i cook. i bake. i eat.
 

I'm back friends. I took a mini vacation from writing due to horrible headaches and a stomach thing that just wouldn't quit. Upon arriving in Kep, Jam and I both were feeling a bit sluggish- achey. The best remedy: go out and walk the dusty Kep roads until your sweating profusely at which point you will become quite irritable with your significant other, a real joy to be around. The following day Jam was feeling much better. I on the other hand was feeling much  worse. My stomach queasy, my head pounding. We had planned to spend the evening on an island 20 minutes from the mainland. I figured a little fresh air would cure whatever bug had crept into my system. We both had high hopes for Rabbit Island. Sadly it didn't live up to such expectations. The island is small, small enough to walk the perimeter of it in a few hours. There are a handful of guesthouses that line one shore. It all feels a bit cluttered. The grass is gray, patchy in spots and overrun by countless tourists. We laid claim on the first guesthouse that had an open bungalow. A whopping $7.00 bought us a bungalow with our own restroom. A quick side note before I venture forth. Jam and I are quite possibly the easiest pair of travelers to accommodate. If you have a clean room for us we are all in. We don't need a t.v. or wi-fi or even a fan (although the latter is always a sweet bonus). So there we were, trying to make light of the stains on the pillowcases and the mosquito net that seemed to act more as a net to catch dead bugs and bat feces then to protect from various insects and the like. We stashed our bags in a corner and decided a walk would be best. Once amidst the shade of the trees, away from the chaos of the main beach, Rabbit Island seemed to redeem itself a bit. Every so often we came across a small outlet to the beach. The breeze, the breeze felt so good. We collected rocks and took pictures of strange trees, talked about our cross-country trip dreams.   Feeling a bit better, I figured I could weather one night in our bungalow. When we returned, I sought  refuge from the heat in our room. I lay there long enough to notice every last detail of the bungalow and when Jam came in I told him I thought we should take the boat back. I think we were both waiting on the other one to make the call. It was immediately settled, we would hop on the last boat back, thank goodness. 


Once we were back, I started to feel worse. My head was killing me. We avoided the hassle of having to go find dinner and instead decided it best to nab food at our guesthouse. Smart choice, my vegetable noodle soup was packed full of veggies, real feel-good food. Before settling in for the night I checked my email- routine evening stuff. I had a slew of emails from my dear mother. I had briefly mentioned to her that Jam and I weren't feeling our best. She responded by using an excessive amount of exclamation points. A brief note on my dear mother, she's the loveliest lady I know. A true gem. As with all mothers, she worries. She was that mother in high school who started the chain reaction freak-out when I didn't answer a call from her. If she couldn't find me, she would definitely be calling all my closest friend's parents to alert them of my disappearance which in turn sent them into a spiral of worry. I say this all in good humor, for you to get a sense of how she's dealing with the current situation. The last two mornings my inbox has contained at least two emails from her- usually no more than a few sentences- "Shiel be careful of how you feel!!!!!!", "DO NOT WAIT TO FEEL WORSE." After face chatting the other night, she has convinced me that I have meningitis. My brain will probably end up melting before we can make it to a decent hospital. "You're going to be fine," the ever comforting words from Jam.  Now I completely understand my mom's need to worry, it's hard-wired into all mothers. Plus she knows I tend to be a bit lax about such situations, sometimes too much so. 


I wake up yesterday morning from a hellish night of sleep. A bit of research tells me that I shouldn't rely on any of the nearby medical facilities. But wait! Jam's lovely mother bought us the best of the best travelers insurance. I end up calling them- explain in detail my most recent bowel movements to a young doctor who seems to not be fazed by all the overly personal information I'm spewing at him.  He's calm which makes me feel calm. Whether or not it's true, by the end of the conversation I'm convinced that this fella won't leave me here dying of a melting brain, by hell or high water he will get me to a hospital if that's what I need. Nerves calmed, Jam and I head out on a scooting adventure. I feel better. At some point Jam says "maybe it's the lack of coffee." Such a simple answer. I had been avoiding coffee knowing it would dehydrate me. All the same, I was hesitant to believe coffee was the answer to my utterly horrible headaches I was getting. You may think I'm exaggerating, but any movement of my head, laying down, coughing, all of which caused a severe head rush.

