Who We Are
The Baker's Dozen is a project of Rob Heath Edison - a nickname, and not a new one, for we have ventured into unknown waters wearing that hat before. It's a comfortable identity, equipped with friends and entertaining memories of past creative projects. For more on Rob E., look here: Rob Edison on Facebook. Actually more than one person claims to be Rob Heath Edison. And why not?
What We're Doing Here
We are building a collection of "un-recipes" for anyone who just wants to go into the kitchen and fix some good food. My mother used to say she cooked by the "dump method" ... soup never came out the same way twice, but it was always good! Cooking without recipes is lots more fun. "Recipes" here are presented more as guidelines or reports from the front. Especially in the matter of seasonings, we don't have much to say - some people love garlic, others hate it. So suit yourself!
The 13 ingredients challenge arose mostly as a challenge to myself. As I proceed with it, I am finding that the restriction is making me a better cook. I always preferred making things from scratch, but such prepared foods as I did use are sitting in the cupboards unused now, mostly. I considered long before settling on my list of 13. What I ended up with are items most essential to traditional cuisines worldwide. Eliminating wheat from the list (resulting in a gluten-free diet here) has the side effect of eliminating nearly all prepared foods, most of which contain wheat in one form or another.
This project has already produced two offshoots with blogs of their own: "Little Soups" is our effort to discover techniques for preparing from-scratch soups and other dishes in small quantities, with a minimum of fuss, a maximum of flavor, and no leftovers. "Dorm Food Survival" came out of my discovery that college meal plans are expensive and starchy, and that students who want to prepare their own food are hampered by restrictions against most cooking appliances. I wouldn't want to live on canned soup for 4 years, so I am very motivated to help the kids to eat better food, with no extra bother, and to save money by doing so. I've already discovered that the humble and ubiquitous "Hot Pot" may just be the appliance of choice for some jobs, even in a well equipped kitchen. All these projects are great fun, of course!
By no means do I think of myself as a "cook" - I'm impatient, don't bother with details, don't think about presentation, do not have a refined appreciation of outre cuisine. What I do have is a long life with hungry people and a modest budget. Whenever confronted with assorted food, I'm ready to experiment! One learns, sometimes the hard way, and "recipes" give way to a general understanding of how to put it all together, of what works. That's working against me now, because I forget to measure and to document.
The 13 ingredients challenge arose mostly as a challenge to myself. As I proceed with it, I am finding that the restriction is making me a better cook. I always preferred making things from scratch, but such prepared foods as I did use are sitting in the cupboards unused now, mostly. I considered long before settling on my list of 13. What I ended up with are items most essential to traditional cuisines worldwide. Eliminating wheat from the list (resulting in a gluten-free diet here) has the side effect of eliminating nearly all prepared foods, most of which contain wheat in one form or another.
This project has already produced two offshoots with blogs of their own: "Little Soups" is our effort to discover techniques for preparing from-scratch soups and other dishes in small quantities, with a minimum of fuss, a maximum of flavor, and no leftovers. "Dorm Food Survival" came out of my discovery that college meal plans are expensive and starchy, and that students who want to prepare their own food are hampered by restrictions against most cooking appliances. I wouldn't want to live on canned soup for 4 years, so I am very motivated to help the kids to eat better food, with no extra bother, and to save money by doing so. I've already discovered that the humble and ubiquitous "Hot Pot" may just be the appliance of choice for some jobs, even in a well equipped kitchen. All these projects are great fun, of course!
Why am I doing this really?
I jumped into this project a few weeks ago for something companionable to do online with a friend. (The "challenge" had been thought of a couple of years earlier, but never got going.) Right now all the balls are in the air at once - cooking, planning, photographing, writing it all down ... I'll probably revamp everything soon, and so now it's time to think about where I want to go with it. A hint came a few days ago, when someone I've known for nearly 40 years thanked me for teaching her, way back when, how to make some basic good food from scratch - soup, bread - and she's not the only person who has said that, over the years.By no means do I think of myself as a "cook" - I'm impatient, don't bother with details, don't think about presentation, do not have a refined appreciation of outre cuisine. What I do have is a long life with hungry people and a modest budget. Whenever confronted with assorted food, I'm ready to experiment! One learns, sometimes the hard way, and "recipes" give way to a general understanding of how to put it all together, of what works. That's working against me now, because I forget to measure and to document.
I also have high regard for real food, as compared to dehydrated potatoes in a box. I grew up in a time and place where most of the older people still knew how to cook. I didn't need lessons. I only had to go into the kitchen and watch.
Everyone had a few excellent dishes that they prepared over and over. If I liked it, I would notice and would ask questions. Later, when I got out on my own, I might call someone to find out how they had made something I remembered.
When I got married, my elderly landlady called me down to the kitchen and said "Now I am going to give you your wedding present." And she taught me how to cut up a chicken! "You don't need to pay extra for chicken parts," she advised. "Buy them whole and cut them up yourself." Mrs. Kent, she was, born around 1880 in small-town Mississippi. A great and gracious lady.
I am also a dedicated armchair traveller, and one way I have satisfied that desire for other people, other places is by having friends from all over the world. Of course these people bring their own favorite foods, and I could sample, and then I could ask questions. The Indian ladies used to bring me samples of foods they had made at home. They knew I would try it and would probably like it.
So, getting back to the question, I have gradually realized that I am doing this project because I want to share what I've learned - simple, great, everyday and economical dishes from extended family and from old friends - all in one place and all at once. I want also to encourage people to try things, with or without a recipe. You'll have some failures, of course, so you would do well to get a large dog.
Adapted from blog post, December 17, 2010
Everyone had a few excellent dishes that they prepared over and over. If I liked it, I would notice and would ask questions. Later, when I got out on my own, I might call someone to find out how they had made something I remembered.
When I got married, my elderly landlady called me down to the kitchen and said "Now I am going to give you your wedding present." And she taught me how to cut up a chicken! "You don't need to pay extra for chicken parts," she advised. "Buy them whole and cut them up yourself." Mrs. Kent, she was, born around 1880 in small-town Mississippi. A great and gracious lady.
I am also a dedicated armchair traveller, and one way I have satisfied that desire for other people, other places is by having friends from all over the world. Of course these people bring their own favorite foods, and I could sample, and then I could ask questions. The Indian ladies used to bring me samples of foods they had made at home. They knew I would try it and would probably like it.
So, getting back to the question, I have gradually realized that I am doing this project because I want to share what I've learned - simple, great, everyday and economical dishes from extended family and from old friends - all in one place and all at once. I want also to encourage people to try things, with or without a recipe. You'll have some failures, of course, so you would do well to get a large dog.
Adapted from blog post, December 17, 2010
The Baker's Dozen project has inspired two others:
Little Soups - Soup, Quiche, and other better-made-from-scratch dishes in quantities just right to serve one or two, and no leftovers.
Dorm Food Survival - For all those hungry kids living in school dormitories who are trying to feed themselves decently with no pots and not much of a budget.
