Food and wine. While obviously compatible, one Sacramento attorney’s unique interpretation of the relationship between the two brings them together in an unusually harmonious and multi-sensory way: Ann O’Connell, a shareholder in the health care section of McDonough, Holland & Allen, has the unique hobby of baking homemade bread and decorating the fresh loaves in wine-grape motifs.

Where did O’Connell’s unique twist on baking originate?

ìWhen I bought my first Cuisinart, I started off making pies, decorating the pie shells and dough with different designs,” O’Connell said. ìShortly after, I decided to try something new and took a simple bread-making class.”

And then, just as yeast breads tend to do, her hobby expanded significantly.

Working with a variety of recipes, O’Connell experimented with an assortment of herbs and cheeses to add complexity to the breads. Her favorite bread varieties now include Pecorino focaccia, green onion and mozzarella, homegrown rosemary, and Feta cheese with Herbs de Provence.

She painstakingly sculpts intricate designs, such as grapes, leaves, twigs and vines out of dough before painting with food coloring to resemble the grapes of a vineyard and then baking in the oven. She even customizes the colors of the leaves depending on the season green for spring and a rust palette for fall.

O’Connell said that she enjoys baking decorative breads, though the process can be time consuming and messy. While meticulous about the end product, O’Connell admits she is not a clean-asyou- go cook, and her kitchen at the end of a baking day is its own sight to behold.

ìStill, it’s a relaxing and fun way to express myself artistically,” she said, ìbut I also have very high expectations since I know how great they can look. I often put pressure on myself to make sure each motif is as attractive as possible.”

The resulting decorative loaves are simultaneously beautiful and tasty, and they have become her signature and indemand gift for a wide variety of occasions, from barbeques and picnics to formal dinners and holiday parties. While the wine-grape motif is O’Connell’s signature design, she also themes her decorative breads according to specific holidays: holly and red-berry braided wreath for Christmas, decorated eggs for Easter, and pumpkins and autumn leaves for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

ìPeople are always telling me that the breads are too pretty to eat,” O’Connell said. ìBut I notice that once we stop looking, cut it into slices, and pass it around, everyone seems to enjoy its taste even more than they enjoyed its appearance.”

Ann O’Connell is a partner in the Sacramento office of McDonough, Holland & Allen. Her practice encompasses the full spectrum of health care law. O’Connell can be reached at (916) 444-3900 or aoconnell@mhalaw.com. Jann Dudley, the McDonough firm’s marketing director, can be reached at (916) 444-3900 or jdudley@mhalaw.com.