tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71155762151118958502024-02-19T00:26:52.773-08:00Living Little WomenSamantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-70974475743888564362017-01-10T13:00:00.002-08:002017-01-10T13:01:41.570-08:00Cookbook Review: Our Korean Kitchen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The past week was dedicated to Korean food at our apartment, with the bulk of our meals coming from Jordan Bourke and Rejina Pyo's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Kitchen-Jordan-Rejina-Bourke/dp/0297609718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484082064&sr=8-1&keywords=Our+Korean+Kitchen">Our Korean Kitchen</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuG4Re5MjZQ08ulIqS2acXFj3FXaUuukDa6TQ2MNBJXvR2V31dWGDwROE2qox4kztEyam1ob0J-63OOgvB6EVw2koLulPY1efRqcKoGedtqfzpwVQObRMfSw-Q696Tn4hOFLY7lnNxRs/s1600/warming+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuG4Re5MjZQ08ulIqS2acXFj3FXaUuukDa6TQ2MNBJXvR2V31dWGDwROE2qox4kztEyam1ob0J-63OOgvB6EVw2koLulPY1efRqcKoGedtqfzpwVQObRMfSw-Q696Tn4hOFLY7lnNxRs/s200/warming+chicken.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming chicken and <br />
potato stew</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We made six recipes from the book, including Warming Chicken and Potato Stew (page 76), Chicken Rice Cake (page 230) and Vegetable Hot Pot, and the delightfully simple Kimchi Fried Rice (page 31), which could easily become a staple.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ7zuQ-xyp1T-E0lHihYE4ml_Oc77h9yPzFHb_t1yuFTpGpzbpC3kx55IoK_eAPnL84ogJxgyZv17jwUEwNxd5bIoyMqauhlpcSRA_QzMPcdssbTF8HJvDK67yc0OKqIBChe5GUhBoHs/s1600/hot+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ7zuQ-xyp1T-E0lHihYE4ml_Oc77h9yPzFHb_t1yuFTpGpzbpC3kx55IoK_eAPnL84ogJxgyZv17jwUEwNxd5bIoyMqauhlpcSRA_QzMPcdssbTF8HJvDK67yc0OKqIBChe5GUhBoHs/s200/hot+pot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken, rice cake and<br />
vegetable hot pot</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All of the recipes we tried turned out at least well, with most on the delicious side, and the recipes were well-written and easy to follow. The recipes were also adaptable in the sense that it was easy to substitute veggies on hand if we didn't have enough of one ingredient. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pvog4SRiKd1b51EaC44ZPNohybGN7VkyNguZVDK-dd-SZF5v57p442pnfdb-t3snwpZ_9j-LtuTDN-fs7qB9U17YrSPLhWLXLV61NAiM6Ct6A1aQUM87f7mkJxhyeEl1ZAwCIgzaL7A/s1600/market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pvog4SRiKd1b51EaC44ZPNohybGN7VkyNguZVDK-dd-SZF5v57p442pnfdb-t3snwpZ_9j-LtuTDN-fs7qB9U17YrSPLhWLXLV61NAiM6Ct6A1aQUM87f7mkJxhyeEl1ZAwCIgzaL7A/s200/market.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting HMart was better <br />
than presents on Christmas!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Because we weren't able to source many of the ingredients from Fresh Direct, we took a Christmas Day shopping trip to HMart, a specialty grocery store near Penn Station in New York, and bought kimchi, tofu, gochujang paste, Korean rice cakes, and dumpling wrappers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Ingredients</b>: Some of the ingredients might be hard to get if there's not a good Asian grocery store near you but that's what the internet's for!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pictures</b>: Good</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Skill level</b>: Definitely good for beginners but there are real challenges for experienced bakers. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Keep or cull</b>: Definitely a keeper.</span></span></div>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-87409338911873515922016-11-08T10:38:00.001-08:002016-11-08T10:44:52.257-08:00Cookbook Review: Dorie's Cookies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1BXREPDY4ibgi8IJP4OWhW_0YnhZpmKJ1o2oNOV0BAahCUaR5nUjsjyZkNzAQ6Bu9uks4_L5A6E5b7UAAQYOGvg6TtzzIPtfw6CVljtNIRDF_7CqMraqyl5_jT12Dsh0bju4_N3HBY/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1BXREPDY4ibgi8IJP4OWhW_0YnhZpmKJ1o2oNOV0BAahCUaR5nUjsjyZkNzAQ6Bu9uks4_L5A6E5b7UAAQYOGvg6TtzzIPtfw6CVljtNIRDF_7CqMraqyl5_jT12Dsh0bju4_N3HBY/s200/IMG_0979.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peanut Brownie Sables</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mANOuH2uH-JuB_-MCgHZBPzOrrHGsCVPnAD-hSlgWdlnckEIBoLIC-G6ff8Hmjuowx7-Van2qGFWta8RoiT5swaHp1F9GnlY9INtuJ5xmVOZGGyjucfafKClDpGS9uMJmdjF9byrKKE/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mANOuH2uH-JuB_-MCgHZBPzOrrHGsCVPnAD-hSlgWdlnckEIBoLIC-G6ff8Hmjuowx7-Van2qGFWta8RoiT5swaHp1F9GnlY9INtuJ5xmVOZGGyjucfafKClDpGS9uMJmdjF9byrKKE/s200/IMG_0977.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combining sable and brownie <br />
batter for the Peanut Brownie sables</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was of two minds about getting <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dories-Cookies-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0547614845/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478629097&sr=8-1&keywords=dorie%27s+cookies">Dorie's Cookies</a>, Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook that's exclusively dedicated to my favorite treat. My reasoning was simple - I've got three of her books already - Baking, Baking Chez Moi, and Around My French Table - and even though I love them and they have excellent cookie recipes, I thought that another thick book dedicated just to cookies would be excessive. I live in a New York apartment, for Pete's sake! But then a good friend was kind enough to gift me a copy for my birthday last month...and my life hasn't been the same.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18JMGgONT8_vsA67jpk2eGjOF4TystJic-x-0eFFsVp0SqTcwl8OlA3lOa7xBiqvW0mPF0uugOJ-RF9DeBMoh8vwjE690jhrGW48D4TrZ8fZBSnk1yEjVr75wCh661GeEFfkg8OrGff8/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18JMGgONT8_vsA67jpk2eGjOF4TystJic-x-0eFFsVp0SqTcwl8OlA3lOa7xBiqvW0mPF0uugOJ-RF9DeBMoh8vwjE690jhrGW48D4TrZ8fZBSnk1yEjVr75wCh661GeEFfkg8OrGff8/s200/IMG_1017.