SOURDOUGH LOAF WITH CRANBERRIES AND WALNUTS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

I blogged on a similar sourdough last year, but this is a slightly different version, with a bit of semolina and whole wheat flour. I baked this bread for a very special occasion, the visit of dear friends I had not seen in 15 years! A cute story behind our friendship needs to be told. Back in 1995. When I moved from Paris to Norman to join the University of Oklahoma, a colleague from our department insisted I should meet Denise, a Brazilian graduate student from the College of Education. It so happens that I’m not that wild about this type of arranged meeting. I don’t know exactly why, maybe I simply prefer to meet people naturally and make connections independently of the place where they were born. And guess what? Denise felt exactly like me about the whole thing. But we both liked that Professor very much, and decided what the heck, let’s just give this a try. To make a long story short, we “clicked” in a way that we could not have anticipated in a million years! Our friendship continued after she, her husband Hélio and three kids (now three adults) emigrated permanently to England a few years later. Hélio now travels to Texas on a regular basis for work, and that made it easier for them to plan a quick visit to our neck of the woods. Fifteen years! Hard to believe time passed so quickly… Denise loves cranberries, so this bread was a natural choice to welcome them to our home. She also loves white chocolate, but that story shall be left for another post…

DENISE’S SOURDOUGH WITH CRANBERRIES AND WALNUTS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

For the starter (you won’t use everything)
30 g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)
55 g water
45 g all-purpose flour

For the dough:
65 g starter (about half of starter prepared)
220 g water
160 g semolina flour
120 g bread flour
35 g whole wheat flour
7 g sea salt
80 g dried cranberries
50 g toasted walnut pieces

Make your starter 12 hours before you intend to prepare the dough. Let it ferment at room temperature.

To the appropriate amount of starter (65 g, remember you are not using the full amount made) add the water and mix gently to dissolve it. No need to completely dissolve the starter at this point. Add the flours and mix, allow it to sit with the water for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Sprinkle the salt over the dough, mix it by folding several times, to incorporate the salt. Add the cranberries and the walnuts, mix them gently. Allow the dough to ferment for 5 hours. Fold 5 times at 30 minute intervals. That will take you to 2.5 hours fermentation. Allow the dough to ferment for 2.5 more hours undisturbed.

Shape the dough as a ball, place it in the fridge overnight. Remove it from the fridge one hour before baking, as you heat the oven. Invert the shaped loaf on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for easy transfer to the oven.

Bake at 450 F with initial steam for 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 425 F and bake for about 25 more minutes. Use your favorite method to generate steam, I like a covered Dutch oven with the lid moist with water before covering the bread. After 30 minutes I open the lid to allow the bread to brown. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I am always a bit anxious when it comes to baking bread for special friends. I want it to be perfect, delicious, awesome, but sourdough is a harsh mistress… You can make one perfect loaf, use the same starter, the same recipe a couple of days later and open the oven to find a bread that turned out more like a flat pancake. Usually still very tasty, but… well, you get my point. I made this bread the day before they arrived, so that if it was not worthy of my friends, I could have time for a plan B: a frantic drive to the grocery store. Imagine that! But to my relief it all had a happy ending. A beautiful marriage between cranberries and walnuts, nice balance of whole wheat with regular flour so that the bread itself had a nice texture and taste. Perfect with goat cheese, but even just a little butter will work well. Honestly, even naked it’s great. The bread. Obviously.

I am submitting this post to Bread Box Round Up,
hosted by Karen, the Bread Baking Goddess.

ONE YEAR AGO: Sichuan Pork Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: Our Green Trip to Colorado

THREE YEARS AGO: Ditalini Pasta Salad

FOUR YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

FIVE YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

SIX YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

13Sep2016

GOING NAKED… AND MY HUSBAND LOVED IT!

