How to Bake Bread in a French Oven

This weekend I will likely be sloughing on the sofa with my face slathered in Vicks, as I recover from what seems to be the plague that is making its way around my office. And if that isn't dramatic enough for you? Think Jane Eyre in the 1943 movie where they are forced to walk ceaselessly in the rain until her friend contracts pneumonia and dies. 

Anyway.

I thought I would share a baking success from last weekend. A boule baked in a French oven (Le Creuset). Frankly this is the easiest bread I have ever made, and has all of the ear marks of a professionally baked loaf.

Segue.

I have never had any trouble baking on the east coast where I grew up. Out here in the mountain west, results are frequently disastrous. I wasn't sure if it was the altitude (possible), but I read the opening chapters of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, and it became almost insanely obvious that it was because of the dryness of the air (which also devastated my attempts at meat curing without MacGuyver-ing a curing room). What effect does the air have? So glad you asked. 

Having overly or under-ly(?) humid air can affect the weights of your ingredients, creating a situation where you may be putting in too much or too little of any one ingredient. Heat can similarly affect your ingredients in that it alters the chemical reactions. This is especially true when you cook by volume instead of weight.

You guys? I am a convert to cooking by weight. By the looks of my new kitchen scales you would think I was opening up shop as a drug dealer. In reality I am just OCD and refuse to settle for second best edible product. Or anything for that matter. Measuring by weight creates a fantastic looking and tasting product! It allows you to bake using one bowl!  It allows you to easily increase or decrease your recipe without the proportions becoming wonky. And precision! I can't say enough for it.

And why use a French oven? Well, those great loaves of bread with the great crust and the fantastic crumb? There are steam injectors in the ovens which help to develop the crust, and the nubs in your pot lid serve the same process... To drop the bits of steam on the dough and develop the crust. 

When all was said and done, the bread was miraculous. It's the sort of thing you could just eat fresh out of the oven (after having given it time to rest of course!!) With maybe a little good olive oil or fresh butter or with jam or as a crostini... How could anyone ever buy a loaf of bread again? Or use a dumb bread maker? This is so easy people... I challenge you to do it. You won't be sorry.

I used the recipe from Ruhlman's Twenty. You can see the recipe here and he has an awesome video to go with if you are so inclined. 

NaBloPoMo - Things I love about New York Part 2 - Ferrara Bakery & Cafe

Ferrara Bakery and Cafe. Easily one of the best places to eat. Ever. This pasticceria opened in 1892 at about the intersection of Mulberry and Grand. I can't even remember the first time I ate here with my family, but I am sure I was VERY young. You almost always have to wait to get a seat at one of their marble-topped tables. I've had more cannoli and rainbow cookies that I can even remember, and my mom would almost always get Baba Au Rhum. Coming in off the cold streets in the winter there would always be hot chocolate and coffee, and in summer there was always gelato to go with your dessert. If you are ever in NYC, GO. You won't be disappointed. It is a true New York institution.

If you click here, there is a great little video from behind the scenes at the Cafe.

Below, a picture of me and mom at Ferrara a few years ago.

 

NaBloPoMo - Things I love about New York Part 1

Most of you probably don't know that I grew up in NYC. Actually, my family has been there since the day we settled it in the early 1600s! Although I grew up in Queens, my parents always made sure that we had ample access to the fantastic-ness in the City. Since this is NaBloPoMo, and all of my thoughts are focused on my friends and family in NY,  I thought I would focus on one thing a day in NYC that I love, and the stories that surround them.

Today's installment is about Wonton Garden in Chinatown. I have many happy memories with my parents, husband, and oldest friend Erica there, where we would usually go before hitting up the *other* side of Canal Street for dessert in Little Italy! There are a few things on the menu other than soups and stews, but not too many more. I think we almost always get steamed roast pork buns.

You guys, this is not the place to go if you want "ambience" but damn, that food is good and cheap. It really is almost the first place I go when I get back to NYC. What I usually order is pretty basic -- fresh noodles in soup, sometimes with roast pork, and Tom tends to go a little more out of the box. The noodles are amazing - I've never been able to find anything like them anywhere. "Regular" Chinese food is dull once you have had Wonton Garden.

There is another blogger who did a more formal review of the place, with some great pictures. Check it out here! See if those pictures don't make you rush off there for lunch (once they reopen from the storm, of course). 

Be prepared to wait to get a table, and don't be surprised if you wind up sharing a table with total strangers if you go as a small party.

