Are you a cook or a baker?

Image courtesy of http://www.walldesk.net

The crisp scent of autumn fills the air. Halloween decorations dazzle store front windows. Pop- up costume shops temporarily occupy vacated retail spaces.  Trips to the apple orchard, and butternut squash made in ten different ways. As much as I adore the freedom and sunshiny days that summer offers, I welcome my second favorite season with opened arms.

The chilled air now allows me to use my oven without converting my home into an inferno. (My oven is rarely used during the summer, no central AC) This is so exciting! It means freshly baked apple pies, signature cupcakes, comforting chicken pot pies, Quiche, whole roasted chicken and flame broiled steak or fish, just to name a few. Ooh, the possibilities are endless! There are too many sweet and savory recipes I want to master and add to my repertoire. I’d like to share my latest baking projects…. this is what I have been up to inside my kitchen lately.

These are the carrot cupcakes I especially made from scratch for Maria Johansson's and Karen Lerman's birthday bash.

My first Quiche ever! Made with organic eggs, white mushrooms, broccoli, diced cooked ham, lots of shredded cheddar cheese, and red onions. It was delicious!!

This big birdie turned into the best roasted chicken ever! He was crispy on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside. It was served with a side of white rice and a fresh mixed green salad with cucumbers and plum tomatoes. People fell asleep very soon afterward! 😉

This was also my first chicken pot pie made from scratch. Green peas, fresh chopped carrots, celery, and onions, and white chicken breast meat. It's such a practical and yummy way to dazzle a dish made with leftover chicken.

In the kitchen, there are two types of people, cooks and bakers. Cooking allows one to tweak recipes where as with baking, recipes must be exact. When I bake, I sort of become like a child in a chemistry lab. I actually have fun with all the precise measurements and leavening agents such as baking powders, sodas and flour. If anything is off, the moisture and consistency of your masterpiece will be compromised.  Baking is a like a science (science was one of my favorite subjects next to English/writing.) Roasting and broiling are the dry heat methods used to create the juiciest pieces of meat!! I love ovens! So, the question is: Are you a cook or a baker? I am definitely both.

I added this photo of my friend Tina's lovely black gata to celebrate Halloween. No, I did not roast her. Lol! Have a happy and safe Halloween! 🙂