baking with laser-like focus and mad skill in a kick-ass black outfit
I just got back from my walk about and stopped at the fridge (after plowing down an ample helping of last night’s leftovers standing right there in the middle of the kitchen) and noticed this list on an envelope, magneted (is that a word?) to the fridge door:
This is what it says:
Oil
3-4 sliced garlic
Zest on lemon
med heat
Pasta
1/2 cup water fr/noodles
squeeze lemon completely
reduce
fresh Parmesan
A fine chap named Chuck Westbrook has suggested an idea for increasing readership of under-read blogs that’s so genius, it kind of looks like a pyramid scheme…
Before you run in fear, check it and join in the fun. Every two weeks, a new blog. Broaden your horizons. Do a good blog deed.
Cheers.
That’s right. I said it. It’s too hot to bake. It’s almost the end of October and the high today is 97. That’s 3 short of 100. In October.
I think there is a place on earth where it’s snowing right now, but I don’t know where that is. If you live there, would you send me some snow?
If I were going to bake, I’d bake a fantastic onion and anchovy tart with puff pastry. If you make one, let me know.
Cheers.
Listening on Sunday to the radio I heard a spiritual that I’d guess is called “No Bad News” (that’s the chorus). One of the lines the soloist sang, with such heart it made the blood rush to my face and the hairs on my neck stand at attention, is still with me three days later - “if you look at every day as a gift you can’t refuse….” I’m not big on religion but I’m a big fan of spirituals. That line was exactly what I needed to hear. Things are tough now. There’s a lot happening that can make a person feel pretty crappy even if there is relative wealth, health, a good loving relationship, enough to eat and a roof. Hearing a choir singing on the top of their lungs that every day is a gift that can’t be refused, no matter what happens – that helps.
For those of you with a scale (or a specific weight of butter, which is a little odd without a scale, but I’m not judging), here’s a helpful butter converter for…converting your butter? From volume to weight. From Traditional Oven. Check it.
Cheers.
It’s morning (it was when I wrote this) and I’m still in that time where I can somehow justify just messing around instead of getting anything productive done. Scrolling through the ever-growing list of blogs I’m following (what HAPPENED to me??), I came across this idea on Awaken Your Superhero:
[In the midst of all the panic about the economy]…Maybe you make Enterprise PR Software or underwrite private student loans, but that shouldn’t stop you at all from offering a money-saving recipe that your grandmother taught you [on your corporate blog].
My friend V at 40licious (who incidentally just threatened my benign heart murmur by titling her last post “Getting Engaged”) says I don’t blog enough. I’m taking that as a challenge to bring the mother f#*&ing baking ruckus – it’s on!
So apropos of nothing, here is some information I found about how much eggs weigh, according to their size classifications. Another great use for the new scale!
Minimum weights per dozen are : Jumbo (30 oz.), Extra Large (27 oz.), Large (24 oz.), Medium (21 oz.), small (18 oz.), and Pee Wee (or pullet) (15 oz.)
A fun little time sucker – always interesting to see what you “won’t” eat, as well as what you haven’t eaten (but could have sworn you had)!
Very Good Taste Omnivore’s Hundred
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
I think I might be. I bought a kitchen scale that measures to .1 and have, much to my pleasure, found many uses for it. 
I don’t have to measure cups of flour for bread anymore, we made a very successful batch of soap the other day (please don’t try to ‘estimate’ lye for home made soap – trust me) and I can now weigh out any ingredient that, for whatever, reason can’t be measured in a cup or spoon. This model happens to be super-thin and stores on the book shelf with the cookbooks. It’s not the easiest to read (the container can get in the way of the display) but it works, weighs out up to 11 pounds, and stores where we actually still have room – that’s all it needs to do!
But it’s one of the finest examples I have found of sweet, unabashed pleasure in doing something…this guy covers The Boss on the ukulele like ninja bakers do their thing…relaxed, purposeful and all about satisfaction in the task. Please enjoy…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ITMIKrCfM&feature=related]
