Recipe of the week: Pumpkin Biscuits

We're nearing the home stretch with this miniseries of pumpkin recipes.  As witnessed by my posts over the last few weeks, most pumpkin recipes are sweet: pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, donuts, etc. And most of them partner cinnamon (and often nutmeg or allspice) with the pumpkin to achieve that familiar "pumpkin" flavor.


This week will take us in a more savory different direction:  pumpkin biscuits.  if you look around, you'll find there are recipes for sweet biscuits featuring pumpkin or sweet potato puree, with brown sugar and the traditional spices. But this one (adapted from Country Living) is decidedly not sweet.  Instead it has a yin and yang of  cayenne pepper and ginger, and only a small squeeze of honey; no sugar, no cinnamon.   The biscuits can be eaten warm and buttered or slathered with apple or pumpkin butter.  Or - as you can see here, I upped the ante with slices of Black Forest ham (country ham would be total awesomeness, but I didn't have any on hand) and a dollop of apple butter for a yummy flavor combination that would be perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch spread.

Spicy Savory Pumpkin Biscuits

Ingredients:

The salt and honey arrived late on the scene...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespooon + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper; set aside.  In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients until blended.  With a pastry knife, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree and honey; add to the flour mixture just until blended.  Mix in buttermilk until the mixture clings together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead and fold douh a half-dozen times.  Pat out 3/4 to 1-inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass.  I used a 2-inch cutter.  Place on baking sheet leaving an inch or so between biscuits.  Press scraps together and cut again until the dough is used up.   It will make 12, 2-inch biscuits.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown; transfer to wire rack to cool slightly before serving.  Best served warm.

Happy baking,

 

Day of rest week 6: It was a busy day

For the past six Sundays, I have consciously and deliberately tried to avoid shopping or eating out.  (Well, except when we were on vacation a couple weeks ago.)  Yesterday was no exception, and if swimmer girl had remembered earlier that she needed yarn and knitting needles for a group project, it would have been totally successful.  But I did my part.

I spent an enjoyable but busy afternoon in the kitchen.  First up was my first attempt at cassoulet.  I got everything browned and sauteed, then layered it in the crockpot to simmer while I turned my attention to all things pumpkin.

First up was a trial run of double-chocolate pumpkin cake.  The recipe made two small cakes, so we can enjoy one here and I'll take one with me to Bunco tomorrow night. Stay tuned for an assessment of the final product.

I also tested out another pumpkin bread recipe. The plan was to divide it into two loaves (since the recipe indicated it would make two loaves), with one sporting nuts and a streusel topping, while the other got an infusion of cream cheese filling and cinnamon glaze.  The result was a full-size loaf with a very runny cream cheese filling, and a miniature loaf of streusel-topped nut bread. Either I seriously misjudged the amount of batter I placed in the first pan, or the ingredients need tweaking.  (I'm leaning towards the latter.)

Regardless, the resulting loaves were good and I'll showcase them in an upcoming recipe-of-the-week.   I also took step-by-step photos of assembling the cassoulet, and since it also received a thumbs-up from the family, I'll outline my experience soon.

Our weather today was pitch-perfect:  it was warm and sunny, with a hint of coolness on the breeze.  If I hadn't been keeping close watch on the oven timer, it would have been a gorgeous afternoon to spend outdoors.  So how did you spend  your Sunday?  I hope it was restful, relaxing and enjoyable!  If it was also free from consumerism, all the better.

Happy Monday,

Recipe of the Week: Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread

There are so many delicious recipes with pumpkin these days, I thought I'd try to feature one (or two) a week through Thanksgiving.  Since I'm also trying to work off a few excess pounds before the holidays, I warned Mr. Official that he's going to be schlepping some seriously fattening foods to share with his staff.  It's one of the laws of physics:  high-calorie foods diluted among many eaters does no harm.

We'll start off with a quick bread.  My all-time favorite bread is banana nut bread, and recently a friend asked me if I had ever made it without the bananas (she's not a fan of the yellow fruit.)  I hadn't, but I scrounged around and came up with a few alternatives that were similar in other ingredients, including a strawberry jam and nut bread recipe that has been passed down from mother to daughter in our family, and this pumpkin-spice bread recipe.  I'll try to post the strawberry bread recipe closer to Christmas.

