#i was about to put in 4 cups. because the recipe called for 1/4 but i misread it as 4. but i thought that was a lot so i decided to go w

[yisanged]

i want to make mac and cheese again but i'm scared. but i think i could do better at least this time i would know not to put 2 cups of milk in to make half a box of kraft mac and cheese

[vicariousresearcher]

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

the intro is boring as shit i know just power through

---------

Johnny who's just gotten released from the hospital with a half-ton bag of medications and months' worth of pre-scheduled appointments. Physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, he didn’t even realize there were so many damn therapies that didn’t have to do with talking about feelings. 

He has one of those too, much to his discomfort. Even asking Price couldn’t get him out of that. 

Now he’s been freshly moved into his new flat. A nice place that his Ma picked out. A garage, basement, and even a fenced-in backyard.

  "Your discharge is paying for all of this, can you believe it?" His ma coos as they sit out on the back porch.

Johnny hummed in acknowledgment, peppermint wafting up out of his cup to almost tempt him to try and take a sip. It tasted like shit but there was no other tea in the house. 

“When's the nurse c-c…arriving?” Johnny asked, trying his best not to seem too eager. About as subtle as a bull in a china shop but his mother was never one to notice things like that. Mind already bouncing off to the next thing.

“Wednesday the text said I tink? Oh did you see the ramp that your friend Simon put into the garage, such a nice boy. Say do you reckon….."

…….. Maybe you were being impulsive but you accepted the position. You left your job at the hospital and moved towns over to be flatmates with a patient. But it was awfully hard to regret your decision when the pay was so good and you didn’t have to pay for boarding. And maybe there was some conniving part of you that wanted to spite your now ex after he cut things off claiming that you were cheating on him. 

So here you were with half your apartment in a storage unit and the other in the back of your car. Unpacking your clothes just after you finished a lengthy conversation with Johnny and Mrs. MacTavish. Or well, more so the latter. It’s kind of impressive how far that woman can go with a single question.

The whole time Johnny is just sitting there watching you. At first, it was weird because ‘dude youre the one who wanted me here can you not act like i’m an alien’ then you stop to consider that maybe he doesn’t even want you here. That this might be just another case of the family being overly attached with no regard for the patient's feelings. Part of you feels bad now at the idea of him being the one truly forced into this situation. 

Maybe this won’t be too bad of a job, you try to reason with yourself as your stomach twists in discomfort at the idea of living alone with a stranger. You can’t be too different from Johnny since your favourite scent is in the candle on the coffee table. The niche reality TV show you're obsessed with is playing in the evening. And he must like peppermint tea too since it’s one of the few things in the pantry. 

…….

Johnny is doing everything possible to seem normal about his nurse. Who has to stay quiet as he watches you interact so perfectly with his mother because if he opens his mouth he will ask you to marry him.

He is sweating at the idea of having you within reach at all times, your attention only ever on him. No other call bells or charting or lunch breaks to keep you occupied.

Johnny who has picked up journaling at the recommendation of his therapist to try and organize his feelings and memories from the coma. It’s not even like he's trying to focus on you but when he tries to think back to the coma all he can remember is you. Your hands, your voice, your warmth.

Lists of everything you’ve ever told him to fill the pages. Your favourite shop that has such a good deal on hair conditioner, the spinning candle on your fifth birthday cake that made you scream, the butter chicken recipe you can never get right even with your friend hanging over your shoulder. 

Johnny who has to try his hardest to stay quiet when you tell him about your first time skiing because he knows the end of the story. He knows how you cried and your mother fell off the lift coming off because you told him. So many little snippets of yourself you’ve already exposed during the two years he was under your care thinking he wasn’t listening. 

But he was and oh he will use it in every way possible to lure you in. He sees how uncomfortable you are even just sitting on the same couch as him but that's okay! You just need some time. 

In the meantime, he will just keep lying. Saying that your favourite flower seeds were just on sale when you spotted them on the table. Shrugging when you ask if he is sure about you taking the room at the back of the house because you mentioned hating the sound of the road. Asking his mum to help him make some roasted garlic butter because suddenly he actually cares about that. (You mentioned it at least a dozen times after your neighbour gave you some.)

[spacelazarwolf]

shakshuka - maghrebi

cookbook: jewish flavors of italy

total time from start to finish: 50 minutes

rating system

difficulty: 2 this recipe required chopped veggies and some sautéing, and it does require a couple of different timed steps (like watching the eggs to make sure they don’t overcook... oops...), but overall it wasn't difficult to make. the recipe did call for harissa, which i found (hechschered) at my local international market, or felfel u ciuma. you can make the harissa yourself, it just takes some extra time. i don't know if you can find the felfel u ciuma in any international markets.

rating: 5 absolutely fucking delicious. 100/10.

this particular recipe comes from the libyan jews of rome. there is a substantial population of libyan jews in rome because of the increasing levels of persecution faced by the jewish community in libya in the 20th century, culminating in violence and pogroms during and after the six day war, until around 6000 libyan jews were airlifted out of libya to rome by the italian navy in 1967. the refugees were forced to leave their homes, their businesses, and most of their possessions behind, but despite these hardships, libyan jews have become an integral part of the roman jewish community.

and i can’t mention libyan jews without mentioning david gerbi, a libyan jew who has spent years trying to restore synagogues and cemeteries in libya and hopes to eventually make libya safe enough for libyan jews to return. so far his attempts have been met with a lot of violent pushback, but b”h someday they will get their home back.

recipe:

shakshuka:

preparation: 15 minutes cooking: 50-55 minutes serves 2-4

ingredients:

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin or caraway (i used cumin, which is most commonly used, but the author of the cookbook likes to use caraway)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp felfel u ciuma or harissa

3 red, yellow, or orange peppers; stems, seeds, and white membranes removed, and flesh cut into 5mm (1/4 in)-thick strips

2 ripe vine tomatoes, diced, or 10 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional) (i used 2 cans of diced tomatoes)

500g (1lb 2oz/generous 2 cups) passata (an italian tomato puree, you can use pureed tomatoes but passata is a bit thicker)

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh italian parsley

4 eggs

sea salt and black pepper to taste

bread to serve

many middle eastern cuisines claim this dish as their own. libyan jews are no exception, and those who migrated to italy took it with them. shakshuka has become popular all around the world and today, many of rome's kosher restaurants have it on their menus, reflecting not just the city's large libyan jewish population but also the food of israel, where shakshuka is very well known.

