Bakery Days

July 2011 . Blueberry Scones

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”

It’s November. The start of the holiday seasons. I love this time of year–the crisp cool weather that greets your skin, the warm color transformation of tree leaves, and most especially, the buttery-soft scents that weave in and out of my house. This is when my motivation kicks into full gear and my tinkering in the kitchen goes into over-drive. I’m still trying to figure out what to start with, and tops on my list are blueberry scones.

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March 2011 . Kombucha Brew

Oh~sahbu shabu is good. Maybe you can try spicy hot pot. We can take you to eat when you come to Taiwan.

I love our conversations, trading stories of happenings here and abroad with elements of food woven throughout our chats. Anyone who knows me, knows my love of food and my love for learning about food. My friend Jessica over at earthjustice.org often writes about sustainable practices and food. Last month she wrote about the sickeningly sweet side of soda and it got me thinking about kombucha and my path to accepting and loving it.

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December 2010 . Lemons

“Think about the things you are thankful for.”

This weekend, I took a brief pause to think about and treasure the little things that make life special. It was dreary wet outside, but it didn’t stop me from trekking around town gathering supplies for my small weekend gardening project. As I walked through the city, I pondered some of the things I am grateful for: 1. My boots, waterproof and comfortable. My feet had plenty of support and stayed dry as I wandered through Russian Hill, Nob Hill and the Marina (about 4.5 miles round trip). Bonus points for me being able to pull together a stylish rainy-day outfit to match. 2. My jacket–warm, lightweight and trusty–at $75, that was my very first “big” purchase right out of high school. 11 years later, It’s still in great shape, lightweight, and warm. 3. San Francisco culture, a big motivator which helped inspire me to search out my culinary passion. My life in SF has brought me a greater sense of awareness of where food comes from, and what impact local, regional, organic, green-washed, and sustainable foods have on the community. I love being a lifelong culinary student. 4. My new oven thermometer, which has stopped my oven from burning food, setting off my smoke detecter, and has eased my annoyance and that of my neighbors. At first I thought my burnt meals were user error. It turns out my oven has an inconsistent tendency of running 25-100 degrees high–yikes! 5. Lemons. More specifically, my mother’s neighbor’s lemons. The bountiful tree branches into my mother’s backyard and during my last visit in December, she gifted me with a large grocery bag full of lemons. Amazingly they’re still good and this weekend I decided to put a couple to use–in my tea and in a batch of lemon bars.

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January 2011 . Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookie Recipe Card

“Thanks for joining the recipe exchange! Looking forward to getting to know you via your blog. Hope you enjoy my favorite cookies!”

Enjoy, I did. The second installation of the winter recipe exchange comes from one of the co-collaborators, Allyn of all things ami. And before I start talking about the cookies itself, can I just take a moment to say that the ladies of this exchange have gorgeous handwriting? Mine usually looks like a cross between script, block print, and chicken scratch–though it usually resembles chicken scratch–I’m a bit smitten, but anyways; I’m getting off-track. Allyn’s recipe was not only a joy, but warmed up my chilly home this fine Sunday afternoon. I’d been without heater or hot water for the past three days, so this adventure dished up multiple benefits!

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January 2011 . Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

“What motivates you to do what you do?”

It was a very simple, open-ended question. At the time, it gave me pause. A week later, the question still lingers and I still haven’t found the answer. It’s been a long while since I’ve faced a simple question that’s left such an imprint in my mind. Different aspects of my life are motivated by a multitude of factors. For baking, it’s the sheer delight of using simple ingredients to create delectable morsels. This weekend, I donned my apron, gathered my ingredients, and set to task on my first baking project of 2011, Erin of Pughs’ News‘ recipe for Baby Chocolate Lava Cakes.

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