The pumpkin bread sounded deliciously similar to my beloved banana bread, so I had to try it for myself. (Friends don't give untested recipes to friends, right?)

I whipped this up yesterday, and tapped my toe until it was cool enough to slice.  It was met with two thumbs up from swimmer girl, although I think it would benefit from a little baking lagniappe (see my recommendations below.)

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (or margarine) slightly softened to smear texture
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (1/2 can) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt   
 

Directions:  Heat oven to 350.  Generously grease a 9x5 loaf pan (or 2-3 mini loaf pans) with shortening.  Don't use spray or butter - trust me.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Add pumpkin puree and sour cream or yogurt.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (don't overbake.)  Slide a thin blade around the edge to loosen from pan; invert onto cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.  Wrap loaf in a tea towel to store overnight, or let cool completely and freeze for no more than a month. 

Terry's recommendation:  This is a good, basic recipe, but I think it needs a little something to jazz it up a notch.  I'd recommend any one of these three options (and I'll be trying them myself soon - perhaps even some combination of these three):

1.  At a minimum, throw 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts into the batter.  Preferably pecans, but walnuts would work, too.
2.  Add a streusel topping (1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons butter, crumbled together and sprinkled over the top of the batter before baking.)
3. Cream cheese glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, beat together until smooth; drizzle over loaf after removing it from the pan.)  Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Happy baking,

Recipe of the Week: Overnight Sweet Rolls

I'm not sure which magazine I clipped this recipe from but it's been my go-to sweet roll recipe for many years. The heavy, rich sweet dough recipe is versatile enough to be used in most sweet roll recipes (just roll it the way you want it and add your choice of filling.)  It is also flexible:  you can make the rolls start-to-finish all at once, or you can refrigerate or even freeze the dough to finish and bake later.

My family's favorite are pecan sticky rolls, although orange/coconut rolls are near-and-dear to my heart as well.  Both options are explained below and they are wonderful to make ahead and have on hand to bake up fresh for special holiday breakfasts.

Basic Sour Cream Sweet Dough

Ingredients:
2 packages instant active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh orange rind (optional)
6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour


Instructions:  
Stir yeast into water in small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sugar; stir until dissolved and let stand about ten minutes until it foams.

Combine remaining sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, salt and spices in large bowl of mixer; beat until well-blended.  Add two cups flour and beat until well mixed.  Add yeast mixture and two more cups of flour; beat two minutes at medium speed. Gradually stir in remaining flour to make a medium-soft dough (softer than a bread dough.)

Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 minutes until smooth.  Shape into ball and place in oiled bowl, turn so greased surface is on top.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, up to two days.

When ready to use, remove dough from refrigerator and punch down.  Turn onto lightly flfoured surface and knead briefly. Divide into 2 or 4 equal balls (2 yields two 9x12 pans; 4  yields four 8- or 9-inch pans.)  Flatten slightly; cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Roll each ball into desired shape (keep remaining balls in cool place) and:

1. let rise and bake at 350 until done; or
2. cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, let come to room temperature and bake at 350 until done; or
3. wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to two months, let thaw in refrigerator overnight, then allow to come to room temperature and bake at 350 until done.

For cinnnamon rolls, divide dough into two portions; roll each into a 12x18 rectangle, smear generously with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, then roll up from the long end; cut into 12 rolls and place in greased 9x12 pan.  Can be glazed or frosted as desired.

For pecan sticky rolls, make as for cinnamon rolls, but in baking pan combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 cup pecans before placing sliced rolls in pan.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes; immediately invert on platter for serving. (Tip:  make sure your tray is bigger than your pan.  Clamp them together securely and flip them together over the sink; that way, any hot flying caramel sauce can land safely :-)

For orange sweet rolls, divide dough into 4 balls.  Roll each ball into a 12-inch circle, smear with butter, sprinkle with sugar and coconut.  Cut into wedges and roll up crescent-style. Place in greased pan (each of the 4 balls will make a 9x9 pan or the entire batch will fill two 9x12 pans.)  Allow approximately 25 minutes for baking time but check at 20 minutes.

