About

The Eaten Word was started as a solution to several New Year’s Resolutions.  As an avid cook, budding foodie, and food blog/cookbook/food writing addict, I wanted an outlet for these related interests.  So, the Eaten Word will be primarily a space for my own recipes, reviews of food-based books, recipe tests, and links or commentary on foodie phenomena.

What resolutions led me to a blog, you may ask?

1. Write down my recipes.
   My partner, E., has bugged me for years to write down what I cook or bake.  I love to tinker and fiddle in the kitchen, so my lovely veggie chili or tomato soup would be heaven in our mouths, but I could never again recreate that particular variation.  And invariably, one of those attempts at chili would be superior and, alas, irretrievable.
2. Organize my favorite recipes.
   Reading through countless food blogs and cookbooks leads to cooking, which leads to certain repeated temptations.  Where, oh, where did I leave that recipe for garlic oven fries?  Did I bookmark it on the laptop browser? Did I fold over a corner of Cook’s Illustrated?  Where better to index my attempts and joyous discoveries than here–shared and easily accessible.
3. Bake bread on Mondays.
   This past year (2009) I tackled the terror that is active dry yeast.  I can bloom it and follow a recipe to make some damn tasty bread.  (And bagels, English muffins . . . .)  About a month ago, I created a sourdough rye bread starter and having been learning the craft of sourdough.  Delicious.  Plus, store bought is either expensive (the artisan kind) or insipid (the cheap kind).
4. Make cheese!
   Ever since I read about how easy it is to make paneer, I’ve been aching to try my hand at it.  A friend got wind of this and gave me his copy of Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll.  I promptly bought a dairy thermometer and butter muslin, made up a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress, and haven’t managed to progressed any further.  Tsk.
5. Put my newly acquired kitchen gadgets to good use.
   Over the past year I’ve garnered a pizza stone (thanks, B!), a fuzzy logic rice cooker (thanks, Dad!), a mini food processor (thanks, Mom!) I probably don’t need much more motivation to use them, but a dedicated soapbox/stage may drive me to make more creative use.
6. Stick with my gardening all season long.
   Last year and the year before, the garden was planned and executed happily enough, but mid- and late-season enthusiasm waned.  This year I will be dedicated in my weeding, mulching, second cropping, and harvesting.  And I will make amazing food from the fruit of my labor.  I will again make pickles to last all winter long, can what I can (my tomato endeavors failedfailedFAILED last year), and dehydrate fruits & veggies for munching satisfaction.

Wish me luck!

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