Polar Shmortex?

Greetings and Happy New Year! Julie has been busy hunting down delicious things to try with her brand, spanking new crock pot! Consequently, we will both have posts about this recipe (http://www.plantoeat.com/recipes/787109/winter-squash-and-sausage-soup) very soon! We're super cute and both made it on the same day across the country (Julie in WA and myself in FL). I'm excited to see how they compare and what, if any changes, we both made!

Julie is also super rad and mailed me a packet of harissa so I'm going to get on the hand-pie train this weekend!

Until then, enjoy this cat eating Cheetos (that I got from God knows where).

Best,
Amanda

Success!

You should all make these Moroccan Hand Pies immediately. Everything about them is delicious! I just whipped up another batch to freeze to finish up the filling mixture (apparently the recipe calls for a full version of dough and a half version of the meat, not a half recipe of each... I really should read the directions more closely). The crust is really good, and I think will be even better on my next batch (let's just say I am following the directions a little more closely this time around). I'm sure I won't wait too long before baking the second batch, but it seems like I should try to limit the number sticks of butter I eat per week, so it will be at least a few days.

First batch

This Martha Stewart crust is definitely the closest I have come to the pasty crust I remember from the UK. I hope Amanda tries it out soon and agrees with me, or is at least able to remember better than I am what it is about the Cornwall Pasty Co ones that is better! It has been way too long since I had one. Happy baking, Amanda! You're up next :) If you want to try this one, I will happily send you some Harissa (or whatever you need for those empanadas I never got around to making) for Christmas!

They were gone before I had time to take a good picture of them being eaten!

Dough number 1: Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee

I'll let you know how the hand pies work out tonight! Wish me luck!

Baking is hard.

I'm pretty good at cooking (i.e. I can not burn stuff and it tastes quite tasty). It's easy to make things work or substitute without ruining it or go rouge and add more garlic. But baking is hard. You can change one thing and BAM your cake just became brownies. How does that even happen? I have no idea (yes, I know google can tell me how).

Julie and I have been on the hunt for the perfect crust recipe for making pasties. It is our holy grail. Our unicorn.

Our gchat conversation this afternoon (liberties taken to fix my typos and lack of coherence :
me:  i don't see why it is so hard to make a crust like Cornwall Pasty Co. or any other delicious flaky, maleable pasty?

like why do they always come out like a normal pie crust?

is it more like a croissant?

Julie:  i don't know

i have cornmeal

so i hope that helps

but i don't know!

we will figure it out

me:  yes. we will. we must. this has thwarted me and my happiness for too long.

So  even though we have said we were going to do this for a long time. I think our dreams have been on hold for too long/I'm lazy. 

For a warm-up, Julie is pondering this delightful goodness: http://www.marthastewart.com/333071/moroccan-hand-pies-with-eggplant-and-apr




I want to make everything on here: http://lotrscrapbook.bookloaf.net/other/recipes.html#32

Hold on to your butts.

Julie is awesome.

One of the best parts of archaeology is that you have the opportunity to meet people from all over the place...and sometimes you are quite lucky to make friends that last beyond the project or degree program. Julie is pretty awesome. She inspires me to want to bake and get more engaged and involved with all of the exciting sides of archaeology and cultural heritage.

Recently, she found this recipe for empanadas and it looks pretty amazing. Ancho Chili Powder Beef Empanadas. Here's hoping she makes it, deep freezes it, sends it to me across the country and then shares it on here. ::fingers crossed::

Nothing like a good pun to get a blog started.

Archaeology. Pasties. Past Tease.