Bear's Eggplant Parmesan
June 30, 2008 | permalink
The first time I had eggplant I had no idea I was eating a vegetable; I was sure it was some kind of exotic, delicious meat. I remember asking someone what animal it was I was eating, and being stunned and confused when I learned that it was, in fact, a vegetable. The taste and texture of it were completely outside of my experience as to what vegetables were like, and I have been fascinated by the eggplant ever since.
One of my favorite ways to eat eggplant (as you may have guessed by now) is Eggplant Parmesan; here is how I like to prepare it:
Eggplant Parmesan
- 1 Large, Ripe Eggplant
- 2 Large Eggs
- Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Tomato Sauce
- Fresh Basil
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper
Peel the eggplant and cut it into 1/4" thick slices. In a bowl, beat the two eggs, two tablespoons of water, and salt & pepper to taste. Dip the eggplant in the egg mixture and coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan until it shimmers. Once it's hot, add the breaded eggplant, frying for 2-3 minutes on each side. We are not trying to cook the eggplant through and through at this stage- our goal is merely to brown the breading and outer edges of the eggplant. Once browned, transfer the eggplant slices to a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, making a single layer.
Once all your eggplant slices are browned, set them aside to rest for a few minutes and set the oven to 350 degrees. Also at this stage, you should heat the tomato sauce in a covered saucepan on an extremely low flame- we just want to warm it up.
Thinly slice enough mozzarella (we don't want to overpower the flavor of the eggplant, so don't be too heavy handed here- and I say that as a cheese lover!) to cover each slice of eggplant. Bake the now cheese-draped eggplant slices for 20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. This, by the way, is why we weren't concerned with cooking them all the way through in the frying stage; if we had, we would end up with eggplant mush by the time they come out of the oven. 
To serve, fan the eggplant slices out on a plate, spoon some of the sauce over top, give them a dash of Parmesan cheese, and throw on a couple of leaves of fresh basil. Again, don't be too heavy handed with any of these things; we don't want to lose the taste of the eggplant underneath all its toppings. I would serve it with garlic bread, and maybe a tomato-cucumber salad, but that's just me...
A large eggplant ought to yield 16-20 1/4" slices, which translates into about 4 servings of Eggplant Parmesan.
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Black Bread (of the Sea)
May 23, 2008 | permalink
I recently (okay, maybe recently is a stretch... let's try, In the not too distant past) became obsessed with the idea of making a black bread. Not a traditional pumpernickel or anything simple that I could easily look up and learn from others; that just wouldn't be my style. I wanted to make it black by dyeing it with squid ink.
It was interesting, no doubt about it. It turned out very black, and the egg I brushed on, combined with the black salt, gave it a nice sheen. The picture is crap, and shows neither of those things, so I am afraid you will just have to take my word for it. The flavor... well, that was interesting too. A little fishy. No, not quite fishy. Ocean-y, maybe, is a better description. It wasn't overpowering, but even so, this is not a toasted-with-butter-and-jam kind of bread. But served with a cream soup, or a chowder, or hollowed out and used as a bread bowl for some kind of dip? Oh yeah. It would be excellent for that. You really should give it a try, Gentle Readers.
You can get cuttlefish ink at Despaña. I got the black salt at Williams Sonoma.
Also, be aware that the cuttlefish ink will stain, so don't mix this up in your favorite wooden bowl; I recommend glass.
Black Bread of the Sea
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
- 2 Packets of Cuttlefish Ink (4 Grams Each)
- 3 - 4 Cups Flour
- The White of One Egg, beaten with a little Water
- Coarse Black Salt
Dissolve the honey in the warm water. Add the yeast and let stand for ten minutes, until nice and yeasty smelling. Whisk in one cup of flour, the salt, and the cuttlefish ink. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and knead, adding flour by the tablespoon as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a buttered bowl loosely covered in a warm place and let rise until doubled, which ought to be about an hour.