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate chip cookies</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So Dorie's Cookies is more than just a big, thick book about cookies - it's about combining old and new methods, flavors, and ideas. I've made four recipes so far - My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie, Lavender White Chocolate Sables, Peanut Brownie Sables, and basic Sugar Cookies - and they've all been delicious. What's more, while some of the recipes have had more than once step, nothing's been onerous.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qcpxQGSpUQIdXCQ0FCnv4-mIqDUCAqESCBmR4E2XnNeGyKJoZx6PpgWRZ1ECT440VJSTPvtTLUFG8e1lwOztTPqLjuTAzXW27IIK_Nv9gaIRUXTe9FWqC58gqTfQ7zKp9TmCnoUcxsc/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qcpxQGSpUQIdXCQ0FCnv4-mIqDUCAqESCBmR4E2XnNeGyKJoZx6PpgWRZ1ECT440VJSTPvtTLUFG8e1lwOztTPqLjuTAzXW27IIK_Nv9gaIRUXTe9FWqC58gqTfQ7zKp9TmCnoUcxsc/s200/IMG_1038.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cookies (pre-icing)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'd like to spotlight the Peanut Brownie Sables, which were exceptional and also very fun to make. The recipe seemed like a bit of a hassle at first - you have to make a sable dough and then a brownie dough and combine them - but it was actually pretty simple and didn't take much longer than a standard drop cookie. And the results were amazing, even though I didn't have any peanuts on hand.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8efbbuYYGT5nn3zW5UCCXJVHkMTeF8n4YfZI-q6hBIgvdnVnVqijYlcD5cZ2YvgWDjRroonChqQQjY20mEfV-xEXb4HrmdJ9pIzmoUQoSEc7_kAXckZ_CSVPOS6FAtv0G_kzBaVXSQ/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8efbbuYYGT5nn3zW5UCCXJVHkMTeF8n4YfZI-q6hBIgvdnVnVqijYlcD5cZ2YvgWDjRroonChqQQjY20mEfV-xEXb4HrmdJ9pIzmoUQoSEc7_kAXckZ_CSVPOS6FAtv0G_kzBaVXSQ/s200/IMG_1033.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender white chocolate sables</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The other recipe I loved was the Lavender White Chocolate Sables, which I made mainly because I'm not really a big fan of white chocolate and wanted to force myself to try something different. These were also exceptional, with that nice, gritty sable texture next to the citrus flavor of the lavender and the white chocolate. Also, it's really fun to rub lavender into sugar!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In general, the doughs were really nice and easy to work with and the recipes were clear and easy to follow. One particularly intriguing method is Greenspan's recommendation of baking some of the sable-type cookies in baking rings, which apparently create really amazing edges. I've ordered a set and they should be here soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Ingredients</b>: Mainly standard and easy to source. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Pictures</b>: Not as many as I would like but I was able to use my imagination.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="color: #222222;">Skill level</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: Definitely good for beginners but there are real challenges for experienced bakers. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Keep or cull</b>: Definitely a keeper.</span></span><br />
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-76759278831516300442016-11-08T10:38:00.000-08:002016-11-08T10:41:27.104-08:00Cookbook Review: Dorie's Cookies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1BXREPDY4ibgi8IJP4OWhW_0YnhZpmKJ1o2oNOV0BAahCUaR5nUjsjyZkNzAQ6Bu9uks4_L5A6E5b7UAAQYOGvg6TtzzIPtfw6CVljtNIRDF_7CqMraqyl5_jT12Dsh0bju4_N3HBY/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1BXREPDY4ibgi8IJP4OWhW_0YnhZpmKJ1o2oNOV0BAahCUaR5nUjsjyZkNzAQ6Bu9uks4_L5A6E5b7UAAQYOGvg6TtzzIPtfw6CVljtNIRDF_7CqMraqyl5_jT12Dsh0bju4_N3HBY/s200/IMG_0979.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peanut Brownie Sables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mANOuH2uH-JuB_-MCgHZBPzOrrHGsCVPnAD-hSlgWdlnckEIBoLIC-G6ff8Hmjuowx7-Van2qGFWta8RoiT5swaHp1F9GnlY9INtuJ5xmVOZGGyjucfafKClDpGS9uMJmdjF9byrKKE/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mANOuH2uH-JuB_-MCgHZBPzOrrHGsCVPnAD-hSlgWdlnckEIBoLIC-G6ff8Hmjuowx7-Van2qGFWta8RoiT5swaHp1F9GnlY9INtuJ5xmVOZGGyjucfafKClDpGS9uMJmdjF9byrKKE/s200/IMG_0977.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combining sable and brownie <br />
batter for the Peanut Brownie sables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was of two minds about getting <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dories-Cookies-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0547614845/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478629097&sr=8-1&keywords=dorie%27s+cookies">Dorie's Cookies</a>, Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook that's exclusively dedicated to my favorite treat. My reasoning was simple - I've got three of her books already - Baking, Baking Chez Moi, and Around My French Table - and even though I love them and they have excellent cookie recipes, I thought that another thick book dedicated just to cookies would be excessive. I live in a New York apartment, for Pete's sake! But then a good friend was kind enough to gift me a copy for my birthday last month...and my life hasn't been the same.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18JMGgONT8_vsA67jpk2eGjOF4TystJic-x-0eFFsVp0SqTcwl8OlA3lOa7xBiqvW0mPF0uugOJ-RF9DeBMoh8vwjE690jhrGW48D4TrZ8fZBSnk1yEjVr75wCh661GeEFfkg8OrGff8/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18JMGgONT8_vsA67jpk2eGjOF4TystJic-x-0eFFsVp0SqTcwl8OlA3lOa7xBiqvW0mPF0uugOJ-RF9DeBMoh8vwjE690jhrGW48D4TrZ8fZBSnk1yEjVr75wCh661GeEFfkg8OrGff8/s200/IMG_1017.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate chip cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So Dorie's Cookies is more than just a big, thick book about cookies - it's about combining old and new methods, flavors, and ideas. I've made four recipes so far - My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie, Lavender White Chocolate Sables, Peanut Brownie Sables, and basic Sugar Cookies - and they've all been delicious. What's more, while some of the recipes have had more than once step, nothing's been onerous.