Friday ( Read more... )

Freud would perhaps say that there is no such thing as an accident, but he was nuts so I don't think I believe it ( Read more... )

So, I haven't been cooking much this week, which is silly, since the snow meant I was home a lot.

I did make bread on Wednesday, because I called out of work.  I didn't want to be completely unproductive.  I used my favourite recipe, and got two beautiful, perfect-size-for-the-toaster loaves of white bread.  Sometimes I feel a little bad about ( Read more... )

Sourdough, made with the most vague instructions EVER, did not go well.  I may try it again with different flour (since I now have sourdough starter in the fridge), or I may just look for a new starting point.  I'm really digging Bittman's cookbook, but this is the only recipe I've tried out of it so far, and it does not inspire me with confidence ( Read more... )

I still haven't picked out a new recipe to try this week, despite spending a lot of time thumbing through Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.  I'm giving his sourdough recipe a try, but bread doesn't really count as a new recipe anymore.  Misgivings:  The recipe uses yeast as well as the starter, for a more mild flavor.  It says to follow ( Read more... )

Not really.  ( Not Really. It's probably a boring post to anyone who isn't into newbiecooking though. )

The regular loaf of white bread turned out okay.  I should have followed my 1st instinct and moved the oven rack down further (stupid electric oven...).  The second loaf, I decided should be a cinnamon bread.  It turned out yummy, but kinda trashed the oven (and pan) with melted cinnamon/sugar gunk.  Apparently, I used WAY too much.  It would have ( Read more... )

Seed potatoes: ordered and paid for
Also, got some lettuce seeds and the Swiss chard seeds for the year. 
Swiss chard is actually in the same family of plants as beet, but the greens are more like spinach than beet greens.  Now you know.
We still have some unused seeds from last year, and some harvested from last year's crop.  They're not patented GE ( Read more... )

technically, i'd be home by now anyway, but i did not goto work today or yesterday ( Read more... )

I just recently found out exactly why bromating flour is maybe not the best idea.  Aside from the fact that some people can taste the difference (most can't), the potassium bromate "cooks off" in baking... as long as the quantity is right, and the baking is sufficient.  Otherwise, it may remain behind, and it's a carcinogen.  So... what about all ( Read more... )