The re-awakening of baking cells

Since December 2013, i am down with a bug.... baking bug... friends on Facebook had been posting their fruits of labour... well, my brain had been resistant to such visual and text exchanges for a long time.. For 10 years or more, i had hung up the apron, kept my table top oven and all baking accessories. They laid covered under layers of dust, withstanding the test of time, waiting for their days of glory to come again... (it took more than 10 years to come to light.)  I must add that, baking comes easier to me than cooking... though over the years due to lack of access to an oven had made me come closer to the stove.

The bug, I think, started when I chanced upon Bouchon Collection... and some time before that, gained knowledge of who is Thomas Keller.  Bouchon is one of the restaurants ran by TK Restaurant Group.  The most famous of the group is THe French Laundry which is perhaps on the bucket list of most people (who knew the significance of this restaurant), including mine.

The set of 2 books practically got me excited. Flipping and studying it with joy over the next few days... the excitement did not wane off...... it translated into actions. I warmed up by baking my fav Chocolate Chip cookies. (Also need time to get re-acquainted with my handy baking equipments.  Thank GOD! they are still alive and kicking... Still in their prime, it seems.)  Then it went on to... almond cookies, shepherd pie (thanks to my Aussie friend, Edward for sharing with me your family recipe!), lemon drizzle cake, sable, apricot cake, St Clement cake (Jamie Oliver's Recipe)......oh even experimented with making Hae Bee Hiam Cookies (Spicy Prawn chilli cookies, a touch of Singaporean flavour) .... ! Now what's next? ANy suggestions?

Thus far, the journey had been fun, educational and insightful. Thanks to my FB friends! I have been learning alot from them and renewing my knowledge with them

IMHO, i think baking had over time, transformed into a multi disciplinary art and science....

Science as in the interactions between key leavening agents and the ingredients used... Gradually, people are introducing and combining less conventional baking ingredients to their products to come up with something new and creative.  Something to ponder about, do these ingredients really combine well in terms of chemical reactions and its impact on our health?  

Art as in its not just what went into the cookie or cakes to make it delicious... these delicious items are being decorated with fondant, gum paste, icing, buttercream and all.... to make it really an eye candy... sometimes, you do not even want to eat it... admiring it is all you want to do... (doesn't that constitute to a waste of food? So eat them... it is an appreciation to the baker's efforts.)

Multi disciplinary, you can apply chemistry knowledge to it.  Food sciences. Arts, the cake or cookie is basically your canvas.  Do i need to say more? Learn your imagination flow.  Polymer clay, basically color your dough and you can get to create designs and slice them like your clay.. albeit many times bigger and easier on your eyesight.  Maths, yes, you need a good ratio of key ingredients.  Whats more these are real life items, you see the outcome of it.  You need some good engineer to evaluate and tell you which brand or model of oven is a good make.... the list goes on...

I shall stop here .... I will try to share what i have baked in this blog.  Usually i am too excited to take pics when i am done...  Waiting impatiently to devour the item and look for ways to improve it.

Till then.......

wait.... what am i going to bake next....

Love, the re-awakened baker...