fidzu : blog

In honor of Automattic's 20th anniversary, and also since it's been a few years, I joined Nilay Patel the editor-in-chief of The Verge on their Decoder Podcast. We talked about Tumblr and the Fediverse, how Automattic thinks about Ecosystem and Cosmos sides of the business, Automattic's re-organization into cross-business functional teams and leadership, the vision of Clay as a personal CRM and Beeper as the super-human messaging app that puts control in the hands of users, Newspack, the future of websites, the obligatory coverage of the alleged WP Engine trademark violations and their subsequent preemptive suit, and much more. Please give it a listen! They chose the title "Why Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg went to war over WordPress."

Speaking of Beeper, we're going to do a fun event for the next-gen version that's launching on July 16 in New York City in NoHo. I'll be there along Beeper CEO Kishan Bagaria and some of the best and brightest in New York's tech and creative class. If you're a Beeper early adopter (or would like to be) and want to attend leave a comment, we've held back some invites for cool folks like readers of ma.tt.

30 Jun 2025 8:34pm GMT

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, so take a look below at some of the most popular places on Google Maps for watching firework shows across the U.S. Whether…

30 Jun 2025 1:45pm GMT

We're announcing Gemini for Education, plus more AI tools for students and educators.

30 Jun 2025 1:00pm GMT

Learn more about expanded access to Google Vids for all education users, and Gemini in Classroom, a new suite of no-cost AI tools available for educators.

30 Jun 2025 1:00pm GMT

When we were first invited to be a media partner for this event, we were still known as Do the Woo. A lot has changed since then, including our name But what hasn't changed is our excitement to support conversations that drive real impact in the open tech ecosystem. The Future Is Now-And the Philippines […]

30 Jun 2025 8:40am GMT

Découvrez les 10 meilleures races de chiens adaptées à la vie en appartement. Trouvez le compagnon idéal pour votre espace urbain !

L'article Top 10 des races de chiens adaptées à la vie en appartement est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

30 Jun 2025 8:09am GMT

Quand les sentiments cherchent à se stabiliser… L'heure miroir 18h18 dévoile une signification d'amour profonde !

L'article 18h18 : signification en amour et stabilité des sentiments est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

29 Jun 2025 4:18pm GMT

Today marks a special anniversary for me: It has been exactly 10 years since I received my first props for a contribution to WordPress Core. And it was just a day before that I actually worked on that first contribution.

You may know that I am a long-term WordPress Core contributor, having contributed ever since. To celebrate this 10-year milestone, I wanted to reflect on this journey and share the 10 most valuable lessons I learned along the way. But first, let me provide a bit of background about just how I started.

How I Started Contributing to WordPress Core

It all started at the WordCamp Europe 2015 Contributor Day, an event I still remember fondly as my favorite Contributor Day experience. The atmosphere was incredibly welcoming and productive, largely thanks to the fantastic guidance of Konstantin Obenland, who was the Release Lead for the upcoming WordPress 4.3 release.

While leading the Core table, he encouraged us to test the new Site Icon feature, which was nearly ready to be committed. I dove in with a few other contributors and started testing various scenarios. I managed to uncover a minor bug that only appeared when JavaScript was disabled in the browser. I worked on a patch to fix it, and a few days later, on June 29, 2015, the feature was committed to Core with my first props included.

That first small contribution was the starting point of my long and rewarding journey. After a few more months of occasional contributions, I began contributing heavily in early 2016, focusing on the Multisite component. Over time, my responsibilities increased, eventually running team meetings and becoming a component maintainer. In November 2016, just 17 months after I had started, I was honored to be named a WordPress Core committer. And little did I know, this would be just the first chapter of my ongoing journey as a WordPress Core contributor.

Becoming a long-term WordPress Core contributor is not an easy task. But in some ways, it's not as hard as it seems. You may think you need to be an incredible coder, and you may feel imposter syndrome. But that's just a small part. The most important skills are interpersonal skills such as communication, flexibility, perseverance. To celebrate 10 years of contributing, I'm going to share with you 10 things that helped me in my journey the most.

