0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #254

This week, Salome at "Paulchens FoodBlog?!" (Austria) is happy to announce that he is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #254...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in his blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact him via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

Fridolin, still healthier than ever.
He is now a real "Freesssack" (glutton) and has now to be fed 5 times a day minimum!!!
We are so happy to see that he is doing well.

0 SOURDOUGH BREAD - PAIN AU LEVAIN

Although it might seem as if I have not baked many breads during the last months (it's been quite a while since I posted yeast oriented recipes), I can assure you that I have not stopped making all kinds of loaves lately. As a matter of fact , I never (or very very rarely) buy bread from bakeries or supermarkets. I always bake my own supply of yeasted goodies because I find that homemade breads taste the best...

Most of the time I bake breads and don't have the occasion to take pictur es of them (no natural light left or no time to fuss around with my camera). Well, last Sunday, the sun was out and I had plenty of time to spend snapping pictures of my weekly "superstar" loaf!

As I had made sourdough starter using Beth Hensperger's recipe, there was no way that I was going to let it sit aimlessly on my counter or in my fridge. As usual, I went hunting for a recipe on the net and that's how I found that great The King Arthur Flour recipe that was published in their "The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook".

Once you have prepared your sourdough starter, this bread is relatively easy to make, though it is time-consuming as the process takes about 7 to 8 hours (from the first rise to the baking). It is not the kind of bread you can make in a hurry. Somehow, you have to consider it like a little baby that needs all your attention and a lot of nurturing!

This recipe is perfect for all the people who are experimenting for the very first time with a sourdough starter. This bread is made with both a quantity sourdough starter and some yeast (the sourdough being included mainly for flavor). In that way, beginners will feel more comfortable and less stressed at the idea of baking with a sourdough starter. It is a good introduction to the sourdough process.

I'd say this "Sourdough Bread With Yeast" is halfway between 100% sourdough breads and the common fuss-free yeast-based breads. Even if you are a novice when it comes to baking with a sourdough starter, you might want to try this recipe as the end product is fantastic. You'll particularly enjoy the crispy crust, spongy as well as moist inside and fragrant, yet light sourdoughy taste. Excellent and made to suit you cravings for lipsmacking bread!

This post is submitted to Yeastspotting.

~ Sourdough Bread With Yeast ~
Recipe taken from "The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook", p.5321.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cups Lukewarm water
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs or packet Active dry yeast
1 Cup Sourdough starter
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbs Sea salt
1 Tbs Vegetable oil
Cornmeal to sprinkle on baking pans

Method for the "Sponge":

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this sit for 10 minutes or so until bubbly.
2. Add the starter and stir. Gradually add 3 cups of flour, stirring until well mixed and smooth.
3. Cover the sponge and set it aside in a warm draft-free place for 4 to 5 hours.
Method for the "Dough":
1. Stir down the sponge. Stir in 1 cup of flour, the salt and oil.
2. Gradually add flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 3-4 minutes.
4. Let the dough rest while you clean out and grease the bowl, then continue kneading another 3-4 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Add only enough flour to the board to keep the dough from sticking.
6. Place the dough in the greased bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Method for the "Shaping & Baking":

1. Knock down the dough and shape it into 2 long Frenc- or Italian-style loaves.
2. Place them on a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet and let them rise for another 1-1 1/2 hours. 3. Toward the end of the rising period, place a baking pan on the oven bottom (or on the lowest rack) and preheat the oven to 230° C (450° F).
4. Just before baking, splash the tops diagonally every couple of inches, about 0.6cm (1/4 inch) deep and brush with cold water (I didn't brush mine).
5. Pour 2-3 cups of water into the pan, put the loaves on the rack above the steaming water and bake for about 25 minutes.

Serving suggestions:
This bread goes well with everything (jams, sweet/savory spreads, cheese, dried meat, stews, soups, etc...).
It is also ideal for preparing bruschette.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Pain Au Levain Et a La Levure ~
Recette tirée du livre "The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook", p.5321.

Ingrédients:
120g/ml d'Eau tiède
15g de Sucre
1 CS ou un sachet de Levure sèche
1 Tasse (~240g) de Levain
700g - 830g de Farine à pain
1 CS de Sel marin
1 CS d'Huile végétale
Farine de maïs pour saupoudrer la plaque

Méthode pour le "Poolish":
1. Dans un grand bol, mélanger le sucre l'eau et la levure afin de réveiller cette dernière. Laisser reposer 10 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la levure soit mousseuse.
2. Ajouter le levain et bien battre. Ajouter 380g de farine et battre à nouveau afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
3. Couvrir le bol et laisser travailler/lever le poolish pendant 4 à 5 heures dans un endroit chaud et sans courants d'air.
Méthode pour la "Pâte":
1. Faire dégonfler le poolish et ajouter 130g de farine, le sel et l'huile. Mélanger.
2. Ajouter graduellement le reste de farine jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte qui ne colle pas sur les bords du bol.
3. Mettre la pâte sur une surface farinée et pétrir pendant 3 à 4 minutes.
4. Laisser la pâte se reposer pendant que vous nettoyez le bol et l'huilez, puis continuez à pétrir la pâte pendant encore 3 à 4 minutes ou jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit lisse et élastique.
5. Ne rajoutez pas trop de farine lors du pétrissage - seulement un peu afin que la pâte ne colle pas.
6. Mettre la pâte dans le bol huilé et laissez lever pendant 1 à 2 heures ou jusqu'à ce que la pâte ait doublé de volume.

Méthode pour le "Modelage et la Cuisson":

1. Faire dégonfler la pâte et la séparer en 2 parts égales que vous formerez afin d'obtenir des pains en forme de bâtards.
2. Les mettre sur une plaque saupoudrée avec de la farine de maïs et les laisser lever pendant 1 à 1 1/2 heures.
3. Vers la fin de ce processus, mettre une plaque de cuisson au dernier étage inférieur du four et préchauffer le four à 230° C.
4. Juste avant d'enfourner les pains, entailler les bâtards en diagonale, assez profondément (0.6cm).
5. Verser 2 à 3 tasses d'eau dans un récipien résistant à la chaleur et le placer le sur la plaque (niveau inférieur). Enfourner les pains et les cuire pendant environ 25-35 minutes.

Idée de présentation:
Ce pain est fameux avec presque tout (confitures, tartinades sucrées/salées, fromage, viande séchée, ragoûts, soupes/veloutés, etc...).
Il est aussi parfait pour préparer des Bruschette.

0 MONTREUX LAKESIDE

Two weeks ago, my good friend Corinne and I spent the day together. We went to Montreux, took a walk on the lakeside and then we drove all the way to IKEA in Aubonne in order to have lunch and do some shopping...

On that Thursday before Good Friday, spring had just sprung. Flowers were starting to bloom and leaves were still enclosed in their buds. This day started on a grey note, but as soon as we reached the promenade in Montreux, the clouds started to disappear and the sun came out of it's hiding place. The air was still very crisp, yet they rays of the sun warmed us a little.

As you can imagine, being the mad snapper that I am, I carried my camera with me a took a few pictures of the beautiful scenery that unfolded in front of our eyes.

- Freddie Mercury statue -

After having walked for a good 40-50 minutes we decided that it was about time for us to have lunch as our stomachs were starting to growl. Some 15-20 minutes later we arrived at a chock-a-block full IKEA. The place was crammed with busy people, howling kids and strollers.

Like many of us, I really love IKEA's scrumptious Swedish Meatballs with French fries and lingonberry jam, so I had a small portion and goobled my dish greedily and with shining eyes. Boy, those small portions are far from being small and they are dirt cheap (my plate cost only 5 CHF instead of 7.50 CHF). I mean, I'm a big eater, but never have I ever felt empty after having eaten such a plating. On the contrary!

Once we had ingested our meal we went straight through the first level of the store and headed directly to the kitchen section. I love that area! It is impossible not to find something you'd like to take home. This time I was very good girl. I only bought two different items (a batch of four colored plastic starter bowls and four handleless coffee cups). Then, we drove back home.

To be continued...

0 Bread

Some of the additional ingredients that may be included in a full breakfast are:

BREAD

Fried Bread
Pancakes : are a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs and are cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads.
There is even a particular day for pancakes. In United States, pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday.

English muffin or Scones:

A muffin, known as an English muffin, is a round, yeast-leavened form of bread almost always dusted with cornmeal. It is of English origin.
(A toasted and buttered split muffin.)

They are the base ingredient in the traditional New York brunch dish Eggs Benedict.

The scone is a small British quick bread (or cake if recipe includes sugar) of Scottish origin.
They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea.
Clockwise from bottom: Hot buttered tattie scones next to a cheese scone, shiny and flat treacle scones, and a milk scone above a fruit scone.

( Eggs Benedict are served at breakfast. Main ingredients are eggs, English muffin, green olives or bacon and hollandaise sauce.)

French Toast: Slices of bread are dipped in a beaten egg and sugar mixture. Where a stale, crunchy bread might seem unappetizing, using the bread in cooking solves the problem without waste.

Waffles

Waffles with fruit and sausage patties are a contemporary hearty breakfast, and would likely be enjoyed on a weekend or special occasion.Waffle: American waffles are made from a batter leavened with baking powder and they may be round, square, or rectangular in shape. They are usually served as a sweet breakfast food, topped with butter and various syrups, but are also found in many different savory dishes, such as fried chicken and waffles or topped with kidney stew. They may also be served as desserts, topped with ice cream and various other toppings.

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #253

This week, Weekend Cat Blogging #253 is hosted by Breadchick and LB at "The Sour Dough" (USA)...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

0 Brunch

• Brunch originated in the British upper classes. Brunch is a meal which is eaten in the late morning or early afternoon, generally between the hours of 10 in the morning and two in the afternoon. A typical brunch combines elements of breakfast and lunch, reflecting the fact that it is supposed to serve for both meals.

• Many people associate brunch with the weekends, particularly Sundays, perhaps because many people are able to sleep in on the weekends, making a late breakfast and early lunch combination more appealing. Technically, however, brunch, like breakfast, can be served on any day of the week.

0 American Breakfast

• The most popular weekday American breakfast is a bowl of cold cereal and a cup of orange juice for school children, or a pastry and cup of coffee (sometimes just the coffee) for a working adult.

• A weekend or restaurant breakfast may include eggs (usually prepared sunny-side-up, scrambled, or in omelet form), sausage pattys or links, bacon, ham, toasted bread (with butter, jam, peanut butter, or honey), hash browns, and pancakes or waffles with syrup. Sunday breakfasts are usually the grandest, as most people take the day to lounge.
  These are all common staples over the entire US, though the southern half would add biscuits covered in sausage gravy, and a bowl of grits (prepared either sweet or savory) as a popular morning dish.

• Regardless of the meal, breakfasts are rarely seen without orange juice (the nation's most popular fruit juice) and/or coffee to drink. It is common to add sugar and cream (which can be regular or flavored) to the coffee.
  Blueberry pancakes (complete with blueberries and butter on top) bacon, scrambled eggs, maple syrup, and slices of pineapple, grapefruit, and orange.
  
  
  Other Breakfast Types
  
  Country breakfast
  Urban commute breakfast
  All-day breakfast