I was amazed at how much of cooking was simple. Simple, 101-level stuff that they somehow forgot to tell us in school…but that an intelligent 10-year-old could do.
And once I started learning all these simple things, I could do anything!
- I can look at a recipe (because Pinterest has a million recipes…that’s a conservative estimate), and know whether it will work or not.
- I can look at a bread recipe and make adjustments before you even start.
- I can make pasta. (It is BEYOND easy. You don’t even need a bowl…you can literally mix it on the counter if you want).
- Oh, and I now eat delicious food. Better than I’ll ever find in a store or restaurant. Trust me.
- When I do eat out, I pick better things on the menu because food is now an adventure of tastes and methods.
Why visit here? After all, there are master chefs out there who can explain bread and know more about the complex history behind bread than anyone. True. But if you’re anything like me, while the history of grain since the beginning of time is interesting, it isn’t going to affect the loaf of bread in front of me.
What is going to affect the loaf of bread is knowing the following: you really only need 4 ingredients to make bread. Everything else is optional.
You can navigate to the sub-pages:
• Ingredients
• Substitutes
• Cooking 101
• Cooking 201
-or- all the posts are below.
How to Make Perfect Cake Pops: Part 2- Recipe & Instructions
This originally started as a single post. Then I discovered so much information, did so much testing, and researched so ...
How to Make Perfect Cake Pops: Part 1- Questions & Answers
This originally started as a single post. Then I discovered so much information, did so much testing, and researched so ...
The Ultimate KitchenAid Mixer Review: KitchenAid Comparison Chart & Everything You Need to Know
A KitchenAid Stand Mixer is a fairly big investment for the average household. So you're going to want to buy ...
How to Develop A Recipe (or Improve One)
I get a lot of compliments on my recipes. I've also gotten constructive criticism. And some not so constructive, but ...
Cilantro: All About and How to Choose the Best Substitute
Ahhh, delicious cilantro. At least, it's delicious to me. Cilantro is the single herb that causes debate and hatred that ...
Bread Making 101: How to Make Bread, Everything You Need to Know
There are a few things in the baking world that seem almost magical to others. Bread making is one of those. To ...
How to Bake the Perfect Loaf of French Bread
Perfect, crusty French bread. Which is better? The crusty, chewy outside? The soft, delicate inside? The combination together? Whatever your ...
All About Parsley and How to Choose the Best Substitute
We've gone through a lot of ingredients over the last year or so during my "Ingredients: Everything You Need to ...
Salt Substitutes: Conversion Ratios for Types of Salt -and- Salt Alternatives
Funny story time. Back when I knew very little about cooking, I didn't know salts were different. Salt was just ...
How to Measure Ingredients Accurately: Everything You Need to Know
Do I sift flour before measuring? Is sugar supposed to be packed? Are liquid and dry measurements the same? What ...
Substitutes for Leavening Agents: Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Yeast, etc.
Leavening agents are fundamental to the recipes that call for them. You may be able to make chocolate chip cookies ...
Understanding Leavening Agents: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, etc.
Today, I’m going to explore leavening agents: baking soda, baking powder, yeast, rapid-rise yeast, etc. I suspect the hidden cause ...
How to Remove Pin Bones from Salmon
My husband loves salmon. I dislike the price, but I like a happy husband. And I can admit it tastes ...
Cooking 201: Substitutes for Fats: Oils, Butter, Shortening, & more
Have you ever been in the middle of making a recipe and discovered you were out of something? Or practicing ...
Perfect Homemade Wheat Bread (& it works for sandwiches!)
I love bread. Who doesn’t? Especially homemade bread. The small fills the house. Warm from the oven, smothered with butter ...
Substitutes for Everything Chocolate: Cocoa, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Baker’s Chocolate, & more
We learned ALL about chocolate a few posts back (see "All About Chocolate" if you missed it). In a perfect world, ...
All About Chocolate: Cacao, Cocoa, Baker’s Chocolate, & more
Chocolate...who doesn't love chocolate? [Looks around...hears crickets] I've learned a lot throughout my lifetime. As a kid, I learned that ...
Substitutes for Dairy Products: Milk, Whipping Cream, Heavy Cream, Buttermilk, and more
It's been busy around here. At least we have a break before the next holiday! Anyway, I decided it's time ...
13 Ways to Use Your KitchenAid Mixer (without buying extra attachments)
I was browsing on reddit the other day and read that I could use my KitchenAid mixer to shred chicken ...
Ingredients Matter: Understanding the Many Types of Wheat
Previously I covered the many types of wheat flour, including: all-purpose, self-rising, bread flour, cake flour, pastry flour; as well as ...
Why Does Bread Rise?
As I've been learning more about cooking and baking, I've discovered that understanding the fundamentals behind recipes is vital. Yes, ...
Non-Wheat Flours: Definitions & Substitutions
I bought a grain grinder when I lived in Charleston. The ducks in our front pond (yes, our apartment complex ...
Ingredients Matter: Milk and Cream Dairy Products
This post is one I was going to research and do later in the year. But...I'm in the middle of ...
Substitute Sundays: Non-sugar Sweeteners
We all have that moment. Gathering ingredients at the beginning of baking something (because we always remember mise en place), ...
Ingredients Matter: Liquid Fats: Oils
A little personal background: I have to admit to a prejudice against oil. If a recipe calls for it, I ...
Substitute Sunday: Sweeteners- Sugars
We all have that moment. Gathering ingredients at the beginning of baking something...walking to the cupboard...looking in...and then exclaiming "I ...
Ingredients Matter: Solid Fats- Butters, Shortening, & Lard
As you have probably noticed, there is a bit of a trend towards trying to make everything healthier. (Could you ...
12 Ways Ice Cube Trays Can Save Time and Money
Update 2018: I was browsing through old posts and stumbled across this! First, forgive the image quality. I took these ...
Ingredients Matter: Salts
Semi-quick story: My husband likes coarse sea salt. I don't get it, but whatever. I don't dump salt on finished ...
Substitute Sundays: Flours
We all have that moment. Gathering ingredients at the beginning of baking something...walking to the cupboard...looking in...and then exclaiming "I ...
Make Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like It Was Made From Scratch
I was in a rush the other day...so I gave in and grabbed a boxed cake mix from the shelf ...
Ingredients Matter: Sweeteners
The cause of many failed recipes is bad ingredients. Not bad as in spoiled or expired; bad as in low-quality ...
Ingredients Matter: Sugars
I suspect the hidden cause of many a failed recipe is bad ingredients. Not bad as in spoiled or expired ...
Substitute Sundays- Fats: Oils
****There is more thorough information on an updated blog post 'Cooking 201: Substitutes for Fats: Oils, Butter, Shortening, & More'*** ...
Flours: Part 1- Wheat Flours
As I've said before, ingredients matter. High-quality and the correct ingredients are the difference between a delicious recipe and a...well, ...