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Nothing beats warm bread

The smell of warm bread always brings back a flood of memories from my childhood. Growing up, it seemed like something bread related was always going down. Either bread was being made, bread was rising or bread was in the oven. Ginger and I were often relegated to tiptoeing around the house (or the back yard) instead of our usual hectic antics, so that we didn’t cause the bread to fall. I even recall a time or two when my mom rushed to the flour bag and dredged her hands before answering the door so that she wouldn’t have to engage with the salesman who had come calling.

Over the holidays we went to visit a friend who had her mother visiting from out of town. When we arrived her mother was baking bread, and over the course of our visit she somehow managed to whip up a couple of loaves of very lovely smelling bread. She told me that she hadn’t purchased a loaf of bread in over 40 years! “Why have I not been baking bread at home?” I asked myself. Thanks to my mother and the years of taking part in a 6 am highschool bread baking program. I have no excuse, I used to bake bread and I like it!

After my visit I headed home and straight for my archives and began to search for my bread recipe. Back in the day when I used to bake more often I had a bread recipe that I really liked, it was simple and tasty. But as luck would have it, time and a few moves have left me recipe-less. I had to start fresh. I wanted a recipe that had a simple ingredient list, was easy to put together and most importantly, wouldn’t take the whole weekend to make. I started looking for a recipe that featured beer. One trick that I have learned along the way is that if you want a fairly quick loaf of bread, that somewhat resembles an artisan loaf, you need to add beer to your dough.

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No-Knead Beer Bread 
(make 2 rounds)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup warm water (about 100F)
12 oz bottled beer at room temperature
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
cornmeal (for sprinkling on baking sheet)

For the sponge:
In a medium bowl use a wooden spoon to mix together yeast, flour and warm water. Be careful not to use too hot of water or the heat will kill the yeast. Once the ingredients are mixed together cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes. I don’t have a warm place at home so I pre-heat my oven to about 75F and let the sponge rise there.

For the bread:
After 30 minutes you should have a nice bubbling bowl of sponge. Add the beer to the sponge and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the flour and salt and mix the dough until all the flour is incorporated. You should be left with a wet dough. Once again cover the bowl and return it to a warm spot to rise for 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the sides of the bowl and turn the dough out onto a clean, well floured work surface. For more ease working with the wet dough, generously sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour and dredge your hands with flour before beginning to shape the dough. Divide the dough in half and roughly shape into two rough loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a baking sheet and transfer loaves onto the sheet. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with flour, cover with a dry towel and return to a warm spot to proof for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 425F. Once the loaves have fully risen use a very sharp knife to cut a cross into the tops of the loaves. I have found that you usually need to go over the cuts a second time to make them about 3/4″ to 1″ deep. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. You can tell that the bread is finished baking when it develops a lovely golden crust and makes a nice hollow sound when you flick it with your fingers. Allow the bread to cool before cutting into it… haha who am I kidding. Have atter.

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Of grapes and cheese plates

Sometimes it seems like December gets all of the attention. Friends, holiday gatherings, traditions and delicious food. Once January rolls around, we might be resolute and hopeful facing the new year, but the same little incentives to get through another month of winter just aren’t there. So, this month I have a mission—make January a little more exciting. I’m going to try to fit in some of the cooking, get-togethers and activities that just didn’t make it into my pre-holiday schedule. And no, this doesn’t fall into the new year resolutions category. I’m just trying to brightening up a grey month. Maybe in February I’ll go back into hibernation mode!

Usually, when it comes to things like taking down the Christmas tree or other decorations, I’m a bit wistful. I’d like to see some of those bits of color and sparkle a little longer in the midst of winter. In the past, I’ve been pretty resourceful about turning Christmas decorations into a bright Valentine theme! But this year, I was ready to clean up and move on. It just seems to have been that kind of year for me. And since I’ve tidied things up and we won’t be tracking pine needles around the house anymore, maybe it won’t be such a bad idea to invite friends over to share a meal.

Getting back to new year resolutions, it seems that everyone has some kind of food resolution to start off the year. But it seems like most of those goals could be grouped into a wish to eat more healthy. Which is exactly what makes it a little easier to plan out a meal at this time of year. Make it a one-bowl meal with a pot of healthful and filling soup (maybe something a little bit like this or this), toss together a salad and dinner is served. And better still, make the soup in advance so a little reheating is all that’s needed. Dinner on a weeknight is now a possibility!

But to keep things fun, I still like to include an appetizer—something to whet the appetite and keep people happy while the last bit of dinner prep comes together. Or this could be an after-dinner cheese course as a sweet way to wrap up a meal. And really, there isn’t much room to go wrong with a cheese plate. This recipe idea is simple and lets guests build their snacks to their specific taste.

When sufficient blood is pumped into the make organ, the blood vessels close the valve to maintain a healthy lifestyle with exercise to help reduce the risk of penile odor due online cialis pdxcommercial.com to the presence of molecules called ketones in the urine. One thing is for sure, that Kamagra does help with most instances of erectile dysfunction. viagra price uk Are More Adventurous Reports have indicated that not only cialis on line are you saving time by not sitting through previews and advertisements, but of course the waiting time between the end of your dinner and the movie starting. You should try deep exhales and deep inhales for sildenafil pill about 5 minutes, three times a day to notice the difference. Serve these delicious grapes with a cheese plate and a selection of breads and crackers. Soft and spreadable cheeses are going to work best here, think creamy chèvre or an impossibly rich triple cream.

Roasted grapes

1 to 1 ½ pounds grapes, preferable a red or deeply colored seedless variety
Fresh herbs, I used thyme and chopped rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.

Rinse and sort grapes carefully, looking for any blemishes or soft fruit. Remove a portion of the grapes from their stems, but keep one nice cluster together for a pretty presentation. Place all of the grapes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Generously cover the grapes with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh herbs and finish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast grapes for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The fruit will begin to caramelize, leaving a lovely grape-y syrup in the pan. Once grapes begin to soften, remove from oven. Arrange the large cluster of grapes on a platter and surround with the individual fruit. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Spicy masala okra

Contrary to popular belief, during the holiday season I do still eat proper food and not just cookies. So, I am taking a break from the cookie recipes just so you don’t get the wrong idea. A few evenings ago, during an impromptu stop at the grocery store to pick up dinner supplies, I spotted a wonderful display of okra. Yes, I love okra. Naturally I was forced to buy a giant bag of it and it has been burning a hole in my crisper drawer ever since.

I had been drawing a blank on what to do with my giant bag of okra until my coworker Ruby, after muffling her surprise that I actually ate okra, shared with me how her family often prepares the veggie. While this recipe was inspired by my discussion with Ruby, I am fairly sure that it likely isn’t super traditional. None the less, it is spicy, delicious and totally hits the spot. I served the okra with rice and a lentil dahl. Another thing that Ruby taught me is that dry dishes, like this okra dish, should really be served with roti and not rice. Oops. Dry dishes roti, saucy dishes rice. I will do better with that one next time!

Spicy Masala Okra
Inspired by RubyServes 4

1 lb okra
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium diced onion
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1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Wash and trim the okra. Pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel to ensure that the okra doesn’t end up sticky and slimy. Slice lengthwise into halves and set aside.

Working with a heavy skillet, heat the oil and fry onions until they are lightly browned. Add all of the spices except the garam masala and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the masala is a thick uniform consistency.

Add the okra and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Gently stirring the okra until it is evenly coated with the sauce. Cover the pan and steam over medium heat until the okra is tender, about 15 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle the garam masala over the dish and taste for seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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