Yeast Food and Bacteria Poop

I have a confession to make. I really like Dungeons & Dragons. It feeds the storytelling part of my life. I like solving problems and discovering what’s around the next corner. I like killing monsters. And I love having superhero-like abilities through magic. Not up close card tricks, but big magic. Conjuration, transformation—the ability to create something out of nothing, and to turn that something into something even more exotic. 

Fermentation does just that. From seemingly nothing, growth begins. What could be spoiled food—a culinary mistake, something common sense tells us should be thrown out—transforms foods we love. We’re talking about yeasts and bacteria and the outcomes of fermentation. 

I planned to build off that catchy hook of a title and sound brilliant. I’m not a scientist but I love knowing a little bit of science then feeling very smart when I talk about it with people at parties. It makes me fun and interesting to be around. No, really. (Many men like to be terribly smart and show off whenever we have the chance. It’s peacocking our brains.) Since I am not a scientist however, you should do your own research about the chemical goings on fermentation. Just google it. There’s a lot of information on the internet, as it turns out.  

But here’s what I do know: food is sometimes kinda gross. You don’t want to know what’s in your sausage, nor in a lot of other foods. Honey is basically “bee vomit” (bees have a nectar stomach). Alcohol and naturally sparkling beverages are yeast and bacteria “poop.” Naturally occurring yeast (which are a kind of fungi) break down sugars for the bacteria which continue the process of fermentation. Gasses and alcohol are the waste products of our friendly yeast and bacteria. The pleasing sour taste we enjoy in some of our foods happen when the bacteria keep going and the consume the alcohols too. I think. (Damn. I’m really trying to sound smart. Just google it.)

I present to you here a few fermentation projects and a promise that more will follow.

We looked at Sourdough in the last post. Sourdough uses naturally occurring yeast to ferment the gluten in wheat flour. It’s a natural leavener that helps bread rise. For thousands of years, people enjoyed puffy bread without the availability of packaged yeast. Here’s another recipe I like.

Sourdough Pancakes

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Sugar

1 1/2 cups (plus more if needed) Whole Milk, although I prefer Buttermilk (I’ve used low-fat either one and it works fine)

1 Egg, beaten

1/4 cup Canola Oil (or other good cooking oil)

1 cup Sourdough Starter (fed, or “ripe,” means that it has eaten all the flour and may now be a bit runny)

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 

Mix all of the wet ingredients in a large bowl. The starter may not want to mix well with the other wet ingredients. Keep stirring until it nearly does.  

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix by hand until combined. YOU MAY NEED TO ADD MORE MILK. Depending on the flour (and relative humidity in the air, maybe the time of year, your height, weight and/or color of your hair...it still confounds me), the mix may be too stiff to start off. Do not panic. Just add more liquid. The mix will still be thick—not like cement, but more like a thick pancake mix that you have to scoop out rather than pouring it. 

Cook on a medium hot skillet. I start the first one with a little butter in the bottom of the pan, but I use well seasoned, non-non-stick pans. Cast Iron is great. The first pancake is always the wildcard. It should be a very tall rise. Tear it down the middle and taste it. If it’s good eating, then eat it. If not, make couple of adjustments. If it’s soggy in the middle, you’ll want to turn the heat down just a touch and cook the pancakes a little longer.  Soon you’ll be a pro. 

Serve it however you like your pancakes. If you’ve only ever had syrup on your pancakes, try them with sour cream and chives. Or with a sausage gravy. 

I’ve been making kombucha for a few years now. Fermentation enthusiasts make grand claims of the benefits of various fermented foods, and some claims have a scientific foundation. Good bacteria aid in gut health, especially after some kind of disruption, like taking a broad spectrum antibiotic. Antibiotics are anti-bacteria and it’ll take out the bad stuff that made you sick as well as the good stuff that helps keep you well. Kombucha, kimchi and yogurt are good for your belly bacteria. With kombucha, I’ve really enjoyed playing with flavors and experimenting with secondary fermentation. Here’s a little about getting started.

