More baking for the Winter 2022 Patreon boxes. Kid-approved! Gingered Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies (makes about 60 small cookies) These luscious little bites work equally well for Valentine’s Day or Christmas. Original recipe, modified a bit, from OMG Chocolate Desserts: https://omgchocolatedesserts.com/red-velvet-crinkle-cookies/ 4 T butter, softened 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 egg red food coloring …
Sleepy Slow Morning
Sleepy slow morning, gilding some pomegranate chocolate roses for the Patreon treat boxes, trying to wake up. Teaching day today. I’ve been thinking about how much time I spend on the treat boxes — I think the three times / year schedule is about right for what I can manage without stress right now, especially …
Chocolate Scones with Cherry & Orange
Cherry-chocolate scones or orange-chocolate scones? I waffled for quite a while, before the solution to my dilemma presented itself — why not both? A perfect pairing for Valentine’s Day! Cherry for its sensuous lusciousness, orange for a bit of spring brightness (because spring is coming, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet). Surrounded by …
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Just a few more pics from last night’s sweet-making. I realized I didn’t post a recipe, so here it is: 1) Melt 1 c. milk or dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe-bowl at low power for 2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals. Dip strawberries and place on parchment paper. 2) Melt 1 c. …
75% Off Your First Winter Patreon Box
Whoops, I meant to post this yesterday — well, since I didn’t, I’m going to extend the deadline to midnight today, to sign up for the Winter Patreon boxes — that’s 75% off your first box! I haven’t finalized everything that’ll be in the boxes (shipping by end of February, fingers crossed), but so far, …
Starting to Schedule Zoom Cooking Classes
I’ve had some requests for Zoom cooking classes, so as we start thinking about promo events for Vegan Serendib, I’m going to start scheduling these. Questions:
a) We used some system for scheduling classes a few years ago, and I feel like it was sort of clunky and not ideal. What are people using for event-scheduling these days? Something that can smoothly accept credit cards, etc.
b) If I were teaching Sri Lankan cooking classes via Zoom, any particular recipes you’d like to request? I’m thinking the classes will be 1.5 hrs, $30, and you’d know the menu when signing up, and get a list of ingredients in advance, so you can shop and be ready to cook along.
Class would be recorded in my kitchen, Kevin probably not included. 
Give a Girl a Knife
Recently finished reading _Give a Girl a Knife_. Interesting for women in the professional kitchen, for Minnesota cultural and food details, for the tension between city ambitions and country life, for homesteading practicalities. Enjoyed it.
This paragraph was one of my favorites, although possibly that’s because it’s freezing cold in Chicago right now too.
What Kind of Cooking Classes Would People Like?
Locals, I occasionally teach cooking classes out of my home; will probably start that up again in April. If you’re interested, let me know — I’d love to know what kind of classes people would like.
Basic cooking skills, easy recipes to feed a family, an intro to Sri Lankan cooking, what else?
Classes are usually $25 / hr, so $50 for a 2-hr class, which includes eating a meal together, including your choice of an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Mango mimosas, for example, if we’re doing brunch.
Picture of my daughter in our kitchen, when we were prepping to be on a Sunday morning TV show teaching cooking.
Making Rolls
Susan Lee and me, making the rolls.
George Loaned Me His Chef
George is really very sweet about helping to promote other writers’ work — even if that writer is writing a cookbook and not an epic fantasy novel. He even loaned me his personal chef for the party — I’ve never worked with a professional chef before, and it was really interesting seeing Andrea Abedi’s approach to food prep.
We were all a little harried, so we didn’t get to talk food quite as much as I would’ve liked, but I’m hoping to go back to Santa Fe soon, maybe at the end of the summer — Andrea and her partner are opening a community kitchen, The Kitchen Table Santa Fe, so we thought we’d do an event there for Vegan Serendib when it launches. That’d be fun!
Funny side note: Kavi helped make the passionfruit marshmallows for the party, and was amused to tell her friends that she had made marshmallows for George R.R. Martin .
