cooking log

temporary! trying to figure out how to approach blogging.
will keep this pinned to my profile while posting independent cooking-related blogs. each entry will also be added here as a compilation

July 30th, 2023 //
cooking fun, on deglazing

I've had more time to do some cooking by myself, more specifically looking up and following new recipes as I've yet to dedicate a few staple dishes to memory. I've been mostly relying on university dorm cafeteria food otherwise.
Today, I think I've attempted deglazing for the very first time? Usually, I've only regarded the browning that formed at the bottom of the pan (referred to as the fond or sucs! two new words of the day) after sautéing was in the sink, where it was doomed into something burnt annoying to scrub away :( a bit embarrassing, I think
But it's fascinating! the joy of caramelization. shout out to tasty isomerization and polymerization. To be able to take something that I've used to disregard and finally realize that it can also be an ingredient. It was also another opportunity for me to make use of the veggie broth powder that I've made a while ago, too. It wasn't any pan sauce, but it seasoned some asparagus and mushrooms pretty well.

August 6th, 2023 //
cooking continues, asparagus soup

just made some asparagus soup from the bunch that was left over mentioned in the previous blog, it was well past the proper time to cook them because the buds have become a little mushy. It wasn't too much of a hinderance, as you can remove them with plenty of the shoot left. onions, garlic, and some scallion kept the pot company and was cooked with some butter and seasoning until the broth was added. cook a bit more, then blend into a purée. 

On hindsight, I should have chopped off the woody ends a little more as the soup became a little fibrous after blending it- or maybe I needed to blend it more? I also accidentally put too much lemon juice into it in one go, but some honey rounded out the flavor, I think. simple, mostly straightforward. Maybe a little boring, because I only made soup. I think adding some potatoes would've been tasty and will consider it in the future.

Making sourdough bread has been on my mind for a while, for some reason I never found myself doing it even during times where I had plenty of time on my hands. It's probably because I never baked bread before, so creating a starter for it or y'know just using a packet of yeast felt like a big jump at the time. Worrying about unintentionally forgetting about it was also a factor.
Anyways, I still don't have any prior bread experience but with a decent grasp of following instructions and some improvement in keeping track of things, I've decided to give it a shot.

Ultimately, it comes down to mixing equal parts, like 60 g flour + 60 g warm water into a jar and leaving it be in a roomtemp to warm area. The summer temp here has been on the slightly hotter side for starter, so I'll give it a little more caution