December 2020 posts

Saturday, 26 December 2020
What to do on Boxing Day
summary: We have snow!! It's Boxing Day; St. Stephen's Day; warm up by helping to feed/clothe everyone;  

Forget Boxing Day Sales! Let's emulate Good King Wenceslas, and get back to the true origins of Boxing Day.

engraving by George Dalziel (1815-1902) and Edward Dalziel (1817–1905), from “Christmas Carols, New and Old” (1879) by Henry Ramsden Bramley

 

Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel  [...]

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither."

Thursday, 24 December 2020
Wild Times with Lussekatter (BBB December 2020)
summary: recipe for wild Lucia Buns based on Swedish JG's mother's recipe; difficulties with enriched dough – so what else is new? still staying at home where there are an unbelievable number of rabbit holes; I'm posting late again! Really late... one of these days I may learn to plan ahead; ...maybe; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Bringing in the Boar's Head [Illustrated London News] lithograph by John Gilbert (1817-1897)

 

Saturday, 19 December 2020
Really Really White Bread
summary: Really White Bread, following the recipe for White Bread with Poolish in "Flour Water Salt Yeast" by Ken Forkish – to the letter; wow, that's slack dough; hazards when halving the recipe; using instant yeast for the first time; I am a slow learner;

Thursday, 17 December 2020
...it's about time
summary: other BBBabes have managed their time...; what I’ve been doing instead of making Lussekatter; a promise to make them soon; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Solo Flying On Annual Cake Day
summary: annual Cake Day; revised vinarterta recipe to add weights; staying at home again; Amaretto to the rescue; What? No Scrabble??

 

The two images above are in the public domain in UK , Canada and the USA, as well as other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer.  For more information, please see wikimedia commons Bringing in the Boar's Head and Good King Wenceslas

November 2020 posts

Friday, 20 November 2020
Not-quite Wordless Not-Wednesday: Marriage Made in Heaven
summary: brilliant celebratory dinner with left-over toasted oats bread; emmental and raclette cheeses are perfect for fondue; generous friends; Windswept Apple Cider is delicious!

Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Wild Variation on Potato Focaccine (BBB November 2020)
summary: recipe for Wild Focaccine; playing with the recipe; wildly divergent; fixing the hydration; deciding between sage and oregano still growing in the garden; we’re harbouring a thief; information about Bread Baking Babes; Who me?? Late again? But, but, but... I baked and ate on time!!

Saturday, 14 November 2020
Toasted Oats Bread
summary: toasting rolled oats; great bread; inspiration comes from 2 spots simultaneously: friend posting on FB and a recipe in Artisan Sourdough by Casper André Ludd and Martin Ivar Hveem Field; directions? I don' need no stinkin' directions!

Friday, 13 November 2020
Mum's Fruit Cake – revised
summary: Mum's Christmas Cake; PRM's revision; guest-post; how to show off;

October 2020 posts

Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Why are we still wrapping cheese in plastic?!
summary: plastic and cheese do NOT go together; how to wrap cheese: in wax paper or parchment paper or even aluminum foil, anything but plastic; plastic wrapping is very bad for cheese, especially Emmental, Fromage de Chaumes, Cheshire Cheese, Stilton, and Epoisses; plastic wrapping destroys Epoisses;

Sunday, 18 October 2020
Definitely Not KD inspired by "Son of Trickster" (Novel Food No.40)
summary: recipe(ish) for macaroni and cheese; brief review of "The Son of Trickster" by Eden Robinson; shape shifting; still struggling with IPhone camera; Novel Food Event;

Saturday, 17 October 2020
Wild Bierocks/Runzas (BBB October 2020)
summary: recipe for wild Bierocks/Runzas wildly deviating from the traditional Volga German filling; pretty much staying at home again; falling into rabbit holes galore; information about Bread Baking Babes; reminder about World Food Day;

Friday, 16 October 2020
World Food Day

"Everyone across our food sector plays an important role in ensuring nutritious food is available – but you can make a difference too! Consumers are more than just eaters; you also have the power to influence what is produced through healthy food choices, which in turn contributes to more sustainable food systems. [...] [B]ecome a food hero and make healthy food part of your lifestyle.

Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future"

- FAO of the UN: World Food Day 2020

World Bread Day

"It's that time again! October 16th is World Bread Day! I cordially invite you – for the 15th time, by the way – to bake bread for the best of all food days! [...]
How to participate: [...] Bake a bread, take pictures and publish your blogpost on 16th October 2020. Not before and not after this date and just one entry per blog, please."

- Zorra, Kochtopf | World Bread Day 2020

Monday, 5 October 2020
Whoa! Hot!!!
summary: revisiting red-cooked pork; oven-roasted cauliflower and red okra; hot hot hot chilis; what kind are the little devils?

September 2020 posts

Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: 2nd try at layering
summary: 2nd try at Pascual Method Robed Bread; getting closer; outer layer still a little too thin; tastes great anyway; dough a variation on Tartine bread; adding a topping of sunflower seeds, pepitas, and sesame seeds to the inner layer; a Sourdough September and Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Sunday, 27 September 2020</b>
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Why is it laughing?!
summary: scoring experimentation continues; the bread is laughing at me; even inside, it's laughing; we're getting the last laugh though – the bread was delicious; a Sourdough September and Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Wednesday, 23 September 2020
More Wildness: Lame Fun with Layering
summary: playing with our new lame; attempt at recreating Josep Pascual’s robed bread; dough a variation on Tartine bread; adding a topping of sunflower seeds, pepitas, and sesame seeds to the inner layer; shaping went quite well; scoring fractionally improved; an entry for Sourdough September;

Monday, 21 September 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Bounty from a shady garden
summary: shady garden miracles; reward for staying at home: habaneros, cayennes, red okra, and garlic; small but mighty; a Wordless not-Wednesday post

Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Have You Tried Kulcha? It's Wild! (BBB September 2020)
summary: recipe for Wild Kulcha; playing with the recipe (as usual); once again wildly divergent; because they’re round, eggs are similar to matar (peas), aren't they? ...information about Bread Baking Babes; information about Sourdough September;

Sunday, 13 September 2020
Lame Scoring Continues
summary: surprise package; new lame handle; still struggling with scoring; our Jane Mason starter is over 3 years old and still going strong; the bread tastes great; brief review of "Super Sourdough" by James Morton; information about Sourdough September;

Thursday, 10 September 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Peach Rescue
summary: it turns out that dull, tasteless mealy peaches CAN be rescued; slicing, sugaring and lightly simmering does the trick; great with yoghurt and breadcrumbs; wild yeast breadcrumbs, of course; a Sourdough September and Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Wednesday, 9 September 2020
Photo-less not-Friday: The peaches LOOKED good....
summary: Sorauren Farmers' Market; mealy peaches; rescuing substandard fruit rather than composting it; an entry for Photo-less Fridays;

Wednesday, 2 September 2020
Wordless Wednesday: Who knew?!
summary: who knew that this was for cutting onions?! It turns out that it makes it way easier to cut onions into halfmoons! …thanks to Google images for finally clearing it up for us; a Wordless Wednesday post

 

August 2020 posts

Monday, 31 August 2020
More Scoring Adventures (BBBuddies and BBBabes August 2020)
summary: Two (that's 2!!) August 2020 Bread Baking Buddies; BBB Scoring Adventures gallery

Thursday, 27 August 2020
Peaches and Scream
summary: peaches and chilis galore; peach pie is good; peach and chili pie is even better; make sure to have yoghurt on hand though;

Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Delving into the archives: Flash-fried Cherry Tomatoes
summary: going through our photo archives; recipe for flash-fried cherry tomatoes; when charring is good; we have great neighbours; we've taken up birding and already have a very rare red bird in our life list;

Friday, 21 August 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: New Summer Crop
summary: New Summer Crop; since when do potatoes have glutens OR fat? Really?? Way to jump on an old band-wagon, Downey Farms! ...a Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Editors' Choices for Cookbooks
summary: beginning month 6 of staying at home; books are my friends; thank goodness for the public library; brief review of "Samarkand" by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford; ridiculous recipe conventions; water is so an ingredient; reluctance to change from measurements by volume to metric weight; art directors' decisions based on looks rather than content; going postal; yet another rant;

Sunday, 16 August 2020
Adventures in Scoring (BBB August 2020)
summary: being razor sharp with wild slack-dough Bread; it’s all by design; alternative scoring devices; slashing and burning; a Bread Baking Babes (BBB) project;

Thursday, 13 August 2020/b>
Wild Naan When the Weather is Hot and the Nights are Getting Longer
summary: wild naan revision; importance of the float test; hot weather baking on the barbecue; the nights are getting longer; steep learning curve for iPhone camera; Group Baking Naan in the FB sourdough bread baking group;

Friday, 7 August 2020
Our latest obsession: Naan Sangak
summary: recipe for wild Naan Sangak (Persian Pebble Bread); using our trusty Jane Mason whole wheat starter created in July 2017; it turns out that measuring carefully IS a good idea; store-bought river stones are filthy; our expectations might be too high; all's well that ends well; we made another video!

July 2020 posts

Thursday, 30 July 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Midsummer Lunch
summary: J’s chilis are ripening; sweet and fruity – cherry?? then they’re just hot hot hot hot; local corn is ready; garnishing with coriander leaf; sitting on the porch in the shade, listening to children playing and the cicadas screaming in the treetops; what could be better for lunch? ...a Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Tuesday, 28 July 2020
Another new (for us) favourite: Ajvar
summary: Ajvar, a Macedonian staple; staying at home – still; making homemade Ajvar is easy; Ajvar goes with just about everything; Bullhorn peppers?? Canadian substitute for ajvar peppers; where are the shepherd peppers when we need them?

Sunday, 26 July 2020
Miracles in the Garden
summary: mid-summer garden report; Swiss chard is great, especially when stir-fried with other vegetables; miracles do happen; red okra;

Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Lost in Translation: Not-Quite Tortas Ahogadas
summary: Northern take on Ersatz Tortas Ahogadas; opened-faced sandwiches; we’re gonna need a sharper knife....

Saturday, 18 July 2020
So THAT'S what it is!
summary: mystery object revealed; useless kitchen gadget; the internet is amazing; vegetable candleholder??

Thursday, 16 July 2020
A Wild Take on Birotes Salados (BBB July 2020)
summary: recipe for Wild Birotes Salados; playing with the recipe; wildly divergent; fixing the hydration; my reading skills have not really improved; seemingly impossible – my verbosity has increased dramatically; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Sunday, 12 July 2020
Raita inspired by "The Mistress of Spices" (Novel Food No.39)
summary: raita inspired by the words "cool bowls of raita"; mint; green bean sabji; chilis; heat; brief review of "The Mistress of Spices" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni; Novel Food Event;

Tuesday, 7 July 2020
This isn't just any old pesto – it's carrot tops pesto!
summary: making pesto doesn't have to mean using basil; some people's compost materials are other people's condiments; freebies from the supermarket; problems with focussing on our cameras;

Wednesday, 1 July 2020
Wordless Wednesday: Happy Canada Day!
summary: Happy Canada Day! still staying at home: local asparagus and charsiu pork; we are eating like emperor and empress; a Wordless Wednesday post

June 2020 posts

Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Almost-wild Beekeeper's Pain de Mie (BBB June 2020)
summary: recipe for almost-wild wildflower honey Pain de Mie based on the recipe for 'Beekeeper's Pain de Mie' in "Breaking Bread" by Martin Philip; still staying at home; books are some of my best friends; caving in and adding commercial yeast; rising bread is strong strong strong – strong enough to push away two bricks; sigh, late again – because all I have is time these days; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Wordless(ish) Wednesday: Vintage Wine ...better late than never
summary: staying at home: raiding the dwindling stash; Vintage Wine: Jadot Beaune Boucherottes, premier cru 1993; oops, maybe should have opened this sooner; a mostly Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Saturday, 6 June 2020
Wild Ciabatta (ish)
summary: wild ciabatta (ish); yeast schmeast; proof that an electric mixer is unnecessary for slack dough; BIG slippers!

