I’ve done it now. Gotten myself in too deep and forgotten a step- now it’s too late! Will my guests realize the cream cheese is store-bought? Should I feign illness and beg-off when it’s really that I’m ashamed of serving something that is not homemade, even if it’s only a condiment?

A few days ago I read this article and it made me think long and hard about my approach to holiday cooking.

In life I’m spontaneous and a little loco.

In the kitchen, I’m type AAAAAA.

Sure, I can cook off the cuff, often tossing three random ingredients together to make an accidental masterpiece (or failure), but for the most part I plan. I am a firm believer in mise en place. I study. I approach food anthropologically and draft heat maps based on predilections for certain spices. I generally don’t cook from recipes, so planning and research are essential in order to understand the fundamentals and science behind what makes things work.

I realize this makes me part of the 1% (please don’t occupy my kitchen though- I’ll serve you excellent wine if you just stay the eff in the living room), but you know what? I’m ok with that when it comes to cooking. It’s my craft. Everyone should be allowed to be a geek about something, and food is my chosen medium. You know what you can call me without me going all Pulp Fiction on your ass like many of my peers? A Foodie. Read more

As part of Doughvember, which is our month-long celebration of sourdough baking, I asked Sharon from NickelMoon to write a guest post. She has had a profound connection to sourdough through the years and her story is resonant to many, even if the particulars are unique. She writes from her soul and I’m happy she is a part of our food community. Here’s what she has to say: Read more

This is a powerhouse post. If you stick around to the end, you’ll walk away with two mind-bending recipes, each containing enough magic sparkle sauce to put a permanent spell on a dishy prince (should that be your aim). You will also learn a lot, but not in a “Charlie Brown versus the Adults” kind of way, more in the “let’s all get together and figure this out while singing Kumbaya”-style.

So first, you remember how it’s Doughvember? If you need a quick catch-up, Doughvember is the month where we join forces to master the art of sourdough. If you want in, either make a starter (use Nicole’s handy instructions!) or revive your starter, and post, tweet or otherwise fling sourdough from the rooftops. If you’re the posse type, @ me on twitter and I’ll add you to the @saltyseattle/doughvember list. We’re using the hashtag #doughvember to aggregate our doughy coterie.

I knew when the idea for Doughvember first came about that I wanted to recreate the trashy-yet-classy American dish known as “egg-in-the-hole” or “eggs-in-a-basket” depending where you live. Me being me, however, I also knew I couldn’t simply plop an egg in a hollowed-out piece of toast and call it breakfast without you calling me on my lack of creativity. So I massaged the concept until out spooged the happiest of happy endings that you see here. It’s a sourdough bagel that has been lye-dipped to improve color and crust texture, then topped with a sous vide soufflé. It is like the lovechild of John Waters and Marilyn Monroe- sexy, dirty, vampy, campy, dewy and a little bit whorish. Let’s just say it’s impossible to eat without having impure thoughts. Read more