Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Graduation party

Hot homemade donuts.
The girls got to pick what they wanted to cook for their last day of class, and they chose donuts and bagels. My friend Melanie said hopefully, "I wonder if seeing how donuts are made will affect how they feel about eating them."

I would say the answer was . . . no.
Hot homemade bagels.
Here's the lesson I repeatedly tried to impart during yesterday's class: When you nervously drop a doughy object from a height into very hot liquid, it will splash and burn you. But if you move your hand very close to the hot liquid -- a centimeter or so away -- and gently release the doughy object, all will be well. Closer is safer. I must have said and demonstrated this fifty times but it was almost impossible for most of the girls to do it. Too fearful. It's one of those "tricks" they never mention in books and even when a wise instructor repeatedly explains, you only really learn through experience, later, on your own.
Newspapers. Wouldn't teach another cooking without them.
Here's the lesson the girls repeatedly imparted to me over the weeks of this class: Everyone wants her own mudpie. Everyone wants to craft her own beautiful bagel -- her own tiny donut, her own heart-shaped pizza, her own extra-fat dumpling -- and then keep track of it through the entire process, admire it, show it off, and eat it.

Great, great girls. Fun class. I'm sorry it's over.

7 comments:

  1. I believe that I first discovered your blog via your Slate piece on homemade bagels. I think I even printed out the recipe with every intention of making them immediately. That was what, two years ago? No bagels have been made. Someday.

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  2. They are so rewarding and so much easier than you think, at least if you have a mixer. One day!

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  3. i agree with colleen, mmm doughnuts.
    can you share that recipe. they look so beautiful and delicious.

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  4. I always use a chopstick, skewer or other end of a wooden spoon when I have to drop doughnuts or onion rings into hot oil. Just hang it off the end. Puts a little distance between me and the possibilty of burns. My doughnuts might end up slightly more oval than round, but I've gotten pretty quick about it, so it's not bad at all.

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  5. I agree mmm donuts......can you share the recipe?

    lucky girls! what a treat for them

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  6. hey, that's how I found your blog too. And while I printed out the recipe, I don't think I ever had any intention of making them! I did tell everyone about the article, and I LOVED the part about the meyer lemon jam.

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