School, Seattle, The Northwest… The World?
October 9, 2009 at 10:40 am 1,595 comments
I think the first time it happened was near the end of April last year.
I was standing in line for lunch, feeling bored and hungry and a little irritated, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and faced a girl I didn’t recognize, whom I’d never met before. She looked a little nervous and said, “Sorry, I just had to ask – are you the girl with the food blog? My mom and I really like your photography.”
It was such a strange feeling and such an unexpected moment, to be recognized. It didn’t feel like fame, but I had no idea how else to put it. I thanked her, gave a real smile because I was grateful and honored, and went on with my day in a much better mood. But it’s happened over and over again since then.
On Facebook, I have an album called “Food Photography.” It has around 250 comments and is “liked” by 40 people, many of whom I never talked to until they complimented me on my baking. I’ll be sitting in environmental science when someone will quietly complain, “I’m so hungry!” and give me a meaningful look. The sophomores who ride my bus smile at me and ask if I’ve made anything neat recently. And teachers stop me in the hallway to say they’ve heard about my blog, and could I please write down the address for them?
Even though I’m a senior and my high school is relatively small, I’m not well known. I have classes with the same people over and over, and I’ve never been much of a social butterfly. And I know I’ve said this before, but it’s true – when I first created 17 and Baking I didn’t tell anyone about it because I thought it was embarrassing. I didn’t think it would be cool to have a food blog. I thought people would think I was weird. So I kept it to myself and tried to hide it from the world.
I only showed it to one of my friends when I’d written about him, and I thought he would get a kick out of seeing it. To my surprise he ended up making a blog of his own (suited to his own interests) and linked to mine. Unlike me, though, he wasn’t shy about sharing, and soon many of my classmates had seen his blog – and through it, mine. (If you are interested, he has a great economics blog called the Marginalist.)
To my surprise, people didn’t think it was uncool or strange. Food is universal. Food brings people together. Because really, when it comes down to it, who can resist anything warm and fresh from the oven, whether a sweet chocolatey cookie or a soft chive-studded cream cheese biscuit?
As I began to write this post this morning, I received a message on Facebook from an old friend I haven’t talked to in four years, N-. “Hi Elissa,” she wrote. “I don’t know if I’ve told you this before, but my big sister goes to Berkeley and she loves to bake, and she likes your blog.” N- continued on to tell me that her sister decided to have a bake off with her new roommates. One of them suggested a certain cookie recipe from “this blog… seventeen something…” to which N-‘s sister (whom I’ve never met) exclaimed, “That’s Elissa!”
It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever heard, to have spread not only through school and the food blogging world but to college students in California simply having a bake-off. It lifts me off my feet and makes the sun shine out of my heart. Thank you for reading my blog – thank you, thank you, thank you!
Normally I wouldn’t, but I’ve got to ask – if you’re reading this, please leave a comment! Whether it’s your first time visiting or I’m welcoming you back, I’d really appreciate it if you left your location. I’m just curious to know where my readers are. I’ll start… Seattle, WA!
I don’t often opt for savory over sweet, but breakfast is one of those things where I crave salt over sugar. I’d had my eye on these Chive Biscuits for a while when I decided to make them. Part of the appeal was the inclusion of buttermilk and cream cheese. More than anything, that made me think of soft, flaky, and savory biscuits. They didn’t get as tall as I expected, but with chives from our own backyard and a squiggle of clover honey, they felt like home.
Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits
From Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
Makes 12 biscuits
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
4 ounces cream cheese, cold, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and chives. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining.
Pour in the buttermilk; using a fork, mix in buttermilk until incorporated and the dough just comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky; do not overmix.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured fingers, gently knead about four times, until all the crumbs are incorporated and the dough is smooth. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 8-b-11-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or long offset spatula to lift the ends of the dough, fold the rectangle into thirds (like a business letter). Give the dough a quarter turn. Roll out the dough again (to the same dimensions), and repeat the folding process. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Return the dough to the work surface. Roll out as before, and repeat the folding process. Give the dough another quarter turn; roll out dough one more time, again into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, divide the rectangle into 12 equal squares or rectangles. Place on prepared sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the biscuits are golden and flecked with brown spots, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.
