Fran's Table Episode 4 - Baking

I am a one-trick pony when it comes to baking. But I'm lucky because I happen to be related to an especially inspired baker, and she's with me today to tackle the great art of baking. And other things, too, of course -- because this is Fran's Table. Join my special guest and me to talk about baking, desserts, colossal failures and epic success. Grab a seat!

Transcript

0:01

You know, there is not a thing wrong with eating your dinner over the sink or in front of the television, and I'm a big believer in grabbing comfort wherever you can find it. But in my experience of the world, it seems to me that the very best moments around food, around companionship occur at the table. So this is Fran's table, and I want you to come find a seat. There's plenty of room. Sit down next to me. And the thing about it is we may talk about food on account. It's one of my favorite subjects, but we may talk about other things as well, just like around a regular, you know, table where we have conversations and we connect and we learn about one another. So this is Fran's table. Grab a chair, let's go. Okay. So we're having a conversation. I love that. I know, right? Sorry, the vocal fry is crazy, but I'm here. No, I think it's actually lovely. I wish my vocal fry sounded as as lyrical as yours did. Oh my God. Thank you. Okay, so wait, do they know who I am? Hi. Oh yeah. Introduce yourself first. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks, mom. Hi everyone. It's me, Margie Lynn. You might have seen me. In candids and pictures from the Great American recipe. I'm team captain of the fanatics. Um, and I am. The reason that her lemon pound cake is so good is that is absolutely real. And one of the reasons a why I wanted you to do this particular episode, although I don't think you're outta the clear, I think you might have to do future episodes. Additionally, but we'll discuss that at another date. But the reason is because you are actually the baker in the family. Mm-hmm. And I have more fails than I do successes, and in fact, that's okay. I know we we're a, a, a loving, you know, unit here, so we we're supportive of each other's fails. Um, but I think it's really important. To, to talk to someone who actually knows what they're doing when they bake, because you know, I love what happens around the table and a lot of what I talk about has to do with like. After you do the baking or the cooking, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. And then you come to the table. But there's something really like exciting, it's like a magic trick. Mm-hmm. You know when when you bring like a dessert to the table? Yeah. And it's like, oh my God, it rose. Or Oh, the layers stayed distinct or didn't. Yeah. You know? Or the meringue is crunchy. I feel like. My role both in like family events and also friend events is like, oh, Marge is gonna bake something. Yeah. And I feel like a lot of times, even my things that don't turn out well still it's fun'cause it's like, okay, but it tastes fine. I remember, do you remember when I was like, God, I had to have been like 12 or something and I tried to make these. They were chocolate cherry, Coca-Cola cupcakes. Oh my God. Yes I do. Yeah. And white. And I didn't put, yeah. And I didn't put an leavening agent, so they didn't raise and they like kind of concaved, but they turned into these like really nice like. Thin like cakes with like a cherry buttercream and the, and the little well in them. Yeah. Yeah. The buttercream went in the, well. Well, it was sort of like, you know, the cherry buttercream p de creme. Ooh. In the middle of these. No, but in that chocolate sort of cupcake. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thing. And I remember Dwight, our dear beloved, late friend Dwight, was. In love with those. I think he fought, like I think blood was drawn. He had so many. He did. Oh my God. But do you mind that that's how people think of you? Does it, does it feel like pressure to you? Or is this something that you just do?'cause it's fun. I think that every now and again, there's a little bit of pressure of like, I need to up my game. Oh. You know what I mean? Yeah. But like, I don't know. I love it. Especially because so much of what I've baked at this point. Like I am a recipe repeater. Yes. Like I will try, will try new things, but I really, really love, like I have a little roster essentially of recipes that I know will turn out every single time. And part of the reason they turn out every single time is because they're so easy. Okay. Wait, what's one or two on those Ros, on that roster? Like, um, if anyone is ever sick, I make them cake batter cookies. Because they take two minutes. You don't make me any goddamn cake batter cookies. Okay, well then get sick. Diva. I don't know what you want from me. Be a senior in college having a mental health crisis and maybe you'll get cake batter cookies. But until that happens, like, I don't know what you want. Fair enough. Okay. Sorry, you interrupted. Um, yeah, so, uh, I don't know. Those are really good. Um, I mean, every Thanksgiving, you know what? Your husband and my father makes me make pie. Yes. That peanut butter. Butter pie. Pie. Pie. Pie. Yes. The sort of Reese's cuppy thing.'cause it has the chocolate. Yeah. That shit is good. I