An Unexpected Interlude (In Which I Receive A Surprise From My Father)

Yesterday (December 17, 2013), Michele and I returned home from being out and about, running errands in the slushy streets of lower Manhattan. I successfully scored a new pair of winter boots to replace the slightly older new pair of winter boots which where a tad bit too small for my big feet. I grabbed the mail on the way up to the apartment and saw that there was a card for us, which I knew was of the Christmas variety, from my father....

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Snapped Up – The Short But Sweet Gingersnap Obsession

I thought for sure this entry would be about something other than gingersnaps. I wanted to do something like challah bread (with which I'm having a metric tonne of trouble) , or honey buns, or doughnuts or cake. Anything but gingersnaps. Not that I don't like them; the fact that I love them is well-documented here. I just thought I was ready to move on to something else. But then it happened. I screwed up a batch of snaps that I was making to give...

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Baking My Way Back to Bavaria...Sort Of.

Allow me to set the scene. Season: Summer. Year: 1984. Place: Munich, Germany. Me: A fresh-faced kid and newly-minted graduate of SMU (Southern Methodist University). Dessert: Zwetschgendatschi. It's a mouthful, in more than one way but believe me, I quickly learned how to pronounce it because it became my favorite dessert when I was there. Almost thirty years ago, I was in Munich working as a writer. I'd only just graduated from college and by...

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E-pie-log

When I started this adventure, I figured I'd have it wrapped up with the first version or three. How could I have known the challenges I'd encounter? I mean, I know how to bake pie! I know how to make filling! Hah! What I don't know could, and probably will, fill volumes. Each problem met and overcome led to another. And another. Every time I thought I'd be producing "the best batch yet", some element would refuse to cooperate. True, it would be...

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A Pie In Hand, Part 3 – A Jubilee of Cherries (and Some Peaches, Too)!

Quick Shout-out Dept.: Last weekend (6-29-13) I dropped in at Roasting Plant, on Greenwich Avenue, to hang out with my brother-in-law while we waited to hook up with Michele for a late diner dinner. I ordered a cappuccino (my standard coffee order) and it was so smooth and the balanced between coffee, milk and foam, that I had to order another! That's a first for me, so I have to tip my hat to my barista for the night, Damiana; she had a magic...

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Ad Astra, Bratzy

Yesterday evening we had to bid our companion, Bratzy, farewell. I have never been a "pet person" so it was a complete surprise to find myself, eventually, enamored with Bratzy. She was patient in her task of teaching me how to expand my capacity to love...and the necessity of that evolution. She enriched our lives and I think we gave as good as we got from her. She and Michele chose well when they picked each other thirteen years ago (Bratzy was...

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What did I learn In School Today? Pizza!

In my never-ending quest for baking knowledge, I attended the pizza baking class at AOA Bar and Grill. Michele "pinged" me on I.M. at the top of the week and sent me link to a Groupon for the class, knowing full-well that I'd never be able to pass it up. She's got my number, I guess. I'm just glad she's on my side! I haven't learned how to use my iPad camera yet. I was much less nervous, or shall I say "self-conscious", before this class...

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A Pie In The Hand... (Part 2 – In which I teach myself the difference between apples and cherries.)

It's like comparing apples and oranges, or so the saying goes. Of course I do have to make an alteration or two: it's like comparing apple pies and cherry pies. Yes, they're both fruit. Yes, they're both pies. No, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. I've baked so many pies that you'd think I would know all this by now. Well, you'd be wrong. Truth be told, I haven't baked nearly the number of cherry pies as I would like. This...

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An Interlude of the Geek Kind (Or: Neil Gaiman's in this blog!)

Most people who know me know that I am a geek. I collect (still) comic books, love sci-fi, love all the Star Trek shows (with the exception of "Enterprise"), own more than a few space ship models, used to fly model rockets, am an avid reader of science blogs and literature, and I've dressed up on more than one occasion as Vulcan Star Fleet Officer (complete with ears and yes, I own a blue tunic). I've watched all of "Fringe" twice (so far) and...

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The Way Of The Crust (Or: Make Up Your Mind!)

If there's one thing I know about myself as a baker it's that when I find a recipe I like, I stick with it. My goal is consistency: consistency of taste, of smell, of texture and most of all, consistency of enjoyment. Whatever dish I make, it has to be at least as good as the last time I made it so that my guests, or whomever is eating it, get the most pleasure out of the experience as possible. That's why I've used the same pie crust recipe for...

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Q: What Did I Learn In School Today?

A: Bread baking basics! I had a baking class this morning, April 6, 2013, at Le Pain Quotidien and for three hours I was a student again for the first time ("for the first time" because this was the first formal baking class I've ever taken). Exciting! But let me back up and give you the history of this little adventure. In January, Michele and I went to Portland, OR to visit with her brother and his family. In an effort to be proactive in seeking...

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Proof of Concept

I thought I should prove the handheld pie concept to myself. Actually, all I really wanted to do was use up the leftover pie dough sitting in the refrigerator and testing a couple of ideas for the handheld pies was a good excuse. I needed to work some things out before I began testing in earnest. Prepping the apples wasn't a problem; I just cut them smaller than I do for a larger pie. The rest of the filling prep was exactly the same. I didn't...

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A Pie In The Hand...

Allow me to revisit a topic of conversation: pie.  Sidebar: I reserve the right to take up previously discussed topics when I come across new information or techniques come up. Or if I danged-well feel like it. This is a journey for me and the path to my becoming a better baker has many a fork (no pun intended). I promise to do my best to not bore you along the way. Sidebar ends. I know I've mentioned that I love pie. I love baking it....

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As The Pin Rolls

Last night we got a call from Connie, my step-mother-in-law. She checks up on things here from time to time and she wanted to let me know how much she's enjoying it. She's also happy that I'm enjoying using the pie bird. The real reason she called, though, was to give me some history behind the rolling pin. You know – this one: Yes. This one. She gave the rolling pin to Michele many years ago but she bought it for her own use, which was to make...

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