Baking is precision
Jun. 13th, 2004 12:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
la_rainetteSo. Froglet briefly visited the hospital yesterday
She had complained that "going pee-pee hurt". Since she's extra-modest (will chat up any good-looking boy, but won't show her knickers to her own mother), we decided it would be best if I took her to Sick Kids (to rule out the urinary tract infection). So we went, me looking like a snarky bulldog (no pain killers whatsoever), Froglet with a wobbly chin and tears in her eyes ("I don't want to go! I don't want to go-ho-ho-ho!")
To cut a long story short, she's fine. She peed in a little recipient, and then hollered down the hall: "MOM! PUT IT IN YOUR PURSE! I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO SEE MY PEE-PEE!" OK, honey, you know what? No-one had noticed, now they're all staring. NOT a good idea to shout like that.
And then, while the doctor was examining her, something happened: all the piece of apparatus began beeping, and my purse started vibrating on the floor, and the doctor said: "your purse is ringing". It bloody well is not, I replied. Yes, it is, she said.
Sure enough, Husband's cell phone, that he had dropped into my purse at the last second, was giving out frantic signals.
I am not fond of cell phones. They are like the tamagoshis from Hell, seeking attention in the most inconvenient moments, and ignoring you altogether when you need them. I don't have one, myself, but Husband occasionally drops his into my purse. This one is brand new, and Husband hadn't bothered showing me more than the basic function: How to Call Home When the Doctor is Done With Your Child. I didn't know how to pick up the call. I didn't know how to turn it off. I promptly dropped the damn thing when it started vibrating in my hand. The doctor was extremely amused.
The good doctor sent me home with a prescription for Not Much (since Froglet is Not Sick). The whole thing predictably took about 4 hours (which is why Husband was getting a little bit nervous).
And about baking, for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
_skye_ who would like to know how to make croissants ;o)
I am not a great cook, but I bake well. I've discussed this with a friend of mine, who belongs to the other category (cooks well, dislikes baking), and we've come to the conclusion that it is not only due to our food preferences. Admittedly I have a very sweet tooth, but my friend does too.
But while cooking is creatively experimenting with ingredients, baking is all about precision. Baking is when my inner Snape takes over and calculates to the gram how much of each ingredient goes into a recipe. Baking is like chemistry, like a potions class: stay focussed and follow the instructions to the letter, and it can't go wrong.
I like that. I can go on autopilot and bake for hours, and it soothes my soul in moments of turmoil. I'm not interested in experimenting, I have my kids for that ;). I use baking as a way to calm down. I follow the most complicated recipes to the letter. Snape would have loved having me as a student. Er. Ahem.
So. I have scales, precise to the gram; I have plenty of thermometers that will give me the temperature of caramel, or of the inside of a cake. And I measure quantities with rigorous, almosty religious precision.
My first Northern American cookbook gave me nightmares.
Now, I can convert from grams to ounces, I've had to do it before, for a French cookie recipe for which I wanted to use a British measuring glass. I had to divide all the quantities by 28.35 (1 ounce is 28.35 grams. I haven't checked, I still remember, and that was over 10 years ago. I had to calculate by hand, see. It scarred me forever, that moment.)
But conversions from weight to volume, I can't do. Also, couting in cup, 1/2 cups, 1/4 cups when you are used to dealing with grams (1/125th of a cup, roughly, if we are talking flour) and being extremely precise is very frustrating. Also, the weight/volume conversion isn't the same for each ingredient. Talk about complicated.
So, skye, I will translate the croissants recipe for you, but it's going to take a little time, and you might end up with strange quantities, such as 9.5/10th of a cup, or 29/35th of a cup. I won't approximate, because by baker's heart and my cartesian brain won't let me. But you just go ahead ;)
It's not a complicated recipe, it's just very, very long. (Roll it out, fold it just so, freezer 30 minutes, fridge 1 hour, start all over.)
If anyone else is interested, say so in the comments, and I'll post the recipe in LJ. Else, I'll send it to_skye_ privately (if that's OK with you, skye)
She had complained that "going pee-pee hurt". Since she's extra-modest (will chat up any good-looking boy, but won't show her knickers to her own mother), we decided it would be best if I took her to Sick Kids (to rule out the urinary tract infection). So we went, me looking like a snarky bulldog (no pain killers whatsoever), Froglet with a wobbly chin and tears in her eyes ("I don't want to go! I don't want to go-ho-ho-ho!")
To cut a long story short, she's fine. She peed in a little recipient, and then hollered down the hall: "MOM! PUT IT IN YOUR PURSE! I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO SEE MY PEE-PEE!" OK, honey, you know what? No-one had noticed, now they're all staring. NOT a good idea to shout like that.
And then, while the doctor was examining her, something happened: all the piece of apparatus began beeping, and my purse started vibrating on the floor, and the doctor said: "your purse is ringing". It bloody well is not, I replied. Yes, it is, she said.
Sure enough, Husband's cell phone, that he had dropped into my purse at the last second, was giving out frantic signals.