know. Okay, so but you said you feel like you have a roster that you can rely on. Yeah. And that was when I interrupted you first time. I feel, feel like really what it is, is that it's like I know that if I'm doing something or like going somewhere, I just like, I wouldn't even necessarily say it's like set recipes. I just kind of have set like. Almost like formulas. Yes. Where it's kind of like, okay, like I know that a cookie will go really well, or like, brownies are super easy. Or like, um, I was having, my friend Mariama was hosting a fall party and a lot of the people there are celiac. So what I did was I just made a no bake pie so that for the girlies. That can have gluten. They had their pie filling and like cute little graham cracker crusts, but the girlies that can't have gluten just had pie filling and little jars that I brought. And then everyone was able to like have something delicious and it was so easy. Oh. That's adorable. I know. Yeah. I love being adorable. Do you, are you a believer in having equipment? Like, like are there things that you cannot bake without or, and or serving things or are you a believer in winging it or both? Um, I think both. I think that I prefer having my equipment, like especially with my KitchenAid, like that type, oh God bless KitchenAid. She is my light, my life. My son, my new and my stars. Like I love her, but I still baked in college even when I didn't have a KitchenAid. Well, that's necessary for personal growth. Yeah, and then also it's like sometimes I was baking in a boy's apartment. Oh geez. If you can make a baked good in an apartment like. Uh, what is the word I'm looking for? Supplied by 19 to 22 year olds, you can do anything in this life. That's true. That's true. Like so, and, and not to be gender specific, but it, it matters a little bit in some circumstances. Yeah. Primarily because of how society assigns roles in the kitchen at that age. Yeah. Now, later on. You know, it's men, you know, who like dominate in professional kitchens. Mm-hmm. But I, I think it matters that your, your experience of going without happened in a kitchen of people who were not used to feeding themselves. No. Yes. Well now the funny thing is it was very much den mother vibes. Very much like, have you guys like had anything like, not out of the freezer recently, like what's the vibe like. I genuinely think they kept me around for a while.'cause they were like, okay, but she makes a really good s'mores fudge. And I was like, I know I do. Well we have to have those people in our lives, you know, who make s'mores fudge. Well, obviously yeah. I thought you meant the people in the And I was like, grown. No, no, no. We've moved and grown. That's true. I, I was, I was faced not too long ago with, with the, you know, challenges of working in a kitchen. Isn't supplied. Mm-hmm. Sometimes that happens, uh, particularly like in Airbnbs. Mm-hmm. That's always really interesting, because then there's also the issue of, um, like when you prep for baking. Yeah. It seems like that's important because it can be so like, precise, you know? Yeah. But there's a, it's hard to prep when the kitchen is so completely chaotic, but that's why God invented Walmart. Yes, that is true. Not sponsored. Yes, I know exactly. None of this was sponsored. It's just our lived experience, but yeah. Okay, so you're okay with supplies you've done without? Mm-hmm. Okay. Now. It, you know. I see. I see that there has been in your past the baking era, like the chocolate cherry, Coca-Cola. Yeah. Things were, that was true baking. And you have since made those, and they haven't been flat, haven't you? Or did we just leave it at that? I think we left it at that one. Perfect. Fuck up. Yeah. And we were just kind of like, and you know what, that's great. Sure. And that's, that's what the universe intended. Yeah. Literally. Um, but, but right now I'm, I'm sensing a lot of creamy fudgy cookie bar kinds of things. Are we, are we looking into new areas of risen leavened products? I think that, like, I think that when I first started baking,'cause like I baked like early You did like I was ready to party and I think that I started with like brownies because box easy. Perfect. Exactly. And then. I think that the reason that I used to be a really big cupcake person is I started baking in the year of our Lord, 2008, when a recession indicator is cupcake places. Like, you know. No, seriously. I mean, I'm kind of making it up. Oh, but that works. We'll pretend it's fact. That's brilliant. I'm like, when was the last time you started seeing a lot of trendy cupcakes? When the economy was in crisis. That's right. Because people can't buy those like$80 cakes. Yeah. Not that there's anything wrong with it.