Dr Ben Wolfe

Lucy.

The Canadian system is a mix: strong tracking at the university level, but not enough flexibility to say “wait, I have multiple interests”

I mean, it’s hard to impale someone on a phone.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

That is a sentence...

Vanilla Pound Cakes This recipe makes two loaves, and should not be thought of as health food by anyone. The basic pound cake recipe (without the vanilla) is really adaptable as well - I've done lots of tasty variants, including a matcha one a couple years ago (the browning goes a little haywire, but it's tasty if that's your thing). Citrus zest in place of the vanilla (Meyer lemon, or yuzu) is fantastic in a citrus overload kind of way. For the pound cakes 3 sticks unsalted butter 2.5c vanilla sugar Scrape vanilla beans until bored (originally, 10-12 beans; these days, 25-30 beans) 1tbsp vanilla extract 8 large eggs 3c flour 1.5tsp baking powder

For the vanilla simple syrup 1c vanilla sugar + 0.5c water The beans you scraped for the cakes Preheat your oven to 325F and butter two glass loaf pans. Butter them extremely aggressively (l'd guess ~2tbsp butter per loaf pan) - if you don't, the cakes will stick, and that'll be a tragedy. Cream the butter, sugar and scraped vanilla seeds in the workbowl of a standing mixer; add the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time on medium speed until the mixture is light and liquid. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pans, place the loaf pans on a sheet tray (makes it easier to get them in and out of the oven, and they might overflow) and bake for 80 minutes at 325F, until a tester or paring knife comes out entirely clean. I've had them take as long as 90min. While they're baking, mix 1c sugar with 0.5c water over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then add the scraped vanilla pods from making the cakes. Simmer on low heat with the lid on and let the simple syrup steep until the cakes are done. It should look like dark tea when you're done. If you use 25 vanilla pods, it'll be closer to black than anything else. This is a good thing. Once the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10-15min before you unmold them on to a cooling rack on top of a sheet tray. Then, take a pastry brush and brush the simple syrup all over the cakes. Go slowly, they'll take time to absorb it all. You'll want to rotate the cakes as necessary - they will drink all of it up, it'll just take some time. Leave the cakes on the rack to dry for several hours or overnight - they should feel hard (not stale, just sugar-crusted) when dry. Wrapped well in plastic, they'll keep at room temperature functionally indefinitely - there's too much sugar in and on them for it to be a hospitable environment for anything.

Oh no.

At least an ounce at a shot. More, back in my 20s

I had a period where I would keep Trader Joe’s crystallized ginger in my desk as a snack.

Note that an 8 oz bag can be lunch, but really shouldn’t be.

Oh, I am a ginger maniac.

I will happily eat pickled ginger.
In quantity.

Frankly, in unreasonable quantity.

I'm reminded I need to get my cousin's ginger cake recipe...

Five years ago, in the depths of moving to Canada amidst pandemic lockdowns, I thought “why not put chili crisp and applesauce on my latkes?”

If chili crisp works for you, this is an excellent idea.

Sounds like “find some new reading material and something to nom on” to me.

The worst search task.

I’m reminded of various Hamentashen vs Latke debates my father participated in at universities here.

He still has a trophy from one in his office, last I saw.

Ugh. Hopefully not too dreadful?

I can dig up the recipe.

Fun thing: you soak the cakes in syrup infused with the scraped pods. Wrapped in plastic, they’re good for months - I think one made it nearly 18 months!

I can feel Work Responsibilities looming for me tomorrow…

…and, as you’d expect, I’d rather be doing other stuff!

And now I’m thinking of my walk from
just outside Harvard Sq (where we lived) to MIT. And how many people didn’t shovel their damn sidewalks.

About a decade ago, before prices spiked and came back down, I used to make a vanilla pound cake with an unholy amount of vanilla. Think “15+ pods in two cakes”

It was good…

Apparently, “normal” rugs are hard to come by and everything is thin and washable now.

I like the idea… but the pile is too damn short.

As I told a cousin today: chili crisp on latkes

I see someone got to be your Enrichment Pumpkin yesterday.

Yup. Shovel the sidewalk!

BUNBUNS!

When we moved to the GTA, it was lockdown, we were in quarantine… and I had to have a shovel and salt delivered!

Occupational hazard in gymnastics.

Coaches are also trained in banishment.

The final version

Sometimes, choosing violence vs dead ikea furniture is the right answer.

Also, if flipping a tv stand end over end shatters it completely, it was probably time for it to go anyway.

When Yubaba haunts my dreams, I’m blaming you!

Equipment: 10-11" tart pan (I like ones fluted ones with sharp top edges); sheet tray, food processor So, for the crust, it's my totally standard tart crust. 1.5c flour 1 stick butter (4 oz) 2 tsp sugar 0.5 tsp salt 4 tsp sour cream / 4 tsp heavy cream (both work fine) 1 egg yolk Combine in cuisinart until it's cohesive (really, it should become a ball that whips around the cuisinart bowl, or at least tries to). Once it is, take pieces and press it into the tart pan so you have an even layer covering the bottom and forming the crust. Set aside.

My Universal Tart Crust. Freeze 10 min, roll thin, blind bake until lightly golden (usually 15 min covered and another 10-15 uncovered.)