The Queen of Tarts

Done in by Dates

I have put up a recipe of this kind before - I promise you. But I keep going back to it, because the ingredients are entirely too easy to get in this part of the world - that would be the Middle East. In the summer people are often seen underneath date trees with large tarps - someone climbs up the tree and throws down the sun-soaked sweet dates. As a child I never liked dates. They were hard and too sugary, and I picked them out of granola and cereal on a regular basis. Then I started liking them, but really only knew about mejdool dates. When we moved to Abu Dhabi, I was shown the wonderful world of dates, and now khodri and segai are my favorite kinds. But back to the date bread (which can or cannot have nuts depending on what you like etc. etc...)

Often I will hesitate before making it - it involves opening the dates, pulling out the pits, and then cutting or chopping them into small pieces. My fingers are left with a sugary-sweet substance all over them. I am filled with a sense of relief once the dates (roughly 1 1/2 cups when it is all said and done) are chopped. They are placed in a bowl and one cup of boiling water and 1 tsp of baking soda are added to the dates. I typically watch the baking soda rise up and bubble for a few seconds and then place the bowl to the side for about 15-20 minutes.

While the dates are soaking, preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

The oven's temperature rises, and I know that it will eventually reach 325 - 330 F, which will be ideal for cooking this sweet bit of perfection.

In a separate bowl, I mix together:

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 C oat bran

2/3 C whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 C flax seeds

1/2 C All Bran Cereal

1/2 tsp salt

and then in yet another bowl I whisk together

2 eggs

1/4 C vegetable oil

1/3 - 1/2 C agave nectar

1/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia - this is simply heaven, it adds and amazing sweet citrus flavor and makes everything taste like wedding cake as far as I am concerned, and THAT is definitely a good thing.

Mix the flour mixture with the oil and eggs, and once it is all incorporated add the dates. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for roughly 45-50 minutes or until the top is brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan on the cooling rack. Allow to cool for about 40 minutes (if this is at all possible) before cutting into the date bread.

Green Velvet

 

Growing up, we celebrated almost every holiday, and they always involved some kind of sweet treat. While Halloween is still my favorite, there is a particular St. Patrick's Day that stands out. It had to have been before I was in third grade, because we were still living in Providence. I came downstairs before school and there was a silver tea tray sitting on our kitchen table overflowing with white and green iced petit-fours. As a small child having miniature cakes appear before your eyes for breakfast is nothing less than a dream come true. My parents told me that the leprechauns brought the cakes from my sister and me. Clearly it left a strong impression because 30 years later I still remember it.

Inspired by my imagination from all of those years past and a recipe I made a few months ago for my husband I made a version of little cakes. I took a red velvet recipe and changed it up a bit. While they cannot begin to compare to the onces I had that morning on a silver tray, they are quite good - think red velvet gone green in the name of the leprechauns.

 

Green Velvet Cake 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil + 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
green food coloring (add in enough to give a rich green color - more or less depending on your preference)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners or lightly grease the pan.
• Beat eggs in a bowl and add remaining liquid ingredients (except for food coloring) and stir together with whisk/mix until blended. Set aside.
• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with wire whisk.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined - now add the food coloring.
• Pour about 1/4 - 1/3 cup into each cupcake space and then drop the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• After about ten minutes, remove the cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. 

• Then make the frosting.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. light cream cheese
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Frost the cakes with an icing bag or a knife... and the sprinkle green edible decorations on top for the magical touch...

 

Simple Banana Bread

Banana bread has a way of reappearing time and again in our kitchen. We always get bananas, the weeks comes and goes, and before we know it, there are several brown squishy sweet smelling pieces of fruit sitting on the marble slab on the kitchen counter. Prior to mixing the ingredients together, I often hesitate. I always think about the process, and I tell myself that it takes a long time, that it is time consuming, that it is an task I do not have the time to take on. And then I really think about it and realize how pathetic and lazy I am being...I forget how easy this quick bread is, and also how versatile the recipes are. I cannot even being to count the number of variations I have come up with when I comes to banana bread. However, one thing has always remained consistent - I rarely use white sugar, white flour, or the full amount of oil that is called for in a recipe. The sweetness of the overripe bananas combined with applesauce and a touch of agave nectar make for a pleasantly, but not overly, sweet treat. Somehow the bananas sitting on the counter always last longer than the banana bread. I dare you to keep this around for longer than a week!