put the oil, garlic, 1 tsp of cumin or caraway, paprika, and felfel u ciuma or harissa (i used harissa and added an extra tsp) in a large, non-stick frying pan, stir and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. (before this, i sautéed some yellow onions)

add the peppers to the pan, stir, add a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, covered, over a low to medium heat for about 15 minutes until the peppers start to soften.

add the tomatoes (if using) and toss for 5 minutes, then add the passata with a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for another 20-25 minutes, covered, and stirring occasionally. remove the lid, add half the parsley, and the second tsp of cumin or caraway, stir and taste for seasoning. you can cook the eggs in the mixture straight away, or make the recipe up to this point and keep the sauce ready in the fridge for up to 3 days.

when you're ready to cook the eggs, make four dips in the sauce (reheating the sauce if you've made it ahead of time) with the back of a spoon and gently break an egg into each one. cover and simmer over a low to medium heat for 6-8 minutes until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny (oops...)

sprinkle with the remaining parsley and, if you like, a little more cumin or caraway. serve hot, ideally with bread.

harissa (from saffron shores):

4 large red bell peppers or pimientos, seeded, deribbed, and cut into pieces

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp caraway seeds, toasted and ground

1.5 to 2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

extra virgin olive oil as needed

in a meat grinder, food processor, or blender (you could probably also use mortar and pestle, it would just take longer), grind or puree the bell peppers or pimientos. strain, pressing on the solids with the back of a large spoon. you should have about 3/4 cup puree. stir in the garlic, spices, and salt. add oil for spoonability.

alternate harissa (also from saffron shores):

3 dried ancho chili peppers, soaked in hot water for 1 hour

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and ground (optional)

1 tsp salt

cayenne pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil for filming

drain the peppers. in a blender, combine the peppers, garlic, and seasonings, puree to a paste (could probably do in a mortar and pestle). pack in a hot sterilized jar and film the top with olive oil. seal and refrigerate for up to 6 weeks.

felfel u ciuma (from jewish flavors of italy):

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp ground caraway (optional)

2 tbsp water

simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to create a paste.

[tahthetrickster]

a recipe for pound cake

i was born and raised in the deep south. food has always been one of my love languages. making food for someone, accepting food someone made for me, sharing meals, sharing recipes, to me, all of these are different ways to tell someone i love them.

this is especially true for any sort of treat, as i call them. any sort of confection tbh. some of them are baked, some of them are just "fixed," they are all just Treats to me. i have a vicious sweet tooth, and that comes out in the treats i like to make.

this particular recipe comes from my late grandmother's recipe book. she compiled it years ago, had multiple copies printed through some on-demand make-your-own-cookbook printing service she found online, and gave them out as christmas gifts to multiple family members. this specific recipe, she mentions in the book, comes from my great-grandmother, her mother, who we all called mi-ma.

and if there is anything that little old southern ladies know how to do, it's make a mean cake.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature (~227 g)

2 1/2 cups, plus 3 tablespoons, of sugar (~672 g)

6 eggs, separated

3 cups all-purpose flour (~375 g)

1 cup sour cream, room temperature (~240 g)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (~1.5 g)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (~5 ml)

1 teaspoon lemon extract (~5ml)

DIRECTIONS:

cream the butter and sugar together

add the egg yolks

add the baking soda to the flour

alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the sour cream to the sugar mixture

add vanilla and lemon extracts to the egg whites, and beat to soft peaks

fold the beaten egg whites into the batter; mixture will be thick

grease either a bundt pan or a loaf pan about twice as much as you think you will need to. i am not joking. this batter is so incredibly sugary sticky and you will hate your life trying to get it to release if you don't grease the hell out of your pan.

put the pan into your COLD OVEN. COLD. DO NOT PRE-HEAT IT. PUT IT INTO THE OVEN COLD. then turn the oven to 300 degrees F (~149 C). bake 1 1/2 hours

let cool on a baking rack

be annoyed because you probably didn't grease the pan well enough

this is a dense, deliciously savory vanilla pound cake with a very lightly caramelized outer crust. they freeze well for make-ahead purposes, and they ship well for i-have-a-long-distance-friend-who-needs-a-treat purposes.

the first time i made this cake was after my grandmother died days before my father's birthday. it was my birthday cake for him that year, and i thought (hoped) that a cake from his mother's—his grandmother's—recipe might ease the heartache for just a moment. i did tell him as i cut each of us a slice where i got the recipe from, and joked that i'd never made it before, so it might not be as good as mi-ma or grandmama made it. he laughed and cut into his slice with a fork and—his eyes closed when he took a bite. and another. and then he smiled for the first time i'd seen in several days.

since then i've made the cake several more times, for friends and family in grief: frightening medical diagnoses. losing other friends. depressive bouts. and while i will not be boastful enough to claim that this pound cake actually cures anything, i WILL say that being sad with a slice of pound cake is a much nicer feeling than being sad without one. and you know what? that seems to be the general consensus among the recipients, too.

this is a pound cake that tastes like love.

i hope that this recipe helps other people to pass along some of that love too, whether to themselves or to someone else.

i think mi-ma and grandmama both would've liked that. :)

[hallow-witxh]

Pumpkin Cupcakes Feel-Good Abundance Spell Recipe

Yes yes yes, I know it's still summer and autumn is a loooong way away, but damnit, sometimes I want to call forth my Inner White Girl and indulge in pumpkin spice! Well, luckily for me (and for you!), I have a perfect recipe for you - because not only is it a dozen pumpkin spice mini cakes, but also a feel-good and abundance spell. So here's my abundance spell recipe - complete with cream cheese frosting and DIY pumpkin spice mix! So, without further ado, here we go!

What you'll need:

Pumpkin pie spice:

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (adds power to the spell, prosperity, success)

2 teaspoons ground ginger (adds strength to the spell)

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (money)

1 teaspoon ground allspice (money, luck)

1 teaspoon ground cloves (success)

Bowl

Spoon, fork, or whisk

Cakes:

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (banishes negativity)

1 cup pumpkin puree (granting wishes, prosperity)

3/4 cup melted butter (enhances peacefulness)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (abundance)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (self-love)

1/4 teaspoon salt (protection, grounding)

Cupcake liners (I like these! Unbleached, chlorine-free)

Wire rack (optional)

Whisk, hand mixer, or stand mixer

Large mixing bowl

Cream cheese frosting:

1/2 cup softened butter (enhances peacefulness)

8 ounces softened cream cheese (meeting goals)

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (banishes negativity)

splash of vanilla extract (self-love)

Large mixing bowl

Hand mixer, or stand mixer (trust me, you'll want a hand or stand mixer for this)

Piping bags (optional)

What you'll do:

Pumpkin pie spice:

Add all ingredients into a bowl

Mix mix mix

All done!

