A COOL DUDE GETS A NEW LOOK

Posted in General by sallybr

The so-called Kansas Summer Shave… 😉

MOM, WHERE DID ALL MY FUR GO?

26Jul2012

A TASTE OF YELLOW TO HONOR BARBARA

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Long before I started my own site, I already followed Barbara’s blog, Winos end Foodies. For a while I was unaware of her health problems, until one day I clicked on the “About” page and learned that she started blogging right after being diagnosed with cancer, in 2004. She used Winos and Foodies to get her mind away from her illness, and through the years of blogging she touched many people’s lives. A lot has been written about Barbara, you can read a particularly touching tribute here

A few months after I started the Bewitching, I wrote Barbara an email and was amazed by how kind and thoughtful she was, sending me advice and encouragement. She read, left comments, dropped me private emails, it was hard to imagine that she could do it all while fighting one of the toughest battles a person can face. I feel fortunate to have known her, at least virtually.

If you’ve never stopped by Winos and Foodies, please do so. She wrote about art, photography, food, her relationship with her husband of so many years, and occasionally about her tough times with cancer. You will notice that contrary to what most bloggers do (myself included), she didn’t post a blogroll of websites she enjoyed. Instead, she created a page called Blog Friends, and listed everyone by name. A special, sweet gesture, so typical of her.

In 2007, fascinated by the performances of Lance Armstrong 0n the Tour de France, she launched the event “A Taste of Yellow” , to coincide with LIVEstrong Day, and to raise awareness about cancer in the community of food bloggers. Barbara passed away on June 29th, so this year’s event, hosted by Jeanne (Cook Sister), is dedicated to her.

For my participation in this series of Taste of Yellow, I chose to cook with beautiful ears of corn.

COUSCOUS WITH CORN AND SCALLIONS IN BROWN BUTTER
(adapted from Fine Cooking, Aug/Sep 2012)

1 + 1/2 Tbs butter
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
kernels of 2 ears of corn
2 scallions, finely sliced (white and light green parts)
3/4 cup couscous
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup boiling water

Melt the butter on medium-low heat and cook stirring occasionally, until the butter gets a hint of golden color. Do not let it turn brown at this point because it will still cook a little further. Add the thyme, and cook until fragrant.

Add the corn kernels, salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes, increasing the heat slightly so they brown up. Add the scallions, cook until they soften, another minute or so. Add the boiling water all at once, close the pan and remove from the heat. Let it rest 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

to print the recipe, click here

My deepest condolences go to Barbara’s husband Bryan, their two sons, family and friends in this difficult time. She will be missed.

(Comments are shutdown for this post)

22Jul2012

THERE WILL BE BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Drum roll, please…

This post officially inaugurates the new kitchen in The Little Apple! What better than a loaf of bread to start things on a nice track? So, let me share with you a golden bread perfumed with the special saffron I received as a gift from our friend Steve. The bread looked like a blast of sunshine sitting on the black granite, and it made nice cracking noises as it cooled, the promise of a nice crumb underneath a hearty crust.

GOLDEN SAFFRON & FENNEL LOAF
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by Flo Makanai)

125 g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)
250 g water (divided)
large pinch of saffron
375 g bread flour
7 g salt
1 tsp fennel seeds

Heat 50 ml (no need to be precise) of water in a microwave until almost boiling, add the saffron and let it sit until it cools to almost room temperature, stirring every now and then. Strain the saffron water through a fine mesh colander, and add to the rest of the water for a final volume of 250ml. Reserve.

Add the active starter to a large bowl, mix it with the water until it dissolves more or less smoothly. Add the flour and the fennel seeds, and briefly do a few kneading moves to form a shaggy mess. Cover loosely with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the dough and incorporate by kneading lightly and folding the dough on itself. You can keep the dough in the bowl, or transfer to a surface. After 20-30 seconds of kneading/folding, cover the dough again and let it sit for 40 minutes (total rising time up to this point: 1 hour).

