Now that Ink is my Job, I try to do other things Occasionally so I don’t Start Destroying Bedroom Doors With Fire Axes

Knitting

My great grandmother taught me the basic knit-and-purl when I was eleven and all I ever made were scarves (and it had been years since I’d done that). In 2018, my BFF, who is a knitting master convinced me to pick the needles up again and has been an extremely patient teacher. I still mostly knit scarves but I’ve also done some hats, mitts, started my first sweater, and my scarves have patterns and lace and shit.

Current project is a lace and eyelet scarf using various clan colors from The Untamed (in the form of mini skeins from Space Cadet Yarns).

Baking

It’s relaxing. I enjoy it. Other people like to eat the product.

Kiddo #2 wanted a ramen bowl cake they saw on GBBO for their 9th birthday. I… did my best. I used a bundt pan for the body of the bowl so there was pre-made space for the requested center surprise (berry Haribos) and then covered with a standard round cake (in retrospect, I should have just filled the hole over the candy so the bowl had a more structured rim). As you can see my fondant work needs some work but the decorations came out pretty well and, most importantly, kiddo was thrilled. The cake was an orange-chocolate from Á La Mére de Famille and the frosting was a chocolate butter cream from Sally’s Baking Addiction with orange extract substituted for vanilla and some expresso powder added a pinch at a time to take the edge of the sweetness.

Cooking and Eating

I love learning to cook new dishes. I love learning to cook food from other countries and other cultures. There are things I’ve learned to do pretty well. There are dishes I can make passable facsimiles of but if I want authentic, I go to the masters. And then there are dishes I mind my own business about and don’t even attempt because I would not sully their perfection with my clumsy attempts. One of those last are these Salvadorian chicken enchiladas from Café Agnes. I had them for the first time at the Bloomfield Farmer’s Market last week and let me tell you that they are one of the best things I have ever put in my face hole. Like, revised my last meal good. Up there with the uni carbonara from Morimoto that I still dream about five years later good. So if you’re ever in town? Do not pass up the opportunity. Just don’t get in my way.