Turn the dough out on your floured work surface and knead until it is once again a firm dough. Allow it to rise for about an hour in the open air on a buttered stone or baking sheet for a round loaf, or in a loaf pan for something more, well, loaf like.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Just before putting the bread in the oven, brush with the egg white, sprinkle liberally with the black salt, and slit the top with a sharp knife. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Posted in Food and Drink & Recipes(3) Comments
Homemade Butter
March 2, 2008 | permalink
I made butter yesterday.
I didn't do it all Olde Timey style, like with a churn (not that I don't want to- I just don't have one. I bought one on Ebay a while ago, but I got stiffed). I have a small food processor that it turns out is the perfect size for a pint of heavy cream.
Making butter is really simple, and I have done it before, though not for a very long time. I had kind of forgotten how it all worked, and how cool it is to see the transformation happen. And it is, of course, way tastier than what you are getting at the grocery store. I highly recommend you give it a whirl.
Butter from the Blender
- 1 Pint Heavy Cream
- Salt to Taste
Blend the cream on high in your blender or food processor. In fairly short order it will become whipped cream. Nothing will appear to happen for the next 5-10 minutes- just keep blending. The volume of the whipped cream will begin to slowly decrease, and you will feel, rather than see, the solids start to collect into butter. Shortly after this, and very quickly, the cream will collapse and separate into butter and buttermilk. (mmm... pancakes, anyone?)
Strain the buttermilk into a container and discard or refrigerate for later use.
Take the mass of butter and rinse under cold water, gently kneading with your hands, to rinse out any large pockets of trapped buttermilk. Transfer the butter to a bowl and add salt, if desired; I used about half a teaspoon, and I found it to be a little less salty than store butter. (Salt will also make your butter keep longer). Now would be the time that you should add any other herbs or flavorings that you might desire, in lieu of (or in addition to) the salt.
Using a rubber spatula, work and smear the butter against the sides of the bowl until all the buttermilk is extracted and the salt (or whatever you ended up adding) is thoroughly mixed in.
Place in a covered container, refrigerate, and enjoy!
One pint of heavy cream yields what looks to me like a little less than a half a pound of butter, and around 3/4 cup of buttermilk, more or less.
Posted in Recipes & The Home Front(3) Comments
Vegetable Curry and Nan
April 19, 2007 | permalink
Gentle Readers, do you know how I suffer and toil on your behalf? Slaving away in my hot (and let's face it- cramped) kitchen, testing and refining recipes until they I think they are delicious enough to share? And I do it all for you! *sob*
Well, okay, really I do it because I love cooking, and I love good and tasty food of all kinds. But it is true that I do not share my recipes here until I am convinced of their deliciousness. Today I have recipes for Vegetable Curry and Nan for you, and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Nan Bread
- 3/4 Cup Very Warm Water
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 3 - 4 Cups Flour
Dissolve the Yeast and Sugar in the Water and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the Yeast to proof.
Add the Butter, Egg, Yogurt, and Salt. Mix well.
Add 1 cup of Flour. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. Continue to add Flour 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Place in a buttered bowl, cover loosely, and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
After it has risen, turn the dough out on a floured surface and punch it down with a quick kneading. Divide the dough into 6 - 8 equal pieces, and flatten them out, gently pressing and pulling until each piece is about 6 - 7 inches in diameter.
Bake in a 450 degree oven on an ungreased (but floured) baking tray for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Vegetable Curry
- 5 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped
- 5 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 Large Carrots, sliced
- 3 Tablespoons Curry Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 6- 8 Cardamom Pods, cracked
- 1 Head Cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 2 Large Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Water
- 1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt (exactly what you should have left over from the container you opened to make the nan)
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet (that you have a cover for) over medium heat. When it's hot, add the Onion, Garlic and Carrots, stirring constantly. When the Onions start to cook and give up their water, add the Curry Powder, Turmeric, Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper, and Cardamom. Mix well.
Add the Cauliflower and Potatoes, stirring well to evenly coat with the spices. Add enough water to *almost* cover the Vegetables. Reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 25 - 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
When the Potatoes are tender, the curry is done. Remove from heat, Stir in the Yogurt and serve hot with warm Nan.
