May 2012 A Note from Marcy

Dear Fellow Bakers and Friends,

This is a special week first week of May marks not only my birthday but my website’s 15^th year anniversary online. I could say allot or a little and I think I will go with less is more. In short, I cannot imagine it’s been fifteen years. How the time flies when you’re baking fun.

A decade and a half – wow. How did I do this? I never thought the Internet would hang around for one thing – I rather thought it was a lark that I could dabble in and then it would or I would, stop. I didn’t really think it would go away but like many of you, I also never imagined it would explode and evolve as it did. I never envisioned I would also keep publishing my baking magazine throughout.

There is a website called Way Back Machine http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/http://betterbaking.com and it used to show most of my original BB covers (and so did I when I was able to archive things more efficiently) but even without a glance of previous covers, suffice to say, allot of ground, and miles of flour, was covered in 15 years. Baking trends came and went from Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Cinnamon Buns, No Carbs, Low Carbs, Low Fat, Cupcakes, Madeleines, Macaroons, Little Pies and Gluten Free Anything. When in doubt, make it gluten free or make it Red Velvet.

I’ve written about it all, as well as food in movies, and on TV (I didn’t do Mad Men yet), food from the royal wedding to recipes celebrating baseball recipes from the field of dreams.

As it is the occasion to ask, here are my frequently asked questions, the FAQ’s of BB, as it were.

When did you start baking?
I was 7 and I was terrible.

How large is your staff?
What staff?

Do you know you can get recipes free all over the Internet?
Yes, I knew. Someone told me this a few years ago. It’s awesome.

Why don’t you have a baking TV show?
I don’t know. That’s a good idea and I am surprised it never occurred to me before. I will ask Fox, Life or HBO to drop by and film me baking pizza in a silk apron. I don’t know why the Food Network hasn’t rung my doorbell. Maybe I didn’t hear the knock because the Kitchenaid was on high speed whipping egg whites at the time.

Didn’t you know you can upload your own baking video on YouTube?
Yes – I had heard about that. I guess I don’t want to. Yet. It would also get in the way of my leisure time. (Like my staff – what leisure time?).

What happens with all the test samples you bake?
If you bake it, they will come. Each time I bake, people seem to drop by. I also give away allot of baking to deserving people those paths I cross. Sometimes these people are at tango or my gym and more often than not, it's strangers, having a hard time, who can use a scone or a roll or whatever test baking is tucked in my car that day. It always all goes to a good place.

Do your sons all bake?
Yes.

Where is The Baker's Four Seasons and when will it be published?
The manuscript is waiting for a new dance (publishing) partner. No one is waiting more impatiently than me.

Why don't you have a calorie and nutritional count on your recipes?
Because once you saw the calories of a piece of cheesecake you would never return to my website.

What is your favorite food?
Toast.

There are so many companies and people to thank (and my website guru in Toronto, Elehost.com) but mostly it’s my readers that I would like to thank. You all have kept me thinking and creating because I have this notion that each month, I will be hosting this mad, baker's tea party. On the first of each month, oodles of foodies and bakers do tend to drop by and I know they expect tea on the table and fresh recipes. That's why I volunteer to do it -because I know company is coming and I love to share.

So with a nod to the fine company I keep, I thank you. Thanks for hanging out in my kitchen for fifteen years, for trying my recipes, hearing me natter about tango and life and a baker's journey.

Almost forgot! A free batch - my 15th Year Anniversary Baker's Dozen Recipes of some of my own favorites plus two new ones I've been working on.

Warm wishes, and happy baking,

Marcy Goldman
Author, Master Baker
www.BetterBaking.com
Est. 1997
Celebrating 15 Years Online

Two New Recipe Inspirations

Greek Yogurt Scones with Sour Cherries
Cheddar Fig Buns Guillaume

My Own Favorites, A Baker’s Dozen 15 Year Celebration
May 1997-May 2012

Dulce de leche Biscotti
My Original Buttermilk Rhubarb Lawsuit Muffins
Terre Etoile Cafe Famous Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Underground Baker's Secret Carrot Cake Recipe
Notting Hill Brownies
Mallomar Cheesecake
Cream Earl Grey Tea
Old Fashioned Sweet Yeast Rolls
BB's Famous Pizza Croissants
Apple Baba Muffins
Famous Terre Etoile Oatmeal Cookies
Fresh Cranberry 'N Cream Scones
Almost Cherry Garcia Cookies

Previous Monthly Essays from A Note From Marcy:

Essays to tickle your funny bone, wake up your inner baker, twinge on your heartstrings, or make you smile and say, ‘I’ve know the feeling; I know the place”. If you missed an essay, or a season in baking or inner sensibility, we invite you to stroll through our archived Notes From Marcy.

© BakerBoulanger / BetterBaking.com 1997-2003