Kombucha

A Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast is essentially the starter for kombucha. It ferments the sugars in the liquid it sits in. People have fermented a variety of juices, but I haven’t tried it, yet. I’ll let you know when I do. I use tea and that seems to be most common.

The easiest way to make your own SCOBY is to buy a bottle of raw kombucha. Plain is best for it’s simplicity. Brew a gallon of very strong tea. I bring 4 quarts of regular old tap water to boil in a big pot. When it boils, turn the heat off. Stir in one cup of sugar until it’s fully dissolved. I use plain old white cane sugar. Then add 6 tea bags. You can use pretty much any black tea to get started. Plain old Lipton’s is fine.  Let it rest until the tea has come to room temperature. 

When it cools enough, pour it into a large glass jar with a wide mouth. I use a 2 gallon pickling jar. Pull the teabags out and pour the store-bought kombucha into the tea. Cover the jar with layers of cheese cloth or muslin. You want air to get in, but you want bugs to stay out. Put it a dark room temperature room and ignore it for two weeks. I label my kombucha batches with start dates on masking tape. After about 2 weeks the tea should have a layer of rubbery snot floating on top of it. That’s the SCOBY! You did it. If things go sideways on you and it smells funny or there’s patches of mold floating on it, dump it. If it smells vinegary, it’s good. If it smells like the sandwich that’s been in the work fridge for a week too long....throw it away. Clean the glassware again and start over.  If you’re still uncertain, have someone else taste it. If they die, then you know.  

As much as it doesn’t look like it, this is good kombucha.  And a very healthy SCOBY. 

When you have a SCOBY you like, make more strong tea in the same way as above. This time, however, use the SCOBY and 1 cup of the last batch of fermented tea instead of the store bought. Pour it back into the jar, return it to its corner of the room and ignore it for another 10 to 14 days. If you like your kombucha tart, let it rest for a full 2 weeks (or more if you really like that kind of thing). Less tart? Only 10 days. This is your drinking batch. Strain it and pour it into airtight bottles and pit it into the refrigerator. Cutting off the air and cooling it stops the fermentation. If you want bubbles in your kombucha, add a little honey to the kombucha before sealing the bottles and leave it at room temperature for a day of so before putting it in the fridge.  

Finally, I am starting Vinegar! Super simple so far, but it’s still working and I’m still experimenting. The good news: I’m not poisoned. I’m still alive. Therefore, I’ll keep writing and I hope to have good vinegar news next time. 

 

COVID 2020

2020. COVID. Lockdowns. Unemployment. Businesses closing. Borders closing. Political uprising. Protests from voices which needed to be heard.

We each had our own way of responding to the year, and many of us broke the monotony and anger cycles by starting new hobbies. We had more free time from not visiting friends and family. Same for me. I started several new hobbies which I truly enjoy, but I think I’m turning into a grandmother. Knitting, baking, making vinegar, canning. And I’ve taken to drinking tea and wearing cardigan sweaters. I plan to carry cough drops and hard candy. 

I do not deny the hardships many of us have faced, be it great loss or the whelming sense of  pent up emotions. Each of us have done the best we can with the tools we had. Well done, you! You’ve made it through 100% of your bad days. 

Besides turning into a grandmother, I’m returning to writing this blog so I can continue to document recipes that worked out well, and that I want repeat.  You’re welcome to join along. Let me know what you’ve tried in your own kitchen and what you’ve liked. Or what you want to try.

Sourdough Part 1

How I Treat a Sourdough Starter

Real talk. I couldn’t make a starter. I tried. I honestly did. In fact, I tried twice, but it got old before it’s time and just didn’t survive.

A very good friend gave me a starter. She knew my plight and took pity on me. 

The starter was healthy and came from a prestigious lineage: It was the child of Scout and the grandchild of Sprout. I named this child Scamp. It has since generated another offspring, Scooter. And then another sibling which I have passed to another of my best friends. 

That’s a beautiful part of sourdough. It’s alive and it’s a part of the celebration of life. It’s meant to provide for us just as we continue to sustain it.

