Somewhere along the line I decided that Friday is a bad day for posting on the blog. You want to know what a worse day than Friday really is? Never - as in not posting at all. I typically find it hard to schedule posts in advance - getting caught up in the day-to-day, and frequently run out of time to post all that I have to share each week. I decided to revisit the idea of doing an end-of-the-week blog post, and - well, here we are. Friday sounds like the perfect day to get caught up with all you lovely readers, share some of my recipes and freelance work that were published that week, and visit some of my favourite reads and recipes from around the web. Sound good to you? Great! But first, let me nerd-out about salt....
"Nerd-out" she says? What does it really mean to be a nerd these days? My husband, Brett, has a degree in mathematics, is currently studying to become a video game programmer, and spends his free time reading comics books. Is he a nerd? Probably, but I don't think the term exclusively applies to science geeks and superhero fans anymore. Being a nerd doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how smart you are, but how fanatical one is about a certain topic - in my opinion. When one has an almost unhealthy obsession with something or deep knowledge of a particular subject. Where my brother gets excited about restoring old photography equipment with his friends and where Brett has been studying ESPN's ranking of all the NFL players in order to do well in his Fantasy Football league (he likes sports just as much as he likes numbers and the X-Men), I am admittedly a food nerd. Oh wait, does that make me a foodie? lol.
It's pretty clear that I have an interest in sweets - hence this blog. I love baking them, photographing them, writing about them, and - of course, eating them. But the real truth is, I love everything about all kinds of food. I am enamoured by it. Obsessed with it. I spend most of my waking hours meal planning, discovering new local eats, and keeping up with food news. I even have my favourite food podcasts that I play for Baby Huff when trying to get him down for a nap! One peek into my kitchen, and you'd know what I mean.
As I type this, I currently have about a half-dozen different sugars, flours, and grains ready to be cooked with for any occasion. My tea collection takes up an entire shelf and I could probably open up my own spice shop with my over-flowing stash. Just the other day Brett asked me why I had five different types of salt. Well, my dear husband, because I need them all!
There's your fine grain Kosher salt - that I typically use for baking. There's your coarse sea salt - that I keep close to the stove for tossing into pretty much anything that I am cooking. There's your Maldon flake salt - because it's only the best salt EVER and perfect for finishing a dish. There's your fleur de sel - for when I am feeling fancy. And then there's your flavoured salt - for anything from seasoning grilled meats, turning into a dry rub, rimming a cocktail glass, and sprinkle over fresh fruits and veggies.
I'm sure I missed a few (like Himalayan pink salt!), but you get the idea =) Be sure to head on over to The Kitchn for all my seasoning salt recipes, including: Herby Lemon Salt, Espresso Pepper Salt, Raspberry Peppercorn Salt, and Herbes de Provence Salt - plus, the best way to use them all summer long.
Who's up for making some DIY Seasoning Salts this weekend? If not, then here are some awesome food reads from the week:
- Brooke's honest and humbling reflection on a not-so-perfect cake (we've all been there!) and these amazing Caramel Cracker Jack Cupcakes on Chocolate and Marrow.
- Make a pie and win a house!
- 10-second tart dough? Better get that summer stone fruit ready.
- This soft serve hack that you can DIY at home from Big Gay Ice Cream.
- Michelle's Blueberry Custard Tart from Hummingbird High, because I bet I'm not the only one with tons of blueberries in my fridge this time of year.
Happy Weekend!!