Cakes:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F) and line a 12-cup muffin baking pan with paper liners

Place the wet ingredients (eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, and butter) in a bowl or stand mixer bowl. Whisk or mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt) to the bowl. Stir until just combined.

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until just browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. A chopstick also works but leaves a bigger hole. Don't worry, you can cover it up with frosting.

Cool for a few minutes in the pan on the wire rack, then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely. Don't frost until the cupcakes are completely cool!

Cream cheese frosting:

Put the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer or a mixing bowl and mix until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix for a minute.

If the frosting is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. You can use any kind of milk, but I don't recommend soy.

Optionally, you can put the frosting in a piping bag and pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Or you can just dollop it on with a spoon. Or, if you're like a monster like me, you can put a cupcake in a bowl and scoop in some frosting with it. Oh who am I kidding, I mash it all up together like an ungodly goop...

I know it's a long post, but I promise it's actually quite easy! And delicious. Very, very delicious.

As always, practice safely, do your research, and blessed be!

Support your local witch on Ko-Fi!

[bakingtherapy]

Just Keep Baking #4 Irish Apple Cake

Sul Sul, gerbits. Today is Saint Patty’s day and because of that I wanted to find and share with you an Irish Apple cake recipe.

I will provide you with some history about Irish apple cakes. They were first steamed in pots besides an open fire. One of the main apples that you can see in Ireland is the crab apple. And Crab apples play an important part in Ireland and Celtic mythology.

Crab apples are very important to the legend of Avalon. One of the sacred places where Arthur went to recover from his wounds at the Battle of Camlann, is called the Isle of the Apple Trees.

Hearing the history of this dish, it makes sense why the apple flavor is not extremely prominent. Because they would have been using crab apples, not the large apples that we know so well. 

Okay, know that you know the history of this recipe. Let’s begin. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. And line a 10-inch cast iron skillet with parchment paper and set it aside.

The recipe will be in the description down below. 

You will need:

flour

baking powder

butter

white sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

1 egg

milk

vanilla.

About 1 cup of apples, which makes sense because crab apples are relatively small.

You will also need a little more sugar, cloves and cinnamon. 

Add the flour and baking powder to a medium bowl. Cut 8 tablespoons of butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs. Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the flour and butter mixture. Whisk sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into the flour and butter mixture. 

Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the milk, egg, and vanilla. Almost like a scone dough. Mix until soft dough forms.

Put dough into the parchment-lined skillet . Lay thinly sliced apples on the dough. Sprinkle over the apples a teaspoon of sugar and a few dashes of each cinnamon and cloves.

The skillet should be placed on the middle shelf of your oven. 

You will need to bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

The recipe states that you can broil it for 2-3 minutes if you want. 

Let the cake cool slightly. Cut it into wedges and dust it with powdered sugar, if you like. 

This was another simple apple recipe, and I was fascinated with how apple cakes vary across countries. Most of the ingredients are the same, but the procedure is different, so the outcome is different. I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Check out the recipe down below. Vadish, Dag Dag. 

Show the original author some 💖💖💖 31 Daily

Printable version of this recipe: on the blog

Feel free to support me on:

🐥Patreon 🐥 Kofi 🐥 Facebook 🐥 Pinterest 🐥

[robbybirdy]

Boston Cream Cake Pt II

Hey, every birdy. Now that you have seen the original recipe for the Boston Cream Cake. You will understand that I can’t replicate it. I was talking to Pop (my dad) about what I should do as a milestone marker for 1K followers, and he suggested that I share this recipe with you all and then do the math. For those of you who don’t know, math has never really been my strong suit. 

So I have no idea how this is going to go. I am doing this post a bit differently. I am going to write up my equation and measurements that I got, and then I am going to bake the cake with the measurements and see if it is right. 

Another reason why I needed to do this was because I didn't want to use a lot of eggs. In the whole recipe that I converted I am only going to be using 9 eggs, which seems like a lot but in contrast, really isn’t. 

The equation that I came up with was:

Lbs = cups/ 100 = measurement then convert to grams = grams / 2 = measurement needed 

This makes no sense written like this. But let me show you how I figured it out with the first ingredient of the cake shortening. 

The original recipe calls for 21 lbs of shortening. 

21 lbs of shortening are 43.81 cups. 43.81/100 equals 0.43 cups. 0.43 cups is equal to 93 grams. 93 grams divided by 2 is 46.5 grams or 3 Tablespoons. So it is a bit complicated but I want to see if my math works. 

I hope you all are still with me, and didn’t fall asleep with all the numbers. 

So with that being said. For the cake this is my number and for the simplicity of everything. I am going to keep the ingredients in grams. 

47 grams shortening

136 grams of cake flour (All Purpose minus 1 tablespoon. And add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch)

84 grams sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp milk 

4 eggs 

43 grams water 

½ vanilla

½ tsp butter 

The directions for the recipe will be the same. Put the cake shorting, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk powder in a large bowl. 

Add water, vanilla, and butter slowly until ingredients come together, making sure to scrape down the sides. 

Next, you are going to add the eggs and mix for 3 minutes. 

Scrape down the bowl and continue until well mixed. 

This is where it is going to be different. 

Instead of using the 1-pound 8 oz pans. I am going to be using 9-inch cake pans. Because I don’t want to slice the cake in half horizontally. I think and hope that it will work. Only future Robby will know that information. 

Now onto the filling. Using the same equation for the cake recipe. 

390 grams of milk

102 grams of sugar 

2 Tbsps Cornstarch

5 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

Put all the ingredients in a pan and cook until thickened. Ice the cake with frosting. 

The frosting, using the same equation

113 grams sugar

½ Tbsp Karo syrup 

3 teaspoons water

½ Tablespoon Shortening

6 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

¼ tsp vanilla

Put all ingredients in a pan. Heat until smooth. Ice the cake on top only. Hopefully, my math is correct and it makes only one cake. 

Prediction: I think it is going to be a balanced dessert if nothing else. Because from the looks of it, the cake itself isn’t extremely sweet. It’s the filling and the frosting that is sweet. And I hope that it comes out looking and tasting good. I will always have my parent’s voice in my head “it doesn’t matter what it looks like, as long as it tastes good!”