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qcpxQGSpUQIdXCQ0FCnv4-mIqDUCAqESCBmR4E2XnNeGyKJoZx6PpgWRZ1ECT440VJSTPvtTLUFG8e1lwOztTPqLjuTAzXW27IIK_Nv9gaIRUXTe9FWqC58gqTfQ7zKp9TmCnoUcxsc/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qcpxQGSpUQIdXCQ0FCnv4-mIqDUCAqESCBmR4E2XnNeGyKJoZx6PpgWRZ1ECT440VJSTPvtTLUFG8e1lwOztTPqLjuTAzXW27IIK_Nv9gaIRUXTe9FWqC58gqTfQ7zKp9TmCnoUcxsc/s200/IMG_1038.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cookies (pre-icing)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'd like to spotlight the Peanut Brownie Sables, which were exceptional and also very fun to make. The recipe seemed like a bit of a hassle at first - you have to make a sable dough and then a brownie dough and combine them - but it was actually pretty simple and didn't take much longer than a standard drop cookie. And the results were amazing, even though I didn't have any peanuts on hand.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8efbbuYYGT5nn3zW5UCCXJVHkMTeF8n4YfZI-q6hBIgvdnVnVqijYlcD5cZ2YvgWDjRroonChqQQjY20mEfV-xEXb4HrmdJ9pIzmoUQoSEc7_kAXckZ_CSVPOS6FAtv0G_kzBaVXSQ/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8efbbuYYGT5nn3zW5UCCXJVHkMTeF8n4YfZI-q6hBIgvdnVnVqijYlcD5cZ2YvgWDjRroonChqQQjY20mEfV-xEXb4HrmdJ9pIzmoUQoSEc7_kAXckZ_CSVPOS6FAtv0G_kzBaVXSQ/s200/IMG_1033.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender white chocolate sables</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The other recipe I loved was the Lavender White Chocolate Sables, which I made mainly because I'm not really a big fan of white chocolate and wanted to force myself to try something different. These were also exceptional, with that nice, gritty sable texture next to the citrus flavor of the lavender and the white chocolate. Also, it's really fun to rub lavender into sugar!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In general, the doughs were really nice and easy to work with and the recipes were clear and easy to follow. One particularly intriguing method is Greenspan's recommendation of baking some of the sable-type cookies in baking rings, which apparently create really amazing edges. I've ordered a set and they should be here soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Ingredients</b>: Mainly standard and easy to source. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Pictures</b>: Not as many as I would like but I was able to use my imagination.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="color: #222222;">Skill level</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: Definitely good for beginners but there are real challenges for experienced bakers. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Keep or cull</b>: Definitely a keeper.</span></span><br />
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-72089288109102066852016-10-25T12:18:00.001-07:002016-10-25T12:18:47.423-07:00Cookbook Review - Twist by Martha Collison<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Full disclosure - I'm a huge fan of the <b>Great British Bake Off</b>, which is why I scooped up <b>Martha Collison</b>'s <b>Twist </b>right after it was published. I was prepared to like it, just like I was prepared to like the other GBBO books that I've acquired over the years. So far it hasn't let me down.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge_mKTSgMshp2E52rnliDyVXRbSzWG5CZMMwuQvr_fL4Ma4S1VnMqaSs_QZCcbWbYaJbcezEtId5SJERPiokpxnuSPt37QH0B4XoG_zeP_f2JGlLX2opXPg0LjCJk0Z3aq9Rdjs69g2Q/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge_mKTSgMshp2E52rnliDyVXRbSzWG5CZMMwuQvr_fL4Ma4S1VnMqaSs_QZCcbWbYaJbcezEtId5SJERPiokpxnuSPt37QH0B4XoG_zeP_f2JGlLX2opXPg0LjCJk0Z3aq9Rdjs69g2Q/s200/IMG_0668.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite nut cookie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1O-ML-i1jqNe3rTZAo5XRjeQfaSse4DQf6Qpd6iBcjNqZk5YGEOmzF8iQxzvJnaj1BA5HR_phqTtLopYPOrvdmUc3YLx1wCKEJ7M54mymshevqlYMcsoslF3nsl-KM4qwbAu7vG-f2c/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1O-ML-i1jqNe3rTZAo5XRjeQfaSse4DQf6Qpd6iBcjNqZk5YGEOmzF8iQxzvJnaj1BA5HR_phqTtLopYPOrvdmUc3YLx1wCKEJ7M54mymshevqlYMcsoslF3nsl-KM4qwbAu7vG-f2c/s200/IMG_0711.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian plum, pistachio and honey cake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twist, which is purely a baking book, plays on the idea of taking a basic recipe for say cookies and giving the user ideas for small changes - or twists - that will produce a variety of cookies with completely different feels. I started with the chocolate chip cookie variation of My Favorite Cookie, which had a rich, dense texture, and then moved on to My Favorite Nut Cookie. I followed the book's suggestion to make my own peanut butter, which had delicious results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to the cookies, I've made two cakes from Twist - the Pistachio and Lime Courgette Cake and the Apricot, Pistachio, and Honey cake (but substituting Italian plums) - and they were both great. One thing that I really like about the recipes is that they're not overly sweet. As I've started baking more, I have less patience for recipes that rely on sugar to be the killer ingredient. This is definitely not the case with Twist.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFsQiDHPUUD10ushH9Q5TBabQaohJjX9bTtJf7KUdW0zgCCVNrvObtgpUMcVSITrZ90D6sQO6S5UjBL5vskB2oZqwEA97AzYvrlzDm35pu0ThmYJlsO8bnhxj2EDXuHi7llCGwBL82WE/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFsQiDHPUUD10ushH9Q5TBabQaohJjX9bTtJf7KUdW0zgCCVNrvObtgpUMcVSITrZ90D6sQO6S5UjBL5vskB2oZqwEA97AzYvrlzDm35pu0ThmYJlsO8bnhxj2EDXuHi7llCGwBL82WE/s200/IMG_0705.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Ingredients</b>: Mainly standard and easy to source. Use your common sense with substitutions.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pictures</b>: Many, and they're all beautiful.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Skill level</b>: Definitely good for beginners but the flavor combinations make it fun for more experienced bakers.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Keep or cull</b>: Definitely a keeper.