Hello World!
Since that is the standard opening for most conversations, it seemed like an appropriate way to begin our first blog entry. I am so excited to meet you and glad you’re joining me on this blog journey! Although I’m not sure where we’re going to end up (what fun would that be?), I do at least know where we’re going to start: the kitchen.
I’m in love with food because I have learned that making food can be a statement of love. My grandmother taught me to bake. I remember watching, amazed, as her arthritic hands whipped up a batter with ease. It was difficult for her to turn a doorknob, but she could crack and separate a half a dozen eggs within 
seconds without breaking the delicate yolk membranes. There was something comforting about being in the kitchen with Grandma Elsie as she hummed (pretty tunelessly) to herself, knowing that out of her tupperwared ingredients she would create something tasty and satisfying. Plus, she would always let me lick the beaters! Even though she is no longer around, my grandmother left a lasting legacy in teaching her grandchildren the simple joy of creating food.
I am not (yet) a great chef. In fact, Julia Child would probably consider killing me a justifiable homicide, arguing it was necessary to prevent me from torturing perfectly good ingredients (someday, I’ll tell y’all about the Great Chicken Catastrophe of 2009). But I’m learning! Now that I’m married and I’m not the only one who has to eat my cooking (and my husband doesn’t consider cold cereal an appealing dinner), I am indeed getting better at cooking, although it is not intuitive for me.
Baking, however, is a completely different story. I love everything about baking: the gloopy feel of the wet and dry ingredients being folded together, the blast of heat from the oven as I open the door to peer inside and the wonderful smell of cookies or breads that infiltrates the house, tempting all who walk in and causing my dogs to sniff hopefully at the air. I bake whenever I can find an excuse. Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and Tuesdays are all acceptable reasons for baking. Yup, I’m that person: the one who bribes coworkers with muffins or bakes a pie for the friend who’s having a bad day. My grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe even got me into grad school and my bread nourished my committee members as they poured over my thesis. Food is central to good relationships!
My favorite ingredient has always been vanilla. The subtlety and the depth of vanilla is amazing, making it my not-so-secret ingredient that I add to almost everything I make. However, until recently, I didn’t know very much about vanilla or how it was produced. So, I’ll end this first blog Letterman-style with five things you may not know about vanilla!
5. Vanilla beans come from the only orchid that produces edible fruit (yes, those extremely beautiful plants that require a lot of tender, loving care).
4. Vanilla has 250 taste components (which is why it is so versatile and complex).
3. Vanilla is THE most labor intensive crop in the world.
2. Rodelle Vanilla was established in 1936 in Denver, Colorado. Here’s a historic picture of the original Rodelle building:
1. Imitation vanilla is not only fake (hence, “imitation”) but it is almost entirely comprised of chemicals that are a by-product of the paper industry!
The more I learn about vanilla, the more excited I am to experiment! The real vanilla bean has all kinds of uses and properties. Over the next few months, we’ll explore and test them right here on this blog.
Until next time,
Laura
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Tags: 1936, baking, baking 101, baking games, colorado, cool recipe, denver, joy of baking, real vanilla extract, the kitchen, vanilla bean, vanilla beans buy, vanilla cake recipe, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla extracts, vanilla ice
