These are amazing and hardly any sugar! So enjoy as much syrup as you like.

When I make bread now, I make enough starter to do two things. For example, one bread and one waffle, or yesterday one bread and one olive bread. If this makes no sense to you, you may want to read my first post about making sourdough bread.

Waffles are awesome because you can fr…

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This is a NYT recipe that attracted me for several reasons and I am so glad it did!

I love lemon, shrimp, and leeks. Add the beans and you can pretend this is healthy because it is a high fiber dinner. This is a quick and simple way to make a memorable dinner for 4, or split the recipe and make it for 2. Finally, and maybe most importantly, dipping fresh…

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In blender,

one quart cleaned and halved strawberries

4 serving glasses of ice

1-2 freshly squeezed orange (it’s orange season too)

Blend

Add a good glob of honey

Blend again

Taste

Add a half of a lime (wash the skin really well first)

Really blend till the lime’s all chopped up.

Serve

Goes great with grilled wings (will write about that soon!)

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It is now the pool drink at the Kern Cabana.

Big Wine glass

Fill half way with Ice

2 oz Aperol

2 oz Proseco

splash of Perrier or club soda

1 orange slice

Stir

Chill by the pool

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As for the Bourbon, I like Maker’s Mark. I’ve learned that all Bourbon is made with corn and barley, but the defining ingredient is wheat or rye (thank you Mr. Phillips). Woodford Reserve contains 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and 12 perce…

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We discovered the Pain Killer on Jost Van Dyke with Frances and Chris. It was our first stop on a BVI’s sailing trip in the late 1990’s.

A couple of years later, we convinced Cheeseburger in Paradise to serve them in pitchers to a big group of Krugers, Novas, and us. (When we returned, the pitchers were on the menu!)

And then…

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Jim’s reputation as a barman is unsurpassed. People far and wide have stories to tell about the drinks that Jim made them. For the purpose of Jim’s journal, we promise all names will be changed to protect the innocent.

Another reason …

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I learned that Đặc Biệt is Vietnamese for This Cooks!

It is a delight to learn about the special things that make a meal “cook” in Vietnamese cooking. Here’s just one example that just blew me away.

Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Grilled Meat.

I will point out that I have the advantage of living in Central Florida where there is a significant Asian population and the iFresh grocery store to find ingredients that may not be available just anywhere. In this case, there are two key ingredients you should try to find for this recipe.

If you can’t find it, rice vermicelli is on Amazon. Even better, if you have an Asian market, look for vermicelli in the refrigerator section. I bought one made of potato in the iFresh Asian market. So delicate and perfectly absorbs the very important taste of the Nước Mắm Chấm sauce. Melts in your mouth.

The fish sauce you buy for the Nước Mắm Chấm sauce (page 4 of the cookbook) is really important. According to Michelin, the amount of protein in a fish sauce determines the richness of the flavor. It can range from 20°N to 60°N. Red Boat Fish Sauce is 40°N and made in Vietnam. That’s what I used. Chef Nguyen also says that palm sugar makes it more special than granulated sugar. I had raw cane sugar and it worked well. I’ll try the palm sugar next time.

Now for the recipe details. First, the sauce.

Nước Mắm Chấm sauce

(makes 3/4 cup, can be stored in the fridge in a glass jar for months. Now that I’ve had it, I doubt it will last that long)

2 large garlic cloves mashed in a mortar and pestle with 1 or 2 (depends on how hot you can tolerate) Thai chilies (NOTE: I used Aleppo pepper flakes because my husband doesn’t tolerate heat well. Aleppo pepper flakes bring the flavor without the heat)

1/4 cup sugar (I used raw cane sugar)

1/4 cup fish sauce (I used the Red Boat 40°N)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice.

Grilled Meat

I’ve used this combination of seasoning many times and find it echoes the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper combo I use on chicken and fish for grilling. If you like that, you’ll like this one. It has a slightly different character.

1 lemongrass stalk, finely minced, and 4 garlic cloves mashed in a mortar and pestle.