Printer Friendly Version – Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits
Entry filed under: Breakfast/Brunch. Tags: breakfast, chives, cream cheese, herbs, savory.
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17 and Baking 
1. Jazz | December 4, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Vancouver/Nanaimo/Protection Island, BC, Canada! (I get around a lot. :P)
2. Karen | December 4, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Greensboro, NC… stumbled across your blog through I Heart Daily. I love baking though I stick to the basics, so it’s really cool to see everything that you make. It makes me want to get creative. And it’s really cool to read about someone else who is going through the stress of senior year.
3. Eli | December 4, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Atlanta, GA
I love your blog!
4. Colls | December 5, 2009 at 9:21 am
Green Bay, WI!!!
5. Rachel | December 5, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Philadelphia, PA.
I’m 16, and love to bake, and you’re blog is an awesome inspiration- my sister’s birthday is coming up and I really want to have a go at one of your cake’s for it… I’m thinking the rainbow, or possibly a shaped cake. Thank you so much!!!
6. Kerry | December 5, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Corvallis, OR
I love to read what you have to say. And your photos are scrumdiddlyumptious. I hope your December continues to be a good one!
7. Marisha | December 6, 2009 at 3:10 am
Seattle, WA! We’re Seattle buddies :)
PS I love your Michelle Moore Photo, thats who I was going to get for my senior photos last year, but i couldn’t do it :(
8. Daynita | December 6, 2009 at 9:25 am
Minneapolis, MN
A coworker introduced me to your blog. You’re a very talented writer & baker!
9. Josie | December 6, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Adelaide Australia ;)
10. Julie | December 7, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Warren, Ohio
Stumbled across this while looking for recipes to try with my mother. Also being a young (19, not quite 17 anymore) baker, I really enjoyed finding your blog! It made me feel more comfortable about perhaps sharing my passions about food with the public.
As a freshman in college (art school, actually) I like being able to relate to someone who tries to juggle school and cooking at the same time! It makes baking all the more enjoyable. :) Hopefully I can try some of these recipes when I’m home for the holiday.
11. Trevor | February 12, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Warren! I’m from Bristolville, OH (which is like 15 minutes from Warren) I used to go to Warren Christian School, but that’s been closed for a few years now :(
12. Kristie | December 7, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Muncie, IN!
13. Shay | December 7, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Rural Southwest Missouri.
As a Foods teacher, I love the zeal you have for cooking and the sense style your with your photo presentation. Blessings!
14. Ashlyn | December 8, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I saw your post on Girl’s Life.com. I think you have an incredible talent that will get you far in the culinary world. A lot of your goodies sounds absolutely wonderful! Keep up the work! =)
<3
15. Ashlyn | December 8, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Ambler, PA :)
16. Stephanie | December 8, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Wow Bellevue! What school do you go to? I used to live in Bellevue and I went to Interlake for my freshman and sophomore years but I moved to Seattle and went to Ballard for junior and senior year and now I’m living in Olympia and it’s my first year at Evergreen! :)
Keep up the beautiful work, you’re so talented!
17. Lola | December 8, 2009 at 8:24 pm
San Jose, California
I just started reading your blog a few days ago, and I love it already!
I have a friend studying at Seattle University, and I hope to visit someday. It wold be cool if I spotted you somewhere in the city :]
18. Jenna | December 8, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Saratoga, CA
I am 17 as well and in love with cooking and baking…you are so badass for this blog :D It’s inspiring me to start one, but most likely not until second semester when I have more time! Keep it up.
19. Roz | December 9, 2009 at 1:42 am
NSW, Australia.
Hey
I found your blog through the “I Heart Daily” newsletter where they did the interview with you. I love reading your blog, it’s very inspirational. Good work.
