In From the Kitchen, I share thoughts or stories surrounding food I cook and savour.
A lot of baking has been happening lately, and I think it has an inverse correlation with my word count. There is something satisfying about whisking sweet batter, leaving things to finish off in an oven. Sometimes, I catch myself in a fantasy where I think of a story, imagine its plot unfolding then find it typed up as a document in my laptop.
I gravitate toward recipes that do not involve kneading or letting dough rise; speed is the appeal. Four-ingredient oatmeal cookies. Lemon loaf—a personal favourite. So far I have made three batches of raisin bran muffins—my husband’s favourite—the latest version had grated carrots and still turned out well. If things like almond flour are in the mix, forget about it. Pantry staples only, what with this inflation.
Dare I call myself a baker? Not yet, I think. I’m not about to gift my creations to family and colleagues this coming holiday season. It’s more of a lovely distraction, one that has more immediate rewards for the effort than, say, poetry. I have a handful of unfinished verses lying around. It would be nice to publish one or two in the next little while. The second book is resting in the form of an 80,000-word first draft, second draft is at 10,000+ words. I’m waiting on a couple of grants to help me with research. Oh, if gods could be so kind…
Featured photo © 2023 Leah Ranada
Leah Ranada 