Whats up!
How was all people’s Thanksgiving vacation? Did all people survive the cooking marathon?
Erlend and I historically have fun with an “Asian-style” Thanksgiving. We normally swap out the standard Thanksgiving turkey dinner for an Asian-y predominant and sides. In years previous, we’ve celebrated with Peking duck (we tried making it at house with out nice outcomes, and finally simply resorted to ordering takeout from the numerous wonderful Chinese language locations once we lived in San Francisco and New York). When you’re actually interested in what that appears like, you may see the Asian-style Thanksgivings I blogged about in 2014 and 2015.
Up to now few years, nonetheless, we’ve swapped the duck for Korean bo ssam. Erlend likes to make use of the recipe from the momofuku cookbook (which can also be obtainable on the New York Instances Cooking web site), whereas I put together the edges and dessert. This yr, I made scallion buttermilk biscuits (I added scallions to my favourite biscuit recipe from Bon Appetit, although I’m undecided I’d advocate doing so—the biscuits didn’t rise as nicely) with gochujang scorching honey butter, a meat-less model of this steak salad with fish sauce and mint (I swapped out the steak for roasted butternut squash), and Korean corn cheese (with a recipe I tailored from Spoon Fork Bacon).
For dessert, I deviated from our Asian theme. I used to be initially going to make one among my favourite Thanksgiving pies—both my model of Libby’s traditional pumpkin pie, this chocolate chess pie, or this black backside chocolate pecan pie—however I had this intense yearning for banana pudding. Particularly, the well-known banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. I hunted down the recipe, and whipped up a large enough batch to feed greater than a dozen individuals. It was scrumptious, however I used to be severely gifting away pints of the stuff for days. I’m pondering of growing a small batch model of the recipe to publish on Hummingbird Excessive subsequent yr. What do you guys suppose? I’m personally stoked!
What To Anticipate on Hummingbird Excessive in 2023
Now that it’s December and we’re about to wrap up 2022, I need to let you know about some adjustments I’m making subsequent yr:
At the moment’s replace put up—with a recap of my previous month, round-ups of my favourite recipes, tales, and extra—is probably going going to be the final you’ll see from me on this area.
However don’t fear! I’ll nonetheless publish new recipes on Hummingbird Excessive. I simply need to solely focus my time and vitality on recipe improvement.
However in the event you guys like these types of recaps and hyperlink sharing, please let me know! I’ve lengthy thought-about beginning a extra informal and private electronic mail publication with comparable content material. So please let me know if that’s one thing you’re fascinated by and would need to subscribe to!
In Case You Missed It: New Recipes and Posts
Right here’s a listing of every part I revealed on Hummingbird Excessive in November. I really didn’t spend numerous time growing new recipes—as an alternative, I targeted on making fast tutorials for standard Thanksgiving recipes:
- Swedish Princess Layer Cake. This was one of many new recipes I revealed final month in celebration of Hummingbird Excessive‘s eleventh birthday!!! I nonetheless can’t consider I’ve been baking for this weblog since 2011. Wild. Watch a sneak peek of the recipe on Instagram and TikTok, too.
- Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Made Higher!). An outdated(ish) however gold recipe on Hummingbird Excessive that’a preferred each Thanksgiving! It’s principally the traditional Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe on the again of a can, however with some very minor updates (like pre baking the crust and waterproofing it! and including an additional egg to the filling!) to make it higher. Watch a sneak peek of my updates to the recipe on Instagram and TikTok.
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls. Watch a sneak peek of the recipe on Instagram and TikTok, too.
- Pumpkin Pie, Your Manner. AllRecipes interviewed their favourite bakers (together with yours really!) about our favourite methods to customise a easy pumpkin pie recipe. I made mine with a toasted meringue marshmallow topping! Extremely advocate.
- Chocolate Chess Pie. One other Thanksgiving favourite on Hummingbird Excessive. Even regardless of my loyalty to my model of the Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe, I’m not the largest pumpkin pie girlie. I’d a lot relatively have this chocolate chess pie (which I’d’ve made for Thanksgiving, had my yearning for banana pudding not destroyed my urge for food for every part else). Watch a sneak peek of the recipe on Instagram and TikTok.
- Black Backside Chocolate Pecan Pie. After the chocolate chess pie, this may be my favourite Thanksgiving pie. The recipe instructs you so as to add a layer of chocolate ganache to the underside of a conventional pecan pie. Why? The chocolate “waterproofs” the pie crust in opposition to the pecan filling, retaining it crispy. Plus, you get chocolate in your pecan pie filling! Be taught extra on Instagram and TikTok.
- How To Get Rid Of Bubbles In Your Pumpkin Pie Filling. My pal Erin from Cloudy Kitchen taught me this neat trick! Normally, after you’ve poured your pumpkin pie filling into the pie shell, you get a ton of bubbles within the filling. Though the bubbles don’t have an effect on the pumpkin pie’s style, they do make it ugly. So in the event you’re OCD like me and need every part to look picture-perfect, watch the video on Instagram and TikTok for a really cool trick on find out how to do away with them!
An Replace About Hummingbird Excessive‘s Patreon Account
I first began my Patreon account in March 2020, as a direct response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a scary time for lots of people (on numerous completely different ranges!).
