Pan de Sal

My mom used to stop by Valerio's Bakery every couple of days to pick up freshly baked pan de sal for us. It was so cheap. I think they were 18 for $1. Why make them if they are that cheap? Well unlike San Diego, Denver does not have a huge filipino population. There is no Valerio's Bakery. I still...

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes2 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons sifted cake flourscant 1 teaspoon baking powder*1 teaspoon sea salt2 tablespoons Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder1/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring (I used Wilton brand. It is cheaper than buying regular food coloring)1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened1...

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Sourdough Bread Take Two

This time around I made it with Aki the organic rye berry and pineapple juice starter. (By this time Aki had been converted to a white starter.)1 1/2 cups of starter1/2 cup rye flour3 cups unbleached AP flour (maybe more or less depending on the hydration of the starter)1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast...

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Carl Griffith's Oregan Trail Sourdough Starter

I received Carl Griffith's 1847 sourdough starter a few weeks ago. I was getting ready to leave town and did not want to activate it and leave. Taking the starter on the trip with me was not an option. I was tired all of last week and actually contemplated holding off on activating it since I have...

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Lavender Shortbread Cookies

I used my regular recipe for shortbread cookies, subbed vanilla extract for the almond extract and added about a tablespoon of dried lavender. 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup white baker's sugar ...

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Aloo Chole (Potato Garbanzo Bean Curry)

I made this for soupgroup. I wanted to make the potato dish often served at indian restaurants. I was not sure what the dish was called. Instead of potatoes and peas or potatoes and cauliflower, I decided to make a potato and garbanzo bean combination. 1 lb. garbanzo beans, rinsed 4 tablespoons...

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Dim Sum at Pearl Restaurant in Rancho Bernardo, CA

I was in San Diego this past weekend (long story). We met up with some friends for dim sum. Yum.This was only part of the spread. I forgot to take more pictures are we acquired more food.Chicken FeetChinese Sausage Fried Rice in the foreground and shrimp rice rolls and gai lan in the backgroundShrimp...

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Spice Haul

I notice that the lens of my camera is dirty.I went to Savory Spice Shop www.savoryspiceshop.com to pick up some asafetida for my aloo chole that I am making for SoupGroup this weekend. (Technically aloo chole is not a soup but we usually bend the rules and put different items into our SoupGroup containers.)...

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