First of all, I treat it like a pet. It needs food, water and a good growing condition. When I received it, it was in a glass quart canning jar. The lid was loose to let air in and out. It had already eaten so I fed it some more. 

100g starter

100g unbleached bread flour (I use King Arthur) 

60g room temperature water

I stirred all of the ingredients until it was well combined and the consistency of thick peanut butter, then put it back in the jar, lid loose on the top, and let it rest on the counter for an hour or two. Then into the fridge next to the milk. 

A week later, on Saturday morning, I took the starter out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter to warm up a little. I could have used it (or most of it) then, but I wanted to have a bit more to continue to grow and some to use. I split it into two and made sure I had enough to get 227g to cook with and still have more to grow. Now I have a lot of starter and usually make two loaves on the weekend and maybe biscuits or pancakes. 

Each week I repeat the process, usually on Saturday. If I need it midweek I take it out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for a day. If I’m a day or two late in feeding, It still seems alright. And I haven’t washed the original jar out. Scamp and Scooter are both happy and growing. 

For recipes, try:

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits 

Yields 6 biscuits that are too large for healthy eating 

120g unbleached flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, super cold (I put it in the freezer for a bit first)

227g sourdough starter, unfed/discard

A fist full of shredded cheddar cheese (I don’t really measure this. If you have both hands cupped, the loose shredded cheese fills your hands)

Water, as needed

Preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack somewhere in the middle. I also have a baking stone on that rack. (I don’t know if this adds anything to the experience other than making me look like I know what I’m doing.) Grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour and toss together until the mixture is sort of well mixed. Add the cheese and toss together some more.  Add the starter, mixing gently until the dough is cohesive. Add water if needed to bring it all together. I probably over work it and it always turns out fine.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently pat it to about 1"-thick. 

Use a biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits. Use whatever size you want to get the biscuits you want. I use a vintage Bugs Bunny glass. The opening is about 3 inches across. It’s no biscuit cutter, but it works like a champ. 

Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top. 

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until they're golden brown.  The cheese on the bottom will get good and crispy.  

Don’t worry about how to store them. 

Sourdough Bread in One Day

227g Starter left out for 12-24 hours

604g Unbleached Bread Flour

2 1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 c lukewarm Water

You can use 1-2 tsp Yeast if you want a faster rise

Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer. Mix on low with a dough hook until everything comes together in a smooth ball, then mix it for a couple minutes more for good measure. 

Lightly dust a clean smooth surface with flour. Dump the dough onto the counter.  It’ll be a bit wet and sticky. You want that. Knead the dough for 7 minutes. I like 7 minutes but you can probably do a little more or less. Some people do a lot less, but I haven’t tried their bread. The dough gets smoother, but it doesn’t get elastic like you see on the cooking shows on TV. I think that’s ok. 

Put it into a bowl big enough to let it double in size plus a bit more room. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a place that stays around 70°F. Let it hang out for a few hours.  It’ll spread out in the bowl and it won’t really look like it’s rising for a while. And then it will. If you’re using yeast, it’ll rise in an hour or so. If not, plan on three hours, but in either case, check on it every hour to see how it’s going. 

When the dough ball has doubled in size, cut it in half and put each half into a VERY well floured cloth (like a tea towel), loosely wrap and lay each dough ball into it’s own large bowl. Let rise for an hour or so. After about 35 minutes, set the oven: 

For the oven and the bake, here’s what I do.  Adapt as you need to.

I use a large Dutch oven with a lid. Preheat the oven, with the Dutch oven inside, to 475°F. (I know I was using grams before and now I’m using Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. What can I say? I’m cosmopolitan.) I cut a couple pieces of parchment paper and sprinkle each with cornmeal. When the dough is risen to your satisfaction (you don’t need to go nuts with waiting; it will rise more when it bakes), put the loaf onto the cornmealed parchment. Don’t shake off the extra flour. Take a very sharp knife and cut two deep slashes across the top. This keeps the loaf from splitting as it bakes. Using the parchment, put the loaf into the Dutch oven.  Spritz water with a spray bottle over the loaf and then cover with the Dutch oven lid. Turn the oven up to 500°F. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the lid off and turn the oven down to 475°F. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. The top should be a deep brown and the internal temp should be 190°F. Repeat with the other loaf. 

The hardest part is waiting while it cools, but give it a half hour. 

A letter from Spain

Hello friends and relatives.

We have traveled to the foreign soils of the Iberian Peninsula, to the town of Barcelona, and in our initial foray, have beheld numerous sights leading to these shared observations.

First, the people of Europe look categorically malnourished by American standards, although there is hope. Whereas I've noticed the healthy girth of American waistlines and shorts that ride up as one walks down an American street, the same features are far less prevalent in our friends across The Pond. Many women, for example, have thighs which barely touch as they walk!  Blessedly, now and then, we can see the native German or Italian or sometimes even Spaniard with a shirt or pant-size of which to be truly proud, and this gives my heart encouragement. Still, the Dutch and Swedes are far too tall, winsome and thin to be fully equipped for general healthy living let alone their long winters.

Which leads me to my Second Important Point: I believe the food to be the cause of the generally lean nature of these inhabitants.  The cuisine here focuses on delicious cured meats, recently caught seafood, fine cheeses and fresh fruit and vegetables. Even the toast is spread with wholesome olive oil and a thin tomato juice--the natives literally rub a fresh, sliced, juicy tomato over the bread toasted in olive oil. Granted, there is wine plenty enough to spare, but with the wholesomeness of the cooking, one must consume vast quantities of both to maintain one's fortitude. Blessedly, the Catalonians are generous by their very nature.

Many in Spain walk the streets looking for such sustenance. The shops and restaurants are open late (10:00 pm to 12:00 am is standard for dining) and the sidewalks are wide to accommodate their numbers. Roads lace and interweave with these walkways and are filled with speeding taxi cabs and vehicles of the sporting wealthy class. You see, it appears to be a great entertainment for the walkers--possibly as a brief diversion from there plighted march to the next feeding station--to dodge among the vehicles zipping past. In their turn, the cars and motorbikes seem to speed up if their headlights catch the sight of human prey in their sweep. Although the odds seem to favor the automobile by the sheer numbers of pedestrians in the street, still we have not seen the fallen footman taken by their determined nemesis. This dodging and darting seems to be frivolous sport, burning precious calories.

There exists, along this treacherous migration, some respite. When the enthusiasm for the sport has waned, we've witnessed small packs of participants reclining on any of the numerous benches provided by the city founders. If benches are too distant, these same weary sojourners will squat in nearly any doorway, alley or parking garage. The poor, confused waifs, in an attempt to satiate their ever-present hunger (owing to their being so thin), have taken to putting all nature of things in their mouths, most commonly, lit cigarettes. Sadly, cigarettes depress appetite but do nothing for adding needed pounds. 

Perhaps the cigarettes are aging their population.  Observe: throughout your day, in Europe or even back home, you will witness the grizzled and weathered faces of elderly men or women holding cigarettes between their knotted fingers.  However, you will never see the same haggard, wrinkled visage on the obese.  I firmly believe that our extreme calorie count preserves our youth--right up to the day we die.

We depart this fascinating city, half a world away from you all, in the morning. I will send more news as events warrant.

Humbly yours,
--M

If you feel the need to try something tasty and not very fattening, try:

Catalan Tomato Toasts

2-3 slices of Bread per person
Olive Oil
1-2 ripe Tomatoes per person (the big round ones, not Roma or Plum tomatoes--those are too dry)
pinch of coarse Salt and cracked Pepper, if desired

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a flat bottomed skillet on medium to medium high heat.  Lay the bread in to fry, 2-3 minutes or until they're cooked the way you like them.  Turn over and toast the other side in the remaining oil (if there is any) for 1-2 minutes.  Remove the toast to a warm plate.  Repeat with the rest of the bread.

