August 2022

Hello!

I’m glad you’re here! I’m excited to tell you about some of the new developments I’ve got going on for Hummingbird High.

But first things first, let’s talk about something FUN. I’m heading to London at the end of the month to do a quick girl’s trip with my mom and her friends! So let me know if you have any fun recommendations for me? I’ve already got the following bakeries on my list: Arome Bakery, Panadera Bakery, and basically everything on this list of London’s best bakeries. But let me know if you have the inside scoop of what’s not to be missed!

Now, let’s talk about what’s new and upcoming on Hummingbird High. I’d love your feedback on everything below!

New Informational Blog Posts

First things first: if you subscribe to my blog, you’ll notice that I’ve published more “informational” type posts. What does that mean? Instead of posts that present you with a recipe (and all the info you need to make the recipe), I’ve started doing shorter posts WITHOUT recipes.

Instead, the posts answer basic questions like “How To Pre Bake Pie Crust” or “Can You Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream Of Tartar?” These are examples of some of the most frequently asked questions I get. And instead of answering all the questions individually, I want to refer folks to these Q&A type blog posts instead. It would free up a lot of my time and enable me to focus on what I love the most—developing recipes from scratch!

So check them out (I’ve linked to some below), and let me know what you think. Are they too basic? Conversely, are they TMI and TL/DR? Is there a burning baking question YOU have and want me to answer? Or would you rather I just stop and stick to just posting new recipes? Let me know!

In Case You Missed It: New Recipes and Posts

Here’s a list of everything new on my different Hummingbird High channels:

• What Is A Snickerdoodle?
  I mentioned this earlier, but this is an example of the new kind of posts I’m trying! I often get asked VERY basic questions through email and social media. I rounded up some of the most frequently asked questions and plan to write blog posts like this one for them. My plan is to refer folks with those questions to these posts so I don’t have to email/DM the same thing over and over. And if you can believe it, whenever I post any of my snickerdoodle recipes, I always get asked what snickerdoodles are!
  
  IMO, this post might be a LITTLE too basic. So let me know if you agree with me, or if you’re happy to see something like this on www.hummingbirdhigh.com?
  
  
• Malasadas (Hawaiian Donuts)
  I first published this recipe in 2014 (!!!) and decided to update it with a brand new recipe. Check out the video version of the new recipe on Instagram (which contains a fun description of the recipe) and TikTok (which contains a hilarious, somewhat unrelated audio clip telling you to eat whatever you want).
  
  
• Guava Cake
  Check out the video for this recipe on TikTok!
  
  
• How To Pre Bake Pie Crust
  Okay, I *just* published this blog post last month but decided to update it with a video tutorial (as seen on Instagram and TikTok). The video tutorial was QUITE controversial on both apps. Many people took issue with my choice of pie weights. But rest assured folks, there are two layers of aluminum foil separating the weights from the crust… I don’t think it’s an issue, but I also kinda get the outrage? People are on edge, lol.
  
  
• Any Kind Of Fruit Upside Down Cake
  
  
• Ube Stuffed Hawaiian French Toast Rolls
  Watch exclusively on my TikTok!
  
  
• Can You Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream Of Tartar?
  Another one of the most frequently asked questions I get! Hopefully I covered all the bases in this post. IMO, I’ll likely be doing more of these posts in the future. Some other questions I already have lined up to answer: “What’s the best chocolate for chocolate chip cookies?” “What’s a good substitute for sour cream?”
  
  Let me know if you have any other burning baking questions you’d love to see me answer in the future!

Below are pictures of the two most popular recipes from the month—Guava Cake and Any Kind Of Fruit Upside Down Cake—to inspire you:

Food For Thought

This past month, I also spent a LOT of time thinking and reading about food beyond the baking recipes you see on this blog. Here are the ideas and issues that resonated with me:

• “Cooking Online, Arab Women Find Income and Community” in The New York Times. This is an inspirational story about how Middle Eastern and North African women were able to find financial freedom, independence, and communities by starting YouTube cooking channels. Love it!
  
  
• “TikTok Virality Has Become a Key to Restaurant Success. It’s Not So Easy to Come By” in Bon Appetit. To me, this article encapsulates TikTok’s ever growing influence on our lives. Previously, restaurants were able to rely on Instagram to get the word out about their vibes and food. But these days, TikTok has become the more dominant platform. But it’s much harder for restaurants to create a compelling video than it is for them to snap an appealing photo of their food! I feel their pain.
  
  
• “”I Decided To Make It From Scratch, Yet Nobody Could Tell The Difference”: People Are Sharing The Labor-Intensive And Tedious Foods That Just Aren’t Worth Making From Scratch” in Buzzfeed. There are certain baked goods that even I, a seasoned baker, refuse to make at home. Like anything viennoiseries (unless I’m using store bought puff pastry), or even macarons (!).

Recipes and Resources To Save

Here are the recipes and resources I saved for myself in the last month:

• Ube Basque Cakes in Food & Wine. I am INTRIGUED by this recipe for ube basque cakes from Kasama, the world’s first Michelin starred Filipino restaurant (which I definitely plan on going to if I’m ever in Chicago). The instructions are a little hard to decipher, though—I wish they’d included step-by-step process photos (or even a video)! I’ll have to add it to my ever growing “To Bake” list.
  
  
• “Let’s Talk About Carmy’s Cookbook Collection” in Eater San Francisco. Is anybody else obsessed with Hulu’s new show about a fine dining chef who takes over his brother’s old hole in the wall restaurant, The Bear? I mean, I’ve had a crush on Jeremy Allen White since Shameless, lol. He plays a chef who used to work at Noma and The French Laundry, and often has piles of cookbooks in his book and restaurant. I loved this obsessive article breaking down this fictional character’s cookbook collection. I definitely want to check out some of the ones he has!

Finally, On A Lighthearted Note

Man, I got served some hilarious TikToks this month. I’d love to share them with you:

• I’m low key amused AND saddened by this watermelon birthday cake. Is this why people in Los Angeles are so beautiful and skinny, lol?
  
  
• And speaking of sad foods, I didn’t realize that bakeries and groceries now sell loaves of just the heels/ends of the bread. WHYYYYYY. That is literally the worst part of the bread! I guess that’s why it’s heavily discounted? Also, lol at the shameless rebranding: “side sliced toast.”
  
  
• A very relatable video of the hand washing/rinsing I do whenever I’m in the kitchen. No wonder my hands are always so dry.

That’s all for now, folks. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! Please let me know how you’re doing in the comments below, and feel free to share the ideas and issues that are floating around in your heads, too.

XO
Michelle