man + fire + food = fulfilled 16 May 2014 6:12 PM (10 years ago)
I am taking a moment today to acknowledge a subject I've hinted at but never really stated outright: I suffer from depression and generalized anxiety. Today is the second day in what seems like months, that I did not feel like every cell of my body was filled with led. When just getting out of bed, and putting one foot in front of the other is literally all the energy I can manage, and life is reduced to a series of Herculean tasks such as shower, get dressed, eat. This is not mental, it is physiological.
I mention this in context of this blog, not to garner sympathy, but as an illustrative paradigm. Food, and specifically cooking, is the rope I rely on to pull myself out of the mire. It helps me feel connected to the earth, life and death, in a very tangible - primal - way. It requires of me enough concentration and care to pull myself out of my head, and it facilitates connection to the people closest to me when I have forgotten how to do this for myself.
Even when the distance between us is only the diameter of the table, everyone can feel miles away when I am depressed. But, if I'm cooking something that tugs at my memories of growing up, my mother's unbanked macaroni and cheese for instance, then even people that are hundreds of miles away, can be brought into the immediate. I can even conjure people who came before me, but who's presence I can feel. When I am making a recipe that belonged to my great grandmother, I can, not just copy but, recreate her experience of eating this cookie, or that casserole.
The past couple of weeks however, I have struggled to do even the simplest of cooking. Falling back on what are some of my worst habits: skipping breakfast, buying lunch, and sometimes also buying dinner. Feeding the depression excesses of sugar, fat, and salt, surrendering to the ease and convenience of fast food, and letting myself feel powerless to lift a spoon, even when I know it is the only way I can dig myself out of the pit I've once again fallen into. I deliberately do not feed my body - and my soul - what it really needs: whole, real, simple food cooked by my own hands.
So, it's back to the stove for me, and back to basics. Go to bed on time, get up at a regular time, eat good food that nourishes my body, and exercise. Write something, every, single, day.
Dinner tonight was pasta with pancetta, peas, and cream: not any more complicated that boiling water and tossing ingredients into a frying pan, but ultimately better than anything that has ever been served at Olive Garden. Later, I'm making sautéed mushrooms with garlic, thyme, and olive oil on thick slabs of toasted Zingerman's country bread.
I have two baking projects planned for tomorrow: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, and Rhubarb Streusel Muffins. I am also planning to make a Roasted Tomato Soup, and two different mushroom soups later this week, both due to the local mega mart (Meijers) having mushrooms and tomatoes on sale $10.00 for 10. And, for any obligate carnivores reading this, I'll be inaugurating my in-laws new grill with a batch of venison burgers.
I am hoping to fill the week gap between semesters with a little pot stirring, and freezer filling, and may have travel plans for the long May weekend that involve feeding 6 - 8 at my sister-in-law's cabin. Being busy is best for me, even when it doesn't feel like it: I know that much is true.
cooked 19 Apr 2014 5:24 PM (11 years ago)
There are times when the problems and obstacles seem so large that it seems easier to give up and learn to live with your own disappointment in yourself. But I am not very good with regrets, so I guess I had better put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.
I have just embarked on reading "Cooked," by Michael Pollan. I am hoping that it serves to spur me forward in my culinary pursuits before I stall entirely. It is reassuring and also a bit disheartening to read someone eloquently layout everything you've been thinking and blathering about for the past few years. Mr. Pollan is a professor of Journalism so he knows a thing or two about writing, but that doesn't prevent me from feeling a twinge of jealousy. To say that he'd scooped my book idea would imply that I'd actually been working diligently towards writing a book of any kind in the first place.
One of the ideas I am thrilled to have confirmed is how central to the experience of being human cooking is. There is evidence to support the idea that cooking is the thing that enabled us to evolve our large brains, our social structures, and family groups. Food shapes our cities, and has organically determined where they are geographically according to shipping routes, water access, and availability of arable land. The country and the city are symbiotically connected to each other through food.
This week I have been dedicated to Spring Cleaning, organizing our storage, and donating, selling, pitching anything that I haven't used in more than a year. In short, I feel lighter and dust bunny free. But, I must be emphatic about this, I am ready to get back to pursuing my goals: cooking, baking, writing, and going to the gym. I have also been adapting to new technology in the form of an iPad. I am hopeful that the excitement of a new toy will likewise inspire some action. It has already inspired me to sit down and write a journal entry for this blog.
I will officially return to my previously scheduled life on Monday April, 21st.
multi-grain bread 25 Mar 2014 11:23 AM (11 years ago)
I don’t know about you, but, whenever I hear someone talking
about multi-grain bread, I think of the Dead Duck scene in the movie About a
Boy. Young Marcus (the boy) has been given a home made multigrain loaf so dense
and stale that he gives up trying to tare it up in order to feed the birds,
that he heaves the whole loaf into the pond, accidentally killing a duck. Whether
this resonates with you or not, we’ve all encountered those leaden offerings so
dry and gritty that even a thick slathering with butter can’t lubricate it
enough to swallow.
While still being a lean dough, this bread is predominantly
made from bread flour with the additions of a multigrain soaker and a
proportion of whole wheat flour. Unlike many loaves of its ilk, it is a
pleasure to eat toasted or in the right sandwich.
Whether your mixing by hand or by machine, it will take
additional time to develop a good gluten structure in the dough. Bran, no
matter how finely ground, tends to cut through gluten strands, and the soaked
grains compound the issue. It is, absolutely possible, but will require a
little more effort than a standard “patent” flour dough. If you haven’t built
up much endurance for kneading by hand I recommend making the dough in a stand
mixer fitted with a dough hook. It will still take 8 – 10 minutes to
sufficiently work to the dough to develop the gluten.
I did not pursue this step in this recipe, but an autolysis
stage may help to reduce the kneading time. My recommendation, and what I am
planning to attempt the next time I make this recipe, is to mix the final dough
roughly, and then allowing it to sit to fully hydrate and begin forming a
gluten structure. About 30 minutes should do the trick, before you begin to work
the dough.
*A traditional autolyse method would have you withhold the
yeast and salt until after the resting and hydration stage. This dough already
has a soaker component and a pâte
fermentée so both yeast and salt are already present, and the small additional
amounts applied before the autolysis stage won’t harm gluten development.
Recipe following cut:
Equipment:
2 – 21.5cm x 11.5cm [8.5” x 4.5”] loaf pans, extra-large
7.5L – 11L [8qt – 12qt] capacity mixing bowl, 6.5L [7qt] mixing bowl, 2 - 6.5L [7qt] capacity heat
proof bowl, medium
~3.3L [ 3.5 qt.] mixing bowl, 500ml [2 cup] capacity measuring cup with
spout, 250ml [1 cup] capacity measuring cup with spout, flexible bowl scraper,
rigid bench scraper, plastic wrap, silicone pastry brush, plastic spray bottle
with clean water, 30cm x 46cm x 5cm [12” x 18” x 2”] pan for water, 46cm x 30cm
[18”x12“] half sheet pan, metric/imperial scale
Ingredients:
Soaker
110g 7-grain cereal, such as Bob’s Red Mill
25g sunflower seeds
15g flax seeds*
150g water [150ml]
Pâte
Fermentée
215g unbleached bread flour
2g instant yeast
155g water
4g fine grade sea salt
Dough
300g unbleached bread flour
225g whole wheat flour
5g instant yeast
325g water [325ml]
16g fine grade sea salt
365g pâte
fermentée
280g soaker
- softened butter for pans
-vegetable oil for bowls and plastic wrap
* From maximum absorption of the nutrients in the flax seed,
crack the seeds in a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a sauce pan before using.
Mise en place:
Weigh the ingredients for the soaker in the medium sized
mixing bowl. Stir to combine and cover. Let stand at room temperature 8 – 10
hours of overnight.
Weigh flour for Pâte
Fermentée into the xl capacity bowl, place salt and yeast on opposite sides of
the bowl until ready to mix.
Mix the dough by hand, using an orbital motion with one hand
while turning the bowl with your clean hand. Switch to a kneading action to
pick up all the available flour in the bowl. Knead on a floured surface for 10
minutes, and place in oiled heatproof bowl. Cover and ferment at room
temperature for 10 – 12 hours or overnight. Clean up.
Method:
The day you intend to bake the loaves, weigh the flours, salt
and yeast into the xl capacity mixing bowl keeping the salt and yeast separate
as before. Use the bench scraper to cut the pâte fermentée into small pieces [about 12 – 14] and
toss in the flour, salt and yeast.
Add water, and mix using an orbital motion with one hand,
while turning the bowl with your clean hand. Mix until you have incorporated
the available water forming a stiff rough dough with some flour remaining in
the bowl. Add the soaker and mix to combine.
