Lesson Three

And last but not least my third and final lesson… well at least for now…

And that lesson is to have FUN, because I don’t think there is much point in cooking if you are not going to have some kind of fun while doing it…. Or at least while eating!

I think that baking is so much fun. Especially when lesson one (don’t burn things) and lesson two (having what you need) are in play. So to kick off the fun I though of the thing I have the absolute most fun prepping, baking, decorating and of course eating!

CUPCAKES!

Champagne and Guinness cupcakes just to make it EXTRA yummy.

Of course my friends came armed with a recipe for champagne cupcakes (origin unknown), a bottle of bubbly and some other ingredients (including pink sprinkles) but some how they managed to forget eggs… the second trip to the store always seems inevitable, luckily I live close. When the errand runners returned with eggs in tow we began our adventure forgetting one thing; one stick of butter is ½ a cup. So not even thinking in goes a whole box (4 sticks) of butter. The recipe calls for 1 cup. This is a detail forgotten until it was all mixed together and the batter seems much too liquidy. Then the light bulb clicks on, the problem of and extra cup of butter is discovered and with a little handy work we created a double batch of Guinness cupcakes, which also meant tons of dishes! Anyone hungry?

(You can find the recipe I used here: http://sffoodwars.com/2009/11/crowd-favorite-recipes-guinness-gasm/ )

This “Lesson” is more exciting then burning things but one just cant leave out the literally dark side of baking…

My biggest reason for posting these three lessons was both to get started on my blog and to give me a starting point for the food journey I am about to embark upon. Now that I have my lessons in place I can remember my guideline for success. No burning and no stress = fun! I am really exciting to follow my culinary dreams and see where it takes me in my French food culture adventure. I plan to share with all of you lovely readers regional cuisine from France. Hopefully I will be able to share 3 recipes a week and maybe even the book I’m reading about that region. Just in case what I’m saying sparks your desires to look deeper. So please stay tuned. Leave me comments, tell me the places in France I should discover and the food you’re dying for me to make.

And this concludes my third lesson… so… LETS COOK UP SOME FUN!

Lesson Two

Prep work, what does that really mean?

What I think it really means is setting one up for success in the kitchen and that really can be anything from a clean kitchen to pre-chopped veggies. Each cook will find what he or she needs in order to have fun in the kitchen after only a short time. But for me it is all about simplicity. I like to have everything I need washed and ready before I start. Certain ingredients pre-measured (or for the lazier days at least have the right measuring cup near by) and of course know what I’m doing… or at least what I plan of doing.

For me preparation is the most helpful when I’m baking. Then I know that I can relax in the kitchen and have fun if I have followed a few simple steps…

1. Read the recipe --- after all if your following it you might want to know what you’re doing so you don’t leave out some important ingredient… it could happen.
2. Check for ingredients--- who wants to run back and forth to the store. NOT I.
3. Measure things that will need to be added quickly--- For example when making a pasty cream and you must add ingredients while continuously mixing to prevent burning! This is when I find prep most helpful!

I know these seem soooo obvious. But I think the idea of preparing ones self for fun in the kitchen is a key lesson. After all I don’t want anyone to have a bad time baking

Lesson One

Today I learned a seemingly obvious but still a highly important lesson about cooking/baking. A lesson that I think everyone who has set foot in a kitchen would be highly familiar with but with a little luck will still run into now and again: burning food. Now, I now that this is not necessarily a fun thing to deal with, wasting food, cleaning the pan, the shame of burning a dish. Now imagine doing it twice in one day. On the first day of my culinary journey... A little embarrassing I do say so my self.

A gentle reminder to all of those who fall victim to distractions,
READ THE RECIPE.

Even if you have made it a million times before, who knows when your brain will give and your confusion will take over and your oven suddenly becomes 100 degrees hotter than it should be. So as a simple reminder of over temperature or cooking times should never be looked down upon... trust me, I know.
As for my second encounter today with a charred substance barely recognizable as food, all I can say is I should have learned the first time. As my friend and I salivated over a squash, sweet potato and lentil soup we managed to turn the heat on high and leave the room for a tantalizing game of Master Mind. Only to find the soup void of liquid and smelling of carcinogens. Oops. Well now my first lesson has been learned.

NO BURNING will take place form here on. And I welcome this challenge. Wish me luck and stay tuned for more :)