Next week I’ll be joining fellow culinary translators in the #ThatTranslatorCanCook challenge which involves translating and making recipes from a foreign language. To begin with, I’ll be focusing on a particular favourite of mine: sumptuous baked goods.
The #ThatTranslatorCanCook challenge was initiated by Hannah Lawrence and combines two of my favourite things: cooking and translating. The concept involves translating and cooking one French recipe every week for a year, reflecting on the language and cultural conundrums encountered along the way. I decided to jump on the culinary bandwagon with a oui bit of a difference: I will mainly be translating baking-related recipes from French and Spanish into English. This may not be on a weekly basis though, particularly as there are plenty of English language creations I’d like to make as well, but I will be sure to share these bakes too.
Earlier this year I applied for amateur baking programme the Great British Bake Off, which consumed my life for several weeks. I did not make it onto the show, but was reconciled by the fact that I do not have to cancel my summer holiday! The application, interview and audition process made me revisit my baking books, study the science behind the different bakes and jog my memory on my previous creations. What took me by surprise was that during this time of reflection, I realised just how many more bakes I was inspired to whip up. I soon filled up my recipe books with monkey tab bookmarks, visually representing my “to bake” list. I realised that I had made hot cross buns, but never tea cakes; various breads but never baguettes; and that it was time that I fulfilled my long-standing goal of delving into French patisserie.
I bake on a weekly basis anyway, so why not stir in some translation to deepen my knowledge on my specialisms?
You can expect to see a range of baked goods, including both sweet and savoury ones, from a variety of nationalities. Look out for the odd additional post on some of my favourite Great British recipes too. And I’ll definitely be trying to convince the French speakers among you to watch the French version of the GBBO (Le Meilleur Patissier). That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my first post coming soon.
On your marks, get set… bake!
Or as they say in France: À vos marques, prêts ? Pâtissez !