Up close and personal.

When I started the blog back in 2010, I started to remember not only how much I loved writing, but also how much I loved photography. As the blog progressed, I also noticed that my photography skills were improving, naturally. However, last year, I attended BlogHer Food in Seattle, and realized I had a ways to go as far as photography was concerned. The first thing being if I was going to take this food blogging thing seriously, I should invest in a DSLR camera. So I did a bunch of research, and went with the Nikon D3100, which I adore and would recommend to anyone.

When I got the camera, I didn’t bother to read the manual – I’m just not a “manual” person – I’m a hands-on learner – and I just started snapping photos. The first photo I took was this one, of my cat. Not too shabby for a first try.

my first muse.

As I continued snapping away, I noticed that this camera did produce significantly better photos that my old point-and-shoot, however there was so much more it could do that I had yet to understand. I enrolled in a two-hour seminar at a local photography studio, which was helpful and rather enjoyable, however it was not enough time to really learn what this baby was capable of. So, I decided to sign up for real photography class.

It’s only one class in, and I already know it was the best decision I could have made. Our first assignment was an extreme close-up. I decided, again, to use my cat as my model. I took this shot the other day.

you shall not pass.

So, the point I’m trying to make here is that a great camera does make a difference, but a little education really goes a long way. Rome wasn’t built in a day – and certainly not by someone who was just pushing buttons with no real clue what they were doing.

 

 

Viva La Twinkie.

When I heard about the end of Hostess, I nearly suffered a mini-breakdown (or should I say, “cakedown”). No more Twinkies? No more Ho-Ho’s? And if that wasn’t bad enough, NO MORE SNO BALLS??? I am utterly beside myself. The Sno Ball is and has always been my all-time favorite snack cake. It’s got chocolate. It’s got marshmallow. It’s got coconut. And best of all, it’s pink. If I were a snack cake, I would be a Sno Ball.

sno no more.

In the midst of wallowing in my soon-to-be-sno ball-free existence, I had an idea – I should round up some other snack cake lovers and buy Hostess! I ran this by a few folks, and it was met with the same response every time – a raised eyebrow and a “look how funny you are” type comment. Ok, so that was not realistic. Then someone said, “why don’t you just make your own versions?”

Well, I’ll be. Now THIS was something I could do! This, in fact, may be what I was born to do. I didn’t go to pastry school to be a cake decorator (although I do dabble in it). I went to school to master the chemistry of baking. Recreating Hostess products at home, from fresh ingredients, making them possibly even slightly better for you is like my dream job. So, I decided to get started right away. I ran out that very day and purchased every hostess cake I could find. Sadly, there were no Sno Balls to be had.

farewell, old friends.

Let the fun begin. What better way to dive right in then go straight for the big guns – The Twinkie.

I don’t have a Twinkie pan, but I had something close – a small loaf pan. I decided to begin my experiment by using my standard vanilla cake recipe for my first attempt. Although they turned out a little squarer than the Twinkie we all know and love, so far, they were looking pretty good.

it’s hip to be square.

I let them cool, then turned them out onto the rack. They remained intact and unburned.

cool it down.

While they cooled on the rack, I made the cream filling. I started with a recipe I found online that claimed to be authentic Twinkie filling, but I made some tweaks to make it a little creamier, including swapping the milk with half and half.

how ’bout that awesome retro hand mixer I scored from my aunt.

I then filled them, with three holes in the bottom, just like a real Twinkie.

fill ‘er up.

After they were all filled, I had to try one, for research purposes, of course.

even better than the real thing.

So there you have it. And this is just the beginning, folks. There are binders full of Hostess Cakes I need to recreate. I’ve found my reason for living.

 

Star-Glazing.

As I mentioned in my last post, I was working on star-shaped cake pops, and my first attempt had not gone quite as planned. There was some breakage and a little star and stick detachment. However, I didn’t give up. After a period of rest and regrouping, I returned to the kitchen with a new plan of attack. I made a handful more “cake stars” using a star shaped cookie cutter. I let them chill in the fridge for a bit. I melted the chocolate (a different kind this time). I dipped the sticks, and inserted them into the stars. I put the stars-on-sticks back in the fridge to chill a little longer. I re-warmed the chocolate. I removed the star-pops from the fridge and dipped each one in. They remained intact and on their respective sticks. The experiment is complete and the results are favorable. Star-shaped cake pops are now a reality. It only took courage, proper planning, patience, and an indomitable spirit. I suppose this is what it takes to be a star.

and we all shine on.