$80, but cake, but can't buy a cupcake. And the girlies were, oh, I see a cat. I'm sorry. No, that's fine. Squirrel. That's fine. Um, literally, literally I'm obsessed with her. I think that's the one I called you about and I was like, I found a cat. I know. And that cat will stay outside. Yep. No cats. Sure, that's fine. So wait, so cupcakes people our, our session. And so I think that, because I literally remember like being in elementary school and at like the scholastic book fairs, there was a cupcake. Um, like cookbook and that was what kind of got me on my cupcake era. We still have that cupcake cookbook. Yeah.'cause it's good. Yeah, it is. And I even remember I was so deep into cupcakes. I was reading a coming of age novel about a young woman making cupcakes, and I went, this diva gets it. So like I was so deep into my cupcake era now that I'm an adult woman. Yeah. Like, I cannot be bothered. To just be making cupcakes willy-nilly. It's crazy. Why? Because Fran, why does it not compute Fran? I'm getting there because here's the deal, and this is a hot take and I could be canceled, but I'm fine with that. Genuinely. Yeah. It is within my belief that the best, I cannot make a cake from scratch. Better than one. From a box. Yes. That is, that is objectively true, I believe. I think I now I can elevate a box, right, by doing milk instead of water and butter instead of oil and adding things like, you know, additional vanilla or something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I can, I can elevate, but it's like to make a cake from scratch. I've done it a few times and it never turns out how I want it to. That's exactly right. Like I'm always just like. Like I could have just done litter. I could have done half the work and had double the reward. And then also, and this is a hot take. I don't have the patience to make a good buttercream. Because you have to whip the bejesus out of it. And do I have a KitchenAid that does the whipping for me? Yes. But then if you over whipp it, then it curdles and it's just crazy and I just don't wanna do it. And the butter has to be, or whatever it is you're whipping, whether it's even Crisco or something. Yeah. It has to be the right temperature. Yeah. Your kitchen can't be too hot and your countertops can't be like warm. Uh, you can't like have other things like electrical things humming on it because that warms the. Fucking countertop. Insane. I see. This is why I'm not a baker, though. Yeah. You see? And so you have risen above, literally for real. Risen above the challenges Crazy girl of baking in this imperfect world. And I think that's where it loses me, like every daggum time and like sometimes I get into it. Like sometimes there is a time and a place where it's like, no, I wanna, I wanna whip the bejesus out of some butter and like let it happen and let that magic roll. Or I could just like, I don't know, make a cookie. Yeah. Which also is better for crowds. I think that's the other thing. Yeah. I've become more pragmatic. Where like when I was eight and I could make a mess in the kitchen and then be like, I actually don't know how to clean. I'm eight and then like walk away. That was awesome. But now at my grown age, I'm cleaning the kitchen like I'm the one. And also it's like now I'm making, a lot of times when I bake, it's not just for me and like my own whimsy. Yeah. It's like, okay, this event is coming up, or like this person has this thing happening or whatever. Let me do this like. And I feel like at this point I bake for people so consistently. I like know what everyone wants. Yeah. And no one wants cake, right? Well, it's a commitment. Yeah. You know, because you have to And it doesn't travel well. Like I, especially if it's like the frosted kind. Yeah. And I will say that those lemon pound cake muffins that you refer. It's the beginning. Callback is a really good example though of why, even conversely, at my age, my advanced age of 62, um, and I'm only cooking for me and your dad and Charlie sometimes, but he's mostly on his own too. Why cakes don't make sense because I can freeze half the cake. Mm-hmm. But I mean, that's, it's just, it's, it's not the same thing. So I do believe in portioned things now. I love, yeah. How you've got your portioned little jars, those little mason jar. Mm-hmm. You have a variety that's in your ro. There's several of those in your roster. Oh yeah. Hell yes. I love a good jar. Oh yeah, a jar thing. Is that'cause we're southern? Probably. It's also a recession indicator, so I don't know. Are we getting a lot? Any good recession dessert? I'm on it like I am there because you know what the jars were bakeries had cake scraps that they didn't wanna waste, and so they'd put cake scraps with leftover buttercream, sell it, put it in a jar, and then sell it. I did not remember that, but you're exactly right. I know I'm right. Oh my God. I'd be an excellent economist specifically for baking friends. I do actually think there's a graduate degree paper in that somewhere between economics and art. The, uh, fine art master. Yeah. Perfect. I think so. I'm ready. It, it's sort of a, a crossover between. Um, fiction and nonfiction. Ooh, I'm loving that. Okay. So you're, you're versatile though. I, and I love the fact that you've already stated for the world, all 25 of us here, that, that you are fine with failure. And I think that was the other thing though, that I was gonna talk about, I might still talk about in a separate episode, that I do think, though, that failures. Are more common in desserts than they are in dinners now? Well, maybe in how you make'em. I think this is probably true. They're more common for me, I will say. Um, to echo too, though, what you were saying about how like cakes, you know. The, the boxed cakes just have in literally inherent in them mm-hmm. A certain level of consistent success. And the proof of that is, you know, your Aunt Lisa. Mm-hmm. She