New from the South
Hi there.
I'm fairly recent addition to the baking craze. I started out cooking about two years ago, thanks to the inspiration of Alton Brown and Good Eats. With that said, it's not surprising that I'm an analytically minded person. I'm a Bio-chemistry major, and it was that love of science that drew me into baking last year. Now, I'm an excited learner absorbing as much as I can from books and many great online sites, especially this one.
I've been lurking The Fresh Loaf for a month now, and thought it was time to stick my head in and say hello. This site has been particularly inspiring in luring me into the artisan bread movement, and now not a week goes by that a steaming loaf of 'something' doesn't emerge from my oven, ready for consumption by ravenous family and neighbors.
On the suggestion of this site (and many others) I picked up Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice," and it has been a great source of new and exciting recipes, techniques, and science. I'm also looking forward to picking up Emily Buehler's bread science book (it sounds like a perfect bedside read for me.) The baking-exclusive section of my library also includes AB's "I'm Just Here for More Food," Nancy Baggett's "The All-American Cookie Book," and "Baking at Home, with The Culinary Institute of America." The last of which was particularly informative, as now, when I hear "CIA baking classes," I now longer conjure up the image of secret agents with oven mitts.
I've seen scores of interesting and informed bakers on this site that I'm interested in talking with. In addition, I'm particularly curious to hear from my fellow High School/College baking peers. Any of you folks that live on the Florida Panhandle and have tips on cooking with 100% humidity, 100 degree weather, and a disappointing lack of non-mail order ingredients will also quickly become my friends. :)
In the meantime, I think I'll go work on my Unified Muffin Theory thesis paper while my French bread dough rises.
granniero
Welcome Terk,
I am in the NE corner of Florida,steamy and warm,but wouldn't have it any other way. You will find helpful and knowledgable people here and your expertise will grow from all the hints and ideas here.
I am least of all things analytical minded,being a retired nurse/homemaker/grandma,etc. But love all kinds of baking as well as cooking,most of all eating. Play some with sourdough,lots of help here with that,too.
Have fun baking and hang around here,you'll pick up a lot.
Rosemary in warm Jax.
Just to stick my .02 worth of a hello in here, I'm also a Floridian, a little further south in Orlando. I also lurked for a while then joined just this week. You can read a bit of my bio in the introduction section if interested (Hello from Florida) so I won't bore you with it here. I would like to welcome you and also give a bump for Hamelman's book. I have all the popular bread books, but must say this one is a winner. Even after twenty-five years of baking breads, I learned more from this recent addition to my collection than I knew there was to know. It has become my go to reference book. I also come from a scientific/healthcare background and want to know the whys and wherefors of the science more than just a bunch of pretty pictures and recipes. I also like Peter Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice" and Shirley Corriher's "Cookwise" for the same reasons. AB is my favorite TV personality and I enjoy all of his shows. Welcome to the forum.