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Bear's Catfish Kiev
February 18, 2007 | permalink
This is a variation of a Chicken Kiev recipe that I saw on America's Test Kitchen on PBS, which was in turn a baked variation of traditional Chicken Kiev, which is deep fried. Being baked, it comes out toated and crispy on the outside, while the inside retains the traditional butter-soaked quality that makes it such a tasty dish. I served it with Truffled Red Potatoes and a simple salad. It is super fantastic, and you should make it and eat it. Would I steer you wrong, Gentle Readers? I think not...
Bear's Catfish Kiev
- 1 Stick Butter, Softened
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Onion, Minced
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Celery, Crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Bell Pepper, Crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 4 Thin Catfish Cutlets
- Coarse Breadcrumbs, Toasted
- 2 Eggs
- Flour
Mix the Garlic, Onion, Bell Pepper, Celery, and Black Pepper into the softened Butter. Once the spices are thoroughly mixed into the butter, spoon it onto a piece of plastic wrap and form a slab of butter that you can later cut into four equal, oblong pieces. Refrigerate until solid again.
Once the Butter is solid, cut it into four rectangular pieces. Take each Catfish Fillet and wrap it around the herbed butter, sort of the way you would wrap a burrito. The idea is to completely envelope the butter with the fish. I had to cut a long, thin strip out of my fillets and wrap the butter with it longways, and then wrap that assembly with the larger piece of fillet in the other direction to achieve this, but you may be luckier with the shape of your fillet than I. Once this is done, wrap your four 'burritos' in plastic wrap and put them back in the refrigerator for a half hour or so- this will make them easier to work with when we get to the next step.
Once everything is nice and cold, roll each of the fish and butter 'burritos' in flour, then egg, and then finally the breadcrumbs. Coarse breadcrumbs will give you the best results- I made my own by throwing some stale bread in a blender and pulsing it a bit on high, and then drying them out in the oven. In any case, once they are breaded, place them in a 13 x 9 dish and bake them at 350 for about half an hour. they should come out crispy and toasted on the outside, while remaining moist and buttery in the middle.
Bear's Truffled Potatoes
- 5 or 6 Red Potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
- 2 Tablespoons Truffle Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Chives, Crushed
- Salt and Pepper
These potatoes are super simple and very tasty, and compliments the fish very nicely. In a bowl, mix all ingredients until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover, and bake at 350 for about an hour and a half, or until the potatoes are soft all the way through.
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Bear's Oatmeal Chocolate-Espresso Cookies
December 21, 2006 | permalink
I made these last night, to bring upstate with me for the holidays. In a feat of will and fortitude bordering on the super-human, I have only eaten one cookie. But that is enough, Gentle Readers, to make me want to share this recipe with you. Please trust me when I say you should make these for yourself as soon as possible, and not share them with anyone you are not extremely fond of.
Bear's Oatmeal Chocolate-Espresso Cookies
- 1 Cup Butter
- 1 Cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3 Cups uncooked Oatmeal
- 8 Ounces of Milk or Dark Chocolate
- 48 Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
Heat oven to 350°. In large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; mix well. Stir in oats until evenly distributed and drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven.
While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm, dollop chocolate on each one and gently press an espresso bean into the soft chocolate, deep enough so that when it all cools the chocolate will hold the espresso bean in place.
Cool completely before storing tightly covered. Makes about 4 dozen.
Posted in Holidays & Recipes(0) Comments
If Things Were Perfect
November 17, 2006 | permalink
I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just next week. I swear it was six weeks away the last time I thought about it... and that only seems like a week ago, to me. I guess that's what happens when you get busy; the time just slips past. Though it seems to me that as I get older time slips past faster and faster. My theory is that this effect is a combination of encountering fewer new things (which catch your attention and break up the flow of routine), and the fact that each year is a smaller and smaller proportion of your life as you age, and so is allocated less and less of your brain power. That might all be a crock, but it makes sense to me.
Anyway, Thanksgiving-
I'm headed up to my Mother's place this year, with The Star and Rockette. We're leaving Wednesday afternoon, which is a little bit of a bummer, as it means I will miss the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving Gathering at the Edge Bar for the first time in years. The WBTG got started something like twelve years ago because The Director needed an event to take a date to. The girl is long gone, but the gathering still draws a good crowd. It's all people from our Off-Broadway days at the Public and the New York Theatre Workshop, people that I don't get to see very often anymore. Beer and darts- what could be more fun?
