fresh new loaf sometime soon and just let myself get totally into it. Then, when I’m done, I’m going to break off a big chunk, slather it with something sinfully good, and reward myself for a job well done.

How about you? Is there some object or food or scene you’re working on that would really come alive if you used all your senses to describe it?