In my free time, I often watch cooking videos. One of my favorite series is Gourmet Makes with Claire Saffitz at Bon Appetit. In the show, Claire takes processed foods like doritos, pop tarts, lucky charms, gushers and makes them homemade and gourmet. It is a very entertaining show, and was my introduction to Claire…

Thanksgiving for my family is a time to make copious amounts of food and eat said copious amounts of food. Typically, my parents will invite many people to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at our house, from international graduate students to friends of me and my sister, anyone who doesn’t have a place to eat on this…

Chocolate, caramel, and shortbread oh my! Tulie Bakery in SLC makes a wonderful shortbread with dark caramel and dark chocolate, it is like a gourmet twix. For a debate beginning of the year party, I decided to try recreating this. With some research, I found out it is known as millionaire shortbread. For the shortbread…

It has been one month and 12 days since my school started a “soft-closure”, meaning students stay home and stay safe. I have more free time than I know what to do with, most of which is spent at home. I go on a walk every day with my parents and dogs, but the rest…

My mom showed me a clip of Seinfeld recently, specifically the episode in which the characters are attempting to get babka from a bakery. I’m not a fan of Seinfeld, but my mom insisted on showing me after I told her I wanted to make babka. Maurizio at theperfectloaf.com posted a beautiful recipe for sourdough…

Last Friday was my 18th birthday. A milestone in my life which I would normally enjoy with the company of others, but I was doing my part by staying home and practicing social distancing due to COVID-19. This meant that I could not have a birthday party. Instead, I set up a Zoom party with…

Kombucha. A divisive beverage enjoyed by some, pretended to be liked by some, and hated by others. Kombucha dates back to ancient China (who would’ve thought this trendy beverage had such deep worldly roots?). Originally a fermented tea known for health benefits, it is now a drink enjoyed by hipsters and millenials alike. It has…

Eclairs are pastry cream filled pate a choux pastries with a chocolate glaze. Their quality varies depending on where you get them. I like the idea that eclairs keep well so you can eat them over several days. The filling is limited as it is usually just a plain vanilla cream. I had watched someone…

One of my all-time favorite desserts are these tiny cakes called canelé. A lovely version is served at Les Madelines bakery in downtown Salt Lake City, and I always make sure to grab one when I go there. They are dark and caramelized, crunchy on the outside, chewy and custardy on the inside, and sometimes…

Sometime in the fall, I decided to start eating vegetarian. I have a friend who is vegan that influenced me, and I am concerned that animals as food source is not environmentally sound. I don’t think I could become a full vegan, but first started eating vegetarian lunches. This is the first veggie stir fry…