A pretty good bread pan....

 

Here, a couple loaves fresh from the oven moments ago.  The recipe is a simple enriched white bread.  AP flour, warm water, one egg, a teaspoon of dry yeast, and a pinch of salt.  Combine, knead, give it time to grow happy.

That's the easy part, and I'll probably spend some time writing down why it took me so long to get the easy part right.

Today, lets look at the 'pan' I used to bake this bread. 

Not a classic loaf pan, but one designed with French loaf in mind.   I bought two of these, one for French bread and another for Baguettes.  Surprise surprise... they are the same pan.

Designed to let moisture out while keeping a long skinny loaf in shape, at $20 this thing made all the difference in my French style loaves.

Using a water pan in the oven for steam along with a basic white bread recipe, I get crustier and chewier loaves now. I attribute that to the pan.

Yeah.... this one is a keeper.

Tea.... a different way.

We have on hand at least three ways to brew coffee.  Today, let's look at the Percolator.

This thing works by heating water in a small chamber-like space, and squirting the boiling water up a tube to where it rains back down  through a basket full of coffee grounds.   It continues doing this until the whole pot is up to temperature, where upon a thermocouple trips and it switches over to just keeping the coffee hot.

Hey!  Them pipples in the 1800's were pretty schmart, ya know?

Anywho, my (Himself) folks used a percolator... because back then It Was The Way.  We use a percolator now because we like the coffee that comes out if it. It tastes traditional.  Strong, flavorful, and no apologies.

Yet, there is still room to think, learn, and grow.

Today, after the morning coffee is only a memory, we have re-purposed the percolator.  This afternoon, we make tea!

Three bottles of spring water, and three heaping tablespoons of Earl Grey loose tea.  Plug it in, and let 'er go.  As the house fills with the fantastic aroma of real Earl Grey black tea, we can almost taste the richness we'll have in 10 minutes or so.  Just in time, a nice cuppa with a dab of raw honey.  Tea so strong and full of flavor, it's almost stunning.

We buy our bulk tea mostly from Amazon, but there are many local shops too.  Any loose leaf tea will lend itself to being percolated, but be aware it must be a strong tea to stand up to the process.  Delicate herbal's may be smothered by the percolator, and are better left to being steeped a serving at a time with a tea ball.

This being a chilly day at the end of November, a cup of this tea by the fire is pure food for the soul, but what about during the Summer?

For Summer iced tea, using a percolator is a no-brainer.  Loading the basket heavy with loose tea, the same leaves can make three or four pots of tea in a row.  Blend the first strong tea with the weaker brews after it if you wish.

Using the percolator for iced tea is a snap, compared with brewing big pots of tea and straining the leaves out. I've gone so far as to line the percolator basket with bagged tea, in the iced tea making game.  It worked, but few bagged teas can hold a candle to a good dark English Breakfast blend.

Blackworth Live Fire Grill Lititz, PA

Saturday, we Dragons ventured forth to Lititz, hoping to revisit some old lairs.   That we did, but found a new one as well! The Blackworth Live Fire Grill.

A few years ago the old Wilbur Chocolate Factory was refaced and the interior remodeled. There are apartments on the backside, with shops and a restaurant on the front side. The restaurant is the Blackworth Live Fire Grill. We went for a Saturday Lunch and they were fortunately not swamped.  Still I could see how this place could get very busy.

Okay, we got lucky.  We were wandering down the street like a couple yabbo's gawking at all the shiny things, when we almost literally stumbled on the steps of this place.  Braving our fortune and pushing our luck, we went inside.  They did not.... and I repeat.... did NOT throw us out at once.  That speaks to their warmth and questionable judgement.  Let's just say we were dressed 'casually', and Blackworth sure does look purty inside!

They are tastefully decorated in brick and neutrals with soft and comfortable club chairs at round tables, and lots of windows. We were greeted by a jovial fellow, who asked if we wanted the lounge or dining area. We chose the lounge and are glad we did. You get to sit slightly above street level and watch the cars and people go buy. 

The chairs really were comfortable.  We always opt-out of bar stool seating whenever possible, and this is why.  Standard bar stools are just not comfy for a relaxing meal.  The chairs in their 'lounge' however were well padded barrel looking affairs straight out of the 1970's (IMHO).   We liked them!

We started with drinks. I had their Smoky Pom Pom. A blend of Mezcal, pomegranate juice, ginger beer, prosecco, and orange slice and pomegranate seeds. It was a little tart, a little spicy, and not too sweet. Honestly, the perfect brunch drink! It came in at $15.00.

Himself had a Founder ($15.00). That was a blend of Bulliet Rye, amaro, sweet vermouth, walnut bitters, and a luxcardo cherry. It looked lovely and the cherry I stole was delicious! 

We started with the warm olives for an appetizer and I am not sure I will ever enjoy olives cold again. Warming them completely changes the flavor profile. It helped that these were damn good olives. They were warm and briny, and well herbed. I honestly thought Himself was going to lick the bowl. He is a big olive fan. 

