Time for this week’s Thursday Things:
1. I’ve become obsessed with researching, making, and baking bread. I’ve ordered books, including this one that was just delivered earlier today. With 1000+ nearly 5-star reviews, it can’t be bad. I’m excited to start reading it.
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
And some of my existing cookbooks now have new-to-me chapters because all of a sudden I’m reading, rather than skimming or skipping, the yeast-based recipes.
I’ve tried a variety of yeasts, from Fleishman’s to Trader Joe’s to the new Red Star Platinum, which is my favorite to date. Talk about a puffy, fluffy loaf. And it was a wheat bread no less, which are usually destined for being much heavier and denser, aka more brick-like. Recipe coming soon.
I want this Emile Henry loaf pan because everything tastes better when baked in a beautiful pan.
Or this LeCrueset Heritage Stoneware Loaf Pan. Bakers seem to rave about these types of stoneware pans and I’d love to try one.
I am adding recipes and ideas to my Pinterest bread boards daily.
I wish I had people to feed all this ‘inspiration’ I keep seeing and that I want to make. I could always make more Pumpkin Cinnamon Overnight Pull-Apart French Toast though.
I just love making the dough and kneading it, feeling the squishiness between my fingers. And as much as I don’t like waiting for things in general, there’s a certain element of fun surprise as I wait for the yeast to work its magic and the dough to rise, wondering and hypothesizing what’s going to become of it as it rises and then is baked. Eating the bread is wonderful, but it’s almost secondary to the process, which delights me. Part science, part art.
2. Chefs eat candy, too according to a recent Bon Appetit article and we’re talking more along the lines of Snickers and Reese’s Cups than Godiva or See’s, a personal fave.
3. I came across these Vosges Pink Champagne Truffles. Piper Heidsieck brut rosè Champagne inside 65% cacao dark chocolate, yes please. I love rosè Champagne and infusing it inside chocolate sounds dangerously wonderful.
4. Are you a fan of Biscoff? If so, the Huffington Post has 22 Biscoff Recipes that should keep you busy for awhile.
They featured my Chocolate Banana and Biscoff Graham Bars. Seeing these bars again makes me remember my trip to Aruba because I made them there and the day that I made them, the Biscoff, chocolate chips, and bananas were a literal hot mess, oozing and melting everywhere. There are worse problems to have.
5. I did have a computer problem a couple days ago. I was so excited because I had a window of four ‘extra hours’ and was going to get a jump on some blog work, emails, photo editing and just get to that place of ‘feeling ahead’ on things place until my Firefox randomly crashed. I was stuck in this browser-glitching-limbo state that took me four fun-filled hours to fix. So much for getting ahead but I did get it fixed. I’ve used Firefox for years and although I use Chrome as my backup, I just gravitate to what I’ve always used. I’ve never really gotten into Safari, but that’s Scott’s browser of choice.
In playing around with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari it was very interesting seeing how differently the same website appears when opened with different browsers.
If you’re a blogger, you may want to read this article about it. “For instance, you might open Firefox and see a WP blog that’s centered on the screen, has three columns, and shows links in bright green text. The same blog in IE could be left-aligned, arranged in only one column, and display links in the standard shade of blue. It’s even possible that a theme or template won’t work at all in one or more browsers, making your blog entirely unavailable to a whole segment of the potential market…”
Here’s a free Adobe download to see how your site appears in different browsers. Most notably, subtle yet distinct variations in font, both in the style and size of the font, were noticeable. I like my font the best in Firefox.
6. Rustic Foreside Iron Clock, $78 at Nordstrom – An antiqued iron clock that looks as handsome on the mantle as it does on a side table or dresser. I need a new alarm clock and I dig this rustic one. I wonder what the alarm sounds like. I wonder if it’s like an old bell, which sounds like a bad way to wake up, a bell gong-ing in my ear.
7. Butterscotch Custards with brown sugar, butter and a hint of whiskey sounds perfectly old-fashioned and comforting.
I love butterscotch anything, especially these.
8. Need to dress up for Halloween? This is about as ‘dressed up’ as I get for the holiday anymore and looks like my idea of perfect costume and the price is right. Angora blend bat sweater for $24.95 at H&M.
9. Thanks to The Kitchn for the Delicious Links feature on my Banana Zucchini Pudding Cake with Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze
10. I received this soon-to-be released cookbook from Chef Carla Hall, Cooking with Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You
You may remember her from Season 5 of Top Chef. She has such a gentle, genuine, sweet way about her. Her open and friendly nature really comes through in the writing and stories in her new cookbook. The recipes are comfort food-based, with a Southern influence, but geared toward using fresh and seasonal ingredients to give a modern twist to tried-and-true classics. If you loved Carla as much as I did on Top Chef, her book will make you feel like she and her infectiously happy personality is standing alongside you in your kitchen.
And I am so excited about Season 1o 0f Top Chef, Seattle, which starts November 7.
