baking with babicka

over christmas break i got the chance to bake with my babicka. as you may recall, i made mazanec last easter, which went fairly well, but as you can imagine, there's so much you can learn by baking along side someone, particularly if they've been doing it a good half century or so. after getting over a couple rough starts (i started the session by adding salt instead of sugar to our first batch of dough, and then babicka left out the butter the second time around) we made a few batches of dough out of which we made kolacky (the little ones), kolach (like kolacky, but a big sheet, sort of like a pizza), and poppy strudel.

some highlights and observations from my crash course:

-this lady is old-school: she uses actual spoons for measuring. like, the one you stir tea with is the teaspoon.

-babicka kneads one-handed, with her left (non-dominant) hand! this is because she has pretty bad arthritis in her right hand from squeezing a pastry bag for 30 years (she was a cake decorator). however, not only can she knead bread much more quickly and efficiently than i can, she also does it without her hands getting sticky. clearly i am a novice bread kneader, but i'm just saying: the dough is always all over my hands til i develop enough gluten for it to reincorporate into the the dough ball. she just kind of pushes the dough a few times and it's done.

-i learned how hot the water should be to wake up the yeast (the other tricky part of yeast doughs). every time she heated it up and determined it was the right temperature i made sure to stick my finger in. so now i have a better idea of what temperature it should be, though i think babicka has a perfect pitch type of sense of what temperature it should be (and i'm definitely not there yet).

-babicka makes all the bread-related products in her house. once a month she makes rolls and freezes them. she also makes rye bread as often as they need it (it is such delicious bread! it's half wheat, half rye, i believe, and it's got an almost crumbly texture. i love that stuff).


it was fun to get a behind-the-scenes look at babi's baking. she's always critiquing what exactly went wrong with whatever delicious pastry we happen to be eating at the moment (which i say with great affection. i am the exact same way: must be a genetic defect!). but the analysis is happening during the baking as well (of course!). she mentioned while we were rolling out the kolacky dough that they would probably puff up too much in the over because we didn't allow the dough to rise long enough before punching it back down (correct), and she was as fanatical about the thickness and application of the toppings/fillings as i am about properly taping or burning a screen. i guess we share the idea that if it's important enough to do it yourself, it's important enough to do right.


i also got a couple czech cookbooks from her (one czech, one slovak, to be precise). i'm going to attempt a few recipes, though that will probably require a little translation help. i'll be sure to share here when i try one.

thanks for letting me bake with you babicka!

...and i've developed a loathing of the word "urban" as well

Lately I have been feeling pretty negative about my decision to become a teacher in an urban setting. Much of my negativity revolves around the baggage that comes with being a white teacher of black students (I plan to teach on the south side of Chicago, where most neighborhoods are extremely segregated, and most of those are predominantly black). I am conflicted by the realization that, if I were a black woman, I would probably actively seek out black teachers for my children to combat the normative whiteness of our culture. It's not that white people can't or shouldn't teach black people, I am just sometimes disheartened by the large proportion of white people, at least in my own program, that suggests to me that we are helping to perpetuate an unhealthy racial dynamic in our schools. To look at the silver lining of my current malaise, however, I think this feeling serves to remind me of the importance of bringing in black professionals to be mentors, guest speakers, and tutors in my classroom, and to create projects and assignments that provide opportunities for my students to be around successful professionals in whom they can see themselves. And I need to focus on the things I can do: I can set high expectations for my students. I can build an atmosphere of trust. I can value my students by taking my work and their work seriously. But it's not easy to stay positive when you're thinking and talking about gross injustice day in, day out.

DIY?

A number of people on the apartment therapy website, where my living room is currently on view have been asking about the newspaper thingy in the living room. I thought about making a how-to post, (and that will come soon!), but planning that out got me to thinking more generally about my penchant for DIY projects. I've always loved to make things, and I've learned through a lot of trial and error about what makes a successful DIY project, and when you should just go ready-made, so I thought I'd share my insights.

As a general rule, I like my crafts functional and pragmatic. I'm not doing it to fill time: I want to make something cool! (or useful, or pretty, or whatever.) If the outcome of the project has any importance for you, there are three main factors you need to take into account: money, time, and awesomeness. There's no rule for how much each matters to making a project worthwhile: it will vary by person, type and size of project, how much time you have on your hands, etc. But if you don't consider each of these factors, you will most likely be frustrated or disappointed with your finished product, or you may not finish at all.

Allow me to explain. First, take money. A lovely myth about doing stuff yourself is that it will save you money. If you only buy hand-made goods, made in America, by people earning a middle-class income, this is definitely true. However, I can assure you that if money is your sole concern, 9 times out of 10, buying something from Target will be cheaper than jerry-rigging your own. Economies of scale are not working in favor of your little cottage industry. Most raw materials available in consumer-sized quantities are marked up as much, if not more than, the same items sold as part of a finished manufactured piece (hence the existence of ikea hacker). Also, you need to think about the cost of ALL your materials before you begin. If you're refinishing a $5 chair from Goodwill, you are not getting a $5 chair. The supplies you use to refinish it might run you another twenty to fifty bucks: would you have rather bought something else for that price?