Cut the tomatoes in half. While the toast is hot, rub the cut side of the tomato into the toast, letting the bread absorb the juice and seeds and pulp.  Use a half of a tomato for every 1-2 pieces of toast. 

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper if you like that sort of thing.  I do.

Serve by itself or on a platter with meats, cheeses and dried fruits.



Satire noun (\ˈsa-ˌtī(-ə)r\)

1: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

2: trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly

Breaking Bread

For it is we who must pray for our daily bread, and if He grants it to us, it is only through our labour, our skill and preparation.
--Paracelsus

Over the centuries, most of the world used some kind of bread product to enhance and suppliment their daily rations.  "Breaking bread" with another human being was a sign of welcome, acceptance and love.  Now this once noble food of tradition is under attack. 

Carbohydrate reduced diets have been quite the rage since before Atkins re-released his diet in 2002, and while I won't debate the merits of one diet over another, I will blanketly state that bread, pasta and rice have their place in any (weight-loss or other) diet.  They contribute to a feeling of satiety and provide easily accessible energy in the form of sugars.  Critics cite the "empty calories" of most high carbohydrate foods.  I'm not arguing this critique, but they taste so doggone good.  What's a glutton to do to satisfy his gluten cravings?

Make my own!

I like being able to control what I put in my body.  If I know the ingredients in my food, I can have a better handle on nutrients, flavors and eliminate other unwanted chemicals.  And not to get too self-righteous (a lie--I love to be self-righteous) but making my own also satisfies my soul.

The ingredients and recipes are simple, but bread and pasta both take time and a lot of elbow grease.  This naturally dissuades people from taking full advantage of the greatest joys to wash over your senses.  Even now I have dried dough under my fingernails and pressed into my cuticles.  Our house smells like heaven and my tummy gurgles with anticipation.

Tonight we feast on:

Artisan Bread
1 2/3 cup Warm Water (115 degrees)
2 teaspoons Yeast
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
4 1/2 cups Bread Flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil

In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup warm water and 1/2 teaspoon yeast and the sugar.  Stir with a fork until dissolved.  Let stand for 10 minutes while foam forms.  Add 1/2 cup flour and mix until it comes together.  Flour your hands (and take off your rings) and knead the dough for a few minutes until it starts to provide some tension in your hands.  Cover with plastic wrap in the bowl and put it into a cold oven.  Let rise and ferment over night.

The next morning (or when you get to it), remove the plastic wrap and push the dough down.  Add the remaining warm water and yeast.  Using your hands, stir the dough in the water until it starts to break up in the water.

Add the remaining flour along with the salt and oil.  Mix, until it comes together, then start to knead.  It will be wet and sticky.  Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.  Knead in the bowl until the dough starts to create some tension in your fingers (about 4 minutes).  Transfer the dough ball to a floured surface and knead until the dough holds it's shape and loses it's sticky feeling (about another 6 minutes).  Cover and let rise until it doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.  On a floured surface flatten 1 piece of the dough to about 1 inch tall and about 6 inches wide and 10-12 inches long.  Fold in the sides to make a 12 inch loaf.  Turn the newly made loaf over onto a floured piece of parchment paper so the seam is down.  Prepare the other piece of dough the same way.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven with a baking stone on the center rack and a cast iron (or other heavy metal oven-proof) skillet on the bottom rack to 425 degrees.

Dust the top of the loaves with flour.  Slide a silicone cutting mat or ridgeless cookie sheet under the parchment paper and transfer the loaves and paper onto the baking stone.  (Remove the transferring device.)  Put 1/2 cup ice cubes (or ice water) in the skillet.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Let the loaves cool on a cooling rack (remove the paper) for 20 minutes before cutting into the bread.  It will be hard but your patience will be rewarded.