Repeat cycles of quick kneading/folding two more times, spacing them 40 to 50 minutes. After the third and final kneading cycle, let the dough sit for 20 to 30 minutes, shape it as a round or oval loaf, and leave it at room temperature 30 minutes longer. Total rising time from beginning to end: about 3 and a half hours. Place it in the fridge overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge 2 hours before baking (see my comments). Heat the oven to 450F. If using a clay pot, place it in the cold oven as you turn it on. Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes, remove cover, and allow it to fully bake (reducing the temperature to 425F if the bread seems to be browning too fast) for 12 to 15 minutes longer. Remove to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: It’s been a while since I baked a loaf of bread that made me as happy as this one! I’d been refreshing my starter for weeks in a row, but placing it back in the fridge, unable to squeeze bread baking in our crazy schedule. My cookbooks are not unpacked yet, so I decided to go with the simple but very efficient method devised by Flo Makanai years ago: her famous 1, 2, 3 recipe. One part starter, 2 parts water, 3 parts flour. You can adapt and use any liquid or flour, but that’s the basic formula. I wanted to incorporate saffron in the dough, and fennel seemed like a good match too. Considering that it was not a tried and true recipe, and that it would be my first time using the oven in our new home, I admit I was pushing the envelope. Interesting expression, by the way, I learned its origin not too long ago, and was a bit surprised. No Post Office material was used in its making. Live, and learn.

Live, learn, and bake! 😉

To add a bit more emotion to the adventure, I could not find my banettons to proof the dough after shaping. I actually have two, one round, and one oval, but they are both MIA, probably hidden inside one of the unpacked boxes. I ended up using a copper colander, lined with a white cloth.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

I pushed the envelope once more by removing the dough from the fridge only 30 minutes before placing it in the 450F oven, trying to minimize the time our kitchen would be exposed to such insanely high temperature. Still, the bread had an impressive oven spring, and the beautiful, golden open crumb I hoped for. It would be amazing with paella or a bowl of bouillabaisse, but until the weather cools enough for those dishes, we’ll enjoy it with fresh, juicy tomatoes and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Simple pleasures. Golden pleasures.

A final remark: I wish I could take credit for the title of this post, but my beloved husband was the genius behind it… Sorry, ladies, he’s mine, all mine!

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting.

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2011

TWO YEARS AGO: Heavenly Homemade Fromage Blanc

THREE YEARS AGO: A Perfect Sunday Dinner

19Jul2012

A WALK TOWARDS THE SUNSET

Posted in General by sallybr

Only a mile from the new home, our favorite way to wrap up a day…

17Jul2012

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Posted in Appetizers, Breads, Side dishes by sallybr

And the food snob strikes again! 😉

What can I say? Once we tasted the tortillas made in the coziness of our (former) own home, we were shocked by how much better than the store-bought version they are! Get yourself a good quality tortilla press, one that feels heavy and powerful like this one I found for a bargain at ebay.
All you’ll need is a bowl, the masa harina, some water and a little salt. No need to knead, no need to wait. Amazing tortillas will be yours in less than 10 minutes!
HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS
(from the back of Masa Harina’s bag)

2 cups masa harina
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1 + 1/4 cups hot water

Mix together the masa harina, salt, and water in a bowl. Add the smaller amount of water, form a dough. If too rough, add the rest of the water, a little at a time. The dough must stick together, but it should not be too wet, so that when you roll a portion on your hand it will turn out smooth.

Form golf ball-sized chunk of dough and place into a tortilla press protected on both sides by plastic wrap (I cut open a large ziplock type bag). Press, open, peel the tortilla off the plastic, reserve. When all tortillas are made, cook them for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side on a hot skillet, preferably cast iron. Set the cooked tortillas over a inside a folded towel to keep them warm and moist.

For added flavor, right before serving, set each over an open flame until you get small brown blisters on the surface, flip and do the same on the other side.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Now, for the sad news… I was holding this post for publication at a later time, when I could include a special recipe made with the tortillas. But, the stove in our new home is electric and I’m having a bit of a hard time adjusting to it. The lack of a flame prevents me from finishing the tortillas the way I like, so I am not sure when I’ll be able to make tortillas at home again. It might take a while.. 😦

To compensate, I share a link to the type of recipe I’d like to make using homemade corn tortillas. It comes from a great blog I visit often, called Taste Food. Ready? Click here, and ENJOY!