Next is time. When you embark on a project, assume it will take anywhere from 2-5 times as long as you think it will. The larger your estimate, the larger your multiplier should be. And as with the money consideration, if you are doing it yourself because the ready-made version seems so easy that you'd be better off making your own, think about how much you will enjoy working on this project, if there are other things you'd rather spend your time on, and how much your time is worth. I am as guilty as anyone of not considering the value of my time (either in monetary terms or in opportunity cost of putting off other things): this may be the element people think about least when undertaking a DIY project. Time is the stuff life is made of. If you don't want to spend the next month in the company of an air compressor and a staple gun, then perhaps you should rethink your supposed week-long reupholstery project. (ahem.)

Lastly, and somewhat more positively, is awesomeness. I mean this very generally to mean any positive attributes of the project, as well as the projected outcome. Perhaps you cannot buy anything like this anywhere, or maybe it will be the prettiest, coolest thing ever: go for it! Maybe you so enjoy the zen-like activity of sanding wood that the 95 hours you spend sanding that dresser will be the happiest hours of your life, and the finished dresser will be just a bonus on top of that experience. Perhaps you want to learn the process of screenprinting, so the mistakes, time and money are part of the cost of this learning process. Or maybe it's a gift for someone special. Whatever your reasons, consider the positive aspects and benefits of your project. But also be realistic about the finished product. Know your skill and commitment level: I used to be terrible about buying vintage clothing that was the wrong size. I'd rationalize the purchase because of the low price and tell myself I'd alter it. But more often than not, it either didn't turn out as expected, or worse, I never got around to alteration. A $5 shirt is not a bargain if it just sits in a bin somewhere. And you'll feel guilty every time you look at it until you're finally honest with yourself and throw it out. So understand the benefits of your project, but know your limitations as well.

So, be realistic. About the cost, the time, and the likely outcome. The more honest you can be with yourself about these things, the more pleased you'll be with your handmade goods. Happy crafting!

the coolest idea ever

the uniform project.

Shortbread

I am a shortbread enthusiast. It has the highest deliciosity-to-effort ratio of any baked good: it's not only one of the tastiest things to eat, but also one of the easiest to make. And as if that weren't great enough, you almost always have the ingredients on hand, so it's just one step of difficulty away from conjuring up food in your replicator, Star-Trek style. Shortbread was undoubtedly a major factor in surviving my first Chicago winter. I think made it on average about once a week this winter, trying different recipes, techniques, tactics, and baking times each time, in an effort to discover the perfect shortbread.

So yesterday, as Sean and I were throwing together an impromptu picnic and I was trying to figure out a dessert I could make quickly, I decided to make some shortbread. It came out so good that I think I have finally hit upon my ideal shortbread recipe. Yesterday I used scotch instead of water, which added a subtle smoky taste and was delicious, but I think in general I prefer my shortbread unadultered.

So here's my shortbread recipe. You'll find most recipes are pretty similar ingredients-wise, but small alterations in technique and quantities make a big difference when you're making something this nakedly simple.

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 superfine sugar (or half powdered, half granulated)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter
2–3 tbsp ice water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put dry ingredients in food processor, and pulse a couple times to combine. (If you'd like to make superfine sugar from granulated sugar, put your sugar in the food processor first, and process for 30 seconds to a minute before adding the flour and salt.) Cut butter into small chunks and add to food processor. (It is essential that the butter be as cold as possible: do not remove from fridge until you're ready to add it.) Pulse until you have the butter integrated: this should look like coarse crumbs. Turn on the processor and add ice water slowly, without dumping in the ice, til the dough begins sticking together. (It will still be pretty crumbly.)

Turn out the dough into an 8-inch baking pan and press it into the pan. (You may want to line the pan with parchment for easier removal.) Score into 18 pieces (6 by 3) with a knife. When oven reaches 400 degrees, reduce temperature to 325 and bake shortbread for 15 minutes.

Remove shortbread and cut into the pre-scored rectangles, and place the pieces about an inch apart on a baking sheet. return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown on the edges. Let rest on the pan for one minute, then remove to a cooling rack.

a gripe

I am in the process of applying to teaching master's programs, and I'm noticing a disturbing trend that, as a graphic designer, forces me to ask all teachers everywhere: why Comic Sans? This typeface is surely in the running as the most revolting ever created, but it seems to be a favorite of teachers, particularly elementary school teachers. The glut of Comic Sans has made me ponder what typeface I'd like to use for my sundry materials. I think Chaparral. It looks friendly, modern, accessible, and sophisticated. Not to mention it's also highly legible, and designed for text use.

Mazanec

Yesterday I baked a Czech Easter bread called Mazanec. It's a sweet egg bread with golden raisins and almonds in it, and it's delicious. Thanks for the recipe Babicka: it turned out great! I am sending a few loaves as small thank-you gifts for my letter of rec writers, but now after making it, I wish I could send them the smell too: my apartment was filled with the heavenly aroma of fresh bread for hours. I was initially intimidated by the prospect of making bread: mainly waking up (but not killing) the yeast, and kneading. I love to cook, but when it comes to baking, but I usually stick with shortbreads, tarts, and scones, which are mainly about cutting fat into flour, and less sciency than yeast breads. But it turns out there's nothing to fear! The key to kneading is that you keep at it until the dough's no longer sticky. I was afraid that this point would come gradually, and discerning it would require a zen-like understanding of bread kneading, but it turned out to be really definitive and obvious. Thanks for the great directions Babicka!