Result: 

MY MATH WAS CORRECT. 

I am so excited that it came out, and was edible. I can’t believe it. I mean I can, but I am a bit shocked. Because again math was never really my strong suit back in school. Even with saying that though one math class that I took in college was literally a math class called “Math of Cooking.”

Everyone told me that it tasted really good. My only criticism about this particular cake and my measurements would be to add a little bit more flour to the cake recipe. And maybe even a little bit more milk. Because when I took the cakes out of the oven they kinda looked like pancakes rather than cakes. So if I were to make the recipe again (which I think I might because it was fun to make. )

As we were going to bed, my mom told me that her only criticism was that she needed more custard in the middle. She said that it was good and she just needed a bit more. This was nice to hear. I had forgotten how to make a custard because I didn't temper the eggs before putting them on the stove. So there was a little part of me that was afraid that I was putting sweet scrambled eggs on my cake. 

My dad told me that he really liked the frosting and how I put it together. You should have seen us at Walmart the three of us (Mom, Pop, and I) trying to figure out what in the world “royal fudge” was and he was the one who ended up figuring it out. 

The moments when I am cutting the cake are sometimes the longest. Because some people have the dessert and they don’t want to say anything until I am in the room. To give me the results. Sometimes I don’t know if they are quiet because they are stifling a laugh about how weird it tastes, or if they are quiet because of how good it is. Thankfully with this cake, it was the latter. And I am so grateful. They all said that it was really good.

It wasn’t overly sweet. This is something that I strive for when baking because a dessert that is too sweet is not something that I want to give my family. I don’t know. It’s just a personal thing. I just don’t like overly, sickeningly sweet desserts. 

I am so over the moon that this worked. Thank you all for your likes, comments reblogs, and follows. You have helped me in more ways than one. And I hope that you continue to follow my journey. 

Thank you once again for helping me get to 1000 followers. I love each and every one of you, and I hope to see you in the next post. 

Oh my gosh this was a long one. But, I had such a fun time putting this post together. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

Here is the condensed version of the recipe. Without the equation.

Boston Cream Cake

47 g shortening

136 g Cake Flour (I used all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp of Cornstarch)

84 g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp milk

4 eggs

43 g water

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp butter

Put cake shortening, flour, sugar baking powder, salt, and milk powder in a very large bowl. Add water, vanilla, and butter flavor slowly until the ingredients come together. Scrape down the bowl. Next, add eggs, slowly mix for 3 minutes, scrape the bowl, and continue until well mixed. I used 2 - 9-inch cake pans, (if you want them to come out more like cake and less like pancakes,) I suggest using 2 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Spread with cream filling (recipe Follows)

Boston Cream Filling :

390 g milk

102 g sugar

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

5 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in a pan and cook until thickened. The next time I make this recipe I will do this part differently. I will heat up the milk and sugar first. And when it gets to simmer I will temper my eggs and cornstarch. and I will add the vanilla and salt when it is all done. Ice the cake with frosting

Chocolate frosting for Boston Cream Cake:

113 g sugar

1/2 Tbsp Karo Syrup

3 teaspoons water

1/2 Tablespoon shortening

6 Tbsps cocoa powder

2 Tbsps milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in a pan, and heat until smooth. Ice the cake on the top only. Or where it wants to go. And enjoy

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I tried out your chocolate orange cupcake recipe today and it's so delicious! Thank you for sharing it!

Oh, thank you so much for letting me know! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

For reference in case anyone didn't see the post, I have this absolutely bangin' chocolate orange cupcake recipe and it's what I imagine Ed and Stede's wedding cake would be (wrote about that in this fic). I'm putting the recipe below the cut here if anyone else wants to try it!

I like to make cupcakes with this recipe, they're delicious little fuckers that your family will request for literally every holiday and function. Even people who don't like oranges will go crazy for these. I have not known peace since I started baking these because people are always calling me saying "hey can you make those cupcakes." This recipe is Kosher dairy.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. For cupcakes you'll want to bake them for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, for a cake this goes well in a 9x13 inch baking pan and it'll take about 25 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. That's how it is for my oven, just keep an eye on em.

You'll need:

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder (Hershey's brand is what I use, pretty much anything is fine)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp fresh orange zest, or 3 tsp orange extract if you don't feel like zesting an orange

1 cup buttermilk. You're gonna be sat there thinking "can I use regular milk" and like you CAN but DO NOT. The acidity from the buttermilk will work so fucking well with these, just trust me on this one you'll thank me later.

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water

Combine your wet ingredients, tossing the sugar in with the wet. Use a whisk to mix together your dry ingredients, then add the mixture to your wet about a cup at a time, mixing until smooth. You should wind up with a very thin batter.

The first time you bake these, keep a close eye on them - my cooking times up there are what work for me, but you really want to get these out of the oven before they have time to overbake. As soon as a toothpick comes out clean they're done, and you'll have a very light, moist cake on your hands.

[rosiesravishingrecipeblog]

Hello, Rosie!

What are some of your favorite ways to cook an ex? I'm not very skilled in the kitchen, but I'm eager to learn and I see no reason to let any... resources... go to waste.

Hello darling!!

A great place to start is with a nice meatloaf, I have a great recipe, very beginner friendly and absolutely delicious! Note that this makes 2 pounds per recipe, however there’s always freezing for later- and if you want make some jerky to snack on I also have quite the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

2lbs of Ex (ground preferably, avoid intestines and ‘soft’ meat, aim for thigh, rump, or arm! I have a butchering chart I’ll link)

1 cup of Crumbs (I prefer cornbread however any breadcrumbs work! all a matter of taste)

2 eggs (eggs make your mixture hold together, they’re called a binding agent!, beat both eggs together like you’re making a scramble)

1 small onion OR 1/2 a regular onion (diced, i can link a video on how to Dice an onion! Onion should be WHITE or YELLOW!!)

2 cloves garlic (Smash them darling! then chop a ridiculous amount! I recommend an insta chop they’re so nifty….)

Salt, Oregano, Pepper, to taste

For the SAUCE

3/4 Ketchup (or more! this goes on top while baking so if you want more have more! just adjust your other ingredients accordingly)

1/4 BBQ

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce (optional! the bbq will give the tang you need!)