1. Communicate, and Communicate Well

As a good engineer, it is equally important to discuss and reason about code as it is to actually write the code. Proactively documenting what you're doing goes a long way. Some examples:

• If you raise an issue, provide details and include context, including why you think it is a valid issue.
• If you open a pull request, use its description to explain at a high level the relevant technical choices you made in the code you wrote - unless it's a typo fix of course.
• Unless the code is trivial or you really want to write it just to test whether it works, discuss what you're proposing first, e.g. in a ticket. Spending hours on writing code that may not get merged can be frustrating. Gathering feedback on your idea from other contributors first will go a long way in avoiding that experience.

Other than being able to discuss code, it's equally important to ask questions. If you don't understand the rationale behind a decision, kindly follow up on it. If you're attending a Slack chat where someone shares something you are missing context on, inquire about it. Every question you ask and every answer you get will grow your understanding of the WordPress project - whether its overarching philosophies, strategic decisions, or deeply technical decisions.

2. Assume Good Intent

Another important aspect of communication that is worth highlighting separately is to be respectful. Be respectful of your fellow contributors, even if you feel they weren't. If someone disagrees with you or even if a ticket you proposed is closed without an explanation (which should not happen, but it can), don't get angry. Don't get defensive. Don't get arrogant. Remain kind, and follow up. The other person probably didn't mean any harm.

Assuming good intent means to keep calm even when your initial reaction tells you not to. Sometimes, a reply that comes across as harsh may be the result of the other contributor lacking the time to reply, which is not necessarily an excuse. Other times, it may be the result of the other contributor being from another culture where communication norms are different to yours. In either scenario, the reply that came across as harsh most likely wasn't meant to be harsh. If you feel yourself getting defensive or angry, maybe step away and come back later.

Another way to say this is don't take things personally. Your proposals and code may be rejected, sometimes wrongfully. Either way, this is entirely specific to the problem that you're trying to solve. It has nothing to do with you as a person or your quality as a developer.

3. Be Persistent, As Long As Appropriate

As I previously mentioned, sometimes another contributor may have feedback or propose something you disagree with. And sometimes, even though that's not ideal, they don't provide adequate context - we all make mistakes. If you have taken the time to introspect and ensure your disagreement is valid, make sure to follow up. Ask the other contributor to share more context, or lay out clearly why you disagree.

For example, it's okay to reopen a ticket that you created when it's closed but not resolved. Just keep in mind the previous points on communication and self-awareness.

Sometimes you may be overruled, or a discussion continues back and forth a few too many times with seemingly no noticeable progress. Sometimes us humans, we simply disagree, and that's okay. Take a moment to think how strongly you think your point is correct. Sometimes, it's right to keep pushing. Other times, it's right to give in. Don't keep pushing excessively. It's important to know when to accept another person's decision and move on, even when you disagree. Especially in situations where several other Core contributors disagree with your point, think twice. There may be something they understand that you don't, or you may be proposing something that is not aligned with the WordPress philosophy. Simply remember, you can ask.

4. Pay Attention to Detail

The previous points primarily focused on communication and introspection. But now let's talk a bit about code. I'm not going to talk about algorithms or code patterns though. Something that you can try to do, regardless of how experienced you are as a developer, is to pay attention to detail and go the extra mile. Your mindset should be to get it done right, not quickly.

Sloppy code doesn't get committed to WordPress Core. Some of the important things to look out for is code style, comprehensive inline code documentation and doc blocks, as well as test coverage. Proactively making sure your code is safe, documented, and tested shows that you care and is a great signal of a promising new contributor.

Similar care is equally important when reviewing other people's code. Point out when any of the above are lacking or inadequate. Think about edge cases the code may not be catering for yet. Ask questions if you're unsure. Take the time to be a thorough reviewer.

