Baking and Cooking Blog – Evil Shenanigans

Nearly a year ago …

Wow … time really goes by fast!!! It is about one year ago this month that I made the decision to go to culinary school, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  There is so much I still have to do but I am still so excited, one year later, [...]

Over a month later …

To be honest with you, if you are even out there, I am not sure how many people really read this little blog of mine, so I have been bad about not posting.  On the other side of that coin, how an I going to find more readers of my mundane little blog if I [...]

Nearing the end of yet another semester …

Well, the semester is almost over and, aside from next week, I am getting ready for another round of practicals. Yay. I have no idea what we will be required to do, but I have made some not-too-subtle-hints that only one item to present would be super nice of our teacher, and much appreciated among [...]

Midterm Practicals and Things that Make me go “F*CK OFF!!!”

Well, midterm practicals are over.  I did pretty well, I guess.  The kid in me loves the fact that it is over and I did ok, the perfectionist in me hates that I lost 5 points for salt.  SALT!!  Anyway, salt aside, it was good, and 145 out of 150 is noting to sneeze at.  [...]

Bread, bread and more bread …

It is hard to write unique and witty commentary about school this semester because each week it is pretty much the same thing.  Night 1 – Mix pre-ferments, make quick bread, prepare ingredients for next night final dough, clean up and go home. Night 2 – Mix final dough, ferment, mix and bake quick bread, [...]

Getting Things Done!!

Well!!  I will start with my good news to share this week this week! We got all the bread from Monday and Tuesday baked this week!!!   We also got out closer to our end time as well, so all things considered things were good!  One of the people in my group has gone missing and [...]

Slacking off, Starters and School Stories

Well, I said I would take pictures of the pizza I made, but I didn't.  To be honest with you, I was so ready to eat when it was done I did not even give the camera one thought.  It was very tasty (like the last time) and it looked lovely.  You will have to [...]

More Pizza, Sourdough Starter Update, and Weekend Baking

I will be making more pizza this weekend.  The first batch was so good, and my brother is coming over, I can't help myself.  I must make it again!  I think I will start the biga tonight, make the dough tomorrow night and stash it in the fridge for a good long ferment.  Slow ferment [...]

Breads & Rolls – 1st full week

Lord am I tired.  Monday and Tuesday our class ran long by about 30 minutes.  This does not sound so bad until you consider class is from 7pm to 9:50pm and my drive home is 20 minutes.  I am a little exhausted. Night 1 -  We started with our 'sour' sponge for baguettes.  I say 'sour' because we [...]

A Weekend Spent Baking

I tend to dive head first into projects that are of interest to me.  At the moment, and it should come as no surprise to anyone, my obsession is bread. Now, we are not talking about the homogeneous loafs of bland white sandwich bread that line the shelves at the super-mega mart.  What we are talking [...]