2 TBSP brown sugar (a touch of sweetness!)

A little bit of blood just for fun <3

STEPS

Preheat oven to 375, get a baking sheet, if you want, line with PARCHMENT paper

Start by mixing your first list of ingredients together in a big bowl, (Meat, Onion, garlic, Crumbs, seasoning) Mash, like dough. Careful not to over mix because over mixing will cause the eggs to become dense!

Put a little of the Ketchup Sauce in (about half) and do one final smush, and now you’re ready to roll onto your baking sheet!

You can make multiple small Meatloafs or one big meatloaf, shape to your desired density etc (if said ex is male i recommend making the famed dick cake, quite satisfying to Cut into)

Spread the remaining ketchup Mixture on top and Bake for about an hour!

And then you’ve got a delicious meal- turns out he WAS good for something…..

I hope that Ex doesn’t trouble you anymore Darling…

Ta!

Rosie

[plaguedoctormemes]

drop the chicken paprikash resippy 👀

caveat: I don’t use a lot a measurements and just use my eye/intuition/taste buds a lot, so if you need specific measurements you’ll probably be better off following a dedicated recipe online or comparing them to mine. Also, my recipe is by no means traditional as I am just a latino dude living in the southwest and i’m Not Hungarian in any way, and this is a riff off of my mom’s dish rather than the traditional dish itself. I also like to be really descriptive so there’s a lot of steps but this recipe is, in reality, mega easy lol. Okay-

This dish contains dairy. You can try dairy-free sour cream but I’ve never tried it. Lactose-free sour cream is a perfectly fine substitute though!

(Serves 4)

Cookery:

- a large pot big enough to line thighs on the bottom

- A wooden spoon or spatula to stir with, and tongs or something to take out the chicken with.

Ingredients:

- Chicken thighs with skins on (i really do not recommend skinless or substituting for breasts at all) enough for 1 or 2 per person

- 1 white or sweet yellow onion

- 3-4 cloves of garlic

- 5 large carrots, or two handfuls of baby carrots.

- 3 Russet Potatoes

- Sour cream (you can use 8 oz, i like to use 16oz because i always use a little more than half)

- Chicken broth (at least 4 cups, I used almost a whole 32 oz carton.)

- Any neutral oil (for frying), olive oil is ok though

- Salt and pepper

- Paprika (If you can get hungarian paprika that’s preferred, but otherwise dont sweat it. The dish is called Paprikash so make sure you have plenty)

- Cayenne pepper

- Dried red pepper strips (I happened to have a bag of them from Trader Joes. This is kinda optional but i liked it so much that i recommend it.)

Optional Ingredients:

- Any other vegetable you want (corn, peas, green beans or diced fresh bell pepper would be good!)

- Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning (for seasoning the chicken, i put this shit in everything tbh)

- Parsley (for color)

Directions:

1. Season thighs liberally with salt, pepper (and tony chachere’s seasoning if available), allow to sit for 30 minutes or while you chop veggies.

2. Pre-cook the potatoes partway by using a microwave, oven, or cubing and boiling in water until almost done. I used a microwave since it’s much faster.

3. While potatoes are cooking, slice onion horizontally (into rings) or vertically (into strips), whichever you’d prefer. Slice large carrots into 1/2 cm coins or baby carrots in half. Smash and mince your garlic.

5. Blend entire bag of dried red pepper. It seems like a lot, but it’s not since peppers are mostly air now. If you don’t have a blender, use a mortar and pestle or put into a bag and smash the fuck out of those guys until theyre a powder. It’s okay if it’s not super duper fine. If you dont have dried red pepper, skip this step.

6. Whenever your potatoes are half done, take them out of whatever vessel you chose and carefully cut into large cubes (theyre probably really hot!)

7. At med-high heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil to your pot, enough to coat the bottom. Add your thighs skin side DOWN so that theyre in direct contact with the bottom. Allow the thighs’ fat to render out and the skin to brown a bit. It should take about 6 minutes. If the skin hasnt taken on a lot of color yet, that’s ok- allow a few more minutes and then flip the thighs. Allow the bottoms to cook for another 5 minutes in the rendered fat then remove.

8. Now put in your carrots, garlic, and onion in the pan to cook in the rendered chicken fat. Scrape whatever yummy brown fond has built on the bottom. Don’t sweat about scraping it all up, as youll get most of it later. Cook until carrots are softened but still a little firm and onions are starting to turn translucent.

9. Add your cubed potatoes in with the other vegetables, give them a toss, and take off of the heat so you can add the seasonings- papricka scorches easily. Most recipes use ~3tbs, I swear I always use more like 4. Also add in your powdered red pepper here, as well as 1 tbs of cayenne some more salt and pepper. Mix everything and bring back to the heat, which you will reduce to Medium.

10. Pour in your chicken broth, enough to submerge all of the vegetables. Add about 3 generous spoonfuls of sour cream, mixing it in so that the soup is now a creamy, luscious gravy. It’s important to not have the pot much hotter than Medium so that the sour cream doesnt curdle. This is a good time to do some extra fond-scraping if you couldnt get a lot earlier! The potatoes may soften and deteriorate, and that’s fine.

11. Re-place the thighs back into the pot as well, making sure theyre covered in the gravy. If the liquid doesnt cover the thighs, add some more chicken broth and sour cream until it does.

12. Chop up or tear up a handful of parsley and add.

13. Cover pot with a lid and allow everything to come back to a boil. Let everything mingle together for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will re-heat the thighs and finish cooking them. You can also taste the gravy for salt and adjust accordingly. This is also a good time to add some frozen corn, peas and stuff if desired.

And that’s it! You can serve this on top of egg noodles as well since thats pretty traditional, but the thighs and veggies alone with the gravy makes for a very savory and hearty dinner. Make sure you add another ladle-full of gravy on top.

This dish will result in something that sort of resembles a stew with a bright vibrant reddish zesty and creamy gravy, tender vegetables and juicy, tender chicken. The gravy should be chickeny, savory, and delightfully creamy. Paprika is already powdered red pepper, but I feel like adding just normal powdered paprika and then the freshly blended dried red pepper adds an additional fresh, sweet richness to the sauce. Thighs still have the bone in it, so i usually eat this dish with a fork and use my fingers to carefully tear the meat off the bone, and then just pick up the bone once it’s cooled off a little and gnaw on the rest of the meat and the softened cartilage.

My partner and friends really liked it. Next time we’re going to add some chipotle or southwestern red chile to it for some more spice and smokiness to try out.

[personifiedmachinery]

Making whipped cream; A Saga.

