A few months ago, I told you about my intro to sourdough land. Fast forward to today, and it’s still very much a part of my life. I’m at the stage where, when a friend sent me a link for specialty brown paper bags to gift the bread in, I bought them right away. Now I get a thrill from tucking one of my loaves inside, sticking on a “homemade” sticker, and gifting it.

A few weeks ago, I brought a loaf of bread over to a friend who’d just had a baby. I usually double the dough, so I had the other loaf at home. When I took a bite later, I realized my mistake immediately: I’d forgotten to put in the salt! This had never happened to me with sourdough before, and suffice it to say, I was pretty embarrassed.

So why am I choosing to share this story with thousands and thousands of people? Because obviously, these things happen, and they happen to everyone, and it’s far from the end of the world. We’re all human. No one thinks less of you for a cooking mistake.

For Chanukah this year, I had a mission to really highlight the dishes we make for our own families (as opposed to for parties), where mistakes are welcome. I can’t count how many times I’ve made mistakes and then either tried to salvage the food — or didn’t (looking at you, non-round cheese latkes). But with family, either way is fine. It’s either polished off, or it becomes a story. This week’s What’s Cooking features the home-style dishes that the Family First staff serves their families, where no one is keeping track of how pretty the food is, but rather of how much love you put into it. Enjoy!

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

Four Things about Doughnuts
1. The most common doughnut mistake is oil temperature. (Too hot is actually more commonly problematic than too cool.)

2. Don’t over-sweeten the dough. The glaze should make up for the lack of sweetness.

3. Let the doughnuts drip on a drying rack, not on a paper towel (which will make the doughnuts soggy!).

4. Use bread flour or high-gluten flour.

The Cutest Pickled Onions
I had my hands on some red onions in the grocery with the intention of making pickled onions. Then I noticed the pearl onions and thought they would be just the cutest. BTW, to peel pearl onions, chop the ends and place in boiling water for a minute. Then pop them out of the peel.

FYI: You can freeze doughnut dough. Just form into a doughnut shape first.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 719)