Orange glaze:  While the rolls are baking combine 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons orange juice in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Pour glaze over roll immediately after removing rolls from oven.  You can sprinkle with more coconut if desired.  Serve warm.

Happy baking,

Recipe of the Week: Cheese Biscuits like Jim 'n Nick's

Jim 'n Nick's Bar-B-Q  is a regional chain that makes some good food, including this short list of my personal faves:

• yummy fresh fried green tomatoes in season (a compliment I don't hand out lightly); 
• terrific smoked turkey (their pig-in-the-garden-patch salad with smoked turkey is my usual choice all year 'round); and
• delectable cheese "biscuits" (really more like muffins) which they serve up hot and fresh while you're waiting for your entrees to arrive.

It's a good thing they're generous with those muffin-biscuits, because our family tends to devour them as soon as the server plunks down the basket.  If we're feeling bold, we just ask for a double portion to start with and save the waiter a trip.

This make-at-home version is a pretty decent rendition.  (A copycat recipe can be found on several recipe sites, but I prefer a less-sweet version, so here's my homage to Jim 'n Nick's.)

Cheese-y Biscuits/Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk (or half milk and half buttermilk)
1 egg, beaten well
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Generously grease 24 mini-muffin tins.

Mix dry ingredients together, then quickly fold in wet ingredients just until moistened.  Spoon into muffin tins; bake for 10-15 minutes or until top springs back or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Do not over-bake.  Serve warm.

Happy biscuit-baking!

Recipe of the Week: Best Banana Bread Ever (Really)

Everybody says their banana bread recipe is the best. And I'm sure they are all very, very good. But this one truly takes the cake, with the perfect combination of a crunchy crust atop a soft and moist inside.  And it stays that way for several days; no dry banana bread here - assuming it sticks around that long!

National Banana Bread day is February 23. I thought about holding off on posting this until then, but this recipe is just too good to not share. And you'll have plenty of time to mark the date and whip up a loaf in February so you can impress family, friends and co-workers with your knowledge of obscure holidays, served up with a scrumptious slice of delectable sweet bread.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream (you can substitute plain or vanilla yogurt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (black walnuts are my personal fave for this recipe)

Directions: 
Grease two 5x9 loaf pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla and soda until creamy. Add flour gradually, mixing well after each addition. Fold in bananas and nuts. Divide among pans and bake 45 to one hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. (You may need to cover the top during the last 15-20 minutes to prevent overbrowning.)

As much as I love this recipe, I can't take responsibility for crafting this masterpiece - I clipped it from a newspaper many moons ago (and didn't even note the source - bad me!) I have modified it - this is 50% more than the original recipe.  In its original proportions, it was really too much batter for a single loaf pan, but increasing it by half is just enough to make two nice-sized loaves - make one nut-free if you need to.  You can also  double this recipe and divide among several mini-loaf pans for Christmas goodies. (Drop in some mini chocolate chips with the nuts for an extra-fabulous flavor.)

Happy baking!

Menu Planning: The basics

Monday...for me, that's menu planning day.

For purposes of this blog post, I'm going to assume everyone knows the virtues of menu planning (bottom line:  saves you time and money, lets you plan a better variety of healthy foods, etc.)  But I know from personal experience and talking to other moms (of all ages) that HOW to menu plan is not always as well-known or understood.  And not to be sexist...but for most guys, menu planning is a foreign concept.  For them, dinner happens.

As most of us have figured out, there are many ways to plan your menu:

• Ask for suggestions from family members (definitely hit-or-miss)
• Go to the store for inspiration, buy and fix whatever sounds good today.  Tomorrow, do the same thing.  (Pssst, that's really NOT planning.)
• Plan a menu around whatever you bought at the farmers market.
• Plan the menu around weekly store sales and coupons (on your own, or with help from sites such as e-mealz.com)
• Select from pre-made items from the freezer (for me that means using up stockpiled raviolis or tamales, or ready-to-assemble entrees from Once-a-Month Cooking or the Dinner A'Fare plans.)

I have used all these approaches at various times, with varying degrees of success.  But generally, I have found a weekly menu is most efficient and economical (both in terms of time and money) for us.  A two-week plan has never been successful for our family because we inevitably run out of milk, juice, sandwich bread, or something I *need* for a recipe in between bi-weekly trips, so I'm still back at the store at least once--or more--during the fortnight.

A weekly trip may occasionally be supplemented by a second store run as well, but usually I can rearrange my menu plans to eek out another day or two until the next scheduled store run when I'm on a weekly schedule.  Weekly shopping also lets me offer more fresh fruits and vegetables; not everything holds up well for 7, 10 or 14 days.

My menu planning takes place on Monday.  This became an established routine a few years ago, when I offered to take Monday night dinners to a nearby friend who was on bedrest for most of her third pregnancy.  It was just what I needed to nail down my own menu for the week.  I'd simply double up on whatever I planned for Monday, and take half to them.  This was a double blessing, since I also wanted to be a little more creative in what I shared with another family...no relying on trusty old spaghetti week after week!  (My family LOVED this arrangement, because they got a dessert each Monday - something that doesn't typically happen around here.)

Even after she successfully delivered her baby and I stopped carrying food in to the family, I kept up the Monday planning routine.  Now it's the day I pull down my e-mealz.com list and peruse it, compare it to what what we've recently eaten, what's in the freezer and pantry, and then rotate and balance the main dishes among chicken, fish, beef and pork, with the occasional vegetarian or egg dish thrown in. 

Once I've settled on the meat for each day, I choose a recipe to prepare it; typically something we already love or something new I've been wanting to try (at least one new recipe a week.)  Busy nights (Wednesdays year 'round, and swim practice days during the season) are geared toward super-fast and easy meals or something I can slow cook in the crockpot or my Lodge dutch oven.

Then I choose the side dishes. Confession time:  this is a weak spot in my planning.  Except for "big" meals, I rarely plan for more than one or two basic side dishes - salad and starch, fruit and starch, green vegetable and starch (I think there's a pattern here.)  And sometimes it's just a salad, veggie or other side if the main dish contains pasta or rice.  I'm working on expanding my repertoire of more side dishes, simply because dinner is a lot more interesting if you pair up the entree with something more creative than merely a serving of green beans or potatoes.  (I live in the land of meat 'n threes - you'd think this would have become ingrained by now!)

Other known weaknesses?

Breads.  Arguably, we don't NEED bread each meal, but this fall I do plan to introduce more home-baked breads to weeknight meals.  I've already got several good recipes for savory muffins and biscuits, and my cheese garlic bread is always a hit.  But I'd like to get better at making crusty breads, soft rolls and add more whole wheat and other grains to my yeast breads.  Practice makes perfect, so we a'practicing we will go this fall and winter.

Dessert is almost always an afterthought , too.  Unless I'm just really hankering for something or there's a birthday or other special occasion during the week, dessert rarely happens.  But that may not be such a bad weak spot to have, since all of us are striving for a little more health-conscious diet.

Once the menu is complete, two more steps:  First, I post it on my blog so my children and husband can see at a glance what we're having (because they FAITHFULLY read my blog each week...not!!!), and so I can remember what I planned!  Second, I jot down a grocery list and head to the store, and try to not forget anything.

Happy planning!


P.S.  A shout-out to my "little" brother (he's only a foot taller) who's celebrating his 41st birthday today.  Love ya!!!!!

Recipe of the Week: Miss JoAnn's Parker House Rolls

A family from the Carolinas moved to town the same year we did.  Their daughter was in my 4th grade class, and our families were involved in many of the same social activities over the years.  At some point, Miss JoAnn graciously shared her recipe for these rolls with my mother, along with a recipe for lemon squares, which have become another family favorite.

I think Parker House Rolls were the very first yeast dough recipe I attempted to make.  I do know my first effort was a disastrous non-starter, but thanks to my mother's encouragement and help, I didn't give up.