I had a lot of heavy whipping cream + orange flavored milk that i needed to use. So i decided to see if i could use the milk to flavor whipped cream.

The internet was acting like it couldn't be done. No matter how i worded my search, i came back with nothing. But i didn't want the ingredients to go bad! I have a stand mixer and nothing to lose, so i took matters into my own hands and decided to experiment. I knew it had to be possible. And i was right! It takes a few extra ingredients than your standard whipped cream but i made it work.

Of course, i first put my mixing bowl+whisk attachment in the freezer. Most recipes say to do this for 15 minutes. Well, immediately i forgot about it, ate dinner, and sat watching tv for maybe around 3 hours. This is fine. Honestly.. i say the longer the better. Makes the bowl stay cold longer (maybe, i don't actually know. But my brain says yes.)

I had exactly 3 cups of whipping cream. I added 1/2 cup of the orange flavored milk. My recipe asked for 2 cups of whipping cream and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. That's about a 1/4 cup of sugar per 1 cup of cream, so i increased it by 1/4. I realized my milk may also count in this so i added another 2 tbs (half of 1/4 if you weren't sure). For a stabilized whipped cream you need about 2oz of cream cheese. I didnt want to increase this much as the flavor of cream cheese can be overpowering. So i put in maybe around 3oz. And then i got to mixing.

Normally when i make whipped cream it takes maybe 5-ish minutes to whip up. But 5 minutes came and went with little changes. It was at this point i realized my flavored milk was not actually whole milk as i had initially thought! Whole milk is needed because the fat content is essential to make it whip. To fix the fat content of milk, you need butter. But i couldn't find a ratio for the small amount i had. So here i measured the butter with my heart. I added maybe 2-3tbsp. I can't be sure. Then i kept mixing. Time passed. It's been another 10 minutes and sure, it's thickened, but it hasn't whipped. I was considering calling it a fail and just using the extra thickened cream in milkshakes or as a coffee creamer. But hey, the evening is young, and i have nowhere to be. I kept going.

My last ditch was adding a bit of cream of tartar. Just about a teaspoon. Yes, it adds a tang, but it's already orange flavored so who would notice, really? Not i. I threw it in. Another 5 minutes with only nominal thickening. "Damn," i think. "Maybe it really can't be done?"

But i'm not quitter. Or at the very least, i am extremely stubborn before quitting. "It has thickened!," i say to myself. So i continue mixing. Another 5 minutes, i'm watching it so closely now. And finally... it whips! A glorious moment and it whips up thick, and fluffy, and delicious!

Admittedly it's not quite as airy as when i usually make it, but it formed peaks and holds shape, and that's all i can ask for in a whipped cream. And of course, because i am an adult and can decide what i eat for myself, i put a nice helping in a bowl and ate it alone like a wonderful fluffed, pudding dessert. Could i put it on a cake? Sure, but i don't have a cake right now, nor was i willing to make one as the entire endeavor took around 30 minutes. While i do have mostly an abundance of time, i do lack stamina. So i'm calling it mousse now and feeding it to everyone because it's delicious.

Now maybe all of this would've been obvious to others, and they could have just avoided the whole kerfuffle and just put the cream of tartar from the beginning, but it was not obvious to me, and maybe for a lot of others. Especially because i could not find a single recipe with flavored milk added in.

For those who would like to do this, here is the recipe:

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup flavored milk

2-3 tbs melted butter (skip if the flavored milk is whole milk)

3/4 cup + 2 tbs powdered sugar

2-3 oz cream cheese

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla (optional honestly, i sometimes forget it)

Chill your mixing bowl and attachment for 15 minutes (or a few hours, whatever). Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamed. Then throw in everything else. I like to mix it around medium speed for a little after added the liquid just so it doesn't splash everywhere. When it's more creamy, turn the speed on high. Wait. You want soft peaks and it should hold shape when you scoop it with a spoon. Have patience, but keep an eye on it. Don't overmix. Enjoy on whatever you like whipped cream on or on its own. I'm not your mom.

[elminx]

Winter Pesto: A Great February Pick-Me-Up

I’d be amiss to call myself the Pesto-Mystic and NOT talk about pesto sooner rather than later! As both a green witch and a kitchen witch, pesto is one of my all-time favorite things to make – it’s easy, comes together in less than 10 minutes, and always tastes AH-MAZING, am I right, or am I right?!? Plus, in the middle of the Winter, eating green food feels like shoving a hint of Summer into my mouth and I am all over that!

Though basil owns my heart and soul, during the dreary Winter months here in Southern New England, I turn to baby spinach for my pesto needs. By mid-winter I am always starved for a good meal full of vegetables that don’t look like they should have been eaten two weeks ago and this meal does the trick. I pair the spinach with a hearty nut like walnut or almond, a nice salty cheese like feta, and a healthy dose of garlic but any and all of these are up for adaptations – all that a pesto truly needs is the leaves and the oil. Winter Pesto can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese or nut-free though both are part of the peak pesto experience for me.

My partner and I can eat pesto for days and days so this recipe will make enough for 3-4 meals depending on how much you like to eat at a time. It can easily be halved or quartered but I promise, once you’ve tasted this – you’ll want more!

There are SO many things that you can do with this pesto! You can add it to some pasta after it has cooked (like all pestos – this is meant to be a raw/uncooked sauce – just throw it in with 1/2 cup of the pasta water right before serving). You can add it to cooked meat before you serve. It’s great on cheese and crackers. It tastes AMAZING on eggs of all varieties (putting it inside an omelet is one of the only ways that I’ll actually cook it). It tastes great on baked potatoes. It can be added as a topping to many types of soup – if you haven’t had a good minestrone with pesto on top, you’re missing out!

As far as the witching goes – this pesto is GREEN. I tend to go with the overall color association and make it for abundance, growth, or money drawing – depending on what I need at the time. The garlic (if used) can add an element of protection or purification, dealers choice. The healthy dose of iron and trace minerals that you’ll get from the spinach will make you feel GREAT which really makes you know it’s working.

Making pesto is super simple, a good food processor helps but isn’t necessary. If you do make it by hand, make sure to mince the spinach and finely chop the nuts if adding. I use a food processor to keep the consistency and emulsify the olive oil. Ingredients

5 oz. Baby Spinach

1-4 cloves of fresh garlic (based on size and your tastes)

1/4 cup hearty nuts (almonds or walnuts) – optional

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese – optional

3-4 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mince or finely chop (using a food processor simplifies this process) until all ingredients are uniform in size, combine with olive oil until well coated. Serve raw/uncooked. Notes: Because feta is naturally salty, I do not salt this recipe – if omitting or using a lower salted cheese in its stead consider adding salt during the processing.

