I will never not reblog.

(Source: wheregoodthingsgo, via chicochopsticks)

I smell a t-shirt line…

jtotheizzoe:

The chemical formulas of various substances used to mimic plant-based aromas and flavors. 

Tastes like science.

(Source: kilikilipowers, via thatonewannabechef)

It’s planting season! #herbs #urbangardening #ssc — http://bit.ly/110ANYR

Herb shopping today! I got about 12 different kinds. Check http://sunsupperclub.com soon for full post and pics. #herbs #ssc — http://instagram.com/p/ZdndwlnHs3/

Gummi Bears are my absolute favorite movie theater snack. Too bad a 6oz box is $8…

(Source: confvseed, via chicochopsticks)

May Goals

May has not been a cooking month for me so far. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I just can’t find anything I really want to eat. So far this month, I’ve made a Roast Chicken with Barley Salad and Pan-fried Chicken Breasts+Ribeye with Farro Salad. Real creative, huh? Maybe it’s the fluctuating weather or maybe I’m just lacking in inspiration. Either way, May is not hitting.

Let’s go over last month’s goals:

• Introduce The Gastro Guide in a video — Did it! Check out the video here.
• Figure out how to advertise and monetize The Gastro Guide — Did it!
• Record a video on my cake curse — Didn’t do it, but I did record a video for The You Generation Competition instead.

Aside from the cake curse video, I did what I set out to do. Now let’s look at the goals for this month:

• Monetize The Gastro Guide
• Record a short (<90s) intro video for the SSC YouTube channel
• Do a big post on planting my herb garden
• Do one big baking project

So even though May’s halfway over, I’ve added one more goal than April. Do you guys think this is doable? I’m hoping this little to-do list will give me the kickstart I need.

E. Guigal 2012 Côtes Du Rhône Rosé

Details:

• Name: E. Guigal
• Vintage: 2012
• Country: France
• Appellation: Côtes Du Rhône
• Price: $17

Tasting:

• Appearance: Pink; translucent
• Nose: Cherry; faint
• Taste: Soft; thin; vanilla; cherry
• Finish: Long; sour

Overall: I didn’t really care for this wine. It’s thin on the tongue and not particularly flavorful. Redolent of cherry and apricot, it fails to make any impact at all.

Rating: 1 - Meh

Reviews are based on a 5-point scale: 0 = I can’t even believe how hideous this is/stop I can’t, 1 = E for effort/meh, 2 = Decent/worth a try, 3 = Fantastic/must buy, 4 = Absolutely perfect/personal favorite.

Hitachino Espresso Stout

Tasting:

• Appearance: Coffee brown
• Nose: Light-roast coffee
• Taste: Coffee!; lightly carbonated; quite bitter; cocoa notes
• Other notes: $5.99

Overall: It’s not my favorite beer, but not horrible. It tastes like a carbonated cup of coffee, bitterness and all. It has a pleasantly chocolately finish and I even detected some faint herbaceous notes.

Rating: 2 - Worth a try

Reviews are based on a 5-point scale: 0 = I can’t even believe how hideous this is/stop I can’t, 1 = E for effort/meh, 2 = Decent/worth a try, 3 = Fantastic/must buy, 4 = Absolutely perfect/personal favorite.

How have I gone so long not knowing how to do food origami?

thecakebar:

Sourdough Danish Pastries Tutorial Sets {You must click link for FULL tutorial/recipe}

(via thatonewannabechef)

Bitburger Premium Draft Beer

Tasting:

• Appearance: Beautiful golden
• Nose: Faint honey 
• Taste: Very lightly carbonated; wheat; slightly bitter
• Finish: Tingly; very clean

Overall: This is a great beer for non-beer-lovers. It’s well-balanced between sweetness, bitterness and “meatiness.” I like how light the carbonation is and how cleanly it finishes, allowing you to enjoy it with many more foods than you could with heavier beers.

Rating: 3 - Fantastic

Reviews are based on a 5-point scale: 0 = I can’t even believe how hideous this is/stop I can’t, 1 = E for effort/meh, 2 = Decent/worth a try, 3 = Fantastic/must buy, 4 = Absolutely perfect/personal favorite.

Beau. Ti. Ful.

yummyinmytumbly:

Fresh Pappardelle

(via thatonewannabechef)

I was thinking of making these until I read the ingredients for the frosting — 4 sticks of butter. #diabeetus

cakesonholiday:

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting

(via thatonewannabechef)

It must be Awesome Cake Week. This is stellar and yet terrifying, because the bastards are so nerve-wracking to kill. The level of detail, from the rivets to the color choices, is awe-inspiring.

cake-crumbs:

Beamos Cake.

Made for a The Legend of Zelda art tribute called “Link’s Blacklist”.

(via thestonemask)

Bread Therapy

When I was a kid, I used to sublimate my feelings into baking bread. To me, it’s a therapeutic exercise. Bread requires more work than almost any other discipline in cooking and I enjoy getting lost in the precision of each step. Watching the bread come out of the oven with a beautiful brown crust, risen and steamy is a great pleasure for me. It reminds me that I’m not worthless; that I can do anything I set my mind to.

I’m sad more people don’t make bread. I think it’s because it really is a process — there is absolutely no way to speed your way through bread. You need to measure accurately, you need to knead thoroughly, you need to let it rise completely, and bake it mindfully. Unlike the rest of our lives, bread will not be rushed.

It was a slow Sunday, so I made three loaves of bread. Yes child, three. I made two loaves of this Farmhouse Whole Wheat Bread and one of this Cooked Rice Sandwich Bread. I also made this Orange-Fennel Mostarda to go on the bread and a batch of Oatmeal Cookies for later.

I didn’t care for the Rice Bread, so I won’t comment on it. Here are my notes on the other two recipes:

Farmhouse Whole Wheat Bread

• This was absolutely one of the best breads I’ve ever had.
• Read the recipe well in advance, it takes quite a while to rise.
• When toasting the wheat germ, watch it closely — I burnt it six times.
• If you bake it freeform, try a boule or even braided; don’t do a baguette, it will expand significantly in the oven.
• I feel this bread is amenable to mix-ins. Making rolls would be a good way to experiment with mixins and flavorings.
• The butter in the dough doesn’t have to be softened, I used melted and it worked perfectly fine.

Orange-Fennel Mostarda

• This is very good and great for a party, but you need to taste, taste, taste.
• I found it needed more vinegar near the end, so I added a splash more.
• Only season with salt after it’s completely cooked. Otherwise, it’ll be inedibly salty.
• This needs spice. I added a big pinch of red pepper flakes. In hindsight, a smaller pinch would’ve been better.
• I also added a Meyer Lemon, which really punched up the flavor. I highly recommend it.
• I was really missing an herbaceous note. It might be interesting to try adding oregano or savory.

Oatmeal Cookies

• These were quite good (better than the Quaker Recipe), but need some changes.
• The raisin paste is weird and a lot of hassle for virtually no payoff. Just add the raisins whole.
• The browned butter makes all the difference in the world.
• Really watch your time when baking these — just a couple minutes over and they’re too dry.
• Many comments said it was too sweet, so I cut the sugar down to 1.5 cups, having never made this before, and the sugar level was perfect for me.