2-3 Thai chilies (I use the Aleppo pepper flakes as explained above)

1/2 cup oyster sauce

This is enough marinade for 2 pounds of chicken thighs or pork

Marinade the meat in the mixture. She recommends 30 minutes to no more than a day for whole meat, like boneless chicken thighs (I used pork loin about 1/2 inch thick and pounded thin) and 15 minutes for pork shoulder, butt or pork belly sliced thin, as in for shabu-shabu.

She grills hot and fast. I think the oyster sauce caramelizes the meat more and cooks faster than, for example, the lemon juice marinade I mentioned above.

The Bowl

For the 2 lbs of meat above, she cooks 1 lb of vermicelli. They cook very quickly! - I’ve learned not to overcook them or they really stick together and are hard to serve and eat.

In addition to the meat and vermicelli divided among 4 bowls, these are the salad ingredients which should be divided among the 4 bowls (I was in a hurry so I bought a bag of Asian salad that was mainly cabbage and carrots and added more cilantro, the mint, bean sprouts, and cucumber) and of course the peanuts add a contrasting texture and salty flavor:

1/2 small head of lettuce.

1 English cucumber (seedless) cut into half moons

1 carrot peeled and julienned

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 bunch mint

1/2 pound bean sprouts

1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts.

Finish by drizzling the Nước Mắm Chấm sauce all over the salad. I also served the salads with a bowl of the sauce to add more to taste.

This really cooks!

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2 TBS mint (I cut with scissors over the bowl of watermelon)

1/4 lb Feta Cheese broken up

2 TBS pignola nuts toasted in olive oil in a saute pan.

lemon juice from 1/2 a good juicy lemon.

salt & pepper

three slugs of olive oil

Toss

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New York Times Cooking author, Kenji Lopez-Alt, has a new way to make the perfect boiled egg, soft-to-hard - Steaming. I tried it for the first time today.

• Boil about an inch of water in bottom of covered pan.

• Add eggs and cover.

• Continue at a vigorous boil for 6 minutes for a soft boiled egg (warm, liquid yolk), 8.5 (for translucent, fudgy yo…

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SKIP THE MAYO.

Just use the best possible bacon you can find to wrap your tots. Oh and if you want to be healthy (hee-hee!), use organic tater tots.

These will be the hit of your Super Bowl party - or any party.

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• 8 oz. softened cream cheese room temperature

• 2 TBS Mayonnaise (Dukes is a little tangy and is really good in this)

• 2 TBS olive juice

• Fresh ground pepper

Mix in:

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans (I toast them in a pan for a bit so they chop up crisply)

• 1/2 a 13 oz. jar of salad olives chopped up into tiny pieces.

Serve on Town House crackers.

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It’s supposed to be better for you to use this natural leavening. And, if you use non-GMO flour for the dough, even better for you, because, some people who think they are gluten intolerant are actually GMO flour gluten intolerant. I bought my starter from Sunrise Flour Mill in Minnesota. I just found out you can buy it on Amazon, which is awesome if you are a prime member because the shipping is free.

I’ve read that you use the same flour to activate the flour as it was originally made. Works for me! You may use a different flour to make the bread or other things, but it must be UNBLEACHED to have all the fodder in it for the sourdough starter to do its magic.

It tastes sweeter/less sour the more often you make it or feed the starter.

There’s a rhythm to it.

So I’ve come to find a rhythm for making it - because each step has to be timed so the starter is active, the gluten in the flour and water dough is “autolyzed”, the stretching and folding isn’t rushed, and the dough is proofed. This can take up to 24 hours! But it only takes like a half hour to bake it. And just to emphasize how critical patience is to this bread-making, you should wait an hour to cut into it.

The right rhythm for you depends on your lifestyle. It takes trial and error. But start by reverse engineering your timetable from when you want to serve it and go backwards:

• Serving time (for example, 6pm)

• An hour wait after baking (for example, 5-6pm)

• About a half hour baking (for example, 4:30-5pm

• About a half hour to pre-heat the oven (for example, 4-4:30pm)

• 8-12 hours to proof in refrigerator, until it passes the poke test (for example, 8am-4pm)

• half hour to shape the dough to repair it for refrigeration (for example, 7:30-8am)

• 8 -16 hours for bulk fermentation, until it passes the windowpane test, including stretching and folding three times with 20 minute breaks in between (for example 9:00pm-7:30am, next day)

