Joe 3.0 is Up and Running
Hello all and hope you had a terrific summer and/or winter depending on your relative position on the globe. Things were delightful here in Kentucky. The summer started cool and wet and ended dry and hot. Along the way the Pastry clan got in lots of R&R, camped, spent time on the farm, and saw both a meteor shower and a moonbow (a rainbow by the light of the moon). I didn’t bake but I played the bass a fair amount, once at farm a wedding, then again on big boat, getting tossed about on Lake Michigan. I poisoned my lawn, grew it back again, and took a lot of naps.
Meanwhile, my trusty tech team was busy designing and building Joe Pastry version 3.0. I think you’ll agree that this is the simplest and sleekest Joe version yet. Designer extraordinaire Jason spent many an hour fiddling with fonts and streamlining the site to make it more usable. Supergirl developer Brooke outdid herself with the code (would you believe I hadn’t had a full software upgrade in six years?). The back end of the site is so advanced now I can’t figure out how to use any of the controls. I feel like I’m in a five star hotel in Scandinavia staring at the bathroom fixtures trying to figure out how to turn the cold water on.
So what’s new on Joe 3.0? For one, I decided to eliminate all advertising from the site. I know you’ll be heartbroken, but I just couldn’t stand all the intrusive popups anymore. The aggravation just wasn’t worth the eighty bucks a month. Next, the site is responsive. It was a long time coming, but now you can enjoy Joe Pastry on your smartphone or tablet without having to scroll around clicking links that resemble the type on the back of an aspirin bottle.
I hope to add other features down the line, but for now I’ve blown my budget. Hope this pleases!
He’s baaaaaaaackkkkk!
Super excited to see the new layout, looking slick and fantastic. Kudos to the behind-the-scenes team 🙂
CfDU
I shall pass on your praise, CfDU. Many thanks.
– Joe
Looking forward to your upcoming posts!
Me too HBM! Thanks very much.
– Joe
Joe,
Glad to see that you’re back!! I was hoping to see you again after labor day and have been checking daily. We just had our first cool night (I’m south of Atlanta) and it always gets me in the mood for baking. I’ve been a follower of yours for several years and really glad to see you back in the swing of things.
Website looks awesome and hopefully your faithful can click on the donate button to keep things running.
That will always be welcome of course. The advertising was fun for a while, but as blogs and sites proliferate there’s less and less money in the game all the time. When revenues dipped below $100 a month and the ads simultaneously got more and more intrusive, it really got ridiculous. I feel a lot freer now!
But many thanks and more soon,
– Joe
Good to see you again! Glad you did other things and seeing a meteorite shower AND a moonbow in just one summer is amazing and will be unforgettable.
But… the left side is difficult to see, I don’t know if it’s the yellow on grey or the font is too small, but I like things clear.
Hey Cla,
Thank you and good to know. I’ll see what I can do about that.
– Joe
I looks so good! Congratulations!
Thanks Martina!
– Joe
Glad you’re back! The site looks sleek and beautiful. Also, I’d never even heard of a moonbow, but you can bet I’ll be paying much closer attention to the night sky from here on out.
Hey Lindsay!
Thank you very much! I think it came out very well myself. Getting rid of those blasted ads was probably the best part. Regarding moonbows, there are very few places to see them. In fact I think Cumberland Falls State Park here in Kentucky is the only place where you can see them consistently, or so I understand. You need large falls that are oriented in the right way in relation to the rising (or setting) full moon. I’m told Lake Victoria in Africa had such falls somewhere along its shore, but an earthquake destroyed them a few years ago.
I bet a misting attachment on a garden hose could simulate the effect in your back yard. It’s a cool thing to witness: a white-blue bow with a few hints of link in there, or at least that’s what I saw. It was pretty amazing if I do say so myself.
Cheerio,
– Joe
Welcome Back Joe! Your Joe 3.0 is beautiful! I’m so happy to hear you had a wonderful summer R&Ring and enjoying life with your family. I missed you as I’m sure everyone of your “groupies” did. 😀 Looking forward to the fall and perusing your new sleek site! Your tech team did a super job! 😀 Glad to see you back and happy! 😀
Eva
Thanks Eva!
