Fat Cakes for Precious and Grace

 I have posted twice on the books of Alexander McCall Smith, both times from his 44 Scotland St. series, here: The Bertie Project, and here: A Time of Love and Tartan.  However, McCall Smith is really best known for his wonderful African, Botswana set series, featuring The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, headed up by Precious Ramotswe.  In them we clearly see his deep and abiding love for the country where he spent so much of his life.

This novel, and my most recent read in the series, Precious and Grace, has inspired a long overdue review.  Smith is a writer, unafraid to take his time, sometimes meandering, with deep thoughts and insightful meditations on the times, the people and morality, serious, yet with humor throughout.  His main character, especially true in this book, is often way more patient and understanding than I would be in a given situation.  A very good prod for my soul.  And his novel is particularly apt in our current National crisis - on forgiveness - so needed for healing.  Coincidentally, it was our Pastor's sermon topic last Sunday.  From the Publishers:

"Forgiveness is often the solution," observes Precious Ramotswe toward the end of Smith's warmhearted, humane 17th No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novel. Mma Ramotswe is referring to the book's main case, which involves a Canadian woman in her late 30s, Susan, who spent her childhood years in Botswana and now wants to find Rosie, the nursemaid largely responsible for raising her. Mma Ramotswe places an ad in a Gaborone newspaper, which brings a woman who claims to be Rosie to the detective agency. Grace Makutsi, the agency's prickly co-director, suspects this Rosie is a fraud, while Mma Ramotswe senses something not quite right about Susan's quest. Meanwhile, the ladies deal with a couple of minor cases: their assistant Fanwell rescues a stray dog that needs a home, and Mr. Polepetsi, their sometime helper, becomes an unwitting pawn in a pyramid scheme involving cattle. As ever, Smith adroitly mixes gentle humor with important life lessons."

Guava Dutch Baby or Clafouti Goyave with Sourdough Starter

I have always called this a Dutch Baby, but you may know it as Clafouti.  The recipe is pretty much the same, and you probably don't need me to post that, as it's been done, a lot.  This is a version, using once again that ever present sourdough bread starter, lurking in my refrigerator.

When I am going to make bread (usually about once a week), a few days ahead of time I put a small portion of starter in a separate jar and begin to feed it more, leaving the jar out on my counter, and put the rest back in the fridge.  Every time before feeding that new batch, about half of it is first poured back into the "mother" starter, kept in the fridge.  This is the accumulating, lurking entity I am talking about.  It takes some attention and culinary creativity putting it to good use, i.e. English muffins, crumpets, pizza, coffee cake, flatbread, pancakes, all of which I have posted about, and now this Dutch Baby or Clafouti thingy.

As two lovely guavas were ready to fall off the tree, I thought of adapting a favorite breakfast dish - the Dutch Baby (who knows where that name came from).  The recipe is very simple, with 3 eggs and equal portions of flour and milk (3/4 cup), whipped up in a blender.  The idea on this version was to sub out the flour and milk for a cup of starter,  plus a small portion of milk to bring the batter to a similar pancake consistency.

Green Mango Fritatta

I am a breakfast person.  Just love a nice bit of fruit, along with some pancakes or crepes, or omelet, or popovers, Dutch Baby, or muffins, toast and sausage, or bacon and eggs, or pastry or..... you get the picture.  And, sometimes this morning  meal  is a good place to do some creative experimentation.

There was a lone, little green mango under the mango tree.  Maybe a bird knocked it off.  But, that sort of thing was meant for inventive use, not to be wasted.  Too small for anything major, just right for my breakfast. Green mangoes, just barely starting to color, are similar to tart green apples, perfect for Green Mango Pie, and I've used them in Dutch Babies, which this creation is an off-shoot of.  I began with sourdough starter, an egg, a bit of yogurt, salt, sugar and baking soda.  That's it.  Well, the mango, of course.

Super Bowl Pizza or Socca or Sourdough Flatbread, Hurray!

This is my latest pizza and, OF COURSE, I happen to think the best.  I've posted about Mark Bittman's Easy Flatbread recipe before, and this is another adaptation.  It has the benefit of using up some of that ubiquitous sourdough starter as well.  You should try keeping one of those pets for awhile.  Seriously, I am quite fond of my starter.  Her name is Genevieve, and she is past 200 years old.  Really.  A truly ancient babe. So, even though she has elements of gluten, I think we'll keep her. But, those of you who want this totally gluten-free, just follow the strict Bittman directions. 