• 30 minutes rest after mixing the autolyzed dough with starter and salt (for example, 8:30-9pm)

• at least 30 minutes to let the flour and water autolyze before adding the starter and salt (for example, 8-8:30pm)

• 4-8 hours to activate the starter (the more recently it was fed or active, the less time it takes). Also, placing in an oven with the light on can accelerate it. It is better to begin earlier (looks very bubbly and nearly double) than too late. If you let it go past the peak activation, it will start to decline. You’ll know the starter is past its peak by dropping a little bit in a glass of water, if it floats, you are good to go; if it sinks, start again. But the good news is that it should activate quickly in about 4 hours. (for example, 4pm in the oven with the light on until 8 pm. Or, start at 8am and leave it on the counter - at 4pm if it is not bubbling, put it in oven with the light on)

• Here’s a spreadsheet with a timeline I created.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started . . .

• Starter from a friend or order it from Sunrise Flour Mill in Minnesota. Now available on Amazon! with no shipping costs for Prime members.

• A wide mouth jar is best (I bought these Weck Tulip Jars on Amazon - they are great.

• Sea salt with lots of minerals. I use Redmond REAL SALT Ancient Kosher Sea Salt, available on Amazon.

• A digital food scale. Here’s one from Amazon.

• Because I made the starter with this flour, I use the Sunrise Flour to feed my starter. Then I use other unbleached flour to make the dough. It must be unbleached to have the stuff that the sourdough starter needs to do its magic! The higher the protein content the better. And organic or non-GMO is the best. The Sunrise Flour is great but super expensive when you buy it from their website, because you have to pay for shipping. NEWS FLASH! It’s now available on Amazon! If you are a prime member, no shipping, and you can subscribe, to have it shipped once a month, for an added discount.

• Bottled water, room temperature.

• In addition to a mixing bowl, the banneton proofing basket is great: I have a round banneton and a loaf shaped banneton basket.

• A dutch oven (I use this 3.3 liter one).

• I also found a bread loaf shaped dutch oven on Amazon, which is great if you want toaster sized bread slices.

Feeding the Starter is all about Ratios.

If you can’t bake bread once week, feed the “mother” starter, stored in the refrigerator, with a 1:1:1 ratio of starter to water to flour. If you keep doing this, you’ll end up with a lot of starter you’ll never be able to use. So every once in a while I throw away all but 25 grams of starter and feed that.

DO NOT THROW THE DISCARD DOWN THE SINK! This stuff turns to cement when it dries out! Here are all the things to do with your “discard”:

• Save it in a discard jar in the refrigerator to use later.

• Dilute it in a bowl of water or pitcher and when it’s dissolved, feed your plants with it. (HINT: Try not to get it on the leaves.)

• Spread it out thinly on a piece of parchment paper and cover with a linen tea towel to dry. Then break up the dried starter into shards and store in a tightly sealed, very dry container. Give to friends or use later. (HINT: when traveling with it, do not put the label “KABOOM!” on the jar and try to go through TSA. Just saying, from experience.)

• Use the shards on your plants.

If you are feeding the starter to activate it for baking, use a 1:3:3 ratio. For one loaf of bread, start with 25 grams and add 75 grams of bottled water and 75 grams of the Sunrise Flour Mill flour. Put a rubber band around the jar so you’ll know when it’s doubled. Cover with a tea towel.

If you need it to activate fast, put it in a cool oven with the light on, or near a window. If you need it to go slower leave it on the counter (not under a light or near a window with sun shining on it.)

It is at peak activation when it has doubled (you can check it by dropping a bit in glass of water to see if it floats-yes or sinks-no) start the next step.

Making the Dough

Mix 325 grams of water with 475 grams of flour with a rubber spatula until all the flour is absorbed.

Autolyze - Let sit covered on the counter for 1/2 hour.

After 1/2 hour, add 1 teaspoon of salt and squish it in with your fingers, until you can’t feel the salt granules anymore. Then add 110 grams of starter. (Put the leftover in your “mother” jar in the refrigerator.)

Bulk Fermentation

Mix the dough with the starter until it is incorporated. Let the dough sit covered for 1/2 hour.

Lifting and Folding

There are three lifts and fold with 20 minutes wait in between.