The main course came, and for that we went with the day's special. It was not on the regular menu. It was a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, cheddar, tart cranberry relish and an herbed aioli. The gratin potatoes and the cornbread with honey butter came as separate sides.

The turkey sandwich ($12.00) was good! A soft butter roll, piled high with fresh cut white meat turkey breast. It could have done without the tomato. They are bland and out of season and it added nothing to the sandwich except to make it slippery. The cranberry spread was delicious and really pulled the sandwich together, in my opinion. It came with a pickle on the side.   A few things here.  The sammich, on arrival, looked about a foot tall.  A leaning tower of Sammich if you will.  On the plate with it, a quarter of a Kosher dill.

Now, that pickle was OUTSTANDING.  I loves me a good pickle!

That said, the sammich looked pretty lonely on the plate.   A great sandwich it was, except I 'smooshed' it a bit cutting it in two.  It might have been better served in plating by slicing it in the kitchen, and letting that cover some of the white space on the plate.

Yes, I know... I know..... 'Trendy' plating calls for isolated food to show off it's features.  But.... it looked lonely, you know?

It was worth every penny of the $12, but I would have happily paid $14 to see it come with chips as outstanding as the rest of the food was.  Like super crispy hand made chips.... MMMmmmm.

Their cornbread ($6.00) is served as individual little madeleines and it is sweet and dense. It is super moist and almost like corn pudding! It is served warm with a honeyed butter. There is a hint of spice on the back of the palate and was so delicious I likened it to a sexual experience. It was so, so GOOD!  

Their corn bread fingers WERE excellent, and as good as any corn bread I make at home.  I can swear I tasted red pepper bloomed in the wet ingredients just like I make.  That said, $2 per piece of cornbread... just a bit pricey perhaps.  I'd consider dropping the price of that appy a dollar, or adding value in some way.

Then there was the gratin potatoes ($12.00). On the menu it is described as "smoked gouda, truffle peelings, and thyme". In my pie-hole I can tell you it was described as "Holy cow this is AMAZE-balls! Stop trying to stab me with the fork and share!" It is rich and full of flavor and honestly could be a meal on it's own. 

The Gratin Potatoes.... oh man.  First of all, I can certainly see these on the 'sides' part of the menu, but the price ($12) should have clued me in.  They serve enough to make a side for three hungry people.  

The 'side' of Gratin Potatoes really belongs as an entrée, except the lunch menu doesn't show entree's.  Add a choice of diced ham or roast turkey, and I'd happily pay $15 for it as a main.

How did they taste?   To be honest, I wish I could make a gratin dish this good.   A humble potato and cheese dish elevated to eye rolling goodness.

There are a few things, I noticed about the restaurant that I feel I should point out.  While we were there for lunch and the staff was dressed low-key (read as jeans and button downs, or henleys, with man buns) this is definitely elevated casual dining.

The  menu is limited and a-la-carte, so going with multiple friends to share things and taste a couple different things would be a great idea! 

We decided we would share everything (olives, corn bread, gratin potatoes, and the sandwich), and were plenty satisfied. We did wind up bringing home some of the sandwich and potatoes as leftovers. 

This restaurant is not an inexpensive option. Drinks ran $15.00 each and the small dish of olives were $5.00. They do pride themselves on locally sourcing a lot of their food and beverage options and list those partnerships on the back of their menu, which is a nice touch.

Service was excellent and all in all it was a wonderful experience and I would 100% go back again. 

So how does Blackworth in Lititz fork up: 

5.0 Forks for flavor.
5.0 Forks for atmosphere
3.25  Forks for location. (Parking can be an issue, and if you weren't looking for it, you might struggle to find it! )
3.75 Forks for your value.
5.0 Forks for service. 

4.4  Total Forks Given

This one does not fork up badly at all! 

Savory Gourmet in Lititz..... They have moved and expanded!

 

Hoo boy , look who is back at it! Stumbling through adventures in fooding again. It is the two irascible dragons!

Like a lot of people COVID-19 slowed us down. We sat in our dragon's den with our hoarded books, cats, and Great British Baking Show and waited for things to pass. Himself made too much bread and I made too much bread pudding with bourbon sauce, in exchange. 

We got the dreaded jab and pokes as we saw fit and are now merging back into "normal" society.  Our break in food blogging was warranted, but we have missed sharing our food escapades with our reader(s). Yes, I am looking at you! That one lonely soul who actually enjoys our ramblings. We REALLY appreciate you. What else we really appreciate is some of the new (to us!) offerings Lititz has brought to the table. We will dig into Lititz with our next few blog posts! But first let's revisit an old friend in a new location! 

The Savory Gourmet, reviewed here before, has moved to a new larger location.  It was a real hike on our part to search out their new digs, but anything for a good cheese!

