I got a new pet today! She is at least two years old and quite lively. Right now she is hiding in the back of the fridge, bubbling and brewing till I'm ready to turn her into lovely sourdough pot bread. I don't know why she is female. The lady who gave her to me says she just calls her Starter but I...

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Pale and tangy with a slightly sour flavor. Not great for baking, but wonderful for bread with salt. Purchased at Milkpail. Pale and tangy with a slightly sour flavor. Not great for baking, but wonderful for bread with salt. Purchased at Milkpail. ...

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After a lot of flapping, the birds have finally flown the coop. I haven't seen them for days. I admit, I miss them a little bit. After a lot of flapping, the birds have finally flown the coop. I haven't seen them for days. I admit, I miss them a little bit. ...

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with salmon, tuna and tai. with salmon, tuna and tai. ...

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Last night I got to try out Angeline's Kitchen in Berkeley, a Louisiana soul food place where all the beer is served in ice cold mason jars. We only ordered some starters: garlic salted hush puppies and grilled boudin with mustard, greens and one tiny green tomato. The gumbo was spicy and flavorful, but I felt the shrimp taste and texture was a...

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This is how I do Coolio's Italian Bread Recipe.1 french bread baguette, halved1/4 cup softened butter1/3 cup mayonnaise1 tsp hot sauce or to taste (I use whatever I've got. He prefers Crystal, of course.)4 cloves garlic finely minced or, better yet, pressed into paste.1/2 cup grated cheeses: parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, whatever... I find that a finer grate is better.Adjust to taste. Sizzle garlic...

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These are my finds at the nearby quilt show today. From left to right clockwise:Colored wood grain in stripes fabric from Australia.Three unintentionally matching prints from Amy Butler.The snake and dots are also from Australia.Two black and coral circles at the right bottom corner are actually beaded rings. Czech glass buttons in smooth coral, and clear with black and gold detail. Gold and...

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Inspired by the film Julie and Julia to eat Beef Burgundy, I set out to make it. The recipe is from The New Best Recipe book and was followed rather faithfully except for a few very minor alterations, namely no parsley garnish. All the base ingredients are combined and ready to be boiled and placed in the oven. You can see the string...

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The New Best Recipe produced by the Cook's Illustrated people is a cooking bible seriously beloved by older ladies and moms everywhere. I overheard a quartet of silver foxes on Bart discussing the merits of this book (and Meryl Streep's portrayal of Julia Child), and my sewing circle should probably get paid for the amount of hype they created. The recipes are mostly...

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The Andante are mild, friendly cheeses, very delicate in flavor and a bit hard to tell apart when eaten with condiments or strong bread. The paste have a slight resistance but the texture melts creamy into the mouth.The stinkiest of them all was the La Tur, really pungent washed rind with a sticky, creamy interior and a bit of bitterness. Definitely not for...

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From Japan... ...

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This guy came to play on our balcony with his special friend one day. Before we knew it, these two resulted. I can now confirm that pigeons are a mess. But pigeons are also doves. Creatures of peace and constant cooing. The babes are now walking, screeching, pooping balls of mess that are starting to get more and more curious about the boundaries...

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