Simple Banana Bread

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 egg

1 tbsp plain, nonfat yogurt or buttermilk (you can also use vanilla yogurt if you prefer it or that is all you have) This can also be omitted, however increase the oil by 1 tbsp is you choose do omit it.

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 ripe bananas

3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

Mix the bananas in a bowl with a hand-held or stand mixer. Add in the egg, applesauce, and oil. Once combined, add in the vanilla, yogurt, and agave. In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, baking soda, and flour. Once combined, slowly add in the flour mixture and then the raisins. Mix thoroughly and then pour into the loaf pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Take the loaf from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the bread out onto the wire rack, and allow to cool thoroughly before cutting into it. After considerable trial and error, I have found that the bread often still bakes while it is in the pan and while it is cooling on the rack.

Enjoy for breakfast, tea, with coffee, etc.

 

Apple Spiced Muffins

A weekend trip to New Jersey to visit one of my closest friends left me with several pounds of apples... Jonathan Apples, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, and whatever else I could reach and twist off the trees with my hands.  The four pounds of apples I brought home added to the bunch I already had from my parents' house.  As much as I love applesauce, I needed to come up with some other recipes that both Dr. H and I could enjoy, and this is no small order especially because he is not the world's biggest apple fan.

So with the help of New Jersey's finest...

I decided to make BabyCakes apple cinnamon muffins.  I thought, based on their other recipes, that I would have a pretty good tasting little treat on my hands.  However I had no idea how yummy and flavorful these muffins would be.  The hint of cinnamon mixed with the fresh grated nutmeg enhances the apples. The muffins are not "cakey" in texture, but more moist, and almost reminiscent of a popover (in my mind anyway!) Even Dr. H remarked on the muffins... now considering that they are vegan and gluten free, and his favorite food is bacon, this is a major accomplishment. I made some changes to the original BabyCakes recipes, because I just can't help myself.  

This is great for breakfast and snacking - have fun, and enjoy!

Apple Spiced Muffins

(Recipe adapted from BabyCakes)

Serves 12-14

Preheat the oven to 325F

2 lbs apples, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c lemon juice
2 C Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1tsp xanthan gum (this can be an expensive ingredient, but so worth it for gluten free baking!)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (if possible, use fresh ground, the taste is great!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C coconut oil (this should be in liquid state, not solid)
1/2 C + 2 tbsp agave nectar
2/3 C almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix the apples, cinnamon, and lemon juice and spread on a baking sheet.  Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, and stir the apples after about 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.  The apples will be slightly soft.  Once finished allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan, nutmeg, salt, and salt together in a large bowl.  Add in the oil, agave nectar, almond milk, and vanilla extract.  Mix until smooth.  Gradually add in the apple mixture.  Spoon about 1/3 - 1/2 C of the mixture into a regular sized greased muffin tin.  If you have any left over, use ramekins or self standing cupcake liners (I found that I had enough batter for 2 more little muffins...).

Bake for about 22-24 minutes, and then remove the muffins from the oven.  Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.  I have to admit, I did not wait and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the warm apple spiced muffin!

 

Fogbottom Applesauce

I would love to say that I am a city girl through and through.  That I grew up on the busy streets of a big sprawling city with the bright lights and constant buzz.  That is where we live now, and I love that we can walk to cafes, bistros, our favorite asian restaurant, and the gym.  I love not having to drive. And  being in the city has a level of excitement that is just not found in the country or suburbs.  All of  this being said, for most of my childhood, I grew up in the country surrounded by acres of farmland and the water.   

The country can be desolate, cold, and unwelcoming and truth be told, when we first moved to the country, I was not a huge fan.  However, as the years went on, I slowly started to appreciate the sheer beauty and the stillness.  I started to love the sounds of the wind whistling through the old colonial house, which holds more history than I could possibly read in any book.  And to this day, there is nothing as comforting as the smell of of a wood burning fire on a cool fall night.  Yes, I now actually love coming to this place - it is a place to come and relax and for just a few moments, get away from the city... a place to find solace and peace, and a place that I will always call home.