5. Think at Scale

WordPress is not just used by millions of websites, it's used by over a third of the web. I'm sure you already know that, but it's crucial to remember that anytime you are thinking about technical solutions. Whenever you want to make a change in WordPress, consider the entire spectrum of WordPress sites. I already mentioned to think about edge cases, but here are some more examples for what to keep in mind:

• WordPress can run anywhere - $1000 premium hosting or a Raspberry Pi. Be especially mindful of the lower end here.
• WordPress can be used at any scale - a small business portfolio site with five pages, or a membership site with millions of user-generated posts from thousands of users. Be especially mindful of the higher end here.
• Many WordPress sites do not use an object cache, many are on older technologies, such as outdated versions of PHP or MySQL.

Another important aspect of thinking at scale is the impact that WordPress has on the rest of the web. WordPress can influence the web to change. A new feature or API in WordPress could lead to other platforms or even browsers considering it. Use WordPress's scale responsibly - it can be a lever for the web as a whole, but make sure you're only proposing a new feature to be merged into WordPress Core once it is ready for its scale.

6. Increase Scope Gradually

When you first start contributing to WordPress Core, it's natural to have big ideas and see opportunities for major improvements, even complete rewrites of certain APIs. However, if you're new to the project, pushing for a massive change or a brand-new feature right away is often going to result in resistance and likely won't succeed. Believe me, I've been there. This can feel frustrating, but it's a natural part of how open-source communities function.

Established contributors need to "get to know you" first. They need to assess your expertise, your motivations, your communication style, and your willingness and availability to see complex ideas through to completion. This is simply a human element of collaboration. Your idea might be entirely valid, and you might be the perfect person to execute it. But others won't know that until they've had the chance to work with you and observe your contributions over time.

This doesn't mean your valuable ideas will be rejected outright, but you might encounter hesitation or caution. A better approach is to increase your scope gradually. Start with smaller, more contained contributions: Fix bugs, improve documentation, or address minor enhancements. This helps you build trust and credibility within the community. Furthermore, by contributing to less complex endeavors first, you'll gain additional expertise and a deeper understanding of the intricacies of WordPress Core development. This experience will likely enable you to approach those more complex ideas later with even greater insight and a stronger ability to execute them successfully than you would have had when you were completely new.

7. Find Your Niche

While it's a great starting point to contribute to any random issues you find or care about in the beginning, it's incredibly valuable to eventually find your niche within WordPress Core. After some initial contributions, ideally you'll discover an area that genuinely interests you and where you feel you can make a sustained impact. To give some personal context, for me that initial niche was Multisite, as mentioned earlier. I focused on it largely because I was working with a client with a large Multisite installation at the time and wanted to improve some quirks I was encountering in the foundation. For you, it might be any of the other dozens of WordPress Core components.

Perhaps it's a component you frequently interact with in your own WordPress development work or hobby projects where you've identified opportunities for improvement. The more practical experience you have with a specific part of WordPress, the more likely you are to contribute valuable enhancements and fixes to it.

Finding your niche is also important because you simply cannot be an expert in everything. WordPress Core is vast, but there are many specialized areas where dedicated experts are needed, especially where original maintainers have moved on or reduced their contributions. However, at the end of the day, don't solely define your niche based on perceived project needs. Define your niche based on what you truly care about and are passionate about. This will make your contributions more enjoyable and sustainable in the long run.

8. Be Helpful

Contributing to WordPress Core isn't just about pushing your own agenda or implementing the features you want to see. A crucial part of being a valuable contributor is actively being helpful to others. Being proactive and offering assistance demonstrates that you are a team player and a great collaborator, deeply invested in the project's success. It also shows that you're willing to take on work that might not be the most exciting for you personally, but is essential for the community as a whole.

Here are some examples of such activities:

• Make an effort to review other contributors' tickets, discussing ideas and technical approaches beyond your own.
• Provide constructive feedback on pull requests, even if they're not in your immediate area of expertise.
• Offer to run a bug scrub for a specific component, helping to triage and categorize issues.
• Volunteer to write summary posts for recurring team meetings, keeping everyone informed.

These are just some ideas that will signal to other contributors that you are passionate, eager to work collaboratively, and not just in it for whatever you want to see added to WordPress Core. Being a helpful and supportive member of the community fosters a positive environment for everyone.