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFsQiDHPUUD10ushH9Q5TBabQaohJjX9bTtJf7KUdW0zgCCVNrvObtgpUMcVSITrZ90D6sQO6S5UjBL5vskB2oZqwEA97AzYvrlzDm35pu0ThmYJlsO8bnhxj2EDXuHi7llCGwBL82WE/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge_mKTSgMshp2E52rnliDyVXRbSzWG5CZMMwuQvr_fL4Ma4S1VnMqaSs_QZCcbWbYaJbcezEtId5SJERPiokpxnuSPt37QH0B4XoG_zeP_f2JGlLX2opXPg0LjCJk0Z3aq9Rdjs69g2Q/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1O-ML-i1jqNe3rTZAo5XRjeQfaSse4DQf6Qpd6iBcjNqZk5YGEOmzF8iQxzvJnaj1BA5HR_phqTtLopYPOrvdmUc3YLx1wCKEJ7M54mymshevqlYMcsoslF3nsl-KM4qwbAu7vG-f2c/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-LdrE78d5d8dj1NVf4QCynxzaUYKyIQkt6TJ5KfF2vPat1ZC-UqCnnm6wnxl2-_3vDO4vWj6vUL_Rp3qTS6eCE24-SV79bTaDSjhUhSIO33yLiKo0rJaGrjwvdjt-y8xgJj_nHYbIjs/s1600/IMG_0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-LdrE78d5d8dj1NVf4QCynxzaUYKyIQkt6TJ5KfF2vPat1ZC-UqCnnm6wnxl2-_3vDO4vWj6vUL_Rp3qTS6eCE24-SV79bTaDSjhUhSIO33yLiKo0rJaGrjwvdjt-y8xgJj_nHYbIjs/s200/IMG_0804.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pistachio and lime courgette cake</td></tr>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-13585908995623843962016-10-18T05:53:00.000-07:002016-10-18T07:58:54.461-07:00Cookbook review - Brindisa: The True Food of Spain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ljcpbN0Co97WtAAunCK1FuXCo7vcKRiXIcKPxQ18jVfpu4DS7X14cAtRTnO1y777AMGuZGLZu-Kjs8SA3i5-T8aSnBop8qhQ-eRZ-ns3dYkFLOBJDdAqVH3fXyLRX8aaddihaF53Q6E/s1600/IMG_0853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ljcpbN0Co97WtAAunCK1FuXCo7vcKRiXIcKPxQ18jVfpu4DS7X14cAtRTnO1y777AMGuZGLZu-Kjs8SA3i5-T8aSnBop8qhQ-eRZ-ns3dYkFLOBJDdAqVH3fXyLRX8aaddihaF53Q6E/s200/IMG_0853.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brindisa-True-Spain-Monika-Linton/dp/0007307187">Brindisa: The True Food of Spain</a>, Monika Linton's a new anthology of Spanish cooking, is my new favorite cookbook. It's a hefty book (but one that sits easily in my cookbook holder) and filled with authentic, delicious Spanish recipes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVuLPPXXZiAfAktMq62s1nzpRMrxCrzOYwt4W6Kta8daB1BkZ6KoAR6EuKGf6NQcAtljziaWjP72sD_aGdbmY5x_HWbfObe32ylxCBR0YVbbSYQrVHohoAlv639DO-xUeuxBJPLmyPcs/s1600/IMG_0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVuLPPXXZiAfAktMq62s1nzpRMrxCrzOYwt4W6Kta8daB1BkZ6KoAR6EuKGf6NQcAtljziaWjP72sD_aGdbmY5x_HWbfObe32ylxCBR0YVbbSYQrVHohoAlv639DO-xUeuxBJPLmyPcs/s200/IMG_0854.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've made four recipes so far - a tuna and potato salad (page 207), chicken and mushroom croquettes (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">page</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">245), potatoes with tomatoes and almonds (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">page</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">290), and a tomato and onion sofrito - and they've all been delicious in an understated kind of way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkVGeWDnFeUk7c1JXmtUiOpKF2kRqfet0HRdOd9Clc4AhFdfKKP2OH9bD4_qYZw1lVOwGPMKALhwuJ4FmkiBHgUsWa1hyphenhyphenaE5wTseYeu2sbtU4Vg43Z9ZaxrZYShRP8wzNU3WeCjj-n0I/s1600/IMG_0856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkVGeWDnFeUk7c1JXmtUiOpKF2kRqfet0HRdOd9Clc4AhFdfKKP2OH9bD4_qYZw1lVOwGPMKALhwuJ4FmkiBHgUsWa1hyphenhyphenaE5wTseYeu2sbtU4Vg43Z9ZaxrZYShRP8wzNU3WeCjj-n0I/s200/IMG_0856.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brindisa is a good complement to my other books on Spanish cooking, which include Penelope Casas' Food and Wine of Spain and Delicioso; Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain, and Omar Allibhoy's Tapas Revolution. If you love Spain and Spanish food, it's a great addition to your collection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b>: Some hard-to-get ingredients, but the book is pretty flexible and offers substitutions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pictures</b>: Some, but the internet will fill in your knowledge as needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Skill level</b>: All levels - there are a fair number of complex, time-consuming recipes but there are a lot of simple ones as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Keep or cull</b>: Definitely a keeper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-72681521340593749282015-08-21T10:04:00.001-07:002015-08-21T10:13:08.986-07:00Making paste<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLzt6LX-iMt-CyY1GYYskIpJNHpHTX9bhSBhj3MwuocF_FvZ56J3G01BJ7gmk5CjHwXRlUfqbhJ1WhEjK1Q8kWmqvBvxbFykglgKBni-uhjoS-xp-1y1Q5yjmcOtJQ5LfXphxbyKTL-c/s1600/IMG_2654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLzt6LX-iMt-CyY1GYYskIpJNHpHTX9bhSBhj3MwuocF_FvZ56J3G01BJ7gmk5CjHwXRlUfqbhJ1WhEjK1Q8kWmqvBvxbFykglgKBni-uhjoS-xp-1y1Q5yjmcOtJQ5LfXphxbyKTL-c/s200/IMG_2654.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what fourteen pounds <br />of tomatoes look like.</td></tr>
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My grandmother always told me, in what I think was an affectionate way, that I was never able to leave well enough alone. What she meant was when faced with the option of just hanging out or the chance to do, I would almost always choose to do something. This has carried onto my adult life and has led to things like making ramen from scratch, coaching a cycling team and, of course, writing books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK9GNDVYAxWwak5Ek-gXq1umJ4IagykLBQ90Thm2ALX8r6gnsmLPtZLXq5a56DEnwrdjjUC1ijLdnccn544fDfL0dNajihmQtu8SE8m_lho-UYzBkxi6vOFSsMEOxNtbAWRzC1I4-Fo0/s1600/IMG_2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK9GNDVYAxWwak5Ek-gXq1umJ4IagykLBQ90Thm2ALX8r6gnsmLPtZLXq5a56DEnwrdjjUC1ijLdnccn544fDfL0dNajihmQtu8SE8m_lho-UYzBkxi6vOFSsMEOxNtbAWRzC1I4-Fo0/s200/IMG_2655.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was when I figured out<br />that I needed a food mill.</td></tr>
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The most recent example of not knowing when to leave well enough alone came last weekend, when I got it into my head to make tomato paste. You are probably wondering why I would make tomato paste when it's possible to buy perfectly good tomato paste but that - as evidenced by my obsession with making jam - has never really stopped me from doing something. Plus, I thought that homemade tomato paste would taste better than the store bought stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_DjHRarX5oKqkE9NSG0X4XTpLkOqJ1hLVqZxbQVq4BzMQQxerxI9FnD-P97zL6ArIsjbRKMonGyhlDh3ihQMP8bO5y1H5EateDIkr4aR6QKEtVWqGTcWD2aVqnJ55ul_wtx9Xy0xKBQ/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_DjHRarX5oKqkE9NSG0X4XTpLkOqJ1hLVqZxbQVq4BzMQQxerxI9FnD-P97zL6ArIsjbRKMonGyhlDh3ihQMP8bO5y1H5EateDIkr4aR6QKEtVWqGTcWD2aVqnJ55ul_wtx9Xy0xKBQ/s200/IMG_2657.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my sous-chef assembling<br />the food mill at the speed of light.</td></tr>
