Biscuits!

I don't know where I got this recipe, or how much I have tweaked it, but these are still the best biscuits I've ever made. I copied the text here from my old MySpace blog. Fun times.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
6 tbsp butter
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Gradually mix in buttermilk with a fork to make a soft dough, kneading as little as possible. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a piece of parchment paper or a floured surface and cut into 2-inch rounds. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 9-12 biscuits. (I cheat and bake my biscuits on a piece of parchment paper. Can you tell I love parchment paper?)

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All you carb-counters can kiss my bread-fed butt, because biscuits are good for your soul, and these biscuits in particular are it. Slather 'em with butter, melt some cheese on 'em, or eat 'em by themselves . . . yum. For all the non-American food I enjoy, there is nothing like a good old-fashioned Southern biscuit.

Couscous, or what I'm probably having for dinner tonight.

Couscous is some pretty awesome stuff. It's just little bits of semolina pasta from North Africa, but it's versatile and tasty. I've made both sweet dishes and savory dishes with couscous, and here is one of my favorites of the latter type. You can jazz it up however you want, but this is how I most often enjoy it.

1 cup water
1 vegetable bouillion cube
1 packet Goya Sazón, tomato & cilantro flavor
about 1 tbsp olive oil
about 1 tsp dried basil
about 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
about 1/8 tsp ground mace
1 can sweet peas, drained
1 cup uncooked couscous

Place water, bouillion cube, Sazón, oil, spices and vegetables in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the water boils, stir in couscous, turn off heat, and cover saucepan. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

One-pot, quick, easy and VERY tasty!

Hello, world!

It all started about an hour ago when a friend from high school (I won't talk about how long ago we were in high school) asked me if I was a chef or a professional blogger. I am neither, of course; I'm a victim of the recession (read: laid off) who's applying for grad school and trying to find a new job.

But I do love to cook and bake, and it has been a dream of mine to compile all of my favorite recipes. Instead of killing more trees, however, I'll drag myself into the 21st century and compile them here. That way, my family, friends, and maybe even some strangers can benefit from my adventures in the kitchen.

I may also include some personal thoughts, links to current events, etc. I find I'm not a "rules" kind of person, so anything goes!

Happy baking!

P.S. The movie Clueless came out when I was in high school.