Do you like my work? You can tip me on Kofi.

[literaryartisan]

Today’s a rough day for a lot of us, I’d love to know:

-a recent fun fact

-a recipe you’d like to share

-a solid song

-if u know ur my buddy? bc u are

<3 you're my buddy too!!! How about a recipe? I took this from the back of a box of pasta years ago and now it's my go-to for work potlucks or if I just want to meal prep a week's worth of easy lunches. It's very versatile and has a lot of veggies! Alter it to your liking Rainbow Rotini Antipasti Salad

That's what Golden Grain calls it and I call it something like "that tricolor rotini veggie pasta thing", completely forgetting that "antipasti" is a word.

The Ingredients (I almost pasted a picture of my hero Racheal Kundananji in here oops):

12 ounces Golden Grain® Tri-Color Rotini (that's the whole box)

2-1/2 cups small broccoli florets (you can omit if you don't like broccoli. I like broccoli)

1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese (like half of a 16oz block of mozzarella. also I only just now realized pepper jack would probably work really well?? I might try that next time)

3/4 cup sliced pepperoni, halved (I like to use turkey pepperoni. You can also just omit this if you don't want meat in it!)

1/2 cup red or green bell pepper strips (whichever color is on sale is a good one to get. I also like to try to make this at the same time as something else that uses bell peppers like fajitas because 1/2 a cup isn't much unless you got a tiny pepper. alternatively: just put the whole pepper in there) (oh, also I like to make them more like squares than strips? it's easier to dish up and eat because bite size rectangles match the size of everything else better than long strips)

1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced (see above re: making another dish that uses this ingredient. I can only find GINORMOUS red onions, so the rest went into my fajitas)

3/4 cup bottled Italian dressing (I use Wishbone Zesty Robusto Italian Dressing I think because I forgot it doesn't say "zesty" in the recipe?? there's enough in the bottle for like 2 of these salads with some extra and it keeps well. use whatever italian dressing you want, or experiment with other dressings if you don't like italian)

Bonus ingredients not in the recipe!! 1 can sliced black olives (I love olives and you know only half a can actually made it in)

1-2 cucumbers, peeled and cubed (number depends on size of cucumber. I don't usually do this if it's just for myself, the cucumber doesn't keep as long)

honestly you could probably throw shredded carrots or other croncier veggies in here. maybe some green onions. jicama??? I haven't tried any of those but you can do what you want forever.

The Directions from the Golden Grain website:

1 - Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last minute of cooking time. Drain, rinse well with cold water; drain again.

2 - In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, tossing together to distribute dressing.

3 - Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cook's Tip: If you're refrigerating the salad until serving, be sure to toss it gently just prior to serving, adding a few splashes of dressing if needed.

My tips!! Fill the pot with water, put it on the stove, and then start chopping veggies while you wait for the water to boil. You'll want to set the broccoli aside to blanche it in the pasta water (this step is worth taking) but otherwise just throw everything into your large bowl.

Don't feel rushed if the pasta is almost ready, you still need to drain it and rinse it and let it cool down!! Adding it to the bowl warm will melt the cheese and maybe even partially cook the other veggie depending how hot the pasta is (ask me how i know!!!) Just make it wait its turn until you have everything else ready. It all comes together in half an hour or less, depending how fast your chopping skills are (mine are slow) and how quickly your pasta water comes to boil.

This makes A LOT. If you're making it just for you be prepared to be eating it almost every day for about a week.

[spacelazarwolf]

marag ab adass (lentil soup) - iraq

cookbook: mama nazima’s jewish iraqi cuisine

total time from start to finish: 40 minutes

rating system

difficulty: 3 (pretty easy) this recipe does require some basic knife skills to chop the veggies but overall it's a very beginner friendly recipe.

rating: 4 very good, i'd definitely make it again.

this was really good. i think when i make it again i’m going to soak the rice and lentils before i put them in the pot. i also added more salt than the recipe called for because it just didn’t quite feel like enough. i also forgot the mint and didn’t have shallots so that’s on me, but overall this was really filling and tasted great. i served it with moroccan semolina bread (which i can also review if y'all want)

recipe:

2 tsp olive oil (i used more)

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 tsp salt (i used more)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup dried green lentils

1 cup dried orange lentils

3 large tomatoes, minced

1/2 cup (about 4) chopped scallions

1/4 cup (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint

heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the onion. sauté until golden brown. add celery, garlic, salt, and spices and stir for one minute over high heat (toast your spices beforehand for best flavor). add rice, lentils, and tomatoes, reduce to medium heat, add 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about half an hour or until the rice and lentils are cooked all the way through. remove from heat and stir in the scallions and mint.

"sh'rubo ala kad haltoo" ("let him drink as much as he can tolerate") means that one should allow a person to do what he is capable of doing, without pushing him beyond his ability.

[srk-bugboy]

Pierogi & Kielbasa Curry

This is a Polish-Indian fusion dish that is one of my favorite meals to make. The Gujarati spice base with Polish staples makes for a very tasty and hearty stew-like curry. Enjoy :)

NB: If an ingredient doesn't have an amount next to it, it is intended to be eyeballed to the maker's preference. Additionally, be sure to check the footnotes at the bottom before asking any questions. My inbox is always open.

Ingredients

Vaghar Vegetable Oil 1 Cinnamon stick 5-10 Cloves Cumin seeds Black mustard seeds Fenugreek seeds 1 Dash of hing (asafoetida) (1)

Contents 1 Onion Garlic (2) 12 Potato & Farmer's Cheese Pierogi (3) 1 Kielbasa (14 oz.) (4) 2 Tomatos Water ~1 tsp. Tomato paste

Spices and Thickeners Cumin powder Coriander powder Paprika Garam masala (5) Chili powder (6) ~1 cup Sour cream (7) Potato Flakes

Instructions

Start by mincing the garlic and dicing the onions and tomatos. Then Put them to the side. To make the vaghar, put the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. After about a minute of letting it heat up, add all of the whole spices to the pot (cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds). Stir the spices a little to make sure they are coated in the oil. Once the cumin seeds begin to toast and change color, add the hing and stir again. The goal here is to infuse the oil with the flavor of the spices, so once you feel that has been accomplished(8), add the garlic and onions and begin sauteing(9).

