Merry Belated Christmas and a latecomer recipe: My Mum’s Mincepies / Tardivi Auguri di Natale e una ricetta in differita: I Mincepies di mia Mamma

Merry Belated Christmas! Working in a shop around this time of the year means no time to blog around and unfortunately little baking and cooking too. But I am back, and cannot exempt from leaving one little traditional recipe even though it’s a latecomer.

Christmas is nothing without traditions. I grew up with a weird mix of Father Christmas meets Joan Baez in front of the manger scene. But I guess that’s our tradition.

Maria’s Spiced Cauliflower Flan / Lo sformato al cavolfiore e spezie di Maria

Since the 4th of December, when I started working part time at a goldsmith shop, my weeks have been quite hectic. Recipes and blog post scheduling, the weekly appointment with Wing Chun training, trying to be present on my usual social networks and fitting in multiple appointments hasn’t been easy. Let’s add my Panettone Obsession and the picture is quite clear. But chaos is my element, stress has always been my cup of tea (or loaf of bread) and even though feeling a bit tired I wouldn’t change a single thing.

A quiet rise, my Chestnut flour and rice milk Popovers / I miei “diversamente popovers” con farina di castagne e latte di riso

It’s Sourdough Surprises time again! This month’s theme is Popovers. I often saw these enthusiastically risen treats during my web-excursions in the foodblog world. I found them quite fascinating but never tried to bake them. Isn’t it lovely to have an excuse to try something new out? This recipe really struck a chord with me.

Naan Bread and a different kind of Curry / Pane Naan e un curry un po’ diverso

Bread comes first, always. I am quite amused, because this post would reasonably have to be about the curry recipe. Curry the main dish and bread just something on the side and not vice versa. But you know I’m a little crazy and love to do things all the other way round. Why put bread first? There are several reasons.

Panettone Yule Log, the recycling of a monstrous Panettone / Tronchetto Natalizio di Panettone, o del riciclo del Panettone dilusione

Panettone, only Panettone on my mind. Every step I take, every move I make am thinking about IT and yes, it does sound a bit like a bitter-sweet nightmare. What I have been avoiding for years, the most difficult and scary of leavened has now become my obsession.

Comfort food: Buckwheat and Hazelnut flour Pie with Broccoli and Walnut filling / Comfort Food: Crostata salata di grano saraceno e nocciole con ripieno di broccoli e salsa di noci

Last week I started working again, part time, after 10 months unemployment. It feels weird, since the blog was born it became a fulltime job for me and it’s hard to let go, even if a little. Still struggling to make my schedules meet, maybe Panettone weekend wasn’t helpful and scrambled my brain a little, I had the chance to bake some bread only once with a semi-failed experiment that turned out nicely (but in the rush forgot to take notes). This is not good.

What I learned from my Panettone failure / Panettone mappazzone, cosa ho imparato da una grande dilusione

This year I decided to face my biggest fear in the world of leavened products: Panettone or even said, quite rightly, the “King of leavened”. The result, thinking ot the huge emotional stress and sleep deprivation involved, was extremely disappointing.

Of Buckwheat ciabatta Quest / Alla ricerca della ciabatta al grano saraceno perfetta

Some recipes are like miracles, perfectly balanced from the first test to the hundred times you cook/bake them after their discovery. Some recipes are like nightmares, thoughts of the numerous failures hunting you at night, the need to nail them a monkey on your back. Especially if you’re like me, instinctive and a bit lazy on the technical/study side of the cooking/baking world. I am improving, but to me nothing beats some proper experiments and action in the kitchen. Guerrilla cooking (oh and how many times I come out defeated!).

What I baked last weekend and a chocolate and orange plumcake / Cosa ho sfornato settimana scorsa e un plumckae al cioccolato e arancia

It has been a long one, last week. Full of appointments, things to do and unexpected events. I have baked and cooked, I’ve wrote posts, I’ve driven my car far and got stuck an a few queues. I got tired but didn’t let go, putting my alarm clock at 2 a.m. in order to bake a panettone I have been given at an evening at the bakery promoted by Migros and sleeping 4-5 hours maximum to bake ciabatte. I found the time to put together a quick pot bread but admit a little cheating with an addition of instant yeast (2 gr) which enabled me to bake a loaf in approx 4 hours avoiding the fridge proofing. And here I am, tired, trying to type up a new post for the blog.