Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Reading, Writing, YouTubing

Hey, Friends!

I am working on some posts about street harassment and slut shaming but while I am away, I thought I'd holla at you with some various types of media I follow that may tickle your giggle or make you think.

Magazines
In addition to cooking magazines (Taste of Home and Food Network) I am a big supporter of feminist publications. I have been reading Bitch (https://bitchmedia.org/ ), Bust ( http://bust.com/ ), and Ms. ( http://www.msmagazine.com/) since I was in my late teens/early 20s. All have great pieces with different view points of feminist issues here and abroad. Bitch (and Bust as well, I believe) also take submissions. they also have great reviews of books, music, and movies with a feminist scope.

For a non-paper magazine, check out xoJane ( www.xojane.com ). If you were a fan of Sassy or Jane when they were in print, you will be sure to dig this as well. It is a site that devotes itself to allowing women to be themselves, unabashedly, and celebrates every aspect of them. It is written by the xoJane community, meaning anyone is welcome to submit articles to them. Which is pretty rad.

Comic Books
Yeah. You read that right. I have rediscovered comic books and am so terribly happy I have. All of the books I read currently (and, I know this will be a horrific shock to you) have prominent female characters that range from the traditional female comic book style of art (think short/tight outfits that cover very little) to very covered but still badass. Here is what is on my list:

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: This is funny and cute and perfect. I am obsessed with squirrels so Doreen is what I want to be when I grow up. She is a girl who is trying to get through college while saving the world.

Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) is a Pakistani teen from Jersey City. She is learning to control her powers as well as her limits while going to school, trying to be the perfect daughter, and (natch) save the world. The way the writers flawlessly blend her home life and culture into the book is endearing and fresh.

A Force: All female Avengers. All bad ass.

Lumberjanes: If girl scout camp and the occult/mythical had a baby, Lumberjanes would be the result. It is cute and age appropriate for teens while still being enjoyable for adults.

Thor: Odinson is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir. The only one worthy? A woman. And holy shit does that mess with a lot of people/gods.

Bitch Planet: Women found non-compliant are shipped to a prison known as Bitch Planet. This book shows women of all shapes/sizes/races and soon (#kindaspoileralert) transwomen as well. It is written well, drawn beautifully, and has been striking a MAJOR cord with feminists everywhere. They end each issue with an essay that discusses feminism or women's issues.

YouTube
Oh YouTube. How much time I waste on you! I have recently become super into watching videos/following different channels. My taste is a little...everywhere. Most of what I follow is funny or tutorial based. With each channel, I have added a video they have out that I really like.

Glam & Gore: This is a make-up tutorial channel that covers... Glam and gore (get it? It's in the title.) Mykie covers basics like blending, eyebrow filling, and contouring as well as special effect make-up. She is also really flippin' adorable. The video posted is based on Wicked Witch make-up. She does a normal version based on Elphaba in Wicked, then the melty goodness of the original witch. She also does a really cute sloth to zombie sloth tutorial. Annnnd she calls her followers zombaes which I think is hilarious.
 
MyHarto: I have a HUGE crush on Hannah Hart. Sweet Jesus. She does the My Drunk Kitchen series as well as vlogs. Her followers also do great community service projects they call "have a hart day." I can't even with how sweet that is. Below is from the My Drunk Kitchen college series: how to make Sriracha Chicken.

 
Mamrie Hart: I found out about Mamrie when I saw her on an episode of @Midnight. She is hilarious and sometimes a little filthy which is a winning combination for me. She has 2 channels, Mamrie Hart and mametown. Mamrie Hart houses her hilarious You Deserve a Drink series while mametown is home to collaborations and other characters she has. Beanz, her dog who always has their tongue out derpily to the side, appears on both. Given the season, I felt her toast to fall (which is absolute perfection) was the best choice as it tickled my giggledick and spoke to the struggle of spending fall in a warm place.
 