actually, um, was a professional baker for a number of years, and she would do all kinds of like, elaborate genis and um, period. All these really beautiful light, some of them light and some of them, um, you know, sort of, uh, heavier flake, um, cakes for, you know, great. Success and you know, at great expense and all this kinda stuff. And then we would have like a birthday party for mom and dad and Margaret, who's a much better baker than I am. But she would start with a box, uh, mix and. It would come out and Lisa would just be pounding on the table rendering and keening garments for the frustration of having eaten a box cake. That was, as you noted, like lighter. Yeah, and better risen and yeah, and moist. I think too, I think part of it is because baking in the US is so frustrating because all of the recipes are in cups and like tablespoons and stuff. Yeah. When it makes so much more sense when baking to do the metric system. And baking on grams, because otherwise you're not getting a consistent product like how I measure three cups packed versus three put cups like spooned and leveled. And then even then, it depends on my spoon ratio. Like it's impossible to get a consistent bake unless you're doing the metric system, and I don't feel like investing in a good food scale. Although that's another thing though too, that they say that there are, like, you can even buy cookbooks where, and and scale, like in the box, like where you put the bowl on the scale. Mm-hmm. And it, it levels out at zero and then, well, no, that's what I do, but the one that I have is bad. Well, then I'll Okay Christmas, maybe you're back in your cake era. But then he, but I hadn't thought about that. I hadn't thought about how, um, and it's'cause the metric system is more precise. Yeah. Okay. Because like, I mean, think about if I say I want like 110 grams of flour mm-hmm. That's going to be the same every single time. But then it's like, if you think about how flower bags usually have like clumps or like air pockets or things like that, if you're just measuring out three cups of flour, okay, that's gonna be different every time you realize, of course, that you're solidifying your role in this family is, is the, if you didn't know it before, we're not beating the allegations today. Yeah. We're just, we're just, you know, slamming at home. Good. Yeah. So if, if you were advising someone. Like, like me, who's not really good with, with desserts to up my game. Mm-hmm. And to try something new and noticing that I'm not afraid of failure. Beautiful. And, and, you know, self mockery. Tell me what you would suggest. I try to expand my, my repertoire. Okay. I think there are two good options here. Okay. One is if you can make a good batch of brownies from scratch, you feel unstoppable, okay? Like it is po like brownies are one of those things where there is a time and a place where the box mix. But I like, it's honestly not that much harder to just make them from scratch and then they end up so much better. So that's one of my big ones. Okay. And then I feel like cookies are a really good way to just kind of get a little bit more excited because you can do so many different things and everyone loves a cookie. Yeah, that's true. I my like, so one of the people that I bake for the most consistently. Are my coworkers, right? A k, a, my other mom and dad, Murray and Brosnan, my real parents, and I give you that. Thank you so much. Blessings on them. Thank you. Um, and one thing about Murray specifically is that young man is a fiend for a cookie. Like I have never seen like foaming at the mouth, I tell you like, it's like really troubling to see. But when I was like starting at Jordan. I feel like in the same way that cooking is your love language. Yeah. Baking isn't quite mine, but it is my crisis response. So it's like I, I think that's an important distinction to make. Yeah. It's fight, flight, freeze, or just start panic leap like manically whisking. Like that's where I'm at. I'm a stress baker through and through. Oh wow. But my first year at Jordan. I mean, at wherever I teach, um, we could bleep that, but, um, oh yeah. I like was being held up by like all of these wonderful people while I was learning how to teach and I didn't really know how to say thank you, but I did know how to make them cookies like every other week and that. Earned. Earned a Reput reputation and earned respect like they were ready, like to the point where now, every now and again and they feel nervous asking me about it.'cause they don't wanna be like, go cook woman. But they are kind of like, Hey, you know what's awesome when you like bring stuff in for us Sometimes, like around when the fall starts to come in, they're like. You know, one, one time you made these pumpkin cookies that were pretty crazy. I wonder if those taste the same now as when you made them that other time. Who's to say? But yeah, no, like literally two weeks ago it was just like one of those weeks where everything was crazy and I didn't know what to do, but I just went, all right, I'll bake y'all cookies tonight. And it. Kind of solved the problem. So that's great. It definitely solves problems, I swear to God. It does. I mean, and I, you know, even though I don't bake or, or I don't, it's not that I don't do desserts. I have a couple