Okay, so seriously, Bill and Missy moved next door.  In fact, they swapped shops with their neighbor (who does something with fermented drinks I think) (It is Kombucha, something I have never tried and am frankly scared to!), and now have what looks like almost twice the space.

The new digs (Same steps!) allows them to spread out a bit, add some more significantly good treats, and accommodate the increased clientele. 

What hasn't change at all is the downright evil way they run their shop.   Listen to this.... this is how far they go.... They will let you taste all the cheese you want! 

Yeah, I know, right?  Who can stand up to that?  Those monsters!  If you show the slightest interest in the cheese they love, suddenly you are having samples thrust upon you with smiles and conspiratorial winks.  "If you like that, just try a bit of this!" (*insert sarcasm here* Oh yeah, they are such bullies!  I 100% saw them twisting your arm. HA! They are like honestly the nicest people alive, even if they are akin to my drug dealers of choice. Gimme all the cheeses, baby!)

Next we know, we are shaking hands and walking out with a bag full of astonishingly good cheese and rich little stars in our eyes as we contemplate the insanely satisfying snacking in our future.  

Today, the choices were difficult, but after many tastings and lots of expert advice from the Cheese Boss, we settled on several soft cheese's from France and Canada, an aged cheddar from Wisconsin, and a flavored goat cheese from North Carolina.  Two we bought already knowing what treasure they are, but the Brie and the semi-soft French goat cheese, for these we relied on Bill and Missy's guidance.

I'd be remiss in not pointing out that it's not a 'Cheese' shop, even though that's about as much as my addled foodie brain can deal with.

The Savory Gourmet has a wide ranging selection of things nobody else does.  Things that excite the pallet, and inflame the culinary soul. (The savory part is a wee bit of a fib too! They have some amazing sweet options as well: honeys, fruit jams, chocolates, nuts, and today I saw little cheesecake treats in the one refrigerator case)

Exotic meats from around the world are stored frozen in cooler after cooler lining the walls.  Oh, you wanted kangaroo?  No worries mate! Giraffe? Crocodile? Wild boar sausage?  Only the finest will do. Spice rubs, rare jams and jellies, amazing savory crackers, and more fill out the shelves.

The wizards who own the place can put you together whatever you need for a special meal, a romantic picnic, an impressive gift basket, or even what we do.... go home and Nom up all the goodness we can stand.

Tonight, we will be snacking our dinner with pears and warm Brie, apple splices with aged Cheddar, and a semi-sweet cranberry wine. Herself will also proudly wear the T-Shirt we purchased today with pride. 

One of the things I want to reiterate about my love of this shop, is that no matter your foodie level experience, if you go in and ask for guidance you will leave knowing a little more and have a smile on your face. Bill and Missy and the people that work for them, all take such pride and joy in the work they are doing and the knowledge they are sharing. You always feel like you are chatting with friends. People young and old walk in their doors and are all treated the same and given samples of their drug of choice....CHEESE...glorious cheese! 

Some images from today's visit:

The Pleasant Peasant, frittata edition...

 

I may sling the term 'Peasant Food' around gleefully, but it really does have a meaning.  Peasant Food is generally cheaper and more plentiful foodstuffs that are prepared into flavorful dishes.  This typically is done using old family recipes kept from time uncounted, family by family, region by region.  Recipes kept running that long develop into methods, techniques, and finally cuisines. There is a case to be made that every cuisine is mostly based on peasant food.

Peasant food, of course, is itself based on making the best with what you have on hand.

Let's look at the Frittata.  Originating in Italy, the frittata has a cousin in every nation around the world.  The dish itself is beyond simplicity once deciphered.   In it's most common version, it centers on using up leftovers and doing magic with fridge smidges (You know... those tiny amounts of leftover ingredients that are too good to toss, but are left in amounts too small to do much with.  A sausage, one slice of bacon, 1/4 of a pepper, two slices of cheese, etc).  

Whatever else, there are eggs, and the eggs are what ties everything else  together.

(Eggs are a quintessential peasant food ingredient, as all but the lowest could keep chickens.  Until the early part of the 1900's, most families rural and city had access to eggs still warm from the nest.  Even a modest flock of a dozen will keep a small family well supplied with eggs, and on rare occasions supply a Sunday roast as well.  Chickens eat scraps and turn them into delicious food.  Given the right chickens, they will even make more chickens!)

Beyond the ingredients, Frittata is a method.  Like Pizza, there is a formula.  Follow the formula, and you have the thing.  How good is the thing?  Well.... that's where the loving soul of the chef comes in.

First, the hardware.  Only one thing is mandatory.... a pan that can begin on the stove and then survive a while in the oven.  Preferably a low sided sauté pan with a metal handle.   Well seasoned cast iron fry pans perform beautifully in this role.  We are enjoying a set of non-stick pans bought on Amazon. They really do suit us quite well.

Now, the fixings.  Here, there is almost no limit to what the cook can choose.  Most of my frittatas are shaped by leftover ingredients from previous meals.   As long as they are used within the method, all bets are off.