It’s good to be engaged again. We’ll see what sort of frequency of posting I can attain. It’s going to be a slow-ish start, but I’m optimistic. I’m starting a book project as well, so we’ll see how the whole thing strings together!
Cheers,
– Joe
A book project! Fabulous! Will it be along the same lines (baking, science and history) as your blog or something else? Of course… only if you want to share that now. I can wait… maybe. 😀
Eva 😀
It’s going to be in the ballpark, but definitely not a cookbook. As I’ve been told by innumerable publishers, cookbooks are now little more than loss leaders for people with restaurants and cooking shows. In other words, promotional items for larger money-making enterprises…of which I have none! 😉
– Joe
Oooh, welcome back and Happy New Year! The place looks great. Recognizably you but sleeker and clearer. So what are we baking?
Easy now, easy now, it’s my first day back. I’ll come up with something. I should probably finish that Japanese bread I abandoned.
And yes, Happy New Year to you too!
– Joe
Joe! Glad to see you back. I was afraid that you had decided to shutter the blog which would have been a shame as its one of my favourite places for baking and history.
Cheers!
Thanks Doug, I appreciate that! I’ll be starting a little slow I think, but consider me back on the case…of my usual nonsense.
More soon,
– Joe
WELCOME BACK!
SO glad you got time for some personal and family R&R. Love the layout of the new site. Kudo’s!!
Thanks TartOakland!
More soon,
– Joe
I just actually clapped and announced to my family that ‘Joe Pastry is back!’. Everyone smirked.
I’d have loved to see the looks on their faces. “Um…yay.”
Hehe…but thanks for the cheer, Tanyeem. I appreciate it!
– Joe
I’m so glad to see you back, and the new site design! It sounds like a joyful summer you’ve had, but how did you poison your lawn?
Roundup!
I killed it intentionally as it was more than half Bermuda grass, which is the bane of lawns in this part of the country. I’d tried everything to no avail, the only thing left was the nuclear option. A light green fuzz just started popping up this morning. I’m taking the oddest delight in it. I don’t think I’ve been this proud since my girls were born! Must be the farmer in me. Woohoo! A crop!
Cheers and thanks!
– Joe
I had a good laugh at this. In Tucson, AZ, the only grass we CAN grow in the summer is Bermuda! Heaven forbid you get the Roundup on the grass and not the weeds! You’ll kill your only lawn! LOL
Happy Growing Farmer Joe!
Eva
Well it’s certainly hard to kill, I know that much. I practically had to use Agent Orange. But yes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison as they say. The lawn fescues that most people use here in central Kentucky is considered a crabgrass in the Chicago suburbs where I grew up. There, ironically, Kentucky bluegrass is what everybody plants. Don’t ask me why it does work in a Kentucky lawn, I just work here.
– Joe
so glad to have you back!
Thanks, Rebecca!
– Joe
Welcome back, Joe! Looking forward to the next few months of updates!
Me too, Chris!
Cheers,
– Joe
You’re back!! And you have a team to spiff-ify your site. Congrats!
Very glad you’re back, and that you had a great summer. A moon-bow sound spectacular.
Thanks Mari!
And yes, check this thread for more on what a moonbow is and where you can see one. Worth the trip if you’re into these sorts or nerdy astronomical pleasures.
But thank you very much! If I can figure out how to use the site I’ll post again soon!
Cheers,
– Joe
Welcome back, Joe.
I’ve been anticipating your return for oh, so many months now.
Glad to hear you had a great summer.
Loving the new design, even if some of the text gets cut off in the expanded left side-bar… Still, it’s very clean and accessible.
Hey Philiip!
Getting cut off you say? What browser are you using? I’ll tell my developer.
But thanks very much!
– Joe
Hi, Joe.
I’m using Safari on a Mac. The truncated text isn’t a big deal. I can work out what the rest of the line is. I just thought you might like to now.
Otherwise, the new look is fab, and I’m so very glad to have you back.
I’ll see what the ever-resourceful Brooke can figure out. I appreciate it!
– Joe
You’ve been missed! I’d agree with Cha’s comment that the font size should be bigger, all of it. Aging eyes, you know. And there’s a reason black on white is so successful for type. Looking forward to many happy days ahead!
Thanks Sally, I’ll see what I can do.