To make the longest story a few paragraphs shorter, I drank a big cup of joe the following morning and have thankfully been headache free since. We've spent the last few days in Mui Ne, Vietnam. A beautiful town on the coast that has a handful of roads and valleys to explore. 


I still owe you the fish amok recipe which I will gladly write up tomorrow on the bus to Dalat!

Ps- It's driving me nuts that I can't control the layout of my blog. I'm writing everything on my iPhone keypad- yes it's just as annoying as it sounds. So please forgive any mistakes or how utterly disorganized everything is at the moment. I've got some exciting blog plans for when I return.


Oxx


Picture
White sand dunes. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
White sand dunes. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
White sand dunes. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
Shadows.
Picture
Seashore. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
Cacti. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
Fishing village. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
Cattle. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Picture
White sand dunes. Mui Ne, Vietnam.
 

Upon leaving for Southeast Asia I made a list of goals. The date of our departure perfectly lined up with the new year and although I generally forgo compiling an epic list of generic new year's resolutions, I really couldn't help myself. I'm the type of lady that is constantly making lists and resolutions- I stick them to doors, next to our bed, on walls.  I believe we are all continuously growing, why should resolutions be made just once a year? In reality we can push the reset button whenever we like, no restrictions. Back to this list of mine. Usually when such lists are made I throw in a few curveballs. Exhibit A: perfect your handstand. That goals sits at the top of my list for this journey. Perfecting ones' handstand would require a foundation of some sort, a bit of familiarity with the posture- which I don't have. I blame that specific goal on Chrissy LeFavor, a true yoga goddess who makes handstands look effortless. A few other bullet points on this list, practice yoga everyday, 200 crunches everyday, meditate. These aren't as far-fetched as the previous. Jam and I both enjoy yoga and thankfully one of our favorite studios to practice at has a handful of podcasts online that we've been utilizing. Yoga is followed by 20 minutes of meditation. A routine of sorts. 200 crunches on the other hand has been fully neglected.


So I began this post with the intention of telling you about my latest addition to this list. I was feeling a bit guilty about abandoning my handstand dreams. I call it a curveball goal for a reason folks. So while stretching after yoga the other day I thought, why not replace "handstand" with"split." I k now, kinda ridiculous. But I am really quite close. And lately I can't stop talking about the circus. I made Jam promise that he would join me for a night at Circus Smirkus this summer, and if we hadn't left Battambang, Cambodia when we did I would have forced him to go to the circus there too. Adding "perfect your split" to the list makes me laugh. Usually my goals  focus on inner and outer well being. In the most simplest of senses, I try to stay away from restrictions, but instead try to foster and encourage positive habits. "Perfect your split" adds a bit of humor. Everyone's list of resolutions needs humor.


I hope everyone's list making of resolutions has been a happy one. I realize I'm a bit late in writing this but I want to encourage all of you to entertain the idea of keeping an ever-changing, forever self-revising stack of goals in your back pocket. Let them be dreams, let them be lofty- more importantly  let them morph in something else. Allow them to grow big and find joy and humor amidst it all.


On the note of finding joy. I've found joy in this Fish Amok. A dish I can proudly say I made- start to finish. While in Battambang, Cambodia I took my first cooking course since traveling abroad. A wonderful morning spent with a local chef cooking up the food of his homeland. 


This post will be dedicated to making the curry paste. Next week fish amok! Some of the below ingredients may be hard to find, so I've included acceptable replacements. With that said, I highly recommend taking the time to find everything on this list!


Curry Paste:

20 grams lemongrass- thinly sliced. Lemongrass or citronella is a straw like grass which has a distinctive lemony flavor. The outer layer of the lemongrass stalk should be discarded as well as the straw like top. Only use the bottom third. You can store the remainder in your fridge for 2-3 weeks. 