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Have you tried making anything new in the kitchen lately?
If you’re ever tried making bread, or have any great books, tools, pans, or tips, I’m all ears..
Tell me about the new recipes you’re trying for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Chanukah or some of your tried-and-true classics you’ll always make.
Love your bread recipes, gotta follow you and your pinterest bread pins.
Pretty cool to read that you spent a month in Aruba and have owned your home there since 2003! I am originally from there (born) and go back twice a year. Will have to catch up with your adventures there.
Is it me or is there something with your blog layout?
Is it me or is there something with your blog layout? <-- not sure what you mean but I just tested my site with Firefox, Chrome, & Safari and it looks fine to me! Maybe something with your browser but LMK! Fun that you grew up in Aruba and go twice a year. If you ever see me there, say hi! :)
I did look at several posts and it was happening with those posts too. Seemed like a .css problem.
But the good news is, it all looks fine now.
Will definitely say hi if I see you in Aruba! Saw you had a meet-up there! Maybe the next one I will be there… when is the next one?
Well glad it was just a temporary hiccup! After you emailed, I had about 10 people check and no one else had issues (tell a FT blogger her site is wonky, and talk about heart attack!) – but glad it’s all better now :)
I just bought that same artisan bread cookbook- I’m pretty sure it’s going to change my life!
that butterscotch custard looks so good…and I can’t wait to check out Carla’s cookbook. I love love Top Chef.
The book is really ‘homey’ and I feel like she’s right there with me when I read it!
I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I look forward to Thursday Things, even if I don’t get around to reading them until Friday. I really think you should set up a side business as a personal shopper for food styling props – all of your picks are always already on my list or get added right after I see them here. Like that Le Creuset loaf pan…. oh em ghee – I want that NOW. FOR REALZ!
You know I’ve been told by other people they love the posts even though they never quite generate the results a recipe-based post would :) But I do love sharing my little finds & tidbits and this is the way to do it that’s the easiest I think. And I would LOVE to be a personal shopper for props. Omg…shopping…with someone else’s money. Bring it on!
I have the “Healthy Artisan Bread book” same people, their next book. It’s good!
Good to know you have the next book – I didn’t even realize there was a follow-up. But isn’t there always when something takes off and is a success, which is good to know! :)
I love that you’re getting into bread. I think it’s one of the most satisfying things to bake! Plus, you cannot beat the smell…
I baked some yesterday and for like 12 hours my house was just….divine! It’s one smell I wouldn’t mind if it lingers til morning!
I love making bread usually by the no knead method, such satisfaction after hours and hours of nurturing and then cracking it open and slabbering it in a good butter! :)
This is great, I have been wanting to start making homemade bread again but haven’t found any good cookbooks :( Thanks for the recommendation!!
Those loaf pans are super cute! I want both! And I totally need to get that H&M sweater. I don’t think I’m dressing up for Halloween. And congrats on the feature! It’s so well deserved!
I love that sweater! And gosh, I REALLY want to eat bread now.
Averie,
The Artisan Bread in Five Techique is phenomenal! I am a teenager who loves to make yeast breads without the work and I love this. It may seem a like a lot of work at first but press on! It makes great bread, even my teacher who studied and lived in France raves about it.
Can we please see some of your flops? We should share our mistakes so we can all learn from them!
So far I haven’t had any flops that were horrible and unedible…just not quite as high or puffy as I’d like and try to do SO much research to prevent flops before they happen but if I have any big disasters that would be funny to post about, I may :) That’s AWESOME that you’re a teenager and making bread – with this technique no less!
Love Top Chef and Butterscotch! But not as much as Emile Henry bakeware. It is the best. It bakes beautifully and cleans up even better. I make all my pies in one of his dishes, and now have loaf pans and a fruit bowl with a 9 by 13 on the way. I know you’d love it!
Ok now I know I HAVE To get one if you rave about it and I know you’re the pie-making queen. Ive heard rave reviews and just dismissed it as a ‘not necessary’ but if it makes THAT much of a difference…I’m all for it!
I’m impressed with the bread making! I get so intimidated by it but really should learn to make it…case in point being my Thursday thing which would undoubtedly be even better with fresh, homemade bread: tomato toast
I love tomatoes and that looks great!
Well, I pretty much adore this post. Gosh, there’s so much that I need to click through, read, and pin!! I’ve known about the artisan cookbook for quite awhile and yet, I still have not gotten it! I really need to get on that!
Well thanks for the sweet words, Carrian!
I totally share your bread obsession. I’m waiting for the first rise on dinner rolls I’m making right now with Platinum Red Star AND I just started a bread pin board.
Just.got.done making rolls. Well they’re on their 2nd rise! And I was already following your bread board as of yesterday with repins yesterday. All over it :)
I want that sweater! Although I would probably be a little overheated wearing an angora sweater down in Florida. Time to crank the AC?