9. Adapt Well

A common descriptor for the ideal mindset of a WordPress Core contributor is "Strong opinions, loosely held." This highlights the importance of having conviction in your ideas while remaining open to changing them based on new information or different perspectives. Especially when you're a new contributor, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "This is so straightforward, why wasn't it added to Core years ago?" Usually, if it hasn't been, it's simply not as straightforward as it appears. This often relates back to the earlier points about understanding the WordPress philosophy, paying attention to detail, and thinking at scale.

But even as you become a more established contributor, it will always remain crucial to adapt well. Approach different opinions with curiosity rather than adversity. Sometimes, additional learnings on your own end may genuinely change how you think about a technical approach. There will be times when you disagree with a decision that a majority of other contributors support. In these situations, it's crucial to find the right balance: know when to keep pushing back if you genuinely believe in your stance, and when to acknowledge that this is not your decision alone, but a collective one that you should accept and move forward with for the good of the project. This goes back to the earlier point about being persistent as long as it's appropriate. The flexibility and willingness to adapt are hallmarks of an effective and respected Core contributor.

A great post that goes into more depth on this point, even though being old, is Andrew Nacin's "The qualities of a great WordPress contributor".

10. Build Personal Relationships

While online collaboration is the backbone of WordPress Core development, building personal relationships with other contributors is incredibly valuable. This isn't just for your personal growth as a contributor; it also significantly enhances the enjoyment and effectiveness of your contributions. The connections you make can enrich your journey in unexpected ways, and you may make new real-life friends.

Meeting other contributors at a WordCamp or similar event is an incredible experience. Go for a run together, have a beer, do a hacking session together - whatever is fun for your group. Whether it's finally connecting in person with someone you've collaborated with online for months, or meeting a mentor you've looked up to since you started contributing, these face-to-face interactions foster a deeper sense of community. Hanging out, sharing meals, and catching up in person inevitably changes how people see you. Having met someone in person simply tends to change the dynamic, even in subsequent online interactions.

It may not always be feasible for every contributor to attend a WordCamp or other event to meet fellow contributors in person, and that is certainly unfortunate. However, the unique understanding forged through in-person interactions is something a purely online community simply cannot fully replicate. If you have the opportunity to participate in such an event, I strongly encourage you to take it. The bonds you form will make your contribution journey even more rewarding.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

This decade of contributing to WordPress has been a remarkable journey of both personal and professional growth. I can say with certainty that I am where I am today, in so many ways, thanks to contributing to WordPress Core. The lessons I've shared here are reflections of countless hours spent collaborating with other community contributors, solving complex problems, building powerful features, and helping to build the open web. Contributing to WordPress Core has taught me more than I could have ever imagined when I first uploaded that small patch back in 2015.

I hope that these reflections are helpful, whether you are a seasoned committer or someone who is just considering making their first contribution. A large open-source project, especially at the scale of WordPress, is an excellent way to work on something bigger than (very likely) anything one of us could come up with by ourselves. I remain as excited and motivated as ever to continue playing my part in its future.

What about you? If you're a contributor, what are the biggest lessons you have learned on your journey? I'd love to read about your experiences in the comments below.

The post 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Contributing to WordPress Core appeared first on felix-arntz.me.

29 Jun 2025 2:21pm GMT

Et si l'univers vous envoyait un signe ? L'heure miroir 01h01 cache une signification secrète liée à vos sentiments amoureux !

L'article 01h01 : signification en amour et intuition profonde est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

26 Jun 2025 11:01pm GMT

Last week, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) case. The key question in the case was whether an EIS for a rail spur needed...

01 Jun 2025 10:33pm GMT

On March 11, 2025, ExxonMobil filed a petition for certiorari in the case ExxonMobil Corp. v. Environment Texas Citizen Lobby, Inc. The petition seeks to drastically alter the requirements for establishing injury and redressability under Article III standing. If successful,...

31 May 2025 10:40pm GMT

Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order on California water management. It's a long and rambling order filled with directives, and rather than try to unpack everything, I'm going to try to clarify two issues that seem particularly important. This...

