[D]espite my biscuit binge in the Deep South, I could only resist for so long. Come September and National Biscuit Month, this wee baker’s fancy turned to thoughts of those crisp-edged, yet tender pillows of lofty saltiness that call many of us home. I’ve made a lot of biscuits, and […]
[I] tend to disregard blackberries. These dark beauties are certainly worth my attention, yet I find myself more likely to veer toward strawberries and blueberries, the brighter and seemingly more versatile of the berry world. It’s not that I don’t find blackberries delicious; I do. Sweet and less tart than […]
[T]ime was, a simple pizza crust would do. I came of age when I saw this concept turn. I grew up in the land of Pizza Hut, and after the advent of pan pizzas and personal pan pizzas, there began an onslaught of pizza crust one-uppings in every chain in […]
[I] sought a simple loaf bread recipe for this month’s recipe test. But when I began perusing the King Arthur Flour website for possibilities, I was overwhelmed with so many delicious options and became impossibly hungry. l thrilled from my thyme-laced popovers (see blog entry in 4/13), I came across […]
[F]or a springtime bread, I mused over something light and bright, something I’d long wanted to make. Popovers. They seemed to carry a mystique…they were made with a special pan…the oven door could not be opened while baking or ruin would befall them…they were American spinoffs of Yorkshire pudding. I […]
“A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come.” — Bruce Lee, “Enter the Dragon” AWS appreciates challenges and does rise to them. Given the time and […]
[T]he mystery of baking makes it very appealing to me. Sure, there is science to explain it all away, but I prefer to think of baking as following a code, a pact, if you will. Created by some alchemist, tested, so that you follow it along in faith, assembling this […]
[M]any regions boast a bread that is specific to the holidays. The Italians have Panettone, a tall, slightly sweet yeast bread dotted with dried or candied fruits. The Swedish have Lucia Buns, s-shaped twists spiced with saffron and cardamom, served in honor of St. Lucia. The Germans have a curious […]
I cannot begin to write about my mother’s bread making without mentioning her kneading. And I would have to begin any discussion of her kneading by describing her hands. My mother is not, nor has she ever been, a delicate doily of a damsel, and neither are her hands. Big, […]
My friend, Elaine – whose own oven yields magic at such a staggering and humiliating output, her kitchen could make Willie Wonka’s factory look as though it has gone dormant – not long ago gave me one of the nicest gifts I have ever received. She came to work and […]