And truth be told, with this new found appreciation, over the years, a remarkable thing has happened...

I have started to notice that the light just looks different at night as the sun sets down low in the West behind the trees...

And with the shorter cooler nights, come some unexpected surprises.  After almost 30 years, the trees at the end of the yard are finally, finally growing edible apples.

Apples?  So what you might say.  Well, it is not just so what.  My father planted these trees what seems like forever ago, and now they are actually producing edible fruit.  It is a BIG DEAL.  Or at least we think that it is a big deal, and I suppose that is all that really matters in the end.

I first found out about last week.

"They are organic!" My father proudly stated, "We've not sprayed them with anything!"  And with that he handed me a plastic bag filled with about 20 apples.  I was instructed to use the big yellow ones for baking, while the smaller ones could be eaten straight away.  We had a small family discussion about applesauce, and whether one should leave the skin on (we all told my sister, that yes, in fact, applesauce is much better with the skin ON!), no sugar should be added to applesauce, and a hint of orange is always nice.  Well, I decided that I would get started right away.  

I mean I have made numerous apple desserts before - from store bought apples, and I think that I remember picking apples a few times.  But I have never made apple desserts like this.  With "real" apples.  Literally, from our home to our table.  This was different.  This gave me a whole new appreciation for our home and the land.

And so I began the task of making applesauce, applesauce from my father's apples, and it could not have tasted better - and that is coming from a self-proclaimed "city girl".

 

Fogbottom Applesauce  (serve 6-8)

8 medium - large apples (golden delicious, macintosh, macoun, and cortland) are all great!), washed and cut
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Cut the apples into 1 inch pieces and place them into a heavy bottomed pot.  Place the apples, water, cinnamon, and lemon juice into the pot over medium heat and allow to simmer.  You will want to stir the mixture occasionally.  Over a period of about 15 minutes, the apples will start to soften...

As you continue to stir, the apples will start to break down.  I like chunks of apple pieces in my applesauce as it add texture and makes the whole thing more tustic, so after about 30 minutes, you  should have a thick applesauce with pieces of apple.  If you let the mixture cook down longer, the apples will continue to soften, or if you prefer a smoother sauce, you can puree the mixture in a blender.

The sauce can be served by itself, over yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, and the list keeps going on!

Date Nut Bread

I went out for a run this morning.  Boston is a very walkable/run-friendly city, and you can easily get through the entire city in a few hours.  I ran through the Harvard Medical School Campus, and down through the Fens, and that is when I noticed the first signs of fall in New England.  It is almost October and the average temperature this month has probably been in the low 80s during the day. Today, almost 90 with high humidity.  However, the leaves are starting to turn, and they were covering the dirt trails that ran parallel to the Museum of Fine Arts.  Yes, it is fall in Boston.

This summer has been a whirl wind of events, and for the most part, my time has not been spent in the kitchen thinking about recipes, measurements, or metric conversions.  Instead, my time was spent on our wedding guest list, the DJ's play list, and playing "name that animal" in the middle of the night while on safari in Tanzania.  No, the kitchen has not been a huge focus for me.  And perhaps that is why I have felt a bit lost and out of sorts.  All my life the kitchen has been a place of comfort, a place where I can find solace, and a place where I can reconnect.  So during my morning run I realized that it was indeed time to get my ass back into the kitchen, and start cooking and baking again.

Very few sweet recipes say fall to me as much as quick bread.  So, given the fact that I recently received 2 KG of dates from Saudi Arabia, I thought that a date nut bread would be the perfect way to 1. ease into fall and 2. get myself back into the spirit of baking.  When I did an online search for date nut bread, loads of recipes came up, but I found myself drawn to the story attached to John T. Edge's recipe, so my recipe is based off of his.

I pulled apart the sticky dates from the giant mass we have sitting on our kitchen counter, and one by one I removed the pits.  I would love to tell you that it was a painstaking process, but there was something rather methodical and relaxing about it.  The dates that I have are so sweet - not like the Mejdool dates that you might find in a market, but sweeter than anything I have ever tasted.  So I only added a small amount of additional sweetener to the recipe.  However, depending on what kind of dates you are working with, you might want to adjust your own measurements.

