I like to cook (most of the time), but I love to bake. My cooking consists of pretty standard fare with the occasional foray into various ethnic foods. I don't really get into gourmet cooking. The only truffles I have in my house are made of chocolate, and that's fine with me.
However, baking is an entirely different matter. I will, and have, driven twenty-one miles to buy pearl sugar. Sadly, there are no gourmet or upscale grocery stores nearby. Our grocery stores around here are great for the basics, but they are completely lacking in anything out-of-the-ordinary. So, I have to search (much of that online) for unusual ingredients like potato flour and fleur de sal, which have found their way into my kitchen via online retailers.
I also love specialty bakeware. I am completely happy with my set of cookware I received as a wedding present. I find that with a couple pots, my 10" and 12" skillets, and a few pans that I can cook pretty much everything I want to make. Bakeware is different. It speaks to me. For some women, it's Jimmy Choo or Monolos, for me, my kryptonite is Amazon and Williams-Sonoma. Bakeware comes in a dizzying array of sizes, styles, and there is a mold or pan for almost everything. Bundt pans alone come in an amazing variety of sizes, styles, and shapes, and I love them all.
The other day I spent hours looking at cannele and brioche molds. I was trying to justify buying cannele molds, which are not cheap, by thinking that the molds would double as decorations when not in use. I restrained myself, though, at least for the time being, mostly because I think my husband's head will explode if he sees one more package from Amazon on our doorstep. So, for now, I will just have to get my french specialty fix from my madeleine pan.
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