THIRD TIME'S A CHARM?

I ditched the whole wheat flower, went entirely white.  I remembered the SALT!  I used a smaller pan so the dough wouldn't flatten out so much.  To compensate for this, I reduced the oven temperature from 450 to 400 and decided to leave the loaf in for an extra ten minutes.  But after only ten minutes in the oven (and it's 1:30 in the morning at this point), the smoke alarm my apartment went off.  The parchment paper wasn't parchment paper.  I accidently used wax paper and as Aimee knows, wax paper doesn't fare too well in the oven.  So I had to transfer the ten minute-baked dough onto parchment paper.  Because of the small pan, the dough stuck to the wax paper where it had pinched against the pan.  When i flipped the dough onto the parchment paper, a layer of the bottom and sides stuck.  I was left with a choppy-topped, doughy mess.  I put that mess, now on parchment paper, into the oven for 35 minutes.  I did something right.  The bottom was still a bit doughy.  I think a baking stone (or going back to the cast iron pan) would help with that.  The water in the cookie sheet has been keeping the loaves pretty moist.  I am going to try misting the tops like I've seen Dad do.  I have been getting a relatively hard crust.  But all things considered, what came out was not bad.  Aimee and I sliced it up and ate it with homemade black bean chicken chili...

BACK TO WHAT I DO BETTER

Date night.  Aimee and I make sure our schedules are clear and we either go out to dinner and a movie, find some other event, usually during the summer, or stay in, cook dinner, and watch a movie.  Lately because of the economy...actually that's not the reason.  It's because of the Chicago winter and the fact that we need to save money for our wedding - we've been choosing the cook dinner and watch a movie option more and more. 

Pork tenderloin has been an easy staple for about six months now.  I usually put together some type of rub and then either put it in the oven or during the summer, throw the pork on the grill.  This week, I found a great dry rub and better cooking instructions.  The rub goes like this:

1t garlic powder

1t dried oregano

1t cumin

1t coriander

1t dried thyme (didn't have this...got to put it on the grocery list)

salt

Sprinkle and rub the tenderloin.

I sauteed garlic in olive oil over medium high head for 1 minute and then added the tenderloin for about 10, searing all sides.  That's what I have never done.  I put it directly in the oven before.  Then I transfered the cast iron skillet into the oven at 450 for 20 minutes.  I'll try 15 minutes next time for pork that's a little more rare and less dry.

Add steamed broccoli and cumin-red pepper sweet potato fries and you've got yourself a meal.

SECOND TRY

Whole wheat bread (less whole wheat this time), attempt number 2.

I reduced my whole grains content from 2/3rds to 1/3, this time sticking to 2 cups white flour, 1 cup wheat flour and making sure to sprinkle the top with flour instead of corn meal (the recipe actually calls for the option of corn meal - it didn't work out for me last time, baking a hard crust on the outside).

This time I made an equally fatal mistake.  I forgot the salt.  1-3/4 teaspoons of damn salt makes a big difference.  I remember my dad making a batch of bread years ago and forgetting the salt.  He must have thrown 4 or 5 loaves away.  I only had to throw one away this time.  

I must have taken these (proud) pictures before I tasted the bland loaf.

Things I'll do different next time:

Add salt...and use a smaller pan to bake the bread in.  I've been using a 9x9 cast iron skillet (with a pan of water beneath) because of its heat capacity but I think that I'll try using a dish that will let the bread bake taller.  I also think I will reduce the heat (from 350? to 300) and increase the time.  Since I'm not using a covered dutch oven like the recipe calls for, there's more direct heat and more surface area because the bread is flat. 

I'll keep trying.  It's becoming personal between the bread gods and me.  I want to get it right.  

between cooking and architecture

From architechnophilia.blogspot.com recalls de Geuze's infamous remarks about us, that "Architects are like Seagulls, they make a lot of noise, they eat a lot of food, and they leave shit everywhere."

break from bread - for love

I took a break from bread baking this week for love.  Valentine's Day 2009.

Homemade brownies courtesy of the best wife-to-be ever...

...continue with the best beef jerky in the world - from Paulina Meat Market in Chicago.  Original, teryiaki, and cajun.

Rack of French cut lamb, also from Paulina.  

Brushed with olive oil and rubbed with fresh shopped rosemary.  Seared on the stovetop for a few minutes each side and then placed in the oven at 400.

We also cooked up a side of potato and cauliflower dauphinois - nutmeg, cream, thyme, and parmesan.

I had to actually put those chops back in the oven for ten more minutes.  Jamie Oliver's suggestion of 10-12 minutes in the oven for medium produced some rare chops.  They turned out fantastic though.  Very simple preparation allowed us to enjoy the flavor of the lamb and when the cream sauce of the potato dauphinois crept under the lamb...

slab on grade

Not a good start...

I decided to stray from the no knead bread recipe.  I used 1/2c oats and 1/2c bran flour along with a cup of whole wheat flour and cup of white flour.  I also dusted the counter with corn meal (the recipe called for corn flour) on the towel to help with the counter to oven transfer.  I learned that it's not a good idea to bake your first loaf of bread - ever - with that much whole grain.  I think the whole grain is what made it so flat.  That and the piss poor transfer from the towel to the oven pan.  It folded up on me like a taco.  The corn meal that covered the top of the dough came out as a baked-on crust.  Not good.  The inside was moist.  I had to peel away the crust to get to it thought.  There will be changes next time...