Fall is here in Boston... and so the baking begins.

 

(Recipe adapted from John T. Edge, Gourmet Magazine)

3/4 cup boiling water + juice from 1 orange
1 3/4 cups (or about 10 oz weighed) chopped dates
1/4 cup dark agave nectar (you can also use light, but I find that in this instance, the richer flavor of the dark works well, as it bring out the flavors of the dates)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I use Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour and it is great - fantastic substitute for white flour in almost all recipes!)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds or pecans (whatever you like)

Heat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, pour the hot water and orange juice over dates. Stir and let the mix sit until lukewarm. In a food processor, puree 1/3 of the mix to make a paste - you might find that there are bits of dates hanging out in the paste - so be it.  Do not get all worked over this, as this mixture should be stirred back into the bowl full of date mix. Add the agave, vanilla, and eggs. Stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the date mixture, and mix the ingredients together. I like using a stand mixing machine (think Kitchen Aid) and when everything is almost coming together, add the nuts center.  Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

Bake for 60 minutes or so; loaf is done when the top has risen. Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

Goldilocks Granola

 

I would not be surprised if someone compared me to Goldilocks at times - you know, as in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".  When it comes to certain food items, I often find that they are never just right.  I am perhaps one of the pickiest eaters around.  None of my friends or family would argue that point.  I like things the way I like them, and that is that. For example, Granola.  It is often too crunchy, too, sweet, or too oily.  I rarely find it just right.  It is one of those things that I want to love but often do not because of the texture, the taste, etc.  I come across elements of one type of granola (like the fact that the raisins are actually soft and not crispy) and want to bring those to a not-so-sweet granola that has a hint of coconut and another that is not oily.  

So I decided that the only reasonable thing to do was to come up with my own version.  I am fully aware that my version might not be for everyone.  I like my raisins soft, I do not like my granola too crunchy or too sweet, and I like a touch - just a touch - of salt.  I made batch upon batch of the granola and threw in the some chocolate chips for our wedding gift bags.  It turned out to be a big hit all around.  Every time I make it, I change things slightly - a little more oatmeal, fewer raisins, more coconut, less coconut oil, more coconut oil.  It really all comes down to taste in the end anyway.  This is a completely versatile dish - and can be used as a snack by itself, over yogurt, with milk... you get the picture, right?  Plus, it is full of good stuff and vegan etc.

Yesterday afternoon, I baked up a batch and added in mejdool dates...sweet, plump, and firm - they lost none of their texture after baking for about 15 minutes, and blended in well with the rest of the mix.  So here it is, and use your imagination to come up with your own favorite version.

4 C rolled oats

1 C Swiss Muesli (no sugar added)

1/2 C Coconut Oil (make sure that it is in liquid form before measuring)

1 C Raisins

1/3 C Unsweetened Coconut Flakes 

3/4 C chopped salted almonds

6 large Mejdool dates, pitted and chopped into medium / small pieces

1/2 C Agave Nectar (or honey or maple syrup)

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or a silpat sheet.  Combine the oats and muesli in a large bowl and add the oil.  Mix together.  Then add the agave nectar and the salt.  Adjust the flavors to taste.  Add the almonds, dates, and the coconut and then spread evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes, and then gently stir the ingredients on the sheet so that everything will cook evenly.  After about 5 more minutes, stir again.  Cook for another 5-6 minutes, and then remove the sheet from the over.  While the granola mixture is still on the tray, add the raisins.  I like to add the raisins at the point, because they will remain soft.  Since the mixture is hot, they will soak up the coconut flavor, but will not cook as much as they would if they had been in the oven.

Bewildered by Bacon

I used to eat it.  In fact, I liked it quite a bit.  It had to be cooked extra crispy - not burnt - but extra crispy so that it would crunch each time my teeth bit into the extra salty bits.  At some point it touched the sweetness of maple syrup when they both mingled on a plate years ago, and then I took my bacon with a touch a sweetness.  However, as time went on, I lost my taste for bacon.  And bacon was really the only pork item I ever really liked, so I now stay away from all pork products.  The texture, the smell, the taste... there is really nothing about this particular food item that I find appealing.

