On Probation

I’ve got a secret, I’m addicted to finding new recipes to try. So far, I haven’t found a program to help me overcome this affliction. Instead, I try to keep it hidden away in folders and binders in dark corners of the house. The problem is that on this information superhighway, there’s no shortage of rest stops that tempt my demons. I have folders stuffed with pages from websites, magazines, and even some newspapers.

To balance this habit, I rarely buy cookbooks. I’m still trying to get through recipes I pulled years ago from Cooking Light, so how can I justify spending money on a book full of recipes I would have to put in the test rotation? At that rate, my folders would overflow like the loaves and fishes.

Now, this is not to say that I don’t own cookbooks. I have never looked a gift cookbook in the mouth. I just don’t go out of my way to add titles to my collection. So I’ve really got to be excited about one to hunt it down and find room for it on the bookshelf. That’s where I was with Cake Love.

Don’t ask me why but I was infatuated with the idea of churning out all kinds of frosted delights. So much so that I preordered the book and then patiently waited through two publishing delays for it to arrive. My expectations were high. I just knew that with the help of Warren Brown, I would be whipping up buttercream with ease and pulling perfect cakes from my oven on a regular basis. And then I tried my first Cake Love recipe. And I failed miserably. Have you ever managed to create a hollow cupcake? I have. 24 of them to be exact.

Not to be defeated, I dusted myself off and picked a different cake. I measured. I mixed. I baked. And somewhere between the words on the page and the cake in my oven, we ended up in two different places.

So Mr. Brown, you are officially on probation. I’ve give you one more shot to guide me to Cake Love. After that, I can’t guarantee your spot on the bookshelf.