Anyway, with summer comes projects. Reading projects. Crafty projects. And, typically, cooking projects.
Last summer I baked both cakes and pies from scratch. And let me stop you right there. Yes, I know, baking a cake from scratch isn't a big deal. But I mean, I took home ec for three years and we didn't venture anywhere close to cakes, so I've been operating largely on boxed mixes. Also, the whole Cake From Scratch project involved making lemon curd and whipping my own icing. That was fun. (Looking back on this, I'm still not sure if the fun comment is meant to be sarcastic or not, but let's just say that whipping things without an electric beater is a bit intense.)
This summer, however, I don't really have any strictly defined cooking goals, though I do have some things I'd really like to try out. So far, I have:
1. Tiramisu. I've never been the hugest fan, but Chelsea Dee loves it, and I figure it'll be a good skill to have. Plus, I can apparently sub in whiskey instead of rum, and that just sounds tasty.
2. Jam. I want to make some jam. Jam is delicious, and, come July/August, the farmers market will be literally stocked with berries that are looking for a good home.
3. Bread. Sure, I've used a bread machine, but I've never done it by hand, from scratch. Buns? Of course! Banana bread? Yup! A nice loaf of sandwich bread? Not quite! But soon.
4. Poached Eggs. Okay, I love eggs benny, but I am fully aware that some people have the finesse to poach a frakking egg, and some don't. And, at this point, I don't. Oh god, the soupy, stringy, cloudy messes I have made. Soon, my pretties. Soon.
5. Cornbread and Chili. Again, things I should really have in my repetoire, but that I've never made myself. But! Southern Night is coming up, and a combination of Gone with the Wind, Fried Green Tomatoes, and some fresh cornbread and chili might just be on the menu.
Anyway, this whole post came about because, in my quest for recipes and projects and, well, because StumbleUpon knows me so gosh darn well, I came across a recipe for Garlic Knots, which is basically the internet saying, y'know pretzels, which are awesome? And Garlic, which is the best thing ever? Let's COMBINE THOSE and make life worth living again. Way to target your audience, FoodMayhem.com. "For Superior Garlic Breath"? There are perhaps no four finer words in the english language.
But, of course, because I am Me, and because I can't just take anything for what it is, I always have to do something a little different. So, I kicked up the garlic a tich, and now, a day later, I smell like, you guessed it, garlic. Garlic and garlic alone.
It is seeping out of my pores.
And it's goooooooood.
Last summer I baked both cakes and pies from scratch. And let me stop you right there. Yes, I know, baking a cake from scratch isn't a big deal. But I mean, I took home ec for three years and we didn't venture anywhere close to cakes, so I've been operating largely on boxed mixes. Also, the whole Cake From Scratch project involved making lemon curd and whipping my own icing. That was fun. (Looking back on this, I'm still not sure if the fun comment is meant to be sarcastic or not, but let's just say that whipping things without an electric beater is a bit intense.)
This summer, however, I don't really have any strictly defined cooking goals, though I do have some things I'd really like to try out. So far, I have:
1. Tiramisu. I've never been the hugest fan, but Chelsea Dee loves it, and I figure it'll be a good skill to have. Plus, I can apparently sub in whiskey instead of rum, and that just sounds tasty.
2. Jam. I want to make some jam. Jam is delicious, and, come July/August, the farmers market will be literally stocked with berries that are looking for a good home.
3. Bread. Sure, I've used a bread machine, but I've never done it by hand, from scratch. Buns? Of course! Banana bread? Yup! A nice loaf of sandwich bread? Not quite! But soon.
4. Poached Eggs. Okay, I love eggs benny, but I am fully aware that some people have the finesse to poach a frakking egg, and some don't. And, at this point, I don't. Oh god, the soupy, stringy, cloudy messes I have made. Soon, my pretties. Soon.
5. Cornbread and Chili. Again, things I should really have in my repetoire, but that I've never made myself. But! Southern Night is coming up, and a combination of Gone with the Wind, Fried Green Tomatoes, and some fresh cornbread and chili might just be on the menu.
Anyway, this whole post came about because, in my quest for recipes and projects and, well, because StumbleUpon knows me so gosh darn well, I came across a recipe for Garlic Knots, which is basically the internet saying, y'know pretzels, which are awesome? And Garlic, which is the best thing ever? Let's COMBINE THOSE and make life worth living again. Way to target your audience, FoodMayhem.com. "For Superior Garlic Breath"? There are perhaps no four finer words in the english language.
But, of course, because I am Me, and because I can't just take anything for what it is, I always have to do something a little different. So, I kicked up the garlic a tich, and now, a day later, I smell like, you guessed it, garlic. Garlic and garlic alone.
It is seeping out of my pores.
And it's goooooooood.
RE:
ReplyDelete1. Any good, dark liquor should work. Tequila tiramisu would be interesting!
2. Jam is super damned easy, especially if you don't need to preserve it and just want to eat it fresh. No pectin or canning or anything!
3. I have long wanted to take a breadmaking course!
4. Check out Smitten Kitchen's guide to poaching eggs (http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/how-to-poach-an-egg-smitten-kitchen-style/), Deb is a lady who poaches a lot of them and knows her stuff.
5. Make me some!
That is all.