What to eat during the Super Bowl?

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

Baking powder wings, from an earlier Super Bowl potluck.

What to eat during the Super Bowl? We are torn between rooting for the Patriots, a semi-local team with a quarterback whose wife is a TikTok baker, and the Seahawks which are owned by the daughter of the late molecular gastronomy maven Paul Allen. But the dastardly gulls booted our beloved 49ers from the playoffs in an earlier round, so New England it is! We’ll have baked beans made with this recipe for folks to enjoy between commercials.

Or, maybe not. At the tail end of COVID in 2021 we published this clips post describing the various ways we had cooked wings. (Which BTW have climbed in price to a level that makes no sense; consider substituting skin-on chicken thighs for any of these preps.) In 2021 gochujang was a novelty; now you can find it at your local 7-11 but we still like this KFC hack by which you can make some pretty good Korean style wings with ingredients that are already in your pantry.

Chicago Style Hot Dog

The finished product: Chicago Style hot dog, made at home.

Another year we did our Chicago Style hot dog taste test with ingredients that had been imported from Vienna Beef in the Windy City expressly for this purpose. Fun, but it requires a very boring game which this one probably won’t be. Also, this year the boozy local Chowderfest falls the day before and after two days of carousing our culinary and hosting ambitions may be dulled.

We do have our eye on this shrimp toast recipe from our friends at Woks for Life. It’s a true fusion snack that shows up on puupuu menus even here in the emerging permafrost, and might be just the thing to serve during halftime as we’re toggling between Bad Bunny and the patriotic option.

What’s on your big game platter?

Posted in Drinking, Eating | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Are you baking Taylor Swift sourdough?

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

Taylor Swift “Funfetti” sourdough interpreted by Anya Ptacek.

So does Taylor Swift really bake sourdough bread and is it legit? I am one of those who admires her as a role model and for her social stances without actually listening to her music, but when it comes to baking we hold people to a higher standard. And I was skeptical after running across this recipe for “Blueberry Sourdough Bread à la Taylor Swift” in which the leavening agent is… baking powder.

But then I learned that her fiancée Travis Kelce had given her a bread slicer for Christmas and, considering he could have just as easily given her an island in the Caribbean, thought this was pretty hard core. (Presumably we are talking about one of those devices with vibrating wires like you see in commercial bakeries, not something like this gizmo from Amazon). So let’s dig deeper and give Taylor Swift a second chance (yes, that’s a song title from her upcoming album).

A lot of misdirection is not her fault and comes from people who are more fans than bakers. Exhibit one: an article in Real Simple that links to this quick bread recipe for a blueberry loaf. Looks potentially tasty but it’s not sourdough. The article also cites this cinnamon bread recipe which looks decent but gets its leavening from yeast with sourdough once again in a supporting role.

The biggest challenge in workshopping (her phrase) sourdough to give it the Taylor Smith treatment is “Funfetti”, which allegedly has sprinkles folded into a regular sourdough to delight her future nieces, the Kelce girls. I am grateful to Anya Ptacek who sensibly adds sugar and vanilla extract for flavor balance and advises holding back the sprinkles till the third stretch and fold so they don’t dissolve in the dough.

Of course, these days we are supposed to use AI rather than doing our own research. I googled “Taylor Swift Sourdough Bread Recipes” and got the following:

Taylor Swift’s “sourdough era” went viral after she shared her passion for baking during an appearance on the New Heights podcast. While she hasn’t released a formal cookbook, fans and food creators have developed specific “Taylor’s Version” recipes based on the flavor rotation she described.

Taylor’s Favorite Flavor Rotation
Swift revealed several creative variations she has been “workshopping” or regularly baking:
• Blueberry Lemon: Widely reported as Travis Kelce’s favorite.
• Funfetti (Sprinkles): A colorful version she developed for Jason Kelce’s daughters.
• Cinnamon Swirl & Cinnamon Raisin: Sweet, spiced loaves perfect for breakfast.

“Taylor’s Version” Sourdough Recipes
Bakers have translated her flavor descriptions into these popular community recipes:

• Funfetti Sourdough Loaf: This sweet loaf uses a standard sourdough base but adds rainbow sprinkles during the final fold to create a “celebration cake” effect.
o Base: 1 cup active starter, 1 cup warm milk, 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp sugar, 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt.
o The Magic: Add ½ cup rainbow sprinkles gently after the first rest.
o Bake: 425°F for 30–35 minutes.

• Blueberry Lemon Sourdough: An artisan-style loaf featuring fresh or freeze-dried blueberries and citrus zest.
o Key Inclusions: Zest of 1 lemon, 1 cup blueberries, and often ¼ cup sugar to balance the tartness.
o Pro Tip: Some versions use Trader Joe’s lemon curd during shaping for a gooey center.

• Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: A “standard” sourdough base (e.g., 500g flour, 350g water, 100g starter) rolled with a cinnamon-sugar paste.
o The Swirl: Stretch the dough into a rectangle, spread the cinnamon-sugar mix, and roll tightly before placing in a banneton for a cold proof.

Taylor’s Sourdough Tips
Based on her public comments and fan-tracked “sourdough adventures”:
• Embrace the “1700s” Vibe: Swift categorizes sourdough as a slow, methodical hobby that rewards patience over perfection.
• Sharing is Key: She is known for gifting loaves to friends, complete with punny notes like “Are you bready for it?”.
• The Right Kit: Creators suggest using a Dutch Oven and a bread lame for scoring decorative designs—like an “M” or “TS”—on the crust.

Are you a/already baking your own TS-version sourdough b/intrigued by the crossover of celebrity and traditional baking c/thinking this is all a load of hooey? Answer in the comments please.

Posted in Food Heroes, Something Else | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Rye Currant Breadsticks

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
ChatGPT Breadsticks

Rye Currant Breadsticks from ChatGPT recipe.

[Update: above are the rye currant breadsticks I baked using the ChatGPT recipe. They’re good but not what I expected with clear directions for improvement. Next time I will use 100% rye flour and cook at 350 degrees so the bottom doesn’t brown before the breadsticks are crisp on top.]

Rye Currant Breadsticks are my first ChatGPT recipe. I described some delicious breadsticks I had found on a charcuterie plate and the LLM came back with a recipe which was almost exactly what I plan to try. So why wait to share? I’m traveling now but will be baking these as soon as I get back home. Here’s the entire exchange:

My query: recipe for rye bread sticks with honey currants rolled in coarse salt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ChatGPT: Ooo, those sound dangerously good 😄 — a little sweet, a little salty, very snack-able. Here’s a crisp rye breadstick recipe with honey-soaked currants and a coarse salt roll, designed to be elegant but not fussy.                                                                                                                                Rye Breadsticks with Honey Currants & Coarse Salt

Makes: about 24 thin breadsticks
Texture: crisp outside, lightly chewy inside
Flavor: earthy rye, gentle honey sweetness, salty finish
Ingredients:
For the dough
1 c (120 g) rye flour (medium or dark)
¾ c (95 g) all-purpose flour
1 t instant yeast
¾ t fine sea salt
1 T honey
¾ c warm water (about 105–110°F)
1 T olive oil
For the currants
⅓ c dried currants
2 T honey
2 T hot water
For finishing
1 egg white, lightly beaten (or water for vegan)
Coarse sea salt or flaky salt (Maldon works well)

Method:
Soak the currants
Mix currants, honey, and hot water in a small bowl.
Let sit 15–20 minutes until plump. Drain well and pat dry (important so the dough doesn’t get soggy).

Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine rye flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, and fine salt.
Add honey, warm water, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead (by hand or mixer) 5–7 minutes until smooth but slightly tacky.
Gently knead in the drained currants until evenly distributed.

First rise
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise about 60–75 minutes, until slightly puffy (it won’t double much—rye doesn’t).

Shape the breadsticks
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 24 small pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope, about 8–10 inches long. Brush each breadstick lightly with egg white, then roll or sprinkle generously with coarse salt.

  1. Bake
    Bake 12–15 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until:
    • Firm to the touch
    • Lightly browned at edges
    • Crisp but not dark
    For extra crispness, turn off oven, crack door, and leave sticks inside 5 more minutes.

Cooling
Cool completely on a rack. They’ll crisp up more as they cool.

Optional Tweaks (highly recommended 😉)
• Caraway or fennel seeds: ½ tsp in the dough for classic rye vibes
• Orange zest: ½ tsp pairs beautifully with currants
• Smoked salt: incredible contrast with honey
• Extra crunch: roll thinner and bake 2 minutes longer

Serving ideas
• With soft goat cheese or whipped ricotta
• Alongside blue cheese and pears
• As a cocktail snack with gin or dry sherry
• Wrapped in parchment as a classy homemade gift
If you want these extra crisp like grissini or softer and breadier, tell me which direction you want and I’ll tune the hydration and bake time.

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Food for Thought: Love Kari Cooking

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Tamales Verdes

Tamales Verdes with chicken, from Love Kari Cooking.