Switch to a kneading motion inside the bowl to collect all
available dry ingredients. Transfer to a floured surface and knead into a
cohesive ball. Continue kneading for 15 – 18 minutes to ensure gluten
development.
Move finished dough to an oiled heatproof bowl, cover and
ferment for 2 full hours.
><><><><
Tip dough onto a floured work surface and divide in two.
Shape each half into a ball and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow balls to
rest 20 minutes.
Grease the loaf pans with butter and place them together on
the sheet pan
Flatten the balls into rectangles and shape to fit the loaf
pans by rolling the dough away from you and pinching the bottom seam and ends
closed.
Transfer to prepared pans and cover with oiled plastic wrap.
Proof 2 hours or more until dough has crested the upper lip of the pans.
><><><><
Preheat oven 230ºC
[450ºF] and adjust
one oven rack to the center positions. Place the large deep water pan on the
bottom rack.
Immediately before baking, slash loaves and place 500ml [2
cups] water into the pan. Place loaves along with the sheet pan on the center
rack. Close the door.
After one minute, open the door and spray the side walls of
the oven. Repeat this twice more.
Bake for a total of 35 – 40 minutes. Until crust is browned
and the loaves sound hallow when gently thumped with the finger.
Transfer immediately to wire rack and cool 1 hour, minimum
before slicing.
Note: I’ve give times for kneading this dough by hand, if
using a dough hook and machine 10 to 12 minutes on medium speed should be
sufficient.
morning glory muffins 25 Mar 2014 10:47 AM (11 years ago)
I wish I invented these muffins, but I didn’t. A nice lady,
and Chef, by the name of Pam McKinstry, came up with them in 1978 on Nantucket Island
I use these as a healthful or at least beneficial
combination of meal replacement and energy bar, and you don’t even need to
break out your chemistry set to make them. And maybe healthful, beneficial, and
meal replacement sound like disappointing diet food, but I assure you they are
anything but. Full of tart apple flavor, the earthy sweetness of coconut, dried
cherries, carrots, and almonds, accented by salty sunflower seeds, these pack
both a nutritive and flavor punch that is 100% crave-able.
Raisins are traditional, but for a Michigan twist I substitute dried cherries.
I’ve also tried dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for a seasonal twist. You
can likewise substitute any equal weight of your favorite nuts for the almonds.
It’s all good.
Recipe following cut:
Equipment:
large 5.20 L [5.5 qt.] capacity mixing bowl, medium ~3.3L [ 3.5 qt.] mixing bowl,
box grater, small
.50 L [1 pt.] capacity bowl, 500 ml [2 cup] capacity liquid measuring cup,
500ml [2 cup] capacity fine mesh sieve, wire cooling rack, flexible silicone
spatula, wire whisk, 2 - ~260ml [~9 fl oz] capacity large muffin pan, #8
large capacity batter or ice cream scoop, 46cm x 30cm [18”x12“] half
sheet pan, flexible bowl scraper, metric/imperial scale
Ingredients:
120g dried cherries or raisins [~¾ cup]
425g unbleached all purpose flour {~3 cups]
310g granulated sugar [~1½ cups]
18g baking soda [~3 tsp]
9g ground cinnamon [~3 tsp]
5g ground ginger [~1½
tsp]
6g fine grade sea salt [~¾ tsp]
385g peeled and grated carrots [~3 cups + 1tbsp]
300g grated tart apple* [~2 cups + 2 tbsp]
120g sweetened shredded coconut [~¾ cup]
75g sliced almonds [~¾
cup]
60g roasted and salted sunflower seeds [~⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + 2tsp]
225g egg, lightly beaten** [~4 lg eggs + 1 egg yolk]
220g canola, or vegetable oil [~1 cup]
9g pure vanilla extract [~3 tsps]
Garnish
40g roasted and salted sunflower seeds [~⅓ cup]
25g sliced almonds [~¼
cup]
40g turbinato sugar [~ scant ¼ cup]
- vegetable shortening for pan
Mise en place:
Grease the interior and lip of the muffin wells with
vegetable shortening, or line with paper liners.
Place the raisins in a microwave safe bowl, and cover with
water to 1 cm [½
inch] above the fruit. Microwave on high for 2 minutes and set aside to
rehydrate 10 minutes.
Grate carrot and then weigh into the medium sized mixing
bowl. Repeat with apple. Weigh sweetened coconut, almonds, sunflower seeds,
into the same bowl. Set aside until needed.
Weigh all the dried ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda,
spices and salt) into the large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set on a clean
work surface.
Drain raisins and set aside until needed.
Weigh the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract into the measuring
cup and whisk briefly to combine.
Combine garnish ingredients [sunflower seeds, almonds, and
turbinato sugar] in the small mixing bowl and set aside until needed.
Method:
Preheat oven to 190ºC
[375ºF]
Toss grated mixture with flour mixture to coat the various
items with flour.
Fold in the wet ingredients, followed by the raisins.
Add two full scoops of batter to each well, filling the cups
¾ full.
Divide the topping between the muffins and sprinkle on wet
batter. Continue to mix toss these ingredients together too keep them evenly
distributed from muffin to muffin.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center comes out clean-ish – a couple crumbs are preferred but no unbaked batter
should appear on the test pick.
Cool in pan 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool
completely.
sing out louise 16 Mar 2014 8:14 PM (11 years ago)
I hadn’t planned to take Spring Break off from the kitchen
or this blog, but I accept that I probably needed the rest more than I needed
to work on my pate a choux technique. The plan was to get a bunch of baking done,
the reality was me doing as little as possible to still put food on the table
and stick – roughly - to my lifestyle plan.
Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, but today I cooked Corned
Beef and Cabbage with fresh homemade Soda Bread. I had to drive some distance to get to the
nearest Wholelfoods to pick up a nitrite and nitrate free brisket, and it was
$10 more than anything I could get in town, but it was worth it to be able to
serve up one of my husband’s favorite seasonal treats without making us sick. By
sick, I don’t mean having a long term negative effect on our health, I mean
sick in the immediate sense of the word. Next year, the plan is to get ahead
and cure - or corn - my own. For this year; however, it just was not possible.
I’ve spent a good deal of time worrying about
this blog. It seems to me, that these days you have to have a gimmick to get
any attention at all. Whether it’s being a Beer Bitch, or having an encyclopedic
knowledge of every Pizza in Pittsburg ,
or cooking up vegan vittles in full Death Metal costume, it seems the more peculiar the twist the more
attention it receives. The trouble is this is cooking, not burlesque, and this
blog has no gimmick. It’s just me and an ordinary home kitchen, doing my best
to cook and serve delicious and healthy meals to my family while also learning the art of bread, and pastry baking. Frankly, I haven’t got the energy to try to
maintain something more attention-grabbing, and it wouldn’t be true to myself
or my approach to food if I did.
I am a slow food guy. I believe in referencing the past and
eating whole real food: reared, produced, and cooked with care. It takes time.
It is real work. It has actual value. No
Gimmicks! I have a tremendous amount of respect for those chefs who are trying
to push the boundaries, but a perfectly constructed morsel suspended in a smoke
filled cloche just isn’t the food that will hold up to the test of time. Cucina
Povera, Cuisine de Grand-Mere, this is the stuff that we’ve eaten for hundreds
if not thousands of years and we still enjoy, crave, and are comforted by,
today.
So ok, this might be the Gypsy Rose Louise of the blog world.
Tessie Tura, Miss Mazzeppa, and Miss Electra may have a fun song that always brings
down the house, but no one wrote a whole score about them either. This blog,
and I, are only part of a bigger story. One that, I hope, continues to be told.
Of how we all turned back to real tangible values, put food and people first,
and moved money and possessions back where they belong: further on down the list of priorities.
cinnamon raisin bread 10 Mar 2014 4:20 PM (11 years ago)
Equipment:
2 – 21.5cm x 11.5cm [8.5” x 4.5”] loaf pans, extra-large
7.5L – 11L [8qt – 12qt] capacity mixing bowl, large 6L [6.5qt] heatproof bowl,
silicone basting brush, bench scraper, flexible bowl scraper, plastic wrap, 2 -
46cm x 30cm [18”x12“] half sheet pan, 46cm x 30cm x 5cm [18”x 12“ x 2”]500ml [2
cup] capacity measuring cup with a pouring spout, 2 - 500ml [2 cup] capacity
small mixing bowl, minimum 60ml [¼
cup] capacity microwave safe bowl or stove top butter warmer, spray bottle with
water, 1.5L [1.6qt] capacity saucepan, fine mesh sieve ~ 500ml capacity [2
cups]
Ingredients:
460g unbleached bread flour [~3½ cups]
20g granulated sugar [~4 tsp]
10g fine grade sea salt [~1¼ cups]
7g instant yeast [~2 tsp]
4g ground cinnamon [~1¼ cups]
57g egg, lightly beaten [~1 x-large]
30g unsalted butter, melted and cooled [~2 tbsp]
120g buttermilk, at room temperature [~½ cup] 130ml
170g water, at room temperature** [~¾ cup] 170ml
260g raisins* [~1½
cups]
110g granulated sugar
15g ground cinnamon
-canola or vegetable oil for bowl, work surface, and plastic
wrap
-unsalted butter to grease the loaf pans
*Rehydrate raisins after weighing.
