Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Donna,
Bravo on taking the simple route to what is all too often made complex and scary for most new bakers. I think you are absolutely correct when you note that each sourdough starter is unique - and we should always see what our own local bacteria and yeasts can do before we begin adding others.

I always remember that my very first sourdough starter -made just as you suggest- was the very best sourdough bread I've ever tasted - And I still don't know if that was because it was my first sourdough taste, or if it truly was simply the best one I've ever made! I'd bet on the latter.

I've discovered that the quality of a mustard is determined by how young it is! And that mustard is a prime candidate for being home-made - it's pretty simple stuff!

I think RR typifies everything that is wrong with the Food Network today - she initially was hired because of her personality, not for her cooking expertise, she has been over-exposed, over-killed, and over-cutsied. The network execs see their audiance as those who are home all day, cannot avoid having the TV on, and having a lukewarm feeling toward food in general. If something works, stand back, 'cause that's what fills the airwaves for the next 10 years.

Instead of The Food Network, it should be called, "The Iron Chef Network" - will someone please shoot it and end this misery! I don't think it is possible that the current bunch of decision makers at TFN can save it from certain death - either, they need to depart en masse and be replaced, or go off the air by default of re-runs.

Bourdain was right.

At the risk of offending Mr Forrest, I remember from my experiments as a novice cheesemaker that cottage cheese IS NOT simply farmer's cheese before the whey is removed. Real cottage cheese is damn hard to make, as I remember, while farmer's cheese, as Fankhauser shows, is relatively easy. (how come Fankhauser doesn't mention that in the process of making his farmer's cheese, you've also made cottage cheese?)

A name is a name is a name - kind'a like calling Folger's, coffee.