November 24, 2009
If I were to write a self-help book it would be called something like “Indulge Yourself.” I mentally survive my most difficult days by looking forward to the point at which I’m going to indulge myself. Usually this involves food or alcohol or buying a rare live song from Rickie Lee Jones’s vast online store or a new book. Yesterday I made soup instead of a veggie burger. When that wasn’t enough, I made an itty-bitty cake adapted from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking; you have to use a really small cake pan, like 7 inches (I went with a small iron skillet), which strangely makes it seem like both a more minor and a more greedy indulgence. It’s the type of cake you put jam on. Laurie Colwin’s Easy Cake: Cream a softened stick of butter with 1/2 cup of sugar and the zest of half a lemon. Whisk in two eggs. Fold in a cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Scoop into the small, buttered and floured cake pan. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.

If I were to write a self-help book it would be called something like “Indulge Yourself.” I mentally survive my most difficult days by looking forward to the point at which I’m going to indulge myself. Usually this involves food or alcohol or buying a rare live song from Rickie Lee Jones’s vast online store or a new book. Yesterday I made soup instead of a veggie burger. When that wasn’t enough, I made an itty-bitty cake adapted from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking; you have to use a really small cake pan, like 7 inches (I went with a small iron skillet), which strangely makes it seem like both a more minor and a more greedy indulgence. It’s the type of cake you put jam on.

Laurie Colwin’s Easy Cake: Cream a softened stick of butter with 1/2 cup of sugar and the zest of half a lemon. Whisk in two eggs. Fold in a cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Scoop into the small, buttered and floured cake pan. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.

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November 23, 2009
suburbanmike: it’s feeding time. Izzy’s new avatar, maybe.

suburbanmike:

it’s feeding time.

Izzy’s new avatar, maybe.

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November 22, 2009
CD review: Balm in Gilead (!)

CD review: Balm in Gilead (!)

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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Rickie Lee Jones | We Belong Together

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November 20, 2009

Eating a feeling

matthewgallaway:

thingsiatethatilove:

I got a semi distressing phone call just as I was passing The Bakery at the corner of Myrtle and Vanderbilt (its name is actually The Bakery, I checked) and after I got off the phone I went in to see if they had their very good hot chocolate.  They didn’t because it’s too warm out, but they did have cupcakes.  Normally I am not a huge fan of cupcakes (INTERNET SACRILEGE!) — I feel like the ratio of frosting to cake is always off; layer cake is an elegant solution to the problem of getting bites that are all cake/all frosting, and why mess with perfection?  But by the time the lady behind the counter had finished describing all the flavors to me I felt obligated, not unpleasantly, to buy one. The rows were arrayed together in the case so that their colors evoked the colors of autumn leaves: chocolate with peanut butter frosting, spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and lemon.  I got the spice cake.  The cream cheese frosting had tiny autumn-leaf sprinkles.  The cake was dry and dense and a little gummy (in a good way) and the frosting was tangy, not too rich or sweet but of course very rich and sweet.  The whole thing was small enough that it didn’t leave me feeling sick or sleepy.  I still have to deal with my problems but at least I got to eat something that I loved today.

I totally agree that most bakery-bought cupcakes don’t really taste as great as they look, but (and this is not a sponsored reblog, although I wish it was) I will say I’m kind of addicted to the chocolate cupcakes from Fresh Direct, especially if you pop them in the microwave for 8 seconds before eating. (I wish I could say these cupcakes were not often the highlight of my day, but that would be a lie.)

The red velvet cupcake at Betty Bakery on Atlantic in Brooklyn is pretty much the only one I eat. It is the type of perfection that is almost torture.

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November 18, 2009

theessentialman:

Paris, Je T’aime is on my list of favorite movies. This scene, by far, is the best part of the movie and probably one of the best scenes of any movie I have ever seen.

Simply beautiful.

I saw this when I was in Paris a few years ago and totally loved this scene too. But mostly I loved it because it was the only time, for the month I was there, that I understood the French I was hearing.

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Pain sans Petrissage Étrissage à la Bière

archnoble:

thanksforsharing:

This “No-Knead Beer Bread” (yes, that much I could figure out) translates (via Google Translator) as “Kneading without Pain to the Beer.” I could manage the ingredients, but the directions… help please?

Read More

Wow, thank you.

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November 17, 2009

Kneading without Pain to the Beer

This “No-Knead Beer Bread” (yes, that much I could figure out) translates (via Google Translator) as “KNEADING WITHOUT PAIN TO THE BEER.” I could manage the ingredients, but the directions… help please?

(recipe source)

6 tasses ( 750 g ) de farine non blanchie (ok, 6 cups flour)
1/2 cuillère à thé de levure sèche active (1/2 teaspoon (?) yeast)
1 cuillère à table de sel (1 teaspoon yeast)
1 et 1/2 tasses ( 375 ml ) d’eau (1-1/2 cups water)
1/2 tasse ( 125 ml ) de bière (1/2 cup beer)
2 cuillères à table de vinaigre de vin blanc (2 teaspoons white vinegar)

Dans un très grand saladier, mélanger la farine, la levure et le sel.

Ajouter l’eau , la bière et le vinaigre et mélanger jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit bien amalgamée.

Couvrir le saladier de film alimentaire et laisser lever de 8 à 18 heures à température ambiante.

Sur un plan de travail, étendre un grand torchon et le saupoudrer de farine de maïs. Réserver.

Sur le plan de travail, légèrement fariné, transférer la pâte.

Avec votre main droite, soulever la pâte, à droite et la ramener sur le milieu de la pâte, et puis, soulever la pâte du côté gauche avec la main gauche, et la ramener sur le milieu de la pâte.


Transférer la boule de pâte sur le torchon préparé, en mettant la pliure en dessous.

Saupoudrer la boule de pâte de farine de maïs et rabattre le torchon par dessus.
Laisser lever de nouveau 2 heures.

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November 16, 2009
My pretzel rolls! But don’t click through for a recipe, or any more pictures … just some witty “Remember when I was writing that cookbook and just let myself go?” banter. (I’m sure everyone I know is tired of this joke. Alas, I only have so many.)

My pretzel rolls! But don’t click through for a recipe, or any more pictures … just some witty “Remember when I was writing that cookbook and just let myself go?” banter. (I’m sure everyone I know is tired of this joke. Alas, I only have so many.)

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November 15, 2009

Things to watch while the cake is in the oven.

Nona Hendryx | Transformation

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