Let's cook. And eat.

When your friend shares some bhaji, you make some pav from scratch.  Followed this recipe and they turned out great. Gone in a jiffy!  I did use some sourdough starter to replace some of the flour-water. Used a cup of starter and reduced flour and water by half cup each.  https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/homemade-ladi-pav-and-buns/ And I also asked my friend for her pav bhaji recipe - she did such a good job with what she shared with us. Here is what she messaged back with -  “ https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/pav-bhaji-recipe/ I make it in the instant pot, I also add a little bit of beetroot for color.  I’ve used badshah pav bhaaji masala and I don’t add tomato paste, just fresh tomatoes.  Top with chopped onions, butter, lemon juice and cilantro.  “ Life is good. 

Homemade brioche buns just came out of the oven. Master S has braces now and loves to eat them because they are soft.  Recipe followed as is:  https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/light-brioche-hamburger-buns/ Super easy and I love how my house smells when I have just baked fresh bread. 

This one was quick and easy. Followed the recipe as is.  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/swirled-garlic-herb-bread/ The only thing I did was replaced some of the flour-milk with my sourdough starter because I was trying to use some up.  A hit with the family. And baby Yoda approves it too. 

This just went into the oven.  https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-zucchini-bread/ Did not have applesauce on hand so used puréed peaches instead.  The best part about this recipe was that there was really no heavy lifting- just throw the ingredients together and you are good to go.  I did have to bake longer than 50 minutes. I think I almost went to 65-70 minutes. Wondering if my oven heats up to the right temperature... 

Everyone in the family loves focaccia. And with a sourdough starter at hand, it was not long before I got tempted to make a focaccia using the starter.  The recipe for focaccia was:  https://foodgeek.dk/en/sourdough-focaccia-recipe/ I would say it was pretty reliable but you can use any basic focaccia recipe. And then just go crazy with any colorful veggies you like to create your gardenscape.  (Tip: I played with the design and veggies on a flat baking sheet and then transferred it to the dough quickly once I had dimpled it with the fingers)

At the very beginning of the quarantine, my neighbor Mr. M (we’ve talked about him before) came to share some happiness in a jar. It was a sourdough starter. Many months prior, I had mentioned to him that I would like to bake with a sourdough starter. I forgot soon after but he remembered. Not only did he share the starter, he shared with me a zillion videos and tips. The process itself seemed so intimidating I bugged him with my questions for almost 2 weeks before I decided to venture a bake with the starter.  These are the 2 links/videos I followed. The first is a start to finish recipe by Patrick Ryan. And the second is a list of tips for sourdough baking.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2FVfJTGpXnU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BJEHsvW2J6M&t=168s The results after the bake: Update (7/29/2020):  Patrick Ryan's recipe is working great for me so far. There are a couple of changes I have been doing that have resulted in better and more consistent results.  Ingredi...