Happy New Year and How Baking Works

Happy New Year everyone!  As you can see, my blog entries dropped over the holidays. From cooking a massive holiday/birthday meal to setting up my own cookie factory, let's just say I'm glad the holidays are over. The fact that I've literally eaten my way through December is why I'm glad to be getting back to normal again (though I do have the day off today).

Santa was good to me and I received many amazing gifts: one of them being the textbook "How Baking Works" by Paula Figoni. The book literally breaks down the theory of baking - from measuring to accurate temperatures to the chemical reactions of the various ingredients. I've been baking for awhile now and am fairly comfortable following recipes, but I would love to create my own.

I just started the book and it's like being back in school again - though now I'm studying something I'm passionate about. I'll provide updates as I go through it, but 22 pages in and I have to say it's been awhile since I've been a student proper. While the content is interesting, the writing is a tad dry. I can't wait to get to the experiments though.

The Food Network (in print)

It's no secret the Food Network has revolutionalized North America's interest in food and cooking, and made celebrities out of chefs. But I recall hearing in the news that most people who watch the Food Network don't actually cook. I guess this is why the creators came out with the Food Network Magazine - in case you're actually interested in seeing the recipes and getting to know the various chefs better.

I love the magazine, but find the reading goes by too quickly. With the purchase of the latest issue, I've added to my physical cooking library.

Breaking down the lingo

Culinary terms can be confusing - what is blanching, what is a sauté pan and how is it different from a frying pan? And in the end, does it make a difference? Yes and no, and it really depends on how precise the dish you're cooking needs to be.

For example, cakes (the bane of my existence) are not flexible when it comes to whipping time and speed (it messes with the texture) but savoury dishes like stir fry are. So how can you break it down?

With something like this (and this isn't a promo - I stumbled across this when I was searching for something to read on the train ride home). Canadian Living Magazine just ran a "special" cookbook issue, focusing on the basics of cooking (pans, techniques, types of meats). It's a great read and breaks information down into bite-sized (haha) pieces.

You can order this special issue here or hit your closest news stand).