French Toast Bread Pudding

Every year I went out to Montauk during the summer (the very east most point on Long Island) for a little R&R with my mom, gram, and brother. Dad would join us the last weekend after he was done with work. Even before I came into existence, this had been an annual tradition for my mom and gram, I think beginning right after my great-gram had passed away.

Anyway, in Montauk there is a great breakfast place - Mr. John's Pancake House and we would eat there almost every morning. There was always a wait to get in, and the staff there knew my mom and gram by their first names.

My standard fare for breakfast has always been french toast with bacon. My gram would always chime in "make sure the french toast is well dipped". What she meant by this was make sure the bread is well soaked through before you put it on the griddle. Otherwise the egg scrambles and hangs off of the bread. Or you get scrambled eggs on top of your soggy bread. YUCK! (Incidentally, Tom and I went to a nice place for our anniversary last year and the shrimp was egged and breaded and just what I hate happened -- there were scrambled eggs hanging off the shrimp... BLECH)

A few weeks ago Tom and I went to the Farmer's Market at the park downtown, and a co-worker of mine was helping out Vossen's Bakery at their booth. When he saw me he gave  me a loaf of raisin bread for free! By itself I wasn't sure what to do with it since it was a sweet bread, but then I though - AHA! French Toast Bread Pudding! I saw Ina Garten make this on her show one day, and it looked delish. I didn't use her whole recipe -- just the basics, and then made it my own. This method makes it custardy, and the bread is definitely soaked through (which is what made me think of my gram) -- no scrambled eggs on my french toast here! This is perfect if you have a crowd for breakfast and don't want to slave over the stove, or you can just serve it up traditionally here, with a scoop of vanilla custard and maple syrup drizzled over. The recipe is also pretty versatile - you can really add in whatever you like. Ina's recipe is here if you want other inspiration.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Slice your sweet bread (raisin bread, challah, etc...) about 3/4" or so thick. This is not an exact science.
Line an 8 1/2" x 11" baking dish with one layer of your bread, breaking it into smaller pieces if necessary to fill the cracks
Repeat with a second layer of bread.
Mix together 5 cups of milk and 8 eggs wells, and add cinnamon to taste
Pour your mixture over the bread, and once you have poured it all in, put small plates on top to weight your bread for about 10 minutes (this will ensure your bread it soaked through)

Place your baking dish into a roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan with lukewarm water, about 1" up the side of the baking dish.
Tightly wrap the top with aluminum foil, and then cut a few slits into the foil to vent. Make sure the foil does not touch your bread pudding.

Bake for 45 minutes with the foil on, and then remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes (at which time it will be puffed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and try not to burn your mouth as you gobble it down!

Tom's Birthday Dinner

Just as Tom's Birthday rolled around this year, we found ourselves with a sudden onset of Autumn. Usually here in Utah we don't get a real autumn until November, it feels like. With both of us being native East Coasters, we love the crisp in the air, the smell of the fireplace burning, and the leaves under foot.

Autumn also starts to bring to mind comfort food. Tomato Soup is one that comes to mind! With this in mind, we ran (well, we drove) to the Millcreek Farmer's Market and snagged up 8 pounds of end-of-summer tomatoes. It took me about an hour to make Cream of Tomato Soup, and we have several bags frozen for the cold months ahead! I used Ina Garten's recipe and I can tell you that nothing tastes as good as fresh tomato soup long after fresh tomato season is over. If you can get some end-of-season tomatoes, I would strongly advise you to make some soup and stock up!


For Tom's Birthday Dinner, I made him Steak Pommes Frite. Yes, those are home made french fries! Silly me though, I neglected to replace my oil thermometer (lost my other) before making the fries, and of course I decided to just wing it (bad idea), so of course the first batch came out burnt to a crisp, setting off the fire alarm and Tom scrambling to open all the doors and windows to air out the smoke. OOPS. Anyway, All's Well that Ends Well. The butter is a maitre d'hotel compound butter (YUM) and my guidance came from the Bouchon cookbook.

Last but not least! Birthday Cake! Traditionally I make Tom a Black Forest Cake from scratch, but this year he wanted to try something a little different. He had never had Sachertorte (I've had it regularly from a young age), and I found a good recipe on Epicurious. It was a HUGE HIT. Velvety dense chocolate cake layered with homemade Apricot Preserves, and swathed in a chocolate glaze (with more apricot preserves underneath it). Remarkably easy to make. I think I will make another one soon!

 

August Wipocalypse Update #2, and some baking

This has been a busy few weeks for me!

First up, I continued my progress on Celtic Banner (MLI/Butternut Road):

 Secondly, I won the Traveling "Tribal Penguin" pattern from Annette's Acre! I started and finished this in just a few days, and stitched it on PTP's "Meditation". If you want to be the next home for the traveling pattern, post in the comments below...

And lastly, I FINALLY started Around the World in 80 Stitches, the new SAL by Papillon Creations:

I also got Jacques Pepin's new Cookbook "Essential Pepin" and made the Chocolate Paris-Brest cake from it. It is a delicious Pate-a-Choux dough, stuffed with Chocolate Pastry Cream, and topped with Whipped Cream. It is shaped as a bicycle wheel, to commemorate the annual Tour de France from Paris to Brest. It may look complicated but it definitely is not! Here is a picture:

Lastly, here is a picture of me and one of my little dogs. It's a terrible picture of my in my pajamas, but isn't he just adorable? We love to cuddle. :-D

AGAIN - if you want to win the traveling tribal penguin pattern, post to the comments of this blog by Midnight on Monday (Labor Day).

Torta di Mandorle

Last night I made this for dessert: Torta di Mandorle, which is an almond torte with chocolate chips. Who can go wrong with that? It is DELICIOUS (and of course a little home made whipped cream to top it off doesn't hurt either). You can find this recipe in Lidia Bastianich's "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy" in the section on recipes from Liguria.

THE Birthday Cake

I know. Its been a while. AND I made my husband a birthday cake that I just had to share with you! As always, hubby requested a traditional Black Forest Cake. It is laden with whipped cream, sour cherry preserves, and kirsche (this is a Cherry Brandy that merely enhances the overall cherry flavor... you otherwise have no idea it is there). The sponge is a dense chocolate torte, and it is a delight to the taste buds! I've always used Gourmet Mag's recipe, and wanted to link to it on Epicurious but they don't have it there, so I won't be providing the recipe for copyright concerns. However, you can find it on page 746 of The Gourmet Cookbook Bible by Houghton Mifflin. Everything is from scratch and as such it is a true labor of love (it takes about 4 hours from start to finish, and uses about every big mixing bowl I have) but the end result is incredibly worthwhile. In lieu of a recipe, observe in various stages of completion:

This is the chocolate and butter melted together:

This is the egg whites beaten to medium peaks:

This is the egg yolk, almonds, and other small dry ingredients whipped into the egg yolks:

This is after the chocolate mixture gets whipped into the egg yolk mixture:

This is before it goes into the Springform pan, when the flour has been added to the above chocolate yolk mixture, and then the whites have been gently folded in: 

Et Voila! (Yes, that is fresh whipped cream)

YUM!!

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Coleslaw

By popular outcry, here are the recipes for the barbecue pork sandwiches and the Blue Cheese Coleslaw.

First the pork:

Dry rub:

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne
• 4 pound shoulder pork roast 

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 

Accessories:

• 6 soft hamburger buns with seeds
• Bbq sauce
• Cole slaw

Directions

Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When two hours have passed, preheat your oven to 325.


Combine liquid ingredients and the garlic powder in a medium bowl and pour into a large Dutch oven or Le Creuset style pot. Place pork in the pot and tightly cover with aluminum foil then lid. Roast for 4 hours or until fork tender and shreds easily. Brush the roast with cooking liquid every hour.

Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite size pieces.

Serve on hamburger buns topped with BBQ sauce and Cole Slaw.

Next, the Cole Slaw:

Ingredients

• 1/2 small head green cabbage
• 1/2 small head red cabbage
• 4 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled (optional)
• 2 cups (16 ounces) good mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled Roquefort blue cheese

Cut the cabbages in half and then in quarters and cut out the cores. Sliver your cabbage by running your knife from the outside of the cabbage towards the core (it is easier to lay it on one of the cut sides while shaving the cabbage. Likewise you can always use a food processor to do this faster). Repeat with carrots. Transfer into a large bowl, discarding any very large pieces. Before you pour the dressing on the salad, save a handful of the grated vegetables to decorate for serving. Transfer to bowl with the cabbages. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, both mustards, vinegar, celery salt, kosher salt, and pepper. Pour enough mayonnaise dressing over the grated vegetables and toss to moisten well. Add crumbled blue cheese and toss together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature