Reasons for Recipes

[serendipity17]

One gets technical details of procedure. Like cut the baklava into pieces, halfway down, before putting it into the oven, not discover seven minutes into baking that the baklava needs scoring, so pull it from the oven and shatter the nice pretty top layers

Oops.

Fate-of-pastry remains to be determined.

For me, part of the fun of cooking is the fly-by-night, ephemeral experimentation. I've got four different sweeteners in this project, two nuts, two oils, three seasonings, five items that count as liquid. The project "used up" three items, not replaceable at this time because I wouldn't know where to find more of the specific item. That sounds impressive until I explain that one is honey from the Farmer's Market, one is a trade show sample, and the third came in my produce box today. Throwing in the little things I find in the cupboards makes me happy. I know my kitchen style irritates Mom slightly because she'd love for me to be able to duplicate stuff that came out exceptionally well, and I don't feel that writing down specific stuff is necessary. I can make similar, equally good things in the future and they'll all be different.

Comments

[evade.livejournal.com]

I've done this. I promise, it remains delicious, if a little messy-looking.

I've also forgotten to finish cutting it all the way down before pouring the honey syrup on it. This causes the still-attached pan of baklava to kinda float on the honey, and it never quite soaks it up right. Still, even with that blunder, the end result was tasty. :-D

[groblek.livejournal.com]

I understand that style - I work that way myself when cooking. I tend to feel that a recipe is best used as a jumping-off point for further negotiations. :)

[whalejudge.livejournal.com]

You tell her, sister! I haven't a clue what's going into my fruit salads till I get to the store--other than no Mangos (little jack), no bananas (ifonlyuntil9), and no cantalope (on general principles).

[ellipticcurve.livejournal.com]

So you've now got one enormous piece of baklava?

I'm really not seeing the problem here.

[lysandra.livejournal.com]

how does one eat a pan-sized piece of baklava without giving oneself diabetes?

[serendipity17.livejournal.com]

One brings it to theatre-in-the-park to share among six people, one breakfasts upon it with unsweetened tea, one knows the nuts provide protein that balances the glycemic spike of sugar... in short, division amongst people and eating sessions minimizes portion size.

One rationalizes it's made with shiney adjectives: organic walnuts, local honey, sweet butter...that the sugars are more honey and cane juice than refined white sugar...that the tablespoon-plus of cinnamon is supposed to be an insulin regulator. It's "only" one stick of butter. Cookies use more sugar and butter. Walnuts and pecans are omega-3 oil sources. There's no salt, artificial colorings or flavourings, hydrogenated oils, or trans-fats.

Avoidance of type-2 diabetes comes from not eating soda, cookies, chips, candy on a daily basis. Homemade baked goods are made less than once a month, and then not in huge quantity. I do have type-1 diabetes in my family medical history.

Pan: 10*7 metal, not 13*9 pyrex or 18*24 cookie sheet. Limiting the yield is a preventative step against excess consumption.

[lysandra.livejournal.com]

I'm not good at the reproducing of yummies :(

But I just remembered that we have a thing of honey we should use...