This video covers the whole process - it’s good to see. But the lifting and folding and the shaping are good to really watch a couple of times.

TIP: use wet fingers to handle the dough, counter-intuitive, but it really works!

After the lifting and folding is complete, cover the dough in the tea towel and let it rest on the counter until it doubles in size. This depends on how warm the room is. I like to help the stage along by using the under the counter light, or, near a sunny window, or, even in the oven with a light on to speed things up when I’m in a hurry. If it takes a long time, it seems to get gooey and hard to work with.

Shaping the Dough

Once it has doubled in size, and passes the windowpane test, turn the dough onto a floured surface.

Soak the bowl and utensils to dilute the dough remnants before letting it go down the drain.

Watch that video section about shaping the dough!

It is too hard to explain. I still haven’t gotten this right and it’s important for how fluffy the bread gets.

After shaping, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes.

Then scoop it up and place the top, smooth side down into an oiled bowl or a floured banneton basket.

Proof in the Refrigerater.

Cover the basket with a tea towel and leave in the refrigerator for 12 hours. It’s okay to leave it in a little longer. It’s okay if it gets a “skin” on it. It’s ready when it passes the Poke Test.

The Poke Test

Press a finger gently into the top of your dough and watch how it responds:

Springs back quickly = Underproofed

Tight in the banneton, dough is dense and there has been little rise. When you poke it, it springs back quickly. The dough isn’t quite ready yet, give it more time.

Springs back slowly = Perfectly proofed

It’s showtime! Dough is relaxed and soft in the banneton. It is airy and light. Pop it in the oven for your best bake.

Doesn’t spring back = Overproofed

The dough has gone too far. The dough is over-relaxed and overly soft. It is over-risen and has weak structure. When you poke it, it barely springs back… or doesn't spring back at all. Don’t worry—you can still bake it, though the texture might be a bit different.

Baking

Pre-heat the dutch oven to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out of the bowl or banneton onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top or it will crack randomly.

Once pre-heated, reduce the oven temp to 450 degrees F.

Open the dutch oven and pour 4 ice cubes into it, being very careful of the steam.

Once the steam has subsided, holding the parchment paper corners, slide the bread with the paper into the dutch oven. Put the lid back on and close the oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Open the dutch oven. If it has exploded up to the lid, let it bake open for another 10-15 minutes, until the an instant thermometer stuck in the bread reads between 195-205 degrees F.

Remove the bread from the dutch oven carefully (hot hot hot) and let it rest for an hour on a rack.

They met in medical school. So unlike many new couples who lived together first and then got married, they are working hard in residencies in different cities and not living together yet!

I designed serving dishes for them to celebrate the addition of Yen’s culture to the family (we’ve got everything from English to Bohemia to Scotch-Irish to Swiss). Lotus is the official flower of Vietnam.

This project started with carving prints of the leaves and flowers and printing on rice paper. Then I made the dishes of porcelain and printed them with the same printing blocks, embellished with hand painting with underglazes.

It took a while to get everything fired, so I could only get one piece into the emerging artist show at Crealde. Look forward to sending it to Matt and Yen when they return from a second wedding celebration in Vietnam. Then, I’ll properly photograph everything for the gallery.

Everyone stops when they see the pig painting and asks me about it. That’s how often I remember Aunt Daisy who painted “Poubelle” with that side-eye telling me she still loves me.

My love of food started early. I learned to cook from my Mother, Kitty. When I studied in France and lived with a family, I learned even more. Even the routine dinner was enjoyable. I finished everything on the table, earning the nickname of “poubelle” which means garbage can.

This Cooks! means something I made for them is with love and to be remembered for that - a sweater, a ceramic pig or serving piece, a loaf of sourdough or a meal.

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They have evolved.

The first thing I realized by mistake (the body wasn’t perfectly centered) is that when they are a little cock-eyed, they are more likely to make you smile. Then I realized they need eyes!

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Fishcakes Fiskebulle Fiskekaker

There was this great vacation with Jamie, Margareta, Robin in which we had the most amazing meal. Aquavit with the closest thing we could find to fishcakes. Finishing with black cake - fruitcake that had been marinating in rum for months. So yes, there was a lot of alcohol, truth-telling with friends for life.

I have been l…

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