Mise en place:
Bring the weighed raisins to a boil in enough water to
cover. Turn off the burner and allow them to rehydrate for ten minutes. **Pour
into sieve, reserving the water to use in the dough. Allow the raisins to sit
and drain until needed. Water should cool to minimum 35ºC [95ºF]
before using.
Butter the loaf pans and place together on half-sheet pan.
Weigh flour, sugar, sea salt, yeast and 4g cinnamon into the
extra-large bowl, keeping the salt and yeast separate. Place this on a clear
and clean work surface.
Melt butter in the small bowl for 30 seconds in the
microwave and set aside to cool.
Weight/measure buttermilk into one of the measuring cups,
add egg, and butter and beat slightly to combine.
Weigh/measure the cooled raisin water into the second
measuring cup and set aside. Add tap water if needed to equal the required
amount of liquid.
Oil the heat proof bowl and set aside until needed.
Place additional flour near the extra-large mixing bowl,
alone with the bowl and bench scrapers.
Combine 110g granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl
and set aside until needed.
Place the deep sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven, and
adjust the top shelf to the middle position.
Method:
Stir the flour mixture together with the fingers of one hand
slightly spread. Move the mixed flour to the outside of the bowl creating a
well in the center.
Add buttermilk mixture. Using the same hand as before, stir
the ingredients together using an orbital motion, turning the bowl with your
clean hand.
Add the water and continue to mix as above until you have formed
a ragged dough.
Switch to a kneading action, collecting all of the available
flour from the interior of the bowl. If needed use a bowl scraper to help you.
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10
minutes, or until a smooth ball forms that is tacky but not sticky.
Spread the kneaded dough out on the counter and top with the
plumped and drained raisins. Fold this over itself once and begin kneading for
an additional 2 minutes.
Place finished dough into the oiled bowl, cover with plastic
wrap and ferment for 2 full hours at room temperature.
Lightly oil your work surface and tip the fermented dough
out. Divide the dough into two even pieces by cutting it with a bench scraper.
Shape these into two rectangles and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Rest 10
minutes.
Using a lightly oiled rolling pin, shape the dough into a
rectangle 22cm x 30cm [9” x 12”]. Carefully sprinkle with half of the cinnamon
sugar mixture leaving a 1cm [½”]
boarder around the outside of the rectangle.
Roll the dough away from you to form a log, pinch the bottom
and sides together to fully enclose the cinnamon swirl. Place in buttered loaf
pan and repeat with the second piece of dough.
Cover with oiled plastic wrap and proof 90 – 120 minutes
until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 180ºC
[350ºF]
Slash
loves to allow for oven spring and pour 250ml of water on the deep sheet pan in
the oven.
After 1 minute, spray the sides of the oven with the spray
bottle and close the door. Repeat this twice waiting 1 minute in between
repetitions.
Bake for a total of 40 – 50 minutes.
Transfer loaves immediately to a wire cooling wrack and cool
for minimum one hour before slicing.
Make ahead:
Loaves keep for five days in an air tight container or zip
top bag. Frozen the loaves will last up to one month, but they rarely last out
the week.
a little rest for the wicked 10 Mar 2014 4:19 PM (11 years ago)
Weigh in: 252 lbs.
The high today was 46ºF.
I’ve been enjoying a little rest for the past couple of days, relying on old
faithful but boring dinners to keep everyone fed with minimal effort. I am very
sore from working out, I know, I’ve mentioned it before, but with all
seriousness, OW! Tonight it’s back to the treadmill but I don’t think I’ll be
doing any weight training for a few days.
Tomorrow I’ll be back in the kitchen in earnest. Potage Noir
for dinner, and I’m making Morning Glory Muffins and if I can manage it, a
Chocolate and Stout Cake. Wednesday, it’s Brioche and pate a choux.
The Cinnamon Raisin bread I made this weekend is more than
half gone, as is the boule. I guess it’s time to make more.
spring forward gently 8 Mar 2014 5:21 PM (11 years ago)
Yesterday I made another French Boule just to be sure that
the first one wasn’t a fluke. I’m proud to say it was not. I also made Cinnamon
Raisin Bread. We had breakfast for dinner.
In my last journal entry I was talking about self induced pain
and suffering, and since then I’ve gone back for more. Making bread by hand is,
in itself, a fairly descent core workout, but apparently I’m a glutton for
punishment. True, I’ve been complaining and whimpering this past week but it is
remarkable how much cardiovascular and weight training do to help me cope with
daily life.
I am not, I can assure you, going to turn into some roughage
eating gym monkey any time soon, but it’s clear from everything I’ve done in my
forty-five years on this planet, my body and mind are happiest when I move. Whether or not I can use a long genetic lineage of peasants, servants, and fisherment as a reason, the release
of Cortisol is essential to my well being.
I had a vegetarian burrito at a chain restaurant for dinner tonight.
I had been planning a vegetable stir fry but life, and my in-laws, had other
plans. Spring break is only two days old, I’m behind on the baking projects I wanted to complete, and I’m
planning to take tomorrow off from the kitchen to work on laundry etc.
Spring forward tonight: I’ve never been a fan of Daylight
Savings Time.
orange sweet rolls 5 Mar 2014 2:15 PM (11 years ago)
Yeild: 12 large rolls
Equipment:
46cm x 30cm [13” x 18”] half sheet pans, parchment paper,
rolling pin, large 7.5L – 11L [8qt – 12qt] capacity mixing bowl, 3.3L [3.5qt]
capacity mixing bowl, 6.5L [7qt] capacity heat proof bowl, 500ml [2 cup]
capacity mixing bowl, 500ml [2 cup] capacity measuring cup with a spout, 60ml [¼ cup] capacity measuring
cup with spout, silicone pastry brush, 20cm [8”] sharp chef’s knife, 20cm [8”]
offset pallet knife, wire whisk, silicone spatula, 30ml [2 tbsp] pinch bowl,
fine microplane grater, large wire cooling rack ~40cm x 50cm [15” x 20”]
Ingredients:
90g granulated sugar [~6½ tbsp]
7g fine grade sea salt [~1 tsp]
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature [~5½ tbsp]
50g egg, at room temperature [~1 large]
3g orange extract [~1 tsp] 5ml
460g unbleached bread flour [~3½ tbsp]
8g instant yeast [~2 tsp]
290g buttermilk, at room temperature [1¼ cups] 290ml
110g light brown sugar [~½ cup packed]
16g orange zest [~⅓
cup] *from ~ 4 oranges
180g confectioner’s sugar [~3cups]
40g milk [~3 tbsp] 40ml
3g orange extract [~1 tsp] 5ml
-vegetable or canola oil
-additional flour for dusting
Mise en place:
Weigh butter and sugar into the large mixing bowl and set on
a clear work surface.
Weigh flour into the medium mixing bowl. Weigh salt and then
yeast in the pinch bowl and transfer to opposite sides of the mixing bowl. Set
this on the work surface beside the larger bowl.
Reuse pinch bowl to weight orange extract, and place with
others.
Oil the heat proof bowl and set aside until needed.
Weigh butter milk into the 500ml capacity measuring cup and
set beside the mixing bowl.
Weight the egg into the 60ml measuring cup and set with the other
weighed ingredients.
Method:
Using the spatula cream the butter and sugar together until
pale, add egg and beat vigorously to incorporate air and blanch the mixture.
Add the orange extract.
Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together with one hand and immediately
add these to the creamed mixture in one addition.
With the fingers of one hand slightly spread, use an orbital
motion to mix the flour into the butter and sugar mixture turning the bowl with
your clean hand. Add buttermilk and mix until dough forms a sticky loose mass.
Switch to a kneading motion to incorporate all of the flour and then transfer
dough to a floured work surface.
Knead the dough for 12 – 15 minutes, alternating before a
traditional kneading motion and stretching and “smearing” the dough in all
directions – called Fraisage. The finished dough should be tacky to slightly
sticky, supple, and bounce back when pressed with a finger.
