A lot has been happening!!!

Like the rest of you, a lot has been happening in my world, some of it good, some of it not so good, all of it a moment to sit back and reflect. One thing that has changed is how I plan what I'm cooking. It's not as easy, or as safe, to decide what I'm going to eat and go shopping frequently for just what I need. And just like everyone else, there's no "let's go out and eat" for a while (although delivery is still a possibility). So, here's how the blog is going to go forward:

1. It's still really important to me that I share what I'm doing and why. The story is a part of cooking for me, so that's not going to change
2. I think that cooking is both an art and a science. For me, the science is knowing how foods taste together, their chemical properties, and the recipes put out by the pros. The art is being able to switch things out because I know how things taste, what I like things to taste like, and flexing the recipes I read based on my personal preferences and what I have in the fridge
3. I really believe in cooking what you like to eat. Lucky for me, I like A LOT of things so there'll be all kinds of different cultures and cuisines featured in my blog
4. Finally, I tend to do research broad to narrow. What that means for me is I read recipes and cook books like others read novels. I will sit on the couch with my favorites, and the internet, and look through the pages. Then, when I'm looking at my pantry, fridge, and freezer, I have ideas swirling around in my brain that can come forward with what I see there.

What all of this means in practical terms is that I will likely be talking about a recipe or several recipes in each blog (I mean, credit where it is due), and then how I made it into something all my own. And of course, there will be pictures!!!

So, on with what I've been doing with my last few weeks! There's been baking and braising, as well as pairing things to drink with them! 

First - PRETZELS!! My husband was working in Germany for 9 months before we met. One of his favorite memories is walking to the train station every day, and stopping for a coffee and a "Brezel mit Mohn," or a pretzel with poppy seeds. So, I made some yeast pretzels using Alton Brown's Homemade Soft Pretzels recipe (https://altonbrown.com/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/). With baking, I don't make many substitutions - baking is delicate and I'm not that scientific. I did however add my own toppings. Here are some snaps.

Right after the boil - Not that impressive but keep going!

With poppy seeds!

And the finished product!

As I said, I did my own toppings - From front to back: poppy seeds, random German seasoning mix I found in my cabinet, garlic and onion flakes.

What was fantastic - crunchy outside, doughy inside, delicious toppings!

What I would do differently - I twisted the middle too many times on some, and it affected the texture in the middle so I'll be more careful next time. Also, I would bake them a little longer for more crunch.

What did we drink them with? Beer of course! It wasn't a German beer, but it did the trick!

That's it for now - more cooking and baking adventures coming up. If you have a comment or there's something you'd like to see more or less of, let me know in the comments section. Here's to staying well through nourishing our bodies and our souls!