Eric's Recipes
There are two Hebrew words that are translated "create." The first is "Bara," the second is "Bana." "Bara" is to make something out of nothing. Only God can "Bara." "Bana" is to make something out of ingredients. Humankind can only "Bana." Everything you see on the Earth; buildings, cars, bridges, computers, iPods; they have all been made from the ingredients of the Earth. They've just been mixed together differently.
Comments on Cooking:
(Now, how come this doesn't surprise you?)
Oil. I use extra-virgin olive oil for everything (even for biscuits). I like the "Al Wazir" oil from Lebanon. I always wondered how something could be "extra-virgin." I put my thinking cap on, in the finest Aristotelian fashion, and this is what i came up with. In the old days, Olive Oil was made in big vats. The town virgins would walk on the olives and press the oil out of them. One day, there was a big celebration and they started running out of Olive Oil. The head of the village cried, "Quick; call in some extra virgins." The crises was averted.
Butter. Butter is Butter. Margarine is Margarine. Pretty simple.
Eggs. I like to use the free-range-roaming eggs. They seem to be richer. (Of course, one might ask, how does an egg roam?)
Vanilla. I like to use Vanilla from Mexico. I've heard that, if you get Vanilla from Mexico, to make sure and get it in the glass bottles instead of the plastic. If you use a different type of Vanilla, you'll have to increase the amount.
Flour. Typically, i use bread flour. I don't use self-rising. I'm old fashioned and i really don't see the point of self-rising flour. Why not just add the baking powder and salt yourself?
Eric Stromberg