 

A Loathful Loaf.

So last week while I was in England visiting my brother, we had this discussion in the middle of the night about chocolate bread and how we want to make and eat it. So I did a google search, and because we were in the UK, the first few results were UK recipes. This tickled my baking fancy, so I saved one of the recipes, and decided to try my hand at it when I got home. And yesterday, that’s exactly what I did.

I did not succeed. It looked decent – and the dough tasted pretty good (I always taste my dough, just to be safe). But the finished product just did not pass muster.

looks can be deceiving.

Now, I don’t think it was entirely the recipe’s fault. I believe there were three factors at play here, leading up to the perfect storm of bread failure:

1. The recipe did not clearly specify the type of chocolate. I used unsweetened dark baking chocolate. Bad choice. It overpowered the entire loaf and gave it a distinctly bitter taste.

2. I used dry yeast instead of fresh yeast. Now, in itself, this is fine, however, I definitely used too much – you could actually taste the yeast (once you got past the bitter chocolate).

3. British food is different from American food. Not bad different – I thoroughly enjoyed all the meals I had in the UK, and I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed the bread as well, different as it were, had it not been for the first two factors.

Because I just could not believe that this loaf was as bad as it seemed, I lugged it in to work and forced my friend to sample it. First, as is. Then heated up. Then with butter. Then I tried to make random folks nearby eat it. But alas, it could not be saved. This bread was toast.

The good  news is, like I mentioned, I know what the issues are, and I fully intend to jump back into the kitchen, make some recipe modifications, and try, try again. There will be chocolate bread, I decree, and it will be fantastic.

 

I Had a Vision of Cake…

After I got back from my trip to Seattle, I took the next day off to organize, recupe, and regroup. I had a list of things I wanted to get done throughout the day, and one of them, as usual, was baking. I had intended to make a vanilla cake and freeze it, however the best vanilla cake ever recipe calls for about 7 eggs and I only had 3, and having just gotten home, I did not feel like going back out. So instead, I sat on the couch, leaned back, and closed my eyes. And then, I had a vision.

chocolate fantasy.

It was the perfect chocolate cake. I knew at that moment, I had to get up and get to work. This cake had to become a reality! So I dug up my favorite chocolate cake recipe. But upon further analysis, I realized this recipe did not quite match the “vision.” So, I made a few minor tweaks, and one major tweak, and there it was:

The Perfect Chocolate Cake.

if this cake were a president, it would be Baberham Lincoln.

Like I mentioned before, I based the recipe on this one, however the “major tweak” was the swapping out of the liquid with what from this day forth will be known as my “secret ingredient.” Only one other person knows the identity of this magical potion, and that would be my mom. I had to tell someone, you know, just in case.

Now, I’m off to the kitchen to try the vanilla cake recipe using the secret ingredient as well. Let’s just call it “love potion,” as it definitely made a cake I fell in love with. ♥

 

BlogHer Food Day 1: The Highlights.

I LOVE Seattle.

I love the fact that I can walk around at night, by myself, and feel perfectly safe.

city at night.

I love that fact that I was lost, and two strangers tried to help me find my way home, both telling me the opposite direction in which to go (“you go down that way…follow the curve…”, “nah man, it’s this way!”).

I love the fact that the city is so “walker friendly.”

I love the random things you see along the way.

random straw gardens.

I love that you can get coffee literally on ever corner. Really GOOD coffee.

I love the fresh, wonderful, amazing seafood.

I love that it doesn’t start to get dark until almost 10 pm.

even in the dark, there is light here.

I love that I can wake up so much earlier, and not feel tired (thanks to the 3 hour time difference).