Posted in Appetizers, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Obviously, I am talking naked tomatoes. Obviously. Another almost non-recipe that went from spotting on a site to preparing and blogging in record time… The source for this little gem is the video blog Food Wishes, hosted by Chef John. I’ve been following his site for a long time, he always posts interesting stuff, but I admit to rarely watching the videos. I am a very impatient person. Give me the recipe, if possible with just a photo or two, and I’m a happy camper. But, I must say whenever I watch his videos, I feel happy I did. He is a natural teacher, concise, and very witty. Anyway, these naked tomatoes intrigued me. I read his post while we were away in Portland. We landed back in town, and stopped at the grocery store on our way home. I made a beeline for the fresh produce stand. Not a single cherry tomato to be found. However, gorgeous grape tomatoes said hello to me, so I asked “do you mind if I take your clothes off?”

NAKED GRAPE TOMATOES
(adapted from Food Wishes)

a bunch of grape tomatoes
salted boiling water
ice water bath
a little patience and loving care
extra-virgin olive oil
white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic, or sherry vinegar)
dried thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Make two very small and not too deep incisions in each grape tomato on the side opposite of the stem.

Drop them in salted boiling water for just a few seconds. The moment the skin starts to curl up, remove them quickly and dump them in ice water until cold.

Carefully peel off the skin, one by one. Be Zen. It is good for you.

Add them to a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, thyme (or another herb of your choice), salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes, cover with plastic and leave at room temperature until serving time.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I will not lie to you, peeling small tomatoes is a labor of love. But worth it. If you have a dinner party, these would be amazing as appetizers. Grab a toothpick, pop one of these naked cuties in your mouth, repeat. I also envision them served over crostini, a nice smear of ricotta underneath, maybe even baked ricotta. Have you ever had baked ricotta? Here is a recipe for you, just to make things easier. Both Phil and I loved these tomatoes, the resulting texture is wonderful! The dressing, instead of slipping off the tomato skin, permeates delicately through its flesh. Is that sexy or what?

Dinner is served: Turkey Portobello Burgers, avocados,
and Naughty Grape Tomatoes…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cream Cheese Mini-Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

TWO YEARS AGO: Star-Shaped Chocolate Brioche Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: Blueberry-Banana Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Into the Light Again

FIVE YEARS AGO: Five Grain Sourdough Bread

SIX YEARS AGO: The Nano-Kitchen

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls

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9Sep2016

MANGO SALSA WITH VERJUS

Posted in Salads, Small Dishes by sallybr

If there was a folder with “non-recipes” in this site, this concoction would feel at home sitting inside. It is way too simple to qualify as a recipe. But it turned out so delicious, I must share and save it for my records. If you have mangoes available at the grocery store, you should give this salsa a try. I used Verjus because I was anxious to try it, but don’t let that stop you if you don’t have a bottle in your pantry. Lemon juice will work great too, a little more acidity never hurt a salsa, trust me on that. Due to food sensitivities, this is an onion-less preparation. I will include them as an option since most people consider salsa not be salsa unless loaded with onions. Honestly, I prefer it without. However, you should go heavy on the cilantro.

MANGO SALSA WITH VERJUS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 juicy, small mangoes, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
2 large red tomatoes, Heirloom is possible, diced
1/2 large onion, diced (optional)
1/2 Serrano pepper, finely minced
cilantro leaves, minced
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or another oil of your choice)
1 tablespoon Verjus (or juice of half a lemon)
salt and pepper to taste

Add all the diced veggies to a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the avocado oil with the Verjus or lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour on the veggies, mix well, add the minced cilantro and toss gently to combine. Keep in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Adjust seasoning and…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I served this salsa over very simply grilled chicken breasts, and ended up eating a lot of salsa with a little bit of chicken for my meal that evening. Leftovers held very well in the fridge, and were amazing when added to mashed avocados for a tropical take on guacamole. I added a little more Serrano pepper just because.
Phil made a little quesadilla with Queso Fresco and a hearty spoonful of the salsa. As you can tell, this simple mixture of sweet mango and veggies is quite versatile and will brighten up many types of dishes. Next time around it will go over grilled salmon. I salivate just thinking about it… Frozen mango slices are available, but I am not sure they would work here. I think nothing beats the fresh fruit at its peak in this type of preparation.

