A wonderful friend of mine asked me the other day to give her a list of items that I felt should be staples on the shelf of someone who wanted to move beyond homestyle cooking. Staples for the adventurous pantry, items that add that little bit of Shazaam to your meals. I gave her a few ideas and then told her  would post the rest.
I am not sure the foodies are genetically different from other people. I have a hunch that it has to do with many things but that eating a variety of foods while you are growing up …read more

I love making Christmas cookies but get tired of making the same ones year after year. My family likes tradition and by the time they are two most of my kids can tell you what should be on the cookie plate for each holiday, what dishes should be on the table, and if I forget or try to do something different, you can bet I hear about it.
I can add to the basic stuff but never, never take away and do something different.

Please, if you have anything in your mouth, swallow it. If there is anything that can be knocked over, move it. This is serious comedy. Don’t try this at home.

 
I am pushed for time this morning…so I am going to speed link without much chatter.   Thanks to everyone who sent me links!

 
I have realized that my Saturday Surfing can get a bit redundant when it is both Kettle and Cup and Baking Delights…Sort of visualize me using an eclair to surf on a wave of coffee and you will have it!
No whining from me today. I have coffee. So…Let’s go.

This month’s extra-special recipe was supposed to be one I’ve been itching to try. Like Anita of Dessert First, I thought of Dorie Greenspan’s Black and White Cake as the perfect choice for a special occasion.
We had friends celebrating their anniversary one day and the hubby’s birthday the next, and I volunteered to make the surprise birthday cake. Unlike Anita though, I had to put things off ’til the last minute because of other things that came up that week. NOT a good thing at all. What I SHOULD have done was change gears …read more

Another try at that starter. This time to make baguettes. The shaping would have worked well had I a proper peel. As it was I was limited by the 13″ cutting board I used. The starter also was weaker, because I hadn’t refreshed it in a couple of weeks at least. The tang was less noticeable, though the bread itself was still nicely holey. I’m also not too happy with the crust, I think the previous one’s was better. I don’t know if it’s my steaming technique or spraying or the dough itself. …read more

Testing for windowpaning.

Smooth as a baby’s bottom

Yes, it’s alive!! More than double the original volume!

My mini-baguettes. Next time I’ll try longer. Also need to work on my shaping, but I’m happy with the way those slashes opened up!

Nicer color and blistering on the boules. They were nearer the top of the oven and no rack on top so more heat circulation, compared to the baguettes. A little too brown though I think.

Requisite crumb photo. Would love to get more holes next time, but I daresay, it’s not all bad for a first-timer.
I asked my …read more

Sourdough experimentation continues. That liquid that you see at the top, apparently, is something called hooch. Nothing to worry about, doesn’t mean my starter’s dead.
More information about sourdoughs and hooch here:
Caring for Your Starter
How sourdough bread works
Sourdough Starter as Ecological Model
The Zen of Sourdough
Bethany’s Sourdough Saga
Breadchick’s Yeast Beast
Tips for a Healthy Starter
I fed it again, and it bubbled up soon after. Waited 6 hours then put it back on the fridge. It’s got hooch in there again — so I guess it’s hungry again? I’ll feed it tomorrow.

And this was how the seed culture looked at 24 hours:

at which time a greater quantity of wheat flour was added as well as more water.