Shocking - I know.  Perhaps I am an anomoly.  A one of a kind.  People love this cut of meat - there is truly an obsession around bacon, and I just for the life of me cannot understand it.  I fully understand the allure of all things pork - I mean I do not think that there is any other animal that can offer so many different kinds of cuts.  However recently, there has been a disturbingly high amount of buzz around what can be "done" with bacon, and I know for a fact that I am not the only one who finds this buzz bizarre (Steevy...)

Take, for example, chocolate.  Pure, rich, and smooth.  OK, so someone somewhere thought it would be a good idea to throw in some bacon.  Add a little smokey flavor, a little crunch, and I am all for the sweet/savory thing.  But it has not stopped there.

Next came the cupcake.  There is an obsession with cupcakes, and with it comes the growing need to improve on an already great thing.  So why not add bacon?  Well, because it just sounds wrong.  OK - no, I have not tried it and I have no intention of trying it.  I have already had one open heart surgery and have no plans for another. Bacon, butter, oil, sugar, more butter, flour, more sugar, chocolate, more bacon.  No, there is just something truly wrong with this concept.

 

(photo from Mr. Baconpants http://www.mrbaconpants.com/about/)

If sweet is not your thing, I came across a heart stopping (literally) artery clogging dish called "Bacon Explosion".  Essentially it is bacon and sausage all rolled up (or "weaved together - and here I thought weaving was only for baskets and hair) and rubbed down with your favorite BBQ sauce (make sure that you use your favorite, because it could very well be your last meal).  And then it is bake in the oven or cooked on a BBQ.  Not sure why it is baked.  At this point, the whole thing should just be deep fried...

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

If people love bacon so much, why can't you just eat it as is?  The taste is complex enough that it does not need to be "weaved" into a sausage roll up.  Yes, a good BLT is something to write home about, but why add all this extra stuff with it?  My husband loves the stuff, he loves pork, and I often hear the phrase "Bacon makes it better..." but I really do not buy it.    

But don't be upset with me - think about it - it only means that there is just that much more bacon for the rest of you.

Getting Cultured

I have eaten yogurt for as long as I can remember - all kinds of yogurt.  When I was little, I would scrap the bottom of the plastic containers to ensure that every bit of the Dutch Apple did not go to waste.  My mother's favorite yogurt was Coffee.  It was a simple, rich flavor that had the deep undertones of coffee and the tartness of the yogurt that one comes to expect.  For an extra special treat, we would all walk down to Thayer Street in Providence and go to a little restaurant called Penguins, which served up the most amazing frozen yogurt I have ever had.  If you have tried Pinkberry, that would be the closest think to what Penguins served - but Penguins really served the real thing.  This was real, unadulterated frozen yogurt.  Topping included honey, shredded coconut, and granola.  None of this Captain Crunch stuff.

There are many different kinds of yogurt out there, and I find that it always tastes better someplace else.  Let me explain.  When I travel, which I do quite often, yogurt is a very recognizable food that is found in almost every culture.  It is different from what we have in the United States, and I often find it better.  In the markets in London, entire rows in the Dairy Section have yogurt varieties.  The same is true in France.  The options are truly endless.  I also found this to be the case in Canada.  (Visiting grocery stores in foreign countries is one of my favorite things to do - I think that you can learn more about a place by its food and what is found in the local markets than the local museums...) 

Several years ago, my aunt invited me to southern Italy, where we drank prosecco, sipped limoncello, and licked gelato.  She planned an amazing trip, and part of her planning included a visit to an organic buffalo farm.  The farm was in Paestum, which is known for its Greek Temples.  However, since 1988 Tenuta Vannulo has been producing mozzarella and it is Italy's only organic buffalo farm.  This is not your typical farm... it happened to be the cleanest farm I ever stepped foot on.  There was no "farm" smell.  The grounds, in typical Italian style, were stunning, pristine, and inviting.  Even more inviting were the flavors of the mozzarella, which we were able to taste the second it was made, the gelato, and the yogurt - all from buffalo milk.  Buffalo milk has a higher fat content that cow's milk (almost double), so it yields a creamier richer product.  And did I mention the yogurt???