Thursday, 4 June 2020
I do ♥ Mock Bennies!
summary: mock bennies with asparagus rule; chives and their flowers; lilacs; still staying at home; review of asparagus trimming; comfort food makes rationing less trying; j’adore cheese sauce!

Tuesday, 2 June 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Comfort Food
summary: staying at home: celebrating spring at last with mint from the garden; comfort food; Laksa Mi is a great way to use up left-overs (roast chicken and beet salad) and other things in the fridge; oops! forgot to get limes; a Wordless Not-Wednesday post

May 2020 posts

Tuesday, 19 May 2020
staying at home: more ranting about yeast
summary: empty shelves and once a week supermarket shopping; one-way aisles; viral fatigue; commercial yeast is still in the toilet paper category; differences between active dry, instant, and rapid-rise yeasts; needless additives; ranting and raving again; where IS all the yeast?

Saturday, 16 May 2020
Wild Cottage Loaf (BBB May 2020)
summary: recipe for Wild Cottage Loaf; Still staying at home – of course we are; no more snow please; spring; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Friday, 15 May 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: Cornbread
summary: staying at home: cornbread; comfort food; cheddar cheese is best thinly sliced – thin, thin, thin; the butter is hard...; fun with new (to us) iphone camera; a Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Friday, 8 May 2020
Delving into the Archives: Onion and Leek Lasagne
summary: delving into the archives; recipe for onion and leek lasagne [inspiration: onion lasagna, p.178-179 in The Italian-American Cookbook by John and Galina Mariani]; mushroom lasagne; squash ravioli; getting inspiration by re-reading back-issues of SAVEUR Magazine;

Saturday, 2 May 2020
Staying at Home: Isolation Baking and Orange Spiced Butter
summary: the inimitable Jamie Schler has another cookbook out: "Isolation Baking"; still staying at home; baking powder biscuits; delving into the archives: orange spiced butter from "Orange Appeal";

April 2020 posts

Monday, 27 April 2020
staying at home: corn chapatis and meat korma
summary: meat korma [inspiration: Karim's Korma, p83 in SAVEUR Magazine No.102], puffing corn chapatis (based on our recipe for corn tortillas); staying at home gives more time for experimenting in the kitchen; getting inspiration by re-reading back-issues of SAVEUR Magazine;

Saturday, 18 April 2020
Kürtőskalács – Chimney Cakes (BBB April 2020)
summary: recipe for Kürtőskalács(ish) (Chimney Cakes); flaunting traditions; replacing the egg; fixing errors; still staying at home; various grocery store prices; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Sunday, 12 April 2020
Staying at Home: Happy Easter!
summary: staying at home; spring has sprung; comfort food; hoping for normalcy; Happy Easter!

Friday, 10 April 2020
Wordless Not-Wednesday: leek risotto
summary: staying at home: going through our photo archives; leek risotto, roast chicken, and rapini from November 2019; great use for leeks; no waste: make stock out of bones to make the best risotto; a Wordless Not-Wednesday post

Wednesday, 8 April 2020
Still Staying at Home...
summary: needless panic buying; no yeast? make your own; alternative: make no-yeast breads; DIY project: grocery store masks;

March 2020 posts

Monday, 23 March 2020
Staying at Home....
summary: the new reality; Where’s Waldo? and physical distancing; the need for staples; sharing to feed the hungry; COVID-19 response;

Saturday, 21 March 2020
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches inspired by "All Our Wrong Todays" (Novel Food No.38)
summary: grilled cheese sandwiches inspired by Elan Mastai's "All Our Wrong Todays"; childhood memory; brief review of book; Social Physical Distancing allows more time for reading; information about Novel Food;

Friday, 20 March 2020
homemade yoghurt – on the stovetop
summary: oven too hot for making yoghurt? use the stove top; recipe for homemade yoghurt (revised); a meat thermometer has many uses;

