Before we jump to the New Year, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all my friends for their encouragement and support. Without you, I would still be procrastinating about documenting my food journey. I wish all of you a Happy New Year, good health, and prosperity.

This new blog is rather young, but for the past year on Facebook and Twitter, I have been confessing non-stop about my love for food in all of its dimensions–cooking/baking/dining out, etc. Using a blog for my food journal now allows for more flexibility and focus.

As a holiday present, here is a big kitchen confession. I’ve avoided making rolled-out pastry dough from scratch. As much as I’ve delved into other preparations up to my elbows—this little number has kept me at a distance for years.

Pastry dough is the holy grail of pastry making. For me, if the pie or tart crust isn’t perfect when I bite into it, even a sublime filing won’t make up for this failure in essentials. And, I’ve tasted many failures, even those with famous names attached to them. The perfect filling requires and perfect vessel, whether it’s flaky, tender, crumbly, or crusty–it can never, never be soggy, tough, or tasteless.

Over the years, I have dabbled in some attempts and had some definite improvements along the way, but I’ve definitely not passed into a zone of full satisfaction . I have read cookbooks and magazines, listen to podcasts, watched enough cooking shows and even took a pastry technique class at ICE, but something has held me back. Well, I can either spend money on a therapist to figure out my pastry issues–or make a New Year’s resolution to reboot and immerse myself in pastry practice.  Rebooting wins.

I will report on my pie crust progress. Your suggestions and advice are welcomed.

Happy New Year!