The pic is a crappy shot of my Mom's 1964 edition of her first cookbook ever. Like me and my sister, Mom didn't know a thing about cooking until she hit her late twenties/early thirties, but rallied quickly with a little practice. This cookbook has some of the most perfect pseudo-realistic, skinny-line era cartoons I've ever seen, and probably set ( Read more... )

As a thank-you to chefx for tracking down info on aebelskivers, and because I seem to have finally nailed this recipe, here's the final version of the fabled red velvet cake.

( Red velvet cake )

I just walked into Trabant Chai here in the U District, and the scones and muffins they have up at the register are all ones that I baked with my own hands this past week: blueberry and vegan morning glory muffins and apricot-walnut scones. I can see the marks on one of the scones where I re-measured and re-cut it after not being satisfied with the ( Read more... )

I'm so worn out from holiday nonsense that I don't even have the wherewithal to come up with a snarky subject line. It was about what I predicted (see previous entry, I'm too tired to do links), but even snippier, for lack of a succinct adjective. Elaboration would only bore you and likely be TMI, but if you've ever had to make nice-nice in a ( Read more... )

Thass right! Out of school by 10:20 AM. All that stands between me and winter vacation is one measly three- hour, easy-ass Communications class. Just for today, that meant flailing out the door like a spazzy schoolboy in short pants, but realistically that still means that I can break for lunch, be at work by 10:45, and work as long as I want and ( Read more... )

I'm going to fail my costing final this morning! Wheee ( Read more... )

(Before I get started, a link to way cool H.P. Lovecraft stuff that probably only fellow nerd emotrouble will appreciate hereI've been in a long-term relationship, had my heart broken, had a parent die, held a completely self-supporting job, voted, reached legal drinking age, had back problems, and been (unsuccessfully) sued, in no particular order. (Still ( Read more... )

As promised, a recipe for nut brittle, hopefully in time for any fall celebrations you're planning. It's cheap (depending on what nuts you use) and easy once you know what you're doing, but requires a candy thermometer and a healthy respect for boiling sugar.

( recipe here )

On Saturday, I volunteered to do the desserts for a secret cafe benefiting Transforming Us, a local soon-to-be-nonprofit that raises money for trans surgeries. It was sort of the circle that Sailor knows, all the twentysomething Gossip-listening crusty kids, and some of them are Patchouli People, including the guy whose house I was baking at. I ( Read more... )

Goddammit. I hate it when someone takes my good idea ( Read more... )