The image attached is the frittata I made for herself's breakfast this morning, as requested.  Let us look at how it's done in this house....

Small Frittata, small sauté pan. Got it.  Add in a dollop of butter. Put it on a burner set to medium high.  (Butter makes everything better... Everything. We know this.  It's science!)

First ingredients:  1/4 of a small onion, chopped.  One handful sliced small mushrooms, maybe 8 or 10 slices.  One small handful of devil weed (Kale).  Season as desired, and sauté till the onions begin to brown and the devil weed wilts in defeat.  Stir occasionally over the 3 to 5 minutes this will take.

While those ingredients are cooking, break two fresh eggs into a bowl and add a splash of cream or half and half. Sure, one could use 'skim' milk, but this really isn't the place to save those 6.785 calories.  Beat the eggs to golden smooth.   (We usually do a few pepper grinds into the eggs before beating.  We'uns likes our black pepper hereabouts).

Give the pan ingredients a good last stir, and try to spread them evenly in the pan.  Pour over the egg mixture, and set the burner to low.  Go ahead and kick on the broiler in your oven as well, with the upper rack set about 6" under the broiler. Do Not touch that pan to stir it.   Never again.

Now is the time for cheese if desired (If cheese is not desired.... why in the heck would you even be reading this?   I Tell Ya... it's like SOME PEOPLES Kids....... GRRRrrrr).

Today, a few tablespoons of shredded jack cheese were sprinkled evenly over the eggs. 

Gently shake the pan, until it seems the eggs are cooked half way through.  Yes, the top is still liquid.  We want this.  Go ahead and slide the pan under the broiler, but DO NOT shut the oven door.

Your job at this point is to watch that pan.  What you are looking for is the cheese to begin bubbling, and just begin to turn brown on the high spots.   I promise you.... engage in anything else but watching that pan, even 'just for a second', and it's going to overcook and maybe even burn. At that moment when the cheese is bubbly and browning, the frittata is done and the race is ON!  It actually finishes cooking as you are sliding it from pan to plate, and carrying it to the table.

Frittatas can be eaten cold, and in fact make a wonderful grab and go lunch that way.  But their greatest flavor will always be about 60 seconds after that cheese stops bubbling.  It's downhill from there.  Not downhill fast at all, frittata will hold for days in the fridge and reheats slick as can be.  But..... the best..... the very best.... is within moments of being slid from pan to plate.  That's when you want to put this in front of the family.

Let's talk toppings and sides for a moment.

Sides can be anything, or course, from a full blown breakfast layout to even a salad.  Frittata is flexible, and makes as good a weekday dinner as it does an easy breakfast.  It's all in the ingredients.  The sides can determine the meal (Breakfast, lunch, dinner) while the frittata can be designed to accompany.

Toppings.... we like salsa and sour cream, but there is no limit.  I've seen folks laying on smoked salmon, caviar, and even chili.  You do you, you know?

There is nothing wrong with a planned frittata, as opposed to a spur of the moment use of fridge smidges.  A larger frittata laid on the dinner table will gather Ooohs and Aaahs far our of proportion to the difficulty of making it.

Try asparagus and bacon, with the asparagus laid in a starburst in the pan, bacon chunks sprinkled around them, and some shredded parmesan on top. Fancy!

Perhaps try browning big sliced mushrooms in a layer, with finely chopped onions and red pepper to accompany them.

Almost all leftover bits of meat are fair game in a frittata. A single sausage, not enough for anything else, is plenty for an entire pan. A couple chicken thighs, meat picked and chopped up, will do a family sized frittata with no worries.

Have to feed three people and only have 8 shrimp, one orange pepper, four eggs, and a handful of Asiago cheese?  Frittata and toast, coming up!

Have a family of picky eaters?   No worries.  Everyone picks their own ingredients, and the cook can whip out individual small frittatas in minutes.  Add a pot of easy rice and beans, and a salad... shezaam! Dinner!

Grog!

  

It's all for me Grog, me jolly jolly Grog.....

Grog recipes have varied through the ages. The ancient original mix of barrel water and 94 proof black rum that British sailors first drank, sometimes mixed with sugar and lime juice.

The first Grog, historically laid at the feed of a particular admiral, Edward Vernon, was an effort to thin the British sailors daily share of Rum with water, to curtail drunkenness.  Seeing that a sailors daily 'tot' was 1/8th of a pint, and distributed at noon each day, this seems a reasonable worry.

The drink took off, and assumed the nature of a tradition overnight. The same admiral was said to have allowed his sailors to trade bread rations for sugar and lime juice to add in, coming quite close to what we might call Grog today.

Traditionally, a British officers tot was given straight, while ratings were given a measured (and carefully watched over by the men) mix of 2 parts water to 1 part rum, making the basis of the original Grog.