Lemon peel can be used as a substitute.


2 thin slices of ginza

Ginza is also known as galangal . It is a pale yellow root similar to ginger. The outer skin should be removed before using. Ginza will keep for 2-3 weeks in your refrigerator.

Ginger can be used as a substitute.


1-2 thick slices of turmeric root

Turmeric is a small root and it's bright orange in color. It looks similar to ginger. Before using make sure to remove  the outer skin. Turmeric will keep 2-3 weeks in your refrigerator. 

Turmeric powder can be used as a substitute.  


2 kaffir lime leaves with stems- thin slices

A kaffir lime is a dark green knobby lime. Kaffir leaves will keep in your refrigerator for 2 weeks

1/2 teaspoon of lemon ride = 1 kaffir lime leaf.


7 cloves garlic with skin removed- crushed


2-4 dried red chillies with seeds and heads removed- minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients in a mortar and grind/pound to a smooth paste. The paste will keep for one week stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. 


Stay tuned for fish amok.

Ox

Picture
Minced lemongrass
Picture
Kaffir lime leaves
Picture
Minced chili peppers
Picture
Turmeric root
Picture
Curry paste
Picture
Jam eating his first Cambodia pork bun- love at first bite!
Picture
The trees are so tall and beautiful
Picture
Angkor Wat mornings
Picture
Battambang, Cambodia
Picture
Angkor Wat
 

We are somewhere between Bangkok and Poipet, Thailand. A place where the the highway runs on for miles, where the dirt from the road running parallel is a deep reddish brown. Alongside the road are men and women, their faces covered with scarves to keep out the dust that sits heavily in the air. Our van weaves between other vehicles urgently. We all seem to have drifted off into our own daydreams, we sit quietly. Jam has fallen asleep, his head rests upon my backpack. My eyes feel heavy, exhausted from all the recent travel. Bangkok tires one out, the city never seems to rest... Constant chatter, moving about, the heat. I find comfort in sitting here, on the brink of a nap. 

 
Most recently I've had little motivation to write a blog post. I sent an email home recently that I wanted to share with all of you. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a a brief look into life on Ko Lanta. 

Dear Mama Pantalones,
It's all quite crazy, as you're waking up, I am finishing up my day. Our daily lives completely opposite. I wish I could send some heat across the oceans to you!  The past couple of days, Jam and I have been walking everywhere, often times twenty minutes or more. The sun is so intense on these walks, finding any escape from it; a patch of sidewalk shaded by a clump of trees, a buildings overhang. Today we trekked to the beach, lounged for a bit, frolicked in the water then planned on walking to a gem of a cafe we found yesterday morning. We thought with a bit of configuring we would be able to walk a stretch of beach, cut through one of the resorts that pepper the shore, and pop out to the road where the restaurant would be. The first part of our plan worked, we quickly made our way through an upscale resort, came out onto a back road- found a path through the woods that led to another back road which lead to the main road. After walking about 10 minutes, we made it... only to find that the cafe was closed for the day. We dragged ourselves back to town, quite a pair; both soaked in sweat and grime. To say the least, we were overjoyed when we finally were able to sit down to a bowl of soup and iced coffee. We spent the rest of the afternoon hiding out in our air conditioned room- watching the news, practicing yoga, meditating. It's only now that we have crept back out, its cooled down drastically, perfect for strolling through the various food stalls to find dinner. 

I'm writing this email in waves. I had intentions of sending it last night, but was too hungry to do so. Thankfully there are food carts right at the end of our block- everything is quite tempting when your stomach is growling. Jam and I found a favorite though. A young man whose stand is situated between 2 larger stands. He has a makeshift grill in which he cooks corn on the cob, when the corn is perfectly charred, he wraps it in paper, sprinkles it with a handful of salt- twirls it to make sure the salt evenly covers the corn, and hands it over- just a buck. We ended up strolling down the street to a restaurant. This older Thai fella stood happily at the entrance, the biggest smile plastered on his face, he was missing almost all of of his teeth, which only seemed to make him more endearing. After ordering he bounded back to the kitchen to retrieve water for us, I'm guessing it's just him and his wife running the show... every now and again, he would pop his head up, smile our way, as though to ask if everything was okay. The food was good, but I'm sure people return to his restaurant because of his sweet demeanor more than anything else. 

