Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Dinner


Modified oyako donburi:
1 c rice
1/2 tub tofu, cubed
hoisin sauce
oyster sauce
sriracha
peanut or other oil
egg, lightly scrambled
Cook rice. Heat sauces (I used ~1/2 tbs each hoisin and oyster, ~1 tsp sriracha) and oils in a frying pan at medium heat then add tofu. Let tofu cook evenly on all sides, but don't worry too much about perfection: just kick it around every few minutes. When nicely browned to taste, pour in egg and cook until firm. Spoon over rice and add bonito flake/nori seasoning and soy sauce.

Gingery-sweet:
real ginger ale
maraschino cherries and syrup (Reed's Extra Ginger or Cock & Bull)
bitters
candied ginger
whiskey (optional)
Add a dash of bitters and ~2 tsp maraschino cherry syrup to ginger ale, add cherries and ginger.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding

Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding, as adapted from Recipezaar's Sourdough Bread Pudding



4 c cubed sourdough bread, very stale
1/2 c chocolate chips
2 c plain soy milk (because that's what I had on hand)
1/4 c heavy cream (to make up for the fact that I was only adding one, not 1.5, egg yolks)
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 c sugar
2.5 Tbs dark cocoa powder
1 Tbs vanilla
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Grease a souffle dish or casserole pan and add the chocolate chips and bread cubes. Beat together everything else, then pour into the dish and stir, making sure the bread is all coated.

Cover with plastic wrap and let soak for at least two hours, preferably overnight. Then bake at 350°F until the center tests clean, abt 50-60 min.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Dark Rye Bread

Dark Rye Bread from Real Bread: A Fearless Guide To Making It



1 Tbs active dry yeast
0.25 c lukewarm water
1.5 c hot water
2 Tbs butter, cut into bits
0.25 c brown sugar
0.25 c molasses
2.5 c dark rye flour
3 c AP flour
1 Tbs salt
2 tsp grated Satsuma orange peel
0.5 tsp anise seeds, lightly crushed

1. Proof yeast in lukewarm water.
2. Combine hot water, butter, sugar and molasses in large bowl, stir to melt and dissolve, then cool to lukewarm.
3. Add proofed yeast, rye flour and 0.5 c AP flour. Beat until air bubbles form.
4. Stir in salt, seeds and peel, keep stirring as you slowly add AP flour until a stiff dough forms.
5. Knead on floured board for 8 min until smooth, pliable and firm, or like I did, let the stand mixer work at it with a dough hook until the firm stage. The recipe notes that the dough is VERY sticky until "suddenly it stops, and you know you've won."
6. Make into a ball, put into oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover with a dampened towel and let rise in a warm place for 1:40, or until it has doubled in size.
7. Punch down, knead briefly and divide into 2 equal leaves and let rise on an oiled baking sheet, covered with a dampened towel. Let rise for another 1:40 or until almost doubled.
8. Brush with a water-molasses wash, score and bake in a 350°F oven for 40 min or until bread tests done. About 10 min into baking, spray loaves with water and shut the door. Spray again halfway through baking when you rotate the baking sheet.
9. Transfer to wire rack and don't cut until it's cool.


This worked very well with the broccoli-cheese soup my friend made. It was light, well-crusted and had just enough anise and orange taste to make it interesting.