Transfer to the oiled heat proof bowl, cover with plastic
wrap, and ferment at room temperature for 2 full hours.
Meanwhile, zest oranges and weigh the brown sugar into the
cleaned medium mixing bowl.
When dough has doubled in size, very lightly oil a clear
work surface and transfer the dough to the counter.
Lightly flour a rolling pin to prevent sticking and roll the
dough into a 36cm x 30cm x 1.5cm [14” x 12” x ⅔ inch] rectangle. If dough springs back excessively,
cover with oiled plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes before continuing to roll
into shape.
Quickly mix the brown sugar and orange zest and sprinkle over
the dough. Use an offset pallet knife to spread the mixture evenly over the
dough leaving 1cm [½”]
uncovered on the edge closest to your body
Roll the dough gently towards from you and pinch the seam
closed. Roll dough onto the seam and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to
rest 5 minutes.
Cut into 12 even pieces 3cm [1⅛”] and place these 1cm [½”] apart on the sheet tray.
Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to proof for 75 – 90
minutes
Preheat oven to 180ºC
[350ºF] with the
rack in the middle position.
Bake the sweet rolls for 20 – 30 minutes until lightly
browned.
Cool on pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to
cool completely.
Make the glaze: Mix confectioner’s sugar, orange extract,
and milk together to form a thick glaze that will evenly coat the sweet rolls.
Adjust texture with additional milk or confectioner’s sugar as needed.
Spoon glaze over cooled sweet rolls, and allow to set before
serving. Approximately 30 minutes.
Make ahead:
Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Reheat
individual servings, as needed, in a microwave for 15 – 30 seconds before
serving.
blueberry lemon scones 5 Mar 2014 1:13 PM (11 years ago)
What can I say about scones? Being a descendant of both
English and Scottish heritage scones are prolific in my childhood memories.
Just sweet enough to be a dessert but not so sweet you feel guilty eating them
as a late afternoon snack. Clotted cream, butter, and jam may be traditional,
but these need no adornment at all.
These cream scones have a texture and crumb most American’s
associate with biscuits, and are, in fact, more New England than United Kingdom
in style. They are rich with butter and lightly sweet, but the tart blueberries
and lemon gaze balance that nicely. They are, quite simply, addictive with a
cup of tea or any hot caffeinated beverage you choose.
Recipe following cut:
Yeild: 12 scones
Equipment:
2 – 46cm x 30cm [13” x 18”] half sheet pans, parchment
paper, rolling pin, orbital stand mixer with paddle attachment, medium 3.3L
[3.5qt] mixing bowl, .50L [1 qt.] capacity mixing bowl, 500ml capacity beaker
of measuring cup with spout, 60 ml [¼
cup] capacity measuring cup with spout, 60 ml [¼ cup] capacity small bowl, 30ml [2.5 tbsp] capacity
pinch bowl, cutting board, flexible cutting mat, 20cm [8”] chef’s knife, 9cm
[3.5”] pastry cutter, bench scraper, large offset pallet knife, microplane
zester, 2.5cm [1”] wide pastry brush, wire whisk, 500ml [2 cup] capacity fine
mesh sieve, large wire cooling rack ~40cm x 50cm [15” x 20”]
Ingredients:
540g all purpose flour [~4 cups]
10g all purpose flour [~ 1 tbsp]
55g granulated sugar [~¼ cup]
24g baking powder [~2 tbsp]
14g fine grade sea salt [~2 tsp]
340g unsalted butter, cold [~¾ lb 1½
cups, or three sticks]
250g eggs, cold [~4 extra-large] 250ml
230g heavy whipping cream, cold [~1 cup] 250ml
170g blueberries, dredged with flour above [~6 ounces or a
scant cup]
10g lemon zest [~ one lemon]
54g egg, room temperature [~1 extra large]
15g water [~1tbsp] 15ml
175g confectioners sugar [~2 cups]
50g freshly squeeze lemon juice [~scant ¼ cup]
Mise en place:
Weigh flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the
work-bowl of the stand mixer, and fix into place.
Weigh heavy cream and eggs into the beaker and set beside
the stand mixer.
Weigh blueberries and dredge with 10g measurement of flour,
set aside until needed.
Remove zest from lemon using the microplane zester and
collect into the pinch bowl. Set beside stand mixer until needed.
Cut the butter into 1 cm cubes, [~½”] and place beside the stand mixer.
Beat the egg and water together in the small bowl until
homogenous and set aside.
Weigh and sift confectioner’s sugar into medium mixing bowl
and set aside.
Cut zested lemon and squeeze the juice into the small
measuring cup, using your fingers as a sieve. Set aside with the confectioner’s
sugar.
Method:
Preheat oven to 210ºC
[400ºF]
Turn mixer on low and allow it to combine the dry mixture
for thirty seconds. Add the zest and allow it to distribute evenly through the
dried ingredients. Approximately 30 seconds. Add cubed cold butter and mix on
low speed until it resembled coarse sand with some pea sized pieces of butter
remaining visible.
With the mixer running, pour in the egg and heavy cream
mixture. Mix until a dough forms and begins to cohere into a ball.
Add blueberries and pulse the mixer one to three times to
incorporate the berries.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and pat into a
loose circle. Roll or pat the dough down to 2.5cm [1”] thickness. Use the bench
scraper to fold the dough over itself folding it in half from top to bottom and
then again from left to right.
Roll the dough into a 2cm [¾”] thickness and cut into rounds with the pastry cutter.
Transfer
cut scones to the sheet trays, approximately 6 per tray.
Stack
the scraps on top of each other, and re-roll once.
Brush
the top of each scone with egg and water mixture (egg wash) just before baking.
Bake 20
– 25 minutes.
Remove
from oven and cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool
completely.
When
scones have cooled, whisk the lemon juice into the confectioner’s sugar to
create a thin glaze. Adjust the thickness of the glaze to a drizzling texture
with water or confectioner’s sugar if needed.
Place
the wire rack over one of the sheet pans and drizzle the glaze over the scones.
Allow to set before serving.
Make
ahead:
These
are truly best the day they are made, but keep for up to a week in an airtight
container. Warm individual scones for 20 – 30 seconds in a microwave just
before serving.
french boule 5 Mar 2014 12:58 PM (11 years ago)
What the heck is a pâte
fermentée? In American English we’d call it a starter.
For me, however, that nomenclature has always conjured the notion of wild yeast
sour dough breads, which I love, but which this is not. A pâte fermentée is a semi-stiff
dough that is fermented for a long period time to improve flavor and stability
in lean bread doughs. In contrast to other pre-fermenting methods this is, in
ratio at least, a smaller version of the finished dough which is fermented
first at room temperature and then stored under refrigeration for between 4 or
5 hours up to over night.
I’ve been making sandwich style breads for a while now. This
is my very first, free form bread so I started with the simplest shape, a ball
or boule. When I am confident that the results above are not beginners luck, I
will move on to the torpedo or Bâtard
style, and eventually to the quintessential French bread Baguettes.
Recipe following cut:
Equipment:
extra-large 7.5L – 11L [8qt – 12qt] capacity mixing bowl, 6.5L
[7qt] mixing bowl, 6.5L [7qt] capacity
heat proof bowl, 250ml [1 cup] capacity measuring cup with spout, flexible bowl
scraper, rigid bench scraper, plastic wrap, silicone pastry brush, 30cm x 38cm
[12” x 15”] flat metal baking tray, parchment paper, plastic spray bottle with
clean water, 30cm x 46cm x 5cm [12” x 18” x 2”] pan for water
Ingredients:
Pre-ferment
145g unbleached all purpose flour [~1¼ cups]
145g unbleached bread flour [1¼ cups]
5g fine grade sea salt [~¾ tsp]
4g instant yeast [~½
tsp]
175g water, room temperature [~¾ cup] 180ml
Dough
145g unbleached all purpose flour [~1¼ cups]
145g unbleached bread flour [1¼ cups]
5g fine grade sea salt [~¾ tsp]
4g instant yeast [~½
tsp]
175g water, room temperature [~¾ cup] 180ml
- vegetable or canola oil for fermentation bowl and plastic
wrap
- semolina or corn meal for baking tray
- additional water and flour as needed
Mise en place:
Make the pâte
fermentée:
Weight both of the flours into the 7.5L mixing bowl, place measured
salt on one side of the bowl and yeast on the other.
Weight/measure the water into the measuring cup with spout.
Mix the ingredients together with the fingers of one hand,
and form a well in the center of the bowl.
