baba

Baba is russian for grandmother. and as you know, grandmothers cook. well, not ours. haha. but usually, grandmothers cook. more specifically, they cook..perogies. :)

long introduction to today's item.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104662

here's the recipe for the dough. it's really quite good - the addition of cake flour makes a difference. not that i've made it before, but other recipes use dairy e.g. sour cream & butter.
this dough was pliable and it didn't break. and it also tasted pretty good!

the filling: potatoes, butter, ementhal cheese and pancetta. I wanted to finish up my potatoes - because I've had them for sometime now. hehhe. it's NOT just an excuse. anyway, i froze the whole lot of them. :)
I have extra filling - i'm probably going to pan fry little potato cakes. hehe. ..hm..maybe have them with polenta and some kind of sauce? ;)

An article that we submitted was rejected. I knew it. :) it's like when bad things happen, we quickly claim foreknowledge/foresight that for suuuurrreee, it would have been rejected. quick quick, buffer buffer.
but in reality, i wouldn't have accepted the article either. its really quite flawed. Maybe if the new study that we are working on works out, we can rewrite the whole thing + the new study to make it better.

In other news, I also made biscotti.
http://creampuffsinvenice.typepad.com/cream_puffs_in_venice/
why? because 5 other bloggers made biscotti. and as you know, i'm collectivistic so I don't like to feel left out. :P

I made some changes to the recipe though:
1 stick of butter, 1/4 demerara sugar, 1/4 cup almond meal and 2 toblerone squares in addition to chocolate chips.
why? well, the 1st one was ..a creative decision mistake. haha. the recipe called for 3/4 stick. I took out 1 stick of butter to soften and without thinking, I started creaming it.
the 2nd one because I thought it'll go well. the 3rd because that's all i had. the 4th because the toblerone has been sitting in my fridge for sometime now and I'm trying to use it up. ehhe. I also don't have white chocolate, or caramel bits - so I thought this was a good replacement.

I shaped the log, put the tray in the oven, skipped back to my computer - glanced over the recipe and realized that she had put specific measurements for the log. argh. so I ran back to the oven, took the log out..hehe. but it was too late, the chocolate and butter were melting and reshaping it would have made it worse. that shows you - pay attention to details.
oh well.
I left it in a little longer then I was suppose too..again I would like to say it was a creative decision and that I like a slightly caramelized burnt taste, but..no. it's pretty good though. I like it. it's like a good double chocolate almond toblerone-chip cookie.

Look at them shyly peeping out from the crepe paper.
nb. I bought the hot chocolate from Godiva during my recent Toronto trip for Alexis' christmas present. I may be tempted to use it though. heehee. no laaahhh.