Despite missing the gathering, I'm looking forward to going upstate. My Mother makes a mean bird, and most of the family will be there. And of course, being a cook, I enjoy Thanksgiving on lots of levels. I had a conversation with my Mother yesterday, figuring out what I should make- I'll be making the bread for dinner, and a batch of fudge for dessert. Yum!
Never Fail Fudge
This recipe is not my original creation. However, it is so damn good and easy that I cannot, in good concience, keep it to myself. It was created by Durkee-Mower, Inc., the manufacturer of Marshmallow Fluff.- 5 Cups of Granulated Sugar
- 1 12 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk
- 1 Stick of Butter (or Margarine)
- 12 oz. Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Cup Walnuts (if you like)
- 2 12oz. Packages of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Combine the first five ingreedients in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until blended. Gradually increase heat, still stirring, until you are at a moderate flame. Bring the mixture to a boil.
NOTE: This mixture is ridiculously hot! Don't use plastic utensils! (I know this because I melted a rubber spatula once while making this) Don't stick your finger in for a taste! (I know this because I burned myself) Also, don't mistake escaping air bubbles (Fluff is mostly air, after all) for boiling.
Boil for five minutes, then remove the mixture from heat. Stir in the chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. The chocolate will melt (and use up most of the heat; NOW you can have a taste) fairly quickly. Once you are thoroughly blended, pour the mixture into two 9 x 9 buttered pans and cool. Yield: Approximately four pounds.
I'm telling you, this is the good stuff.
Posted in Food and Drink & Holidays & Musings & Recipes & The Home Front(0) Comments
Mushroom and Three Cheese Tomato Sauce
November 5, 2006 | permalink
I made baked tortellini last night, with sauce I made from scratch, served with fresh bread and red wine. It was quite delicious, Gentle Readers. I can't really think of a better meal on a chilly evening, can you? And the leftovers are going to be fantastic...
Today is the NYC Marathon, as I am sure you are all aware. I am off to the Madison Avenue Bridge at 138th Street to go be the Northern Cheering Section for Osmium, among others. It's mile 21, and the point where the runners re-enter Manhattan for the final stretch. From conversations with past runners, it also sounded like it was a place without many people, where the runners could really use some cheering. I'll let you know...
Mushroom and Three Cheese Tomato Sauce
- 7 Ripe Tomatoes, Large (3 Cut into Smallish Chunks, 4 Quartered)
- 10 Baby Portabello Mushrooms, Caps only, Coarsely Chopped
- 6 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
- One Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan
- 1/4 Cup Romano
- 1 Tablespoon Basil
- 1 Tablespoon Rosemary
- Olive Oil
Throw the Quartered Tomatoes, about a third of the Mushrooms, and the Cheeses into a blender or food processor and liquefy. Set aside.
Place a deep saute pan or saucepan over medium-low heat, and add a few tablespoons of Olive Oil. When the Oil is hot, toss in the Garlic and Onions. When the Onions start to give up their moisture, add the Basil and Rosemary, tossing well to get everything evenly coated. After a few minutes, add the chunks of Tomatoes and Mushrooms, again tossing well to evenly coat everything with Oil and Herbs.
When everything in the pan is hot, stir in the Tomato-Mushroom puree and turn the heat way down- about as low as you can get it. Loosely cover with tin foil (don't use the pan's lid- you do want a lot of the water to simmer out of the sauce. You just don't want it to happen too quickly) and let it simmer, giving it a good stir occasionally.
The longer you can let it simmer, the thicker, darker, and richer the sauce will become. To a certain extent this will continue even after it's sitting in the fridge, but on a much smaller scale. Four hours of simmering time is ideal, but it's quite tasty after only two and a half, even.
There are a lot of simple things you can do to get variations of this sauce. You can make it chunkier by leaving the tomatoes and mushrooms in larger pieces, and /or by pureeing a smaller proportion of them. You can also vary the amount or kind of spices and cheeses pretty much however you like, without affecting the underlying consistency at all. And of course, you can add whatever other vegetables tickle your fancy.
It is also easily scalable. Nothing weird is going to happen if you double or halve the recipe. You'll just get more or less sauce. As it's written, this makes a little more than a quart of sauce- just about perfect for a meal for three or four people.
Posted in Recipes & The Home Front(0) Comments
Bear's Cinnamon Bread
October 24, 2006 | permalink
Here, Gentle Readers, is the latest offering from my kitchen. I dreamt this recipe up a while ago, and tried it out last night- it turned out to be very tasty, if I do say so myself. The bread is a little dense, and a bit sweet- just like I like it. It's perfect for toasting, and for breakfast with a cup of tea. Which is, of course, what I ate this morning.
Bear's Cinnamon Bread
For the Starter:- One Cup Very Warm Water
- One Package Active Dry Yeast
- One Tablespoon Sugar
- One Egg
- One Half Cup Sugar
- One Tablespoon Vanilla
- One Teaspoon Salt
- Two to Three Cups Flour
- One Quarter Cup Sugar
- Two to Three Tablespoons Cinnamon
Proof the yeast by dissolving it in the warm water with the sugar, and let it sit for about ten minutes. While it is getting all yeasty, beat together the egg, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
After the yeast proofs add the egg mixture and one cup of flour, mixing well. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic.
Work the dough into a a flattish oblong, the short side about as wide as your loaf pan, the long side as long or short as you like (the thinner you make the dough, the more layers the finished bread will have). Dust with the cinnamon / sugar mixture and roll into a loaf. Place in a buttered loaf pan, dust the top with the cinnamon / sugar mix, and allow to rise until doubled (about an hour). Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.
By dividing the dough up into smaller balls, you can easily used this to make cinnamon buns instead of a loaf of cinnamon bread.
Posted in Recipes & The Home Front(4) Comments
Chocolate Brownies
October 12, 2006 | permalink
I made brownies in the wee hours of the night a few days ago. While I desperately wanted (and needed) sleep, the insomnia had me, and I couldn't stand to watch another re-run of Without a Trace or The Late Show. So I baked, instead. With much success, I might add; the brownies came out awfully tasty, if I do say so myself.
I prefer mine without nuts, but of course you can add in nuts or whatever else tickles your taste buds without having to alter anything else in the recipe at all.
One Bowl Brownies
- Two Ounces Bitersweet Chocolate
- Two Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
- One and One Half Sticks of Butter
- One and One Half Cups Sugar
- Three Eggs
- One Cup Flour
- One Half Cup Cocoa Powder
- One Teaspoon Vanilla
- One Teaspoon Salt
- One Half Tablespoon Baking Powder
Pour the batter into a greased and floured pan, 13 x 9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. If you cut the baking a little short, you will get chewier, fudgier brownies; contrary-wise, you will get cakier, drier brownies if you give them a little extra time in the oven.
Posted in Insomnia & Recipes & The Home Front(1) Comments
Sausage Pie
March 20, 2006 | permalink
I woke up this morning feeling shitty. I had nightmares all night, and even after a long shower I felt grumpy and unsociable. What I really wanted was to go back to bed, but I had a site survey and a meeting, so that wasn't an option. Once I got to them, the meetings were mostly fine; but the whole time I felt like I was only half there. My mind kept drifting back to images from my dreams, and they weren't helping my mood any.
When I was done with my obligations, I wandered around downtown a little bit, trying to decide what to do with myself for the rest of the day. I didn't really want any company, but I didn't want to go home and be a lazy sod either. I know from past experience that doing something productive would be the best thing I could do for myself.
As I meandered, I walked past Myers of Keswick (England's Glory!), which, if you don't know it, is a little shop full of English sausages, chese, tea, and various other notions and foods. Very tasty stuff. I decided to get some sausages, and bake myself a sausage pie for dinner.
Traditional meat pies have a rolled pastry crust. I decided I didn't want to be that productive, and so I cheated and made a batter based crust instead. It's still tasty though, believe me. And getting something done did make me feel a little better.
I still don't feel social, though.