Pour the water into the well. With your fingers of one hand
slightly spread, use an orbital motion to mix the water into the flour to form
a ragged dough, while turning the bowl with the opposite hand. Change to a
kneading motion to incorporate all of the available flour in the bowl.
The dough should naturally begin to pull away from your
fingers, if it does not, pull it from you fingers with your clean hand and rub
your hands together briskly to continue to remove dough. Knead again until
dough is a uniform supple texture that is tacky but not excessively sticky. It
is easier to add flour during the kneading process than water, if you are
unsure, err on the side of a slightly sticky dough.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead for 6 – 8
minutes. Alternate a rolling and folding motion with stretching the dough in
alternate directions. The finished dough should be smooth and elastic, with
slightly tacky but not sticky exterior.
To check your work, stretch a small piece of the dough out
as far as you can without breaking it. It should have enough structural
integrity to stretch thin enough to see the shadow of your hand through the
dough, this - in the trade - is called the window pane test.
Place the pâte
fermentée into the oiled heat proof bowl and ferment,
covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature for 2 full hours.
Gently deflate the dough by turning it once in the oiled
bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Method:
Approximately 1 hour before making the dough, remove the pâte fermentée
from the refrigerator. Cut this into ten small pieces and place them in the
largest 7.5L – 11L [8qt – 12qt] bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and bring to room
temperature. 60 minutes minimum.
Wash and prepare to reuse the heat proof bowl.
Weight the flours and add them to the bowl. Weight the sea
salt and yeast as before, keeping these elements separate until ready to mix.
Toss the pieces of pre-fermented dough in the flour and add
the water.
Repeat the orbital motion, using one hand to mix and one to
turn the bowl. Adjust the texture as before and knead into a ball.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead, adding
flour as needed for 8 – 10 minutes. The finished dough should have a tacky but
not sticky exterior. Be quite aggressive, stretching and manipulating the dough
until you have a smooth, and elastic ball that passes the window pane test.
Place the dough into the oiled heatproof bowl and ferment at
room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. If dough doubles in
size prior to the end of the 2 hour fermentation, degas the dough gently
without removing it form the bowl and replace the plastic wrap.
Carefully transfer the fermented dough to a lightly floured
work surface trying to degas the dough as little as possible. Turn once in the
flour and pinch the bottom to form a loose balloon shape. Place the seam down
on the counter. With the backs of your hands against the work surface, slide
your hands together underneath the dough, bring it together, pinching and
rotating the dough to form a ball. Gently cup the ball in between both hands
and rotate it on the counter to finish shaping.
Lightly oil a flat cookie sheet, or the back of a sheet pan,
and line with parchment paper. Sprinkle the parchment with semolina flour or
corn meal to prevent sticking and give the baked loaf a characteristic tooth.
Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared sheet pan. Cover
loosely with oiled plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 75 – 90
minutes.
Place a large pan in the bottom of the oven and preheat oven
to 260ºC [500ºF]
Remove the plastic wrap for the final 10 – 15 minutes of the
proofing stage. When ready to bake, score the boule with a pound symbol #.
Place 500ml [~2 cups] hot water into the large pan on the
bottom of the oven, and immediately place the flat cookie sheet on the rack
above the steaming water.
Close the door for 60 seconds, open and spray the walls of
the oven with water.
Repeat this two more times.
Bake at 260ºC
[500ºF] for 10
minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 235ºC [450ºF.]
Bake for an additional 10 minutes, and then rotate the boule 180º.
Continue baking for 20 minutes at 235ºC [450ºF.]
Reduce oven temperature to 180ºC [350ºF]
and bake for ten more minutes.
Note: If the loaf begins to look too dark, turn the oven off
during the final ten minute baking period.
Total baking time: ~ 40 – 45 minutes.
Cool the finished loaf for minimum 1 hour before cutting.
The bread is still baking at this stage. You will hear some crackling and even
hissing as the bread cools.
Make ahead:
There is nothing like fresh bread, however, a homemade loaf
that has been frozen soon after cooling and then gently reheated beats anything
contemporary grocery stores have to offer.
Freeze bread double wrapped in plastic wrap and tin foil.
For long term storage, place the wrapped bread into a 7.5L [~2 gallon] zip top
bag.
self induced pain and suffering 5 Mar 2014 12:55 PM (11 years ago)
Thursday began at 5:00am, but not on purpose. I tried to
sleep until my alarm but my right hip and left shoulder had other ideas. After
catching up on the news, via BBC World Service, and with no sign of getting
sleepy again, I made some tea. Since I was up, with time to kill, I decided to
prepare dinner. I may be flat out exhausted when I get home but at least I
won’t have to cook.
Today is also Shrove Tuesday, though perhaps more famous as
Pancake Day, Paczki Day, and Mardi Gras. I attended a catholic grade school,
and remember our teachers serving the whole school pancakes the day before
lent. My Lenten fast may have gone out the window with the rest of my faith,
but I do remember Shrove Tuesday as a fun day, that as kids we looked forward
to. In honor of that memory, I made pancakes for the family which sufficed as
both breakfast and lunch.
I am looking forward to dinner. A Sweet Potato and Lentil
Stew with the full body of tomatoes spiced with curry powder and garam masala.
Meanwhile, I’ve been busy writing up my recipes from last weekend and planning
my next adventure with bread, by which I mean, I bought a traditional fluted
brioche mold.
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Dinner last night was delicious, and good thing too because
I have four quarts of it in the freezer!
I managed to drag my tired self to the gym last night with
the intention of doing cardio and a little weight lifting, nothing too
strenuous. I felt pretty good when I was done, but I could tell my muscles were
fatigued. Today, is another story: I am currently wearing a cap because washing
and combing my hair seemed like too painful a task.
Sore as I am, I am also feeling good about finally ripping
off the bandage and going. It will, at least theoretically, be easier to go
next time. Like all things, I have this idea that I must do a full-on workout
every time to make it worth the effort of leaving the house. I need to learn
that anything I can do will be beneficial.
Fitness is part of the “fuck it, I’m going to make bread,”
plan. At 45 I know I am not old, but I do need to condition my body to be as
fit and strong as possible. Otherwise I’ll be signing up for a livelihood of
long hours and near chronic pain.
I’ve written up four recipes in the past day or so and will
post those as soon as I’ve had the opportunity to put a fresh pair of eyes on
them.
practice, practice, practice 3 Mar 2014 2:20 PM (11 years ago)
I’ve been going through a bit of a crisis the past six
months, mostly in relation to my forty-fifth birthday, which is fast
approaching. Intellectually, I know I shouldn’t measure my own life by anyone’s
expectations, least of all those expectations I improvised when I was too young
to know better. But, it isn’t uncommon for people to reach this age and feel
unhappy with where they are, what they’ve achieved, and to some extent what do
and don’t have. These are, I’ll admit the ne plus ultra of first world
problems. I’m embarrassed to call it a mid-life crisis, but that is what it is.
I’ve felt lost, discontented, and worried about what I’m going to be able to
achieve with the little time I may have left. Fortunately, or unfortunately – take your pick
- I have an uncommon amount of time to contemplate what I want from my own
life, and what I really need to fell content and fulfilled, but there comes a
time when just have to suck it up and make a decision.
There are times in life when things fall into place and you
feel as if the whole universe is pointing you in the direction you should be
going: this is exactly what occurred for me this weekend. As I’ve written; I am
happiest when I’m fully engaged, mentally and physically in a task. I have always
been attracted to occupations that involve using my hands and creativity for my
whole life, and this impulse likely goes as deep as my DNA. I have been reading,
studying, and writing about food and cooking full time for years now. Some days
I feel as if I don’t have an idea what I am doing, and others I’m more confident
I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Now, however, I need to find a way to transition
all this learning into some kind of means, by which I mean, money! The answer
came to me in one of those rare crystalline moments when I was laying in a half
awake state and a voice from deep inside me spoke up and said, “fuck it all,
I’m going to make bread.”
OK so not that simple. I have wanted to go to culinary
school for baking and pastry, and I still intend to fulfill that dream someday.
In the mean time, however, there is nothing stopping me from teaching myself
everything I can. I also have a core need to write which I do not intend to
disregard. The two are not mutually exclusive. The plan, so far, is to focus
this blog and my energies towards making artisanal breads, and pastries. I will
be reporting about this process and all the other things that go on in the
kitchen, but I will – at least recipe wise – be focused on baking.
As important as I think home cooking and care of the family
are vital to a good life, it isn’t economically feasible for me to continue to
stay home indefinitely. I’ve spent a great deal of time writing about this in
an editorial that I’ll be posting here later so I don’t want to let the cat out
of the bag just yet.