things that I do. So here are two things that I do well. One is that. Stupid lemon poundcake thing. It's not stupid. Okay. But it's, you know, it's, it, it's, it feels like I am truly the one trick pony. But the other thing, I'm fine with that. I'm like, okay, first of all, let's not discount one trick ponies. And second of all, it would be one thing if you're, one trick was like. I don't know, something bad, but like, these are actually like, like, oh my God. Like they are so good. Okay. My students went feral for them. I was feral. I'm foaming at the mouth. Okay. I don't even like pound cake that much, but these went crazy. Okay. But now the pressure's on because this is the other thing is that like, um, when I did it for the show mm-hmm. And one of the judges was being so, so generous. And saying, you know, like, be sure to let the, you know, the, um, lemon zest really bloom in the batter, you know, and, and be sure that you allow the oils to be absorbed and all that kind of stuff. And I, I did turn out a really phenomenal batch of. Yeah, but that was, I'm like, yeah, but I've made like math things since then, so it's like it, it's not good to be a one trick pony because sometimes it's spectacular. And then sometimes the gods are just not pleased. Well, that's why you call me. And then I also bring the baked thing. Okay. And see, and this is where I get stuck. I'm like, but it's like the boxed cake. It's like, it's just so much easier to call Margie. And that's so valid. But I do think I, and this is what I was gonna say too, is that, um, I want to expand my repertoire beyond that one trick because I, I think if I'm, if I'm talking about the culture around the table and a meal, it really is. It, it, it brings, it brings a meal to a really beautiful conclusion. Mm-hmm. It's sort, you know, what they say when they say that. Um, you know, if you, if you choose to wear makeup mm-hmm. And, um, and you choose to wear eye makeup, that it's a really good idea to wear something on your eyebrows.'cause they're kind of like, you know, the, the frame to the face. The frame to the face. Exactly. And I feel like the, um, dessert is, is provides a framework for the meal. Yes. I don't know. I feel like I'm a bad person for that because me and dad both, we are very dessert driven, but we also have very limited appetites. Well, this is true. So we usually show up being like, I love dessert. And the dessert happens and we're like, please stay away from me. Yeah, I will save that. And that's true.'cause you're a, you're a stress baker, but not a stress. Baking and then eating per, you want to give that shit away, or is it both? Well, it's like, mostly give it away. Was I, did I, I ate a lot of cookies this week. I don't know. I don't know if that was stress induced. I was watching the Twilight movies, like so much was happening, but like, I, it it like it was a normal amount. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But it was more than I maybe would. But on a meal you may not then. Oh yeah. Is what you're saying. Okay. That's interesting. I know, but I don't know. Like I will say it is fun being the friend that brings desserts.'cause like it's almost like protected. Like I got in a very real fight in college once when we were organizing Friendsgiving and I wanted to bring mac and cheese because my mac and cheese recipes. Baller. Yeah, it is. And then some other young person who will remain nameless was like, I'm also gonna bring mac and cheese and I guarantee mine is better than Margie's, so I'm bringing it instead. Chaos ensued. Yeah, I know. And so I, I let her win that fight because I'm generous. Yes. I did dig my heels in the sand with my buffalo chicken dip. Mind you. Uh, yeah. But another place I'm able to kind of dig my heels in the sand. Also because no one really wants to fight me on it because not everyone likes baking as much as I do, but like I can be the designated dessert person. Yeah. Like if we're going somewhere, you know, that like, okay, Marge will probably bring something sweet. Like genuinely, like whenever I say, oh, what should I bring? They just say, oh, can you bake something? And I'm like, yes. Perfect. Done. Easy. And there, and I, I like that too. It's a sort of, it, you don't have to muster the energy. Yeah. Because it's familiar to you. It's a role that you enjoy and it's also nice'cause like that makes sense at this point. It'll literally just be like, make something or make something sweet and I can kind of tailor it to like my energy level, what I already have in my cabinet. Like Yeah. All that jazz. And that you're practiced at making, um, intelligent shortcuts. Mm-hmm. Like. That, and I love what you were saying about boxed cakes, you know, it's like, sure you can, but that's a, that is an intelligent shortcut. Okay, thanks. So have you Margie's like, yeah, I really didn't need the rating, mom. No, I love it. Same, more nice things don't actually, it'll make me uncomfortable. Please stop. Yeah. No, no, no, no. Okay, so now we come to the part of the conversation where. I ask you what I have been asking your brother for like five years. What was it that we said to one another? Your brother and I Daily in the last two years, maybe three years of his schooling. You mean after I wouldn't answer the call the first time? Yes, that is