amazing

On the Inside

This is Terry Fisher, my favorite character in The Howling. I think Terry would make a wonderful friend-- casually savvy and sharp. Willing to enter creepy cabins inappropriately-- without an invitation-- and snap photos of their interiors. She wears terrific glasses while driving along the California coastline in a scene which I wish I'd captured. I'm not alone in finding Terry to be "very funny and charming." Sadly, in the film she is sacrificed to animal appetites. Or is she a victim of her own curiosity? Or of a reporter's professional ambition? Or does she surrender herself in the name of supportive friendship?

A Salad with Potatoes

"let's face it: savagery is savagery. Frat boys, they're just like us!" -fourfour

Italian Meringue Silk Buttercream

I worry that my initial reaction might have been prohibitive. So, I ask, "Italian Meringue Silk Buttercream: What is it? Is it complicated?"


Italian Meringue Silk Buttercream is



Crème Anglaise (a light, pourable custard made by thickening egg yolks, sugar, and milk over heat-- it's the base of many ice creams)



Italian Meringue (egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, and a sugar syrup heated to firm ball--170° F-- all whipped into gorgeous fluffiness)



and, of course, Butter (one of my favorite miracles).


Plus anything used to flavor the buttercream. This week, I added bittersweet chocolate. Last week's caramel icing is made by making caramel crème Anglaise.


Really, it's not so complicated. It does, however, require numerous steps. Last week's response was brought on, in part, by the fact that something weird happened to the caramel crème Anglaise on my first try, and I had to start over. I blame RLB's direction to add the caramel to the milk (rather than the milk to the caramel, as I did the second time around), but I may be wrong there. It's possible that with more patience the first batch would have smoothed out.


Is Italian Meringue Silk Buttercream worth it?

Baking in college (using a recipe from Edward Espe Brown), I remember being blown away that one could make icing simply by combining cream and chocolate. So simple and straightforward: "People buy pre-packaged icing when all they need to do is melt chocolate?!?" I still adore and celebrate a basic ganache. But I'm also into the subtle quality of IMSB: its texture, its appearance, and its flavor are all a m a z i n g. And, it's incredibly easy to work with once it's made-- very stable and forgiving. After a second time around, I'm sold. Plus, the caramel version truly involves burnt sugar, unlike many "caramel icing" recipes I've seen which use brown sugar to simulate the complexity of hot-sugar-breakdown.

In a kitchen accident, I iced the smallest toe on my left foot:

Sardine Escabeche

The sardines emerge from the fridge.

We all celebrate Kenneth's return from Philadelphia. Exciting note: to dress the salad, I emulsified the escabeche's liquid into a pretty, slightly pink dressing.

Leaving Lathrop Hall

Spring Turnips

Dickens Busy/Dickens Exhausted

These Sardines...

...anxiously await the return of Kenneth, who has been at a conference in Philadelphia. Since mugging for this shot, they've been filleted, partially cooked atop the stove, and set in the fridge where they continue to cook. Tomorrow, they will emerge Sardines Escabeche.

Andreas Wilson