I came across the Love Kari Cooking Youtube channel because  I wanted to make tamales as my first experience with Masienda artisanal masa. And, since the New Year’s celebration had passed with my potential tamale party participants scurrying to the sidelines like cucarachas when the lights turn on, I knew here would not be a dulce version. That left me with two classics: a chile Colorado red version made with pork, and a chile verde with chicken.

Kari Kitchn

Kari in her kitchen (which is in Southern California).

There are some fanciful recipes out there, but I needed the OG version and Love Kari Cooking delivers. Because of the many steps and effort involved, Kari’s recipes are not going to make the easy list (her video titles regardless). Put another way, this is a no shortcuts approach to traditional Mexican-American cookery.

How to make Tamales Verdes de Pollo (Chicken Tamales) Easy Recipe involves from-scratch shredded chicken and green sauce with grilled peppers and tomatillos plus masa which starts with 1 ½ c lard blended till fluffy. There are plenty of tips along the way: boil tomatillos till they change color; that’s when you know they are done. Properly hydrated masa should float in a cup of water. Use extra (soaked) corn husks to make a bed for steaming the tamales.

The videos clearly demonstrate what Kari is doing at each step, though there are a lot of quick cuts so you’ll need to watch a few times before making your own attempts. (The camera operator is her husband Javier.) The best Tamales Rojos de Puerco con Chile Colorado has a very different result than the chicken tamales recipe but almost identical steps, so check them both out. Her recipes make 30 tamales and will use a full pound of corn husks, so make sure you have a lot of hungry mouths or room in your freezer. Check out Love Kari Cooking.

Posted in Cooking, Eating, Food for Thought | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Food for Thought: Masa and Masienda

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Masa by Jorge Grivalda.

Masa: Techniques, Recipes and Reflections on a Timeless Staple. (Note we got rid of the Oxford comma.)

I received quite a nice Christmas gift: a four-pack of artisanal masas from Masienda, accompanied by Masa*, a beautiful book by Masienda’s founder Jorge Gaviria. It being the holiday season, I immediately dove into the topic of tamales. My 1972 copy of Diana Kennedy’s The Cuisines of Mexico shows how far we’ve come with masa making in non-Hispanic regions; she uses Quaker Quick Grits.  Two years later Maseca instant masa entered the US market, and soon became ubiquitous for its predictably satisfying results.

Masas from Masienda

My four-pack of artisanal masas from Masienda.

In Masa, the author praises Maseca and calls it the Bisquick of Mexican cooking, meaning it’s a way for a home cook to feel accomplished without fear of failure. But he was looking for something more in the same way Chad Robertson of Tartine was looking for a more elemental way of making bread. (The beautiful photos in Masa reminded me of the Tartine cookbooks before realizing the resemblance is intentional.) This led him to landrace research in Oaxaca and ultimately to the founding of Masienda in 2014. Their white masa is available nationwide at Whole Foods; that plus blue corn masa were on the shelves of my local high end store. If you want red (which, of course, is the first I would like to experiment with) you’ll need to order it directly from Masienda.

Notice the subjunctive in the above; the actual tamale making at BMF has yet to take place. All the local Hispanic markets were sold out of corn husks around New Years and by the time I finally acquired some (mail order from Walmart) my tamale making party had dissipated. So this is an experience we can explore together. Start by ordering your own copy of Masa and some masa from Masienda.

P.S. One thing I missed in Masa was detailed recipes. Fortunately, many  can be found for free on the Masienda website.

Tortilla Press Liners

Tortilla press liners from Masienda.

PPS. If ordering from Masienda, grab a pack of reusable tortilla press liners which have a useful “tortilla ruler” to help you make consistent size discs.

*Affiliate link! The book is also available from Masienda, but it’s cheaper on Amazon. So consider ordering it there and using your savings to shop for masa.

Posted in Cooking, Eating, Food for Thought | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Olivye Salad for New Years

Posted on December 31, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers


Kate at the Sunday Stack shared this very traditional Russian recipe for Olivye Salad which she says is always served at New Years Eve. We were charmed by the family quirks (why would you pat gherkins dry after chopping them?) and reminded of a similarly named but very different salad our Yelp friend Leo shared a few years back which also insists the ingredients must be cut to exactly the same size (though his are quite a bit larger). Anyhow, Happy New Year and let’s hope 2026 is a good year for all.

olivye salad:

serves about 8-10

15 oz canned sweet green peas
3/4 cup cornichons/gherkins, diced then patted dry
4 hard boiled eggs
1 lb baby bologna/mortadella
3 medium yellow potatoes (or 2 large)
4 small whole carrots
about 3/4 cup mayo, or to your liking
salt + pepper to taste
fresh dill to garnish

for the eggs: add them to a saucepan filled with water. bring to a boil then cook for 12 minutes. remove from heat, pour off the water, flush with cold water and let them cool completely in the fridge.

