tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64455319598131018622024-03-14T11:13:04.782-03:00The Cook's Corner BlogA chef's private collection of cooking tips and recipesGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-59277053719707420432021-02-11T14:20:00.000-04:002021-02-11T14:23:30.752-04:00Food Processor Hamburger Buns <p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a8MRVR-BQQU/YCVx0ZU6faI/AAAAAAAAGT0/qPcgdDhNamYdM-nPS4fopQdwVw59hrhmQCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_0832.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a8MRVR-BQQU/YCVx0ZU6faI/AAAAAAAAGT0/qPcgdDhNamYdM-nPS4fopQdwVw59hrhmQCNcBGAsYHQ/w435-h326/IMG_0832.jpeg" width="435" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Given that flour costs a dollar a pound - or less - why do those horrible industrial hamburger buns, which are nothing but flour and air, cost so much?</p><p>Here is my latest favourite recipe. It has everything I want: the size is just right, the texture is light, and the taste is bland, so as not to overcome what's inside.</p><p>And last but not least, the quantity is just right for kneading in my rather small and not very powerful Hamilton Beach food processor.</p><p>The recipe is adapted from Paul Hollywood's <i>Floury Baps </i>recipe.</p><p>INGREDIENTS</p><p>375 g unbleached, all-purpose flour</p><p>2-1/4 tsp instant yeast</p><p>1-1/4 tsp salt</p><p>30 g sugar</p><p>30 g butter, cut into smallish cubes</p><p>250 ml (1 cup) cold water</p><p>INSTRUCTIONS</p><p>Place dry ingredients into food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade, and process a few seconds to mix. </p><p>Add butter, process to small crumbs.</p><p>Pour water (cold!) through feed tube while running, then continue mixing until all is mixed and a cohesive ball forms around the blade.</p><p>Transfer to counter, knead a minute or two until nice and smooth.</p><p>Transfer to lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave an hour or so, until double in bulk.</p><p>Transfer to counter, cut into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball.</p><p>Move the balls to a floured surface and leave 10 minutes, to relax the dough.</p><p>One ball at a time, flatten with rolling pin on a floured surface, and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80M_GuNj_MMFgERV91gDgBRTqEkwE7PmAT96ADEVYgabeCmFNfdND2dxdKHcMmefTWkmtPldZWSUn1vKKiNQPV5bK_iKQTkL5Mr0QXCSEOAq5IueJkq4nSf94YZ5EstjQipWtxNf_tNTa/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80M_GuNj_MMFgERV91gDgBRTqEkwE7PmAT96ADEVYgabeCmFNfdND2dxdKHcMmefTWkmtPldZWSUn1vKKiNQPV5bK_iKQTkL5Mr0QXCSEOAq5IueJkq4nSf94YZ5EstjQipWtxNf_tNTa/w401-h301/IMG_0830.jpeg" width="401" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Turn oven on to 220 C or 450 F, with the rack in the middle.</p><p>Sprinkle with flour, cover and leave about 45 minutes, or until about double in size.</p><p>Bake 10 minutes, turn pan around, and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until nice and brown. If you have a thermometer, it should register 205-210 degrees C.</p><p>Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.</p>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-61293435053002422532020-07-19T15:45:00.001-03:002020-07-20T08:29:48.412-03:00Nostalgia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Q5fw_gRetsXHJTUC1Rw6Hl-VlIP5gNglGmT8JzEwIDTiF6UZL5Mlr-5aV5qWhROgdH_2Bt5YIZTKdhFMWk072UX35AxqbMpBQSMbZQapa-pUjjrLLNL_jrtvanOI2JJzTRAXwe6A5y2A/s1600/CATELLI-Blue_Long-Macaroni_3D_454g-LeftSide-scaled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Q5fw_gRetsXHJTUC1Rw6Hl-VlIP5gNglGmT8JzEwIDTiF6UZL5Mlr-5aV5qWhROgdH_2Bt5YIZTKdhFMWk072UX35AxqbMpBQSMbZQapa-pUjjrLLNL_jrtvanOI2JJzTRAXwe6A5y2A/s400/CATELLI-Blue_Long-Macaroni_3D_454g-LeftSide-scaled.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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This is the only brand of long macaroni you can buy here in Eastern Canada!</td></tr>
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When I make macaroni and cheese I always use long macaroni. I hope it never disappears from the shelves because for some reason it tastes much better than those silly little elbows.</div>
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I learned to make my macaroni this way back in the 'Sixties - yes, that's the 1960s, nearly 60 years ago, when I was working as a translator at the head office of Robin Hood Flour Mills here in Montreal. It was located in the Town of Mount Royal Shopping Centre, and there was only one place to eat lunch and that was Murray's Restaurant, right in the little strip mall.</div>
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My recent web searches have shown that most people remember the Murray's chain - they had several branches in this part of the country - for their British desserts, but for me it was the rest of the menu that kept me standing in line to get in day after weekday in spite of the high prices. </div>
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The macaroni and cheese was my absolute favourite, but their cheeseburger was the best in town, their mixed salad with "French" dressing was crunchy and fresh and loaded with veggies, and the vegetable soup was a classic. </div>
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The only way I deviate from Murray's macaroni and cheese is that I sometimes pour it into a baking dish, slice some tomatoes on top, dot with butter and bake until the top begins to turn brown in places. But it's delicious straight out of the pot too.</div>
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I have no recipe: I just make a béchamel, add lots of yellow aged cheddar cheese and a pinch of Cayenne pepper and stir this into the cooked macaroni. The secret is to keep the sauce silky by not cooking it after you add the cheese.</div>
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As for those desserts, the ones people keep remembering are the Steamed Fruit Pudding with Custard Sauce and the Rice Custard Pudding and I must say both were absolutely top-notch.</div>
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To find the recipes, I just googled "Murray's steamed fruit pudding" <a href="https://www.chowhound.com/post/murrays-steamed-fruit-christmas-pudding-rice-pudding-recipes-564042" target="_blank">and there they were</a>.</div>
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Bon appétit!</div>
Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-22081790730971123982020-04-02T09:17:00.001-03:002020-04-02T09:17:28.315-03:00Make Your Own White Flour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>NOTE: THIS IS BEING WRITTEN IN EARLY APRIL 2020, DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEM</i>IC.<br />
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It's not fair! Some of us have been making our own bread forever, but now all those amateur newbie breadbakers are hoarding all the flour!<br />
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Every time I place an online food order, it arrives minus the flour I ordered.<br />
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Except for my last order. There it was: a 5-lb bag of whole wheat flour.<br />
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But sometimes you really really need white flour, so Im making my own until better times.<br />
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You see, whole wheat flour is just white all-purpose flour with some bran added. (Honest, unless you grind your own wheat berries, there is no wheat germ in your "whole" wheat flour.) So all you have to do is sift the bran out of your whole wheat flour.<br />
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Last night, I made the above test. I already knew about sifting the bran out; the test was about making my own sieve out of cheesecloth and an embroidery hoop, because my fine flour sifter seems to have disappeared during my recent move.<br />
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As you can see, there is a substantial amount of bran in whole wheat flour. Save it for another use.<br />
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Another solution to render the bran less gluten-destroying is to run the flour, or just the bran, through the food processor. At times I've separated it out, as in the photo, and ground it in my spice grinder.<br />
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You've got time, these days, so experiment!<br />
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Happy Baking!<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-71634394259517823352020-03-11T14:31:00.001-03:002020-03-12T09:17:44.526-03:00Why I Will Never Be A VegetarianThere are two reasons why I will never be a vegetarian: <i>carnita</i>s and <i>barbacoa</i>. Yes, both are Mexican meat dishes! <i> </i><br />
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<i>Carnitas</i> is Mexico's favourite way of eating pork and <i>barbacoa</i> is how you eat lamb if you live in Mexico.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Carnitas. Photo credit: Mexico In My Kitchen</td></tr>
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Real <i>barbacoa</i> cannot be made at home, but an excellent <i>carnitas</i> substitute is entirely feasible, and you will find the recipe here: <a href="https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/pork-carnitas-mexican/">https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/pork-carnitas-mexican/</a><br />
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Please ignore any recipe that contains anything else - trust me, this is the real mccoy. In fact, having lived in Mexico for over 20 years, I can assure you that all Mely's recipes are absolutely what you would be served if you had the good fortune of having friends like mine in Mexico. If you like authentic Mexican food, you should subscribe to her blog (it's in English).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Mixiotes</td></tr>
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As for <i>barbacoa,</i> I'm sorry that she does not give a recipe for my favourite alternative, <i>mixiotes. </i>They are little parcels of lamb and seasoning in parchment paper tied with string that are steamed for a couple of hours. You can make a decent substitute as long as you have access to latino ingredients like dried chiles.<br />
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Here is a recipe that I might use: <a href="https://www.tvazteca.com/aztecauno/cocineros-mexicanos/recetas/notas/receta-mixiotes-de-borrego">https://www.tvazteca.com/aztecauno/cocineros-mexicanos/recetas/notas/receta-mixiotes-de-borrego</a><br />
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I have not found one in English that I would recommend, so if you want to try this, write me in the Comments section and I will provide a translation.<br />
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Buen provecho!<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-10030708687365717312020-02-17T15:02:00.000-04:002020-02-17T15:02:33.902-04:00Tomato Paste TrickI used to buy small cans of tomato paste, but I would take out a tablespoon or two, and after a while the leftover paste would grow some fur, and I had to throw it out.<br />
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Then, one day, I discovered tomato paste in a tube, imported from Italy. I remember it well, it was at Eatalia in New York City. The huge, wonderful store was near the Yotel (this is not a typo, it's the name of the hotel!) where I was staying. I bought two tubes.<br />
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Nowadays, tube tomato paste is easy to find up here in Canada, even in the small town where I live, but my frugal self refuses to pay the price. So what I do is buy a larger can, and do this. I use a small ice cream scoop. I freeze the lot and store it in a baggie. Then I take out a ball or two when I need them.<br />
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Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-57227901345283598422019-12-24T13:36:00.000-04:002019-12-26T09:53:30.752-04:00The Best Multigrain Bread, Made Entirely By Hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3nzilhHtxiBD-28lv_3XqoMefDewZivbSu4DYPAggbyOf-oa6ojxUi6z0oim3yOcKTDjG7DjAqVCj2BbGnDKkuo-0hU_7ncEwRWJEahyphenhyphenKuypEdLuuClN22R3WFCpLy8sg8ygveLO6sK2/s1600/IMG_0517.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3nzilhHtxiBD-28lv_3XqoMefDewZivbSu4DYPAggbyOf-oa6ojxUi6z0oim3yOcKTDjG7DjAqVCj2BbGnDKkuo-0hU_7ncEwRWJEahyphenhyphenKuypEdLuuClN22R3WFCpLy8sg8ygveLO6sK2/s400/IMG_0517.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The previous post (<a href="https://the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.com/2019/06/100-grain-multigrain-sandwich-loaf-by.html">https://the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.com/2019/06/100-grain-multigrain-sandwich-loaf-by.html</a>) is a couple of years old, and during that time I have been working on perfecting my multigrain bread recipe. I wanted to achieve a result that tasted great, of course, but it had to use the ingredients that I have easy access to and that uses the equipment I have - or rather the lack of it.<br />
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I thought I had finally figured it all out, then this week I had a contretemps, and it resulted in yet another positive development. (See Notes at the end.)<br />
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I hesitated a long time before publishing my recipe -- there is no copyright on recipes -- but at this stage of my life, I would be totally flattered if someone were to steal it! Please note that this is not a recipe for beginners.<br />
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THE MORNING BEFORE, make the POOLISH<br />
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170 g unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp instant yeast<br />
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Add<br />
170 g water (cold, cool, lukewarm, makes no difference)<br />
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Mix well. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight. I leave mine 24 hours. Refrigerate after 24 hours if not ready to bake.<br />
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At the same time, prepare the SOAKER<br />
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130 g 12-grain cereal (I buy mine at Bulk Barn)<br />
25 g raw sunflower seeds<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
220 g water (any temp., as above)<br />
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Mix and let stand at room temperature alongside the Poolish. I stir mine from time to time because the sunflower seeds tend to float on top. Probably makes no difference.<br />
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Refrigerate after 24 hours if not ready to bake.<br />
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FINAL DOUGH<br />
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Combine the Poolish with the Soaker and add<br />
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120 g water<br />
3 TB canola or other plain oil<br />
45 g sweetener (agave syrup, honey, malt syrup, molasses) - I prefer molasses (2.5 TB)<br />
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In a separate bowl:<br />
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500 g whole wheat all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp instant yeast<br />
2.5 tsp ordinary salt<br />
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1. I combine the two mixtures, mix well with the hands, and set aside 30 minutes. (This 30-minute wait is what has changed my whole way of making bread. It takes the place of most of the kneading!)<br />
2. Turn onto very lightly floured counter and knead a few minutes. I can tell when it's ready when the surface tension is such that the sunflower seeds start to pop out. It's that simple!<br />
3. Shape into a ball and place in a big bowl. Cover and leave 45 minutes. (Please see my note at the end about this.)<br />
4. Turn out of bowl, give one full turn (pull one side and fold it in half, give a quarter turn and repeat, do this twice more) and immediately shape into 3 equal size balls (I use my scale for this), place them on parchment paper, cover with plastic and let them relax for 5 minutes. (If you don't know how to shape dough into balls, google it, just don't make them tight as the actual shaping will take place after the 5-minute wait.)<br />
5. Prepare your couche. (If in doubt, see my Ciabatta post [<a href="https://the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-best-and-lightest-ciabatta-bread.html">https://the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-best-and-lightest-ciabatta-bread.html</a>], except the flour needs to be all over the linen, and not so thick.)<br />
6. Shape into three bâtards (look it up if need be) and place in couche, close together but separated by a fold of linen. Cover with leftover couche and plastic.<br />
7. Turn on oven at 450 F with baking stone on the middle shelf. Fill a spray bottle with water.<br />
8. When the loaves are sufficiently puffed - not doubled in size, just nice and puffy - transfer them to a sheet of parchment placed on a peel by flipping them upside-down (gently!).<br />
9. Slash them - I like one long slash, and I use a regular knife sharpened on the steel just before.<br />
10. Slip onto stone and spray (I do 20 pumps of my small spray bottle). Repeat every minute - 3 times in all then turn oven down to 425 F.<br />
11. Bake 20 minutes, turn all the loaves around and bake until nice and brown with an internal temperature of at least 200 degrees F.<br />
12. Cool on a rack. If you can wait until the loaves are cool before tasting, you will be rewarded!<br />
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NOTES<br />
A. If baking in bread pans, you don't need the stone, and you don't spray with water. Also you could reduce the oven temperature.<br />
B. Of course you can make small rolls, long baguettes etc. Try it!<br />
C. With reference to No. 3 above, I had an interesting experience today. The loaves in the photo are the result of it. I was planning on baking the loaves yesterday, but I had to go out so the Poolish and Soaker ended up on the kitchen counter all day, which I felt was long enough so instead of refrigerating them again I put the dough together up to No. 3 and put the whole thing in the fridge overnight. When I got up, the dough had filled the huge bowl and I was a bit worried about that extra rise. However, I proceeded as per No. 4 and, well, the result is these two photos. What you can't see is how light this bread is considering that it is mostly whole grains -- I may end up doing this every time!<br />
D. I keep forgetting to slash a bit off the centre, so I mostly get loaves that are a bit lopsided, like the ones above.<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-8746414798321321022019-06-30T09:11:00.000-03:002019-06-30T09:11:55.797-03:00100% Grain Multigrain Sandwich Loaf By Hand? You Bet!After that sad second experiment with the food processor last week - where cleaning time sort of cancelled out the time saved in kneading, and watching <a href="https://www.michaelkalanty.com/michaelkalantybaker-breadscience-craftsy" target="_blank">Michael Kalanty's course on Craftsy/Bluprint </a>- and after my happy result making ciabatta rolls by hand, I decided to tackle the <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/03/multigrain-sandwich-bread.html" target="_blank">Serious Eats recipe</a> I had made last week. Apart from the mess, it was a success and the recipe is one that you can start and finish on the same day.<br />
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This is what's left of it:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serious Eats recipe made in food processor</td></tr>
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The author, Stella Parks, warns that no other method but the food processor will produce the right results with her recipe, but I was willing to waste a pound of flour and half a cup of grains to test her theory. And I would get further practise in the art of breadmaking <i>à l'ancienne.</i><br />
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I made the same substitutions to the recipe as I did last week - using 12-grain cereal from Bulk Barn instead of the individual grains on her list. Rested grains and flour for 2.5 hours after adding water to them.<br />
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That's when I veered away from the recipe. First I mixed the additional liquid, the yeast, sugar and oil together in a large bowl, added them to the wet flour by squishing them between the fingers <i>à la</i> Michael Kalanty. Then I added the salt and the soaked grains and continued squishing and mixing inside the bowl (wetting the fingers now and then) until all was blended, then I turned the dough onto the wet counter and did some slapping and smearing for a while.<br />
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I put the dough back in the bowl and let it rest about 20 minutes, then I gave it two turns, every 20 minutes or so, at which point I gave it the windowpane test and... surprise, it passed!<br />
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Back in the bowl for the required two hours. Shaped into a loaf and set the timer for 30 minutes and went away. When the timer went off, to my surprise the dough had already over-risen and the oven was still not on... and that's why the dome collapsed - as is obvious in the photo - but otherwise I would say the experiment was a success - wouldn't you?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serious Eats recipe made entirely by hand</td></tr>
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This bread is good and it works well as a sandwich loaf. But I need a deeper flavour, so next I need to tackle a slightly more complex loaf - one made with a poolish that has been fermenting overnight.<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-35997222540156326352019-06-28T15:42:00.003-03:002019-06-28T15:42:56.395-03:00Ciabatta By Hand? Yes!If and until I replace my KitchenAid mixer and/or spring for a better food processor, I'm pretty well stuck making bread by hand and today I made this batch of my own ciabatta recipe and frankly I can't tell the difference.<br />
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I used the method proposed by Michael Kalanty in the Craftsy class that I purchased years ago before they changed their name to Bluprint and made you subscribe instead of selling individual courses. (Luckily I had quite a few in my library and they're there "forever" for me to go back to.)</div>
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The class I'm referring to is "Secrets of Whole Grain Bread Baking" - nothing to do with white ciabatta, but bread is bread! I learned a lot from Mr. Kalanty, and it is mostly this: don't be afraid to handle your dough - even if it's super wet like this ciabatta!</div>
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Basically you mix your poolish and leave it overnight (check!), then you add the water and the flour and mix by hand (check!), then you rest and "develop" (that's bakerspeak for "knead") by hand in two stages, a total of only six minutes.</div>
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I know this dough so well that I was able to feel when it was ready to set aside and then to split into rolls and then to bake, so I couldn't give details even if I wanted.</div>
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Next I will make his "Seeded bâtard" which is a 100% whole wheat with seeds (I'm using 10-grain cereal instead because that's what I have and I'm adding extra sunflower seeds). I will make it freeform the first time (or in my oval banneton), but what I'd really like would be a sandwich bread baked in a pan that I could make regularly as my more healthy bread. At least until I can find a source of grains with reasonable prices so that I can start baking that wonderful Danish rye bread I posted here last year. I miss it so much!</div>
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-13296882958334331502019-06-16T15:54:00.002-03:002019-06-16T15:54:37.595-03:00Kneading Bread Dough in the Food Processor<i>Google this and you'll find all sorts of links, but the most important one -- based on Charles Van Over's recipe from his book Best Bread Ever -- has just been deleted. It's important because it describes the process very thoroughly.</i><br />
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When I sold my house last December and decided to move a thousand miles away, I got rid of all my aging appliances and my big KitchenAid mixer was one of them. (Talk about something keeping its value -- I advertised it for $250 and my inbox immediately filled with buyers!)<br />
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Before springing for a new one, I thought I'd try to make all my breads without it. First I wanted to try kneading in the food processor. The ciabatta is going to be my first experiment.<br />
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Meanwhile, to perfect the technique I made a loaf of the Van Over bread. I followed the recipe exactly. I won't publish it here -- I suspect the publisher complained about copyright infringement --, but I did order the book and even though it's out of print you can get a used copy very cheaply, or your Library may have it.<br />
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It's a very simple recipe, makes a decent bread with a nice open texture in spite of a mere 45 seconds of kneading. Here is my loaf:<br />
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I shaped it in my oval banneton.</div>
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It looks good but flavour-wise, I would certainly not describe it as the "best bread ever" as it lack the depth that I am accustomed to in my white breads. A sort of slightly sour taste, like a mild sourdough.<br />
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Also it didn't keep very well; it dried very quickly in spite of being stored in plastic.<br />
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But I'm still glad I ordered the book because there are other recipes in there that I might want to play with.<br />
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As for the ciabatta, the starter is bubbling nicely as I write this, and tomorrow I'll let you know how it worked out. (I read somewhere that you can't knead wet doughs in the food processor so it's finger crossed until the AM!)<br />
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I'm already dreaming of what I will do with the price of the KitchenAid mixer I won't have to buy...<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-82755678723722415472018-10-14T11:59:00.005-03:002022-01-25T12:19:29.340-04:00The Best And Lightest Ciabatta BreadAfter the hard drive on my iMac died last year, I realized that the best place to park information is in a blog and that's why I'm putting this recipe here.<br />
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It's one of my most valuable recipes ever because in spite of my striving to eat heathy food most of the time -- my daily bread is in fact <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6445531959813101862#editor/target=post;postID=2883550212722978227;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname" target="_blank">this Danish Rye </a>that I'm crazy about - there are times when I simply must have white bread. A typical example would be a ham and cheese sandwich, of which I am very fond. A grilled cheese sandwich. Something to dip into the gravy, breadcrumbs...<br />
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It has taken me at least a year to develop the final version of this recipe and if you are reading this you will notice that I have spared you the different stages. It all started with Craig Ponsford recipe in Maggie Glezer's book <i>Artisan Baking.</i> Then I tried Leite's Culinaria recipe that I found on the Web. Also the one from The Fresh Loaf, The Perfect Loaf, The Kitchn, three King Arthur Flour ciabatta recipes, and a few others.<br />
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The last one I tried was the one for <a href="https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ciabatta-rolls-recipe" target="_blank">Ciabatta Rolls on the King Arthur Flour website</a>. I was intrigued by the lesser quantity of water, as compared to all the other recipes. How can you make ciabatta with only 70% hydration, when all the other recipes called for at least 80%, and up to 84%, I asked myself.<br />
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I made the recipe exactly as it appeared, including the dimpling and it was not what I was after. Maybe you like your ciabatta flat, but while living in Montreal over the past year I got hooked on the ciabatta rolls from my neighbourhood Italian bakery. They were ugly, they were bumpy, but they were not flat. They had big holes and little holes and a texture not so much creamy as fluffy, almost cloud-like... add a thin crisp crust and a deep flavour and you've got perfection. They made the best ham and cheese sandwiches. They were what I was after.<br />
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I mention the thin crust because you might ask yourself why I don't just make baguette if I want French bread. The reason is that for sandwiches, I have never been able to make a baguette (or a French roll) with a crust that didn't tear the inside of my mouth. And now I don't even have to try.<br />
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For my final trials, I decided to keep my variables to a minimum, and after adhering strictly to the King Arthur recipe ingredients as my base, and varying the methods, I came to the following infallible recipe, and here it is.<br />
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CIABATTA BREAD OR ROLLS</div>
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Based on King Arthur Flour Ciabatta Rolls Recipe<br />
YIELD: 10 to 15 rolls, depending on size<br />
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This is the final version as developed by myself based on the KAF recipe and a combination of methods from other recipes and past experience.</div>
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This makes a satisfying baguette substitute because the thin crust is suitable for sandwiches, whereas I was never able to make a baguette that worked as well for that. The long fermentation of the starter ensures a good flavour.</div>
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Apart from the crust, the main difference is the dough is too wet to shape but dry enough to handle, which is not usually true of ciabatta recipes with higher hydration rates. (This one is about 70%.)</div>
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STARTER</div>
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175 g unbleached AP flour</div>
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225 g cool water</div>
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1/16 tsp instant yeast</div>
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Mix by hand or in mixer bowl until well combined. Cover and rest at room temperature overnight, or up to 15 hours or more. (I usually leave it about 24 hours, with a few hours in the turned-off oven with the light on to get it started. Then I leave it in the oven with the light <b>off</b> until next day.)</div>
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DOUGH</div>
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All the starter</div>
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150 g lukewarm water</div>
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3 TB olive oil</div>
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360 g unbleached AP flour</div>
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2 tsp instant yeast</div>
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2 TB nonfat dry milk</div>
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2 tsp salt (adjusted from 2-1/4 tsp originally)</div>
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MIX the liquid ingredients in the mixer bowl</div>
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MIX the dry ingredients separately in a bowl and stir with a wisk to disperse everything evenly</div>
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ATTACH the bowl to the mixer, attach the paddle and mix the liquid ingredients together.</div>
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ADD the dry ingredients while running at slow speed, then increase speed to medium (2.5 I think).</div>
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MIX for seven minutes. The dough will wrap itself around the paddle and stay there. I usually stop the mixer twice to scrape it down.</div>
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FIRST RISE AND TWO FOLDS</div>
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OIL a wide container (I use a medium size plastic tub) and pour the dough into it. Cover well with plastic.</div>
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SET timer for 60 minutes.</div>
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AFTER sixty minutes, give the dough a complete fold with wet hands. This is the technique I use:</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oyg8K6J8QM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oyg8K6J8QM</a></div>
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SET the timer for 30 minutes.</div>
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GIVE the dough a second fold.</div>
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SET the timer for 30 minutes.</div>
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AFTER 30 minutes, turn oven on at 425 degrees - with my new oven I have found 450 to promote better rise and colour, you could try both. </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">PLACE pizza stone on middle shelf and steam tray on lower shelf.</div>
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SET the timer for 30 minutes.</div>
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PREPARE a couche with flour on the strips where the rolls will rest.</div>
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IF dough is ready - nice and puffy with big bubbles, turn it onto a very well floured surface and flour the top (which used to be the bottom). Without deflating it too much, form it into a rough square.</div>
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DIVIDE the dough into rolls or loaves (I do a combination), using a sharp dough scraper. Place on couche, sprinkle with flour and cover the couche -- I use two upturned disposable turkey pans and white plastic bags. (You could use a scale or a ruler to make them even, but the beauty of ciabatta is in its imperfection.)</div>
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SET the timer for 30 minutes.</div>
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PREPARE a cup of water and a spray bottle.</div>
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PREPARE two peels with parchment and cornmeal.</div>
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AFTER the 30 minutes if the loaves or rolls are nice and puffy, transfer some to one of the peels - I use a hamburger lifter for this.</div>
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It doesn't matter if you turn them upside-down - if you do they will have flour and wrinkles on top and if you don't they will have a nice smooth top. But do not POKE them even though several recipes say so!</div>
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TRANSFER rolls and parchment to stone, pour a cup of water in the steam tray.</div>
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BAKE for 15 minutes, spraying with water twice at the beginning</div>
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MOVE the front ones to the back and vice versa and finish baking for about 10 minutes - until the right colour. Check internal temperature of the dough to be sure (minimum 200 degrees F).</div>
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BAKE the rest of the rolls or loaves similarly.</div>
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LET cool before eating!!!<br />
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The crust will soften somewhat as it cools.</div>
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FREEZE as soon as cool enough. This is actually the best thing to do with this bread because the crust will actually improve after reheating. </div>
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REHEAT by placing the bread - frozen or not -in a cold oven and turning it to 400. Set timer for 8 to 10 minutes and you will find the crust has become even crisper but not hard. Let cool. Ideal for sandwiches. That is also why the bread may seem a bit pale after baking - reheating will deepen the colour.</div>
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TOASTING. I am relieved that with this recipe - is it the oil or the milk powder or both? - toasting is less problematic. Other ciabattas I tried - being all flour and water have tended to emerge from the toaster hard as a stone.<br />
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My typical schedule goes like this:</div>
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FRIDAY</div>
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10 AM: Mix starter</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
SATURDAY</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
9.15 AM: Finish assembling dough<br />
9.30 AM: First rise<br />
10.30 AM: First fold<br />
11.00 AM: Second fold<br />
11.30 AM: Turn oven on<br />
11.45 AM to 12.00 PM: Divide dough; set timer fir 30 minutes<br />
12.15 to 12.30 PM: Bake first batch<br />
1.00 PM or so: Bake second batch<br />
2.00 PM: Eat!<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYbxtGby5kI/W8NVG6AjJJI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/GSWxzSNgjo8XVjJHmdGKht_i4bQM3x0WQCLcBGAs/s1600/SecondTurn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYbxtGby5kI/W8NVG6AjJJI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/GSWxzSNgjo8XVjJHmdGKht_i4bQM3x0WQCLcBGAs/s400/SecondTurn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dough after two turns, ready for next step.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2nNpH-CGuU0/W8NVQaFLpSI/AAAAAAAAFQU/XvXxPINyrB01VCUJ67Tf4OWFCbVBrme1gCLcBGAs/s1600/ReadytoDivide.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2nNpH-CGuU0/W8NVQaFLpSI/AAAAAAAAFQU/XvXxPINyrB01VCUJ67Tf4OWFCbVBrme1gCLcBGAs/s400/ReadytoDivide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for dividing, note large amount of flour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq0elyS_CeA/W8NVgM8z5PI/AAAAAAAAFQg/u22MHRPgSdYcaZmCN7WG90pMOukFJq7JQCEwYBhgL/s1600/PreparedCouche.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq0elyS_CeA/W8NVgM8z5PI/AAAAAAAAFQg/u22MHRPgSdYcaZmCN7WG90pMOukFJq7JQCEwYBhgL/s400/PreparedCouche.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couche ready with lots of flour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbseWsxn7uM77zIONj_Ipom4aMKuGKkyYSttfp90AN6nf_g25NTy43ltxJPT1KZRd13vkvQBF6mcewk6ptRRiSFJaqiPo0RKTJIZcfq6R3MNPaBfSh2yIivdQm-AKvb_5SMxRvf5AUz5q/s1600/RollsInCouche.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbseWsxn7uM77zIONj_Ipom4aMKuGKkyYSttfp90AN6nf_g25NTy43ltxJPT1KZRd13vkvQBF6mcewk6ptRRiSFJaqiPo0RKTJIZcfq6R3MNPaBfSh2yIivdQm-AKvb_5SMxRvf5AUz5q/s400/RollsInCouche.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolls and two loaves in couche.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyZ6_1Q5rUr11F6t9DLTLC6RC8O-bVNsWw6NBPjTiDcLkQXelR1yS1KYdestyhA1kXZJQKOr52DrCKsFG3qJ9iLlVNjBv6U-waD4pI81ACsNn8hZt-4PiugqPRZ9H2vFn7HIswFjvc9RJ/s1600/Peels+with+cornmeal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyZ6_1Q5rUr11F6t9DLTLC6RC8O-bVNsWw6NBPjTiDcLkQXelR1yS1KYdestyhA1kXZJQKOr52DrCKsFG3qJ9iLlVNjBv6U-waD4pI81ACsNn8hZt-4PiugqPRZ9H2vFn7HIswFjvc9RJ/s400/Peels+with+cornmeal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peels with parchment and cornmeal - peels are two layers of cardboard stapled together</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7F8YUh2XrQ/W8NWS7eKfjI/AAAAAAAAFQ4/YWdU8nQL4ikYL1pux6DdgF-EAaFBwOlKQCLcBGAs/s1600/UpturnedRoasters.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7F8YUh2XrQ/W8NWS7eKfjI/AAAAAAAAFQ4/YWdU8nQL4ikYL1pux6DdgF-EAaFBwOlKQCLcBGAs/s400/UpturnedRoasters.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upturned turkey roasters on top of couche</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTuWg5HF0ZoeaAK0Qqg5HfBXAgr2v6XASH5lCYSJxswH9FMYARyNfOBwUq07YtL5a1dwWWD40o9MEPqOUEWSzOTH13SlJ9P6dGp23Zj8B2-ySUgVHA5XElgm8Pp3FjOzdfHnGTCm1ygW-/s1600/PlasticCover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTuWg5HF0ZoeaAK0Qqg5HfBXAgr2v6XASH5lCYSJxswH9FMYARyNfOBwUq07YtL5a1dwWWD40o9MEPqOUEWSzOTH13SlJ9P6dGp23Zj8B2-ySUgVHA5XElgm8Pp3FjOzdfHnGTCm1ygW-/s400/PlasticCover.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couches covered with plastic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01YvUw31NAc/W8NWiSIVp9I/AAAAAAAAFRA/LSfhdrF5qjc3uU3-nyQ33wWWGbSgHJxtgCLcBGAs/s1600/ReadyForOven.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01YvUw31NAc/W8NWiSIVp9I/AAAAAAAAFRA/LSfhdrF5qjc3uU3-nyQ33wWWGbSgHJxtgCLcBGAs/s400/ReadyForOven.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A batch is ready for oven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOJo8mvRQws/W8NWvz5nUjI/AAAAAAAAFRM/N7DVLe1BGA07ou1Or1YCn4qHIjz9NU3EwCLcBGAs/s1600/TwoTypesBaked.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOJo8mvRQws/W8NWvz5nUjI/AAAAAAAAFRM/N7DVLe1BGA07ou1Or1YCn4qHIjz9NU3EwCLcBGAs/s400/TwoTypesBaked.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: rolls baked upturned; Right, rolls baked without turning. Note different sizes and shapes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOmQIH5fi4g/W8NW5jGx7VI/AAAAAAAAFRU/Cw-Tt-nbZNAJrdieOXOaUkZDNs0tPz0JACLcBGAs/s1600/SplitRoll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOmQIH5fi4g/W8NW5jGx7VI/AAAAAAAAFRU/Cw-Tt-nbZNAJrdieOXOaUkZDNs0tPz0JACLcBGAs/s400/SplitRoll.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical crumb, with holes of all sizes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-4v4zRMkbs/W8OGVzRI2_I/AAAAAAAAFR8/o1wFtB46e7oXlZq-aJ6vzhskHRS6CqHmACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-4v4zRMkbs/W8OGVzRI2_I/AAAAAAAAFR8/o1wFtB46e7oXlZq-aJ6vzhskHRS6CqHmACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_1763.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croûtons for onion soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsg5tnjpkaA-olUqbIq_cQV77U3CjUM2fylxpT7ct94cfcR0xe7U-RvdynTsW5cVqBhASXBE2rhPdp-HRoVYILt5ZGKKk189MBrz21w806UHhoEkyI1iRCqY3O5NypoLZgOPESajeF_Rn/s1600/StackedInFridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsg5tnjpkaA-olUqbIq_cQV77U3CjUM2fylxpT7ct94cfcR0xe7U-RvdynTsW5cVqBhASXBE2rhPdp-HRoVYILt5ZGKKk189MBrz21w806UHhoEkyI1iRCqY3O5NypoLZgOPESajeF_Rn/s400/StackedInFridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two batches being delayed in fridge (rolls are on peels)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-34297965712921794982017-12-26T15:51:00.001-04:002017-12-26T15:51:57.773-04:00Making Cinnamon Raisin Bread for Christmas PresentsThis year, I thought I'd add a few goodies to the food baskets I give to friends at Christmas. Cinnamon Raisin Bread sounded good, so I went hunting for a recipe.<br />
<br />
I fell for the title of the one at Genius Kitchen:<br />
<br />
<i>World's Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The site was unknown to me, but I figured it was popular because that recipe, alone, had hundreds of comments and ratings, mostly favourable.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/worlds-best-cinnamon-raisin-bread-not-bread-machine-98867" target="_blank">Here is the link to the recipe</a> but be warned: read my comments below before making it, or prepare to be confused.<br />
<br />
Here is a photo of my loaves.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHkx1riIepQoFiz3sR23GWg75C6wt5gmEk1PD-i56aPoU5GeIzyAMwYnQWTNO3Uz2vV9HOWnEF6Ixcr_rL1q7Np-ZQx4I1Xj7O7m0hyUd5ULy4fRrW8YPFKYSJ8rSHCcmrgm1s9rBv2aj/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHkx1riIepQoFiz3sR23GWg75C6wt5gmEk1PD-i56aPoU5GeIzyAMwYnQWTNO3Uz2vV9HOWnEF6Ixcr_rL1q7Np-ZQx4I1Xj7O7m0hyUd5ULy4fRrW8YPFKYSJ8rSHCcmrgm1s9rBv2aj/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first ever batch of Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
World's Best? Not really, but pretty good, especially the next day, when the flavours have had a chance to meld. Not too sweet, and it tastes fluffy though the loaf feels heavy when you lift it. You'd think it hadn't risen properly but it has.<br />
<br />
The dough is of the enriched type, that is to say it contains butter and eggs.<br />
<br />
Here are my notes<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1. Two packages of active dry yeast =
4-1/2 teaspoons</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2. I used half golden raisins and half
dark</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2. 8 cups of AP flour - no indication
of weight or how to measure. But since I know that 1 cup = 5 ounces,
then I weighed 40 ounces (2 lbs, 8 ounces, or 1138 grams).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That was the perfect quantity when I
mixed and kneaded the dough.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
With such a huge amount of flour, it's
important to know <b>how to measure </b>- do you dip directly into
the bag, then level off? Do you scoop into your cup, then level off?
To get 5 ounces per cup, the latter is the correct way. I did it the
other way and got 50 ounces!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
NOTES ON DIRECTIONS</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1. Ignore the instructions -- use instant yeast and mix it and the
salt with the flour. A hand whisk is the best tool for this.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2. If you have a stand mixer, iignore the directions and put
everything in the stand mixer bowl - first with the flat beater - in
this order: water, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, butter, raisins. Then
flour with dough hook.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
3. Finish kneading on the table. Be
careful not to add too much flour.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
4. Transfer to buttered bowl, leave to
double in bulk.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
5. Roll out to 24 inches long (left to
right) and whatever width is needed to get about 1/2 inch of
thickness.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
6. Brush with milk, leaving one inch on
both long sides.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
7. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar (1 cup)
mixture - LEAVE 1 INCH ON BOTH LONG SIDES.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
8. Roll up tightly. Start at bottom,
very tight first turn. Watch this video for a way to use parchment
paper to help in the rolling if you need it. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/bqy4XFraBlk">https://youtu.be/bqy4XFraBlk</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
9. Recipe says roll should be 3 inches
diameter, and that works.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
10. Pinch the seam really well to seal
it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
11. Cut ends off (make buns), divide
into 3, 8-inch sections, place in buttered pans with seam on bottom, tuck
ends in very well for a more attractive finished loaf, and to keep filling from leaking out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
12. Brush tops with melted butter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
13. Leave to double in bulk.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
OVEN at 350 degrees.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
14. It's a good idea to place the pans
on a cookie sheet in case the filling spills over the sides of the
pans. This is more likely to happen if your pans aren't the very
large ones recommended in the recipe.*</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
15. Bake until internal temperature
reaches 200 degrees F, switching pans around after 20 minutes. The recipe says 45 minutes but my oven is very unreliable, so I always go by the temperature.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
* If you don't have those biggies, cut
a few slices off each end of the roll and bake them as buns - in
buttered muffin tins - or not. In fact, the recipe will work very well for cinnamon buns - just add some brown sugar and butter at the bottom of the muffin or cake tin.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-17742010542390860352017-11-12T10:48:00.003-04:002022-12-15T10:02:33.567-04:00Danish Rye Bread - An UpdateI have baked many batches of Danish Rye Bread<a href="http://the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.com/2017/02/can-you-make-danish-rye-bread-in.html" target="_blank"> since this post.</a><br />
<br />
With few exceptions, everything I wrote then still stands. This new post contains a few corrections, but it's mostly about a bread mix that I never thought I'd have to use... until I spent the summer in Montreal, leaving all my breadmaking ingredients behind, but not my desire for one of my favourite foods.<br />
<br />
So it was with only a bit of skepticism -- after reading some good reviews of the product online -- that I put a box of Ikea's <i><b>Brödmix Flerkorn</b></i> in my shopping cart at the Saint Laurent store the other day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ0ZZ30Te5cuS0r1QhwBl9sOqkxk2tCXN8_HUjllXyncKgM4q7V6DAJoKwx06PUC2U_u0sMLjzZ1nxDD5Y_jl6Nv_hpFmWcMzt4LVeRp4B89xnDoD8AqcVlmqVrr1MPnYlrm2XtZN-L_f/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2ea.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="245" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ0ZZ30Te5cuS0r1QhwBl9sOqkxk2tCXN8_HUjllXyncKgM4q7V6DAJoKwx06PUC2U_u0sMLjzZ1nxDD5Y_jl6Nv_hpFmWcMzt4LVeRp4B89xnDoD8AqcVlmqVrr1MPnYlrm2XtZN-L_f/s400/fullsizeoutput_2ea.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div>
At a mere $5 (Canadian!) for a large loaf (or two smaller ones, as I prefer to make), the bread is a steal.<br />
<br />
Add to this the fact that you only need to add water -- the instructions suggest that you use the box itself for mixing, but I do not recommend this, at least not the first time.<br />
<br />
When you pour the mix into a bowl, you can see how much settling and separation of the ingredients has taken place in the box.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I prefer to make two smaller loaves instead of a larger one because:<br />
<ol>
<li>It's a lot easier to get the loaf to cook right through the centre;</li>
<li>It's easier to slice;</li>
<li>I prefer the smaller size for my open-faced sandwiches.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTSXl8uLBZFJVkfuIsL7IR9cSLRDFPe8uF_oBefuz0rD3J6Fs1zF49Fez-1WIS08QRIbpxPtVqoOhoV3o4xUOTGD5ALNtEQXUWzhsnlJporSFlZPnVhNupOHHEIIPl_yU8ZFscBDyNyZR/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2e9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTSXl8uLBZFJVkfuIsL7IR9cSLRDFPe8uF_oBefuz0rD3J6Fs1zF49Fez-1WIS08QRIbpxPtVqoOhoV3o4xUOTGD5ALNtEQXUWzhsnlJporSFlZPnVhNupOHHEIIPl_yU8ZFscBDyNyZR/s320/fullsizeoutput_2e9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Since I also didn't have my equipment with me, I just purchased some aluminium loaf pans at the dollar store.</div>
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This is the size that I used.<br />
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After baking, I washed them and used them over and over before putting them in the recycle bin.<br />
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It's easy to divide the mix if you have a kitchen scale, but you could also use a measuring cup.<br />
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Just follow the directions on the package for the resting time -- don't be disappointed if the dough doesn't rise, this step is strictly for rehydrating the grains and flours, not for creating air. As I indicated in my earlier post, you do not want this bread to have lots of air spaces. Look at Ikea's photo, that's what you want.<br />
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<h3>
A Successful Experiment</h3>
<div>
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<div>
On my most recent batch, since I was making two loaves, I thought I'd play around with one of them. I thought of adding nuts but I didn't have any. However, I had some golden raisins and some sugar, so to the second loaf I added (stirred into the dry mix, before adding the water):</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>2 tablespoons of white sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup of golden raisins</li>
</ul>
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Here are the results. The top slice is the regular recipe and the bottom one is the sweet(ish) one:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2dHUDUSryJTnbUKV0ki1WHfB4H_JkWgtTBubFPvD5X-XdgOddnoA1Umg62GcNIYXRh2DLuaMz8X-u6Q_hfS2eV052KfGQG1SqsyJQRMov5ip8QuI1BUI8hIkgIOBO78ceFla275qoFim/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2e7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2dHUDUSryJTnbUKV0ki1WHfB4H_JkWgtTBubFPvD5X-XdgOddnoA1Umg62GcNIYXRh2DLuaMz8X-u6Q_hfS2eV052KfGQG1SqsyJQRMov5ip8QuI1BUI8hIkgIOBO78ceFla275qoFim/s320/fullsizeoutput_2e7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The reason the bottom slice is flat on top is that due to the sugar it did rise a bit, but then it fell back down after I poked it (see #3 below).<br />
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Honestly, they are both delicious and next time I will definitely try adding some walnuts to the "sweet" loaf.<br />
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<h3>
Final Advice</h3>
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<div>
This advice summary is based on all the batches of Danish Rye Bread that I have made since the beginning of the year. I hope it helps!</div>
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<ol>
<li>Use a thermometer to check the inner temperature of the loaf - around 200-205 F (96 C) or you may end up with a gooey mess.</li>
<li>Make sure your oven temperature is as exact as possible - you especially don't want it to be too hot. </li>
<li>To avoid large air spaces, some experts recommend poking loaf all over with a skewer or chopstick before baking. I did that to my "sweet" loaf this time.</li>
<li>Large air spaces are undesirable because they make the bread too crumbly to slice.</li>
<li>This is what you do to avoid a hard crust -- trust me, a crunchy crust is not a plus for this kind of bread: once your loaf has cooled slightly, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. This will redistribute the moisture, ensuring the right kind of crust. Let the loaf cool at room temperature, then refrigerate, still in its plastic wrap.</li>
<li>This bread tastes better the next day, and even the day after - so even though it's hard to resist having a taste while still warm, you won't know how good it really is unless you leave it to do its thing for a while.</li>
<li>Speaking of refrigeration, this bread keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. Keep it well wrapped in plastic to prevent drying out.</li>
<li>Even though I show a knife with teeth in my first post, I now know that it's better to use a very sharp knife with a plain blade for getting a nice slice, and as thin as you want.</li>
<li>Another of my tricks is to flip the loaf upside-down for slicing. The bottom crust is always softer and thinner, easier to pierce.</li>
<li>Forget about toasting it.</li>
<li>In case you're not sure about all the different ways to enjoy your new favourite bread, just google "smorrebrod recipes"!</li>
</ol>
<div>
Velbekomme! (<i>Bon appétit!</i> in Danish.)</div><div><br /></div><div>NOTE: AS OF TODAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 (my 81st birthday!), I am unable to find that bread on the Canadian Ikea website. Perhaps it's only available in stores now? <br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-28835502127229782272017-02-11T12:30:00.001-04:002022-12-15T10:05:53.471-04:00Can You Make Danish Rye Bread in The Maritimes? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8D8oCb1G2M/WJ8WqOokaoI/AAAAAAAAE1Q/O1edy5FXbbIi02Gujf-VVhDeeWLp37dLwCLcB/s1600/DanishRyeSlice.JPG"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8D8oCb1G2M/WJ8WqOokaoI/AAAAAAAAE1Q/O1edy5FXbbIi02Gujf-VVhDeeWLp37dLwCLcB/s400/DanishRyeSlice.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;">DECEMBER 2022: PLEASE REFER TO THE NEW RECIPE, HERE.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;">Among the many “exotic” foods that you can’t find in my present </span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">coin de pays</i><span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> is the kind of dense, dark and strong German or Danish rye or pumpernickel bread that I really like as a vehicle for smoked salmon and many other delicacies.</span><br />
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So I went online, hunting for recipes. Most of them required a sourdough starter, so I mixed one up and crossed my fingers that the gods of wild yeast would feel magnanimous.</div>
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So far I have tried two recipes; one of them requires a sourdough starter, and the other uses yeast, beer and buttermilk instead.</div>
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Regarding the latter, even if the blog owner's attitude had been less arrogant when I asked her a question, I found it so much more expensive to use beer and buttermilk instead of sourdough, that even though the bread was acceptable (though too bitter for my taste), I have decided I won't make it again.</div>
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The recipe that I describe in this post uses sourdough; it's from <a href="http://nordicfoodliving.com/danish-rye-bread-rugbrod/" target="_blank">Nordicfoodliving.com.</a> Their article includes a short video.</div>
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I started out by following their own starter recipe (there's a link in their Ingredients List). While this was brewing, I went looking for a local supplier for all the different grains and I found a local stone mill that works strictly with organic grains. Yay!</div>
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I put the soaker ingredients together on Thursday, and baked the bread yesterday. Then I let it mature overnight.<br />
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<i>In other words, this is a three-day recipe, so plan ahead.</i></div>
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<h3>
Recipe Notes</h3>
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1. The first problem I had with this recipe is that the ingredients are in cup and deciliter measures, that is to say, by volume instead of by weight. I noticed other readers complained about this, so I hope that someday the blog author will add the weights.<br />
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For now, I did the conversion myself, but as everyone knows, when it comes to flours especially, the method of filling the cup can make a huge difference in the final weight. I used the one where you spoon the flour into the cup, which results in a smaller amount, but next time maybe I will use the other technique - the one where you use your measuring cup to dip into the flour directly. </div>
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<b>For the purposes of this article, I did an experiment with whole wheat flour. First I scooped the flour into my measuring cup with a spoon, then I evened out the top and weighed the flour.</b></div>
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<b>Then I took the same measuring cup and dipped it into the bag of flour, evening out the top as before. This latter method is called "dip and sweep".</b></div>
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<b>The difference was a whopping 19.6%! 127 grams (4.4 ounces) vs 152 grams (5.3 ounces). </b></div>
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For a complete description of this phenomenon, see this <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/how-to-measure-wet-dry-ingredients-for-baking-accurately-best-method.html" target="_blank"><b>Serious Eats article.</b></a> Because flours also vary in fluffiness, the difference can attain 50%, according to the article.</div>
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They recommend "dip and sweep", by the way. I'm not sure I would agree when it comes to cakes and pastries, but it sounds reasonable for bread, and I'm thinking that this may account for my dough being runnier than in the video, and also for the finished loaf having more holes than the example. I do believe this bread should be really dense.</div>
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I will certainly try "dip and sweep" next time.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0ECMWAB0Qg/WJ81GBRrpFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/yxbdkQUci_IlOEJIDXu0Lb-h2VbyATL1ACLcB/s1600/DanishRyeCooling.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0ECMWAB0Qg/WJ81GBRrpFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/yxbdkQUci_IlOEJIDXu0Lb-h2VbyATL1ACLcB/s400/DanishRyeCooling.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loaves cooling upside-down</td></tr>
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2. The second problem I had was that I am used to figuring out if my bread is cooked through by taking the internal temperature with my small instant thermometer. I asked the recipe's author but he said he just knows when his bread is ready. Which is fine when it's your recipe and you've done it countless times, but for a beginner? No, so I went searching for other recipes and yes, most of them do mention the temperature they look for. 205 F (96 C) seemed to be the average so that's what I used for this batch.</div>
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At that temperature, my loaves were cooked but still sticky. See what happens to the knife after just one cut, a whole day after baking.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv39IajKh3vSkegiMYI_MNJpBZcjipC_Y1NsYbKO9qYRQgCOzjj4a-pjbYc_xvMMC2VC33HqGOY4kv94ZbYIPy8bQ4q3AS8CfzU0RASEu3IxfW3OXnxxiBt5ceSY_kvvyeRTUQN2Y4DRd_/s1600/DanishRyeKnife.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv39IajKh3vSkegiMYI_MNJpBZcjipC_Y1NsYbKO9qYRQgCOzjj4a-pjbYc_xvMMC2VC33HqGOY4kv94ZbYIPy8bQ4q3AS8CfzU0RASEu3IxfW3OXnxxiBt5ceSY_kvvyeRTUQN2Y4DRd_/s400/DanishRyeKnife.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread knife after only one cut...</td></tr>
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And you absolutely have to wash it off, or the next slice will be a mess!</div>
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So, definitely, the next time I make this bread I will either cut down on the liquid or increase the amount of flour by measuring it differently.<br />
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There is another method that I've seen recommended for allowing the steam to escape: just before baking, you poke holes all over the dough with a tool like a large bamboo skewer. I'll try that too, next time.</div>
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Another way I've found to get those dense loaves to dry out better in the centre, is to make smaller loaves. So next time, I will make three loaves with the same amount of dough. </div>
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And I will pull each one out of the oven at different temperatures: 205 F, 210 F, and 215 F 96, 99 and 101 C).</div>
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3. The third problem I had is a very minor one: my bread is too dark -- I find it unnaturally dark. It's darker than the sample in the video. The recipe does say that the gravy browning (caramel colouring) is optional, and I don't think the author used it in the one he photographed. I won't use it next time. Cocoa is often used for the same purpose, and I may just try that in a future batch. Or not. Those breads are very dark by tradition more than necessity, I think. To me, the darkness covers the individual grains, and I like to see them in my grain breads.</div>
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4. The original recipe calls for baking for 1 hour, but to attain the temperature I wanted I had to bake them for an extra half hour (an hour and a half total). My oven is reliable, I have a thermometer inside of it, and it's a normal oven without convection. After an hour, the internal temperature was a mere 185 degrees F (85 C) and a toothpick inserted came out covered with raw dough.</div>
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5. Finally, the order in which the ingredients are put together needs to be changed. It's very hard to incorporate salt into a thick dough. It should be added to the flours. Similarly, why add liquids like malt syrup and gravy browning to the thick dough instead of the soaker, the day before?</div>
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The instructions would then read as follows:</div>
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<b>DAY ONE</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Take one cup (250 grams) of sourdough starter from jar in
fridge, and add ½ cup of water, ¼ cup of rye flour and ¼ cup of white flour to
it. This will add up to exactly the quantity required in the recipe. Mix well
and leave out overnight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>DAY TWO</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">1. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">In a large bowl, make a soaker by combining:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "arial";">
<li>whole rye kernels, if using (I plan to add some at my next trial)</li>
<li>cracked rye kernels</li>
<li>cracked wheat</li>
<li>flax seeds</li>
<li>sunflower seeds</li>
<li>water</li>
<li>sourdough</li>
<li>gravy browning (if using); and</li>
<li>malt or dark syrup</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial";">2. Mix well, cover and leave to soak for a minimum of 8 hours. This can be done in the evening, so that you can continue the morning after.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
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<b>DAY THREE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">
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1. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, the rye flour, (the cocoa, if using), and the salt together. Stir well with a wisk.<br />
<br />
2. Stir the soaker well, and stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until totally combined.<br />
<br />
3. Cover and let rise for 2 hours. (I place mine in the oven with the light on, which results in a temperature of 80 degrees F - 27 C)<br />
<br />
4. Butter bread pans and divide the dough equally between them. Do not fill the pans too much; you don't want the loaves to have a dome once they are baked (as mine did).<br />
<br />
5. Let the loaves rise in their pans for 1 to 2 hours. Don't allow them to rise too much.<br />
<br />
6. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for half an hour, then turn the pans around and bake another half hour. Then measure the temperature in the center of the loaves. It should be at least 205 degrees F (96 C). Leave another 15 minutes and take temperature again. Turn the loaves around again if they're not browning evenly around the edges. Keep checking the temperature. My total baking time was an hour and a half.<br />
<br />
7. When done, remove the breads from the pans and let them cool to lukewarm, on a rack. At that point it's a good idea to wrap them in plastic if you want to keep the crust soft.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Nutrition Information</h3>
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I'll leave it up to you to find the complete nutrition information for all that good stuff. What I'm mostly interested in are the calories because I track all my food as a way of keeping my weight stable.</div>
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It's easy to calculate the calories in any recipe by looking up the number of calories in each ingredient, adding those up, and dividing by the total weight of the finished product.</div>
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The total weight of the finished loaves was 68 ounces (2,060 grams), and the total number of calories was 3,800, so 3,800 by 68 = 56 calories per ounce, or 3,800 by 2,060 = 1.8 calories per gram.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This is interesting, because plain white bread (like baguette) weighs in at 70 calories per ounce, and the whole grain bread that I make at home, 75 calories per ounce.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This morning, a thin slice of this bread -- that kind of bread is always sliced thin -- weighed 1.5 ounces (42.5 grams), i.e., 84 calories.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
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<br /></div>
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The <b>taste</b> is fine, and I expect it to improve over the next few days, as is usual with those complex breads.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The <b>texture</b> of this particular bread is lighter, less dense than I like, however, and this could affect its ability to keep without going bad -- even refrigerated. The loose texture could be due to the excess liquid described above, and this can only be determined with further testing. Before I do that, I will try other recipes. Stay tuned!</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
And, to answer the question: Yes, you can make real Danish Rye Bread here!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Postscript</h3>
<div>
It's been a week and I'm happy to report that the stickiness problem seems to have resolved itself -- i.e., the bread has dried to just the right degree of moistness, so now I'm not so sure if the planned adjustments are all going to be necessary... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And as for the flavour, oh my, it's still the best bread of its type I have ever made!</div>
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</div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-45724708926630886362017-01-04T15:00:00.000-04:002017-01-04T15:01:34.402-04:00DIY Hamburger BunsWhenever I make a batch of multigrain bread, I set aside a small amount of dough for hamburger buns.<br />
<br />
Once the dough has fermented in the fridge for about two days, I weigh it and take out whatever I want to turn into buns. I divide the rest in two.<br />
<br />
I make the 2-oz portions into balls, then cover and rest 30 minutes. Then I flatten them with a rolling pin, to about 4 inches in diameter.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-47s_bNZcNlU/WG1DFG3bV6I/AAAAAAAAExo/kNfiXsIjI70T4vVl2350qlQgVBEcRWdagCLcB/s1600/HamburgBunRaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-47s_bNZcNlU/WG1DFG3bV6I/AAAAAAAAExo/kNfiXsIjI70T4vVl2350qlQgVBEcRWdagCLcB/s400/HamburgBunRaw.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Because of the extra deflating, they are not ready to bake until the main loaves have been taken out, so that works out quite well.</div>
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They don't rise a lot before baking, but that's okay because they literally puff up in the oven, leaving a nice air pocket inside for the components of your burger, be it carnivore or not. </div>
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This also means that your buns are not so full of calories. At 75 calories per ounce, mine average under 150 calories each.</div>
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You could also use them as mini pitas while they're still hot.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s13Vko8_Xrk/WG1D-HawayI/AAAAAAAAExs/1ofASIW5y2o1GRz8XbDWQWCcCwuytgmXACLcB/s1600/BatchOfBreadJan4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s13Vko8_Xrk/WG1D-HawayI/AAAAAAAAExs/1ofASIW5y2o1GRz8XbDWQWCcCwuytgmXACLcB/s400/BatchOfBreadJan4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I use the same hot stone and steam method as my freestanding loaves to bake them, at around 450 degrees F.</div>
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To keep them soft, throw them in a plastic bag as soon as they're cool.</div>
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This works with any bread dough that I have ever used.</div>
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-32892057907070375292017-01-02T18:42:00.003-04:002017-01-09T14:41:16.751-04:00Blog Revived!Good news!<br />
<br />
Google has finally made it possible to re-publish this blog, though under a slightly different name.<br />
<br />
It is now called: the-cooks-corner-blog.blogspot.ca<br />
<br />
If you are receiving this, would you mind putting a few words in the Comments section to that effect?<br />
<br />
Thank you, and hoping to see you all again very soon with some new, exciting content.<br />
<br />
GinaGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-11423404251557045732013-11-28T14:16:00.000-04:002017-01-09T14:44:27.700-04:00Teaching An Old Dog New Bread TricksI've been making bread for 40 years, but it wasn't until this month that I dared to venture into sourdough territory.<br />
<br />
Wow! Am I ever glad I did.<br />
<br />
Here is a photo of a couple of <i>ficelles</i> I made this morning:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvl6Rv79RL83kjl8-ToJJpynB8pf3VHTK3MLPDEInGhr8FRPgG9xcYoyNSAlQDGJrPnF7ZifP2QEe1b2MPYgw8mfglu7hGRJLJh4RbHADTR7VnhZ7ThFYoG_RrYQeb_JpiFTQ0Ku5KrlLy/s1600/PB280377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvl6Rv79RL83kjl8-ToJJpynB8pf3VHTK3MLPDEInGhr8FRPgG9xcYoyNSAlQDGJrPnF7ZifP2QEe1b2MPYgw8mfglu7hGRJLJh4RbHADTR7VnhZ7ThFYoG_RrYQeb_JpiFTQ0Ku5KrlLy/s1600/PB280377.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A <i>ficelle</i> is a skinny baguette. These are about 2 inches across. It's my favourite format for sandwiches. Ham and swiss cheese with sweet butter and dijon mustard. Or prosciutto or serrano ham with or without swiss cheese, and sweet butter, hold the mustard. Salami, when I can find a good one.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">The Recipe?</span></h3>
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Last week, I made a sourdough starter using this recipe:</div>
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<br />
Then I made a couple of loaves of "Norwich Sourdough Bread" <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/08/my-new-favorite-sourdough/" target="_blank">using this recipe from the Wild Yeast Blog</a>.<br />
<br />
I halved the recipe, but otherwise I followed it to the letter and - what a surprise! - this was the best bread I have ever made! I should say "the best non-multigrain bread", because as a daily bread I am extremely fond of the multigrain sandwich loaves that I have been making for several years now. Once a month, I bake four of them and freeze them. Each loaf lasts me one week.<br />
<br />
This Norwich Sourdough Bread has all the qualities I was looking for: it's not so wet that you can't handle it, it bakes up light, with some nice holes,<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qutTnttVrz3bWld33Rf03-W_x6-KXVdCgS3OqN_F__DWIIrfTk6h9wArW42395pd22-qt1jLgRnQfXPtKoGtNzt039wc2SmYIXnQtaDunvruR4HqrI4E96kQozC8EqHeaLAHlFNTbKgo/s1600/PB280380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qutTnttVrz3bWld33Rf03-W_x6-KXVdCgS3OqN_F__DWIIrfTk6h9wArW42395pd22-qt1jLgRnQfXPtKoGtNzt039wc2SmYIXnQtaDunvruR4HqrI4E96kQozC8EqHeaLAHlFNTbKgo/s1600/PB280380.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross-section of <i>ficelle</i> I made today.</td></tr>
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the crust is crunchy but not too thick, and the aroma… ah the aroma! And the flavour… just sour enough… divine!<br />
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Another advantage of this recipe is that if you have some sourdough starter ready to use, you can start the bread in the morning and eat it for lunch - about six hours later. I have found very few breads able to develop that kind of flavour and texture without a cold fermentation, but this one did.<br />
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Still, sometimes I want to start my bread in the evening, and so yesterday I did all the steps up to and including the two folds, then I slipped the bowl into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge.<br />
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This morning, the dough had risen somewhat, and in fact it looked just like it did last week at the same stage.<br />
<br />
I left it on the kitchen counter for an hour, and then I proceeded with the recipe.<br />
<br />
Success! the resulting flavour and texture were the same as last week.<br />
<br />
So if you've been putting off trying sourdough, don't wait 40 years! Try these recipes today.<br />
<br />
<hr />
P.S. If you have been subscribing to this blog, this may be the last post you ever receive! Google has been reminding me that I have to renew the domain on November 26, but the instructions they are sending me for doing so are not working. I am hoping that they will rectify the situation, but if not, I want to thank you for your interest. I have registered a new domain: www.cookscornerblog.com (very similar, but without all the hyphens) and may start posting at that URL if necessary.<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-64129783368088354232013-09-15T13:28:00.003-03:002013-10-13T12:42:13.676-03:00A Sweet Cheese To Make At Home: Ricotta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYjxRSfX-5U/UjXXnT5OKSI/AAAAAAAACcM/DZ3fkk8MHFM/s1600/HomeMadeRicotta2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYjxRSfX-5U/UjXXnT5OKSI/AAAAAAAACcM/DZ3fkk8MHFM/s400/HomeMadeRicotta2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I lived on my ranchito in Mexico, if I had to go to town (Dolores Hidalgo) I would try to get there early enough to find the ricotta man on his corner, selling his fresh ricotta of the day. It was so delicious, and so cheap! Considering that traditional Italian ricotta (which means "twice cooked") is made from the whey leftover from making other cheeses I can't believe how expensive it is at the supermarket. And the stuff they sell in this village is quite disgusting.</div>
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This old man's ricotta tasted just like the stuff I used to buy in Montreal, which has a large Italian community.<br />
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Many Mexicans make their own queso fresco -- the fresh white cheese they crumble over many dishes, and a few people make their own Oaxaca cheese too -- a stringy mozzarella-like cheese that melts beautifully. But not everyone makes ricotta with the whey. Maybe my ricotta man had Italian blood!</div>
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I threw an ice cream party last week, and had a quart of whole milk leftover, plus about half a cup of rich soy milk that I had extracted for making silken tofu, and I happened to have some citric acid in the pantry, so I decided to make ricotta cheese using the recipe in Ricki Carroll's <i>Home Cheesemaking</i>. (Actually, <a href="http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/217-Ricotta.html" target="_blank">the recipe she gives here</a> is a better one, and I will follow it next time. And by the way that's what's wrong with the book: I think it was published before they had all the recipes tested thoroughly, and I keep finding totally revised versions of them on their website.)</div>
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Ricotta is a very pleasant, sweet, small-curd cheese, and the homemade kind is better than most brands you can find at the supermarket, though not as good as the bulk ricotta found at real Italian stores.<br />
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<i>After heating the milk and watching the curds form, the latter are ladled into a double layer of butter cloth (or several layers of cheesecloth), and hung up to drain.</i></div>
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<i>This is the same contraption that I use for making jelly, no need for special equipment, just a stick and a way of suspending the ball of curds.</i></div>
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<i>Here is the finished cheese, with 3 cups of whey which I will freeze to use in my next batch of bread.</i><br />
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<i>The yield from one quart of milk was exactly half a pound (227 grams), which brings the cost to about $6 a lb, cheaper and a heck of a lot healthier than the supposedly healthy gourmet PC Blue Menu "Ricotta Whey Cheese" whose list of ingredients is quite a bit longer.</i><br />
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<span class="" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #222222; font-family: arial; line-height: normal;">If I can resist the temptation of eating it as dessert, I plan to put it in some lasagna or use it for stuffing ravioli, some time this week. </span></span><br />
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<span class="" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">On the other hand, it's so quick and easy to make -- less than one hour from start to finish -- I should start stocking whole milk just so I can make the occasional batch, as an additional menu option.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In addition to lasagna and ravioli, ricotta is the cheese of choice for all sorts of Italian specialties. I remember very fondly a ricotta pie that we used to serve in my first restaurant, way back when. It was topped with pine nuts. <a href="http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1129" target="_blank">Here's a very similar recipe,</a> from Lidia's Italy.</span></span></div>
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Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-91869741175579525142013-09-11T13:13:00.000-03:002013-11-29T18:31:39.374-04:00"Tourtière" -- The Meat Pie From QuebecWhere I come from, each family has its own <i>tourtière</i> recipe, but my mother never passed her recipe on so I've had to experiment to find the one that corresponded to both my memories and my grown-up tastes.<br />
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At one point, I tried the Galloping Gourmet's* recipe. He substituted mashed potatoes for the breadcrumbs. Sounded like a good idea but you had to pick really starchy potatoes or you'd get a watery pie.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_DTSfsOFxY/UjBv5eEpEDI/AAAAAAAACbc/0fxc5zmEJ_8/s1600/pork+pie+or+tourtie%CC%80re.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_DTSfsOFxY/UjBv5eEpEDI/AAAAAAAACbc/0fxc5zmEJ_8/s400/pork+pie+or+tourtie%CC%80re.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Finally, I adapted Jehane Benoit's recipe from her little-known <i>The Canadiana Cookbook</i>. It was published in 1970 and I opened my first restaurant in London, Ontario -- Auberge du Petit Prince -- in June 1972 and <i>tourtière</i> was an instant success there.<br />
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Fifteen years later, I opened a French restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and my <i>tourtière</i> was a hit there too. I attribute this to the fact that Mexicans love pork and that my recipe includes cinnamon, which is a favourite spice in Mexico, though as far as I know they don't use it in savoury dishes. On the other hand, maybe they just like good food!<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Pork Filling</span></h3>
For each pie:<br />
1 lb ground pork (I buy shoulder and grind it myself)<br />
1 small onion, finely chopped<br />
2 ribs celery, with leaves if possible, finely chopped<br />
1 small garlic clove, minced<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp summer savoury<br />
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/4 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs<br />
Egg wash (1 egg, beaten with a teaspoon of water or milk)<br />
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<b>Place</b> all ingredients except the breadcrumbs in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, over medium heat.<br />
<b>Remove</b> from heat and add a few spoonfuls of breadcrumbs.<br />
<b>Let stand</b> for 10 minutes. If the fat is sufficiently absorbed by the breadcrumbs, do not add more. If not, continue adding breadcrumbs.<br />
<b>Cool</b> and pour into a pastry-lined pan. Cover with top crust that has vent holes to allow steam to escape<b>. </b><br />
<b>Brush</b> with egg wash.<br />
<b>Bake</b> at 400 F (200 C) until golden brown. Serve hot, with red or green tomato chow chow (recipe below).<br />
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Cooked tourtières can be frozen 4-5 months, and reheated without thawing.<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Special Dough</span></h3>
For the crust, I remember being fascinated by the Galloping Gourmet's hot water pie crust, and I found the recipe in <i>The Canadiana Cookbook</i> too.<br />
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How could this weird recipe work when we are constantly reminded to handle the dough as little as possible? The secret is the combination of baking powder, vinegar and egg, which creates the flakiest, tenderest pie crust imaginable. It uses pork lard as a fat, and that is essential.<br />
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That became my crust of choice for all savoury pies.<br />
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4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (increase by 1/2 cup if using cake and pastry flour)<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 lb pure lard<br />
1 cup hot water<br />
4 tsp lemon juice or vinegar<br />
1 egg, well beaten<br />
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<b>Combine</b> flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.<br />
<b>Measure</b> 1-1/3 cups of the lard and cut into the flour until mealy.<br />
<b>Dissolve</b> the remaining lard completely in the hot water.<br />
<b>Add </b>the lemon juice or vinegar and the egg.<br />
<b>Mix</b> these liquids into the flour mixture until dough leaves the sides of the bowl.<br />
<b>Turn</b> on lightly floured board and knead about 1 minute or until all the flour is blended. (Really, you need to do this!)<br />
<b>Divide</b> into 4 to 6 balls, flatten them and wrap them in plastic film, then refrigerate at least one hour, and up to 12 hours.<br />
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You will find this dough incredibly easy to roll.<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Chow Chow</span></h3>
For a long time I used my mother's recipe for a quick fruit ketchup. It contained 1 can of peaches, 1 can of pears, and probably 1 can of tomatoes. To this you added onions, celery, vinegar, sugar and pickling spice. The advantage was you could make it all year, unlike our grandmothers who would preserve dozens of bottles of the stuff in season, to last all year.<br />
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Now I just buy it at the store and it's pretty good (look for the Habitant brand) but here is my recipe for the real thing, translated from <i>Les Conserves,</i> by Soeur Berthe (Editions de l'Homme, 1974):<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">TOMATO AND FRUIT CATSUP</span></h4>
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18 ripe tomatoes</div>
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6 apples</div>
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5 peaches</div>
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5 pears</div>
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2 large onions</div>
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3 stalks celery</div>
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2 tsp coarse salt</div>
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2 TB pickling spice</div>
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1 cup white vinegar</div>
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1 1/2 cups sugar</div>
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<b>Peel</b> tomatoes and peaches by blanching them in hot water and cooling them quickly in cold water, then chop them - not too fine.</div>
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<b>Peel</b> apples and pears and cut into cubes.</div>
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<b>Slice</b> onions thinly.</div>
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<b>Chop</b> the celery.</div>
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<b>Put</b> all the above into a large, non-reactive pot.</div>
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<b>Add</b> vinegar, salt and spices (wrapped in cheesecloth).</div>
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<b>Bring</b> to the boil and simmer one hour.</div>
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<b>Add</b> the sugar and continue cooking until sugar is dissolved and right consistency has been reached.</div>
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<b>Remove</b> the spices and pour into sterilized jars, following your preferred canning method.</div>
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<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">GREEN TOMATO CHOW CHOW</span></h4>
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Here is the recipe that appears in <i>The Canadiana Cookbook</i>, in the chapter on New Brunswick. I have not tested it:</div>
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1/2 peck green tomatoes</div>
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6 large onions</div>
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6 medium cucumbers</div>
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1 head celery</div>
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4 sour apples</div>
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2 red peppers</div>
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3 lbs brown sugar</div>
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3 TB pickling spices tied in a bag</div>
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Cider vinegar</div>
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<b>Cut</b> tomatoes fine. </div>
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<b>Add</b> 1/2 cup salt and leave overnight. </div>
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<b>Next morning,</b> drain and add other ingredients. </div>
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<b>Nearly</b> cover with vinegar (about one quart). </div>
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<b>Boil</b> gently 1 to 1-1/2 hours. </div>
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<b>Pour</b> in sterilized jars and seal.</div>
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* Graham Kerr used that name for his TV cooking show in the 60s.<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-54178933645268160492013-08-27T10:37:00.000-03:002013-11-29T18:32:18.132-04:00Vietnamese Spring RollsI've been making these spring rolls lately, and these are the best instructions I have found.<br />
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I add julienned carrots and some of my homemade mung bean sprouts, for extra flavour and crunch.</center>
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Sometimes I use chicken or marinated tofu instead of the pork.</center>
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The peanut sauce is delicious, I'm sure, but it's too fattening for me, so instead I make this other vietnamese sauce:</center>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">SWEET, SOUR & SPICY FISH SAUCE</span></center>
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1/4 up fish sauce</center>
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1/4 cup hot wter</center>
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2 TB sugar</center>
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1 lime, juiced</center>
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1 tsp garlic, minced</center>
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1 tsp red chili paste (I use Chinese hot chili/black bean paste?</center>
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2 TB grated carrots (optional)</center>
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2 TB grated daikon radish (if available - I omit them)</center>
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Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake.</center>
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Keeps in the fridge for a long time.</center>
Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-63267407130949763252013-07-15T10:18:00.000-03:002013-07-15T10:18:49.813-03:00Of Radishes And SproutsQUESTION: Is there anything more delicious than a handful of freshly picked radishes?<br />
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Like these:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8QqU_LrjIo/UePxXYOHAcI/AAAAAAAACXg/vL4cptw8il8/s1600/Jul15FrenchRadishes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8QqU_LrjIo/UePxXYOHAcI/AAAAAAAACXg/vL4cptw8il8/s400/Jul15FrenchRadishes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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ANSWER: Yes, if you grew them yourself.<br />
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Like this:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uqC6IMOevE/UePxvLhsXzI/AAAAAAAACXo/IQCI_RBkQ5I/s1600/July15FrenchRadishes-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uqC6IMOevE/UePxvLhsXzI/AAAAAAAACXo/IQCI_RBkQ5I/s400/July15FrenchRadishes-4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the way French* radishes peek out of the ground, as if to say "Eat me, I'm ready!"<br />
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Round radishes don't do that. You have to poke around to check on their size.<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">SPROUT NEWS**</span></h3>
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The first experiment is over. This is what the mung bean sprouts looked like this morning (day 5):</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XioSF3ZN_tk/UePz3UZp44I/AAAAAAAACX4/LLBPelIpjng/s1600/SproutsDay5Final.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XioSF3ZN_tk/UePz3UZp44I/AAAAAAAACX4/LLBPelIpjng/s400/SproutsDay5Final.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not quite what I had in mind: they're skinnier than I'd like, and the leaves are overly developed.<br />
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They taste fine, though, and I'm having chow mein for lunch.<br />
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Now the goal is to get them fatter and straighter. There's also a way to grow them without those long thready roots.<br />
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Back to square 1.<br />
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* They may be French (this variety is "French Breakfast"), but the seeds are by <a href="http://www.mckenzieseeds.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">McKenzie Seeds,</a> from Manitoba.<br />
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** Radishes also make the best sprouts, but you have to buy special sprouting seeds. (Or let a few your own plants go to seed.)<br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-31056326828856174662013-07-14T13:07:00.000-03:002013-07-14T13:10:12.450-03:00DIY MUNG BEAN SPROUTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The distributor of a popular sprouter started a rumour about mung bean sprouts requiring industrial tricks in order to get them to look like the ones you buy at the store, and that myth is being spread -- and believed -- all over the internet.<br />
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The myth goes like this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;">Most commercial Mung Beans are grown with chemicals and gasses in huge 500 gallon machines.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;">You will likely never get your home grown sprouts to look like those [...]</span></blockquote>
After following his instructions for sprouting mung beans, I believed it too. My sprouts were puny.<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Why Grow My Own Sprouts?</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
Lately, I have been making and eating Vietnamese spring rolls. They are perfect for this super-hot weather we've been having. Plus they're great for the waistline. On a good day, mine look like this:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeIUQp-W4_x5CwM32Tcum9UnwvoaOmB6mNBQLe8_Bl7RHMsCqLNrVxE5o5t4MMnifA-XdKpK5lrRTG18El68R8qKg5t7wcuy1MIs-e5Jr9dm8598AY0ldyy5-HnwbF_bOZurMzfv0Cll/s1600/Shrimp-Spring-Rolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFeIUQp-W4_x5CwM32Tcum9UnwvoaOmB6mNBQLe8_Bl7RHMsCqLNrVxE5o5t4MMnifA-XdKpK5lrRTG18El68R8qKg5t7wcuy1MIs-e5Jr9dm8598AY0ldyy5-HnwbF_bOZurMzfv0Cll/s400/Shrimp-Spring-Rolls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo borrowed from<a href="http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood" target="_blank"> http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood</a></td></tr>
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I like them no matter what I put in them, but I like them best with bean sprouts as part of the filling. I even started growing mint, basil and cilantro in the garden, mostly for my spring rolls. I searched, and found, a Chinese grocer in town, who stocks all the other ingredients I can't get here.<br />
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The problem is neither of the supermarkets in this village sells bean sprouts. I have to drive to town -- an hour and a half away -- to get them, and I can't stock up because they keep very poorly.</div>
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What spurred me to dig for a way to make nice big sprouts was my last visit to the Chinese grocery store. They carry bean sprouts all right, but when I asked for them I was brought a big plastic bag full of them and given a small bag, and told to help myself. With my hands? I asked. Yes.<br />
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Wondering how many other folks had had their hands in there, I grabbed about half a pound. They ended up in the compost.<br />
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">How To Grow Mung Bean Sprouts</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
That's when I went to YouTube, and, surprise! I found lots of videos, but one particular one from Asia somewhere (Thailand?). It was a long, unedited video, showing a semi-industrial way of making sprouts, from beginning to end. No 500-gallon machine, no gas, just a stack of Rubbermaid storage containers like you'd find anywhere, some cotton squares, beans and water. Lots of explanations, but in a foreign language. No translation. However, it seemed awfully clear to me that there is nothing mysterious about getting sprouts to grow to a nice size and length. Nothing beyond the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Darkness</li>
<li>Moisture</li>
<li>Warmth (or rather, lack of cold)</li>
<li>Time</li>
</ul>
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I'm trying to reproduce those conditions by using a stainless steel pasta pot with a perforated insert, and it's looking very promising! </div>
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First I washed the beans, then I soaked them overnight. Then I placed them on top of a piece of cotton cloth and covered them with another cloth. I covered the pot with the lid, and left it on the kitchen counter.</div>
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I water my sprouts twice a day, just like any other kind. I change the water in the bottom pot once a day.</div>
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Today is Day 4 and this is what my sprouts look like:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSIhSCyHPfzowYMoRZhtGzRLwh14Y-V1QueyBa5jiOPa2paSiOtKJbTERbnqm7yVjaoVEdtZYKGkpnBZm7OhUsHRld-brQU6rz0HH5sRCoR6CQ0lUPwofhCd6IV_ROKwAjCK54EEGn1lr/s1600/P7140374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSIhSCyHPfzowYMoRZhtGzRLwh14Y-V1QueyBa5jiOPa2paSiOtKJbTERbnqm7yVjaoVEdtZYKGkpnBZm7OhUsHRld-brQU6rz0HH5sRCoR6CQ0lUPwofhCd6IV_ROKwAjCK54EEGn1lr/s400/P7140374.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4</td></tr>
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They are nice and fat and crunchy. According to another video I saw, it can take up to seven days to get the size I want, but for most purposes they are ready to eat now.<br />
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I started another, very small batch, in an insulated coffee goblet, following another video. They are looking just as good.<br />
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I'll keep you posted.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-60550653452711685262012-10-07T15:55:00.000-03:002012-10-08T15:31:15.296-03:00Thanksgiving Turkey For OneChristmas and Thanksgiving are hard on us single people, but since Costco opened a store just an hour away, I have been able to eat turkey more often because they sell those rolled up roasts made up of just one side of a turkey breast. <br />
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I used to make a similar roast myself by boning the turkey and joining the two breasts with string. But then I had all the rest of the turkey to eat, and it was hard (but not impossible) not to waste any.<br />
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What's nice about those roasts, too, is that you can have one or two in the freezer, ready for any turkey craving that may show up at other times of the year.<br />
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This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and I wanted to try doing different things with my Costco turkey. As you can see from the picture, I was quite successful!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzXHL66eIViIDBSiXvkxalb4GgED23wjE8uFVFY8RewWEbpOx-b3zhKH8ey9jY9IMhVWXNxf57XceGNLxbqEOI41yGnHkiYzsmLPk7Y9K2STfOziYK0WPdJdgn8qR-CC9jPO0VdGOtXUY/s1600/Thanksgiving-turkey-for-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzXHL66eIViIDBSiXvkxalb4GgED23wjE8uFVFY8RewWEbpOx-b3zhKH8ey9jY9IMhVWXNxf57XceGNLxbqEOI41yGnHkiYzsmLPk7Y9K2STfOziYK0WPdJdgn8qR-CC9jPO0VdGOtXUY/s400/Thanksgiving-turkey-for-one.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eleven meals out of one turkey breast!</td></tr>
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First, I removed the netting and scrutinized my roast. Indeed, it was made up of a whole half breast, and nothing else. The little<i> filet</i> had been partially detached, so I cut that off and set it aside. <br />
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I created the centre roast by cutting off the wide and narrow ends. I rolled up my little roast and tied it with string after seasoning the inside. <br />
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I discarded the skin and fatty bits from the leftover pieces and cut them (minus the <i>filet</i>) into chunks, which I ground with my meat grinder.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">1. THE ROAST</span></h4>
I adapted a recipe for <i>Glazed Turkey Roast with Apples and Balsamic Vinegar</i> that I had seen on TV this week, on the <a href="http://www.ricardocuisine.com/en" target="_blank">Ricardo</a> show on CBC. <br />
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The recipe calls for a whole 2.5-lb roast, so I adjusted the quantities.<br />
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1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C)<br />
2. Salt the roast all over, then brown it on all sides in a bit of olive oil in a frying pan<br />
3. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar*, add 1.5 tablespoons of honey and a chopped French shallot (or half a small onion)<br />
4. Roll the roast around in the sauce to coat it all over<br />
5. Add one cup of chicken stock to the pan and roast for approximately one hour and ten minutes, or until 180 F (82 C) internal temperature. Keep checking every 20 minutes, and add small quantities of stock as necessary<br />
6. In a separate frying pan, brown a Cortland apple which has been peeled, cored and sliced, in a spoonful of butter<br />
7. When the roast is done, remove it and cover it loosely with foil for about 15 minutes, while you finish the sauce<br />
8. Reduce the sauce if necessary (or add a bit of water or stock if it's too thick but it should be more of a glaze than a sauce), roll the roast around to glaze it all over, add the apples and mix well. Season to taste.<br />
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Absolutely delicious! <br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">2. THE MEAT BALLS</span></h4>
I ended up with exactly one pound (450 g) of ground turkey. Today I made them as follows, but of course you can use your own favourite recipe for turkey or chicken meat balls:<br />
<ol>
<li>The ground turkey;</li>
<li>A <i>panade</i> of good white bread soaked in milk (two slices plus 2/3 cup milk) ;</li>
<li>1 egg;</li>
<li>1 small onion, grated;</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese;</li>
<li>Salt, pepper and poultry seasoning;</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin**</li>
</ol>
Mix thoroughly with the hands and form balls with wet hands. Deposit them on a sheet of parchment paper.<br />
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Drop the turkey balls into simmering chicken stock to cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, until the centre is fully cooked.<br />
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I plan to use some of the balls in a tomato sauce for pasta that I will make later on in the week. I could also freeze all or some of them.<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">3. THE ESCALOPE</span></h4>
This is the little <i>filet</i> that I detached at the beginning, and flattened with the side of a cleaver. (I really must get one of those meat pounders!)<br />
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Since it has already been frozen, I will cook my <i>escalope</i> tomorrow, probably as <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Veal-Piccata-106060" target="_blank">veal piccata</a> or maybe a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Saltimbocca-232087" target="_blank">saltimbocca</a> since I have some prosciutto in the fridge and some fresh sage in the garden. The Epicurious recipe calls for the sage on the outside, but I always put it between the prosciutto and the meat, because that's the way they prepare it in my favourite restaurant in Rome. Oh, and by the way <b>do not </b>use dried sage for this!<br />
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Instead, you could cut the <i>escalope</i> into fingers, bread them and fry them, and serve them to the kids.<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">YIELD</span></h4>
<ul>
<li>1, 1.2-lb (500 g) roast (4 portions)</li>
<li>3 dozen ping-pong ball-sized meat balls (5 or 6 portions)</li>
<li>1, 4-oz ((113 g) escalope (1 portion or two portions of fingers)</li>
<li>Bonus: 2 cups strong turkey stock which will make an excellent soup or sauce base</li>
</ul>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">TIME</span></h4>
The nice thing is I was able to prepare all those things at the same time. I mixed the meat balls while the roast was cooking. It took about two hours altogether.<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">COST</span></h4>
$19.49 for the turkey (3 lbs/1.5 kilos). This breaks down to about $2 per meal. Right inside my budget!<br />
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*Instead of -- or in addition to -- the balsamic vinegar, I could have used some of the Pinot Griggio wine that I had with it for lunch, which turned out to be a very fine "marriage".<br />
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If you're in the habit of brining your turkey, by all means brine this roast. I didn't, and it was moist enough. <br />
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** I copied this trick from my restaurants, where we used to add a few spoonfuls of gelatin to the pâté recipe. The gelatin would turn the extra juice into a tasty jelly. <br />
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In this instance, the combination of milk/bread/gelatin plays the role of fat in a dish that is nearly 100% fat-free, so what you get is a juicy result where you might expect something rather dry.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-42668114334370545922012-08-16T11:36:00.000-03:002012-08-16T11:36:01.906-03:00What I Hate About TV Chefs<br />I would be a lot more relaxed watching cooking shows if only the chefs would smarten up and think of projecting a responsible image in addition to a competent one.<br /><br />These are some of the things that I hate about TV chefs:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JeNln1KGZE8/UC0DLoj-98I/AAAAAAAACAQ/vCIP4MAiXu8/s1600/Rachael+Ray+and+guest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JeNln1KGZE8/UC0DLoj-98I/AAAAAAAACAQ/vCIP4MAiXu8/s320/Rachael+Ray+and+guest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>1. No Apron</b><br />
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Can you imagine Julia Child making <i>boeuf bourguignon</i> in her finest silk dress? How about Jacques Pépin making <i>béarnaise</i> sauce in his tuxedo?<br /><br />Then why the h*** do all these new TV chefs cook in designer clothes?<br />
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Take a look at this picture: Rachael Ray is wearing <b>a suit jacket!</b> She often wears this type of jacket in the kitchen. What? <i>Her guest is wearing an apron.</i> Smart guy.<br /><br />Come on, ladies, a cooking show is not the place to show off your wardrobe, or your waistline, or your bouncy boobs. It's a dirty workplace and your clothes deserve to be protected. <b>Wear an apron!</b><br /><br />The other thing that bothers me about this lack of respect for clothes is that so many of the viewers have to get theirs at the thrift shop in these difficult times.<br /><br />
<b>2. No Scraper</b><br /><br />I absolutely hate the way they don't scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. They were taught to do it in cooking school, so when did they decide that wasting food was okay? <br /><br />Well, <b>it's not okay to waste food,</b> and it's not okay to be so sloppy about cooking.<br /><br /><b>3. No Compost Bucket</b><br /><br />Imagine this: Rachael Ray (or Nigella Lawson, or your favourite TV chef) is preparing a salad. On the counter, off to one side, there is a pretty pottery bucket. The bucket is labelled <b>"Compost". </b><br />
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At one point, Rachael squeezes a lemon over the salad, then drops the lemon into the bucket. <b>Not in the garbage,</b> in the compost bucket.<br /><br />She doesn't have to say a word. Everyone knows what compost is. Now they know that <b>Rachael makes compost.</b> Cool!<br /><br />TV chefs need to remember that they are role models for their audience, and that it's their duty to give the right kind of example.<br />
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********** </div>
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Photo copyright Rachael Ray Digital LLC <br />
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<br />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-11682863260574711122012-03-10T09:26:00.000-04:002012-09-23T08:09:16.400-03:00In Search of the Perfect Microwave Egg<div style="color: #0b5394;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">An Experiment in Coddled Egg Microwave Cookery </span></b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J24Iz9dWZp8/T1tLBUdpyDI/AAAAAAAABrk/wEyGcyh82Vg/s1600/Royal-Worcester-egg-coddler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J24Iz9dWZp8/T1tLBUdpyDI/AAAAAAAABrk/wEyGcyh82Vg/s200/Royal-Worcester-egg-coddler.jpg" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg Coddler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I stopped having <b>coddled eggs </b>for breakfast when the ring on my Royal Worcester porcelain egg coddler broke off.*<br />
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Then I moved and now I can't find it, but it looked exactly like this one.<br />
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(<b>What is a coddled egg?</b> Imagine if you could inject some butter and other seasonings inside the shell of your egg, then soft-boil it to your exact taste... well, the egg coddler is just a replacement shell, and so to coddle an egg, you place it and your chosen seasonings inside the porcelain coddler, close it tightly, then submerge it in simmering water until it's just the way you like it. A little miracle! [The ring is so you can grab it.])<br />
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I've cooked hard-boiled eggs in the microwave, but, I thought, why not coddled eggs? This morning, I decided to try.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 1</b></span></div>
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Chinese tea bowls make perfect little individual egg coddlers. I added a ruler so you can see how tiny they are -- they hold 1/2 cup when full. (If I were making two eggs, I would use one of my small glass custard cups.)<br />
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Put a tiny dab of butter in the bottom of the cup;<br />
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Microwave for 10-15 seconds to melt the butter;<br />
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Rotate the cup to coat the bottom and sides of the cup with butter (this is important both for the flavour and to keep the egg from sticking to the bowl);<br />
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Add the egg and pierce the yolk with the tip of a knife or a fork; <br />
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<i>NOTE: this is essential -- otherwise the yolk will explode!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_SmfRtj7erelsB4_qcH9w60tkQNv61GukNZ1ptP-WQTI6IsFauD5xosdWy2EzcZEyZz7aN1fKb7cBDASxH7Ge85pZ0MQBSqfdSwXjgy7Ag6fcMOXXGeQbdu0zUD_3gUnaO7acZJsTKaV/s1600/season-coddled-egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 3em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_SmfRtj7erelsB4_qcH9w60tkQNv61GukNZ1ptP-WQTI6IsFauD5xosdWy2EzcZEyZz7aN1fKb7cBDASxH7Ge85pZ0MQBSqfdSwXjgy7Ag6fcMOXXGeQbdu0zUD_3gUnaO7acZJsTKaV/s200/season-coddled-egg.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Add seasonings -- any or all of the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Salt and pepper;</li>
<li>Chopped chives or green onion tops;</li>
<li>Finely chopped cooked mushrooms, crumbled bacon or finely chopped ham;</li>
<li>Anything you would normally add to your eggs.</li>
</ul>
Add another dab of butter on top -- please don't skip this! It's amazing what this minuscule amount of butter does to the flavour of the egg!<br />
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Wrap the bowl in a paper towel (NOT plastic wrap);<br />
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Microwave on High-- I tried 45 seconds today;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnt0zMP6HfLB-1KLPknPwUMFyvvmUMDoL6LWzF3-IhjxinlC_PzGrMZM-0KInceJhomGj6g5f5ijJHXr098YlV6v36FUFyXH0iatPqrMS78Qz8PRbiWA7pvoykT2ShRms_RU5ziB2CONm/s1600/coddled-egg-in-cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnt0zMP6HfLB-1KLPknPwUMFyvvmUMDoL6LWzF3-IhjxinlC_PzGrMZM-0KInceJhomGj6g5f5ijJHXr098YlV6v36FUFyXH0iatPqrMS78Qz8PRbiWA7pvoykT2ShRms_RU5ziB2CONm/s200/coddled-egg-in-cup.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Eat out of the bowl with a coffee spoon;<br />
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Flip over toast.<br />
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This is how I did it today, but as you may know, after you take something out of the microwave oven it continues to cook. That's why, in these last two photos, you can see that the yolk is beginning to solidify.<br />
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I like my yolks completely liquid, so tomorrow, I will try 40 seconds and a 10-second rest, and see what happens.<br />
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NOTE: if you decide to try this, you will have to experiment too, because as you know all microwaves are different, and of course you may like your eggs more or less cooked.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
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After several tries, I did settle on 40 seconds, and that time seems to work best in the smaller of the two cups, the one on the right. The walls are thicker, which may contribute to the whites setting better.<br />
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That's what works best for my taste and my equipment.<br />
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You're on your own: do your own tests; just remember that, oddly enough, <b>if you get some water in the bottom of the cup,</b> it's not from under-cooking, but from <i>over-cooking.</i> It's a chemical reaction, apparently.<br />
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* Without some sort of "handle", it's impossible to get the coddler out
quickly when the timer goes off (and believe me, I've tried).Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6445531959813101862.post-25082287778990558042012-03-01T13:14:00.003-04:002012-03-01T18:32:04.604-04:00Making Seedless Raspberry Jam In Winter<title>Seedless Raspberry Ja</title> <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whhHkUpztS8/T0-26_X1tJI/AAAAAAAABrc/ftmjnuUR-gw/s1600/fresh-raspberries-in-basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whhHkUpztS8/T0-26_X1tJI/AAAAAAAABrc/ftmjnuUR-gw/s200/fresh-raspberries-in-basket.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: See Footnote</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Raspberry jam is my absolute favourite, but I don't like the way those little seeds get between the teeth, so I've been straining them out.<br />
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During the raspberry season, I use the wild raspberries that grow in my back yard, but in winter, I use frozen raspberries, and this is the recipe that I use.<br />
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This jam is as pure as it gets.* I never use pectin – it's expensive and superfluous and jams made with it do not have the same rich fruit taste and texture.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">EQUIPMENT REQUIRED</span><br />
<ul>
<li>A stainless steel pot or saucepan</li>
<li>A kitchen scale (This recipe shows the weights, both in ounces and in grams -- next time I make it I will measure the raspberries by volume and I will come back and fill in the square.)</li>
<li>A candy thermometer (See other technique, below.)</li>
<li>A potato or bean masher</li>
<li>A fine strainer and a glass or stainless steel bowl over which it sits well (and safely, jam is hot!)</li>
<li>A jam funnel (optional)</li>
<li>A small jar</li>
</ul>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="height: 158px; text-align: left; width: 445px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">INGREDIENTS</td>
<td style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">Quantity<br />
Metric Weight</td>
<td style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">Quantity<br />
US Weight</td>
<td style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">Quantity<br />
Volume</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">Frozen raspberries</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">285 grams</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">10 ounces</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">White sugar</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">240 grams</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">8.5 ounces</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1 cup<br />
(rounded)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">PREPARATION</span><br />
<ol>
<li>Mash the raspberries if they're thawed; if not, combine them directly with the sugar</li>
<li>Set aside, stirring from time to time, until all the sugar is dissolved</li>
<li>Transfer to stainless steel pot</li>
<li>Place over medium heat and continue to mash the raspberries until there are no whole ones left</li>
<li>Insert the candy thermometer</li>
<li>Boil, stirring from time to time at the beginning, then let the mixture simmer until the thermometer reaches 104 degrees C or 220 F (this is called the Jelly stage and if you don't have a thermometer [highly recommended if you're going to be making your own jams and jellies], follow my friend Goldie's technique: she would keep a small saucer in the freezer, take it out and pour a spoonful of jam on it, then run her finger through the jam. If it wrinkled, the jam was ready.)</li>
<li>Remove from heat, stir well and pour carefully into the strainer, using a silicone spatula to get every bit. This must be done while the jam is still hot, so do be careful.</li>
<li>Now comes the fun! Stir the jam around with a spoon; press on the seeds and keep scraping the bottom of the strainer until nothing will come through any more. (But don't throw those seeds away yet!**)</li>
<li>Transfer quickly to a jar, using a jam funnel if you have one</li>
<li>Cool, put the lid on and refrigerate </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">YIELD: </span> 1 cup (250 ml) -- just enough to fill one of those cute Mason-type jelly jars.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">NOTE:</span> I prefer to make a small quantity like this, rather than having to worry about sterilizing the jar etc. I buy the frozen raspberries in a big bag, and just take out what I need as I need it. But of course you can double the recipe.<br />
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* I found the following ingredients listed on a jar of premium "Pure Seedless Raspberry Jam" at the supermarket:<br />
<ul>
<li>Raspberries</li>
<li>Sugar</li>
<li>Glucose</li>
<li>Pectin</li>
<li>Citric Acid</li>
</ul>
** There's still a lot of raspberry pulp (and sugar) attached to the seeds, and it makes great tea, either by itself or with some tea leaves. If you have a teapot that comes with a strainer basket, that's best; otherwise, use a tea strainer over your cup. Try it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2019">Image: zole4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10941900913910287961noreply@blogger.com0