Sometimes I get these urges. (I know I have started many posts like this but keep reading) Not to eat things necessarily (* see note later) Sometimes its crazy artistic urges where I do things to lots of people and I’m the only one in on the secret. Sometimes I plant lots of things. Sometimes I harvest lots and lots of things to feel like I am my own farmers market.
Sometimes it is to kill my sourdough. I’ve never been able to kill my sourdough. I will neglect it often… not feeding it for over a week… and then I will feel sorry for my life-form and feed it a little. Sometimes I get sick of it and I will dry it and powder it or freeze it to restore later.
This time I came very very close to killing my sourdough starter that sits in a ziploc container in the refrigerator. Very Very Very close. It smells like alcohol, fermentation mmm. Actually, it doesn’t smell very pleasant at all. AND I was pretty sure it was dead. But I tried to feed it anyway. Like when you come across something that was once living when you walk on the beach and have to poke at it to see if it moves. Well my sourdough moved! So now that I’ve nearly killed it I think I will try to restore it to a healthy sourdough again. The way I put it to my mom, right now my sourdough is my 90 year old senile- can’t remember how many times he’s eaten breakfast today- grandpa and I’m going to make it my 22 year old surfs-swims-does martial arts-works out alot- daily brother. I’m going to make some bread tomorrow.
Changing subjects abruptly… I’m also going to attempt to make mozzerella cheese. I found some raw whole milk and liquid rennet (both in the dairy section) at the Lassen’s (like baby Whole Foods – same company). The other ingredient I need is acetic acid, which I hear they sell at brewing supply stores– and there happens to be one in town. Hopefully it works… with internet guidance and a thermometer… and hopefully successful F to C conversion skills because all my thermometers are in Celsius. Yay cheese.
* note: at the Lassen’s I bought another can of black beans. I think what happened to me and black beans was that when I was in Japan for a year and a half, I ate them once. The one time I ate them, they were ridiculously expensive (but still good), so now when I go to the grocery store I pick up reasonably priced black beans, all the time. It’s a good thing its healthy 
I remembered another thing I plan on making tomorrow (You get the inspired (?) part yet). My friend’s birthday is coming up so I’m making her a chocolate cake studded with hazelnuts, soaked in Grand Marnier and covered in dark chocolate mousse. Its not as messy looking as it sounds. If I make it correctly it’s actually pretty exquisite.
Also! I discovered maple butter at the Lassen’s. Its inverted maple syrup that spreads like, well, butter. It’s completely natural and it tastes like butter pecan ice cream (which was my favorite as a kid) (Right now my favorite is spiced rum raisin)
Also at the Lassen’s – because I keep finding cool stuff – is vanilla bean paste, for those of you who are too lazy to scrape out the vanilla specs out of the pod or think vanilla bean pods are too expensive (there are easy ways around the price factor). Vanilla bean paste comes in a jar and it is a million times better than Vanilla essence (vanilla essence is 35% alcohol — vanilla bean paste is not)