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Fourteen pounds of tomatoes, hours of simmering, an emergency trip to Whisk to get a food mill (ProTip - it's really, really hard to push tomatoes through a fine mesh strainer with a spoon, even if the internet tells you that it's possible) and 45 minutes of processing later, I had seven quarter-pint jars of tomato paste. And it was delicious.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ahnr3PtdyxEGxY7n_4M0WktSZzISzf9IqGldjsxSulDD36L7ppm7QWai1ecoE4teNhafHr8WrLN0iUxBnyXQZzHrp75aqwzjl785eoF7i2vzft4v7aYpiQw7AGmfeAyBr6YTv4rpiqc/s1600/IMG_2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ahnr3PtdyxEGxY7n_4M0WktSZzISzf9IqGldjsxSulDD36L7ppm7QWai1ecoE4teNhafHr8WrLN0iUxBnyXQZzHrp75aqwzjl785eoF7i2vzft4v7aYpiQw7AGmfeAyBr6YTv4rpiqc/s200/IMG_2658.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what I made. Yum yum!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-53729967473441037902015-05-04T12:42:00.002-07:002015-05-04T12:42:40.768-07:00Reading Until My Eyes Hurt<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Do you know how reading is either feast or famine? That is feels like there are a million good books to read or nothing at all? I'm in one of those lucky feast times where I've flown through the last few books that I've picked up. Here's a quick snapshot of two of the books that I loved so much that I read them until my eyes hurt.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Why I loved it: It's a Beauty and the Beast re-telling with some neat twists, including an excellently matched pair of protagonists. It's smart, funny, epic and both plot- and character-focused. And it seems like there might be a sequel...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Walls Around Us, Nova Ren Suma</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Why I loved it: In a nutshell, the writing. It moved me, surprised me and delighted me because the word choice was original and, in my opinion, spot on to the story telling. It's also the kind of book that teaches me about the craft of writing and characterization. Overall, an excellent read.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-71685585368274743322014-06-02T12:12:00.001-07:002014-06-02T12:12:16.022-07:00Dominique & Me<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Last week, I met Dominique
Ansel. The Creator of the Cronut was signing recipe cards at Book Expo America
last week to promote his upcoming book, </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">The
Secret Recipes</i><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ansel signed a recipe card for
a delicious-looking flourless chocolate cookie (the batter is resting in my
fridge as I write) and then directed me toward a tray of chocolates that were flanked
by pots of fresh basil. An assistant handed me a pair of scissors and
instructed me to cut off a leaf, wrap it around the chocolate and take a bite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It seemed weird but I decided
to trust in Ansel. So I wrapped a basil leaf around the chocolate and popped it
into my mouth to find that the richness of the dark chocolate complimented the
freshness of the basil perfectly. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I can't wait until the cookbook comes out. And I hope the chocolate-basil leaf recipe is in it!</span></div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-59687616157641148842014-05-19T10:24:00.000-07:002014-05-19T10:24:22.435-07:00Gingerscotches<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve always
liked gingersnap cookies in the way that most people like things that they
don’t feel that strongly about. A gingersnap cookie is fine but it’s never
my go-to cookie. I just like cookies with chocolate better!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrGUVjJNTYQdHGQcDaTu3OjyoOyKsLyV2Y1cjUc6nO-A9U1cWqGy1gUZAhnzGy1kaKPiOIzXgxhW8c2SUlVz1yHg1HpprHraJxVCpZXGawmAEWX273Mg5Wc-qP8ptJ8zlZT95CaLizM0/s1600/gingerscotches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrGUVjJNTYQdHGQcDaTu3OjyoOyKsLyV2Y1cjUc6nO-A9U1cWqGy1gUZAhnzGy1kaKPiOIzXgxhW8c2SUlVz1yHg1HpprHraJxVCpZXGawmAEWX273Mg5Wc-qP8ptJ8zlZT95CaLizM0/s1600/gingerscotches.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerscotches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to
admit, that it did cross my mind to add chocolate chips to a batch of
gingersnaps more than once but I never ended up doing it. First of all, it
seemed like a copout because add chocolate is often the answer to a baking
conundrum for me. But more importantly, chocolate didn’t feel like the right
flavor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I went
about life, liking gingersnaps and wishing I could think of what to add to
them, and then one day it happened: I ate a gingersnap with butterscotch
chips. And it kind of changed my world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went home
and spent the rest of the afternoon putting together my own version of
gingersnaps with butterscotch chips. My only warning: go easy on the butterscotch chips--too many and they will overpower the gingersnap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gingerscotches<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 tablespoons unsalted butter <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup white sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon ground ginger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup butterscotch chips <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup sugar in the raw (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-heat the oven to 350.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the butter and sugars in a large bowl or a stand
mixer. Stir in the molasses and then egg. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whisk the flour and other dry ingredients together and then