Monday, 16 March 2020
Potato Pavé with Goat Cheese and Thyme (BBB March 2020)
summary: recipe for Potato Pavé; substituting egg with flax; how to get a crispy crust; coping during a pandemic?! hand washing techniques; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Hand sanitizers should not be used as a replacement for soap and water because they are not as effective at removing dirt or food and oils that may get on the hands after eating. Hand sanitizers work by coming into direct contact with bacteria and other germs. The alcohol in the sanitizer breaks down the bacterial cell membrane and destroys the germs. When using a hand sanitizer, be sure that it is alcohol-based and contains at least 60% alcohol. Use a paper towel or cloth to remove any dirt or food on your hands. Apply the hand sanitizer as directed on the instructions. Rub the sanitizer all over your hands and between your fingers until your hands are dry.

- ThoughtCo.Com: Why You Should Wash Your Hands | And How to Do It Properly

• Scientific American: You Are Probably Washing Your Hands All Wrong
• The Atlantic | What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus, The Atlantic's guide to understanding COVID-19
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) | Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• Government of Canada | Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Delving into the Archives: toasted chickpeas
summary: going through our photo archives; recipe for toasted chickpeas; reconstituting dried chickpeas vs using canned chickpeas; good uses for za'atar;

Thursday, 5 March 2020
Tartine variation: light rye with red miso (bookmarked)
summary: adding rye flour and miso to Chad Robertson's Tartine bread; recipe for light rye with red miso, inspired by Gontran Cherrier's Pain au Seigle et Miso; converting recipes; how long to preheat with our new (to us) oven

Tuesday, 3 March 2020
Sweeeet! ...this Chicken is a Keeper!
summary: Roast Chicken with Red Grapes and Vermouth, based on Sweet Chicken Surprise with Vermouth & Tarragon in Jamie Oliver's "5 Ingredients - Quick & Easy Food"; it's not cloying sweet at all, not even remotely; green beans with almonds; oven-roasted potatoes; 2015 Castelforte Amarone della Valpolicella;

Monday, 2 March 2020
Can this be true?!
summary: breaking down; saying goodbye to an old friend;

February 2020 posts

Sunday, 16 February 2020
Pain Tordu as made by the Great Lakes (BBB February 2020)
summary: recipe for Pain Tordu, based on Mouette Barboff’s recipes for Pain Tordu as made in the Ger, and as made in the Lot-et-Garonne; almost, but not quite, lost in translation; twisting and turning on how to twist; BBBabes’ 12th anniversary; information about Bread Baking Babes;

Wednesday, 5 February 2020
Rum Babas
summary: Rum Babas; recipe for Savarin Dough and Rum Babas; classic cookbooks; remembering to add important details when transcribing recipes; going through our photo archives;

Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Laksa Mi
summary: the wonders of back-issues of SAVEUR Magazine; too egg, or not to egg; link to feastingathome.com’s recipe we followed for laksa soup (a malaysian coconut curry noodle soup); Noodles!

Sunday, 2 February 2020
More Arkatena Adventures (BBBuddy, January 2020)
summary: January 2020 Bread Baking Buddy; BBBabes' Arkatena Bread gallery

Saturday, 1 February 2020
Second Attempt at Arkatena Bread
summary: trying again to make Arkatena Bread; chickpea flour starter sure does bubble; how to deal with failure; crackers;

January 2020 posts

Monday, 27 January 2020
beet salad revisited – again and again
summary: beet salad; dangers of hot chilis; carrots are good in beet salad too; rescuing no-longer fresh horseradish;

Thursday, 16 January 2020
Arkatena Bread... Almost (BBB January 2020)
summary: new year, new difficulties for a new year; how to fail at following instructions; ...do as I say, not as I did; attempting to make a chickpea flour wild starter; foam galore; lost photos; recipe for Arkatena Bread, inspiration: Arkatena Bread recipe, p190-193, Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley; cheating with commercial yeast; a Bread Baking Babes (BBB) project;