In a few hours we will be hopping on a bus to Bangkok. It's a 10 hour ride- overnight. We've just returned from the market where we purchased fruit, bread, water- the essentials. We read that there are many guesthouses near the bus station in Bangkok as we will be arriving around 6am tomorrow. We've considered jumping on the first bus to Siem Reap so that we can get all the traveling out of the way in one go, seems a bit ambitious, but maybe!

Hokay mama! I love you lots and will write again soon.
oxoxoxoxo! 
The biggest of big hugs and fat kisses too.

Love, Q
Picture
Iced coffee afternoons.
Picture
The local kids help Jam fill up:
Picture
Cabin in the woods.
Picture
Scootering.
Picture
Green.
Picture
Turmeric spiced rice with chicken.
Picture
Burger time.
Picture
Market day.
Picture
Koh Lanta.
Picture
On the menu as "no name."
Picture
The best chicken kebab in all the land.
 

It's Sunday. We decided to forgo the elephant ride that we initially spoke about upon arriving in Khao Sok. After discussing the price tag of such an activity we agreed that it's just too expensive- I fear we're becoming too comfortable with the cost of day-to-day living here in Thailand. Sort of like a  crimuginy old couple, "psh... If it's over $5.00 it's too expensive. Bao, our host, suggested we check out the Monkey Temple, a mere 15 minute walk from our bungalow. You can imagine my excitement upon hearing this, any lingering disappointment about the elephants quickly diminished. We packed Jam's pack with a few essentials- water, sunscreen, cameras. I decided that it was finally time to sport the Red Sox fitted , as my "sexy" beach waves have slowly transformed into ratty dreadlocks. I'm starting to resemble my 10 year old self, that little kid who refused to shower or brush her hair, that's the direction I'm headed in folks. I made Jam promise that he would brush my hair out this evening after a good conditioning. He said that he was going to offer to do so. As sweet as an offer as it was, it confirmed that my thought-to-be sex kitten hair is anything but. Relationships are built on such honesty, thank you Jam. 

Moving on. The Monkey Temple was quickly renamed the Monkey Mansion, a slew of other primate oriented jokes followed. Laughter passes the time, especially when walking  a strip of highway with the sun beating down on your back. Bao underestimated the time it would take to walk, fearing that we had misheard his directions we decided it best to stop and ask. The man looked a bit confused at first, but after repeating monkey he pointed to a structure in the distance. Monkey Palace looked to be abandoned except for the 10 or so other tourists milling about with food scraps in hand attempting to feed the hoards of greedy mouths. The place looked a bit rundown, past its prime. At one point there may have been some sort of lively vegetation  amidst the structures of Buddha and doll-size temples. What was left were parched patches of earth, the air thick with dust from the trails of overly excited monkeys. With no food scraps in hand, I seemed to be more of a hindrance to them, my hand slapped away when attempting to pet. It all feels a bit strange, sort of like the time my good friend Anna and I went to Gatorland deep in the marshes  of Florida. Little money seems to have gone into building this tourist trap, even less to sustain it, yet I'm sure the middle-aged man at the entrance brings in a decent income. Leaving Monkey Mansion I feel as though I may be covered in fleas or some unknown monkey germ. It wasn't until our walk back from lunch that I notice small red bumps sprouting up on my forearms. Jam assures me it must be from something I rubbed up against. All I can think is... perhaps a monkey?

Picture
Jam's senior picture pose.
Picture
Quite a fussy character.
Picture
Our backyard for the time being.
Picture
On our way to Monkey Palace.
Picture
After a 4 mile hike in, Jam and I lounged in the river to cool down.
 