stir them into the wet ingredients. Fold in the chips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scoop the dough out into balls, aiming for about two dozen
cookies. If you like really, really sweet cookies, roll the balls in the sugar
in the raw and then put on the cooking sheet, pressing each one gently to
flatten it slightly. If you don’t like really sweet cookies, don’t use the
sugar in the raw. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for eight to ten minutes. Cool on the trays for about five
minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-59201453195907939832014-05-12T10:30:00.000-07:002014-05-12T14:11:51.683-07:00My Writing Cross-Training<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCfy3tTwtNFdTF6ktDLyfA2Ay1NC7V3LWon9-vJrfd4gS12tqYEbIYUB6sXQs5Wz5_mLBDXBguk0Vuww4qec5SpYvoO1WYRA6sB2Pm0FzmtRV8JoLFgur2yx2An9d5p9gchssKD-mmtk/s1600/ben+biggs+quilt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCfy3tTwtNFdTF6ktDLyfA2Ay1NC7V3LWon9-vJrfd4gS12tqYEbIYUB6sXQs5Wz5_mLBDXBguk0Vuww4qec5SpYvoO1WYRA6sB2Pm0FzmtRV8JoLFgur2yx2An9d5p9gchssKD-mmtk/s1600/ben+biggs+quilt.jpeg" height="272" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Benjamin Biggs Quilt</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back in
January, when everyone was making resolutions, I decided that my New Year’s
Resolution was going to be joining a group of quilters in recreating a quilt
from the 1880s that is known as the Benjamin Biggs Quilt. On the first of every
month, we get a new block of the quilt and then race to finish it before the
next one is published.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKy8S5vPjs1qsaYxJmb9sSX1ihWh2uq-vONIsAt558qSqZ6S7dwVJOSgnSHeqCp0fYb3puk5MEfACMXi2qDdyVx3otLR9soKy8QvsD_tVgwQwF9j6qMS2AZCnSpJlI-34PA8sP55O9KM/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKy8S5vPjs1qsaYxJmb9sSX1ihWh2uq-vONIsAt558qSqZ6S7dwVJOSgnSHeqCp0fYb3puk5MEfACMXi2qDdyVx3otLR9soKy8QvsD_tVgwQwF9j6qMS2AZCnSpJlI-34PA8sP55O9KM/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my first four blocks!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As you can
see, the Benjamin Biggs Quilt has a lot going on. I have a love-hate relationship with
complicated quilts. For some reason, the more finicky a quilt is, the more I
want to recreate it, even if I spend the entire month complaining about how
elaborate the pattern is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ve done
four blocks so far and they haven’t been so bad to do. In fact, apart from
Block 3, they’ve been pretty fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I
can’t promise that I’ll finish the quilt on time but I’m up to date so far and
fingers crossed, I’ll keep it going. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a good chance that I will – I love
sewing and it’s totally good cross-training for writing.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-19763477749587601542014-05-05T10:30:00.000-07:002014-05-05T10:30:00.288-07:00Parrots (Writing What You Know)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt;">After nearly eighteen months, we are preparing for the departure
of Pablo, the parrot we’ve been taking care of while his people are in Hong
Kong.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuALKNefG4bTmnCSslvcRHehrEU3vkUEpL8uMjDfZu0_8y-4m7gqE7OL-7E7gb0LB6ftHn2vOqERe_71z6N8tYFzaUEbPkv298aKq_4WY-O7JDqhU79ef84hZPESC3Pgcux88BzJcnIM0/s1600/pablo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuALKNefG4bTmnCSslvcRHehrEU3vkUEpL8uMjDfZu0_8y-4m7gqE7OL-7E7gb0LB6ftHn2vOqERe_71z6N8tYFzaUEbPkv298aKq_4WY-O7JDqhU79ef84hZPESC3Pgcux88BzJcnIM0/s1600/pablo.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ve grown to love Pablo during our time together. Yes, I’m a
sucker for animals. But Pablo is special. He’s sweet, smart and funny and the
timing of some of his comments are uncanny, particularly when he laughs along
with us or says a word that is the right thing to say at the right time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Pablo says “good morning” when I uncover him in the morning and
“good night” every night as we’re going to bed. Sometimes, if we have people
over for dinner and he wants to go to sleep, he’ll say “good night” repeatedly
until the people actually leave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As a tribute
to Pablo, I’ve decided that I’m going to write a parrot into my work in
progress. The parrot, tentatively named Oliver, will play a small but pivotal
role. And I will be able to draw on my experiences living with a parrot and
also pay tribute to our tiny, noisy, friendly, sweet and loving companion of
the past year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-31703601508734912332014-04-22T07:30:00.003-07:002014-04-22T07:30:15.414-07:00Baked<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You may have
already picked up on this, but I love to bake. And as part of that, I have to
visit a LOT of bakeries to sample their fare. In fact, when I went to London
for work last year, I managed to visit four different bakeries. A girl has to see
what’s out there, right?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My favorite
bakery in the world, though, is Baked in Red Hook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I stumbled
upon Baked after impulsively picking up one of their cookbooks in The Strand
(good things come to people who buy books impulsively). The recipes seemed kind
of spectacular and the first thing I made was a Bundt cake with shards of
caramel scattered on the frosting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It was the
kind of cake that wasn’t hard to make but made people think, “Wow, that’s
pretty awesome.” And it was delicious enough that I decided that I had to go to
the source. It was kind of like a first-world pilgrimage, especially because I
had to take two buses and a train to get to Red Hook. But it was definitely
worth the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ve been
there a handful of times since then, most recently going with two friends on a
very rainy Saturday afternoon. It was their first time there and we decided
that the best thing to do was to order a bunch of different things and share.