Herself here, interjecting with a bit more historical fun. Why Rum? Caribbean islands were recently occupied, given Brits a taste for the stuff! Water, while ideal for hydration... well...fish pee in it! It took up a lot of cargo space and could and would go stagnant and grow algae. Beer, although the drink of choice due to it's high calorie content and ability to keep well also took up a lot of precious cargo room. Rum did not spoil, is easier to store, and it's 'restorative' abilities were even better than beer. The last of the Rum ration tradition in the British Navy was July 31st, 1970, and all the sailors wore black arm bands to mourn. You can read more about this super interesting history at: The Lost Tiki Lounge

Today, any massive bar book will yield up a dozen recipes for modern jazzy versions.  That said, does this ancient beverage really *need* a recipe?   Just do what floats your boat....

All for me beer and Tobacco...

Through a literary adventure, the desire to sample Grog came upon me, and this we see is the beginning.  I'm trying to stay within the framework of the books I'm reading, so that means not the simplest recipe, but the one just after. 

1 part rum, two parts water, and sugar and citrus to taste if available.

Well, I spent all me tin with the lasses drinkin gin....

Trying to stay close, I found Turbinado raw sugar and made a near simple syrup with it.  A few splashes of that, half a lemon squeezed in, 1/2 a mug of cold water, and finish with 137 proof Cruzan rum, which is what we have on hand today.

Far across the western ocean I must wander.......

The house pronounces this drink as 'Yummy!, with a measure of AAARRRRRrrrrr! and several 'Fill er up Matey's'!

I'll continue the experiment, especially when I find a few bottles of Pusser's original British navy rum.  I know where to find it.... but it's in far-away land.

Lazy Sunday morning.....

 (No pictures today.... too lazy)

Thought process on a lazy Sunday morning.  Lazy, and a bit blurry after going to bed in the wee hours.  Old people party the hardest...

Anywho, what's for brekkie?  Here is almost exactly what happened in my head, as I stood in the kitchen.

Breakfast.   Carby tastes good.  Easy tastes even gooder. What do we have?

Here's biscuits from earlier in the week.  Cold and hard... ugh. They need soaking in something.

Butter, flour, and milk.  White sauce is easy, and goes good on biscuits.

If I grind in lots of black pepper, it's Pepper Gravy. That sounds 'Murican indeed.

Hey, here's Parmesan. Fold that into the white pepper sauce, add some nutmeg, and it's now Mornay sauce!  Fancy.

Hmm..... these mushrooms need eaten today.  Wait.... sauté them a bit, and add them to the Pepper Mornay sauce.... Mushroom Mornay over biscuits!

Breakfast has been 'et, the peoples is smugly happy, and I created room in the overcrowded fridge.   This must be what winning feels like. 

The Pleasant Peasant.... Hash makes for a double F breakfast.

Double F, as in 'Flavorful' and 'Frugal'.  Cheap need not mean without flavor, given even a tiny effort.

Breakfast musings this morning turned into a country-culinary masterpiece. That's the basic principle of 'The Pleasant Peasant'.
Ingenuity, frugality, and flavor. 

I like using leftovers when I can. It's a habit retained from times when money, and food, were a bit... intermittent.  So, to the chill chest I go!
 
In the fridge I found a bowl with the remains of dinner, two days removed. About 6 quarters of roast potato, and a chunk of roast beef. A plan came together fast, in line with the teachings of the brilliant Roberta X.   Hash!

In the big bowl beside the stove, where fresh goodies live, I spied a shallot.  The plan gets better!

Choppity choppity, mixity mixity, into the pan it goes. Butter, salt, pepper. Set to medium low, and lid on. Paprika will make an appearance when it comes time to flip and stir. A bit of green chili sauce too, I imagine.

The lid keeps things from drying out, as leftover potatoes are wont to do.  Cook time is short, since everything except the shallot is pre-cooked, and shallots barely need to sweat before they are perfect.  Call it 20 minutes on medium, stirring twice and adding the Paprika and green chili sauce.

If ever a dish could benefit from a few dashes of Green Tabasco, this is it.  It makes the flavor explode, taking it to a whole new level.

The scent of this cooking is enticing, so sit back and sip your coffee for a bit.  The hash needs to spend time undisturbed, so it crusts a little on the bottom.  It makes a world of difference.

When it's 95% done, start a couple fresh eggs in whatever style you like.  I prefer sunny side, with very loose yolks.... because that's part of The Plan.   

Why?  I have a theory, which is simply this; There are few sauces in the world that can lovingly bloom a dish as well as a split yolk from a sunny side egg.  It's rich, easy, and makes flavors meld and pop.  Many cuisines around the world recognize this, and I pay homage to their wisdom.

The salsa?  Color, flavor, and there was just a dollop left in the jar.  Frugality wins the day!

The Pleasant Peasant...... What's in a name?

These are special times, mid-pandemic.  Millions are staying close to home, cooking more than ever, and needing to stretch every food dollar to it's limit.   It's a good opportunity for folks to learn new recipes, and new skills in the kitchen.  These will last long after we move on from the pandema'days.

