A great fondness for bread: Revised

Bread is an essential element of any good meal. Bread besides being wonderful on it's own merits, has the added benefit of moping up. You know how bread works to collect all those wonderful juices, gravy and bits of food remaining on the plate. The stuff a spoon or fork just cant get and your only other option is to lick the plate! Yes, that's what I am talking about. What a tasty treat a good piece of bread can be when drenched with gravy or soaked with some savory soup. Ah.....sweet it is.

Well the recipe that follows will help you create some good bread. It is a Irish Soda Bread at heart with some slight modifications. From start to finish, including the time in the oven it takes about 1 hour. In addition this is one of the best recipes for adaptation. I have added chopped olives, roasted garlic, fresh rosemary and any number of various oils to create different taste profiles. A simple way to compliment your meal.
1 cup Whole wheat flour
3cups White unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking soda
2 cups butter milk
1/4 cup oil
Mix together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and oil. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixing just enough to combine ingredients. Turn batter out onto a floured surface and kneed the bread lightly. Shape into any form and slide onto a lightly oil baking sheet. Score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife and bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

New life to an old recipe

One of the wonders of cooking is being creative. Take an old recipe and breath new life into it. Well that is what I did this past weekend. I love Quiche and it is so adaptable. You can make them in any size and the ingredients are almost limitless. We took three inch tarts filling them with assorted meats, fresh vegetables, herbs, cheese, egg and cream. Making the most delicious one person Quiches.
One of my favorite things to do with my basic Quiche recipe is to use refrigerator leftovers. I go through the various bowls and containers matching them up to create fantastic one dish meals. A little cold chicken from KFC, a few spoonfuls of creamed corn, a couple unused carrots from a salad and before you know it I had a Chicken Pot Pie Quiche. A show stopper I must say. So be bold, challenge the norm and most of all have fun.

Taking on a giant

Today I faced a giant and won. I have all ways stayed away from scratch pastry, until today. My best friend and his wife got me a fantastic cook book for my birthday. In it was a recipe for Pork Pie complete with step by step instructions on how to make your own crust.

So today I took it on and won. The pie was delicious and the crust was so easy. Some perfecting lies ahead, but I believe new horizons are just a head..

Good food becomes great when shared with friends

Shrimp & Corn Boil

I have had the pleasure of eating some outstanding meals. I recently returned from vacation, where as usual much of the time was spent in local eateries and started reminiscing about past great meals. Then it hit me that those meals that were ranked the highest, were also the ones shared with great company. Truth of the matter is, who we break bread with is important to the overall enjoyment.

Well the mouth-watering picture to the left is the work of a wonderful friend, Marina. I was not only impressed with the taste, but also the preparation. She cooked the shrimp and corn all in one pot. The seasoning she used was a secret I did not get out of her. You can't get it much simpler than that. So here's to you Marina for a great meal.

An American Passion for German Food the Bratwurst

Oktoberfest is just around the corner and it is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only does it mark the beginning of fall and football, but most of all a month long celebration of German food. Bratwurst has become one of Americas favorite grilling, tailgating and fall foods and it is no wonder, this stuff is good. A quick tour through the Internet and one can find a limitless number of ways to cook bratwurst. From stews, casseroles and soups too of course being served on a bun. You can even find recipes to make your own bratwurst which are quite good, but not so easy. I strongly recommend finding a local butcher who, if they are any good at all, will have fresh made bratwurst available.

Like all meats the cooking process is everything. Over cook it and you will have dry and tough brats that no amount of sauerkraut can rescue. I have tried many different methods for cooking them and for me the method that works best is a combination approach. First simmer (not boil) them in a strong beer on the stove top. This takes on average 30 minutes for 4 links and then I finish them on the grill for about 5 minutes each side. This method ensures a cooked bratwurst all the way through and gives the open flame taste you are looking for with a real beer flavor.

Next we are going to talk about German Potato Salad. A unique dish that goes very well with bratwurst I might add. So happy Oktoberfest to all.