Welcome!

This is my second blog and I will be the first to admit that I already have too many irons in the fire. My partner accuses me having undiagnosed ADD and I will not argue with that. I have often included blog posts on my other blog about my baking endeavors. Why not have a separate blog devoted to baking? And to be more creative, why not a blog dedicated to my favorite cookbook author Maida Heatter? So here I go.

What do I hope to accomplish? For one, I'd like to become a better cook and learn techniques that I've been too afraid to attempt in the past. Secondly, I'd like to introduce readers to Maida Heatter, an absolute genius whose books and recipes I've come to love. And, for the record, I've never met the woman. I only know her through her books.

Maida Heatter is an excellent teacher. Her recipes, even the simplest ones, can go on for pages and pages. That is not because they are difficult but because she leads you through the recipes step-by-step, showing you exactly how to accomplish every element. This is great for a person like myself. I have no formal training and any prior experience or knowledge has come strictly from reading cookbooks. I cannot do anything in the kitchen without a recipe and I admire people who are able to throw things together or taste a dish and tell you what it needs.

Maida has published seven books (and there have been various compilations published during the past 10 years).  That is a lot of recipes (I have not counted them).  I'm not going to attempt them in any order and will choose them randomly from all of her books. I will attempt whatever my mood dictates. I'm sure I will take the easier recipes first and it may be a while before I tackle recipes like the meringue mushrooms or the Dobosh torte.

I want this to be a learning experience, both for myself and any readers that you like to stop by. If you have any suggestions or comments, please offer them.

 Phillip