Song Of A Baker #1: I’m Depending On My Labor For Texture And The Flavor

So, I’ve started baking this year. I’m not entirely sure why, to be honest; it suddenly seemed like a great idea one evening, and once I’d proven to myself that I could make chocolate chip cookies, it had turned in my head into “This is my thing for 2011: I shall bake!” Since then, it’s been variations on the cookies, as well as some banana bread, almond biscotti and a loaf of bread. Oh, and some macaroons. I’ve discovered that I find baking weirdly calming, like some kind of productive meditation. Admittedly, a meditation I normally find myself doing while listening to, singing-along to and dancing to, music, but you know what I mean: It relaxes me, and restores some idea of order in the universe to me.

The plan for the rest of the year is to learn to bake more things – I’ve got cookbooks and recipes to help me, and neighbors suggesting that I bake things for them, all of which will help. But I’m also – he says, realizing that it’s been almost three months since updating anything here – going to try and blog the whole experience, as well. Yes, that’s right: Food blogging. It got that Julie Powell a book deal, after all…