Once the onions start to brown, add the kielbasa and all of the pierogi. Be sure to stir carefully so as to not poke holes in the pierogi, and make sure there is enough oil to prevent the pierogi from sticking and tearing open. If you notice things starting to stick, add more vegetable oil. Ultimately, the goal at this stage is to fry the pierogi skins to prevent them from becoming soggy after you add the water and infuse the pierogi and kielbasa with the flavor of the spices. Once you feel that is done, add the diced tomatos (juice and all) to the pot, and fill with water until everything is covered. add the tomato paste and stir.

Add all of the ground spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, and garam masala, and chili powder(10)) and stir. Turn the stove up to high, and stir. Continue to stir carefully so as to avoid tearing pierogi, and try diligently to keep things off the bottom of the pot because they will stick easily. Once the curry starts to boil, turn the heat down to low/simmer and add the sour cream. Once you are happy with the amount of sour cream you have added, thicken the curry the rest of the way to your preference with the potato flakes.

Footnotes

Ingredients (1) If you cannot obtain the hing or garam masala, don't sweat it. They are not integral parts of the recipe. (2) Feel free to economize anything in this recipe. I frequently use garlic powder instead of garlic and canned diced tomatos when I am busy. The recipe above in its current form is intended to represent the freshest possible version of it. Do not drive yourself crazy trying to make it perfect. (3) Be careful with pierogi that simply call themselves "potato and cheese." I know at least in the United States a lot of the potato and cheese pierogi use cheddar, which would not work for this recipe. Alternatively, you could use plain potato pierogi and make the farmer's cheese yourself (to my knowledge all you have to do is boil milk, add sour cream till it curdles, and strain the curds) and add it seperately to the curry. (4) Preferably, use turkey or chicken kielbasa to avoid accidentally committing a heresy against one of the two cultures this dish is from. (5) Generally, its highly unusual for turmeric to be lacking from the list of spices in a curry like this, but in my earliest attempts with this recipe, I noticed it was clashing with the spices usually found in kielbasa. If you want to try adding it anyways, be my guest. (6) I actually usually don't add chili powder since this curry is already naturally so mild I most often make it for spice-averse audiences, but hypothetically just chili powder shouldn't really increase the heat much because of all the dairy. Therefore, if you're interested in making this recipe with all the heat of a traditional indian curry, I recommend adding a few whole, dried red chilis to the vaghar as well as a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce when you start cooking the onions. (7) 1 cup is what i most commonly add, but really how much you want to add is entirely dependent on how much you like sour cream. You could easily put in 2 cups as well. You could also put in 1/2 a cup and and have sour cream available for people to add to their individual bowls. Instructions (8) the other goal here is to not burn the spices. It can be a fine line trying to infuse as much of their flavor as possible into the oil without overheating them. All you can do is try to gauge if its infused by smell. Ultimately, if the scent of the vaghar becomes smoky, just add the onions immediately to prevent any further burning. (9) I also like to add a small amount of all the ground spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, and garam masala) or a teaspoon of curry paste to the onions here as well. This helps give the onions, kielbasa and pierogi more of that flavor, but it also absorbs oil and makes things easier to stick the bottom of the pot, so judge for yourself whether its worth it. (10) see 6. It is not necessary to add the chili powder unless you like heat.

[punkbakerchristine]

been getting some questions what with January 20th looming and an era that I know we’re going to collectively use to our advantage lest we languish in our own misery—seriously, I have faith in us. We have been through it before, we can pull through again. So I’m gonna go out of my way to answer them as best as I can.

about flour:

For the most part, I use basic all-purpose flour. Unbleached—it’s okay to use bleached once in a while (like if they’re out of stock or something), but unbleached is the way to go because it has all its protein, minerals, and most of its gluten. In other words, it’s healthier.

sometimes, for my breads, I use bread flour, which is stronger and contains more gluten (i.e., you get more of a rise during the proving process). In some places, like in Britain or Canada, they put good minerals into their bread flour which help with the rise as well, like sometimes in British recipes, they’ll call for “strong bread flour” or “strong white flour”—they’re cold climates so they’ve learned to adapt with it.

cake flour is basically a.p.f. mixed with cornstarch so it’s very light and airy. It’s particularly good in cupcakes and any kind of pastry.

apparently there’s also pastry flour? I’ve never actually seen it before but I’m guessing it’s best for all your Danish pastry needs and anything that requires a “book turn”.

self-rising flour is basically a.p.f. with baking powder and a little salt. 1 cup of a.p.f. ( - 1 3/4 teaspoons) + 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder + 1/4 salt = 1 cup of self-rising flour.

for a while, I had whole wheat flour in the cupboard and I used that in a soda bread, a rye bread, cookies, and I think carrot cake? I also used it in my first sourdough starter. Not nearly as refined so it’s significantly healthier and heartier. It is a bit more expensive, though (no clue why, either), so use sparingly if and when you can.

rye flour is good for all your rye breads and rye bread needs. Very grassy and when used in bread, it’s heavier so it needs more time to proof.

semolina flour is used in continental breads like baguettes and ciabatta, English muffins, and also in pizza crust. If you can’t find semolina, corn meal works in identical fashion (i use corn meal all the time for my pizzas and English muffins).

almond flour is not flour but ground almonds—I once saw someone in my bread making group on Facebook try to make a sourdough starter with almond flour and they were baffled as to why nothing was happening (probably because you’re using ground nuts!). I see it used in macarons and dacquoise, anything light and delicate.

there’s all manner of “alternative” flours like that out there: almond, cashew, oat, arrowroot, but they’re all used more often in sweet baked goods like cakes or cookies, because they don’t really produce gluten, or they do but not in the fashion you want, though. You’d have hell of a time trying to make a loaf of bread using oat flour.

However: you have what are known as “ancient” grains: spelt, sorghum, millet, einkorn, emmer, amaranth, teff, farro, barley, and khorasan. I have yet to use spelt flour, but these grains have been with us for millennia, and in my humble, more or less informed opinion, they’re the best if you’re gluten free or know someone who is. Einkorn and amaranth in particular are easy on your digestive tract.

and because I’m not rich, I use store brand stuff. Works just as fine, if not better (hey, my chocolate babka won 1st place using store brand a.p.f. and chocolate chips!) If I was, though: go with Gold Medal. It’s the one I remember most from my mom’s baking heyday as well as my grandparents’ cupboard.

happy bread making! take care of yourself and each other!