We got a bar cookie, a piece of cake with malt frosting and some lemon poppy
seed quick bread.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Everything,
of course, was delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I recently
read that Baked is looking for a space in Manhattan, which is either awful or
wonderful. Fingers crossed it’s near my apartment! Or maybe fingers crossed
that it’s far away! I honestly can’t decide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-58813926022444999682014-04-14T13:43:00.000-07:002014-04-14T13:49:58.082-07:00So I Made Ramen<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt;">Remember when I was talking really big last week about making
ramen from scratch after I read Ivan Ramen? Well, I made it. It took about
twelve hours from start to finish and it was almost worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I set the alarm for 5:00 AM on Ramen Day and headed straight to
the kitchen to unpack the meat. Making ramen the Ivan Ramen way involves a lot
of meat—and not the nicely trimmed pieces of chicken breast that you get from
Fresh Direct. I’m talking about whole chickens chopped up into parts and slabs
of fatty pork with some bristles still left on the skin. If you’re squeamish,
like I am, there is a definite ick factor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Still, I managed to hold it together and got what needed to be
simmering on the stove simmering on the stove. When I sat down to breakfast,
all of my large pots were bubbling a way and a tray of sofrito was cooking
slowly in the oven. I was on my way to getting together the different components of ramen, which are chicken fat, pork fat, shio tare, sofrito, katsuobushi salt, chicken stock, toasted rye noodles, half-cooked eggs, menmo and dashi. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">One of the things that Ivan Ramen taught me is that there’s a
fair amount of precision needed to make ramen—the chicken broth, for example,
has to remain at a pretty specific temperature for a very long time—but there’s
also a lot of down time. I used some of this to send my sous-chef (also known
as my husband) to Fairway to buy some fresh noodles. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt;">After several hours of relative calm, work started up again and I was making the half-cooked eggs and chopping scallions to finish everything off. And then, almost before I knew it, I had the seven components of ramen in various containers in my countertop and we were ready to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt;">We’d invited a friend over for dinner—if you’re going to make ramen from scratch, you definitely have to show it off—and as we assembled our bowls, I realized the triumph of my achievement. I had made ramen almost entirely from scratch. In a way, it almost didn’t matter how it tasted. But man, it was good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Steps one and two: making chicken fat, pork fat and chicken broth </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVZmM5f9Y547ecPY3I-DEgK2eoEipdTXsNgJiEebMF_Gt_wojXBohfT2j_70lIlCLp5fmhJfIrBSnbsl8ZW7VcMRhvoNAi3hk0s-7LKC482N_oWQM8a3hyU7Q8rbSnD3Rwk-ofx3s0bI/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVZmM5f9Y547ecPY3I-DEgK2eoEipdTXsNgJiEebMF_Gt_wojXBohfT2j_70lIlCLp5fmhJfIrBSnbsl8ZW7VcMRhvoNAi3hk0s-7LKC482N_oWQM8a3hyU7Q8rbSnD3Rwk-ofx3s0bI/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px;">Steps three and four: assembling the components for a good bowl of ramen!</span><br />
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-36483634104389445132014-04-07T07:39:00.000-07:002014-04-07T08:27:03.579-07:00Ramen It<div class="MsoNormal">
Probably because I’m a masochist, I decided that it would be
a good idea to make ramen from scratch. The idea popped into my head after I finished reading <i>Ivan Ramen</i>. I mean, who DOESN’T want to spend an entire day making
the seven component ingredients of this traditional Japanese noodle dish?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing you should know—I’ve never actually eaten real
ramen, apart from the dried noodles that everyone eats at some point in
college. So why do I want to do it? Essentially, Ivan Orkin, the book’s author,
made me fall in love with the idea of ramen because of his own passion for it.
Plus, there is nothing I like more than a long, difficult task with a
questionable outcome. In a way, it’s kind of like writing a book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After reading the recipe through several times, I realized
that the individual components of ramen aren’t difficult to make. The
difficulty comes in the length of time needed to make some of the ingredients
and the sheer number of ingredients needed for dashi, a fish broth that is one
of seven components. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that in mind, I decided to buy dashi and make
everything else--chicken fat, pork fat, shio tare, sofrito, katsuobushi salt,
chicken stock, toasted rye noodles and menmo (bamboo shoots)—from scratch. To
be fair, I delegated the rye noodles to my husband. He has a pasta machine and
isn’t afraid to use it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s definitely going to be a process but it’s nothing that
a little determination and an excel spreadsheet can’t fix. Wish me luck!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-82309712874757856472014-03-31T07:40:00.000-07:002014-03-31T07:40:00.053-07:00Mac-Can’t-Rons<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not the kind of gal who admits failure easily but I’m
starting to think that making macarons—those tiny, delicious almond sandwich
cookies—are beyond my skill.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s not like I don’t have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">some</i> baking skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean,
I’ve made a Busch de Noel, complete with marzipan berries, leaves and vines,
for goodness’ sake! But every time I try to make macarons, I end up with flat,
runny oblongs instead of the pert little puffy circles that I’m aiming for. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve tried tested recipes from bakers like Michael Peterson
and Nancy Baggett. I’ve tried untested recipes that I’ve found online. I always
get the same result, though. It’s getting frustrating. And almond flour isn’t
exactly cheap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
But I’m not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quite</i> ready
to throw in the towel yet. I think I have one more attempt in me. So…does
anyone have a good macaron recipe?<o:p></o:p></div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-65644848822317683612014-03-24T07:39:00.000-07:002014-03-24T07:39:00.161-07:00Starting From Scratch<div class="MsoNormal">
I make a lot of things from scratch: combining a lot of
small amounts of things into cookies, brownies, caramel popcorn, mashed
potatoes, pizza, jam and a variety of things that it would be easier to buy. I
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I write books too. And now that I’m shopping my manuscript
to agents, I need to start from scratch again. It’s exciting and terrifying,
kind of like starting a new quilt or embarking on another time-consuming
attempt to make an ethnic food as authentically as possible in my apartment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
With a book, I don’t have a set starting point, like
pre-heat oven to 350. I’ve got ideas and notes, character names and scenes but
not much else. While I can adapt a quilt pattern or an existing recipe, I find
it incredibly difficult to make up my own. Writing, through, is a different
story. This is the part that I love!<o:p></o:p></div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-5911486471741094482014-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-17T06:00:06.558-07:00No Brownie Points<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to think that I’m a pretty good baker. I’ve got a
good understanding of the basic ratios of fat, sugar and flour needed to make a
mean cookie and I’m good at judging when a batter is right and when a batter is
just not right. But for the life of me, I can’t make brownies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Part of the problem is that I’m so used to adapting cookies
and cake recipes as I go, I think that I can adapt brownie recipes with the
same abandon. I can’t. Another part is that I am always incredulous about the
number of eggs (three to five) and the super-high sugar content (often more
sugar than flour).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Intellectually, I know why the recipes are written this way.
