From the yearly archives: 2018
I read four new books in May along with a re-reading of The Goon Squad and bits of The Odyssey which I write about here. This number confirms my average book reading achievement; which is basically one a week at the moment. I used to be one every two weeks. The advantages of retirement! I [...]
The Wheeler Centre is indeed a wonderful institution to have in Melbourne. Thanks to the Bracks Government and the Wheelers. It’s becoming a regular thing in May for it to piggyback off the Sydney Writers Festival with sessions from visiting authors making their way down South as well as visiting the harbour city. Makes sense, [...]
We saw the opera Don Quichotte by Massenet on 9 May 2018. An Opera Australia production. We have to encourage them to be more adventurous here in Melbourne. It was quite lovely. Shimmering music. A great performance by Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role. He certainly looked the part as pictured on the programme. At [...]
Once you have the basic method down pat, all you need for your successful bread-making is to maintain your starter effectively, know the different quantities of leaven, flour, salt and water required for the different loaves and know the right temperatures for baking. Starter Maintenance 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup water. Basic Sour Dough Leaven: [...]
This recipe makes two ciabatta loaves. They are not the prettiest loaves of bread but they are deliciously chewy! My recipe comes from this book, which I strongly recommend. The method is a little different from my basic sour dough which I have described here. Leaven 200g starter 300g flour 130g water Mix together in [...]
