okay, the way to get through a boring day at work is *not* to start buying things online. even things you arguably need, or things that really are for a good cause.
Here's what's been happening in my life lately:
1. On Saturday I went to the National Book Festival. I got to see Joyce Carol Oates, Diane Ackerman, Joan Nathan, Patricia McCormick, and M.T. Anderson. I did not get to see Terry Pratchett, the whole reason I went in the first place, because
a) I am constitutionally incapable of getting anywhere on time, and
b) You know how when you're driving somewhere, it's good to give yourself at least 15 minutes extra to get there, in case you run into traffic? Well, I'd forgotten when you're taking the DC metro somewhere, the same principle applies, because you never know when you'll run into a FIRE ON THE TRAIN TRACKS! Pretty freaking frustrating.
I also did not get to see the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, and I didn't get any books signed because I hate lines. Still, I had a good time.
2. On Sunday, I attempted to make bagels. Big Mistake. Okay, more accurately, the mistake was probably using the same recipe I used last time I attempted to make bagels. My mother has this "Jewish Cooking" book that was put together in the '80s by some women at a local synagogue in Iowa. The sheer number of jello dessert (and some jello non-dessert) items should've clued me in to the fact that these recipes are very midwestern and of very variable quality. But I wanted to make bagels. And I was too lazy to turn on the computer. And literally none of my other cookbooks contained a recipe (you'd think at least Joy of Cooking would!). And this book had three. So off I went. My bagels are tiny, dense, kind of soggy, and overcooked. On the bright side, putting the garlic on top of them worked pretty well!
I had a pretty detailed discourse on why I don't think my bagels turned out, but then I realized that really, no one but me is interested in it. So the take-away point is, despite my failure, I am not deterred. I will try again, and this time with a better recipe. Maybe something by Joan Nathan.
That's it for right now, I think.
5 comments:
Hey, let me know if you find a good bagel recipe because I think that is something I would like to try making sometime... I've been eating bagels every day in NY, and I am always frustrated because our grocery store doesn't carry plain ones, but the kind with raisins in them (and don't get me started on my feelings about raisins!).
The book fair sounds like it was a lot of fun! They had one in Brooklyn a few weekends ago that I went to, but we had already been to a pickle festival and marched all over manhattan, so by the time we got there we were ready for a very long nap and did not stay very long. I'm sorry you ran into the train fire, though, because Terry Pratchett would have been pretty cool. :-)
it seems quite odd that your grocery store only carries raisin bagels! do you have any bagel stores or bakeries near by? fresh baked bagels are probably too pricey, but day old bagels shouldn't be, and they'd probably have a more comprehensive range of flavors. I will let you know if I find a good recipe, but as a word of caution, bagel baking is kind of complicated. You have to do the normal kneading and letting rise thing, but you've also got to boil them in like 4 quarts of water. I don't know what your kitchen facilities are like, but finding a pot that big might be a challenge...
Are you implying that midwestern is of variable quality?
[...varies in quality]
Hmmm... 4 quarts is rather large. We have a super huge pot, so I will have to investigate how much water it holds. I never knew you boiled bagels! Is that normal, or just this recipe?
paige, I definitely was implying midwestern food varies in quality. probably an unfair stereotype. this cookbook definitely conformed to the stereotype, though.
and meghan, it turns out the 4 quarts are not necessary. I'm gonna write another post about it. (bagels are pretty much the the best blog topic ever, I've decided.)
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