Basic Cornbread

Last night was a blood moon - it was also the Chinese Harvest Moon Festival.  We called and texted family, all of us sitting outside our distant doors, feeling close because our eyes were all seeing the same drama of death and rebirth as the pale pearl of the moon plunged into an eerie blood-bath shadow and then rose again pure and fair into the velvet sky.  

We oohed and ahhed together, although apart, and then those at this address went in and ate cornbread and Full Moon Soup - the food of home.

This moist, dense cornbread is so good with hot spicy soups. No need to slather on butter or honey, it's all baked in already.  I learned this recipe from years of baking a very similar version from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook - some of her optionals (butter, honey) are for me entirely required.  Though I've made this with bacon fat in place of some of the butter and served it up with lots of juicy greens and that's not at all bad.

Preheat oven to 350°.  Butter a large oven-proof skillet with (obviously)

butter

Whisk together

2 cups cornmeal
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl, combine

2 cups buttermilk, kefir, or plain yogurt
2 eggs
6 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Stir the wet into the dry, mixing just enough to thoroughly combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch and a blade into the center comes out clean.

Coconut Beans + Chapatis

This simple and satisfying recipe came to us from one of our daughter's

friends from Kenya.   The chapati recipe is softer than

other homemade chappatis we have made.

Coconut Beans

4 cans black beans, drained

1 can coconut milk

1 chopped onion

1 Tablespoon oil or fat

 Salt to taste

1. Fry onion in large skillet.
2. Add drained beans.
3. Mix in  ¾ can if coconut milk
4.  Let it simmer until it cooks down, then add the remaining  ¼ can of coconut milk.
5. Serve warm with chapatis or pita bread.

Chapatis

 2 cups flour

 ¼ teaspoon salt

 ¾ - 1 cup hot water

melted butter

1. Mix flour, salt, and hot water.  Knead until elastic.
2. Divide dough into fourths.
3. Roll each into thin circles and spread thinly with melted butter.
4. Roll up like a small jelly roll and then roll it into a coil, tucking end into the middle.
5. Roll flat again.
6. Lightly oil a hot heavy skillet and fry until golden-brown on both sides.   

  

  

Thanksgiving Crescent Rolls

I've tried this old family recipe with fresh milk and it just doesn't taste as good. I have no idea why. But I do not argue with results. So the dried milk stays. Every other improving tweak toward whole, fresh and local has been an improvement to my palate: honey for sugar, olive oil for melted shortening. I usually make half a batch of whole wheat and half a batch of white. Our family prefers the white but I almost like the wheat ones better, especially after the big Thanksgiving feast with a little blue cheese spread beneath a moist bit of turkey and dollop of Cranberry Orange relish. Makes 24 large rolls or 48 smaller rolls. 

Reconstitute

2/3 cup dried milk

in

2 cups lukewarm water

Dissolve

½ cup honey
2 Tablespoons dry yeast

in the just barely warm milk.  When yeast becomes active, add

2 eggs, well-beaten

and enough

flour 

to make a medium batter. Beat and let sit until bubbles begin to form.  Beat in

2 teaspoons salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

and the rest of

7 cups whole wheat flour (or white) 

and knead until smooth and elastic (10 min in mixer, 15 min by hand). The secret of this dough is the use only enough flour to be able to handle it, almost sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until double in bulk, then punch down well. Let rise again.

When it has again doubled in bulk and is light and airy, divide into two  balls (for large rolls)  or four balls (for smaller rolls). Let rest 15 minutes.

Now the fun part!  Forming the rolls. There is no wrong way and no wrong shape, but it just seems unAmerican in this house to make anything but crescents.  Here's how:

• roll small balls out on oiled countertop with a rolling pin
• cut into twelfths with a pizza cutter or sharp knife
• starting from the fat end of resulting triangles, begin rolling in toward the point
• make sure the thin point is securely underneath the resulting roll
• curve ends of the roll in to make a crescent

Let the rolls rise on greased pans until light.