I am not fond of cell phones. They are like the tamagoshis from Hell, seeking attention in the most inconvenient moments, and ignoring you altogether when you need them. I don't have one, myself, but Husband occasionally drops his into my purse. This one is brand new, and Husband hadn't bothered showing me more than the basic function: How to Call Home When the Doctor is Done With Your Child. I didn't know how to pick up the call. I didn't know how to turn it off. I promptly dropped the damn thing when it started vibrating in my hand. The doctor was extremely amused.
The good doctor sent me home with a prescription for Not Much (since Froglet is Not Sick). The whole thing predictably took about 4 hours (which is why Husband was getting a little bit nervous).
And about baking, for
_skye_ who would like to know how to make croissants ;o)I am not a great cook, but I bake well. I've discussed this with a friend of mine, who belongs to the other category (cooks well, dislikes baking), and we've come to the conclusion that it is not only due to our food preferences. Admittedly I have a very sweet tooth, but my friend does too.
But while cooking is creatively experimenting with ingredients, baking is all about precision. Baking is when my inner Snape takes over and calculates to the gram how much of each ingredient goes into a recipe. Baking is like chemistry, like a potions class: stay focussed and follow the instructions to the letter, and it can't go wrong.
I like that. I can go on autopilot and bake for hours, and it soothes my soul in moments of turmoil. I'm not interested in experimenting, I have my kids for that ;). I use baking as a way to calm down. I follow the most complicated recipes to the letter. Snape would have loved having me as a student. Er. Ahem.
So. I have scales, precise to the gram; I have plenty of thermometers that will give me the temperature of caramel, or of the inside of a cake. And I measure quantities with rigorous, almosty religious precision.
My first Northern American cookbook gave me nightmares.
Now, I can convert from grams to ounces, I've had to do it before, for a French cookie recipe for which I wanted to use a British measuring glass. I had to divide all the quantities by 28.35 (1 ounce is 28.35 grams. I haven't checked, I still remember, and that was over 10 years ago. I had to calculate by hand, see. It scarred me forever, that moment.)
But conversions from weight to volume, I can't do. Also, couting in cup, 1/2 cups, 1/4 cups when you are used to dealing with grams (1/125th of a cup, roughly, if we are talking flour) and being extremely precise is very frustrating. Also, the weight/volume conversion isn't the same for each ingredient. Talk about complicated.
So, skye, I will translate the croissants recipe for you, but it's going to take a little time, and you might end up with strange quantities, such as 9.5/10th of a cup, or 29/35th of a cup. I won't approximate, because by baker's heart and my cartesian brain won't let me. But you just go ahead ;)
It's not a complicated recipe, it's just very, very long. (Roll it out, fold it just so, freezer 30 minutes, fridge 1 hour, start all over.)
If anyone else is interested, say so in the comments, and I'll post the recipe in LJ. Else, I'll send it to
_skye_ privately (if that's OK with you, skye) 
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-06-13 07:53 pm (UTC)I would be very grateful for your efforts, and you needn't hurry on account of me. I know you'll gasp when I say this and think me a silly girl, but I didn't know that it was possible for one to make croissants! Of course I knew someone did, just not...us ordinary people. Croissants to me are like Ambrosia to the ancient greeks: the food came straight from the gods, and a good one makes one feel slightly more than mortal. I am in awe of my local french bakery for so many reasons (hel-LO PASTRY!!!), but its croissants are not one of those reasons. I think I shall make them and eat my very first one while writing a short story...inspired by you! Though I am terribly afraid it may turn into a story about the kind of girl who would have a schoolgirl crush on Snape o_0 !
no subject
Date: 2004-06-13 07:56 pm (UTC)and, yeah. i need to measure dry ingredients in volume, too. [wince] sorry.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-13 11:47 pm (UTC)You know, I don't even like Book!Snape as a person (great character though), but Alan Rickman!Snape can do whatever he wants to me as long as he uses The Voice. Not original, I know, but, oh my. I could totally have a crush on a teacher who has a voice like that.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-13 11:50 pm (UTC)Just, please be patient. I'll post it as an entry when I'm finished translating/converting.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-14 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-14 06:47 am (UTC)I'm glad that Froglat is okay. Shame on you, scaring me with that cut tag. *grin*
no subject
Date: 2004-06-14 04:09 pm (UTC)Much unlike the recipe, I should add :D I'll put it as an entry here, I just need to get the conversions done first. Please let me know how it turns out!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-22 08:25 pm (UTC)For example:
100 g in oz.
Weight to volume is somewhat harder. (Although you can probably find some resource for that on Google, too.)
*L33tminion leaves for a second, then returns*
You could start here for baking: Volume and Weight Conversions for Common Baking Ingredients
no subject
Date: 2004-07-22 09:05 pm (UTC)Thanks a lot! Uh, again, because of my undying curiosity, I have a question: l33tminion stands for?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 02:43 pm (UTC)A minion is one who loyally serves a particular lord, usually while remaining unnamed and in the background. The L33tminion serves L33t (and, to a lesser extent, my friend Markos).
The origin of L33tminion is an inside joke, and is probably not worth explaining, as it's one of those things that is only funny if you know all the people involved (especially Markos).
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 02:27 pm (UTC)Hope you had a great time in the desert (you were going before I went away, I gather you've come back since; haven't had any time to check out LJ since I've come back, but I'll go read my flist tomorrow).