Long ago, I heard the term 'Refrigerator Velcro'.  It means a dish  that can use up lot's of leftovers clogging up the 'chill-chest' (Nod to Alton Brown on both terms). 

Soups and stews are such dishes, as is Chili, and many casseroles.
Yeah, we all know what's happening here.... The Kitchen Elf is using up leftovers.... blech.

But, give that dish a recognizable name, look, and taste.... and magic happens.   Such a dish is Bolognese Sauce. 

Traditionally a very meat-heavy tomato based sauce served over pasta, or even simply in a bowl, Bolognese sauce has a thousand recipes.  Every chef has their own, or at least 'Says' they do.

Once the 'bones' of the sauce are in, I consider all bets to be off.  It needs to be largely ground meat, and have a solid tomato base.  Past that, whatever makes sense, tastes good, and most importantly... is on hand.

In the picture above, we have a bowl of Rotini with a large helping of luscious Bolognese sauce.  The sauces 'Bones' were a 1lb chub of 85% ground beef, and a can of chopped fired roasted tomatoes.

In a large covered pot, brown down the ground beef.  I do it with a chunk of butter to make things richer.  Season to taste, as flavor is always an option!

When the beef is mostly browned, break it up well, and add in whatever chopped onion you can gather up.  I had most of a huge sweet onion in the fridge, and half a shallot, so that went in.  The meat and onions are cooked down for about 20 minutes, lid off. Stir occasionally.

While the meat and onions are getting chummy, gather up whatever else you have that can fill out the sauce.  Tomato is a given, but the source is on you.  I went with one can of chopped fire-roasted tomatos from Hunts.  It's a pantry staple here.  Along with it, most of a whole tomato, about half a cup of Ragu bottled sauce, and about 3 ounces of tomato paste.... all fridge leftovers.

That went into a bowl, along with chopped garlic, oregano, parsley, kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  

When the meat and onions have cooked down a while, the bowl is dumped in.  The bowl is then rinsed out with about a cup of water, and that's also added to the pot.   Stir with arduous vigor, and then lid up.  Leave the heat at medium low, and let it simmer at least 90 minutes, stirring well every 15 minutes or so.

I'm pretty sure every great Italian sauce is 60% superb ingredients, 72% love, and 85% Grandma stirring things like a kitchen fiend. (How much does this even equal?!)

The last 15 minutes, just leave the lid off as you prepare the pasta.  As your pasta boils, use that time to keep stirring the sauce while it's on medium heat.  It should be thickening nicely, and the smell will be drawing the household to the kitchen.  Beat them back until it's done.  Shut it off when it's perfect, and put the lid on.  It's molten lava, and will keep for hours if you just stir occasionally.

That's it.  Make your pasta as you wish, and spoon on heaps of the Bolognese.

Now, what else can you put in your Verrrrrry traditional sauce made with your Grandma's Secret Recipe©?   Pretty much the same thing she did.... whatever she had on hand, and felt like adding.

Peppers.  Carrots.  Veggies.  Fresh herbs. Wine.  Beer. Bacon. Sausage.  Some grated Parmesan. Remember that first term.... 'Refrigerator Velcro'.   As long it's meat forward, and richly tomato based.

Just say its an old family secret, and don't tell anyone.  Shhhhh. 

The Pleasant Peasant..... another interesting bread adventure.

If you read the post a few back, about basic bread making, then here is a variation on the theme.

It's the same basic recipe, except the water is replaced with Yuengling Porter.  Also, the ingredients are cut by 25% to make a smaller loaf which won't pop the top off the Dutch oven.

Results?   The smell is astonishing.... like roast nutty beer. Mouth watering.  The texture, so tender, with a chewy and crunchy crust that satisfies with every bite.

Yeah, Heavy duty NOMS..... 

Disappearing act...

So I know the Dragons were sleeping for a while. The Den was just so soft and cozy... 

Artwork from Mondfalk on DeviantArt 

That wasn't all that was keeping us from writing, life got busy. Very busy! We traveled some and I had not one, but two surgeries, but more about that in a minute. I left my job of 7 years to start a new adventure, that sadly didn't work out the way I wanted it to and now the 'Rona came calling. This is a life changing time for a lot of people. Suddenly I seem to find myself with an abundance of time and wanting to put my words onto "paper"

As I am sure some of our reader(s) may or may not known, I had been preparing for major, life changing surgery. I had a gastric sleeve surgery (see earlier post **Crickets**). There I detail the surgery itself. As of now, I am down 90lbs from my highest weight. Still chonky, but working on it. I just recently added in exercise, and yoga.