Sausage Pie, The Easy Way
-
For the Filling:
- One Pound Sweet Sausage, Cut into Chunks
- One Cup of Carrots, Diced
- One Cup of String Beans, Diced
- One Half Cup of Peas
- One Half Cup of Mushrooms, Chopped
- One Quarter Cup of Onions or Scallions, Diced
- About Three Cups of Apple Cider
-
For the Batter Crust:
- One and One-Half Cups of Milk
- One and One-Half Cups of Flour
- Two Eggs
- Two Tablespoons Oil
- One Tablespoon Chives
- One Tablespoon Dill
- One Half Tablespoon Salt
- One Teaspoon Baking Powder
- One Teaspoon Baking Soda
While the sausage is simmering, combine all ot the ingredients for the Batter Crust in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Once the cider has reduced to a glaze, remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Use the remaining cider to deglaze the pan. Add all the vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and turn the heat back to medium. Simmer the vegetables until tender, about ten minutes.
Spread the meat and vegetables evenly in a deep pie plate. Pour the batter over everything and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Posted in RecipesPain Ordinaire, the Stuff of Life
February 16, 2006 | permalink
Gentle Readers, I have been one motivated mofo this week. I don't have any work, as is usual right after Fashion Week, and in the past I have had a lot of good intentions but no real motivation to get anything done. But so far this week I have cleaned the apartment, had chocolate and lunch with Turtalia, took a long walk in the snow, gone to see Underworld: Evolution with Smacktalk, bought macro and telephoto lenses for my digital camera, and started a new photography project. [see the previous project here] Today I baked bread.
Nothing fancy- no crazy nut-honey-oat breads- just regular old white bread. Which doesn't make it any less delicious. On the contrary, I think that the simplicity of it makes it tastier, and certainly more versatile, than its more exotic cousins.
Pain Ordinaire
- Two Packages of Active Dry Yeast
- One Tablespoon Sugar
- Two Tablespoons Honey
- Two Cups Warm Water
- One Tablespoon Salt
- Five to Six Cups Unbleached Flour
Place in a covered, greased bowl and allow to rise until tripled in bulk, about an hour and a half or so.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into three portions. If it is sticky, knead in some more flour. Shape into loaves and place them about four inches apart on a greased cookie sheet (or in greased pans, or on a baking stone). Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 during this time.
Slash the tops of the loaves and bake for thirty-five to forty minutes, or until hollow sounding when rapped. To crisp the crust, spray some water mist into the oven or toss a couple of ice cubes on the oven floor. Yields three loaves.
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Irish Apple Cake
October 12, 2005 | permalink
I recently had my Assistants from my Fashion Shows over for dinner as a thank you for thier efforts, and I made this Apple Cake for dessert. It is easy, and quite delicious. You should try it. Really.
I prefer Wonder bread and Red Delicious Apples, but I think that just about any combination will be tasty. I know that it seems strange, but the juice from the apples does something really awesome to the buttered bread.
Irish Apple Cake
- Four Large Apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
- Six Slices of White Bread, buttered with the crusts cut off, cut into fingers
- Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg
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Was it Lonliness That Brought You Here?
August 21, 2005 | permalink
I made my first serious foray into the kitchen this morning. I went out yesterday to buy some more plants, to replace those killed by the subletters, and on the way back I stopped at the grocery store; not, however, the one I usually go to. They had duck eggs! And cornish game hen eggs! Like, right by the chicken eggs... I've eaten duck eggs before, but I've never seen them in a regular old grocery store. Needless to say, I couldn't resist. I bought four duck eggs and sweet italian sausage for my breakfast. The duck eggs (well, two of them, anyway... they are HUGE) I used to make an onion and chive omelette, and the sausage I cut up and cooked in an apple glaze.
If you've never had duck eggs before, they are richer and tastier than chicken eggs. Also, besides being bigger in general, the yolk is proportionally bigger as well- I'm sure this is part of why they are so flavorful. The white is not as thick either- it has a consistency closer to water than to chicken whites. Anyway, they are delicious.
Apple Glazed Sausage
- Six sweet italian sausages
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice or apple cider
(2) Comments
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