 
IISuperwomanII: Lilly Singh is funny and smart. A lot of her videos feature her playing her parents. She riffs on the cultural differences of her family between generations in a light hearted way. I am going to cheat and post two videos because I CAN MUAHAHAHAHAHA. Well, really because One of them actually shows a bunch of YouTubers I watch in one video. I never realized how these people have come together and built friendships based on enjoying each others content and collaborating. They are making YouTube a community. I have been a Jenna Marbles fan for a few years and saw she is in the video, as well as Colleen Ballinger (who most people on YouTube know as Miranda Sings), Hannah Hart, Mamrie Hart, and others. The second video is just Lilly and a guest appearance from Kunal Nayyar (of Big Bang Theory fame) and is a humorous retelling of how her parents met.
 

 
The Portuguese Kids: This speaks to my soul. It is a clever, funny, and brilliant look at what it is like to grow up in a Portuguese home when you are the first generation to be born here. It highlights cultural differences perfectly without being too heavy. This video focuses on what it is like for girls to grow up or live in a Portuguese home.

Friday, October 2, 2015

FAF: Making Ganache

FAF is a new tutorial-ish series for the blog! Fancy As Fuck will cover some grade A, 10 out of 10, ridiculous crafting, cooking, and kitchen witchery.

In the introductory FAF, let's gush about ganache.

So, WTF is ganache? You know that moment when you bite into a truffle and once past the shell you get freakishly delicious, not solid but not liquid/semi-set (ish) ribbon-y center of bliss? THAT is ganache. Ganache can be used to fill cakes, cookies, cupcakes, candy, croissants (if you're into that...mmmmm with a little hazelnut or almond? *drool*)...anything really. It can even be used in lieu of frosting or mixed into it. It is the stuff of dreams, and I don't even really like chocolate.

Something so decadent is hard to make, right? NO. IT IS WICKED EASY. (whoa, I see I opened my mouth and Massachusetts fell out...)

I made The Husband truffles for his birthday and snapped some pictures to walk ya'll through the magic. The base of ganache is simple:
  • chocolate (in this case, white chocolate with vanilla beans) - I used 9 oz
  • heavy cream - for the amount of chocolate, 1/3 cup plus 1 tbs
  • vanilla
  • butter - 1/2 a stick
  • salt
  • added flavors (optional-in this case, root beer schnapps)
  • The rest of the items (chips and oil) are for making the crust on the truffles, which we can go over another day.


Some recipes call for adding corn syrup. I have never added it so I can not speak to what it does for texture or anything.

I like to start by chopping the CRAP out of my chocolate. I try to cut very thin, almost shaving it on an angle, then chopping any larger pieces as I go. Work as quickly as you can in as cool an environment as possible so the chocolate doesn't melt.



Something essential to this operation is a double boiler. If you don't have one, they are super easy and quick to rig. You fill a pot of water up partially. The bowl you place into it should sit on the edges so as not to fall in. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water beneath it. Be careful of how hot the bowl will get and any steam that vents out while you work. Once the water is boiling and the bowl has been placed, add butter and melt. Once melted, add in the chocolate.



At this point, I like to stir in the salt as well, just a pinch. Mix the chocolate constantly to avoid it burning and to beat in any lumps. White chocolate will look like it has "broken" (kind of oily and lumpy and like it is not good for eating) but keep at it. It has a higher fat content so it will do that but it will come back together. Once melted, add the cream, mixing it in slowly.

At this point, add in your vanilla and other flavors. I always eyeball vanilla, so I would say a few splashes? When adding in other flavors, keep in mind adding more liquid will result in a very.. loose ganache. Which is what happened to me. If adding in zest, spices, other candy, mix and transfer to a dish to chill in. Pop in the fridge over night if you are making truffles or cool and use as frosting/filling.

If you are like me and are heavy handed when you add booze to your truffles, you may need to chop up more chocolate and melt some into your mixture to tighten it back up.

Once chilled, it should be kind of firm when you touch it. Not hard, not squishy; firm but moldable. It is easiest, if using for truffles, to scoop using a melon baller. Or in my case, a measuring spoon. Mine is a bit too squishy so I had to make truffle cups using small cupcake wrappers.
                                            

That is it. That is literally all there is to making ganache.

Go forth and eat delicious chocolate. Impress your friends with your skills.