Bake at 375° 12-18 minutes.  Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with olive oil while still hot.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is my grandmother's pumpkin bread and growing up, Christmas Eve wasn't Christmas Eve without a slice of this wonderfully moist and dense cake alongside a hot cup of spiced cider. I've never added frosting because this cake is so good, so rich, so moist all on its own.  But a smear of cream cheese on a toasted slice is nothing to sneer at. 

Cream together

½ cup butter
1 cup sugar 

until fluffy. Mix in thoroughly 

1 egg, beaten 

Stir 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

into 

1 cup hot mashed pumpkin 

then add to creamed mixture. Sift together 

2 cup sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cloves

Gradually stir flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, adding 

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts (unchopped if you choose) 

with the last cupful. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. 

 (Note: a #2½ can of pumpkin (29 oz), plus a little water, will make 4 cups, enough for 4 cakes) 

Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Many Berry Muffins

For you, my away-from-home girlchild-grown, as your thoughts are roving homeward ~ which is berryward this time of year ~ with love from your Mami who misses you. 

 May you bake these in health and share them with love and take joy both before and after.

[based on a blueberry muffin recipe in Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen]

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Sift together in a mixing bowl

3 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Make a well in center.  Then melt together

2/3 cup light honey
½ cup butter

Beat honey and butter in a new bowl with

1 tsp fresh lemon or lime rind
2/3 cup milk (for dry regions 3/4C)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon (or lime) juice (6T)

and pour into well.  Stir gently until just blended, gradually adding

½ cup blueberries
½ cup raspberries

Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full. 

Bake 30 - 35 minutes. Cool in pans 5-10 minutes before removing and devouring.

Basic and Best Whole Wheat Bread

with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl option

makes 6 loaves

Sprinkle

1 Tablespoon yeast

over

1 cup lukewarm water

Lukewarm is the temperature milk (lacto) comes fresh from the cow -- body temperature -- so it should feel neither hot nor cold to the touch.  The yeast likes a little to eat as it comes out of its sleep so I also sprinkle in 

½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Then let it soak until all the yeast is moistened.  Gently stir and set aside and let the yeast wake up and start making bubbles.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together

1 cup oil
1 cup honey
3 Tablespoons salt
7 cups warm water

A few cups at a time, mix in

7 cups whole wheat flour

By now the yeast should be foamy: pour it into the flour mixture and whisk it up.  Then stir in, a cup at a time,

4-6 cups whole wheat flour

until the batter is almost too thick to whisk.

Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rise about 1 hour, longer if kitchen is cool (or the yeast is old and slow).  The longer the rise, the more tender the crumb, which is why some bakers like to let their bread rise in the refrigerator overnight.

The only danger is that if the yeast gets out of hand it will turn the dough sour.  You want to let the dough rise until dough is almost doubled in size.  What you don't want is to let the dough rise and rise and then collapse in upon itself, turning bitter and souring.

Think of this as a symbol for your dearest relationship - there are no hard and fast rules.  You must allow space and time for the dough to develop.  You must stay near to attend and respond when the dough is ready.

When the dough is doubled, knead the dough in the bowl to deflate.  (Usually we say "punch down" the dough, but not if you're still thinking of it as a symbol of your loving - and in any case, all you are doing is gently deflating the risen dough, allowing the trapped air to escape.  No violence required.)

Turn dough out onto floured countertop or table and begin kneading in

4-6 more cups flour (twice that if using white flour)

This is the true core of bread-making.  The amount of flour you add depends on the humidity in the air, the moisture in the flour.  You want the dough to gently cling but not to stick to your hands too wetly.  But especially with whole wheat bread, the moister to can keep the dough and still have it workable, the lighter your resulting loaf will be.

When I first began to make bread I had to time myself kneading because I'd always give up too soon and end up with heavy, crumbly bread instead of the light, chewy loaf I was aiming for.  10 - 15 minutes did the job admirably - which was about the time it took to get to my favorite song (a male and a female voice weaving around each other) on a Celtic CD I had.  Nowadays though I can tell by feel when the dough is kneaded and it seems to take less time than that.  What you're aiming for is a dough that feels as softly stiff as an earlobe.