Talking particularly from the attitude of Hummingbird Excessive, it was a tough time financially. Lots of the corporations I labored with determined to pause or halt their upcoming tasks, amounting to a 3rd of my projected earnings for the yr disappearing in a single day. Advert income on the web site declined considerably, with many corporations withdrawing their promoting campaigns. And so as to add much more stress and uncertainty to my monetary scenario, my husband received furloughed from his healthcare job as a bodily therapist (which was deemed a non-essential medical service on the time).
So to assist mitigate these monetary blows, I made a decision to start out up my Patreon account. I watched as lots of you rallied to assist my work in so many alternative methods. A lot of you enthusiastically signed up for the completely different tiers, even opting out of the free books and sprinkles. And most significantly, all of you supplied such useful suggestions—not solely on my recipes, but additionally on methods to raised run the Hummingbird Excessive group and make it higher for all.
And whereas I’ve completely loved the final two years collectively, I consider that it’s time for this chapter of Hummingbird Excessive to shut. The worst of the pandemic seems to be over, and also you helped Hummingbird Excessive—and me!—survive by way of all of it. I can’t stress how wonderful you all had been, and the way grateful I used to be (and nonetheless am and can be, perpetually and ever) for every part.
Subsequent Steps For Present Patreon Supporters
I’m planning on shutting down my Patreon account on the finish of the month on December 31, 2022. When you’re a Patreon member, be sure you go to the Patreon put up for extra particulars! However right here’s a TL/DR till then:
- I’ll go away my Patreon account stay till March 31, 2023; nonetheless, I gained’t be updating it with any new content material.
- My plan is to finally publish all current Patreon recipes for FREE on www.hummingbirdhigh.com. That’s proper! In style Patreon recipes like this one for Earl Gray Tiramisu and this one for Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls will finally be revealed in full on Hummingbird Excessive. So preserve following alongside on www.hummingbirdhigh.com to see these finally roll out!
Meals For Thought
This previous month, I additionally spent a LOT of time pondering and studying about meals past the baking recipes you see on this weblog. Listed here are the concepts and points that resonated with me:
- “Meals Costs Soar, and So Do Firms’ Earnings” in The New York Instances. A couple of months in the past, once I received again from my journey to England, I posted a relatively controversial Instagram Story sequence on @hummingbirdhigh. Particularly, I used to be complaining that the identical carton of Oatly milk value twice as a lot in the US (the place it value $4.99 USD) because it did in an upmarket grocery store in a hip a part of London (the place it value $2.24 USD).
A couple of followers who labored within the agricultural and grocery store industries DMed me considerate messages that helped clarify the value disparities, in addition to quickly rising prices in the US. They pointed to provide chain points, rising costs of uncooked elements and supplies, and elevated/unpredictable demand led to by the pandemic.
Whereas I agree that these are actual points which might be aggravating issues, it’s additionally eye-opening to learn the New York Instances article I linked to above. The article studies that many meals corporations are experiencing document earnings, with earnings coming from the elevated costs of their items and companies. Particularly, they’ve elevated their costs a lot that it’s greater than made up for the any value will increase led to by the will increase in elements, supplies, labor, and every part else.
I don’t have a lot to say aside from this: so when precisely are we beginning the revolution?
- “The Nice British Bake Off Backlash Has Reached a Boiling Level. Can the Present Be Saved?” in Time Journal. I’m the sort of one who waits for all of the episodes of The Nice British Bake Off to air, after which binges them . However sadly doing so signifies that I get to listen to about all of the controversies—like Mexican Week!—with out actually seeing or understanding the total context.
And after watching so many TikToks and studying many think-pieces (like this one! or this one!) about how offensive Mexican Week was, I braced myself for the worst. However then I watched the whole season over Thanksgiving and realized it wasn’t so unhealthy? Like, sure, Paul Hollywood positively did the contestants a disservice by making them COOK tacos versus bake one thing… however all in all, the contestants had been respectful and educated on the challenges that gave them the chance to analysis the delicacies and nation beforehand.
So whereas I do suppose that The Nice British Bake Off is previous its prime (they actually ought to’ve give up when Mary Berry, Mel, and Sue departed the present), I feel many of the points and criticisms will be attributed to the judges. We want some recent, younger judges on the present—the sort who don’t suppose that peanut butter and jelly or maple and bacon is a weird mixture, and are well-traveled sufficient to have tried Japanese cheesecake and know that bao is Chinese language (not Japanese). Idk. Simply my two cents.
Lastly, On A Lighthearted Be aware
However that’s all, people!
As I stated earlier than—that is the final of this type of weblog put up (for now, at the least). I’d be remiss with out some sort of sentimental ship off, so right here we go: I’ve loved writing these posts immensely, and I sincerely hope that you simply’ve loved studying them as nicely.
Have a great vacation season, and let’s preserve baking in 2023!
XO
Michelle
NO TIME TO BAKE?!
Over the previous a number of years of working Hummingbird Excessive, I saved a vital side of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extraordinarily demanding job within the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I lastly reveal the secrets and techniques to baking scrumptious desserts on a decent schedule.