The trick, for me, will be keeping my balance, which has
never been strong suit. I have a tendency to throw myself totally into whatever
I do and when the rewards aren’t commensurate with the effort I’m putting
forward, I end up burning out and moving on to a new obsession. Anyone who’s
known me for a long time can verify this pattern, and if nothing else comes of
this life, I’d like to learn how to break that habit.
At some point, I hope to sell these goods at a local farmers
or flea market, or possibly to area restaurants, with an eye on creating a
small and sustainable business for myself. In the mean time, however, I just
need to practice, practice, practice.
Worst case scenario: I learn to make artisanal breads and
pastry for my family and friends. ‘nuff said!
Today’s weigh in: 254lb. Sticking to the lifestyle changes,
as far as our diet goes, is starting to feel a little more natural, the trouble
of getting myself to the gym still needs to be solved. Then again, perhaps I
should give myself a break: I’ve been out shoveling snow every other day for most
of the winter. For that reason, I’ve changed the banner of this blog to spring
even if it is dressed for the date on the calendar and not the weather outside
my door.
before I can do anything 28 Feb 2014 4:28 AM (11 years ago)
Friday: and also payday! I have two projects on the go
today. First, I still have to firm up my menu plan for the coming week in time
to execute as much of it as possible later this weekend. Second, I’m making
sweet orange rolls. I have a large number of Satsuma oranges that need to be
used up. The recipe requires a large amount of zest, but a small amount of juice, so I
will be peeling the oranges and storing the segments in the fridge for easy
eating later.
I don’t want anyone to be alarmed but I’m actually out of
butter. Tragic I know. Before I can make anything I’ll have to brave the wind
chill advisory and head out to get supplies. Before I can do that, I must
wait for the bank to open so I can visit the ATM and then also put some gas in the
car. Before I can do that, I need a long, hot, shower.
Tea for breakfast, with the last of the Blueberry Lemon
Scones.
...including moderation 27 Feb 2014 3:33 AM (11 years ago)
It’s important that I write my journal before the business
of the day begins. I seem to be getting pulled in multiple directions this week,
leaving very little time to relax in the kitchen. Last night saw a repeat of
the Marrakesh Stew, which was just as good – if not better – than the first
time.
Yesterday was a difficult day mentally and as a result I ate
too much, a total of three scones spread through the day, topped off with a
piece of cake. I never intended to avoid desserts as part of a “diet” but that
number hardly reflects moderation. To compensate, I’m having a vegetable heavy
salad for lunch, and tonight’s dinner is an asparagus and potato frittata.
Today I will be thumbing through books and formulating a
menu/plan for the weekend and into next week. My husband has picked up another
class as a substitute for the next two to three weeks. This will extend his
workday on Tuesdays and Thursdays, add an hour commute in each direction and it
looks like I’ll need to cook ahead for the entire week, not just Mondays and
Wednesdays. It makes for two long days in the kitchen.
Spring break is only one week away, and I am ready for a
rest from all the driving. It will, however, bring a full week of preparing
meals for four instead of two, and it will be even harder to keep to our mostly
veggie lifestyle. I am determined to cook the food that I want to eat, but I
expect significant resistance from the elder members of the household who
adhere to a firm regiment of one meat, one starch and one vegetable.
I’ll have to be clever, and maybe spend some extra time in
the gym to compensate for the extra stress.
sipping bourbon in a recliner 25 Feb 2014 8:58 PM (11 years ago)
Does midnight count as Tuesday if I’m still awake? I’m
sitting in the recliner with my laptop on my lap and contemplating the past
couple of days with a glass of bourbon and ginger ale.
My weigh in on Monday was 253lbs. Two more pounds down from
my starting weight. Yesterday my husband mentioned to me that since we’ve been
eating mostly vegetarian – minimum 4 days per week – he hasn’t had to use any
antacid tablets. This is a victory. Today, however I had my first bonafide
craving, it was, not surprisingly Fish N’ Chips. So, come payday on Friday,
that’s what I’m having.
The Marrakesh Stew was another success with a couple possible
tweaks to improve on an already delicious dish, adding more diced tomatoes for
instance, and also a little bit more of all of the spices to match our tastes. I
am glad it was a hit, because it is also going to be tomorrow night’s supper.
Lunch today was egg salad. I chose sleep over something more
elaborate, and tonight’s dinner was Penne and Asparagus in a Garlic and Meyer
Lemon Cream Sauce. Hubby thought it would be truly satisfying with a bit of
chicken, which I have no objections to per say, but I was perfectly happy
without. Best of all, it was dead easy to make and ready in about the same time
as it took to boil the noodles.
Finally, lunch tomorrow is going to be canned tuna with tomatoes
and salad in pita. Who knows I may beat the fish and chips craving in the bud.
eggplants and flow 24 Feb 2014 9:14 AM (11 years ago)
The kitchen is my happy place. I realize of course that a
happy place is a metaphor for a state of mind, however, achieving that state of
mind – at least for me – has a great deal to do with existing in flow. Flow is
that time that passes unmarked when you’re completely engaged in something, and
your problems, at least temporarily, are put aside. For me this means engaging
my mind and my hands.
It was a productive weekend in the kitchen. I finally
managed to make the Marrakesh Stew that I’ve wanted to make for more than a
week. I also made a cake, four regular meals, two batches of scones, egg salad
for today’s lunch, and started breakfast for this morning.
Did you know that an eggplant can look perfectly fine from
the exterior and be discolored and rotting on the inside? I didn’t until I cut
into two such specimens last night. At some point I’m going to learn not to buy
produce at the big box store, even if it looks perfectly fine. For now,
however, I’m out $5.00.
I have four days until our next payday, and I’m a bit
ashamed to say, absolutely no plan for what we’re going to eat between now and
then. I do know that I haven’t had pasta in more than a week, which is a long
time for me. So, there’s a start…
bears in aprons should not throw dough 21 Feb 2014 6:40 PM (11 years ago)
I have one general complaint about nearly every pizza I’ve
ordered from a restaurant or chain: not enough toppings! Since I now live in Port Huron , and Deluca’s Pizza in Lansing refused to deliver here, I make my
own. To be fair, there are family owned pizzerias here in town, and they do
make a nice pie. However; a good pizza isn’t an inexpensive meal anymore. You
can, without being extravagant, drop as much as $40 - $60 on a quality pizza
these days, and that’s without breadsticks and all the other trappings. There
is also the matter of knowing exactly what’s in your food, which can best be
answered by making it with your own hands.
Today I learned a few new things about pizza. It turns out
that the pizza dough recipe I’ve been using to make pan pizza, does not, at all,
work for hand tossed pizza. Who knew? For a while now I had been making pizza
in one of my 13 x 8 half sheet pans and the results were tasty, however, I was
always disappointed by the somewhat limp center of the pizza. I had come to
accept this as an unfortunately short coming of home made pizzas. I had been
curious about the perforated pizza pans that I’d seen in stores, but had never
been inspired to buy one, until I found them at a greatly reduced price $4 each
at a Homegoods clearance store, and decided to take the plunge.
The first dough was looking plush, smooth and supple, but after
transferring it to an oiled bowl to ferment, I noticed it really could use just
a drizzle more oil to avoid sticking to the bowl. Cut to me standing over the
bowl patting a very oily ball of dough from hand to hand trying to remove as
much excess oil while simultaneously shouting for my husband to bring me
another bowl. Apparently, I’m not very good at drizzling canola oil right out
of the bottle. After slipping the ball into the new bowl I realized there was
no way it was going to be salvageable. Into the trash it went.
Batch two went smoother during the mixing and fermentation
stage, but I discovered I was in deep trouble when I attempted to divide, and
shape the dough to place it onto my brand new perforated pizza pans. After
tearing several wholes in the first ball of dough, I decided that I just needed
to go for it. I reshaped it into small flat disc, mounted the dough on my
knuckles and tossed it gently. It worked, but when it came down it stuck to my
knuckles. I laid the dough on more flour, brushed off the excess and threw it
again. The dough expanded dramatically, landed over my knuckles, folded down my
right arm, and stuck there!
If you currently imagining an angry bear in a white apron,
clawing pizza dough off his right arm, you’ve probably got the scene about
right. At the end of the comedy of errors I decided to knead the balls of dough
back together on a heavily floured work surface, and managed to shape the two
balls into one large pizza. I covered that in plastic wrap and let it proof
while I finished preparing the toppings. Whether it was the tension in the air,
or my growling and grunting that did the trick, my in-laws received a last
minute invitation to dinner out with friends and then took it. Being as I now
had one pizza instead of two, I was grateful for two less mouths to feed.
