Power Puff Pastry

Today, I was reminded of the time that I baked a white cake when I was eleven and made the unfortunate mistake of using baking soda instead of baking powder. I had never made a cake from scratch before that point and did not have the patience to wait for my mother's help. The cake tasted like an antacid trip (thanks Homer Simpson). The only thing it should have been used for was keeping the fridge from smelling like old onions. However, my dad ate every last bite of that cake, just so I didn't feel bad. The picture to the right is him, possibly directly after eating the disastrous delicacy. What a guy!

Today I learned a similar lesson... i.e. there's a HUGE difference between puff pastry and phyllo dough. I did not realize this when I set out to make Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Wraps. I bought all the proper ingredients, but when it came to the pastry, I was certain that they were the same thing. I thought the only difference was the name, you know, like Aleve (R) and naproxen.

I had seen an Alton Brown episode which dealt with the tricky substance and so I knew not to let it dry and I was pretty sure I could handle working with it. I also saw that the phyllo was WAY more expensive than puff pastry, so naturally, I went with the puff pastry.

It was only after I was talking to my friend on the phone when I realized they were different. That's when I looked in the oven to be confronted by a MOUNTAIN of puffing dough!! My wraps weren't bad, but slightly oily, a little rich, and very filling. I did, however, learn an important lesson.

Now I'm not sure what to do with the mountain range of filled savory pastries in my fridge. God willing, they will reheat well and not get too soggy. My boyfriend will be pretty tired of Buffalo Chicken by the end of the week because he will be taking them with him to work daily until they are gone.

On the upside I made a delightful potato salad and cheese cake today that turned out great. Of course, the cheese cake came from a box, so that was fool proof. Also, today I learned that milk does not automatically expire on the expiration date. My milk says it's bad as of the 12th of May and it's the 23rd and it tastes fine! This knowledge will allow me to maintain my tightwad lifestyle which caused my culinary fubar in the first place.