I love pizza.  Bob is not all that crazy about it, so I occasionally have it for lunch.  When he's not around.  However, as he has been hinting about dips, appetizers, etc. for SUPER BOWL, maybe this will be for the rest of us?  That's a sprinkling of the fabulous, absolute best cheddar cheese on top.  Cougar Gold from Washington State University.  Very kindly sent to us by Bob's Uncle Johnny.  Thank you Uncle Johnny.  It is sooooo good.  And, a portion of the proceeds from their sales go toward the educational support of Food Science students.  Yea!  I'm all for that.  And, Go Cows!  They do a lot of the work, should get some credit.     

A crust where the flavors of the grains involved come through just a bit.  Not overpowering.  I used equal parts sourdough starter, corn flour and chickpea flour (besan).  If you don't have sourdough starter, then you're with Bittman on this.  He doesn't use it either.   I have made some changes to the one I posted last (above link).  Make two and vary the toppings.  Then, slice and serve as pupus (Hawaiian for appetizers).

Loose Canons .... er... Eggs Benedict

 If you can eat breakfast at the venerable Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, overlooking the sea, with crisp white linens on the table, flowers, and charming wait staff at your beck and call, that is the absolute best way to have Eggs Benedict.  However, we can't always get over there, and must do it ourselves. Sigh... Especially when it is the Month's challenge for Daring Cooks.  I have made this before, awhile back, so the process wasn't totally unfamiliar, but still always a bit of a trial, the poaching part anyway.  Yes, I have finally joined up.  So I can be more daring. 

For December, Jenn and Jill have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn to perfect the technique of poaching an egg.  They chose Eggs Benedict recipe from Alton Brown, Oeufs en Meurette from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, and Homemade Sundried Tomato and Pine Nut Seitan Sausages (poached) courtesy of Trudy of Veggie num num.

I chose to do the (not so) simple Eggs Benedict recipe.  Then, wanting to challenge myself more, made up a batch of sourdough English Muffins, and did it all again.  Just to see the difference.  As far as poaching goes, I've been eating eggs every day trying to get it right, having decided that the egg poacher wasn't strictly poaching, since the eggs do not touch water.    Now I remember why it was I had to have that egg poacher. Poaching is not a challenge, just poaching EGGS.

Mini Avocado Pizzas

Little Mini Pizza rounds are great for a quick delicious lunch.  They come in packages of 3-6, very handy to keep in your freezer.  They can be gluten free too. Use what you have on hand for toppings.  I spread on an olive Tapenade, then some sliced marinated paprika peppers, and cheese, baked it, then added the slices of avocado and arugula leaves after it came out of the oven.  A drizzle of olive oil, and there you have it.

Bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes on a pizza rack.  Remove and add your extra toppings.  What could be simpler, and a nice alternative to sandwiches.  I love pizza.  Sometimes, if it's for dinner, I'll make Mark Bitman's easy flat bread crust with some of my sourdough starter.  Make it a bit thinner and turn out onto the pizza rack for a final bake with toppings.

Hooray for Crumpets

I am now able to turn out proper crumpets.  What a thrill!  And, using Genevieve, my ancient (over 200 years and counting) natural yeast starter, this is a double thrill, as anyone maintaining a starter will realize.  It is a super way to use up that excess, continually being produced as a result of their prodigious appetites.  At least once a week, we feed our starters, giving away, using in recipes, or dumping the extra. 

Thanks here are due to Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini, who some months ago posted her recipe.  They turned out wonderfully, slightly crispy on the outside, tender and moist inside, with that tangy sourdough flavor.  I didn't need to change a thing.  So, I am recommending that you just try her recipe. Also, her suggestion to lift the ring off, flip and cook the other side, worked out well, as I am doing below, while the next one is cooking.

 If you are wanting to be frugal (as I was) and not buy more kitchen utensils, don't bother saving tuna cans.  They now make it impossible to remove both ends.  One end is rounded. Unless you live in an unrounded tuna tin country.   I did find a substitute however, which makes a slightly larger, more authentic sized crumpet.  Pick up, if you can find them, a couple cans of Stuffed Grape Leaves, vegetarian dolmas.  Save, wash and remove both ends, for perfect crumpet rings.

After cooling, pull apart or slice in half, toast your crumpets, and watch them soak up butter.  I'm having mine with slices of our lovely white pineapple.

P.S.  I had been laboring under the impression that English Muffins and Crumpets were synonomous, and hence the splitting instructions.  Next time I will use only 1/4 cup batter in each, and not bother flipping them, or splitting.  Clotilde has instructions here for English Muffins, using sourdough starter.  They are quite similar, though the muffin is a thicker individual.  And, the process MUCH more involved, as you will note.  In any case, they should never be sliced in half.  That, apparently is verbotin.  Pulling only is permitted.

