Pretzels.

I looked at a few different places, but mostly followed this and this. I also found this place which is baking site in general.

I mostly followed Alton with the 450 degree oven, but I found that 8-9 minutes worked much better than the 10, 12, or 15 other places (Alton included) suggested. The picture shows pretty clearly the difference between 8 and 12 minutes. Also, my oven doesn't heat evenly apparently. And I don't think I needed to roll the dough out as thin as I did. The Fresh Loaf made it sound like it would blow up in the oven, but in retrospect, I probably should have let them stay a bit thicker and just made them longer.

There's also a bit of a bitter taste which I had originally chalked up to the being a bit burnt, but maybe it has to do with the strength of the soda bath. Otherwise, they're quite good. Firm outer skin, soft and chewy on the inside. Come to think of it, is there much of a difference between a pretzel and a bagel?

Is it cost-effective? Though I haven't worked out the numbers, probably. Is it worth the trouble? That's a good question. But it's definitely work in a pinch.

Banana Bread.

I had some bananas going bad so I figured I would make some banana bread. Followed something from Elise, but I added some nutmeg and cinnamon. I also brought the sugar down to 3/4 cup instead of 1 though I feel that maybe it could have used the full amount or maybe a bit more vanilla. In retrospect, I'm second-guessing my decision to not use any walnuts.

Cannellini Bean Spread.

Sourced from Jaden. Holy shit. Shit is awesome. I almost ate the whole damn thing but I didn't only because I know how much olive oil went into it (and not even as much as was called for). Releasing the aroma in the garlic first really pulls the whole thing together. Diced tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and parsley. FUCK YEAH BEANS.

JanKris Zinfandel.

My first taste of it was spicy and tart. Not as big as other zins, it was actually rather small and sharp on the tongue, with a lot more tannins than I would have expected.

You know, I never describe wine through metaphors and similes. I guess that's bad.

Strawberry Cake and Muffins.

Sourced from here and here. I'm still working out the ratios for cake. 4:2:1, flour, sugar, butter, and a lot more eggs than I would think? 2:1, baking powder and baking soda. A cup of strawberry puree and preserves.

Spicy Pork Stirfry.

I still have issues with stirfrying and cooking both meat and vegetables with a reduced sauce. But most of the potato slices cooked through just fine. I forgot to add salt and it could have used more gochujang and a little sugar. I'll give it another go sometime soon probably.

Jang Jo Rim.

This is one of those Korean sides I get a craving for every now and then. Banchan is probably the best thing about Korean cooking. Anyway, I made a combo gamja jo rim. About 8:1 for water:soy sauce and more sugar (a couple tablespoons) than I would have figured.

More Doritos.

I was unimpressed. It tasted like a jalapeno chip that never grew up and lacked any distinction as a verde chip.

I had some higher expectations for this one after the salsa verde, but...it's just like plain tortilla chips? Sort of like those Tostitos Golds, but not as dense. A little salty. Meh?

Circassian Chicken.

Sourced from Elise. I thought it was a pretty interesting spin on chicken salad, using pureed walnuts instead of mayonnaise. Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, green onions, and I think I used paprika too. But I think I used too much garlic.

Stone Double Bastard Ale.

I'll be honest. I didn't care for it very much. It was just too bitter, but not in a hoppy way, more like a burnt, malty, caramel kind of way. The carbonation and mouthfeel were both good, but it was just the potency on the tongue.

Cold Soba Bowl.

Cold soba dressed with broth, beef, egg, and garlic from some jang jo rim with some green onions. Actually, it was not as salty as I thought/wanted it to be. Some wasabi would have been good too.

Sandwiches, Part 4.

Monte Cristo, An effort to use up some stable wheat bread. Did not go over well.

Roast beef is the best hot sandwich meat especially with melted cheese.

Lol.

Stuffed Shells.

Pretty straightforward. Ricotta, Italian sausage.

Macaroni and Cheese and Ham and Broccoli.

Homemade macaroni and cheese sourced from Alton B. Ham and cheese. Cheese and broccoli. Cheese sauce for macaroni was not too difficult, roux into bechamel sauce. Using leftover ham and frozen broccoli that's been sitting in the freezer for too long.

Haagen Dazs Five Mint.

Mint ice cream that's not green. It's super awesome. And that's straight mint, not mint chocolate chip which makes it too crazy.

Goose Island Pere Jacques.

Oddly, this bottle wasn't as good as the first. Not too sweet and malty, but lacking a bit of carbonation, making it a bit heavy. I thought I would have a bit more to say.