for the potatoes and carrots: wash and add them to a pot (unpeeled). cover them with cold water, close the lid, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork. be sure not to overcook them to mush. let cool to room temperature.
my parents say not peeling them prior is esssenntialllllllllll but I have yet to test the method of peeling first out of fear of being disowned. do what you will with this info.
to peel the vegetables, use the back of a small knife to scrape the skins off after they come to room temp.

in the meantime, drain your peas then lay them out on a paper towel lined plate. allow them to sit and dry while you cut your vegetables.my mom likes to change the towel once more to ensure very dry peas. add them AFTER your mayo.
d
ice every single ingredient to 1/4” cubes. it takes some time but the small dice is essential!!when ready to dress, add 3/4 cup mayo first, and using a spatula or very large spoon, gently fold the mayo in. check the consistency – this is highly dependent on your taste. we like adding mayo until the salad just holds together on a spoon and no individual ingredients are falling off alone. if you like it heavier, add 1 tbsp at a time.

finally, fold in the peas. taste for salt. usually the mayo is salty enough and you might just need a pinch of salt. add crushed black pepper if you like! refrigerate olivye for 1-2 hours until very chilled. garnish with dill and even some hard boiled eggs if you like!
let me know if you try it!!!

instagram: @babytamago

tiktok: @babytamago

xoxo Katie

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Indoor Grilling with BlueStar

Posted on December 30, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers
Indoor Grilling

Indoor grilling on the BlueStar range.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac correctly predicted a bitter cold winter for the Northeast, so I can see myself doing a lot of indoor grilling on the BlueStar over the next couple of months.  It helps that Tom Thibeault of Adirondack Appliance* did a great job on refurbishing my Abbaka vent hood. I blasted away last night at the pictured kebabs and nary a wisp of smoke escaped into the room.

I don’t have a recipe for shish kabob but I do have a formula. 1 inch squares of a leg of lamb are marinated in olive oil, red wine, garlic and oregano and the veggies are marinated separately in a red wine vinaigrette. I use tomatillos, which hold up better on the grill, along with onion and green bell pepper.

The BlueStar grill is a “cartridge” which can be covered with a stainless plate when not in use (it provides a handy prep area) or swapped out for a griddle or two additional burners.  The griddle only makes sense when cooking for a crowd, otherwise I would use a couple skillets. The one complaint I have about my BlueStar is the uneven heat in the large oven which is due to an always-on fan that makes the rear of the oven hotter than the front. Michelle Hines Abrams Thiebault, Tom’s spouse, uses their BlueStar for her catering business and tells me the solution is to always turn on the convection feature and use a temp 25 degrees below what you would set without convection. But I mistrust convection for some reason and whenever possible use the second, conventional oven which is wide enough to accept a half sheet pan in place of a rack.

By the way, we still get traffic on our post about Old Thermy, the predecessor to the BlueStar which we had to abandon because Thermador parts were are longer available from Bosch, the current owner of the brand. A number of readers have asked for a schematic of this particular model, the GCR484GG. You can find them and a lively conversati0n among Thermador owners if you look down in the (many) comments.

*Tom is now with Marcella’s, which also sells the full BlueStar line.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Reverse sear prime rib? Not a fan.

Posted on December 26, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers
Reverse Sear Prime Rib

Reverse sear prime rib baseball and first cut, plated. Some will say it’s too rare but that’s how we like it.

Yesterday as planned I used the reverse sear method to cook my 5 pound prime rib roast from Hannaford. The meat had been refrigerator aging under a Kosher salt rub since Monday. At 12:30 pm I took it out to bring to room temperature and rubbed in some fresh cracked black pepper and (at the urging of AI and various online nabobs) a little herbes de provence. At 1;30 I put it in a preheated 250 degree oven.

At 3 pm I checked and internal temperature was just below 90 degrees. So far so good. At 3:45 I checked again and temp had risen to 109 degrees. Panic time because dinner was planned for 5 pm and we were still missing some guests. Left the roast in a few more minutes (I had planned to cook to 115 degrees so it would end up on the rare side of medium rare) and let it sit under aluminum foil while I prepped other dishes. At 4:45 I put it back in the oven, now at 500 degrees, for a 10 minute sear. Sliced and served at 5 per plan.

The verdict? To paraphrase Jeffrey Hamelman’s quote about baking bread, “men drool, meat rules.” Meaning proofing or roasting will happen on its own schedule and you will either adjust or end up with a less than perfect result. My crust was fine (except the h de p was a completely unnecessary and distracting addition; I’ll never do that again). The flesh was rare to medium rare as desired. But the damn meat was COLD, or at least not as hot as desired. And I still ended up with a layer of grey just inside the crust which Kenji says this method will avoid; I didn’t and it didn’t matter because the meat tasted fine.