In the end, my new pans with the wholes on the bottom worked
beautifully. I had a crisp almost crunchy crust that held up to the sauce,
cheese and toppings: caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms, roasted red pepper,
jarred “cocktail” artichokes, and black olives, and fresh tomatoes.
Sure, I will have to find a new pizza dough recipe, but no
one was actually injured, I didn’t have to scrape anything off the ceiling, and
no equipment was permanently damaged, so I’m calling it a win.
drinking tea in my sleep 20 Feb 2014 2:14 AM (11 years ago)
Sure, I can function on six hours of sleep. Just don’t ask
me to drive, or do simple math problems, or count my fingers and toes! This is
what I get for going to bed a half-hour earlier than normal? Waking early doesn’t
need to mean anything, of course, but it could be a sign that I wasn’t
physically active enough yesterday. It could also be a sign that the universe
hates me. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the massive quantities
of caffeine I consumed yesterday…
I still haven’t quite got the hang of these long days, but I
need to get a handle on it quickly. We ate out for lunch, again, I had a veggie
sub at Jimmy John’s: healthy, sure, but I not as good as I could have made at
home. For dinner, it was beans on toast. So, I’ve spent somewhere in the neighborhood
of $60 on meals prepared by someone else, which leaves me with only $60 to feed
us for the next week. This is not impossible, but things could get interesting
before next payday.
After reviewing my grocery bills for the past month or so, I’ve
discovered I’m not really saving anything by shopping at the big box grocery
store. It may be because my bill is predominately fresh produce, but I do
better, if not by item than by the total, when I hand pick my foods at a
smaller store where I can buy only what I need. With some exclusions, however,
I even do better per item.
Tonight I’m making a Farro “Rissotto” with mixed mushrooms.
[Shitake, Oyster, Cremini] I’d call it wild mushrooms but let’s not get too
affected here; the only foraging I’ll be doing is through the bin at the
grocery store. And for lunch it’s…a healthy serving of “I don’t know.” I guess
I had better step away from the computer screen and go figure that out.
Yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast, and of course,
tea.
meatless 19 Feb 2014 2:04 PM (11 years ago)
At the risk of sounding too overzealous about my own
cooking; both yesterday’s meals were a great success. I wish that I could say
they were born of my improvisational skills, or creativity, but both were based
on recipes from Martha Stewart’s “Meatless” cookbook. I can honestly say this
is the only vegetarian cookbook that I own, and I own a few, that makes me want
to eat the food presented on almost every single page. Not to be overly
prejudiced, but I think the magic of this book is that it was put together by a
group of talented people, and designed for people who are not full time
vegetarians. The recipes are meant to appeal to people who are regular meat
eaters.
After dinner last night I cleaned, and tidied, and cleaned
some more. This morning I honestly can’t tell that I did anything. Very
rewarding…
I am still sore from shoveling and tired from the recent
changes to our schedule. Some of my soreness is nothing more than my body
reacting to the changes in the weather outside. Still, I’m happy to have some sunlight,
and the days are growing noticeably longer. Even if I know the weather is going
to turn cold again, and will likely stay that way until late May, a little thaw
is helping to boost my spirits and is making think of all the delicious things
I’ll get to eat come spring. Tender Asparagus, pea shoots, and the youngest
beet greens, Rhubarb, micro herbs and greens, and braised baby radishes.
Tomorrow is Thursday, and time to re-evaluate my meal plan
from this week, examine the contents or the crisper, and clean out refrigerator
in preparation for making a meal plan and grocery list for next week. Tomorrow
and Friday I’ll do a little shopping and the whole cycle will start again.
I think it’s going to be an early night. Did I mention I’m
tired?
laziness and more snow 18 Feb 2014 11:35 AM (11 years ago)
There are days, many of them in fact, when finding something
encouraging and positive to write about seems impossible. That is, as far as I can
tell, how life goes. In my experience, there can be long periods of a culinary life
that can be both frustrating and difficult to navigate. Anyone who tells you
otherwise, is probably selling something.
Still sore from over-doing it on Sunday, I woke to five
inches of snow in the driveway that needed to be shifted before I could take my
husband to work. It took me three hours to move all the snow because in certain
areas the snow banks are so high I actually have to lift it, shovel full by
shovel full, and carry it 10 – 15 feet away to dump it. I am usually
enthusiastic about winter and alpine scenes, but enough is enough. I am ready
for spring.
The milk and water solution I put on to boil, did just that:
it boiled all over onto the stove top while I had my back turned…twice…because
I thought turning the flame down and putting the lid back on the pot would
solve the problem. I splattered hot milk up my arm twice while I was whisking
the polenta into the pot. And, while preparing to make poached eggs, I discovered
two eggs with broken yokes, and two more whose albumen (white part) was so old
it flowed like water: which, incidentally does not make for good poached eggs! Did
I mention I’m spoiled and hate store bought eggs but have no choice until my
regular egg lady’s chickens start producing again in the spring? All told,
things weren't going at all smoothly this morning, but there is no use crying
over bad eggs. I pitched the eggs and started again.
Lunch: soft cooked polenta loaded with parmesan cheese, topped
with marinated artichokes, and soft poached eggs, was eye-rollingly comforting
and delicious! I’m afraid, that has been the highlight of the day so far. By
the time I was done shoveling, and cooking, and cussing, there was barely
enough time to eat before I had to get myself ready to go.
I am very much looking forward to tonight’s dinner of
Roasted Asparagus and Lemon Risotto. But I am most definitely NOT anticipating
having to wash up the pots and dishes from lunch before I begin to make dinner.
I try, whenever possible, to work clean.
It is rare these days for me to leave a mess after I’ve finished a meal, ever.
This isn’t because I am particularly diligent, rather that I’m lazy. I know if
I have to clean up before I start cooking, making dinner will seem more like a
burden that I’m more likely to try and avoid. There are many nights that
laziness is the only thing standing between me and a home cooked meal.
Then again, maybe I have become a little obsessive in my old
age. As I sit here writing about the dirty dishes in the kitchen; I am actually
becoming more, and more uncomfortable about the dirty dishes in the kitchen.
Maybe the nice people at Starbucks will let me sneak back into their kitchen and wash
something…
hurry up, slow down, catch up 17 Feb 2014 9:16 AM (11 years ago)
Weight in: 255 lbs
I’m pleased that the plan is still working. If I’m being
honest, I’ve been even more zealous with the vegetarian days - which numbered
five last week - than I had planned. The
thing is, I don’t really miss it. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t image an entire
life without roast chicken, all beef hamburgers, or BBQ pork, but for the
majority of the time, I’d be satisfied skipping the meat altogether. I’m not in
a rush to put a label on myself, suffice it to say I’d be very happy to eat smaller
amounts of the good stuff, less often, rather than eat the crappy stuff every
day. No surprises there.
And, while I’m being honest, I haven’t been as active as I’d
hoped to be either, which I will definitely need to work on. For today,
however, I am very sore from scrapping the snow ruts and ice off of the
driveway in preparation for more snow that’s coming today. I should also be
headed to the gym for some more intense cardio and core strength training, but
this winter, snow removal seems to be sufficient to keep me popping Aleve and
smearing on the Aspercreme.
What was supposed to be a very productive weekend turned out
to be an absolute bust. I won’t go into details, because they aren’t important.
A situation arose in which I should have been more assertive, and I was not. Now
I’ll be spending the better part of the next couple days trying to get back on
track. It all goes to show, you can have the best intentions and planning, but
it doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t execute the plan.
My youngest nieces are on spring break this week. It seems
obscenely early, but since their grandparents – my in-laws – are going to be
out of town babysitting for the next three days, I am not going to complain. Certainly,
having less distractions and interruptions will only help me get things done.
I made steel cut oatmeal for breakfast with apples, brown
sugar and cinnamon. This is only possible because I use an overnight soaking
method on the oatmeal before I cook it. Using a three to one ration – water to
oats – I bring the water to a boil and add the oats. Then I immediately cover
the pan and remove it from the heat allowing it to soak until morning. When I
wake up I have a pan full of plump cut oats. I add one portion of milk, bring
the oatmeal to a simmer and cook it for ten minutes. I add sugar and any spices I want in the last
minute or two of cooking, and then top each serving with fruit. The traditional
method of cooking steel cut oats is to “cook over medium/low heat for 50 – 60 minutes
stirring constantly.” Getting myself out of bed an hour earlier just so I can
make oatmeal is a complete non-starter.
For two:
½ cup steel cut oats
1 ½ cups water
- pinch of salt
Bring to a boil, cover
and soak over night.
Add:
½ cup milk
1 – 2 tbsp brown
sugar, honey, maple syrup to taste
In the morning, cook
ten minutes over medium/low heat stirring occasionally. Serve topped with your
choice of fruit and nuts.