– Joe
Welcome back, Joe! Like everyone else (30 comments in half a day!) I’m thrilled to have you back in our midst. I’m glad you had such a great summer!
By the way, are you aware you have an alter ego? https://instagram.com/joe_pastry/ I stumbled upon this over the summer one day when, I confess, I was hunting around the internet in the hopes that I might find you’d quietly set up shop on some other site 🙂
Hehe…hey Jen!
I an indeed aware there’s another Joe out there. I think it’s a pastry shop on the West Coast somewhere, I’m not completely sure. But thanks very much, good to be back!
– Joe
Today is a good day! Happy to see you are back, Joe 🙂
Thanks, Dani!
– Joe
Oh, yay! So happy that you did not abandon the blog altogether. Thanks! The Great British Baking Show just broadcast the 2nd episode for this season on Sunday. The first episode was cakes and the last one was bread (they had to do bread sticks, English Muffins with a partial recipe, and a decorated loaf of their choice). I kept wondering, “I wonder what Joe would say about …x, y, z?” Instead of doing any baking, maybe you could do a riff inspired by the show? It is very nerdy – right down all our alleys!
Thanks Melinda!
Interesting suggestion. I need to watch a few of those episodes. A Joe reader made it to the finals a couple of years ago — I was so proud. I shall look into it more closely. Thanks for the idea!
– Joe
Very glad to have you back. Here is your Moonbow near you: http://www.2geton.net/martin/moonbow/moonbow_j08bcopy.jpg
Hey Ike!
Thank you. Those are the falls for sure, but it looks like daylight. This is more like what it looks like at night. This video was take at Victoria Falls some time ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPD7sfeqSOo
(It’s quite a cool phenomenon all by itself, an artsy soundtrack isn’t required).
Thanks!
– Joe
Oh wonderful…. You are back Joe. Yippee
Thanks Bev!
– Joe
YAAAAAY! how much i’ve missed you.
Thanks very much Ameya!
– Joe
I’m a new reader – I just stumbled across your site perhaps a week ago – and have thoroughly enjoyed reading through your archives. It is so rare and refreshing to find a funny, well-written blog. I have never seen anything as spot-on as your posts on Michael Pollan, who seems to be worshiped by everyone else online. So glad to see you are back and continuing to update!
Thank you very much Emily, I greatly appreciate that. Yes I once got a lot of grief over those Michael Pollan posts, though now it seems the furor over food is dying down a little. A few too many Pollan-like health scares probably. But it’s very nice to have you aboard, please keep coming back!
Cheers,
– Joe
If you are removing ads for good you should get a patreon profile and we can all chip in! That way you can still get some $$$ for all the wonderful content that you make – but without the annoying popups! 🙂 The site looks wonderful by the way!
Never heard of Patreon before, Tora. I’ll have a look!
Cheers,
– Joe
So good to have you back Joe!
Thanks, Cynthia!
– Joe
Can’t wait to see all the new and exciting baking and baking science from you! Glad you’re back and had a great summer!
I’m looking forward to it too, John. Right now I have no idea what it is!
Cheers and more soon,
– Joe
Hi Joe!
I discovered your blog over the summer and find it very interesting and helpful. I made your IMBC frosting recently and it was divine! I look forward to trying more of your recipes and stretching myself in the kitchen. Glad you had such a great summer. (My husband plays the bass as well).
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne!
And hi to your husband too. We bass players need to stick together. I hope you will come back and tell me about your baking adventures!
– Joe
Wow. Wow. Wow. Just when I was reading up on proper frying technique and thinking we’d lost you for a while longer this shows up. What a treat. Looks great and sooo happy you’re back. I’ve been frying pizzas as of late… Pizzelles Fritte! How’s that for a welcome back idea…
Hey Jim!
That is a cool idea, but give me a clearer idea what you’re up to. Fried how?
– Joe
It’s simple. You stretch out a piece of pizza dough (I use 150 grams and stretch to 10″ rounds but you can use 75 grams and stretch to a 6″ rounds as well) and then deep fry until golden. Drain a bit. And then cover with a hot pizza sauce followed by a generous sprinkle of Parm. cheese. That’s good eatin’ just as it is. But if you want to take it to the next level you can replace the grated Parm with other cheeses and/or meats and launch it into your oven to melt the cheese. Amazing crust. I remember “Pizzelles” from the Italian Booths at the county fairs where I was raised in CT. They’re fun to make too.
Sounds like a lot of fun, Jim!
Thanks.
– Joe
Fantastic to have you back! Please do let the readership know if ever the donation jar isn’t keeping up with costs; we did it for the mixer, we can keep it up to go ad free! (Which is awesome).
In the mean time, a partial request list:
– More on ice cream techniques
– Savory (cheese?) tarts
– Reflections on the last years’ trends in chocolate chip cookies (mixed flours, browned butters, overnight rests, etc.)
– Tutorials on plating desserts
Hey Evan!
Thanks and I shall. Those are some excellent suggestions. When you say savory cheese tarts, are you thinking Italian or something else? Just curious.
Cheers,
– Joe
Joe,
So glad you are back!! KAF did a little survey a couple of weeks ago and asked if I read any pastry blogs they might want to promote. I answered you — but told them I was afraid you might not come back! I am so glad you did!!
Hey Eight Pond!
Thanks for the boosterism. I appreciate it. And it’s good to be back!
Cheers,
– Joe
Hi Joe, just came across your website and very excited to read thru everything. My wife and I are just starting our research on starting our own DOUNUT FOOD TRUCK!!!! We have a great concept and a great location, with some questions that I hope you can help us with. Sooooooooo glad we found your site. LOOKS AWESOME !!!
Best
Matt
Hey Matt!
Love the project. Let me know how I can help. I’m pretty much always around!
– Joe
So glad you enjoyed the summer. As did I. I am sure I speak for many we have missed you. Looking forward to the posts.
Website looks great. Now lets start some baking. I have been making breads lately and love looking at those recipes.
Thank you very much, Donna. What sort of breads have you been baking?
– Joe
Joe,
I’m so glad you’re back-I missed you!
Website looks good. I’m looking forward to more challenging baking to try.
Thanks Donna!
More to come!
– Joe
Hi Joe,
I was checking regularly too, like most of your readers. Sounds like you had a good summer.
You were missed, but your Archives are precious and give a hudge choice during the cold Australian winter.
You are back and I learned a new word – moonbow.
Will dig deeper to see one.
Excited with the new layout. Please, keep the good work.
Thanks very much Daniela!
I’d never heard of a moonbow either until I moved to Kentucky. But I have to say they’re pretty neat. Let me know if there’s s good spot for one in Oz. I’m curious.
More soon and cheers,
– Joe
No big choice of falls in the dryest state – South Australia.
Morialta Falls (30 m) – 28 Sept
Good to see you’re back Joe!
Your presence takes a little bit of the sting out of Summer being over…though in Chicago its Summer again this week.
I look forward to the inspiration courtesy of Joe Pastry.
I’ll be back in Chicago tomorrow, Cat, I’ll see for myself! I’ve heard from family it’s been a little on the chilly side. I’ll bring a sweater!
Cheers,
– Joe
I’m so glad you’re back-I missed you! I would have posted much earlier in the day, but couldn’t access it from my *cough* work *cough* computer.
Can’t wait for some baking challenges and interesting reading.
Thank you Donna!
Great to hear from you. No worries on the *cough* computer. The site’s not going anywhere!
Cheers,
– Joe
Hmm I have no idea why I have two posts. Maybe the one from work went through after all…
No problemo. 😉
– J
WELCOME BACK JOE! We so missed you. I kept looking and hoping and looking. YAY! Like the new redesign – very sleek.
Thanks Janet! Great to be flapping the ol’ fingers again.
Cheerio,
– Joe
Thanks Joe, for coming back. I was beginning to worry quite frankly. It’s a less interesting world without you. And, I must confess, one more prone to culinary mishaps… :-).
Jim, I cannot help but be touched and impressed by the lovely combination of poetic rhetoric and naked self interest. I thank you.
– Joe
Hooray! The new site is lovely and I’m glad you had a refreshing break.
I second the Patreon suggestion. Barring that, I’ll just have to remember to chip into the tip jar once in a while. 🙂
I’ll do that Delaney. I had no idea there was an automated way to consistently beg for money. I love it!
Cheers and thank you!
– Joe
The site looks great, Joe. The color scheme is complimentary and very easy on the eyes.
Glad to hear you had a great summer.
Hopefully, we’re in for a milder winter this year (in TN)!
I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next. Thank you for all you do here! 🙂
Hey Andrew, always great to hear from you. They’re telling us around here that the caterpillars are fuzzy which means another cold one. I’m not bothered personally, being from the North. The combination of Chicago snow and Kentucky hills makes for superior sledding.
Cheerio,
– Joe
So so happy you are back! Thank you for all the years of posts–they not only kept me happy while you were on break (and I still haven’t finished reading them all) but they also kept me grounded while putting together a truly awesome layer cake for my son’s birthday. As you suggested, we did it in small bursts over several days–shopping day, frosting making day, ice cream layer forming day, cake baking and freezing day, slicing and assembly day w/ base coat, decorating day. This meant we had a week of fun projects to do together, and no step longer than a 7 (going on 8) year old’s attention span.
Making the cake together was one of the best parts of celebrating his birthday–we learned a lot from each other!
So, many, many thanks for the gift of your expertise, as well as the heritage frosting recipe!
What a lovely comment. That’s what home baking is all about, Sialia. So glad the site was a help with the project!
Cheers and thanks!
– Joe
It’s great to see that you are back!
Thanks, Steve!
– Joe
About time is all I can say. I go away for a week in hospital, and you come back all shiny squeaky clean looking. I’m missing the back street grunge already, the greasy feel to the pages, like that laminated menu at the diner on the back street corner.
I hope you can come up with a few things that will push my limited expertise further
Nice to see you back Joe, Take care
Too true, the coffee cup stains are gone, but the what the site may have lost in character it makes up for in portability. You can now read it easily wherever you are, even in the hospital.
About that…what the heck happened??
Nice to be in touch as always, Warren.
– Joe
Whew… I thought it was all over for my favorite baking site. Welcome back Joe!!!
One day it will be — but not today. 😉
Cheers and thanks Chris!
– Joe
Hooray! So glad to see you back, and with improved website! (especially for mobile devices)
I have brand new baby (6 weeks at the moment) so I can anticipate only very quick and simple kitchen projects, but that doesn’t take anything from pleasure of reading your posts. May you and your family enjoy your return to baking and writing!
Woohoo! Congratulations, Antuanete! Wonderful news. Is this your first?
Have a great time with the new arrival, and be consoled that eventually you will sleep again. It all gets better eventually.
– Joe
Thanks! It’s my first and husband’s second; night sleep is not the worst but I feel like every day trip to somewhere is akin to planning military campaign due to feeding and sleeping schedule. But I believe that it gets better!
Oh yeah I remember those days, they weren’t that long ago. Since I have a home office I was right there in the trenches with Mrs. Joe. I remember days when just having time to shower felt like a luxury. They were fun though…if only in an absurd way sometimes. Enjoy it!
– Joe
Dear Joe:
So great to see you back! I hope you had a great time with your family this summer. Your archives were an invaluable resource to me this summer as I hosted and baked for an influx of cousins visiting from Ireland. Can’t wait to see what new things you teach us to make. On my list to learn from your archives as the weather gets a bit cooler are Danishes (had a great one in Solvang, CA this summer, and have made croissants long ago but am a bit intimidated by laminated dough), knishes and Mercian meat pies.
It’s September, so here in LA it’s also time to start candying fruit for Christmas fruitcake.
Love the new site, and will contribute as soon as I can locate the tip jar: your blog is such a valuable resource, and well worth supporting.
All the best,
Maura
What a delightful comment. Thanks, Maura!
Please keep me advised of your adventures and don’t hesitate to check in with questions!
Cheers,
– Joe
Welcome back! Missed you. Glad you had such a fantabulous sabbatical.
Thank you Charm. Nice to hear from you!
– Joe
It has been too long….and yet here you are!
I say no advertising = fundraising campaign. I mean, PBS does it. Your website IS a public service. Hmmm…now to strategy.
Hey Derek!
I’m investigating that Patreon service that a few other commenters have recommended. That might be a good way to keep a little cash a-flowin’. The ads were not only poor generators of revenue, they were a pain in the neck!
Cheers,
– Joe