Why I Won't Be Having Dinner Tonight...

I just put on a pot of black beans and there's something about the aroma of the sazón (finely chopped onions, garlic, green capsicum and oregano sauteed in olive oil) simmering in a pot of black beans that reminds me of when I used to live at home. It somehow feels like I'm going back to my Cuban roots. I had a fleeting memory dash through my head just a few moments ago: My father always kept a little Cuban flag discreetly tucked away on a bookshelf we acquired a garage sale some years ago. When my grandmother moved out and my stepmother moved in my father could not do without his black beans and rice as pinto beans/red/kidney beans are the preferred legume in Mexico. My grandfather's wife eventually had to show my stepmother how to properly prepare a good pot of black beans. So many times after coming home from school a waft of black beans would greet me at the door. That was two memories, actually.

Today could have easily been the best day I've had so far at cookery school. Most of the work was individually based and I got so much joy out of watching the Indians herd themselves around the kitchen doing one wrong thing after another. I knew that would happen as that is only a direct result of not paying attention during the demos. Ha. Ha. HA.

I'm skipping dinner tonight (the beans are for tomorrow) due to the fact that I have three different types of desserts gracing my refrigerator: Linzer Torte, Apple & Peach Strudel and a classic Chocolate Tart. I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but this chocolate confection is rather tasty.

The Classic Chocolate Tart

The Linzer Torte

Apple & Peach Strudel

Baking really isn't that difficult. Since baking is more like a science, being creative usually ends in disaster if it's blind creativity and not the kind based on baking facts. I've failed so many times with baking when I decided to not follow the recipe for the sake of creativity. There was my mango coconut bread, oh, and then there were my biscuits that turned out like scones. Just horrendous. Magic, like the one(s) picutred above, can only come from following exact recipes.