exactly one, because the record show, I heard that episode and I felt attacked that my story was erased. Oh, because who would he call first? Me? Yes. And then if I was famously teaching, yes. Serving the Youth of America. Thank you, God. And and. And you are the person to do it. Yes. Thank you. Then he would move on to you. But Fran, I'm assuming you are asking me what do I want to eat? What do I want for dinner? Yes. And I am glad that you shared with me that you felt personally attacked. I did. That was not the intention. I just felt no intention. Sometimes it's new, so, right. Okay. Let me digress here for a moment. And the funny thing is that I think one of the reasons why that particular question was so like life-giving to me, is that I realized I, I am aware, I am self-aware enough to know that at this stage in your life. And in mine, my role is all but vestigial. I am. I mean, I, yes, I know. You know, if, if there's anyone listening that yes. That I still have the work, we have the work of shaping, oh my God, with one another. An a relationship as adult parent to adult child. Yes. Whatever, but the point is, if either of my children, you or your brother calls me with any question like, mom, where can I get the best deal on toilet paper? I don't care what I called you. This is of course week because I didn't know what kind of cold medicine I wanted to buy. And I thanked the heavens. Not that you were sick, but that I had something to sort of heaven and haw. Of course, you already had the answer. You're like, should I do this? And I'm like, yeah, I think that's a great idea. But one thing about me is I love validation. Yeah. Oh, oh, good. I'm You don't need it. You're, you're a rockstar. But thanks. But that was, that was, that was very validating of you. But that was where the importance of that question came. It's like, yes. He knows he can reach me at four o'clock in the afternoon. That's beautiful. And or three, because it was right before he wanted to go to the grocery store to see Of course. Or out later on to get to go. So I feel like you got the lunch calls. I got the dinner calls, yes. Probably. Yeah, probably. And, but it al also involved dinner her because it was like. Oh, he'd say, well, why don't you do like a one pan chicken thing? Mm-hmm. You know, chicken and rice, you like that? Or a CP or something? And he's like, no, because I had. I'm, I'm, if I have that today at lunch, then I was planning on doing that for dinner. So he would, he would be really elegant, you know, about splitting up those things. Nothing if not elegant. Charlie is nothing, if not elegant. Every time I see him I go, wow, elegant. So, but that actually brings a question. So do you, I know you mostly bake for other people. Mm-hmm. But I also know that you meal prep. Mm-hmm. So when you meal prep, do you factor in. Ooh, but somebody's birthday is on Thursday, so Oh no. Okay. I don't have that much Tupperware. Come on. Someone's birthday. They might get a wink and a kiss and if I like'em a cookie, like absolutely not. I like, I will say once again, for my real mom and dad, Marine Graham, their birthdays are right next to each other. Yeah. So I might like make they, I make s'mores bars. They really like. I might make those. Do you save any for yourself? Maybe, oh God. One or or two. Oh God. Oh my God. Well, I might have one when I deliver it. Oh man. That is so selfless. That is so interesting. I know. God, it's exhausting being so kind. And angel. So you meal prep but you don't dessert prep. I mean, I, now that I live alone, I've been baking a lot more. Okay. Because it's like, oh, okay. Yeah.'cause like now that the only person that I have to clean up after is me. And like the only, like, I have total control and total like, uh, purview. Yeah. It's kitchen is in your purview. Mm-hmm. Exclusively. Uh, I'm baking a lot more, like today I was going to bake and then I. I cut my finger. Oh, damn. I know. I'm being really brave about it. That's an impressive job of, um, fan dating. Thank you. I made Charlie do it. That was good. Oh, neat. But um, yeah, I'll show you later. It's, anyway, um, vestigial, well I almost called you, but I didn't want you to panic, so I called Charlie and instead Oh my God, that is so sweet. Call me next time. Okay, perfect. Um, but anyway. Oh my God, I, oh, oh. Prior to almost amputating myself, um, I was gonna make, uh, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Oh. Oh, and I'm still gonna do it. Yeah. But still, but now I just, I'm gonna wear like a glove or something. Yeah. Oh, I have one of those. I, we, Charlie took me to Target. Oh, okay. Yeah. Charlie, listeners, it should be noted. This is not a bad cut. I'm just really dramatic and squeamish and I called Charlie being like, Hey, like, I'm okay, but I really need you to help me out with this. He came over with gauze thinking, I cut my finger off. It's just like a. Like a little slice from a knife, but it hurts. It hurt and I'll bet it bled. It did bleed and it bled and then, and then because it bleeds and you know, and it's on a little finger, then it like, it stings. It stings mom'cause sh gets in it. Yeah.'cause you probably were like actually doing something. I was cutting an onion. Shit. That really did sting. I know. And it's sad because, okay. Um. Recipe drop my, so am I a