Getting Started

I am a detail-oriented person. I like to be thorough, yet I try to make things as simple as possible. I’ve done that here in this book. Some of the recipes may seem long, but I’ve done my best to break them down into manageable steps.

I’ve heard people say that they are cooks but not bakers. My mom is one of those people. She likes to throw things in a pot, taste as she goes, and comes up with some mighty tasty meals, but no recipe can ever be replicated because she just adds a little bit of this, a little of that, and a pinch of fairy dust when she cooks. That is how you learn to cook. You learn from tasting and trying new flavor combinations and techniques, and you learn what doesn’t work for you. But baking is a little different.