Musings on Dance, Food, Geek Stuff
Just got back from a delightful two weeks in Maui, Hawaii. And man, am I browner, chiller and fatter. Getting back to Hawaii has long been on my bucket list, to make up for several disappointing trips to the islands with my family as a teen. This time around I promised myself I would get…
I’ve eaten my share of bugs in my life. I’ve had mopane worm in South Africa (do not recommend), fried grasshoppers in Southern Mexico (so delicious), and roasted mealworm (like cheetos!). I’ve been around enough to know that insects are a part of many local diets, even if Western culture considers them “gross.” But overall…
Everyone has their own feelings about steel cut oatmeal. I’ve read a ton of different recipes and discussion about technique. Personally, I favor a thicker, more nutty textured oatmeal, and this is how I achieve it. The key question to successfully make steel cut oatmeal is the ratio of water to oats. Many recipes call…
One of the skills that I learned from my parents is how to put myself last. I have a strong memory of being in a fancy European restaurant with my family. I was maybe 12. The main course was over, and the server urged me to order the “bread pudding.” I had no idea what…
Yes, these are square biscuits. Why you ask? For superior rise and less wastage of precious buttery dough. Also, they look fancy. I love this buttermilk biscuit recipe (based on Bon Appetit and America’s Test Kitchen) because it is so easy and yet has beautiful lamination and texture. I like to make these ahead of…
This long weekend I decided to work on a baking project I’ve been thinking about for a bit: a Porg Pot Pie. The inspiration was this awesome Porg pie bird that my dad got me two Christmas’s ago. Key parts of this challenge for me were to: make my first double-crust pie, successfully blind bake…
I am slowly getting better at pie baking, after struggling with some basic skills. I think I am finally getting the hang of blind baking a pie crust, which is the technique to pre-bake a crust so that it is browned and properly cooked when the fillings are added. Here’s the techniques that I have…
This week marks one year of me following the dieting method Intermittent Fasting (IF)! I didn’t have many expectations when I started. Really I was just tired of hearing raves about IF from so many friends. So I did some research and decided to try it out and see how it felt. Turns out, I…
One of my projects during the holiday break has been learning how to make one of my favorite desserts: Danish pastry! Somewhere between a brioche and a croissant, Danish seemed like a good next step in my baking journey. First step was choosing a recipe. After scouring the internets, I decided King Arthur Flour /…
INGREDIENTS 1 4- to 5-pound duck Freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup soy sauce, more or less Equipment: roasting pan rack PREPARATION Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard or reserve for another use. Cut off excess fat from duck cavity. Place duck, breast side down (wings up), on a…