It's miche week! Read Full Story

 First, I'm busy. Busy off the charts and that brought me off my blog. Second, I love meeting bloggers. Excuse me while I shout out to one right now - helloooo, Shuna. Where was I? Oh, yeah, about bloggers. Especially cooking and baking bloggers. Those I have met are always completely different then me. Thank goodness! Yet they all have that love of movement;  levain-tation, yeasty things, measuring, in metric or oz's. Now where am I going? I'm not sure. Oh, yeah, here. It's almost the holi... Read Full Story

Still here, really! My latest and I can say best loaf so far, miche of course! Read Full Story

Baking bread is always a challenge, especially when the weather changes. Lately I have been having quite a lot of trouble. They seem dense, even non-reactive. Makes for lousy loaves. First, I blamed mistakenly mixing spelt into a formula rather then bread flour. And not having marked the flour bin, I ended up with some flat and flaccid hunks of baked dough.  Yesterday I asked MC for some help and she pointed out DDT. Did she mean  agent orange? No, that's when I remembered my school lecture... Read Full Story

Baking bread is always a challenge, especially when the weather changes. Lately I have been having quite a lot of trouble. They seem dense, even non-reactive. Makes for lousy loaves. First, I blamed mistakenly mixing spelt into a formula rather then bread flour. And not having marked the flour bin, I ended up with some flat and flaccid hunks of baked dough.  Yesterday I asked MC for some help and she pointed out DDT. Did she mean  agent orange? No, that's when I remembered my school lecture... Read Full Story

  Whenever I have worked with other chefs, it's almost most always been me as the student or observer. Cooking tends to be competitive, and there isn't much time for making friends when you're trying to climb the so-called "ladder."  But recently, begun in travels to Turkey, I've had the chance to "play" with friends in the kitchen. Starting with my good friend, Dilara in Istanbul,  I have met and interacted with cooks in a less stress filled setting. In such a setting, these chefs, like... Read Full Story

  Whenever I have worked with other chefs, it's almost most always been me as the student or observer. Cooking tends to be competitive, and there isn't much time for making friends when you're trying to climb the so-called "ladder."  But recently, begun in travels to Turkey, I've had the chance to "play" with friends in the kitchen. Starting with my good friend, Dilara in Istanbul,  I have met and interacted with cooks in a less stress filled setting. In such a setting, these chefs, like... Read Full Story

Ever have a bad bake? Lately for me, it's been happening far to often. Admittedly I am no professional baker. Nor do I have  scientific ability to judge what went wrong. But this has been ridiculous and really annoying. Take this weekend.  Lousy weather made it a great time to stay home. My first attempt was Saturday, when I attempted a triple bread bake. It turned out either jinxed by the cold, bad levain, or the scheduling,or the hydration or just not having a damned clue. The end resu... Read Full Story

Ever have a bad bake? Lately for me, it's been happening far to often. Admittedly I am no professional baker. Nor do I have  scientific ability to judge what went wrong. But this has been ridiculous and really annoying. Take this weekend.  Lousy weather made it a great time to stay home. My first attempt was Saturday, when I attempted a triple bread bake. It turned out either jinxed by the cold, bad levain, or the scheduling,or the hydration or just not having a damned clue. The end resu... Read Full Story

Yes, I am still here, busy at work. But I'm also ready to enjoy a night of drinks and food with friends. As I did for the impromptu wine and snack party thrown together the other night. You don't want to spend all day cooking for a festive evening, and then find yourself exhausted, or continuing to prep while they're there. Or, at least I don't! Take it from me, you want to enjoy your company, eating and drinking along with the guests. With this in mind, I winged together some easy hor's deuv... Read Full Story