A French Bread

A brown book cover with a 70's vibe splashed all over has a triangle shaped tear on the cover and a worn spine from being furiously rubbed over the counters of a kitchen.  These are all the signs of a well loved and stand-by cookbook.  Never before have a recommended a cookbook so highly.  But you ask what is this ethereal creature a speak of?  It's a book, no it's a cookbook… no no, it's a bible.  A bread bible - The Tassajara Bread Book.  I had written about my whimsical tale with said aforementioned book in a much earlier post, but credit should be given where it is due.

I was a horrible (well, not "burnt to a crisp" bad) bread baker before I got this book.  As a frame of reference, this was my sophomore year of college and this was my first time with my "own" stove.  I'm probably being a little hard on myself (in the kitchen, I'm only mildly a perfectionist), but my bread never turned out how I wanted it to… or how well my friend Brendan Carson's did.  Or how well my ex-boyfriends dad's did.  Brendan's bread was always so rustic; freeform shapes, thick swirling crust and the perfect amount of air holes.  His bread doesn't even compare to Mr. Seidel's Sourdough, I loved it to it's very crumb.  I would marry it if I could.  These were my bread baking hero's… and what I instantly wanted my bread to taste like.  As you can probably guess, mine wasn't like theirs.  It always seemed to have too strong of a flour taste, the crust was weak and the loaves never rose how I wanted them to.  Being the good boyfriend that he was, Alex sense my frustrations and had the perfect solution.

One day after class I was sitting in his bed, hiding away from the creeping cold that is Michigan winters, and he walked in with a little present for me in his hands.  He said his dad used it and it should help me. Being that I'm a girl and that anything that is wrapped, even mildly shiny and (for me at least) is in the shape of a book, I instantly knew he was about to get some major bonus points.  Tearing off the secular holiday paper I started the best relationship I ever had… with a cookbook.  Looking at the shelves now, I have my fair share of cookbooks.  Some get used a few times a year and other are used so frequently they are never are the shelf.  Some are big and have glossy sleeves to their hard covers while others are floppy paperbacks.  But The Tassajara Bread Book is no doubt the smallest yet probably the one that has the most amount of notes written in the margins, tears and dog ears littering the pages.

P.S. Alex, you still, to this day, get so many points and I think of you every time I use this book.  I am so grateful you gave this to me - I made me the (if I don't say so myself) pretty spiffy bread baker that I am today.

Moral: Get this book.

If anything, you'll have more recipes like "A French Bread" that I made for the 437th time a few weeks ago.  Every Tuesday night I truck over to West Seattle to watch Glee with Julie and Katrina at her parent's house.  Usually we don't do much before hand, but this time we decided to have a traditional sit-down-with-parents dinner.  We all brought a different element of a meal - as you can probably assume, I brought the bread.  I choose to make this loaf mainly because I just love this bread.  I love how the crumb swirls within the loaf, how it toasts perfectly, how it makes the greatest french toast ever and … well… HOW QUICKLY it rises.  I mean seriously, two loaves of bread that is perfect for sandwiches but also impresses dinner guests that can feasibly be made in a afternoon?  Do you KNOW how rare that is?  As you can tell by how I'm spazzing out, it's pretty rare and pretty awesome.  Don't believe me?  Try it yourself!!

A French Bread
Adapted from the Tassajara Bread Book

Ingredients I:

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 3 packages dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 cups unbleached white and 1 cup whole wheat flour

Ingredients II:

• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• flour for kneading

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast if the water until bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the honey until well combined.  Stir in the initial batch of flour one cup at a time and beat for 100 strokes with a spoon (this is according to Tassajara, I stick it on my stand mixer with a dough hook & knead it for a little bit).  Let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubles in size.
2. Fold in the salt, making sure not to tear the dough.  Fold in (again, I knead in using my stand mixer, but don't think I haven't made this completely by hand before) the second batch of flour one cup at a time until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Knead, using additional flour as needed, until the dough no longer sticks to the board and is smooth (this will take about 10 minutes).
4. Let rise until doubled in size, about 50 minutes.  Punch down.  Let rise again until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.  Shape into two loaves by flattening them out into a large rectangle then rolling them up tight like a rug.  Pinch the seam into the loaf and place seam side down.
5. Place the the loaves on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Let them rest for about 20 minutes.  Brush with water.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then spray the loaves with water.  Continue baking at 375 until well browned, about 35-45 minutes.  As soon as the loaves are removed from the oven, brush the tops with garlic butter.