20. Keri | December 9, 2009 at 11:12 am
Salt Lake City, Utah
I love your blog!
21. Eve | December 9, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Camarillo, CA
Beautiful stories. :-)
22. p | December 9, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Just read about your blog through aol…like you i love to cook and have been collecting recipes for quite sometime and your suggestions in the blog are great, and the pictures are very enticing. Keep it up!!!
23. Lauren | December 9, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Tucson, Az!
I love your blog! It’s an inspiration…although truthfully I’m not a good cook! :)
24. Liz | December 9, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Mesa, Arizona
Love the photos, love the sweet yummies, and love what your write about!
25. nj | December 9, 2009 at 10:54 pm
indore, m.p., India
26. Bridget. | December 10, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Christchurch, New Zealand :D
I’m 16 and obsessed with baking. You only fuel my enthusiasm.
You’re such a baking BAMF so keep up the awesome work (:
27. amelia | December 12, 2009 at 1:40 am
Singapore, but from Australia :)
i love baking….. i still have a lot to learn but i am getting quite good! i like making cupcakes, my wishlist includes red velvet cupcakes and gingerbread!
28. Hattie DeRaps | December 12, 2009 at 6:20 am
I love your site! My students and I are reading your blog from Farmington, Maine. Thanks!
29. Ashley | December 12, 2009 at 11:26 am
Have been reading for a few days now – the recipes look delicious! I think I’m going to try the cream cheese & chive biscuits.
Anyway, I’m from Ontario, Canada. =)
30. notesonthelaudable | December 12, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Seattle
You go girl!
31. Susan Schechter | December 13, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Cincinnati, Ohio
32. Michelle | December 13, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Pittsburgh is addicted to your blog!!!
33. swee | December 14, 2009 at 9:33 am
i’m from malaysia!
keep up with the good work :)
34. aya | December 16, 2009 at 4:06 pm
portland, oregon!
35. Krystie | December 16, 2009 at 8:07 pm
San Leandro, California :)
I’m also a high school student juggling driving lessons, AP Biology, and baking experiments! Your photos are so aesthetically pleasing, I bet they taste as good as they look :]
36. Lisa | December 17, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Carrollton Texas.
You are such a talented young lady!
37. Kate | December 17, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Lafayette, Indiana
I love your site!
38. tess quizon | December 18, 2009 at 6:30 am
love reading ur blog…i hope i can try one of those recipes. Keep writing…keep baking! :)
btw, am from philippines. :)
39. Wendy | December 20, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Hillsboro, Oregon
You sound a lot like me at 17, only there was no blogging back when dinosaurs roamed the earth! Cooking for other people is something you can enjoy for a long time, it is excellent therapy and it helps you make friends when you give away the things you bake so you don’t end up eating all of them yourself!
40. Caroline | December 21, 2009 at 2:49 pm
The Netherlands!
Yummie……cream cheese bisciuts, I HAVE to try them soon.
41. emily jane | December 21, 2009 at 4:49 pm
i live in augusta, ga.
i love baking too!
42. stephanie | December 23, 2009 at 9:22 am
Snohomish, WA
43. Sheila | December 26, 2009 at 10:12 am
Minneapolis
44. PJ Tonkin | December 26, 2009 at 6:15 pm
The blog is great, and the cakes look out-of this-world yummy.
45. Tracey | December 26, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Philadelphia, PA
You have a great site! I adore the recipes. You are a very talented writer.
46. Anna | December 26, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I love your blog! Very fun and exciting… I live in Kingston, Washington
47. Debra | December 26, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Love the blog…very cute!
Wonderful photography : )
48. Angela | December 26, 2009 at 6:56 pm
West Orange, NJ
49. Robin | December 26, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Suisun City CA – Just found your blog today – what wonderful stories you tell – I look forward to reading all your entries. You’ve got exceptional talent. Thank you.
50. Coryonda | December 26, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Birmingham, Alabama
LOVE IT!!!!! Keep doing this!!!!!!!!
51. Susan E | December 26, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I love your blog!