In a pinch...

... you can use ground up popcorn instead of coarse cornmeal.

Over the holidays I made some baguettes, but unfortunately forgot to pick up polenta (i.e. coarse cornmeal) from the store while I bought ingredients. The polenta keeps the dough from sticking to the pizza peel (or back of baking tray) while it rises. It makes it a lot easier to slide into a hot oven!!!

I also think polenta gives the bread really great flavor. It's even better with pizza crusts. Try it next time you make a crusty loaf of bread! (I'll post a recipe at some point.)

We scrounged through the pantry to find suitable replacements, and after trying to quickly make bread crumbs, considering oatmeal, and even looking at some Malt-o-Meal (before realizing it was brown sugar flavored), I realized that popcorn might work.

We used D's dad's coffee grinder to grind up some kernels (I wouldn't do this on a regular basis--it kind of wears on the grinder), and voila--coarse cornmeal.

What are some of your substitution tricks?

A food tour of Berkeley, CA

As a long-time Berkeley resident, and child of an absolute foodie, I'd say I know my way around the Berkeley food scene fairly well. If you ever find yourself visiting, here are the absolutely must see things:

1. The Berkeley Bowl:
I remember when the Berkeley Bowl was still in the old bowling alley, with crowded aisles and wooden crates of fruit and veggies. There are now two locations, although the original is better. Go here to see a HUGE selection of amazing seasonal produce (don't expect to find apricots in November), a great bulk food section, and a wide collection of anything related to Asian cooking. Make sure to check out the squishy shelf—fruits and veggies on the tail end of prime condition with huge discounts. In the original store, it's located by the bulk lettuce and berries.

2. Cheeseboard Pizza
Crisp, garlicky, sourdough crust; multiple, flavorful, melting cheeses; fresh, sweet, savory vegetables... what more could you ask for in a pizza? They serve up one flavor of vegetarian pizza Tuesday thru Saturday, so make sure to check their flavor of the day ahead of time. My favorite is the fresh corn pizza in the summer months. Also worthwhile is the olive focaccia from two doors down—the original Cheeseboard. (Also a great place to sample cheeses, if you're into that sort of thing.)

3. La Farine
Ok, so this one is actually in Oakland, but it's about a half block out of Berkeley, so I'll count it. A quick bus ride from UC Berkeley's campus, this bakery has been a staple in my life since a young age. I've already mentioned their incredible morning buns, gooey sticky sugary syrup wrapped in flaky, buttery pastry dough. More importantly, though, is their rustic baguette. At one point, my father had to ask their baking schedule because they sold out so quickly. I've tried a lot of baguettes, and this is the most delightfully flavorful of them all. Great plain, or spread with some good french butter (preferably from the Cheeseboard.)