What I wanted to talk about a little more here is the emotional aspect of eating. I *have* an eating disorder. I am diagnosed as a binge eater. "Now herself, you say we all over-indulge from time to time!" and I will agree. Himself can tell you all about Virginia and amazing little Italian restaurant and why we call it "Williamsburg" every time we over-eat. When I binge, I do it to maintain control when I feel overwhelmed, or to stuff down my feelings. I am not talking overindulgence; I am talking about stopping at convenience stores on my way home from work and cramming in six candy bars... because I can control that, even though in and of itself it's a compulsion. Hold on, I think I hear Alanis Morrissette singing somewhere...

When I was younger this all started with anorexia and bulimia. These are some really scary illnesses in young girls. Please see the Netflix movie 'To the Bone'.  Everywhere we are bombarded by images of pretty and thin, and there is nothing wrong with being thin as long as you are healthy. Just like there is nothing wrong with being bigger as long as you are healthy.

A piece of my journey to weight loss surgery was getting right in my head, and finding better ways to deal with stress and emotions than binging. I could not have the surgery unless I hadn't binged in six months, as it could be a dangerous proposition. I could blow out the staple line on my new stomach, called a perforation. 

I did this with 8 months of therapy. There, I learned to talk about how I am feeling, even when I feel my voice is quiet. I learned to walk away from situations that could be damaging to my emotional well-being, and when dealing with strong emotions how to manage them. 

I can talk things over with Himself or one of my tight circle of friends. (I will take a minute to shout out to Himself, he  has been my biggest supporter in more ways than anyone will ever realize. I have never had anyone so fully in my corner and watching my back. He really is my defender Dragon!)

I have another friend who went to a pre-op weight loss class with me and listened to the instructor and has been a great cheerleader. (Thank you, Sandi! If you read this.) Other coping mechanisms I learned... journaling, meditation, and yoga (which is also GREAT exercise!).  All these things work towards getting my mind healthy, so my body can be healthy too.

I am putting in a picture so you all can see my progress. Be well in body, mind, and soul. Never be afraid to reach out, we are all struggling in these weird uncertain times.

More information on Eating Disorders. The 'Text Line' if you need to talk to someone is 741741, and the phone number is 800-273-8255

The Pleasant Peasant, weird bread edition

See.... bread has rules.  Do this, don't do that, Can't you read the recipe?   Also see.... this grumpy old man isn't at home following a formula, which baking recipes are.  I just like knowing how it works, and then going my own way.

Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes the chickens are eating particularly well that day.  Ocassionally, even the chickens give me the side eye as they stalk away.

But lately, I'm beginning to get the hang of this bread thing, to some degree.   A little bit.  Maybe a smidgen.

The reason why bakers use 'formulas' instead of recipes is that bread, cakes, cookies... things like that... are honest to God science. To get X, one must combine G, S, K, and Z in exactly right sequence, under the right circumstances, and apply heat in exactly the right amount for exactly the right time.  Even then, the smallest variable can change everything. (I struggle with this, as I am a little more classically trained in baking. I love a formula and the precision. The first time I watched him bake, I almost stroked out and my eyeball twitched for a whole day! I will also give credit where credit is due, when it comes to bread, he wins! I cannot compete there. His bread is excellent! It is just never the same! LOL) 

One day the bread is perfect, and the next it's too dense and won't rise properly.  The difference?  The humidity changed.  Yup, I'm talking the moisture in the air, which you have almost zero control over, can change the outcome of your baking procedure.

An experienced baker (Read that as operational VooDoo) can take these factors into account.  Me?   Naww..... I just wing it.

Lately, I've settled on a basic combination of ingredients as a starting point for my bread.  I'll share, but if you blow the windows out of your kitchen, I don't want to hear about it.

• Four cups of Occident flour, plus spare for working
• Two cups of warm water
• 1.5 tablespoons of Red Star yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of honey.
• 2 tablespoons of butter for greasing things

The way I wrangle this into bread....  and even this simple method took more than a couple tries, and some amount of studying mystical manuals called 'Cook Books'.

Firstus, I use a Kitchaid mixer with a dough hook.  You don't need to, but I prefer it.  You can just use a bowl and your (washed) grubby paws to do this.  I end up paws in anyway, so....

In my mixer, I dump in all 2 cups of warm water.  Warm to the touch, but NOT hot.  Too hot kills the yeast, and too cool makes it rise slowly.  Just.... warm on your wrist.  I use tap water, but we have a well.  If the house was on city water, I'd probably use bottled for this.

Into the water, add the honey.  I eyeball mine, but it's roughly two tablespoons.  Then the yeast.  Turn on the mixer a notch or so, and let it stir for a few moments to blend the yeast in.

Next, two cups of the flour.  Set it to stir again, maybe on speed 3, for about 30 seconds, and then shut it off.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and walk away.  Leave....it....alone.  Go away and do something else.  Don't even glance at it, in case you frighten the yeast demons away.

When the timer goes to beeping, you should have a nice bubbly 'sponge' started.  That will be yeast coming alive and mating like mad in the mix.  This creates CO2, which bubbles out.