ONE YEAR AGO: Raspberry Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Brownies

TWO YEARS AGO: Scary Good Pork Burgers

THREE YEARS AGO: Review of exercise program Focus25

FOUR YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

FIVE YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

SIX YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

4Sep2016

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: TEXAS SHEET CAKE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

September is here! The month that brings with it the end of the summer, and the beginning of Sally’s foul mood. Aren’t you thrilled? Well, I cannot let meteorology ruin the mood of my favorite event in the whole blogosphere: The Secret Recipe Club‘s Reveal Day is here, for us members of Group A. My assignment was the blog Crazed Mom, hosted by Nicole, from St. Louis. Crazed Mom, what a cute name for a site, it tells it all. Nicole is a mom to five teenagers. Let’s make a brief pause to let that sink in. Five teenagers. She also takes care of a toddler and a newborn on a regular basis. Five teenagers. One toddler. One newborn. I have a full-time job that demands quite a bit of energy and commitment, but I am always in awe of women whose job is to take care of one or several kids. How do they do it? I know there are plenty of rewards, but imagine having to deal with kids at different phases, one going to school, dealing with homework, sleepovers, another too young to leave your radar, some very picky eaters, some with food allergies. And of course, you are also a woman, a wife, a daughter, maybe a sister, with goals and dreams for yourself. Not easy to find balance. But Nicole does it all and blogs about a ton of interesting stuff, in fact she’s been a presence online for 12 years! Unreal! I had a lot of fun browsing her site, even if this past month was particularly sad and stressful for us. I did not have as much time as I normally like to indulge in the stalking process, but still composed a list of possibilities to share with you today. Here they are: Chicken Kiev with a Twist, The Best Blueberry Muffins, Caramel Coconut Cupcakes, and Spicy Gingerbread with a Mocha Glaze (if that doesn’t make you go weak in the knees, you need therapy). But once I saw her take on a Texas Sheet Cake, I decided I had to make it. I’ve often heard about it, but had never tasted or even seen one face-to-face. I had to take matters into my own hands, and jump on this opportunity to enlighten myself on this American classic.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE
(from Crazed Mom)

for the cake:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the icing:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 box (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar (sift it first to remove lumps – otherwise icing remains lumpy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the cake: In a saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa over med. heat until the butter melts. Don’t let it cook too long. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, eggs, and baking soda. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Careful, it’s hot. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Pour into a sheet cake pan or jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

For the icing: In a saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and milk over medium heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and combine with confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix well with a mixer to remove lumps. Spread over the sheet cake while it is still hot.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a rich cake. Very rich. As Nicole says, eat a slice and go take a walk. But I tell you one thing, it is decadent delicious, it’s the kind of cake that with each bite you feel more and more naughty, which is a good feeling to have every once in a while. I took it to our department and it was basically gone within 45 minutes. I also got several visits to the lab of colleagues thanking me and giving me hints of “you can bake this one again anytime!” I guess by now they realized that a food blogger rarely repeats recipes and once something really good shows up in the mail room, they better enjoy. Be Zen. Savor the moment. Literally.

Confession time… My friend Gary is my guru for all things involving baking. I was wondering about the size of pan to use and wanted to run a question by him, so I texted. Then I told Phil about it. I just texted Gary, I had a question about that sheet cake I’m making today. Phil almost lost it, laughing so hard – “what kind of cake are you making????” It turns out that my spoken sheet apparently sounds exactly like another word that starts with SH. It’s a good thing accents don’t travel by text.

Nicole, I loved stalking your site, and agree with you, this is one amazing cake, I am not surprised that you requested it every year for your Birthday. If we have to get one year older, might as well celebrate in style!

And, for all my readers, you can delight yourself with the recipes made by my virtual friends with a poke in the blue frog smiling quietly at the end of the post.