For example, with food. This is going to sound very A type, but a long time ago we decided that the best way for me to pursue this hobby is to divide it into units. So when I first embarked on this journey, I decided I'd start with pastry-namely I wanted to learn all about croissants. So, I checked out  books from the library on them, to learn their origins, history and methods and how to make them. I read them cover to cover, like novels. I watched tutorials and videos from various places. I took recommendations from people in the food industry on what the proper croissant should look, sound and taste like, and why-and we scoured several places in SF until we found the best ones. I even took a class on making them with a friend. And then, I practised at home over and over, until I felt like I had a handle on it. This probably sounds intense, but it was so good for me. I felt like it spoke to my soul, and filled up my cup so that I was able to be a happier Mom, wife, daughter and friend. I loved every second of it. Eventually, I felt like I had a good enough handle on croissants, and it was time for me to move on to something else.

Since then, we've done a 'unit' on pies [both savoury and sweet], Italian foods, Greek foods, Hispanic foods, breads, open fire cooking [aka smoking and grilling] and roasting, Burmese foods, Vietnamese,  soups, ice creams vs gelato, seasonal vegetables and fruit-and of course lots of different sweets [like tarts, cookies, brownies, etc]. Sometimes, the units take a few weeks-sometimes we just do them for a few days. Some times we revisit them, and sometimes we do it only once. But all in all it is a good way to always keep me learning. [And over the course of time I may include my notes on at home and eating out adventures with each of the above listed units.]

Croissant Reccomendations: Ariscault Bakery, Tartine Bakery

Smoking/BBQ Unit

So, all this said, we are about to finish up our BBQ/smoking unit. The longer time goes on, and the more different methods we learn, the more we fall in love with open fire. If you do it low and slow, you get that delicious char on the outside, and perfectly cooked inside. A good smoke should have a beautiful smoke ring [caused by the nitric acid moving towards the surface of the meat]. It tastes like home and bonfires and has such complex depth [depending on the seasoning, time and wood you put into it]. We've tried chicken, steaks and brisket, vegetable and shrimp kabobs, pork ribs, and pulled pork. We've done brines, rubs, sauces and much more. Smoking is a commitment, that is no question. Its difficult to maintain the temperature throughout the process, and you basically have to babysit it for however many hours your food requires to make sure the heat is consistent [unless of course you have an electric smoker which you can plug in and walk away-someday we will be rich and have one-at least, I can dream!]. It is great for a week night BBQ, or for feeding a big crowd. Ultimately, it is the stuff of dreams and I have loved this unit, and am excited to incorporate more smokes and BBQ in our consistent future. 

We are also in the midst of our long love affair/unit with bread. My Mom has been making beautifully fluffy breads and doughs for years-her speciality I think is dinner rolls, and my old roommate Nancy had a great sandwich bread recipe we liked to make. So between that and your quick breads [like banana, pumpkin, poppy seed and other non yeasted load type breads] I felt like I had a good handle on it. But after seeing all that is available out there in the world [thank you SF] between your super earthy, seeded, breads vs crusty exterior and holey interior artisan type bread, I decided I wanted to develop more skills. I've mentioned before Ken Forkish's book 'Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast' and how essential it was in the process.  Now that I've gone through it thoroughly, it has become my bread bible of sorts. I feel confident now that I can nail a perfectly beautiful artisan loaf of bread, as good as any you'd find in many bakeries in the city. That said, we are now about to start experimenting with heavier breads like molasses ones, seeded loaves, and various flours. I am really excited, and would recommend expanding your bread knowledge to anyone that is able to eat gluten haha!

And lastly, when I was pregnant I had a serious aversion to star anise and fennel [which of course meant any kind of licorice as well..]. It also meant that alot of the food we adore the most [hello Pho, I'm looking at you] was a big no no. Now that this is not the case again, we are venturing back into Asian foods and its been so great! So we headed over to the highly reputed 'Dumpling Time' in the city and had our way with their foods, and oh man, did it live up to the hype. I would say the weakest things that we tried we the lobster shu mai and the noodles-which were still both delicious. Just not amazing, if you feel me. That said, the other stuff was really phenomenal-I loved the pork dumplings, [part of that was that they seared it on the outside, which isn't always traditional, but I think makes it so much better texturally, and the ratio of filling to bun was much better then other places.] And the soup dumplings-I have never heard of these before, but its basically like inverted soup, with the noodle on the outside, and the soup on the inside-and it was so so delicious, as well as inventive. The garlic green beans were also beautiful [reminded me of garlic fries at the ball park, but with green beans instead of potatoes!], and the veggie dumplings were on point. All in all, despite being a bit bougie for Chinese food, it was delicious, and we will be back for sure.