Which is a yule log to you and me, thanks very much. It’s been a few years since I’ve made one of these, and back then I was just one member of a much larger production line. Funny how much longer projects like this take when you’re responsible for making every last component yourself. Where’s […]
READ ONWell that was a crazy week. Mr. Mom was in charge for most of it, then Mrs. Pastry had a mishap driving back from her conference, spinning the car on the interstate. Thankfully, she was unharmed. As it happened the car was largely unharmed, though it’ll need a little body work and a wheel alignment. […]
READ ONPosting will be light-to-nonexistent for much of the week, since the missus is at another conference and I’ll be looking after the little ones pretty much every moment I’m not working. I’ll do my best to find things to say during the (rare) quiet moments.
READ ONReader Aaron writes: Just wanted to drop you a note with a photo of pretzels baked using your recipe here on Sado Island in Japan. I am staying with a family who owns a bakery/restaurant on the island (Oasis Bakery in Ogi). There was a festival celebrating Fall foods and they created some special goods […]
READ ONIt’s human nature to never be quite satisfied with your home. Most of us would like more space, perhaps more light in the key living areas and of course, more curb appeal. The good news is that upgrading and/or renovating doesn’t have to be expensive, and can significantly add to the value of your house. […]
READ ONYou can do an awful lot with a simple four-walls-and-a-roof gingerbread house. A couple of chairs and a few throw pillows and you’ve got yourself a cozy domicile: every gingerbread man’s dream starter home. You’ll need a solid base to get going. Here I have a piece of foam board that I found in the […]
READ ONBaking off pieces of a gingerbread house is no different than making cookies, the only difference is size. The main difficulty, when it comes to shapes that are 8″ x 10″ or larger, is transferring them from point A to point B. Just use plenty of flour and check as you roll to see if […]
READ ONThese days ginger is so abundant that it can be found everywhere from convenience stores to expensive spice boutiques. For a basic gingerbread cookie, most any ginger will work. However, should you wish to up the ante quality-wise, locate some Jamaican ginger, which as a rule has a more delicate and sweeter flavor than Chinese […]
READ ONMaking a paper template for your gingerbread house may sound like an obsessive, fussy sort of thing to do. But trust me, there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to assemble a house out of planks of gingerbread that aren’t made to fit together. No amount of icing can make up for bad design, friends. Plus […]
READ ONYou can, reader Ginger, if that IS your real name, though you probably don’t want to. The reason: because fresh ginger doesn’t provide as much “ginger” flavor as the dry stuff. You’d think it would since fresh ginger contains more gingerol compounds, and those are closely related to capsaicin (found in chile peppers) and pepperine […]
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