27 Jan 2025 7:17pm GMT

Acheter des originaux sur le site LesDessinateurs.com Vous pouvez me suivre sur Instagram, Bluesky ou Facebook.

02 Jan 2024 10:41am GMT

Dans le journal L'Equipe du dimanche et du lundi, vous pouviez trouver un de mes dessins en dernière page. Voici un petit échantillon des dessins réalisés en 2023 pour le quotidien sportif. Acheter des originaux sur le site LesDessinateurs.com Vous pouvez me suivre sur Instagram, Bluesky ou Facebook. Acheter des originaux sur le site LesDessinateurs.com Vous …

Continuer la lecture de « Une année de sport »

01 Jan 2024 9:11am GMT

Acheter des originaux sur le site LesDessinateurs.com Vous pouvez me suivre sur Instagram, Bluesky ou Facebook.

30 Dec 2023 1:06pm GMT

Much as I love pasta, I'm not sure it loves me. Last year my carb-heavy comfort food diet led to some weight gain so I looked into low carb pasta as an alternative. There's a lot out there and I'm still trying different brands and styles, but I thought now would be a good time to share what I've learned so far.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

My introduction to legume and bean-based pasta was thanks to Barilla. I was lucky because I got to attend a webinar with Barilla's incredible chef, Lorenzo Boni. I tried his recipe for pasta with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts which I definitely recommend and have now made several times. If you've seen his wildly popular (150k+ followers!) Instagram feed you know he's a master at making all kinds of pasta dishes and that he often eats plant-based meals. I followed up with him to get some tips on cooking with pasta made from beans and legumes.

Pasta made with beans and legumes is higher in protein and so the recommended 2-ounce portion is surprisingly filling. But the texture isn't always the same as traditional semolina or durum wheat pasta. Chef Boni told me, "The nature of legume pasta makes it soak up more moisture than traditional semolina pasta, so you always want to reserve a bit of cooking water to adjust if needed." But when it comes to cooking, he says that with Barilla legume pasta you cook it the same way as semolina pasta. "Boil in salted water for the duration noted on the box and you'll have perfectly al dente pasta." They are all gluten-free.

Chickpea pasta

When I asked Chef Boni about pairing chickpea pastas with sauce he said, "Generally speaking, I prefer olive oil based sauces rich with vegetables, aromatic herbs and spices. Seafood also pairs well with chickpea options. If used with creamy or tomato-based sauces, keep in mind to always have some pasta water handy to adjust the dish in case it gets too dry." He added, "One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." I like the Barilla brand because the only ingredient is chickpeas. Banza makes a popular line of chickpea pasta as well although they include pea starch, tapioca and xanthan gum.

Edamame pasta

I tried two different brands of edamame pasta, Seapoint Farms and Explore Cuisine. The Seapoint pasta has a rougher texture than the Explore. With the Seapoint I found the best pairings were earthy chunky toppings like toasted walnuts and sautéed mushrooms. The Explore Cuisine edamame & spirulina pasta is smoother and more delicate, and worked well with an Asian style peanut sauce. I was happy with the Seapoint brand, but would definitely choose the Explore brand instead if it's available.

Red lentil pasta

Red lentil pasta is most similar to semolina pasta. Barilla makes red lentil pasta in a variety of shapes. But for spaghetti, Chef Boni says, "Barilla red lentil spaghetti is pretty flexible and works well with pretty much everything. I love red lentil spaghetti with light olive oil based sauces with aromatic herbs and some small diced vegetables. It also works well with a lean meat protein." I have to admit, I have yet to try red lentil pasta, but I'm excited to try it after hearing how similar it is to semolina pasta. It is made only with red lentil flour, that's it. It's available in spaghetti, penne and rotini.

Penne for Your Thoughts

Do you remember seeing photos from Italian supermarkets where the shelves with pasta were barren except for penne? I too seem to end up with boxes of penne or rotini and not a clue what to do with them so I asked Chef Boni his thoughts on the subject. He told me, "Shortcuts such as rotini and penne pair very well with all kind of ragouts as well as tomato based and chunky vegetarian sauces. One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." Thanks chef! When zucchini is in season I know what I will try!

