Guess what was waiting for me when I returned from spring break?
This cookbook. I think it's going to change my life.
Some days, I think I should have gone to culinary school. Maybe that's what my mid-life crisis will be. Can I start planning that now?
A couple weeks ago, a friend recommended America's Test Kitchen for bread recipes. I checked out the website, and promptly bought the cookbook. My first attempt at the bread turned out like this:
The texture of this bread is amazing. The only downside is that the recipe is pretty complicated - you have to soak the dough overnight and let it rise twice. After having to ask my roommate to bake the bread for me, I realized that trying to make this recipe in the middle of the week wasn't such a great idea. :)
My next recipe plan is to buy a whole chicken. For dinner #1, I will roast it. Then, I'll strip the meat off the bone and make chicken salad and chicken pot pie. I'll just have to pace myself so I don't burn out on chicken before I'm through!
In addition to my cooking adventures, I started my "garden" this weekend. My basil plant survived the winter (it's quite a hardy plant!), and I added lettuce, orange bell pepper, and cilantro (cilantro-lime rice, here I come!). Now I'm watering them like crazy and sending, "Grow fast!" vibes. :)
This cookbook. I think it's going to change my life.
Some days, I think I should have gone to culinary school. Maybe that's what my mid-life crisis will be. Can I start planning that now?
A couple weeks ago, a friend recommended America's Test Kitchen for bread recipes. I checked out the website, and promptly bought the cookbook. My first attempt at the bread turned out like this:
The texture of this bread is amazing. The only downside is that the recipe is pretty complicated - you have to soak the dough overnight and let it rise twice. After having to ask my roommate to bake the bread for me, I realized that trying to make this recipe in the middle of the week wasn't such a great idea. :)
My next recipe plan is to buy a whole chicken. For dinner #1, I will roast it. Then, I'll strip the meat off the bone and make chicken salad and chicken pot pie. I'll just have to pace myself so I don't burn out on chicken before I'm through!
In addition to my cooking adventures, I started my "garden" this weekend. My basil plant survived the winter (it's quite a hardy plant!), and I added lettuce, orange bell pepper, and cilantro (cilantro-lime rice, here I come!). Now I'm watering them like crazy and sending, "Grow fast!" vibes. :)