Let dough rest as you oil 6 loaf pans -- I use olive oil here, too, because it will flavor the bread. Brush the oil over the whole inner surface of the bread pan, paying especial attention to the corners.

Then divide the dough into 6 balls.  I don't want to cut it with a knife because I've spent so much effort developing the long strands of gluten, so I squeeze it off in the center to divide it in half, then squeeze off smaller balls in thirds.

Let the balls rest a minute or two then flatten the first ball and roll it up into a log, pinching together the edges.

If you are making Cinnamon Raisin Swirl bread -- this is where that happens -- before rolling it up sprinkle the flattened dough with raisins and then cinnamon.  Other dried fruit or spices or nuts or even cheese and bacon and sautéed onions can be added instead. The rolling it up is what makes the swirl. Pinch the edges together very carefully so that none of that added goodness tumbles out.

Press each loaf, smoothest side down, into its oiled pan to make a nice squared loaf and then flip the loaf over, pinched-together side down, and press loaf into the pan.  Let the loaves rise 1 hour (or more) until the dough bellies up above the edge of the pan.

Preheat oven to 400° to get a good hot oven and quickly slide each loaf into the oven, turning it down to 350° as soon as you put the bread in.

Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes.  It’s cooked through when water on your finger touched to the bottom of loaf pan sizzles and the top of the bread has a nice golden crust.

Peace Soup + Sweet Dreams Carrot Soup: Two Soups in a Blue Moon for a faraway daughter (+ croutons)

Today my Eldest calls from college for two soup recipes.   Because these are her comfort foods:  Peace Soup (fresh peas in a sweet and slightly minty, gingery milk-based broth)  and Sweet Dreams Soup (creamy, slighty spicy, very carrotty carrot soup) ~ both adapted from her childhood favorite cookbook, Blue Moon Soup by Gary Goss, illustrated by Jane Dyer.

Peace Soup

My girl (who is a peacemaker as well as soup maker and at the same time plenty well-versed in savories and spices) likes her soup with a little more emphasis than suggested in the original and so increases the leeks, ginger, curry and mint at least this much.  



Melt in a soup pot over medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

2 cups leeks, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add, with enough water to cover (~ 2 cups)

1 (10 oz.) package of frozen peas (or 2 - 3 cups fresh green peas)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped

and stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered until veggies are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a blender or a large bowl, blend or mash 2 cups of the soup with

2½ cups milk

Return the blended to soup to the soup pot and stir.  Season to taste.  Garnish with

fresh mint, or
carrot curls

Sweet Dreams Soup

The consensus of a discussion on Epicurious suggests at least increasing the number of carrots, leeks and celery and upping the spice amounts for a better Sweet Dream Soup.  We concur.  

One commenter even suggested using coconut milk in place of the bovine variety which we will have to try sometime.  Here are our tweaks of this gently filling soup, guaranteed to turn any hungry lion into a lamb.

Boil

2 cups salted water

Add

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

and boil until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain, save the broth, and set the potatoes aside.

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

2 cups leeks, chopped
1 - 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon curry
1 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (half the amount if using dried)
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or more to taste)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the cooked potato and the potato broth plus

2 stalks celery, chopped
2 - 3 more carrots, finely chopped

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender or a bowl, blend or mash 2 cups of the soup (or all of it if you prefer) with

2½ cups milk

until thick and silky smooth.

Return the blended soup to the soup pot, and stir.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with

carrot curls
croutons  (see recipe below)

Crusty Croutons

Preheat oven to 325.  Cut

good bread 

into cubes and put in a large mixing bowl.  Add enough

olive oil 

to moisten all the cubes.  Sprinkle with

basil, oregano, or crushed garlic 

Or sprinkle with

grated Parmesan or cheddar

 Place on a cookie sheet, and bake until golden grown and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Red Butter Chicken + Garam Masala + Homemade Chapattis

Red Butter Chicken

Before making this our own, we learned this first from Sam Stern’s Real Food/Real Fast - a great cookbook by a British teen. The girls like the breezy language of the original and all the photos of Sam and his friends.  I like the emphasis on real cooking with real ingredients.  All of us love the results!  Unbelievably delicious!!