15 Feb 2022 6:46pm GMT

Julia is a new film based on Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz and inspired by My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme and The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act by Alex Prud'homme. Julia Child died in 2004, and yet our appetite for all things Julia hasn't waned.

I grew up watching Julia Child on TV and learning to cook the French classics from her books, And while I never trained to be a chef, like Child I also transitioned into a career focused on food, a subject I have always found endlessly fascinating. I enjoyed the new film very much and while it didn't break much new ground, it did add a layer of perspective that can only come with time. In particular, how Julia Child became a ubiquitous pop culture figure is addressed in a fresh way.

I reached out to the filmmakers,Julie Cohen and Betsy West to find out more about what inspired them and why Julia Child still holds our attention.

Julia Child died over 15 years ago and has been off TV for decades. Why do you believe we continue to be so fascinated by her?

In some ways Julia is the Godmother of modern American cooking - and eating. Her spirit looms over cooking segments on the morning shows, The Food Network, and all those overhead Instagram shots the current generation loves to take of restaurant meals. Beyond that, though, Julia's bigger than life personality and unstoppable joie de vivre are infectious. People couldn't get enough of her while she was living, and they still can't now.

There have been so many Julia Child films and documentaries, what inspired this one?

Well there'd been some great programs about Julia but this is the first feature length theatrical doc. Like everyone else, we adored Julie & Julia, but a documentary gives you a special opportunity to tell a person's story in their own words and with the authentic images. This is particularly true of Julia, who was truly one of a kind.

The impact of Julia Child how she was a groundbreaker really comes across in the film, are we understanding her in a different light as time passes?

People understand that Julia was a talented television entertainer, but outside the professional food world, there's been an under-recognition of just how much she changed the 20th century food landscape. As Jose Andres points out in the film, almost every serious food professional has a sauce-splashed copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" on their shelves. We also felt Julia's role in opening up new possibilities for women on television deserved more exploration. In the early 1960's the idea of a woman on TV who was neither a housewife nor a sex bomb but a mature, tall, confident expert was downright radical. She paved the way for many women who followed.

The food shots add an extra element to the film and entice viewers in a very visceral way, how did those interstitials come to be part of the film?

We knew from the start that we wanted to make food a major part of this story, not an afterthought. We worked with cook and food stylist Susan Spungen to determine which authentic Julia recipes could be integrated with which story beats to become part of the film's aesthetic and its plot. For instance the sole meunière is a key part of the story because it sparked her obsession with French food, and the pear and almond tart provides an enticing metaphor for the sensual side of Julia and Paul's early married years.

Note: Susan Spungen was also the food stylist for Julie & Julia

Julia is in theaters now.

23 Nov 2021 11:30pm GMT

I met Rick Rodgers early in my career as a recipe developer and food writer when we were both contributors to the Epicurious blog. Not only is he a lot of fun to hang out with, but he has also been incredibly helpful to me and is usually the first person I call when I'm floundering with a project, client, or cooking quandary. His interpersonal skills, business experience, and cooking acumen explain why he's been recognized as one of the top cooking instructors in America. Literally.

You built a career as a cooking instructor and cookbook author. How many cookbooks have you written?

I was asked recently to make an official count, and It looks like an even hundred. Many of those were collaborations with chefs, restaurants, celebrities, bakeries, and business entities, such as Tommy Bahama, Williams-Sonoma, and Nordstrom. I made it known that I was available for collaboration work, and my phone literally rang off the hook for quite a few years with editors and agents looking for help with novice writers or those that wanted a branded book.

Which cookbook(s) are you most proud of?

There are three books that I get fan mail for almost every day: Kaffeehaus (where I explore the desserts of my Austrian heritage), Thanksgiving 101 (a deep dive into America's most food-centric holiday and how to pull it off), and Ready and Waiting (which was one of the first books to take a "gourmet" approach to the slow cooker). These books have been in print for 20 years or more, which is a beautiful testament to their usefulness to home cooks.

How did you get started as a cooking instructor and what are some highlights of your teaching career?

I was a theater major at San Francisco State College (now University), so getting in front of a crowd held no terrors for me. When more brick-and-mortar cooking schools opened in the eighties, I was ready for prime time. During that period, there were at least twelve cooking schools in the Bay Area, so I made quarterly trips here a year from the east coast, where I had moved. My Thanksgiving classes were so popular that I taught every day from November 1 to Thanksgiving, with a couple of days off for laundry and travel. The absolute pinnacle of my teaching career was being named Outstanding Culinary Instructor of The Year by Bon Appétit Magazine's Food and Entertaining Awards, an honor that I share with only a handful of other recipients, including Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay.

Flódni

How have cooking classes changed since you started?

Because there are so many classes available, I can teach at any level of experience. At the cooking schools, we tended to walk a fine line between too difficult and too easy. The exposure to different cuisines and skill levels on TV also has seriously raised the bar. Unfortunately, students want to walk before they can run. They want to learn how to make croissants when I doubt that they can bake a pound cake correctly. It is best to build on your skills instead of going right to the top. That being said, in my online classes, I am concentrating on the more challenging recipes because that is what the market demands of me.

Tell me about your baking school, coffeeandcake.org

As much as I loved my cookbooks and in-person classes, I knew there was a more modern way to reach people who wanted to cook with me, especially since so many cooking schools had closed. I retired the day I got my first Social Security check. But…as I was warned by my friends who knew me better than I did…I was bored, and wanted a new project. I heard about online classes through other teachers who were having success. I found an online course specifically for cooking classes (Cooking Class Business School at HiddenRhythm.com), got the nuts and bolts down, and I finally entered the 21st century!

How do you decide which recipes to teach?

I felt there were plenty of other places to learn how to make chocolate chip cookies and banana bread-just take a look on YouTube alone. I had a specialty of Austro-Hungarian baking thanks to my Kaffeehaus book, so I decided to niche into that category. I have branched out to a few other locations, but my goal is to expose students to something new and out of the ordinary. I also survey my students on what they would like me to teach, and those answers are amazing. People are truly interested in the more difficult desserts. Perhaps it is because so many people discovered baking as a hobby during the pandemic?

For students who have your cookbooks, what are the advantages of taking an online class?

There is no substitute for seeing a cook in action. Plus you get to answer questions during class. In a recent class, I made six-layer Dobos Torte in two hours' real-time to prove that you can do it without giving up a week of your life. And we don't have to travel to each other to be "together." My classes are videotaped so you can watch them at your convenience.

What are some highlights of your upcoming schedule of classes?

Honey cake

In October, I am teaching virtually all Hungarian desserts, things that will be new to most people. I am making one of my absolute favorites, Flódni, which is a Jewish bar cookie (almost a cake) with layers of apple, poppy seeds, and walnuts between thin sheets of wine-flavored cookie dough. San Franciscans in particular will be happy to see a master class that I am teaching with the delightful Michelle Polzine, owner of the late and lamented 20th Century Cafe and author of Baking at the 20th Century Cafe. We will be making her (in)famous 12-layer honey cake on two coasts, with me doing the heavy lifting in New Jersey and Michelle guiding me from the west coast. That is going to be fun! In November and December, I am switching over to holiday baking and a few savory recipes for Thanksgiving, including my fail-proof turkey and gravy, which I have made over 300 times in classes over 30 years' worth of teaching. It ought to be perfect by now

Head to Coffee and Cake to sign up for classes or learn more.

05 Oct 2021 3:56pm GMT

03 Dec 2014 8:12pm GMT

16 Jul 2014 6:08pm GMT

Après presque un mois et demi d'absence, deux bouclages d'albums et plein de projets, je trouve enfin le
temps de poster quelque chose sur ce blog ! Ces jours-ci, je vais avoir pas mal de choses à vous montrer !
On commence tranquille avec un petit dessin aux couleurs estivales.

14 Jul 2014 4:25pm GMT