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#8 The One with the Princess Cake

Leslie Irish Evans — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 23:24:25 GMT

The AI image generator didn’t seem to know what a Prinsesstårta was (or a Princess Cake, for that matter). This was the closest I could get. Also, what the heck is that in her right hand?!?

Before we begin, can I ask a favor? If you like this post, will you please hit the “heart” button at the end? And if you do or don’t like it, comments are always appr…

#7 Welcome Back

Leslie Irish Evans — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 19:52:32 GMT

Happy New Year! How can it already be 2024? Wasn’t the Y2K scare, like, 10 years ago?

Anyhoo, it is a new year, and even though I’m smart enough to know that I don’t keep resolutions, I’m not smart enough to stop doing them. This year’s resolutions include baking often and going after some really challenging bakes.

#6 Tiki Time

Leslie Irish Evans — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 18:22:42 GMT

As some of you may know I spent some time as a licensed massage therapist. The last few weeks of our sixteen-month long massage school program were spent preparing us for the state licensing exam.

“You will encounter some questions having to do with Chinese medicine,” the instructor told us. “Don’t panic.”

#5 Listen

Leslie Irish Evans — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 17:18:55 GMT

The following is a true story:

Waterford, Michigan. 1982. I’m fourteen years old and off to another night waitressing at Kirby’s Coney Island at The Pontiac Mall. (You were supposed to be sixteen to get a work permit but I lied about my age and nobody checked.) There’s a TV show I want to watch while I’m gone—one with music videos— so I asked my mom to record it for me on the VCR. I’m crazy about music videos, and MTV has not yet arrived in Waterford.

Mom did record the show for me, but she didn’t remember to start it on time so the tape began playing halfway through a song. It was a really cool song by a band I’d never heard of: The Pretenders. Flush with cash from waitressing tips—and by flush I mean I probably had seven dollars—I went to the record store and looked them up. I didn’t know the name of the song but hoped something on the album would jar my memory. Sure enough, I found it:

#4 The Books Issue

Leslie Irish Evans — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:00:36 GMT

EAT

THE BOOK:

#3 Likes and Loves

Leslie Irish Evans — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 22:03:14 GMT

EAT

I love to bake. I’m talking about the literal act of gathering, mixing, and baking ingredients. It’s a relaxing, creative release. I remember seeing a baker—I think it was Yotam Ottolenghi— on a show saying something to the effect of:

When I cook I take chicken and vegetables and end up with … chicken and vegetables. But when I bake I take flour, eggs…

#2 - Failure, Tenacity, and Acceptance

Leslie Irish Evans — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:55:51 GMT

EAT

My friends, I am positively beleaguered. All I wanted was a cake. A grapefruit cake. Instead I got my ass kicked. By That Goddamn Grapefruit Cake.

I found myself in possession of some grapefruit, and had guests coming over so I decided I would make a grapefruit cake. I have a lot of experience making cake. I recently worked at a bakery for over a year…

#1 - Let's Dig In

Leslie Irish Evans — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:57:38 GMT

EAT

Fact 1: My husband loves baked goods.

Fact 2: My husband also hates bananas.

I’ve been able to turn him on many things—he now sprinkles pepper flakes on his pizza and will eat mushrooms (under certain conditions)—but banana bread has always been a no-go. “Why did they go and ruin it?!?” he’ll shout when we’re watching a baking show and they add a ban…