I just am so used to not following cookie recipes that I can’t stop myself from
improvising when it comes to brownie recipes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In any case, I accidentally made good brownies today. Here’s
the recipe. It’s pretty easy, even for someone like me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Accidental
Brownie<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12 tablespoons of butter<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup of sugar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
150 grams of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 eggs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup of flour<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ cut of walnuts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pre-heat oven to 350<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spray a 9x9-inch pan with some cooking spray.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, cocoa power and salt
into a decent-sized saucepan over low heat. Stir it together as the butter
starts to melt. When it’s all melted, take it off of the stove and scrape it
into a bowl with a spatula.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Whisk in the vanilla extra. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time,
until they’re well-combined and the batter is glossy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Fold in the flour. Don’t over mix it. Fold in the
walnuts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Pour it all into the baking pan and pop it into the oven
for about 20-25 minutes. You know it’s done when you stick a fork into it and
the tines have some moist brownie residue.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. Cool and enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-33742839856614392322014-03-10T08:57:00.003-07:002014-03-10T08:57:40.019-07:00Always Winter and Never Christmas<div class="MsoNormal">
Every time I get bummed out about the length and severity of
the winter this year, I make myself think about how much worse it would have
been in Narnia during the reign of the White Witch. Like Faun Tumnus
tells Lucy in <i>The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe,</i> the White Witch made it so it was "always winter and never Christmas."</div>
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When the snow raged, I reminded myself that it would have been
even worse in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Long Winter.</i> Even though it would have been awesome to live with the
Ingalls family, that winter was pretty terrible: the constant blizzards, the
food shortages and twisting hay into fuel. </div>
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And when it was so cold that I got brain freeze from the icy
wind, I told myself that eventually, Aslan broke the White Witch’s spell
and the Long Winter ended. Santa Claus was allowed back into Narnia and the
train with supplies got through to De Smet, South Dakota. </div>
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Thank goodness it’s (almost) spring.</div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-88565606972905989052014-03-03T11:14:00.004-08:002014-03-03T11:14:37.038-08:00Done and Done...For Now<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">I've reached a milestone in my quest to become a young adult writer: I finished my manuscript. It's proofread, a query letter is written and I'm ready to start sending it around to agents. It's going to be scary to send my darling out there but it's also going to be pretty exciting. </span><br />
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I have to admit, though, that I'm a little anxious. Not so much about the querying process or hopefully the editing process--I want my book to be as good as it can be--but about what life is going to be like for the next few weeks or months without these characters. I've lived with them in my head for years and their story is over, at least for now.</div>
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But like any good writer, I've got some irons in the fire and some ideas. At first, I thought I would continue my narrators' story but there's something else I'd like to work on first.</div>
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Watch this space!</div>
Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-52346137847503432812013-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:002013-02-03T07:00:02.435-08:00What I'm Reading Now<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m reading now:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel (who doesn’t enjoy a well-written historical novel?) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Catherine by April Lindner (I really loved Jane, her last book, and I’m loving Catherine so far).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renate Poliafito (yes, I read cookbooks from cover to cover and flag recipes I like. How else will I know what to make?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything else should I be reading?</span>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-12658479094392486282013-01-27T07:46:00.000-08:002013-01-27T07:46:00.629-08:00My Precious<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my Christmas gifts this year was a gift card to Barnes & Noble. As a dedicated user of the New York Public Library (sometimes I think I should pay more tax given the number of books I take out), I’m giddy and a little overwhelmed at the prospect of having an entire gift card to spend on anything I want. Do I get a cookbook? Do I get a book I’ve been waiting for? Do I buy an old favorite? Or do I just hoard it and wait for the right moment? Oh, my precious…it could take years to actually cash you in.</span></span>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-64712636944111345872013-01-20T07:43:00.000-08:002013-01-20T07:43:00.957-08:00Parrot in the House<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other day, I was trying to work on some revisions when I realized that my living room resembles a petting zoo. In addition to the toddler and the rabbit, there is now a small, green parrot named Pablo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pablo is a long-term guest while his people are living abroad. His chatter, combined with the rabbit’s constant munching on hay and the sounds of the toddler’s train set, makes for nice white noise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And who knows – now that I’m living with a parrot, maybe there will be one written into my next book!</span><br />
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Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-90340015456576816402013-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:002013-01-13T09:00:02.924-08:00Creativity Sandwich<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a new baking obsession: sandwich cookies. The cupcake craze that has fueled a rise in mom-and-pop bakeries seems to have overshadowed the humble sandwich cookie. But what can be a more perfect treat than two crisp wafers held together by a delicious frosting? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing I like best about sandwich cookies is the ability to be creative. You can make peanut butter cookies and stick them together with vanilla frosting or plain old sugar cookies and join them with chocolate mint frosting. The possibilities are endless. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or you can make a whole bunch of different kinds of cookies and frosting, invite a bunch of people over and have a mix and match party. Everyone will have the freedom of choice for their own cookies and filling.</span>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-75204643808130867152013-01-06T09:30:00.000-08:002013-01-06T09:30:00.872-08:00Six Of One…E-Book of Another<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, I read a </span><a href="http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/12/27/e-book-reading-jumps-print-book-reading-declines/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">survey</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that indicated that there is a modest rise in e-books and decline in print books. In some ways, this debate is moot. Obviously, e-books are gaining traction but print books aren’t going to disappear completely. Like my friend Leslie said last week, she likes to have “disposable” books on her kindle and physical books on her shelf. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the upshots to e-books is the author’s ability to add content that just wouldn’t work in print (one of my ideas for my book includes demonstrations on how to make cookies). But one of the downsides is that a shelf of books looks much prettier than an e-reader propped up in the corner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, a survey like this is interesting but a quick read of the fine print is important. The respondent size was very small and is very likely biased by the collection method. Also, I think the researchers tried too hard to make the expansion of e-books related to the age of the reader. I don’t see how that’s relevant when the barriers to using tablets are very, very low.</span>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7115576215111895850.post-22453316336434195132012-06-03T17:46:00.001-07:002012-06-03T17:46:20.613-07:00Dressing Your Character for Success<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Imagine a world in which you can choose any clothing. Shoes, dresses, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">even jewelry. Price is no object. Storage is no problem.</span><br />
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It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?<br />
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That's how I felt when I thought about how to dress my main character, Sarah. I was trying to think of clothing that would express her personality and fit her role in the book. I thought that a girl who likes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women">Little Women</a> as much as Sarah does might go for a more conservative style than most girls in her class. I looked into my mind's eye and saw...nothing.</div>
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When I get stuck it helps to think about the authors that I like and think about what they did. I remembered when I read <a href="http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/">Veronica Roth</a>'s descriptions of how the different factions dress in her books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024027">Divergent</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024043/ref=pd_sim_b_1">Insurgent</a>. That did it. The memory flooded my mind with possibilities. I went back and chose Sarah's entire wardrobe - shoes, how her clothes fit, colors, and thought about how she picked clothing. It helped me shape her character and think about the way people see her.</div>Samantha Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03316757044948488385noreply@blogger.com0