Mark Bittman's Easy Whole Grain Flatbread

I did finally buy one of Mark Bittman's cookbooks (Food Matters), but truth be told, my favorite recipe resource is still his inimitable video series, The Minimalist at the NY Times site.  He has such a cute sense of humor, which comes across better on camera.  Just my opinion.  Also, I'm cheap and have too many cookbooks already. (Is such a thing possible?) So, this contribution is from his show, a recipe for the easiest flatbread you will EVER bake.  No lie, I am here to tell you, after years of baking bread.  He gives two versions of the recipe, one plain with only four ingredients: flour, water, salt and olive oil.  The other has coconut milk replacing the water and incorporates curried cauliflower.  That I want to try next.

Unfortunately, the bread is not all that photogenic.  It's flatbread.  What can I say.  But the taste was lovely, crunchy on the sides from the olive oil, softer inside, the flavor of toasty grains overall.  I added in some teff flour, as this bread reminded me a bit of  Injera,  an Ethiopian flatbread I'd made last year sometime, which is also made from teff.  Besides that little variation, how could a chance to use sourdough starter be passed up?  So, sue me, I can't seem to follow a recipe as given.  He mentions using corn meal for part of the flour, so teff is just another grain away.

Sourdough Starter - Free Giveaway

Her real name is Genevieve.  I called her Clementine for awhile.  In fact, for so long I had forgotten her true name.  My only excuse being a slight mental block with Genevieve.  Just wanted to get the record straight here.  This lovely 200+ year old (after 200, who's counting?) French (former), sourdough starter is still going strong in my kitchen.

In fact,  I just finished feeding her the weekly ration of flour and water.  Sounds like prison fare, doesn't it?  Which action made me think a new post on her life might be in order.  And, a GIVEAWAY.  Yes people, something FREE.  And, that would be .......ta da......a bit of the real thing.  You too can own harbor a 200+ year old French madam. I will send la bébé in the post, well packaged, to the lucky winner.

"Old World Rye" for Recipes to Rival

The November challenge on Recipes to Rival, was hosted by Temperance of High on the Hog.  She chose a hearty, Old World Rye bread.  I pretty much stuck to the recipe, except for (you were waiting on that, right?) using my sourdough starter instead of powdered yeast.  I proofed a sponge with it overnight, then next morning, using the remaining ingredients, completed our recipe:

Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966

2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 T yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp salt
2 T caraway seed
2 T butter
2 1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat spelt here)

Combine the rye flour and cocoa. do not sift.
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl.
Add the rye/cocoa mix, the proofed yeast, the butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour.
Beat until the dough is smooth.
Spread the remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into the dough
Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic.
Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Let rise about 50 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.

I've only recently started using a bread peel with my baking stone (now broken but still usable), and here's something learnt the hard way.  When letting your loaf rise the final time on the peel (is this generally done?), anyway, make sure to put lots of cornmeal under it. Otherwise, when you give it that good shake, which is supposed to slide it nicely off the peel and onto the stone, it won't go anywhere at all, whilst heat is escaping from the oven, and you're standing there wondering what to do now.  Any bakers out there with a better idea??

This bread was very flavorful, with the molasses and caraway being right out front. A bit too much molasses for my taste, to be honest.  The cocoa was not really evident, but I'm sure added to the depth of taste as well as the color.  If you've been wondering how in the world those old German bakers got their dense, dark rye bread, without adding molasses, cocoa, caramel color, coffee grounds, etc. etc., I found a very informative  post on Jugalbandi called "Devil's Fart Bread" - the true meaning of pumpernickel, just so you know. I didn't make that up. A good link to send any adolescent boys in your family.

Clementine the Yeasty Girl

Clementine, 200-year-old French sourdough starter.

This (name changed to protect the original) girl's been around for quite awhile, though she's just joined our household. Another mouth to feed. Only once a week though, if we keep her in the refrigerator.

Of course, when I first followed? the recipe for a loaf of sourdough bread I used 2 cups of starter, instead of 1 like the directions called for. Figured if one is good, then 2 will be better? Right?? Later, when the final proofing didn't rise as high as I would have hoped, the thought occurred to me that rising power comes from the yeasts eating available flour. Less flour plus more yeast = less food for everybody. Deep thoughts. And, this Scripture popped into my head to batten things down, just in case I didn't get it: "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?" 1 Corinthians 5:6

On the bright side, the bread tasted great, especially while still warm. A moist, chewy texture with crunchy crust, melted butter, oh yeah. Also, it went very nicely at lunch today with a bowl of my (left-over) Cold Kefir Cucumber Soup, posted on the yummy food blog, Nami-Nami.

For me, it's a parable of following God's directions - his recipe for a blessed life. Going off on your own, thinking you have a better idea than your Creator, doesn't produce optimum results. Gotta keep checking that manual.