Dump in the other two cups of flour, along with the salt, and start your mixer on '1', so it doesn't go *POOF* and fling flour across the walls.  In about 30 seconds you can rev that baby up to 3 and lock the head down.  Set your timer for 6 minutes and kind of keep an eye on it so it doesn't walk off the counter.

Now, what will happen is a nice, moist, and sticky dough.  if you wish a stronger and denser bread, you can add up to another 1/2 cup of flour if you wish.  This will make the dough tougher, drier, and pull away from the bowl walls into a ball.

6 minutes is up?  Turn the mixer off, flip up the motor, and take off the hook.  You will need to scrape the dough ball off the hook and into the bowl.   Turn out the dough onto a floured smooth counter, and sprinkle it with more flour. 

Begin working the dough by flattening it, and folding the top third and the bottem third into the middle.  Pull the long ends into the middle as well. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and do the same.  Sprinkle with flour as needed to keep it from sticking too bad.  A dough knife is VERY handy at this point, to scrape it off the counter and back into the dough ball.

Do this for 2 or 3 minutes.  The dough will be elastic, springy, and get tougher as you go.  That's the gluten building, a good thing.

Now, you could have just let the mixer do this last part, but my bread is very noticeably better when I finish the kneading by hand.

Once you have kneaded the dough a while, butter (or oil) your hands, pick up the dough, and shape it into a ball while making sure to grease 'er up all round.  Dump it into the large greased bowl you had waiting..... um..... you did have one waiting, right?

Cover the bowl with saran wrap or aluminum foil pretty tightly, and set in a warm spot to rise.  This will take from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on stuff.... and things.... but mostly stuff.
What we are looking for is the dough to double.  No matter how long that takes, that's the goal.

While the dough is rising, I get my Dutch oven buttered up real heavy on the inside, including the lid.  I also begin heating the oven.  When it comes time for 450 degree heat, I don't want to wait.

When the dough has doubled, scrape it from the bowl back onto the floured surface, and repeat that kneading thing for about a minute.  Don't go crazy, just flatten, fold, turn, and repeat.  Once that's done, form it into a fairly smooth ball and toss it into that Dutch oven.  Put the lid on, and set it back in a warm spot for it's second rise.

Meanwhile, go ahead and set that oven at the full 450 degrees.  The second rise won't take long; Usually about 20-30 minutes for me.  Probably enough time to clean up the equipment, do some dishes, and pour another cup of coffee.

When the dough has roughly doubled again, and is filling maybe 3/4ths of the dutch oven, go ahead and slide it into the hot oven.  Lid on and all.  Set your timer for 45 minutes, and WALK AWAY.
Don't open the oven to check, because there's nothing to see but an old Dutch oven in there.

Have a cooling rack ready for when that timer goes off.  On the beep, shut off the oven and carefully pull out the rocket-hot Dutch oven.  Set the lid someplace safe, and with lots of safe padding on your hands just flip it over and dump the loaf onto the rack.  Carefully set aside the iron, and then (hands still padded) turn the loaf top up on the cooling rack.

No matter how good it looks, leave it alone.  The inside of that loaf is around 200 degrees and it's cooking process is still finishing.  Just set the timer for 30 minutes, and WALK AWAY.  When it goes Bingly Bingly Beep.... the bread is all yours.

Now, this is a base model.  Options are unlimited.

Want bigger holes in the structure?  More like an English muffin?  Make the dough come out wetter, and do the initial (and only) rise right in the dutch oven.  Have the oven hot, and when the dough doubles.... in it goes.   Same procedure otherwise.

This style bread makes wonderful toast the next morning, and really good French toast as well.

Do you like a richer and softer bread?  In the initial mix, right before the second load of flour goes in, add two large eggs and another 1/4 cup of flour.  Otherwise, follow the original procedure. 
The eggs add more leavening, and the yokes supply moisture, flavor, and color.

The outcome will be a more golden colored loaf with a very tender structure.  It doesn't work well for sandwiches, but then again it will be eaten up so fast there won't be any for sandwiches anyway.

The shape of the loaf, and the dimples on top, come from the Dutch oven.  The loaf may, or may not, hit the lid.  It may, or may not, push it off a little.  I haven't found it to make a difference except in final appearance.  The flavor is outstanding either way.

Going from the base recipe, you are free to experiment.  I will add in oat bran from get go, or maybe melted butter, or maybe whole rolled oats, or even crushed peanuts.  It's wide open, and results can be surprising.  I love me a good surprise!

Why the Dutch oven?  It makes bake time much more forgiving, to start with .  Baked open, a loaf that is done one moment may be dried out 2 minutes later.  The internal temp shoots up very fast in the last few minutes of baking, and if you are not using the Dutch oven I recommend using a remote sensing meat thermometer with a audible warning when desired temp is reached.

The Dutch oven also retains the steam baking out of the dough, giving us a wonderfully chewy and flavorful crust.  

Try this if you like.  It helps if you have, as we do, a flock of chickens that will gladly convert failed loaves into tasty eggs.