What I learned from meal planning
I make a double batch and freeze half for busy weeks. Most of the flavour comes from persistence rather than ingredients. A stand mixer helps, but it is not the point.
The process
None of this is new, and that is partly why it works. It is not glamorous, but it holds up. Modest, repeatable steps beat big plans nearly every time. For a long time I treated pickles as an afterthought. A kitchen scale altered my baking more than any recipe did.
Use what is in season and the recipe largely writes itself. Below are a few jottings, roughly in the order I picked up them. In January the light changes, and so does the work. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. I attempted the comforting version first. It did not last.
Lessons
The difference showed up gradually, then all at once. I like pickles that shows the marks of how it was made. Serve it with good bread and whichever greens look best.
What I kept
Most of what I know about sourdough came from getting it wrong first. Good flatbreads is largely a series of modest, unglamorous decisions. I like sourdough that shows the marks of how it was made.
- Revisit roasted vegetables after a week
- Note the date and the weather
- Write down what you change
Second thoughts
I like flatbreads that shows the marks of how it was made. The trick, if there is one, is to leave sufficient room for slip-ups. For a long time I treated braised beans as an afterthought. I keep a short list of things to try next; preserving is near the top. The crisp part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is.