This time of year I tend to head back into the kitchen, not that I don't cook all summer long, however as the weather cools I find myself spending more and more time in the kitchen, creating.
Lets face it, the hub of a household is typically the kitchen, all sorts of activities are run from this central station in the house, homework, meals, telephone conversations, socialization over tea or coffee (sometimes wine :)), family game nights etc. You get my point! Summer time is about spending time outdoors, soaking up the sun, lazing on the deck, cutting the grass, weeding the gardens and going to the park. I find fall approaching and I am beckoned to start some new food creations in the kitchen.
Cooking is never a problem, seldom do I actually cook something that flops. Baking on the other hand is not my thing. I can bake, don't get me wrong, however I like to create. I do not like to follow a recipe, I like to use what is available and not have to run to the store because I am in the middle of a dish and realize I am missing something....I am the queen of improvising, at least when it comes to cooking.
My family will open the fridge and exclaim that we have no food, 30 minutes later I'll have dinner on the table from whatever I may have created with what I found in the fridge, I make it up as I go. Sometimes I start with one thing in mind, stumble upon an ingredient and change the entire dinner plan.....and it all works out.
Over the years, I have tried to be a healthier baker, really I think this is part of my problem. I do not have enough experience with baking to improvise, and certainly not if I want it to be low in sugar, be gluten free or dairy free or full of whole grains (depending on what my goal is that particular day!)
I can mimic my mothers pastry, my grandmothers cookies, my friends banana bread, and make a great butter tart, however the moment I try to make it "healthy" I may as well give up and throw it out. Now not everything flops, but there is a chemistry behind baking and simply changing something as simple as the standard all purpose white flour for whole wheat or heaven forbid a gluten free blend, it becomes an art that I am not yet accustomed to.
Now, really, baked goods are not actually "healthy", however its still nice to have a treat every once in a while and really is there any reason why we can't "want" a healthier version of something that may typically be so sinfully delicious? Insert 80/20 rule here and remember that I am not "perfect" nor do I try to be!
I won't give up and I do sometimes follow recipes and sometimes they even turn out, but thats not the point, I don't want to follow the instructions! I simply want to create and get frustrated that I am not quite there yet, perseverance will pay off, eventually, I hope!
Side Note, I have come across two extremely sinful gluten free brownie recipes in the past few years that really make me wonder why anyone would ever want or need to put flour into a brownie recipe again!
I can certainly pass these recipes along, I'm always willing to share, and don't mind being a taste tester either!
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