Our second night on Ko Tao, Jam and I stumbled upon a small circular foodstand in the center of town. Wooden benches splintered with age provide seats for customers. The menu is scribbled on a slab of chalkboard: pad thai or fried rice- chicken or vegetable- 60 baht, $2.00. Quite enticing for budget travelers like ourselves. The woman behind the counter moves about swiftly as though she is dancing, a dance that has been recited many times over. Each ingredient was prepared before service, then neatly placed in individual bowls. Her makeshift kitchen is a bit cluttered. She cooks out of a wok, scraping it down after each order, seasoned from feeding countless customers. We both order pad thai, chicken and vegetable. Her movements are deliberate, a handful of thin rice noodles are thrown into the wok with a bit of oil, a ladle of sauce follows. And lastly the chicken. She moves it around quickly as not to let it burn. She takes a plate off a stack, neatly placed next to the wok and piles the pad thai on. She hands the plate to Jam with a set of wooden chopsticks encased in plastic. A second tray is brought over, jars placed side-by-side filled with an assortment of sauces and a smaller one with chopped peanuts. She doesn't wait for Jam to taste it, she's already set forth preparing mine. I sprinkle mine with a touch of peanuts. The noodles a bit chewy, the sauce subtly sweet. Each pad thai we've tasted since arriving has been a bit different. A general set of ingredients, a sauce that is unique to that cook. After completing our orders the lady takes a seat, nibbling on bits of vegetables, awaiting her next set of hungry customers.

Picture
Hot afternoons call for mango shakes.
Picture
Soup and beers.
Picture
Color!
Picture
Bright!
Picture
The drawing on the outside of this cage caught my eye.
Picture
Ko Tao.
Picture
This little restaurant was a Ko Tao gem!
Picture
Afternoon strolls off the beaten path.
Picture
Durian!
Picture
Fruit stop.
Picture
Patterns and colors.
Picture
So tall.
Picture
Wandering.
Picture
Our travel days tend to be the most stressful/tiring- this is the look of such a day.
Picture
Coffee, banana, and butter cookies for breakfast.
Picture
Island hopping.
Picture
These massive lizards roam the park in Bangkok.
Picture
Sheets out to dry.
Picture
Ko Tao living.
Picture
Wooden bench plus pad thai.
 
Last I wrote on Thursday morning, Jam and I were about to hop in a taxi to catch a train to Chumphon, one of the southern provinces of Thailand. My internal clock has been out of wack to say the least. Thursday morning, its 1:00 a.m., I'm wide awake... I look over at Jam. It seems to me that he's awake as well, he's fidgeting. restless. What do you do at 1:00 a.m. in a foreign country when you just can't sleep? We whip out our phones, take full advantage of the complimentary wi-fi. I spend the next hour or so instagram stalking, I admit, it got a little out of hand. Since I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from cooking and baking, I've become slightly obsessed with following other food bloggers. Jam attempts to sleep, knowing full well he will be zonked by the time the afternoon rolls around, I've given up, I'm up. By this point it's 3:00 a.m., I consider writing, but feel as though a good yoga session would feel so much better. A pretty funny scene, Jam and I practicing a little bit of vinyasa at 3:00 a.m., we're a pretty motivated pair, obviously.

Once it's time to catch the taxi to the train station, I'm feeling like a total BAUS (definition of baus according to urban dictionary:
The living and breathing embodiment of awesome). I've gotten my daily fill of all my favorite food blogs, done a solid hour of yoga, and have written my first blog post! 

An older gentleman picked us up at our hotel. His car, a bright pink, not quite fitting for his serious demeanor. He had various statues of bhudda and the like glued to his dashboard, a clipping of another taped to the ceiling of the car. The car, clearly had seen better days. As he attempted to wrestle the shifter into first gear I was reminded of my early days learning how to drive stick, my mom cringing as the car would jerk two and forth. It's dark out except for the small amount of light that's coming from shops, preparing to open. The air is thick, humid. A layer of smog blankets the city, making me fully appreciate where I come from. Apartment buildings occupy much of the city, billboards are nestled in between them, making it all feel a bit claustrophobic. It's a short ride. We arrive at the train station, it's littered with others like us, large backpacks strapped to them and a look of pure confusion. Luckily the people of Thailand are familiar with this look, they are more than happy to help. We buy tickets, prepare for the next leg of the trip.

To be continued...
 
We have arrived! Exiting the airport this morning at 5:00 a.m. felt like pure heaven. After almost 24 hours of travel, we finally made it! I hadn't properly prepared myself for the first flight which was a grueling 14 hours, but really, how does one prepare oneself. My legs cramped up, knocking against the seat in front of me, feeling endlessly restless with no place to go. I complain, but Jam so nicely took the center seat, the far worse option. Upon boarding the plan, my nerves and excitement seemed to distract me as did the personal TV's that boasted a vast array of TV shows and movies. 4 hours in, drained of all energy, I succumbed. I wouldn't call it sleep, cat naps more like, interrupted every few minutes.

Enough of me complaining. I'm here, safe and sound. And I already have an amusing tale to tell. 

We arrive in Beijing. At this point, I can't seem to get my bearings straight. It feels like 7 a.m., but in Beijing time it's 8 p.m. Whoa. I'm in desperate need of a shower. My hair is shooting in all sorts of directions. I feel like I have a layer of grime on me. I'm most likely making it out to be far worse than it actually was, but hey, you get the picture. I wander into the public bathroom before heading to our final flight. Oh, how could I have forgotten, the toilets in China are merely a hole in the floor, a rather small detail I had chosen to forget after my first trip to China years ago. As I'm pulling down my pants, I hear a gentle splash, I quickly look behind me into the toilet bowl and see my phone. Realizing I had little time to think, and even less time to act, I plunged my arm into the water and rescued my phone. Now lets take a second to remember that my phone is the sole camera I have for this trip. Jam also has his phone, but since out last trip to Costa Rica, I have officially named myself the "memory maker," in other words, its rare for Jam to take photos, and since he has me clicking away, it has become even more rare. So there I am, China toilet bowl water on my hands, my phone soaked but seemingly still alive and working. It's at this point I fully realize what I have just done. Completely grossed out, I douse my hands in the little amount of soap that seems to be left in the dispenser and wash away. I carefully swaddle my phone in a bunch of paper towels. Upon meeting Jam outside of the bathroom, I suddenly for some reason feel like that kid who peed herself on the bus. I hesitate in telling him what I so stupidly did , mainly because I'm completely disgusted with myself, but really, what was I supposed to do? He offers me a slight laugh and cringes. 

Before boarding our final flight, I whip out my phone (at this point I have covered it in hand sanitizer) to take a quick snap shot of Jam. Now here's the real kicker, after all  of that, the toilet water leaked into the lens, thus creating this blurry effect. Blurry as in I've had far too many drinks and every thing seems a bit fuzzy. Shit. 

Thankfully we still have Jam's phone. Don't worry friends, I will be kidnapping it on a regular basis and sharing all of our adventurers with you.

 We are jumping on a train today and headed out of the city to the Gulf of Thailand. Stay tuned, I shall write again soon.

oxo
 
I have so much to get done, but as usual I am in full procrastination mode. Jam and I leave  for our Southeast Asia travels in four days, and the most productive thing I can find to do is write this blog post. I think the guilt finally got to me, I fully abondoned all of you.  But I'm back, and you can plan on me writing at least once a week when we touch down. For now though, I've packed up almost all my belongings and moved them all home. My dear mama and I spent at least an hour last night trying to figure out how to googlechat, clearly neither one of us is techsavy. I like coming home for days at a time. My mama and I spend afternoons leausurely, moving about, talking, swapping stories... sometimes just listening to the radio as we tinker in the kitchen. We sat on the couch last night, discussing my Asia itinarary, hands intwined. Our hands are so similar, I'm always reminded of that when they're side-by-side. Hands that are covered with intersecting palm lines, making them look weathered beyond their years.

Today I say goodbye to my roommates, clear out the last of my belongings from my apartment, and say farewell to Burlington for the next four months. The exciement of our upcoming trip has distracted me, and it's all a bit bittersweet. A year spent with some wonderful beings, a year that I got to know Jam's close friends and now can call them my close friends.   A year that felt a bit monumental, I grew up. I found that I truly love what I do. Money may be tight at times, but working in kitchens is what my heart and soul loves and desires. I spent as much time as possible this year learning, teaching myself how to cook, reading blogs, exploring myself as a cook, a baker. The exciement of it all, the pride, the happiness that comes from nourishing the poeple I love feels so good.

I'm a bit overhwelmed with all that I need to get done. My clothing is spread all over our kitchen floor. My dear madre forced me to sort through all of it this afternoon; "dirty, clean?" Whenever I go on big trips I always plan on packing and repacking my bag at least twice. A few of my clothing choices were already shot down with that disapproving look of hers. Holding up a favorite tank of mine, she cringes "that looks like a rag," I tell her it's just worn in.

After frolicking about today, we return home exhausted. She agrees to wash all my laundry, I agree to make dinner. After dinner we sip on tea, and munch on leftover christmas cookies. There have been sporadic moments in which her eyes well up, she's nervous for our departure, our safety. A subject that is made a bit lighter when we imagine the scene at the airport when she drops us off, a sobbing mama, most likely a sobbing daughter, and a cool and collected Jam.

Amisdt all the chaos, I made my favorite yeasted donuts. I wanted to make one more sweet treat for my roomates before I left. This is my go-to donut recipe. This cookbook has been with me for years now, recipes visited then revisisted, then revamped to my liking. You can fill these donuts with whatever your heart desires. I whipped up a bit of lemon curd and lightened it with a bit of whipped cream.

Love and light. Lets stay in touch. oxox


Flour Bakery Donuts
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into 6-8 pieces
canola oil for frying

1. In a stand mixer fitched with the dough hook (or a hand-held mixer), combine the yeast and milk. Stir together briefly, then let sit for about 1 minute to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the salt, and the eggs and mix on low speed for about 1 minute, or until the dough comes together. Then, still on on low speed, mix for another 2 to 3 minutes to develop the dough further. Now, begin to add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and continueto mix for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated.

2. Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 15 hours.

3. Lightly flour a baking sheet. On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch sqaure about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-to-4-inch round biscut cutter (I cut them into squares by hand), cut out 9 doughnuts. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot to rise for 2 to 3 hours, or until they are about doubled in height and feel poufy and pillowy.

3. When ready to fry, line with paper towels a tray or baking sheet large enough to hold the doughnuts. Pour oil to a depth of about 3 inches into a large, heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until hot. To test the oil, throw in a pinch of of flour. If it sizzles on contact, the oil is ready. (It should be 350 degrees F if you are using a thermometer.) Working in batches, place the doughnuts in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd them. Fry on the first side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until brown. Then gently flip them and fry for another 2 to 3 minuts, or until brown on the second side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the prepared tray and let cool for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

4. At this point you can either toss the doughnuts in the remaning 1 cup of sugar, or glaze the doughnuts using the recipe below. If you choose to make the glaze, fill the doughnuts first. Let the doughnuts fully cool before filling.

Lemon Curd Filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the lemon juice, butter, and cream. Place over medium-high heat and heat to just under a boil. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Remove the lemon juice mixture from the heat and gradually whisk a little of it into the sugar-egg mixture. Continue whisking the hot liquid into the sugar-egg mixture, a little at a time, until all of it has been incporporated.

2. When all of th hot liquid has been incorporared, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan, and return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring continuoisly with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom frequently to prevent the eggs from scrambling for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon thickly. To test, draw your finger along the back of the spoon; the curd should hold the trail fro a second or two before it fills.

3. Remove the curd from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the salt and vanilla. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the curd so that a "skin" does not form. Alllow to fully cool in the refrigerator.

4. Once cooled, whip up about a cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon curd.


5. I find the easiest way to fill donuts is either using a pastry bag, or a ziploc bag with a corner snipped off.

Dougnut Glaze
1/4 cup milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Glaze the doughnuts and then place on a cooling rack until glaze is fully set.



 
It's 5:50 in the morning. Why am I awake you ask? Terrific question, one I will most likely be asking myself in the middle of the day. It's 5:50 in the morning and I'm perusing Food & Wine, searching for a good breakfast sandwich to make Jam when he returns from the gym. That's right, I said the gym. Now, you may think by waking up at this time, doing a bit of light writing, a little recipe recipe research,  that it's productive, and, well, I guess it is. But Jam's gym routine proves to be a bit more ambitious and extremely productive. About a month back, when he started going to the gym at this ungodly hour, I thought for a brief moment that I should join him, ,maybe some rigorous yoga perhaps? To say the least, that never happened. I prefer to practice when I'm fully awake. As he was climbing out of bed this morning, I remembered that initial desire...which was quickly followed by this thought:"there is just no way." I have come to like early mornings though. When our bed is warm, the coffee is hot. The mornings are best when I know I have the whole day to myself, no work in the evening, I allow myself to move at a leisurely pace. 

It's almost Thanksgiving. Almost as in, we all still have some time to prepare and no, this won't be a post devoted to turkey and cranberry sauce. That will come later on in the week! 

Instead I will tell you about my cookie debacle. To me, the traditional chocolate chip cookie is a blank canvas. I'm all about chocking them full of dried fruit, nuts, candy, pretzels, etc. While working at Milk Bar, I got somewhat attached to their Compost cookie. A cookie that is full of pretzels, potato chips, coffee grounds, graham crackers, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, oats. It's heaven. When making cookies, I generally will build off a base recipe. Cookies are pretty forgiving, as long as you understand the basic procedure, you can add whatever you feel like. I love making cookies for others. Truth be told, everyone loves a good cookie. I learned early on that the key to Jam's heart is either in the form of a cookie or brownie, simple pleasures. 

So this past weekend, I dove head first into cookie making. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I settled on a chocolate chip cookie with a ritz cracker crunch and marshmallows. It sounds extreme, and it was extreme. The ritz cracker crunch is a Milk Bar recipe, ritz crackers are crushed, melted butter is added along with a bit of sugar, salt, and milk powder. This glorious mixture is baked until roasty toasty- cooled, then thrown into the cookie mix. I strayed from my original recipe a bit, added a little too much of the ritz crunch. The results were overly buttery, spread-everywhere cookies. Initially I thought the cookies spread because I hadn't mixed the butter in properly. So I remixed the dough, just a tad longer, not too long though as I didn't want to develop too much gluten which would result in a hockey puck cookie. The 2n'd tester spread just as much. It was at this point that I realized there was just too much butter in the cookie. Not wanting to throw away the dough, I decided to bake them as cookie-blondie-bars. The bars came out looking far more attractive, and super tasty. Cut into triangles, they were perfect for a quick pick-me-up bite.

Today I share with you the most basic cookie recipe. You can add this or that, let your imagination run wild.

The Basic Cookie
16T (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
2T corn syrup
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1/2t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
11/2t salt
2 cups of add-ins (chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts)

1. Combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on medium-high  for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat for 7-8 minutes. 

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula.

3. Still on low speed, add your mix-ins until they are incorporated- no more than 30 seconds. 

4. Using a 1/2 cup measure, portion your cookies and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to one week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature- they will not bake properly.

5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

6. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on  your parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate, then another 9 minutes. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. 


I promise to return later this week with a Thanksgiving post! 

For now I leave you with this inspiring film about building a bakery. A dream-goal that I hope to one day reach