The thing about salt

I have been reminded so many times of how salt does wonder in bringing out the flavor of other foods.

A visible dusting of coarse salt on top of this focaccia compliments the fragrant rosemary and the nutty olive oil

A more generous use of salt in the batter and a dusting of sea salt on top give these chocolate chip cookies a unique taste

However, don't put salt and yeast together when making bread dough as the salt will inhibits the working of yeast.  Mix the salt and flour together, then add them to the yeast mixture.

Time to catch up, and make granola

It has been a while since I posted anything here. I apologize. Just in case you are wondering what has been cooking in my kitchen - quite a lot. And outside of my kitchen too.

I started culinary school at the beginning of May - no actual cooking was involved but I learned a lot about safety, sanitation and menu design.  At the same time, I started learning how to make butter cream frosting for cupcakes at a local pasty shop.  Butter cream frosting flavored with fresh seasonal local goodness (like strawberries and rhubarb) is a beautiful thing.  Creamy yet light, and just sweet enough on the taste buds to transport you to wherever your gustatory memories may take you.  I really like the way this kind of frosting tastes.  And I am learning how to judge when a frosting is perfectly prepared, by the way it looks and the way it feels at the stir of a spatula.

On the home front, here are pictures of the granola I made minutes ago (while watching No Reservations episode on Indonesia.)  Granola is very easy to make at home.  You can tailor its ingredients to your preference, much like making a stir-fry.  If you have access to a co-op, you can buy all the ingredients in the bulk area at decent prices.  For the most recent batch, I used regular oats, coconut flakes, craisins, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, some Hope butter, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, brown sugar, local honey and a pinch of salt.  I mixed all the ingredients together, spread a thin layer on a cookie sheet and baked in the oven at 350F for about 10 minutes.  (You may want to turn the cookie sheet after 5 minutes and stir the mixture to ensure even browning.) 

I'm excited to have this granola around, especially now that it is berry season.  A bowl of granola with fresh strawberries or raspberries, and some milk or home-made yogurt (more on this in another post) is a breakfast of champion.

 
I hope you are enjoying the beginning of a bountiful harvest season!