Water Cooler Chit Chat

[Puget]

I made a sourdough! It wasn't from my own starter, but I did get the starter from a colleague, so true community transfer, rather than selling out to the man and buying it. It rose and everything. Also the handle of my Dutch oven exploded from the oven heat (it wasn't supposed to do that, I think: it was a proper Le Creuset enameled cast-iron pot), so you win some you lose some.

Congratulations! I've been making my own bread every week for years in my trusty bread machine, usually sourdough (though I also add some regular yeast). Regular grocery bread, even the whole grain kind, seems pretty terrible after you get used to always having home made.

Flour has been in somewhat scarce supply, but I scored 5 lbs each whole wheat and white bread flower on my grocery run this week.

That reminds me, I promised starter to a friend for socially distanced pick up next weekend, so I need to start feeding mine up to double it.

Foolish question, but doesn't it get a chance to double every time you feed it? Instead of discarding whatever amount, you simply feed that too? Or are you referring to the arcane process by which fridge-preserved starter must be restrengthened by regular feedings?

I used some of my discard to make a sourdough carrot cake today. It honestly tastes like exactly the same thing as regular carrot cake. I mean, it's great---I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting---but I expected a bit more tanginess.

Not foolish-- an arcane process indeed!

Yes, my starter lives in the fridge, and every week I take it out and let it warm up, and then use about half of it  to bake a loaf of bread. Then, you take a cup of what remains, feed it with one cup flour and one cup water, let it do its thing overnight, and put it back in the fridge (where it continues to ferment but very slowly) until I next want to bake.

So, generally I always have about the right amount of starter to bake a loaf and feed for the next loaf, but not a lot extra (you could have, I just don't want to keep a giant jar in my fridge). Its like a cell dividing in two-- one is the stem cell (continue to feed and divide), one gets committed to being bread (just came up with that metaphor-- rather pleased!). To have enough to give my friend, I essentially need to do an extra feeding cycle without baking-- easy enough to do.

And now I want carrot cake damn you!

[arcturus]

Puget - the carrot cake is right behind you. It is part of the spread provided by Cheerful on this first day of May. Thank you, Cheerful! I'd say more, but the ice cream in my sundae is starting to melt.

[Parasaurolophus]

I just encountered someone who genuinely believes that Biden's serial groping and sniffing of women and children is Russian propaganda.

As in, produced by Russian media labs and inserted into news archives by Russian hackers.

[Cheerful]

Puget - the carrot cake is right behind you. It is part of the spread provided by Cheerful on this first day of May. Thank you, Cheerful! I'd say more, but the ice cream in my sundae is starting to melt.

Glad you enjoyed the Friday sundae, arcturus!  Please select this Friday's treats and we'll get the best variety from the best providers, money is no barrier.  We deserve it!  : - >

[arcturus]

I'd love to see a spread of fresh fruits and berries for Friday's water cooler.  Perhaps some vanilla ice cream, too, to form the base...

[hmaria1609]

I'd love to see a spread of fresh fruits and berries for Friday's water cooler.  Perhaps some vanilla ice cream, too, to form the base...

Good time as any to refill the virtual beverage dispenser!

[Parasaurolophus]

A question!

What is the word for the study of cursive in historical primary sources? You know, the kind of thing that the Warburg Institute has its grad students take a class in so that they can read said primary sources...


I was trying to tell a friend to ask someone who specializes in that for help with a research project, but I can't for the life of me remember the right word.

[OneMoreYear]

A question!

What is the word for the study of cursive in historical primary sources? You know, the kind of thing that the Warburg Institute has its grad students take a class in so that they can read said primary sources...


I was trying to tell a friend to ask someone who specializes in that for help with a research project, but I can't for the life of me remember the right word.

Palaeography?

[Parasaurolophus]

A question!

What is the word for the study of cursive in historical primary sources? You know, the kind of thing that the Warburg Institute has its grad students take a class in so that they can read said primary sources...


I was trying to tell a friend to ask someone who specializes in that for help with a research project, but I can't for the life of me remember the right word.

Palaeography?

OMG thank you! That's the one! It was driving me nuts, and there's no way I would have remembered/found it on my own.

[mamselle]

These guys have a conference on paleography and related issues each year that's very good:

   https://epigraphy.osu.edu/texts-and-contexts-conference

They're especially interested in Beneventan script and a few other specific things.

Also--if you need someone to read or help with transcription of Western manuscripts, PM me.

I can recommend a few reliable folks depending on the century, locale, etc., the originals come from.

There are other resources for Eastern and other non-Western materials, as well.

Oh--and I came her to say, I discovered a video (Streisand/Gibb, "Guilty") and a silly-sweet character (Baby Yoda) to fixate on over the weekend as I recovered from a stressful couple of days at the end of the week.

I make no apologies for the declasse' level of my fixations. I was exhausted after the student I mentor for his middle-school homework waited until the very last possible, ultimate minute to do his work, despite 8 prompts of various kinds (all bcc'd to his mom, who will back me up)--and tried to make it my fault.

I'd reached blither-brain mode by Friday evening, and it's taken all weekend to get back to something like a productive state.

At least I'm starting to get there, now. <<wry, wan smile...>>

How was your weekend?

M.

[Cheerful]

Oh--and I came her to say, I discovered a video (Streisand/Gibb, "Guilty") and a silly-sweet character (Baby Yoda) to fixate on over the weekend as I recovered from a stressful couple of days at the end of the week.

Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb, two of the all-time greatest.

[mamselle]

Yes, I had to go back and find all their other collaborations, and then watch a couple of interviews of him, and a bunch of other Aussies, and then...

But yes, this was what I found most healing...

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1AIm9Tg2CE

M.