There’s enough there to play with the recipe though, and they’re not “bad—don’t eat,” just mediocre.

And finally, the Coffee Biscuits. To be honest, these were disappointing. I think I would specifically try either a semi-sweet chip or 70% dark or less. The recipe isn’t very specific about the chocolate chips. They’re kind of bready and don’t have enough balance to the butter flour flavor.

Then I made the Cawl Cennin. So good! Don’t skip the goat cheese. I think it’s better on day 2. The lemon flavor is still bright but not overpowering.

Yesterday morning I made the Farmer’s Breakfast. Also fantastic, although I felt like I would have liked a weight amount for the kielbasa. Would make again with 2x potatoes.

And finally the Trapper’s Quiche. Divine and earthy- from the Thai basil and mushrooms. It’s very rich though, next time I might sub heavy cream with 2% A2 milk and arrowroot to save my poor tummy! The recipe suggested a pre-made crust, but I made it instead-easier to control ingredients that way…

I made the Apple Strudel for my dad and his wife. It was a huge hit- not too sweet with nice tartness from the apples. We weren’t able to get our hands on birch syrup at short notice, so used maple. If I’d been by myself, I’d also have made the puff pastry myself, but for convenience, we bought it.

I did have to double the salt and sugar in the Steppe Salad as the dressing was too bitter. I also think I will peel my daikon radish deeper next time- it was a little too fibrous at the outer edges. Otherwise very easy to make- I used the mandoline to speed up the slicing.

Meat Miq’abobs and Steppe Salad:

I used one pound of magret moulard duck breast from Wegman’s. It was delicious and tender! Totally worth also learning garlic and ginger pastes since the stores only sell those with preservatives.

Royal Eggs: I think I wanted to try this because of how it looks. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of eggs Benedict… but this wasn’t bad, and I learned how to cheat hollandaise in a blender and questionably poach eggs.

Miso Soup: I’ve never made daishi stock before, and it felt like the whole process took three time the suggested time. I did learn that miso is not to be boiled- it loses its flavor! (No wonder I felt like I’d been doing something very wrong!)

This turned out perfectly.

Actually, after 3 days in the fridge, they’re great. I guess the flavors just needed time to mix and mellow.

I also made the Kupo Nuts this weekend. I don’t love them. They’re tart and bitter and earthy, with hints of salt, and I like all of those flavors. Maybe adding more of something sweet would balance the bitter? I did use a 100% dark chocolate bar for baking and maybe adjusting that would be enough.

So, so good. And I wasn’t hungry again for about 5 hours. When will I be hungry again is often one of my concerns when starting the day with grains.

It tastes amazing! I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who shies away from strong spice profiles - it is definitely heavy on the cardamom.