baker? Yes, but is my other, here's what you want for dinner, girl. Okay. Because that's what I want to get. Okay. Okay. Actually, there are two things I want for dinner. Okay. Number one is at some point this week, I'm going to make a butternut squash, mac and cheese. Ooh. Yeah. Tis the season. Oh hell yes. And then the other thing that you want for dinner is what I made for dinner last night because Okay. Here's the story of girl dinner. Okay? And that story is, and I need this because I'm still not clear what girl dinner is and Fran, okay? And well, so I don't think this was exactly girl dinner, but it was girl dinner adjacent. Okay? Because what had happened was I was in a meeting from 9:00 AM to like 2:00 PM okay? And I had half a sandwich at that meeting, but it was kind of bad. And so what are we doing? Yeah, but the meeting was in Raleigh. What can I stop at in Raleigh on my way to Durham, trader Joe's. Ooh, yeah. You better work. Yeah. So I go to Trader Joe's. I like get a bunch of like random stuff and then just like things that only Trader Joe's has that I like, like they have like this like. Microwave cheese dip situation that goes pretty crazy. Oh my God, that can never suck. Yeah, it's awesome. But so I get back to my house. It's 4:00 PM It's too early for me to have like dinner, but it's too late for me to have lunch. So naturally I'm going to have an entire demi baguette and the cheese dip, like, hello, excuse me. Now one thing that's fun is that my body hates lactose. So that was. Probably a bad decision, but like, I don't know. I'm just a girl. So anyway, eat the full baguette. Um, take an hour and a half nap. You know, precious, some people come over, we hang out. We're chatting, we're living, we're laughing, we're loving. It's 10 30. Oh, I'm hungry. And like, I couldn't not eat something'cause I had plans this morning, so I knew that if I didn't have something before bed, then I'd wake up this morning and like, wanna die. Yeah. So this is where it comes in. Sometimes your body craves buttered noodles. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. I just gotta chill. Yeah, I know you did. Okay. And like there's a like, and let the record show there is not a thing wrong with, just like you take noodles and butter and then mix it. Added some pasta, water, emulsify, a little bit of parm. Live left. Love. Hooray. I don't care. Salty. Buttery. Goodness. Yeah. Yep. Girl. What I did? Yes. Butter. Brown it. Okay. Brown butter. Okay. Brown. Your butter. Add in. Garlic and onion. Uhhuh. Hence my injury. Okay. Maybe leave out the onion next time you let that fry up. Miso. Like what? Okay. Do, do you let the garlic brown a little bit or do you still want it to be sort of just fragrant? I, I mostly went fragrant mode. Just, okay. Okay, perfect. Are you okay with that? Yes, I am. Okay, good. Can you deep, just like, like deep joy, breath. Breath. Okay. This is taking a turn. Okay. Yeah, but so, um, okay. Brown butter, onions and garlic or shallot, I don't care. Little bit of white miso paste. Yes. Pasta, water mix, mix, mix, mix, mix. Emulsify, toss that in with your pasta, so it's like brown butter, miso noodles, a little bit of lemon juice and Parmesan. This is so good. Now imagine it's 11:00 PM Hey, that's the best thing you've ever had in your life. Did anyone stick around for this? No, I kicked them out. Oh my God, that's so, I said, get outta my house. I need buttered noodles. And then I called Charlie and I said, guess what the hell I just made. Was he pissed that he wasn't invited? No, he was very supportive about it. He was like, that's great. But he didn't wanna be. He was, you didn't ask if I was pissed that I wasn't invited. No, I can't keep a straight face on that. Wow. Did you just like make that up? No, I stole it off the internet. Oh, that works. Now the lemon juice is all Marge. Yeah. But that makes a lot of sense. It brightens it. Mm-hmm. Because you've got that like sort of dark, um, umami. Yep. Sort of echoes the brown butter. Yep. Mm. Yelp. Okay. We're having that tomorrow night. It's good. Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. What would you know what would be good? You don't like mushrooms, do you? I had a mushroom in Amsterdam. You did not. What it was, did you think of it? Did you make friends with it? It was in my ramen and I had a bite of it. And guess what? I didn't freak. Oh, was it like semi raw girl? I don't know. It all happened so fast. Okay. I'm gonna, I'm gonna get in trouble for this, but PS and y we're here a, a raw like mushroom. I don't understand why that's edible. I feel like in general I prefer a cooked veggie to a raw veggie. Do you? Yeah. Yeah. Your dad likes some raw veggies because of the texture thing. He likes crunchy better than any kind of. Like mildly chewy. Yeah. But the thing about the mushrooms is that, you know, your auntie says that mushrooms taste like a fart, right? Yeah. Well, they it, but I think that's because raw mushroom texture lends itself to that equivalent a hundred percent. Okay. But we're gonna get in trouble with that. You know, people are gonna have all 25 of the people listening to this are gonna have a big problem with that. But the reason I love like, um. Sauteed mushrooms in particular of any variety is because they absorb so like much and so well the thing that