By comparison, in cooking hundreds of prime rib roasts at Victoria Station results were consistent and predictable. We were in charge, not the meat. We’d let the roast come to room temperature, blast it in a 500 or 550 degree convection oven for 50 minutes, check the temp expecting perfect results and if needed give it another 10 minutes. That’s what I did with a 9 pound 4 bone roast (which would cost a fortune today) in 2023 and that’s what I will do again next time. No more reverse sear prime rib in this kitchen.

Reverse Sear Prime Rib

As it came out of the oven.

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Prime rib prices 2025

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers
Prime Rib Rpices 2025

One of these roasts is $8.99/lb Select, the other $13.99/lb Certified Angus. Can you tell the difference?

Prime rib prices are coming down for Christmas dinner in 2025, but that doesn’t mean they are cheap. Of the two major supermarkets in my town, Market 32 has Select grade bone in rib roasts for $8.99/lb (they call it “Butcher’s Promise” which to me seems to put a lot of unfair baggage on the meat cutter) and Certified Angus for $13.99/lb. Hannaford has Choice bone in roasts for $8.99/lb and “Angus” for $10.99/lb. By comparison, our last year’s roast appears to have been $6.99/lb. Ouch.

When I was doing paid marketing work in the beef industry I was cautious about sharing my personal opinions. Truth is, grading is subjective. The inspector makes a single cut between the 12th and 13th rib on a side of beef and determines its grade. Younger animal (determined by condition of bones and firmness of flesh) and more marbling = higher grade. But there will be cuts at the high end of Select that have a decent amount of visible marbling and those might serve you well, especially if you do a couple of days of refrigerator aging. (If you want to dig deeper, here is a good article about grading. And here is the official grading guide from USDA.)

I had the idea of doing a comparison at Hannaford in which I would purchase an Angus roast but also buy a bone in rib steak at $8.99/lb and strap it on with butcher’s twine so it becomes the end cut. But the $8.99 rib steaks had a very different profile since they were likely delivered pre-trimmed with bones cut in half.

Luckily, I found a nice three bone Choice roast this morning for $8.99/lb and that will be our Christmas entrée. I usually cook the roast at high heat for a short time as we used to do at Victoria Station, but this time I am going to do a reverse sear in which I cook the roast at low heat to rare/medium rare then blast it at the end for a crisp crust.

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Hacking Bi Rite Market in San Francisco

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers
Bi Mart Sweet Potato and Kale

Bi Mart San Francisco Sweet Potato and Kale.

Bi Rite Market is a high end mini-supermarket chain in San Francisco with impeccable goods and prices to match. They recently opened a branch on Polk St, near where I stay when in town, so I went exploring in the take out aisle.

Key Lime Pie in a Jar

Key Lime Pie in a Jar.

Two items immediately caught my eye: a sweet potato and kale salad that looked like a full meal in a take out tub, and a jarred key lime pie. I purchased both at $8.99 each, with an eye to creating my own knock off versions.

The sweet potato salad wasn’t so great. The coconut miso dressing didn’t contribute much and the kale was cooked to the point the leafy bits turned to mush. I did much better with a knock off version which featured:

  • Sweet potato chunks from a tuber that was peeled then cut into 1 inch squares and cooked in salted water till it was tender but not falling apart.
  • An equivalent amount of kale shreds that were not cooked but massaged according to this technique so they were raw, but tender.
  • A sesame dressing from Trader Joe with a splash of soy to achieve an umami balance; if doing this at home you could do worse than our Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing.
Sweet Potato Remnants

What’s left of our knock off version.

Our knock off version was better in every way. It became the combo salad/starch course at a family meal and was nearly gone before I could get a picture. Definitely do try this at home.

The key lime pie in a jar is a nice idea for a gift at holiday time or whenever. Take a 16 oz wide mouth mason jar and start with a layer of pie filling, add something equivalent to a graham cracker crust, then finish with a flavored topping. The topping at Bi Rite combined whipped cream with some yogurt and stabilizing agents so it held its own being transported sideways in a backpack. If you don’t have carageenan in your cupboard you might try gelatin combined with yogurt.

I am going to pursue the pie-in-a jar concept and have ordered these nifty Mason jars with color coded lids from Amazon so I can create for folks. The tops have a recess so another jar can be stacked on top, making them useful for storage of small amounts of whatnot. Check ’em out (affiliate links!) and report back on your own experiments.

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment