Cook - Brioche

I've been meaning to post this for a while but I haven't had time till now. Before final exams, I helped my cousin make some brioche from a recipe provided Ina Garten, host of the Barefoot Contessa. You know, the lady who starts every recipe with a stick of butter. Anyways, I've never had brioche before but I was excited to make it since it was the first time I got to use the dough hook of our beloved Kitchen Aid. The recipe wasn't too difficult and quite easy to follow, but just remember to check your yeast to make sure it's still active and it's probably a smart idea to take your butter out of the refrigerator well in advance to let it soften. We didn't let it sit at room temperature because we didn't have enough much time, so we microwaved it instead.

The results were excellent, it smelt delicious and it tasted wonderful. It's a type of French bread but tastes better than your average loaf from the grocery store, probably because it contains half a pound of butter. I love the smell of fresh baked bread and the brioche had a great consistency that almost resembles a cake. We also prepared some jams to accompany the bread including blueberry jam, strawberry jam, and apple sauce. The jams were easy to make by simply combining some orange juice, frozen fruits, honey, and gelatin mix. The apple sauce is made from a traditional recipe of apples, cinnamon, and sugar, so nothing too complicated. My cousin thought the brioche wasn't worth all the work since you need to let it rise overnight but I thought it wasn't too bad. Hopefully, you will enjoy the picture and perhaps give it a try.

Cool - Websites

I totally underestimated how long CASB would take me, so I've been neglecting this blog for the past two weeks. Thankfully, there's no face-to-face session this weekend so hopefully I can get ahead on my tasks and even take some time to update COOP. I thought I would share with you some of the websites that I visit in order to avoid CASB.

First and most importantly, I have been following SkyscraperPage forum for the past two years and I have to admit that I can't start any of my tasks until I check up on the site. I waste most of my days on this website, but it's definitely sparked my interest for urban design and architecture. The Calgary constituent on the forum is probably the largest and I can't think of any other sources where you can find better inside information about Calgary development than SkyscraperPage. The posters range from employees of design firms to staff members of the city so this will probably be the first place to learn about current projects and future proposals. This site certainly has an urban bias, so some of you may not agree with the comments being posted. However, this site has really changed my opinion about urban planning and I now use it to fuel my debates with my fellow suburban friends.

I has been planning to discuss my favorite Internet sites for quite some time but unfortunately, Dan Levy had posted some of his favorite fashion websites on DOOP so I thought I should hold off on my list. Like Dan, I'm an avid reader of the Sartorialist, or should I say viewer. Scott Schuman is a fashion blogger who captures the amazing sartorial choices of New Yorkers, but has now traveled around the world to photograph distinctive international style. Over time, he has provided images for style.com and GQ magazine, but I've been following his blog before he hit it big. Anyways, it's a great site to get inspired by fashion from across the globe.

Another website that is part of my daily routine is Centre City Talk. The site is essentially a blog that is maintained by the City of Calgary but focuses primarily on the downtown core of the city. It has excellent information urban issues affecting the downtown and currently has some cool renderings of the new RiverWalk project and upgrades to Eau Claire Plaza. Obviously it's not as thorough as SkyscraperPage but it comes directly from the city itself.

Unlike Steph, I've made the switch to electronic newspapers a long time ago to reduce wastage of paper. Well that and I'm too cheap to pay for a newspaper. Anyways, the Calgary Herald is my primary source for local news but it really isn't the most objective form of media. Although it is a step ahead of the garbage that is the Calgary Sun, it really is not saying much. Just don't read the comments section, it really makes me lose faith in humanity and I honestly can't believe how stupid some Calgarians are...

I honestly swear I'm not ripping off DOOP but Men.Style.com is another site that I visit on a daily basis. The site contains a lot of articles from Details and GQ so save yourself the magazine subscription and just read the articles online. However, it does have some great content that is unique to the website and it also provides annual coverage of the fall and spring collections from New York, Milan, and Paris. Plus, Tim Blanks from Fashion File is a contributor to the site!

Finally, I can't compile a list of my favorite websites without mentioning GOOP, for there would be no COOP without GOOP. Oh Gwyneth, I too would like to nourish the inner aspect.