Purely Random

Let me start by asserting that Prantl’s Bakery in Shadyside has amazing chocolate chip cookies. When I was in grad school, the ECE Department was ordering an assortment of Prantl’s treats to inspire grad students to attend a weekly seminar (I believe they still are). I’m a little ashamed to admit, but that aspect of the seminars definitely gave me some added motivation to attend. At the time, it was my one unhealthy weak moment each week. In retrospect, that regularly scheduled weak moment was actually a very healthy thing. It’s easy to be all healthy during all other moments of the week if you have that one day to look forward to. Of course, you’re really reading this to find out about cookies, so I’ll get back to it. (more…)

I enjoy yogurt. Being a bit of a health geek (okay, a lot of a health geek), I’m partial to the plain yogurt—typically low fat. In fact, every morning, I start my day by enjoying a little plain yogurt with something crunchy sprinkled on top. Sometimes it’s Grape Nuts, sometimes that’s homemade granola, but there’s always yogurt involved. The point here is that I consume quite a bit of yogurt and have been for the past few years. That’s why it’s funny that I’ve only recently made the following discovery: stirring yogurt destroys the somewhat solid texture it’s supposed to have. It negatively impacts not only texture, but the flavor as well. (more…)

Have you ever watched a cooking show and thought, “I could do that if I had someone measure out all my ingredients and set them on the counter in little dishes for me.” Yes? Then you need to start using prep dishes. You may not have someone to fill them for you, but these cheap little dishes make it possible to do a lot of the detail work well in advance of actually cooking. All the chopping, measuring, and other little details that require careful inspection of your recipe can take place before you turn dive into combining, mixing, sauteing can be done well in advance of turning on the stove. Taking care of the details before the heat comes one, will make your cooking far more manageable. Who knows, maybe you can even find a friend to help you fill them up. (more…)