The New Yeast

These two birds bake quick breads, rather than yeast breads.  Quick breads are baked goods leavened with an agent other than the micro-organism yeast.  

A quick aside on the word "quick" and my adoration for it.  Say this word a few times in a row and enjoy the "O" shaped form by your lips and the whispered click that settles in the back of your throat.  "Quick" is a good word in the mouth.  But, if you are close to my age, then the word "quick" brings back fond memories of listening to Two Beats Off by Fugazi, and cutting the nail to the quick.  Formally referred to as the hypnychium, the quick of the nail is sensitive and should be handled gently, or nibbled tenderly.  

Meg and I don't discriminate against yeast, and we don't apotheosize the quick breads, it just panned out this way.  Yeast leavened breads are romantic though.  Yeast, according to Wikipedia, ". . . are probably one of the earliest domesticated organisms." It's sweet to think of the capitulation of yeast to mankind, as if they relinquished their wild nature to our desire for the way they expand dough with a breath of carbon dioxide.  Yeast inflates breads with a pneuma that confirms their spirit; their alive nature.  

Yeast, however, are receiving a synthetic makeover as researchers recently replaced yeast chromosomes with artificial DNA.  Scientific American and New Scientist provide intriguing detail and potential consequences of this breakthrough.  

Do you think the future holds breads baked with artificial yeast, and if so will we feel and taste the difference on our tongues?  Will our souls know the pneuma is now artificial, or will our bellies win out and choose to consume and digest no matter the origin?  I don't know, but I'm looking forward to what's to come.   

~ Trilety

The Blue Apron Muffin

Trilety is right. Names are important. They determine a lot about our perception of ourselves, of others, and of the world. She talked about changing her name in the last post.

I too have wanted to change my name. When I met my first best friend, Jessica, I imagined what life would be like if that were my name. What would I be like? I even wrote the name 'Jessica' on a few belongings of mine to try it out. But in the end, it didn't feel right. A few years later, after watching the Disney movie The Little Mermaid for the first time, I wanted desperately to change my name to Ariel after the main character. I loved that movie! I was in third grade and I was borderline obsessed... okay, well I was completely obsessed. I loved that the main character had red hair like me. Again, I imagined what life would be like if I were named Ariel. And once again I came to the conclusion that the name did not suit me. As I am told, my name, Megan, was popular at the time I was born. It has no big story or family ties, but it is mine. And if I were to change it, I would feel as though I were abandoning an old friend. So I decided to keep it.

Thanks for all who responded to our call for suggestions. Megan- I agree that Fromage Bleu Pommes is super cool and fancy. However, we have decided on another name from Trilety's list: the Blue Apron Muffin. Although I do not own a blue apron, I feel like the name suits this muffin very well.

~Meg

Choosing A Name

Names create us, or at least they are one finger on the many hands that build us into the people we are.  How different would I, or my life, be if I grew up with another name?  It was believed by my mother's doctor that I would be born a boy.  But I was gifted a gender of female; a sort of inside-out version of man.  Or is Man simply an inside out version of Woman?  Both can be true.  The name originally chosen for me, LeRoy, had to be rethought because of my genitalia.  After 7 days, and a hospital bracelet and birth announcements that celebrated my name as Fred, I was finally named Trilety.  My name was a mouthful as a kid, and drew attention to a little girl who thought she wanted to be incognito but never acted in a way that could ensure that.  At about the age of 6, I changed my name to Rachel.  I was pleased for the people who obliged to call me by new name, but just as pleased I didn't stick with it. Trilety is a name with a history and meaning.  I am named for my paternal great-grandmother, Helen Trilety, who was as tall as I am short.  She was strong and powerful.  She was much loved, and loved much.  

Names are important.  

We need a name for the new Apple-Gorgonzola-Toasted-Walnut muffin.  I have found, while helping with the naming process, (of books and stories, no one has yet let me help them name their pet or child) that a good exercise is to throw out a long list of names, crazy or dull, and eliminate and choose from there.  That's how we came up with the name Two Birds - it came from a list of 50 other possible names.  

Anyone have a favorite from the options below?

The French
Blue Waldorf
Blue Astoria
The Bavaria
The French Farmhouse Muffin
Pommes-Walnut
Fromage bleu Pommes
The Gorg!
The Gorgon!
Little Blue Maiden
Blue Apple
Blue Nut!
Dinner Bell
The Rustic Nut
The Rustic Apple
Suppertime Muffin
Don't Be Blue, Eat my Muffin
Don't Be Blue, Eat my Apple
Don't Be Blue, Eat my. . . 
The Nutty Apple
Apple Tree Muffin
Blue Apron Muffin
French Intestine (I'm going to write a poem/story with this title, so please, nobody choose this name)
Le Muffin
Miss Megan
Meg's French Muffin
Bavarian Belly Muffin

Don't forget to suggest your own name. . . we'll give you a few free Apple-Gorgonzola-Toasted-Walnut Muffins!


~ Trilety

A Muffin Without a Name

Our newest muffin creation is the Apple-Gorgonzola-Toasted Walnut muffin. I know it sounds like a lot. Well, it is a lot. A lot of crazy yummy goodness!! I first mentioned it a few posts back when I introduced it as an experiment. Since then, it's undergone a few minor changes and viola!

This new muffin is a wonderful balance of flavors and textures with sweet apples baked in the batter, as well as some nuts and cheese to compliment. Squirrels would totally love this muffin!

So, the dilemma is that the new muffin is currently lacking a super sexy... or just plain clever name. Some words I have been tossing around are 'rustic' and 'dinner bell', words like that because it is super hearty and might actually stick to your ribs.

Do you have any suggestions?

~Meg