Spinach Noodles
4-6 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup Spinach, boiled and drained and chopped fine

In a very large bowl, mound up the flour.  Make a large depression in the mountain (think "blown out volcano"), large enough to pour in the other ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine the salt, eggs, water, olive oil and spinach. Using a fork, mix well.  Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour depression and beat the wet ingredients with the fork.  You don't want to mix the wet stuff right into the flour, but rather beat the wet ingredients, so that it pulls the flour into the mix.  This gives you the best shot at getting the right ratios every time.  (Since every batch of flour is slightly different, some will absorb more and some less.)

As the liquid comes together as a dough, and the fork no longer seems to be your best method of stirring it up, start kneading the dough by hand, still in the flour.  You will incorporate a lot more flour now and the dough will start to tighten up.  Knead for about 4 minutes like this, then lift the dough ball out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead for another 2-4 minutes until the ball starts to toughen up and becomes harder to knead.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Unwrap the ball and divide it into 4 equal parts.  Rewrap 3 of them.  On a floured surface, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 inch tall.  I prefer to roll it out so that the dough is long and narrow--I like long noodles.

Using a straight edge and a knife or pizza cutter, cut the noodles into 1/4 inch wide strips.  Carefully lift them and hang them to dry.  (I used my mom's clothes line outside.)  Repeat with the other three balls of dough.

No straight edge for me!  I'm using a broken nut sliverer and free hand cutting.

Dry thoroughly to store for up to 2 months in a sealed container (cool, dry, dark place, of course).  When cooking, heat a large pot (6 quart) of water to boiling.  Add a teaspoon of salt, and a goodly amount of noodles.  Let them boil 3-5 minutes, drain and stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce or olive oil to keep them from sticking.

The All-American Diet: Not Quite a Love Story

I visited my doctor recently. "High cholesterol."  Now this isn't anything new.  I have tested high before and my family has tradition of gluttony: a tradition so rich and deeply fried that I firmly believe that it and it alone contributed to the girth of my family tree.  So, when I asked how high, he said, "Really high. Too high. If 'too high' was a number, you'd be that plus a lot more." So I asked him what the number was, and he was dismayed by my response: "That's great! That's a lot better than last time!"  My grandparents lived to old ages in spite of their culinary (and other) habits, my parents are doing well and I feel strong as a horse.  Honestly, I think of myself as a 17 year old--at least until I start working out.  Then I feel every day of my 41 and 3/4 years.

I share these traits to a greater or lesser degree with nearly every American, so it's by no surprise that the FDA has proposed restaurants post calorie counts on their menus.  Now, before we have the good/bad discussion, lets look at a few of the socioeconomic and dietary factors that contribute to American health concerns. 

Most recent health studies that show up in the popular media focus on childhood and adolescent nutrition.  The Department of Health and Human Services states that adolescents who are obese have an increased risk developing all sorts of problems, from the obvious horrors of diabetes and heart disease to subtle yet pervasive problems like asthma, orthopedic distress and depression.  In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes causes more deaths in the US than the better research-funded breast cancer, prostate cancer or colon cancer.   Lack of exercise, eating away from home and little variety in diet appear to be the main contributors to childhood obesity.  Unfortunately, based on an article the science journal Nature, the children most at risk also have the least hope changing their circumstances.

Wow.  What a depressing paragraph. 

Fortunately, recent movies such as Fast Food Nation, Super Size Me and Food, Inc have increased our awareness of the dangers we face.  (Judge them for what they are: sensationalistic yet provocative.)  Activists like Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver are working around the clock to find solutions. 

So given what I just laid out, it seems natural that there should be calorie counts on menus.  But I see another economic catastrophe coming.  Restaurants will give up changing their menus.  No daily specials.  No seasonal variations.  The recipes will have to be tested and tirelessly maintained.  And sadly, as has already been proven by posting nutritional information on candy bars and soda, people who want to consume junky food will consume it regardless of nutritional value.  If I'm right, we'll see less variation of restaurant food and no real reform of food and eating habits.  Pity.

On the bright side, simple home cooking could increase.  And I'm looking for another doctor--one who is less judgemental.