I am very much looking forward to lunch today because I’m
eating at Lebanese Grill. They are a family owned restaurant that serves up tons
of vegetarian options. It’s real food, made with care, for very little money.
Two people can eat, and eat well, for under $20.00. How could you complain?
beer bread 14 Feb 2014 6:23 PM (11 years ago)
This is the simplest, the best, accompaniment to hot soup on
a cold fall or winter's day. Warm crusty yeast bread is wonderful when you can get it,
but this recipe can be whipped up in minutes and tossed in the oven while the
soup is simmering on the stove top. It is bitter sweet, with the citrus and
floral notes of hops. I love a good ale or stout, but I make this with lager,
wheat ales, or IPA, anything dark is just too overpowering.
This recipe can be
made with the finest quality beer you chose, but if I’m being honest, I tend
make this recipe when I have a surplus of cheap beer from a party or family
gathering: the stuff I don’t want to drink myself, but don’t want to waste either.
I cannot oversell how easy, and how rewarding this bread truly
is.
Equipment:
21.5cm x 11.5cm [8.5” x 4.5”] loaf pan, 6L [6.5qt] capacity
large mixing bowl, silicone spatula, silicone pastry brush, parchment paper,
60ml [1/4 cup] capacity liquid measuring cup, metric/imperial digital scale, bottle
opener
Ingredients:
300g all purpose flour [~2¼ cup]
75g brown sugar [~6 tbsp]
10g baking powder [~1 tbsp]
4g baking soda [~½
tsp]
3g fine grade sea salt [~½ tsp]
355ml lager beer [~12 fl.oz]
30ml canola or vegetable oil [~2 tbsp]
+ butter for loaf pan and parchment
Mise en place:
Preheat oven to 210ºC
[400ºF]
Butter the inside of the loaf pan and cut a piece of parchment
to fit as a sling ensuring that the parchment is 2.5cm [1 inch] above the top
of the pan. Butter the parchment and set aside.
Weigh all dried ingredients into the mixing bowl using the
tare function on your scale. Set on a clear work surface. Measure the canola
oil into a liquid measuring cup, and set beside the mixing bowl. Open the
bottle of beer.
Method:
Using the spatula stir the dried ingredients together and
push them to the sides of the bowl to form a well. Pour the beer into the well,
followed by the oil.
Fold the wet into the dried mixture until just combined.
Mixture will be slightly lumpy but there should be no dry flour.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 – 60
minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf come out
clean.
Cool slightly in pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool
until needed.
Serving:
This bread is best served warm with plenty of salted butter.
You can make it ahead and re-warm whole loaves wrapped in tin foil in a
moderate oven. Individual slices are best warmed in the microwave or toasted.
veggie burgers 14 Feb 2014 5:32 PM (11 years ago)
I love a great hamburger, but let’s fact it, great
hamburgers are few and far between. The best advertisement I can think of for
these all vegetable “burgers” is that I have never managed the patience it
takes to snap a picture of them. This is a true vegetable burger that lives up
to its name: loaded with shredded carrots, mushrooms, onion, celery and red
peppers with just enough nuts and egg to provide complete protein. As with all
Veggie Burgers, if you think about these as a flesh free substitute for a
hamburger, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Do not fall into that trap.
If you let yourself experience these as something different, you will be
rewarded with something that is, moist, delicious, complexly flavored, and very
satisfying: seriously, I cannot finish two of these burgers without feeling
stuffed to the gills.
A cold beer is just as enjoyable with these as it is with a
great hamburger, and potato chips are a must, but skip the fries and soda pop.
I eat these with fresh sliced tomato, lettuce and all the trappings of a beef
burger – even the pickles.
One caveat, these require a firm hand when pressing the
veggies into paddies, and then very gentle handling until they are fully
cooked. I usually think of the first burger as an experiment, or as the French
say about crêpes, “the
first one, is for the dog.”
Recipe following cut:
Equipment:
3L [~12 cup] food processor with grating disk*, 7.5L [8 qt]
capacity VERY large mixing bowl, digital metric/imperial scale, silicon spatula
to scrape out food processor, 3.3L [3.5 qt] capacity mixing bowl for weighing
ingredients, dish or plate for dredging, 30cm [12 inch] large sauté pan, 33cm x
46cm [13” x 18”] sheet pan, parchment paper, 2 flexible spatulas
*These can be made without the food processor. Simply grate
all of the appropriate ingredients on a hand grater, and then weigh and add to
the mixing bowl.
Ingredients:
450g grated carrots
55g grated celery
55g grated onion
60g minced roasted red pepper*
100g ground walnuts**
115g grated Cremini mushrooms
65g minced scallions
50g sliced scallions
55g egg – lightly beaten [~1 large]
2.5ml Tabasco ,
or other hot sauce [~½
tsp]
5ml coarse grade sea salt [~1 tsp]
1.25ml freshly ground black pepper [~¼ tsp]
30g matzo meal or other cracker meal + more for dredging ***
30ml olive oil for frying
- salt and pepper to taste
* I used roasted red peppers out of the jar for convenience.
Drain and pat dry on paper towel using light pressure to remove excess liquids.
**Any mild tasting nut can be substituted.
***If you cannot find matzo meal you can grind the regular
matzo crackers in a food processor, or use unsalted water crackers or saltines.
If using a salted cracker to make the cracker meal, omit the salt.
Mise en place:
Clean and peel all ingredients before grating and then
weighing.
Transfer ingredients from food processor to medium sized
bowl to weigh and then place together in the large mixing bowl. Leave egg and
cracker meal until last.
Place oil in sauté pan. Line the sheet pan with parchment
paper and place that on the stovetop surface next to the sauté pan.
Method:
Mix all ingredients together with clean hands. Set aside for
a minimum of twenty minutes and up to one hour to combine.
Preheat oven to 250ºC
[475ºF] and then
heat the olive oil in the skillet.
Working in batches; form the paddies pressing the mixture
together with your hands, dredge in cracker meal and then press again before
placing one at a time into the pan.
Pan fry until dark brown on one side, and then using both
spatulas, gently flip the burgers. Slide one spatula under the burger, flip it
against the second spatula, and then slice the uncooked side onto the hot
surface of the sauté pan.
Cook until browned on second side and then transfer to the
parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Once all the paddies are on the sheet pan, place in the hot
oven to fully cook. Approximately 10 – 12 minutes.
Make ahead:
Allow paddies to cool on the parchment, and if possible
transfer them uncovered to a freezer. Allow them to freeze and then wrap in
parchment paper and place in a zip top bag. The burgers keep well for up to six
months. Thaw and reheat in moderate oven before serving.
These can also be cook through and then heated on an outdoor
grill and served as a vegetarian alternative. Brush with flavorless oil before
grilling briefly to heat through.
valentine's day report 14 Feb 2014 4:53 AM (11 years ago)
Why is it that, Monday through Thursday the alarm goes off
two or three times before I finally sit up, and grumble-stumble through the darkness towards the bathroom, but
come Friday morning my eyes pop open at 7:30 without effort? At this stage in
my life, this is less a complaint that I’m unable to sleep in on the weekend,
so much as, I wish I could wake feeling rested and ready to start the day on
the days that I actually have somewhere I have to be.
Today is Valentine’s Day, and also pay day. I’ve long since
gotten over any desire I have to do something romantic today. I am mostly
grateful not to be working in a flower shop. In recent years I have made a
romantic meal for two, but somehow a romantic dinner for four – including your
in-laws – doesn't have the same desired affect. Furthermore, I’ve never had a
Valentine’s Day meal in a restaurant that wasn’t both expensive and a wholesale
disappointment. We are, however, heading to Starbucks who are offering a buy
one, get one, offer on espresso drinks between 2:00 and 5:00pm today.
Meanwhile, meal planning continues. I probably could make my
meal plan less complicated, but when a whole portion of those meals need to be
consumed away from home, and another after a long day away from home, and you’re
sticking to a Flexiterian lifestyle with a low tolerance for eating in
restaurants, things very quickly get complicated. Most importantly, I like
knowing what I’m having for dinner each day, it takes the stress out of
deciding when I am already tired and hungry, to know that all I have to do is
get myself home and execute the plan.
As an abrupt change of subject, it would be really nice if I
didn’t have to fight the cat for space in my arm chair. When he was a kitten, I
made the mistake of letting him sleep on the armrest while I was using my
laptop. Today, my little boy is 21lbs and still insists on sleeping on the
armrest while I try to type. Eventually it’s a shoving match, me elbowing him
because I can no longer type and him pressing his full weight against my arm
because updating my blog is not a priority so long as he wants petting.