Baking

In case it isn't obvious, I love to bake. And I love to feed people. My coworkers are quite happy about this, as they and my roommate are usually the people I feed.

My coworkers were talking today about how they need to set me up with someone so I can cook for them, because it's more romantic to cook for someone you love, and I joked, "I'm trying to seduce you guys with my cooking, I don't have time for anyone else," and one of them replied with, "It's working!" Haha.

But really, I just like feeding people. I don't feel any more satisfied with feeding someone I want to see naked than I do when I feed someone I enjoy spending time with. I don't think food is romantic really. I think it can be a sensual experience (as in, engaging of the senses), but I don't think it's the food that makes candlelit dinners romantic.

And can I just ask what is it with everyone I know trying to set me up? My family, my friends, my coworkers, my roommate. I've even had guests at the hotel joke that they want to introduce me to their son/grandson. I am seriously quite okay with being single. If I wasn't okay with being single, I would be much more willing to settle on someone who was "just okay (for me)."

But anyway, back to baking: I bought a bunch of rosemary when I had friends over for the barbecue last week, because one friend is lactose intolerant and I was making pizza, and we could easily turn the dough into a fancy rosemary flatbread, which turned out seriously good on the barbecue, I would recommend it. Pizza dough with olive oil, rosemary, and coarse salt grilled on the barbecue. Just oil the first side, grill it, flip it, top it with the stuff, and grill some more.

So, to use up the leftover rosemary, I am making some rosemary bread. I'm using this recipe, because it was one of the few I found that actually called for proofing the yeast correctly, which is my mark of a decent bread recipe.

It's actually strange how many recipes call for just putting yeast in warm water, or say to sprinkle the yeast on top of warm water and oil. If it's in the oil, it won't proof, so your bread won't rise. And the sugar in the water feeds the yeast, so it should start off with telling you to mix the water, sugar, and yeast. If it doesn't, find another recipe. In my experience! (And I have a lot of experience. With baking.)

But I'm excited. It's rising right now, so it won't be ready to eat for another couple of hours, but there is few things better than fresh, homemade bread fresh out of the oven and smothered in butter. Mmm. I can't wait!