 

More recently, Hector and I traveled to Morocco, and one morning while in Tangiers we received little glass jars with white plastic lids on top.  Each jar held about 6 ounces of creamy yogurt.  There were six of us traveling together, and one person in our group opened up the jar, peered in, and put the lid right back on. "I am not eating this."  I was stunned.  "Why not?" I asked. "I am sure that I will get sick."  I had already spooned some honey into mine and was more than half-way through.  It was the second time I had tasted fresh yogurt.  Her rudeness made me forget my manners and I reached across our little table which overlooked some open markets that had fresh loaves of bread drying on top... I took her yogurt and it straight away.

Since then I have not tasted anything as good, but I have tried to recreate the flavor since we recently received a yogurt maker as a wedding present.  It is worth it - it really and truly is.  While sitting in Italy or Morocco might be a little more romantic than Boston, I am still able to get cultured in this city after all.

Buttermilk Raisin Nut Bread

Baking bread is perhaps one of the most rewarding things that you can do in the kitchen - or at least that is what I think.  I still remember on of the first times that I made bread; I was about 6 years old and my father and I spent the greater part of the day kneading, waiting for the first rise, kneading, waiting for the second rise, and well, it went on until we finally got to put it into the oven and bite into delicious warm goodness.  I was hooked, but bread is not an easy thing to make, and it is a time consuming endeavor.  There have been many times since when I have made my own bread, and all different kinds, but there is always the time issue, and life sometimes just does not allow days on end for bread making.  That being said, I recently bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  I am an avid follower of Zoe on twitter, and several months backs, everyone started to "tweet" about this fantastic cookbook.  I finally broke down and purchased the book.  I had to see for myself if bread could truly be made in an efficient fashion.

Lucky for me, and my friends and family, the book is so much better than I could have possibly imagined.  Yes, it has every bread recipe you would want to get your hands (and teeth) on, but it has recipes that go beyond bread like homemade granola, chilled Moroccan-style gazpacho, and spicy kebabs.  Yes, this book is the only book you will need for bread.

I started with the Buttermilk Bread (p. 207) and the recipe makes three 1 1/2-lb loaves.  Because I am a fan of whole wheat flour and adapting recipes, I read the recipe over a few times, and the second time I made the batch, pulled off a "cantaloupe size" ball of dough after the rise and add a mixture of raisins, chopped almonds, and flax seed.  The loaf is moist, dense enough for a sandwich (I like the sweetness raisins with a sharp cheddar) and the nuts add just the right amount of texture.  

Buttermilk Raisin Nut Bread (adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day)

2 cups of lukewarm water (about 100F)

1 cup of buttermilk

1 1/2 tbsp of granulated yeast

1 1/2 tbsp of salt

1 1/2 tbsp of sugar

3 c of all-purpose flour

3 1/2 c of whole wheat flour

3/4 c raisins

1/2 c chopped almonds

1/4 c flax seeds

1 egg lightly beaten (for the egg wash on the dough)

Place the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water and butter milk in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  On low speed, gradually add in the flour, 1 cup at a time.  Once all of the ingredients are well incorporated, the dough should form a ball Cover dough (but not airtight) and allow to rise for 2 hours.  At this point you can start to make a loaf or place in the refrigerator.  Refrigerate for in a lidded (but not airtight) container and you can use this for up to 7 days.

When you want to bake, lightly grease a 9x4x3 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle flour over a clean surface area and place a "cantaloupe size" size of the dough and roll it out to an 8x16 inch rectangle.  Brush the surface with the egg wash and even distribute the raisin mixture across the dough.  Start to roll the dough from the short end, and as you do pinch the sides.

Place the dough - seam side down - in the loaf pan and allow to rise for an additional 40 minutes (or 1 hour and 40 minutes if you have just taken the dough from the refrigerator.

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 375F.  Once the dough has risen and the oven is ready, place the loaf in the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 40 minutes (it might need less baking time - check around 36 minutes), and until the top is golden brown.  Remove from the loaf pan, and allow to cool before serving if you can! Eat as is or top with butter, or make into a sandwich, or...