Challah...

Uhmm... the next post was going to be about Challah, but with this Shabbat being the last one just before Pesach, why bother with talking about Challah right now.

Let's eat Matzah!!

Ever taste test Matzah amongst the different brands?

Manischewitz -- Seems to be the most popular, what I grew up with. It has its distinctive texture

Whole Wheat Matzah -- my dear late aunt, the vegetarian, insisted on eating it for additional nutritional value. It does have a nice nutty flavor to it. Great with cream cheese!

Yehuda -- I think I liked it, but I cannot remember! It was good until the deal the following year on Osem maybe.

Holy Land -- which I have yet to really believe its for Jewish families. I think I got it one year at Trader Joe's, my first Passover alone in Long Beach.

Osem -- saw it a few years ago, was tasty, crisp.

Streits -- another good one.

I really have not had all the different ones at the same time, because I can barely get through the 5 lb. block, ok, just kidding. I can barely get through 1 lb. box let alone opening up all the brands in the same year!

I hope to try Shmurah matzah this year. For some reason, I did not make it back to Park La Brea, as I had seem a ton of items available in the middle of the produce section at Ralphs for Passover.

And Next Year, let me bake matzah! But how the heck would I get this oven O-U-P?

May Next Year Be in a New Home!

Happy Pesach!!

Kimberly

King Me!

So what books make the keeper list and which ones just stay in the library??

Well I was in Borders buying a gift one day, and this book caught my eye, being in one of those middle sections of new books.

I just had to have it, but realized I did not want to spend that much money that day. I realized I could 'test' the book if I could find it in the library.

So I went on line, to find that it was on order, I added my name to the list and then started using it.

For about a year I was checking out this one book, using it, renewing it, returning it, bringing it home, taking it back...
It was a fine set up.
Well one birthday a dear friend bought me the book! I had no idea how much I could enjoy having the books available 24/7.

Need to bake a cake, boom! I could figure it out late the night before.

Need to know the weight conversion, flip a page, and viola! I had all the reference info in this book.

So certainly some books truly are worth keeping around and using.

King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

I love the pancake recipe in this book. My grandmother says they are the lightest pancakes she has tried. And believe me, she buys every new package available in Gelsons!

So I had this new book on my kitchen table, sitting side by side to the library one... and realized that mine was missing the plastic! So I went to the library to return the checked out copy, and asked them to put plastic on mine. Really! It just felt too delicate with the paper cover without it.

There's a challah recipe in there, but I am not sure that I like, or others would like, whole wheat challah. It seems that the nuttiness can take away from the sweet flavor. I'll have to give it a try sometime. Why not, I have tried so many others already!

I have baked a few excellent cakes from this cookbook too.

Oh, and my banana bread that people seem nuts over, is from this book, but I don't really quite follow the recipe.

I want to thank Heather for the wonderful gift. This book cannot seem to stay on the shelf, it's often on the kitchen counter. I keep wondering why I put it away, because I then pull it out and read it on the sofa or prep some recipe in the kitchen.

The Library

For the last 3 years of my bread baking, I have been using a select few bread books. I don't owe many bread cookbooks. That seems silly to me! And no I haven't had much luck using recipes from the internet.

How did I decide which books I want to use?

My method is that I go to the library, bring a few books home, read them, use them, renew them, use them and return them.

Why don't I buy books?

My thought is why should I buy a zillion books that I may or may not find useful?

Everyone has this idea that the library doesn't have you want, right?

The way I see it is that until I have tried all the books they have, why do I need other ones? You know how supply and demand works? Little demand at the library, it could shut down. So I am creating jobs, by using my local library regularly. They supply me with whatever books I want, yes I have requested special purchases in the past, and I just keep visiting the library. Some books I am on a waiting list, so I have to wait a week or two until the newly released book is purchased, but I am patient while I test out other books.

But isn't it easier to just have the book from the store?

Depends on how you define easy. Managing the household clutter seems to be the toughest reason to avoid bringing new stuff into the home. The main reason that I do not buy every book is that I do not need to ultimately store the books. My degree in Industrial Engineering has taught me about inventory and storage space. I have a bookshelf dedicated to the storage of library books. Always some room for a book or to and always something heading back to the library. But ultimately I can survive with a small bookcase and not have books overflowing, and never need to struggle with the decision of should I donate a book that I didn't really like but yet I bought it so maybe I could find a use for it. Naaah... just use the library!! :)

My method...

I have narrowed my favorite list down a bit and then I can buy what I really like.However, using the library keeps me accountable, because I have to return the book, so I know that I need to use it and keep motivated to keep trying the recipes before the book has to go back.

The Walk...

Oh, maybe you didn't realize, the library is a quarter mile from my home, so I can easily take a walk and get a breath of fresh air. It sure beats driving around to book stores and standing in lines.

So I'm sure you are curious to what's in my bookshelf...what I have tried, what I like, what I don't check out again, etc.... so next time, that's what I will blog about!