These instructions are faithful to the original recipe. Historically, these rolls are formed by rolling your dough flat and cutting into circles, then creasing each roll and folding it over on itself.  But to be honest, I only do that sometimes; the rest of the time I simply form them into balls, let them rise and bake.  Either way, they turn out delicious, soft, dinner rolls that are a mainstay at holiday meals.

These rolls later became known in our family as "Gregory's Wo-Wos" because a cute young family friend couldn't quite say his R's and L's when he was a tyke.  He was our ringbearer when we got married, and now it's his turn to get married later this year.  Best wishes to him and his bride-to-be!

JoAnn's Parker House Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package yeast (I use approximately 1 tablespoon instant yeast)
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded milk, cooled
1/4 cup shortening (I substitute half unsalted butter), softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well-beaten
3 cups sifted flour

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in water; let proof, then place in large mixing bowl.  Add milk, shortening or butter, sugar and salt.  Mix together and add beaten egg.  Stir in flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Knead well, until smooth and elastic.  Cover and let rise until double.  On lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.  (Lift dough from surface and lay back down will ensure it doesn't shrink after being cut.)  Cut into 2.5-inch diameter rounds a dough or biscuit cutter.  Brush each with a little melted butter and make a crease down the center of each roll with the back of a knife; fold over and place on greased baking sheet.  Let rise and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until brown.  Brush rolls with butter while hot.  Yield:  2-3 dozen dinner rolls.

A trick I learned from a friend is to brush the tops of soft rolls with milk or cream as they come out of the oven, then butter them if needed.  This added step ensures the tops of the rolls are soft and tender.

June is the dangerous season

It's the perfect storm for any gardener who also happens to be a bargain shopper.  The nurseries start slashing prices on their remaining spring perennials, just to move them out of the way so THEY don't have to water them all summer.  (That should be a clue right there.)  And I always have a few bare spots that need a little something, and an urge to fill them with something new and fun...and cheap.

So the markdowns beckon.  Sure, they're a little shopworn, lanky and in need of TLC, but they're cheap.  Dirt cheap.  Enticingly cheap....so I take a few (?) home with good intentions of planting and nursing them.  It's hot outside, and there's plenty of other things to do today, and tomorrow, and the day after that. Sometimes my "foundlings" sit in their pots, slowly declining until they're finally brown and crispy and they get pitched when fall cleanup time rolls around.  Or I actually do get them planted, but then forget my promise to water them and keep up with them all summer.  So when the frost comes, they go to that great compost heap in the sky, never to return.

I know all this, in my head and in my heart.  And yet I am fighting the urge to just go SEE what the nurseries have left in stock.  My optimistic side is telling the rest of me that this year can be different - this is the year I will keep them watered all summer.  Sigh... When will I learn my lesson?

In other news, I discovered that I do not care for whole-wheat sourdough bread.  The wheat and sourdough flavors fight each other and nobody wins.  Next time we'll try half white, half wheat.  But at least my sourdough starter got a much-needed feeding.  The honey-lime glaze on the salmon went over well with the men in the family; I thought it was okay, but not as good as the chili-lime sauce for chicken.  And my salmon grilling skills need some work - it always winds up just a little dry.  The only thing to do is just keep trying, I guess!  Today I've got a crockpot of Kim's baked beans going for a pre-Bunco picnic buffet.  It ought to be a fun night, and it'll keep me from moping around while the youngest is away at swim camp.  I hear-tell she's having a great time, although she hasn't called to tell me personally. See my lip quivering?  Hmmmm?

Flour power (?)

Everybody who takes their breadmaking seriously seems to have a thing for certain flours. King Arthur always ranks high on the list, and for good reason - good product, good value, good corporate philosophy, etc.

I've always balked at paying a premium of almost double for 5 pounds of flour, regardless of how sterling the company's reputation is. But Saturday I broke over and bought not just a bag of King Arthur flour, but also a bag of Kroger's white whole wheat flour. (Gotta slip that fiber in wherever I can!)

The latest batch of crusty white bread(thanks for the recipe, mom) was made with the King Arthur flour, and served to our dinner guests last night along with hot chicken salad, broccoli and rice casserole, a salad and black forest pie - yummy!