Homemade Sriracha Sauce

I love all things spicy, but I think it comes with the territory of being a redhead.  I always order the hottest sauce possible at restaurants and Trader Joe's jalapeno hot sauce is drizzled on even the most inappropriate of foods.  To me, eggs are almost inedible without hot sauce.  I almost wonder why it took my so long to make my own hot sauce... especially because I have a strange love of making my own condiments.

To make this recipe even better, it is so easy to make.  Essentially all you need to do is let roughly chopped peppers sit overnight in a brine.  The hardest part is simmering the peppers and waiting for them to cool.  But that glorious moment that you get to taste your own hot sauce on a veggie burger (...well, that's what I did...) it's worth it.  I brought the sauce to a game/"make-your-own-pizza" night with some new friends here in Seattle and it worked well on most of the pizzas that we made!  I know I poured an obnoxious amount of it on the pizza I ate.  But please remember, I like hot sauce on everything.  There is definitely some heat to this sauce, but the actual flavor of the peppers and garlic is still able to shine through.

Homemade Sriracha Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound red fresno chiles, coarsely chopped (I used 0.7 lb)
• 4 garlic cloves (5.6)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used 1 2/5 tsp)
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar (I used 1 2/5 cups)
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar (I used 2.8 TBSP)

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients except the sugar in large glass bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.  This brine helps mellow the heat of the peppers.
2. Place the mixture and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Blend with an immersion blender (or a food processor/blender) until a smooth, orange-red mixture forms. Run through a strainer and smush out as much juice as possible.
4. Once refrigerated, the sauce should have the same consistency and texture as Sriracha, BUT I think it tastes better, is less salty and tastes much fresher.

Parmesan Crackers with Garlic & Rosemary

Ironically, last night I made crackers from scratch because I was craving something crunchy but was too lazy to go out to the store to buy crackers.  And boy, am I glad I didn't!  I can't stop munching on these crackers - the flavor is so amazing and elegant!  It sure kicks any other cheesy-ish cracker I've consumed to the curb!  Another added bonus is that these aren't hard to make at all - while I did use my blessed food processor, this wouldn't be difficult to put together with a pastry masher or even a fork (...but it would take longer).  I don't think I'll ever buy crackers again because the batch I made yielded what would be in a normal sized box of cheese crackers!  Even after offering my housemates one, they kept on asking (and just going back) for more.  The greatest part about this recipe?  It's TOTALLY customizable with whatever spices you have in your pantry or whatever your craving... I'm still thinking about what combination I want to do next!


Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp butter
• about ½ cups water, plus more as needed (I used about ⅛ of a cup more)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• ~4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• a few turns of fresh cracked pepper

(these are the herbs/flavors I used, but feel free to substitute with whatever you like!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place the flour, salt, and butter together in a large bowl or in the container of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Blend with a fork or pulse, until the flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup of water and blend, then continue to add water until the mixture holds together but is not sticky (see ingredient list above)
3. Add in parmesan, rosemary, garlic, and pepper (or any other herbs/cheese/flavorings) at this point and give a final stir or pulse.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface until 1/4 in. thick, or even less (thinner = crunchier).  Score lightly with a pizza cutter if you want to break these into nice squares or rectangles later on & poke holes with a fork in the top. Bake on a lightly floured baking sheet, or directly on baking stones, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack & store in an airtight container.

