Oooooohhhh, Pretty

I have been having trouble with bread lately. I've never been a stickler in the kitchen. I often don't follow recipes exactly. That is a problem when baking. There is a saying: cooking is art, baking is science. It is true. Too much pepper in your paprikash? It's probably still edible. Too much water in your dough? The bread collapses during proofing or the cake is dense and under-cooked.

For me this means that as I am a little loose with the rules, over time if I am modifying a recipe I can lose track of how the finished product turns out. In other words: I have this wheat bread recipe that I have been tweaking (not to be confused with twerking), and I have been getting crappy bread.

Solution? Go back to the beginning. I am starting with a basic white bread. I will add or modify ingredients one at a time until I find exactly the combination of adjunct grains and whole flour percentages using my techniques that yields a firm almost crispy crust and a light moderately open crumb. The loaf above was just white bread with flax seed. It is the prettiest loaf of bread I have ever baked. Good start.

YaY Me!

No Better Way To Start The Day Than SUGAR!

Breakfast, Thursday October 19: french toast (baguette, egg. milk, cream) ; yogurt and fruit (greek yogurt, honey, mixed fruit); blueberries; powdered sugar.

It looks like a ton of sugar, but it's not. I dusted with a fine mesh strainer. Also the yogurt has just enough honey so it does not taste too sharp against the sweeter fruit.

It's Fiberlicious

Supper, Saturday August 5: shrimp marinara (spaghetti squash, wild shrimp, tomato, garlic olive oil, onion, basil, black pepper, salt); fried okra, bella di cerignola olives.

Because fried okra (and spaghetti squash). I have passed my addiction to fried okra on to Alexis. Thankfully I have a little fryer that is convenient to use. I also have a technique for breading that is relatively easy. Now that doesn't mean it is a snap, just that it is easier than what most folks would do. Most importantly, this time of year, as the okra and tomatoes are coming in, I have the breading ingredients mise en place, put in place because there will be use for it every couple of days, not just for meals but to store up for the winter. I put FGT and okra away in the freezer breaded and ready to cook.

So here's the layout:

I store the ingredients in nested bowls in the fridge when I know that I will be doing this frequently. Like when I am freezing stuff.

The wash is egg and buttermilk. It is good for a few days. Change it out as necessary.

Prepare the vegetables as desired.

Salt or spice. I like seasoned salt. 

Dredge in flour first. This helps the breading adhere.

Tap off the excess. This is the seeeecret tool, just an ordinary spider. It is great for breading small stuff.

Do all this step at once before moving on. (Unless you are doing a LOT, but then work in batches. You will see in a sec. It is to keep the spider clean.)

For larger items I use a skewer or the fingers of ONE hand.

A little at a time put the product in the egg wash. Jostle, toss, fold, whatever works for you, until every thing is completely coated. Do this somewhat gently so as not to wash off the flour.

Here's where the spider comes in again. Use it to strain the washed goods and transfer to the breading mix. I use one part flour and two parts breadcrumbs. Use whatever you prefer here. Like cornmeal? Knock yourself out. I don't salt or spice here generally but that is also a good option.

Jostle, tap, toss, whatever, to coat. then you can use out DRY hands to transfer to a towel.

Fry to golden yumminess (or freeze).

We Got A Lot Of Beans

Supper, Saturday October 14: tuscan bean soup (cannellini beans, onion, celery, garlic, olive oil, chicken stock, anise, parsley, oregano, egg yolk, crushed tomato); crusty french bread, fried okra, parm to garnish.

I have been experimenting with different beans in the garden. We have had a very good harvest of green beans for the last two seasons, so I have rather a surplus of canned beans. Next year I am only planting a limited run of green beans. I will plant more of the varieties that I have been experimenting with like the cannellinis I used in this soup. Cranberry, black, Jackson Wonder, soyasume. . . I know beans are cheap and readily available but they really are so much better fresh. There are flavors that I think age out of the bean over time. 

Life Gets In The Way

Supper: Friday October 13: pasta? primavera and shrimp (poblano, cherry tomatoes, leek, wild rice, olive oil, parsley, basil, shredded parm, shrimp, pepper, spaghetti squash, loofah); seaweed salad.

I haven't posted in a while, not that anyone reads this.  Life does get in the way though. I have, however, decided on a course of action. I am going to pick up starting today and back post at the same time. There are a few really good meals I have skipped so I am going to dig them up. 

I grew spaghetti squash for the first time this season. I had moderate success. I harvested a few nice gourds. This one has been in the fridge for a couple of months, They keep well if refrigerated. Once the stem borers destroyed my vines I planted another pair just to see if I could sneak another harvest in before the end of the season. Whadaya know, I might get 3 or 4 new squash.

Yes that ingredient list says loofah. I have come to realize that nearly everyone thinks a loofah is a sponge. It's not, it's a squash. Not only that, when they are young they are edible. There are LOTS of varieties. The Romans perfected them for use as sponges. Alexis uses them in soap. She incorporates a loofah in a soap batch so that when sliced the soap has a built in exfoliating sponge.