And I love the BlogHer Food Conference so far, which is what brought me here for my second visit to begin with! I met some really awesome people, doing really amazing things, including Health Coach and Yoga Instructor Alene Brennan (she really knows her stuff, and I’m totally hiring her for yoga instruction!); Rebecca Rodriguez from Parties that Cook  (a party where you learn to cook - what a fabulous idea! and they come to you!);  and Toni Spilsbury, from The Organized Cook (offering balanced, healthy and affordable meal plans for busy moms – and she takes absolutely fantastic photos – I’ve asked her for tons of advice already!).

And this is only Day 1. I’ve got a full day ahead of me today, and I’m looking forward to every second of it. A little rain is a small price to pay for such a lively and positive city. That’s what it is – something about Seattle is just positive. The overall vibe of the city. Might a cross-country move be in my future? I’ll have to consult the Magic 8 Ball. And by Magic 8 Ball, I mean Gandalf.

he’s got quite a poker face.

 

 

 

Run hard when it’s hard to run.

I was running last night, and did 6 miles. That’s an average run for me these days – 6-8 miles. It wasn’t always that way, don’t get me wrong, but it is what it is, and don’t think for one second that you couldn’t get to that point, too. But that’s not what I’m here to discuss right now. I’m hear to discuss the magic of 3 – 3 miles that is.

I’ve thought about it before – even before I started running long distances. When i was in the early stages of running, I found that getting to 3 miles was extremely difficult. However, one day, I crossed the 3 mile threshold and something changed – training became easier. Ramping up my mileage was suddenly no longer a daunting task, and running was no longer painful – it became fun, exhilirating and even made me happy.

But not for the first 3 miles. For some reason, on every run, the first 3 miles are ALWAYS the hardest. It goes a little something like this:

Mile 1: Awww yeah! I’m gonna rock this run!! Feels like i’m walking on air!

Mile 1.5: Gee, my shins and ankles kinda hurt. And I feel tired. Should I stop?

Mile 2: WTF is wrong with me? Why am I doing this again? My legs feel like lead, and I can’t think of anything other than the pain of every step.

Mile 2.5: GOOD GOD, I’m torturing myself. What for? I hate running!! I’m gonna stop…I can’t take it anymore!!!

Then, just when i’m about to give in, suddenly there’s….

Mile 3: Hello world! I love this life and can go for miles! What’s pain again? Let the real run begin! And the rest is smooth sailing.

Last night, this hit me extra hard. I haven’t done much running since the Broad Street Run a week and a half ago, so this was my big return to running. Those first 3 miles were almost unbearable. I thought about giving up more than a few times. But I knew that if I kept going, I’d get through it, and come out stronger on the other side.

And so I did. But I realized something else as well. I’ve learned so much from running – it’s been a mirror for what’s going on in the rest of my life, and has taught me how to deal with and get through some dark and difficult days. Last night, I learned that there are situations in my life that I’m almost through – that I keep getting close to out-running – yet I just can’t seem to cross the threshold, and I wind up surrendering to the pain. Each time, I do get a little closer though. Even so, I wind up beating myself up over it – because I gave in – again.  But then I remember back to before I reached that 3 mile mark for the first time – I did not know I’d be ok on the other side, and the fear of the unknown was what made it so difficult to keep going. Now that I know, I can handle the pain, and run through it. Not knowing what’s on the other side is my biggest fear. It took time to build up the strengh to run through those first 3 miles. I gave up many times. But eventually, after trying over and over and over and over, I finally did it. And there’s no turning back now.

What I’m learning is that It’s ok if you don’t cross the 3 mile mark right away. It’s ok if you give in to the pain. Just as long as you get back out there, and try to out-run it again. Eventually, whether you believe it or not, you’ll cross over. And it will be great.

 

Recipe Sunday: Best Vanilla Cake Ever.

This may sound like a lofty claim – and it is. But I stand behind it. And I know what you’re thinking – “a plain vanilla cake? THAT’s your featured recipe this week?? Lame!!” Well, don’t write me off just yet – let me explain. I spent a long time looking for the perfect scratch cake recipe. Just a plain vanilla, on which to build a strong foundation, and to serve as a  base for other fancier cakes. One of the most important things I learned in pastry school is that a good recipe doesn’t have to be complicated, and if you want to really bake a great cake, start with a great base. If the foundation is weak, the building (or cake) will surely collapse. This particular vanilla cake recipe is based on one that I was taught in my first class – Intro to Baking – and was used time again throughout my classes, up to and including my last and most advanced class. Start with a solid base – and you can’t go wrong. I know how hard it can be to find a recipe that fits that bill – which is why I’m sharing my foundation with you – in the hopes that somewhere out there, I’ll help make a young baker’s life a little easier.

a sheet to build a dream on.

Best Vanilla Cake Ever.

What you’ll need:

12 oz eggs (about 7)

4 1/4 oz milk (1%)

5 oz high-ratio liquid shortening*

1/2 oz vanilla

10 oz sugar

8 oz cake flour

1/2 oz baking powder

1/4 oz salt

What you’ll do:

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, liquid shortening and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the dry ingredients on top of the wet, and mix for 5 minutes on medium speed, with the paddle attachment. Scrape the bowl to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated, and mix on medium speed for 5 more minutes. Grease a 13 x 9 sheet pan (also know as a quarter sheetpan) and pour all the batter in (it will be pretty thin and runny). Bake for about 25 minutes.

*High ratio liquid shortening is not the easiest thing to come by – in fact, I never even knew it existed until I went to pastry school. However, it truly is a wonderful thing, and I highly recommend spending the extra time and money to track it down – it’s definitely worth it. I use Fluid Flex -  click here for a list of a few sites where you can order it.

 

chocolate rain.

If you have never seen this video, you need to watch it, right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA

But that’s not what I’m here to write about. Today, I’d like to discuss my own personal “chocolate rain,” by which I mean that whenever it rains heavily, I want to sit at home and eat chocolate.

all for me.

It’s true, just the other day, it was pouring. I started to get hungry. I found a box of chocolates in the fridge (I usually have a couple of boxes around at any given time, for just such an occasion). I pulled out the box, sat down on the sofa in the sunroom (which is more like the rain room on days like that), opened the box, and just started biting. I say “biting” because I don’t finish any of the chocolates for the most part. I take a bite, and move on to something else. This eating habit transcends chocolates – it’s pretty much how I operate, which is one of the main reasons I started this whole “Small Indulgences” thing to begin with. I like variety. I like taking a small bite of something, then trying something else. I’m a dessert commitment phobe.

bite me.

I believe there are others out there just like me (I know my grandmom was one – she used to bite chocolates and put them back in the box), so I’m making it my goal to make one-bite chocolates. This way, one can eat more than one, not feel as bad, and still get the variety one seeks, without the commitment.

honey, i shrunk the chocolates.

PS: all the chocolates in the photos (with the exception of two which I purchased at Aunt Charlotte’s, the best chocolate shop ever) we made in a chocolates class I had, and thus can be recreated on demand. So, imagine them smaller, and yourself sampling them, and those rainy day blues will be gone before you know it.

 

bake me away.

There are many, many reasons why I choose to bake. I’m addicted to sugar. I have a bizarre hidden obsession with chemistry. I like to work with my hands. But right now, what’s taken precedence over all of this is the “escape.” Just as an alcoholic drinks to escape their life and its many problems, a bake-aholic bakes for the same purpose. And, yes, my name is Jeanine, and I am a bake-aholic.

we've all been there...

When I bake, it consumes me – I become completely focused on what I’m doing, and my mind, for once, is unable to think of anything else. I don’t even realize it until hours later, when I suddenly discover that I’m cool, calm, and collected, and have 4 dozen meticulously decorated cupcakes in front of me. It’s cake meditation. In fact, I think I’m going to start teaching cake meditation to others. I’ll call my class “Medi-cake-tion,” proclaim myself  a “cake coach,” and charge big bucks to tell people what they already know but with fancy words and authoritative actions. I’ll print up handbooks called “baking for the soul” or “baking for being” - something new age-y that really makes people want to explore how baking can help them lead a better life.

find your inner cake.

In the meantime, I’ll be baking a better life for myself, and sharing the results with others; which is the REAL reason I bake.

it's all about the results.