Handmade Soft Pretzels

There is no story behind making pretzels…. I just really wanted to make pretzels. I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown’s “Pretzel Logic” show – but I made a few changes. First of all, I used kosher salt instead of pretzel salt. And I also made a small batch of pretzels with powdered garlic and Parmesan on them. I must say…. these are AMAZING! But sister just had one of the pretzels from the first batch and she exclaimed how she couldn’t believe I made these from scratch and she thought they were better than the ones you can get for a mall. Making the pretzels was very similar to how one makes bagels, so…next up…. BAGELS!

Handmade Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using a spatula, mix until well combined. 
2. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
4. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
5. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
6. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. 
7. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Memorial Day Dinner Pt. 1: Italian Tomato Sauce

Sorry it has taken so long for me to post this. For Memorial Day, as I mentioned earlier, I cooked my grandpa a dinner that included some of his favorite foods (eggplant parmesan) and flavors (mint/chocolate). The recipe for the eggplant parmesan is actually two recipes combined into one: Italian Tomato Sauce and Eggplant Parmesan. These recipes I adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook, probably my favorite cookbook on this entire planet. Not only are the recipes delicious, vegetarian, easy to 'adapt' (or change), but they are healthy! I really want to get Mollie Katzen's other cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. This is the tomato sauce that will be used IN the eggplant parmesan.

Ingredients:

• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 medium-sized bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBSP fresh basil
• 1 TBSP fresh thyme
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1-lb. 13oz can of whole tomatoes
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 TBSP honey
• lots and lots of fresh ground pepper
• 6 LARGE cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Add onion, bell pepper, herbs, and salt and saute over medium heat until the onion is quite soft.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and black pepper. Break up the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes
3. Add garlic and cook about 10 minutes more. Now....just wait.... for the eggplant parmesan!

Holy Guacamole!

Here is a quick, easy, and delightfully satisfying recipe for Guacamole. If paired with Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory Chips (preferably the lime ones), people will not be able to keep their hands off it. All my leftovers have mysteriously disappeared in less than 24 hours... (sorry there are no pictures... people really wanted that guacamole yesterday, there was no time!)

Ingredients:

• 4 RIPE Avocados
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 of a white onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 limes
• a whole bunch of fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• a couple dashes of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mash the meat of an avocado in a medium sized bowl with a fork.
2. Add in the diced tomatoes, diced onion, and minced garlic, further mash with a fork.
3. Roll a lime on a counter top (to loosen up the juices), cut in half and squeeze onto the avocado mixture.
4. Cut a good amount of the leaves off a bunch of cilantro, give those a rough chop, then toss into the avocado mixture and mass further with a fork.
5. Grind in a whole bunch (well, not THAT much...but a lot) of fresh ground pepper. Then comes the almighty (and flavor enhancing) ingredient: Kosher Salt! Add in the kosher salt. Finally, a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
6. Grab a chip and take a nice big scoop of your freshly made guacamole!

Zucchini Cakes

This is such a simple and rewarding recipe. I also made this for the Bivouac Women's Fitness Event - they seemed to go over very well! This recipe is good for about 4 people, but if you plan on making it for any more people, I recommend you double the recipe. It takes about 30 minutes to make 20 or so cakes.

Ingredients:

- 3 Zucchini

- 1.5 TBSP of minced garlic (add a little more or less based on your love of garlic)

- 3/4 cup of bread crumbs

- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

- 2 eggs

- Kosher Salt

- Freshly ground black pepper

- Olive Oil (for the pan)

Directions:

1. Wash the Zucchini and cut off the ends. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, shred the Zucchini into a clean dish cloth. Squeeze the zucchini in the towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.

2. Place the zucchini in a medium (or large if you're doubling the recipe) bowl. Add in the garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. (Side note: Don't go too lightly on the salt because you're worried the cakes will taste salty - salt really makes the flavor of food pop.) Stir will a fork until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture is moist enough to hold a shape.

3. Heat the a 1/4th of a inch of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough (about 220 degrees), place 5 balls of the zucchini batter into the skillet and flatten it with a spatula. After about 5 minutes (or until the bottom on the zucchini cake is golden-brown), flip the cake over and cook on the other side until done (about 3-5 minutes).

4. Enjoy! The zucchini cakes are pared well with a ranch dipping sauce.