About Brooklyn Baker Boy

I live in one of the greatest cities in the world, New York.  Living in a densely populated, urban area makes me appreciate wide open spaces.

Hello!  Thank you for checking out my blog.  My name is Kai and  I’m a west coast transplant who lives in Brooklyn, New York.  I love to explore the city, to travel, to drink coffee, eat good food, to feed people.  I am a recreational runner and cyclist and love the feel of dirt beneath my shoes.  I have run five marathons so far and who knows what the future holds? Trail running is a passion of mine and without a car, accessing nature can be a challenge.  I miss the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain ranges from back home!

Most of my posts are about baking, dogs, and running.

I discovered my calling after working a series of really good jobs that weren’t exactly the right fit.  It wasn’t until I  finished school that I discovered what was missing. These days I work as a therapist with youth and families in NYC.  The opportunities for the future seem limitless and I cannot express how many times I thank my lucky stars.

I began baking as a kid.  I spent my free time climbing trees, playing football and making cookies.  My favorite thing to bake is a chocolate chip cookie, believe it or not. What better way to bring a smile to someone’s face?  I love to bake and am self taught. I make a lot of cookies, cupcakes, bars and quick breads because it’s easy to transport them on the train to my coworkers.  I want to learn to make really good cakes and yeast breads.  I follow several cooking and baking blogs and often find inspiration from their recipes and post about them.  My skills are weak in the technique department but I follow a recipe well and am coachable.  I have a hunch pastry is a bit too fussy for my tastes because I lose patience. I hope to create beautifully decorated cookies and cakes one day.  For now, I am content baking weekly and winding down after a long week.

I love to cook meals too and find pleasure feeding people hearty meals.  I favor Italian, Mexican and Indian foods; pasta, rice, stews, good burgers, soups.  The smell of spices coming together?  Bliss.

If I didn’t run and exercise, I’d be as big as a house!

Clearly, I am a fan of dogs.  Honey (pictured in the bucket above) is a French Bulldog puppy who came to us in August 2011.  Here’s a picture of her dad:

Ruby the pug is an energetic six year old who is a bit of a clown.

 

Coco the Frenchie lived to be almost three years old and was the epitome of sweet lap dog.  Sadly, she passed in May 2011.

 

 

Animal Haven is a no kill shelter in the SoHo district of Manhattan.  I have the pleasure of spending some volunteer time with this nonprofit.  To learn more go to their web page:  http://support.animalhavenshelter.org/site/PageNavigator/AboutUs_Homepage