Melt in a large pan

6 Tablespoons butter

Add

1 medium onion, finely diced4 cloves garlic, crushedPinch of salt

and cook gently for 2 minutes.


Add

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 

½ teaspoon chili powder 

3 teaspoons paprika 

2 teaspoons garam masala 

2 teaspoons ground coriander 

1 cinnamon stick 

4 cardamom pods (or 1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom)

and cook until onions are soft.

Add

2 (15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes 

2 Tablespoons tomato paste 

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 

1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

and stir. Bring to a boil. Simmer on reduced heat for 10 minutes.

Add

4 chicken breasts, without skin, diced

and stir to coat.

Add

1 cup heavy cream 

2/3 cup plain yogurt

Reduce heat. Cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook

2 cups rice

in

4 cups waterPinch of salt

Chop

fresh cilantro

and stir into chicken. Excellent served with warmed naan or warmed whole wheat tortillas or - even better - Homemade Chappatis (see below)


Garam Masala
We found this formula for a garam masala mix years ago in a children's book about India from the library. Now I see garam masala premixed in the grocery store, but this smells so wonderful roasting in the oven, it's worth taking time to make it when you can.

Preheat oven 200°.
Roast in an ungreased 9 x 13” pan on bottom oven rack

3 sticks cinnamon 

½ cup cardamom pods 

¼ cup whole cloves 

¼ cup cumin seeds 

2 Tablespoons coriander seeds 

¼ C black peppercorns

for 30 min. Stir often.

Let cool.

With fingers, break open cardamom pods: remove and keep seeds, discard pods. Crush cinnamon (rolling pin and 2 towels). Combine & mix well. Grind to fine powder (food processor or in short bursts in blender).
Add

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

Store in sealed jar up to 6 months.



Homemade Chapattis
These are easy enough, I don't know why we don't make them more frequently.  The recipe is from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook

Preheat oven to 325°. Mix in a medium-sized bowl

½ cup flour 

½ cup whole wheat flour

Add

½ cup water

and stir until combined. Knead dough on a clean, floured surface for a minute or two, adding more flour to combat stickiness.

Divide dough into 6 equal balls and roll each one into a very thin round – no thicker than 1/8 inch – using plenty of flour on rolling surface and rolling pin.

Oil tray and brush tops of chapattis with

olive oil

Bake for 10 minutes until very, very lightly browned.

Stir Fry Salad

Stir Fry Salad
inspired by Mollie Katzen's "Warm Salad" in Moosewood Cookbook

" . . . featuring an assortment of ultranutritious leafy greens, lightly cooked and delicately marinated. This can be a main dish unto itself, or a prelude or accompaniment to a simple pasta supper. However you serve it, be sure to include some fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices."

We substituted radicchio for escarole and used local chanterelle mushrooms. Amazingly delicious and wonderfully satisfying - you need to try this! Delicious with cornbread.


Heat

1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a deep skillet

Add to the pan, a little at a time, the following greens, adding more greens as soon as the ones in the pot cook down enough to make room, salting lightly after each addition:

1 small head radicchio, chopped  

1 medium bunch red chard, chopped  

about 10 large leaves Napa cabbage, chopped 

2 cups (packed) chopped mustard greens 

1 to 2 teaspoons salt, optional

Use a fairly intense heat under the pot, stirring as you cook.

When all the greens are wilted and tender, stir in

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Cook and stir just 1 or 2 minutes more.  Remove greens from heat and transfer to a platter.
Heat in the skillet

2 Tablespoons olive oil

and when it is hot, add

2 medium leeks, chopped 

2 cups chopped red onion 

3/4 lbs mushrooms, sliced 

1 stalk celery, sliced 

1/2 small cauliflower, chopped

Salt lightly and stir-fry quickly over medium-high heat until just tender (about 5-8 minutes).
Add to the platter, mix gently to incorporate the greens, and sprinkle while still hot with

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

6 Tablespoons Parmesan, freshly grated

Grind

Black pepper

over the top, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with pieces of cornbread to mop up the juices.