For something simple tonight, try: 

Bread, Redux

This is a simple recipe for a hearty loaf with a dense crumb.
1 1/4 lbs of Bread Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup Warm Water (to proof the yeast)
2/3 stick of Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Milk, plus up to 3 tablespoons more, as needed

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and wait for it to froth up.  Combine the dry ingredients in a heavy bowl.  Mix in the yeast mixture, butter and 1/2 cup of milk.  Stir into a shaggy mass.  Add the remaining milk a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together as a dry rough mass. 

Lightly dust a workspace and start kneading.  Knead until the dough comes together as a smooth ball. 

Let it rise for an hour or until it's doubled in size.  Punch it down until it's almost back to its original size.  Shape it into whatever shape you want to bake it, and place it on a cookie sheet or in a loaf pan.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees and let the loaf rise again.  When the oven comes to temperature, bake the bread for 30 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and take it off the cookie sheet or out of the pan, as appropriate.  Put it on a cooling rack to stop cooking as fast possible.  

It's going to smell incredible, and if you are like me, you'll want to cut into it immediately.  Don't!  Let it rest for for an hour to cool. 

For variation, replace the milk with beer, coffee, beef broth or even diluted wine or whiskey.

Dinning at The Fort

We recently celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. In a brilliant moment of foresight, we planned our wedding so that our anniversaries might correspond to Denver's 5280 Restaurant Week. Never mind that we got married 9 years before the promotion started, and that it was the first date the church was available --this is our week.

For those who live outside of Colorado (or perhaps under a Colorado rock) 5280 (pronounced "Fifty-two Eighty") Restaurant Week follows the restaurant promotions of other cities but we are one mile above sea level: 5,280 feet = one mile, representative of the Mile High City. Get it? Here the restaurants feature multi-course dinners for the low, low price of $52.80 per couple (or $26.40 for a single person or a third wheel) and according to VISIT DENVER, the Convention and Visitors Bureau 281 restaurants participated this year.

We chose The Fort for our dining experience. Known for it's gourmet treatment of game meats (Venison, Bison, Quail, et al), and its tagline "Food and Drink from the Early West." I can't confirm that my cocktail was from the early West, but it was damn good. "Traders Whiskey." Fine bourbon, red chilies, tobacco and black gunpowder. Served neat, in a cordial glass. (OK, we did look it up. Find more, here.)

For the 5280 promotion, The Fort served a prix fixe menu of house salad, choice of Bison Ribs or Bison Brochette, with a quail and sides of corn with Lima beans, and mashed potatoes. Peach cobbler for dessert. They also gave us sourdough rolls and pumpkin muffins (with little apple pieces baked inside--delightful!) We ordered nothing more, and we were stuffed to the gills. Generous portions and delicious food! Because it was our anniversary, we also had our picture taken in authentic headgear (actually, I think mine was a hardhat with some buffalo fur scraps from the souvenir counter taped to it.) And although we didn't eat it that night, they gave us an additional desert of Chocolate Chili Bourbon Cake.

The picture probably would have been better served before the gluttony, but c'est la vie.
I sincerely recommend scheduling some time next year to take advantage of 5280 Restaurant Week. With nearly 300 restaurants participating in every neighborhood and small town in the Denver Metro area, everyone can find something to suit their tastes, and this is a great way of trying something new. The dates are not announced very far in advance but for scheduling purposes, please consider that no restaurant wants to lose its Valentine's Day revenue, nor try to work around the St. Patty's day hullabaloo. I don't know what the dates will be next year, but I know when they WON'T be.
For breakfast this morning:
Brule Bananas, Oven Bacon, Eggs over Easy and freshly baked Bread
Brulee Bananas

Slice bananas lengthwise and rest on a wire rack, on a cookie sheet, over a non-flammable surface. Sprinkle very liberally with white sugar. Don't substitute here! Nothing else will burn in quite the same way.

