Fans of literature like oh, say, the Bible probably already have a sense for how old the relationship between humans and figs is: at least as old as Adam and Eve, since fig leaves were supposedly used to make humankind’s first fashion statement. Some people in fact claim that the Tree of Knowledge was a […]
READ ONI do enjoy my Viking mixer, though it has some notable flaws. Oh it’s got a big 7-quart bowl and it bristles with muscle, perfect for big batches of bread dough. But it doesn’t do small quantities so well. In fact the implements don’t come within half an inch of the bottom of the bowl. […]
READ ONBeing a history buff I’ve been glued to The War, Ken Burns’ new 14-hour documentary on World War II currently airing on PBS. Though I have to say I’ve seen equally good documentary work on the Hitler, er…History Channel, there is something unique in the way Burns covers the home front and the sacrifices that […]
READ ON…multiple cutting boards are still the number one way to avoid foodbourne illness at home (which is where the vast majority of it occurs). Now all I need to know is how to pronounce that writer’s name…
READ ONIt’s possible, you know. It happens when you beat butter and sugar too long or too hard, and the sugar begins to dissolve in the mixture (which it can do because butter is about 17% water). Thus you can tell when you’ve over-creamed by rubbing the mixture between your fingers. A smooth-feeling cream means you’ve […]
READ ONYou may never have heard of the Muffin Method or the Biscuit Method, but if you’ve made a batch of chocolate chip cookies with the recipe on the side of the Tollhouse Morsel bag, you’ve heard of the Creaming Method. Typically, the Creaming Method involves beating a quantity of butter with a near equivalent quantity […]
READ ONSo then where was I before I a) got sick, and b) was called out of town on business? Ah yes, I remember, engaged in a series of long-winded posts on mixing methods. I spent a week on the muffin method, then another on the biscuit method. Thus it seems only fitting that we continue […]
READ ONNo sooner does a bad idea get slapped down in one city than it pops up in another. Fortunately, Bostonians seem to have little appetite for calorie-counting menu boards.
READ ONJust because I didn’t bake this weekend doesn’t mean I was willing to go without the good stuff for four days. My trip afforded me the opportunity to visit a spot that I’ve been curious about every since it opened in June: the Lovely Bake Shop in Chicago. Friends, I was not disappointed. It’s just […]
READ ONI left without saying goodbye. I hope you didn’t feel abandoned. But when business calls it calls, and heck, my destination was sweet home Chicago. Can you blame me? OK, so you can. Next time I promise to provide warning. Being back in the big city, I of course managed to work a little pleasure […]
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