This week will start some serious recipe testing: sourdough (the sourdough starter is ready - yay!!!) and either the no-knead dough or 5-minute-a-day artisan bread will get an audition.

In other news, I'm toying with trying e-mealz.com for recipe menu ideas. Granted, I can usually come up with my own menu, but at some point the creative well runs dry. And anything that might help economize our food budget, while also providing me with a shopping list and menu seems like a pretty good idea.

Saturday was a blissful 58 degrees and Sunday was 67, but showers began by 9 pm and are supposed to bring another cool down and even snow flurries by tomorrow. Ahh, the roller coaster of late winter. It's a good thing I like roller coasters.

On Saturday, I pruned my 'Princess Diana' clematis, so it went from this:

to this:

I think that was almost as hard as taking my babies for their first haircuts. But it needed to be done--a careless tug on a weed growing up through the trellis last fall had apparently ripped a stem, causing dieback and browning. Fortunately, the 'Princess' is in pruning group #3, which loves getting a hard pruning in early spring. Only time will tell if it was the right move, at the right time. Come on spring!!!

Happy groundhog day to me

I have always shared my birth day with Phil. (You know, the Yankee rodent from Punxsuatawny, Pennsylvania, who almost always sees his shadow.) Yesterday was so predictable - Phil saw his shadow, of course. I on the other hand, did not. At least not until much later in the day. So I am sorry that Pennsylvania is going to have six more weeks of winter, but I'm staking my claim on an early spring here in middle Tennessee.

To celebrate the day, my family took me to Maggiano's Little Italy on West End (or as Tom-Tom insists on spelling it as "W End Ave" and won't even help you find it if you don't. How do you pronounce that, anyway?) where they have, among other things, awesome bread. Maggiano's food is good, their bread is awesome. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil to dip it in, divine.

Giftwise, I scored big. The final Dutch oven choice was a 4-quart Lodge L-series in apple green. And two tickets to see Josh Turner at the Grand Ol' Opry. (We've lived her too long to keep saying "we really should go check out the Opry one of these days...")

I'm still feeding my sourdough starter, faithfully each day, using bottled water since ours is heavily chlorinated. Once the starter is ready (and my Dutch oven has landed), I will start a series of bread-baking tests, comparing 4 techniques:

1. classic sourdough
2. 5-minutes-a-day-Artisan Bread
3. NYT no-knead bread recipe
4. My mom's "Simple Crusty White Bread" recipe, which involves creating a starter early in the day or the night before.

If I get really ambitious, I'll take pictures of each, as well as notes on what I did, what we liked about each, and what adjustments I might make in future batches (except my mom's, because hers is already perfect ;o)

The heights and depths and breadths of...well, bread

I pride myself on being a pretty good baker. My sour cream banana bread always gets rave reviews, and my cookie repertoire is quite impressive. It doesn't stop there: muffins, scones, scratch cakes and brownies...all are within my power to whip up at a moment's notice.

But truth be told, my sweet rolls are hit-or-miss. Sometimes they're near-perfection, but sometimes not even close. My Parker House Rolls are usually decent, but could be better. And my regular loaf bread is...well, inconsistent at best, and really awful at times.

I've had great bread, baked by others. So I know what really great bread tastes, feels, and smells like. And now I'm on a quest to find out the secrets of making great bread. Consistently great bread.

If I get a Dutch oven for my birthday this week (and just in case my DH is reading this blog, please make that a 5- or 6-quart red one with molded handles and the self-basting lid, pretty please - doesn't have to be LeCreuset, but Lodge would be nice ;o), I will try my hand at this NYT No-Knead Bread recipe. Apparently I've been living in a cave for the past 3-plus years, while this one made the rounds (and loaves) of bread-making circles.

But I don't plan to stop there: sourdough starter starts today. Artisan breads-- from super-crusty to super-soft--here I come.

While we're still technically in the throes of winter, (as witnessed by this beautiful shot taken today by DD), I hope to experiment with all sorts of shapes, textures, and types, and techniques for bread-making. Guess my running shoes will also be getting some mileage, cuz that's just how I roll.