Grab your best blow torch. (Side note: do NOT spend the extra money on a "brulee torch." They are too small, are over-priced, and you have to spend extra for fuel refills. Instead, go for the small propane bottles, and a $6 screw-on torch.) Patiently melt the sugar, holding the torch relatively still until the sugar begins to burn, turns deeply golden brown and bubbly. You can refrigerate for a few minutes, but do not cover or the crispy shell will liquefy.

Bread

2 cups Bread Flour (more gluten than All Purpose Flour)

2 tablespoons Yeast

1 1/2 cups warm (110 degrees F) Water

2 more cups Bread Flour + more for kneading

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 stick of unsalted Butter, melted

The night before, combine 2 cups flour and yeast in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the water stir until everything is well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and let it do it's thing. In the morning it will have tripled or quadrupled in size.

Add 2 more cups of flour, salt and butter and mix until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Turn out onto a floured kneading surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until it's smooth. Return to the bowl, cover with a warm damp cloth and let rise for 1 hour. Punch it down and let rise in the same way for another 45 minutes.

Shape the loaf on a piece of parchment paper let rise while the oven preheats. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes (or a little more). Slice and eat it while it's warm.

Bitters Tasting and a Spiced Dinner

It's been 2 weeks. The Christmas decorations are all put away, snow has come and gone, we watched Avatar, my wife visited the National Western Stock Show, and I've hosted 2 seminars.

And the the anticipation is killing me.

2 weeks ago I blogged about making bitters, gave you 2 recipies to try and promised I'd give you the results.

Well . . . .

Spicey!!

Bold!!


Alright, here's the scoop. I think it will get even better when it's had a chance to sit for another week or two, but it already has a powerful rosemary and juniper nose on the front-end and a liquorice finish. It's just bitter enough (wormword was the right choice).

But I have to confess, like the orange bitters before, it lacks a certain depth. I'll let it rest for a bit and give final judgement down the road. And I'd like a little more experimentation. Perhaps in the next batch, I'll add the juniper berries after 1 week and reduce the star anise by half.

We've got time, however, and I have Manhattan's to make. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tonight's dinner:


Spiced Pork Roast and OJ Gravy

2 lbs Boneless Pork Roast
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 stars of Anise
1 stick Cinnamon
8 -10 Juniper Berries, lightly crushed
Smoked Salt
fresh-ground Pepper
1 California Bay Leaf (2 leaves if you're using Turkish)
1 cup Orange Juice

In a pressure cooker, heat the olive oil until hot. Salt the pork, lightly and evenly, all the way around. Brown the roast on all sides. Sprinkle with pepper, and then add enough water to ALMOST cover the meat. Add the rest of the spices, but NOT the orange juice.

Cook it under pressure (follow manufacturer's directions, because they are all fairly different) for about an hour. (Good time to start your bread!) This makes for a very nicely infused and tender roast. Remove the roast from the pot and let stand, covered, in a nice warm place.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the spice bits that you can, but don't worry about fighting it too hard--a little juniper berry in the sauce is OK and the meat bits are GREAT! Heat the remaining liquid until boiling and start reducing it. Add the orange juice and keep reducing it. Stir or whisk often. When reduced to 1/4 of what it was, turn off the heat, get the pork roast out, pour over the roast, slice and serve.


Cardamom Flatbread

2 cups Flour, plus more for kneading
1 and 1/2 tablespoons quick acting Yeast
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Cardamom
1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus more for the pan
1 cup very warm Water

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together well. Add the oil and water. Stir together until the dough comes together as a shaggy mass. Turn out onto a clean and floured work surface and knead it until it's uniformly smooth. Let rise, in a covered bowl in a warm, draft-free area for about 30 min.

When about half-again as large as it was, divide into 6 equal parts. Working one at a time (leave the unused portions covered until you're ready for them) roll or press out like a thick tortilla into a disk about 8 inches across. Add a little oil to the bottom of a hot skillet and lightly pan fry on both sides until golden brown and delicious.

Eat while it's hot!


Moroccan Carrot Salad

3 Carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1/4 cup Orange Juice
a fistfull of Raisins
a good dusting of Cinnamon (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?)

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. Let rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve.