"We have bakers ammonia, if you need it," Greil told me as soon as she heard about my blogging project. "What is bakers ammonia?" I asked. "It's called for in some old cookie recipes. It makes cookies light and crisp. It's hard to find, but we have it." "OK, I'll check." I felt like saluting. I had entered the world of Home Cake on Roosevelt Way in Seattle. (They don't have a website, but Yelp has reviews.) It is half the size of a 7-Eleven, the walls and shelves are government-issue green, and they are covered with cake pans, decorating equipment, cookie cutters, fondant, sugars, cupcake papers, cellophane bags and tiny boxes for gifting truffles and baked goods. Every item has a number. "What I really need is a piping bag and some tips. I think this kit would be a good start," I said. "Oh, but for cookies you'd want a slightly smaller version of each tip in this kit. Instead of a 4, you want a 3, ...
I began this blog when my mother was ill and needed enough of my attention that I could not concentrate on longer-form works I wanted to write. I set those aside to distract myself with cookie-making and this blog. Please find my new blog (2020) entitled "Time NOT Lost" at karenbrattesani.blogspot.com, where I explore the behavior I see around me -- both my own and that of others -- and what it says about our changing culture during the coronavirus pandemic. And, I hope, beyond.