they're sauteed in. I actually have had a mushroom recently. You have? Yeah.'cause I was at, um, I was, I went to meet a friend in Boone and I got up there after everyone had food and they ordered pizza. And the only pizza that was left was like a supreme pizza, and so I pulled the meat off of it, but I didn't feel like pulling off the mushroom. And so I had the mushroom on the pizza and it wasn't bad. No. No, it didn't. It didn't matter much because it just absorbs like the cheese taste oil. I was just kinda like, all right. Hey girl. Yep, welcome. Okay, so I'm gonna add mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms to my, I'm not going to eat them miso. No, no, no, no, no. But I mean, you know, to my miso and brown butter pasta as diva. Oh my god. I'm so copying you. Okay. Well, thank you for coming, for having the conversation about both baking and what I want for dinner. You're so welcome. I am here to support you and your endeavors and and you'll be really sorry you said that because I'm gonna invite you back. Yay. Listen, Margie's like, geez, I'm gonna be busy for the next six months. Mom. I know. I'm a yapper. Which is shocking, and so I, anytime that I have a space to indulge in my yapping. Let's go, like I'm ready to party. I kind of was, I'm gonna be honest. I was a little bit like, oh girl, I'm going on my mom's podcast. But now that I have the mic, I have a lot to say. Ask me more questions. Good. Let's do a two-parter. Can my fans in the chat give me a hell? Yeah. I love it and they will thank, thank you fans to to be continued. Ooh. Will you do the failure one with me? The failure one? What's that? Yeah, I'm gonna do an episode on Failures. Oh. Cute. I think that's really fun. Can I wait, can I just say one last thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah. One thing that I wanted to share, but I couldn't find a good, um, segue for it Yeah. Is my proudest dessert moment. Woo. Yes. We have to do that. Yeah. Just really quick in the blink. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. No, my proudest dessert moment was a few New Year's Eve ago. I made a pavlova. Yeah. Because growing up, as you know, our sweet angel, Amanda made a pavlova every year. I was having a New Year's Eve without her, so I was like, well. I can't just not have a pavlova, like I'm not a sick freak. Um, I made it, I was afraid.'cause like they can be a little bit persnickety. Oh my God. It turned out perfect. But the glee talk about a magic trick. I know, right? But no, but that's the thing, the glee was that I realized that not everyone has pavlova every year. Oh, really? And like the look on my friend's faces as they were eating it for the first time, oh my God. They're like. What is this like? It's crispy and soft. Okay. You have to describe in case people haven't had pavlova. Girl, it's good. It's just a big ass meringue. It is. And it's like crispy and like K Itsy. Yeah. On the outside. And then the inside is like essentially a marshmallow. And then you serve it with some vanilla and cream. It's go, it's just kind of sticky. Yeah. You know, but that, that was my proudest moment. I didn't have a good segue for it. Then you put cream, and then you put, um, macerated fruit, like fruit that's been soaked in something really fucking good, like on Meier or, oh, I, I, uh, just let it sit with like a bunch of honey. Oh my God, that sounds so good because I'm healthy. Yes, you are. But anyway, I didn't have a good segue for that. I just needed everyone to know that I cooked a path LOPA one time. Oh my God. And it was magnificent. Haven't done it since, but I did it once. And I too am a one trick pony. We saved No, no, no, no. We saved the epic failures and the epic successes for those big moments. Exactly. So it can sit in its own grandeur. It could just be So, yeah, I, I didn't have a, an easy segue for that, but I just needed you to know that I did it that one time. Yes. That's really excellent. Thanks. And when we, and when we're finished, I'm gonna see if you took any pictures. Did you take pictures? Girl, I, it was New Year's Eve. I wasn't in the right head space. Right. Okay. Nevermind. It lives in your mind. Yeah, I was, I was hopped off the Prosecco. I don't, I. What happened wasn't my business. I can check, but look, I'm really not optimistic. I'm love, I'm loving just hearing about it. Okay. And I think that makes it magnificent unto itself. I'm gonna look okay. Viewers don't panic. Okay. Anyway, Fran, take this out, diva. Okay, we're all done. Actually, that's it. But I am gonna want folks to, uh, like maybe you could like actually do something in the comment. And like, share with me your go-to dessert because I need some ideas. I am determined not to be a one trick pony, even though there's some wisdom in that, doing it consistently doing it all the time. But tell me what you make and particularly please, um, in the comments, things you make that are relatively fail safe. I don't, I'm, you know, please God, I'm not a pavlo of a kind of girly, oh, you can be a pavlo of a kind of girl. Yeah, I could laugh. I mean, yeah, that would be funny. I, I, you know. Yeah. Anyway, that's for another conversation. That is for the failure conversation. Okay. I'm ready. We'll talk about that. Okay. Thank you sweet pea. Oh my God. You're welcome, Fran. P.