Bachelor baking challenge #2

My last venture with baking resulted in what I've dubbed "Shortbread Boulders"--they were shortbread cookies made for my chemistry lab, I made sure they were gluten-free because one of my classmates had/has Celiac disease (basically, gluten agitates the body enough that the immune system starts attacking  the digestive system).

In mid-December, my neighbor, Bethany, gave us (me, she may have meant to share it with my dad too) a wonderful pot pie.  She's very health conscious, and the pie was made from free-range, organic AND gluten free ingredients.

It was excellent, I ate all of it over the course of two meals and many friends on campus were either amazed that I brought an entire casserole for myself as a lunch, or envious that its contents smelled and looked so very enticing.

About a month later, I've finally resolved to return the casserole with something that meets most of the previous conditions Bethany had set:  I'd make something with granola (relatively gluten free), Mulberry Preserves made by the a few friends of mine in Detroit (they collected and cooked it with the Detroit Asian Youth project, I played music afterward and brought some food for everyone to enjoy).

Mulberry Preserve made by the good people of
the Detroit Asian Youth (AKA DAY project),
the label was designed by Michelle Martinez.
The photo is mine, and the lion looks suspiciously similar to me...

Look beyond the jump for the musings about baking...

Opa! The science of flaming saganaki?

Yesterday I was at a "Grecian Cafe" in Ann Arbor hungry for something hot like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Few things seemed as hot as flaming fried cheese, so I ordered the saganaki dish, which is flambe'ed in many Coney Islands and Grecian Cafes throughout the U.S. (but particularly in Southeast Michigan).  [Side note:  I think Ann Arbor needs a Coney Island that's open for 24 hours.  If any entrepreneurs read this and do so, I'd gladly become a patron, but I hope I'll get some of the profits, a discount, or a free dish]

Then I wondered:  what in the world makes it so flammable?
Perhaps it's alcohol of some sort, but then I thought--what if there's a certain gas that the cheese releases?  Hmmm!  That would be even more interesting.

Unfortunately, a quick search about the internet suggests a few table spoons of brandy is the real fuel for the flames.

My last pondering about this dish:  why is there never enough bread to go with the cheese?

A twist on falafel

Happy New Year!

It's January in Michigan and I wore shorts outside today.  While the weather is pleasant, it's somewhat disappointing as we haven't had substantial snow cover throughout the winter for a long time.  That said, I had a great and action-packed Friday:

I learned how to say "Happy New Year" in Arabic and was complemented with "Perfect" on first try, and ordered a falafel (fried chick peas and other good things rolled into a ball) sandwich from Amani's restaurant in East Dearborn (I also found out a few friends of mine are related or work for the restaurant too).

After a few bites, I realized adding cinnamon to the falafel prior to frying might be an interesting addition.  When I came home I sprinkled some cinnamon and the flavors work, but I'll have to ask if they'd be willing to add cinnamon during its preparation next time.

Later, I was encouraged to ask questions and hold the University accountable for its breakage card system and lab fees by the person who introduced it to the campus (he also encouraged me to "Give 'em the dickens!" before I left).