Savory Bread Pudding

There is something intensely satisfying about a savory bread pudding.  While it bears some similarity to a breakfast casserole, this dish makes a sophisticated dinner when paired with a mixed greens salad and full-bodied glass of wine.  The bread takes the spotlight here, so selecting something with strong flavors and a nice sturdy construction is important.  I generally opt for the multi-grain seeded bread full of delicious things like pumpkin and sunflower seeds that I found at Whole Foods, mmm.  Today a trip to Whole Foods was not on the agenda however, so I decided to branch out and try something new.  I bought two demi loaves- one with an assortment of seeds like sesame and poppyseed, and one with asiago cheese.  I decided to try a mix of the two.  My taste buds were not disappointed!  Aside from the amazing bread that takes center stage, the remaining ingredients are fairly humble.  Your favorite ham, diced into bite-sized pieces, cheddar cheese, milk, sliced green onions, a bit of chicken broth, a dash of black pepper and eggs.  One of the secrets is toasting the bread cubes prior to mixing with the wet ingredients as it helps them maintain their shape.  When the final dish comes out of the oven the top should be golden and crisp. Such a simple weeknight meal, yet it feels very special.

Pretzelicious

I do not have a lot of experience making breads from scratch, but with an Oktoberfest party on the calendar, I thought what better dish to bring than pretzel bread?!  It seems to be all the rage right now- restaurants are advertising nearly every type of sandwich imaginable on pretzel bread- but honestly it has always been a special favorite of mine. The only problem: I don't know how to make it.  Small problem.  That is what the internet is for, right?  I asked the internet...and it led me to a tasty recipe called Mike's Signature Pretzel Bread (http://twobites.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/signature-pretzel-bread/).  I read several other recipes as well, comparing notes and ingredients, but settled on Mike's.  The ingredient list was not intimidating and the process seemed straightforward enough.  

It didn't occur to me until I was well into the process that I should snap some photos along the way.  After allowing the yeast to activate and mixing in the flour, the dough gets to rest for 30 minutes.  The next stage is kneading the dough (I did it by hand) until it becomes elastic and satiny, and then it gets to rest for one hour.  I was excited to see how large my little ball of dough grew as it rested!

The dough grew so large it raised the towel in the center!

The risen dough unveiled.

I giggled when I read the next step in the instructions: gently degas the dough.  Hehe! After my chuckle I wondered if there was some special technique to degassing the dough, but it sort of naturally happened when I slid the dough out of the bowl.  When shaping the dough, I opted for a  traditional bread round, but you can make any shape your heart desires.  The next step is where the real fun begins.  It's like trying that baking soda volcano science experiment all over again!  The bread rounds take a quick dip in a baking soda bath.

One bread round bathing in the baking soda water.

(If you like playing with gas, this really is the recipe for you.)  After their bath, the dough gets a nice sprinkling of kosher salt before heading into the oven to bake.

Oven-ready dough marked with an X on top and dusted with kosher salt.

Although I enjoyed watching the yeast come alive, kneading the dough until it was shiny and elastic, watching it rise, and playing with gases, I believe my favorite part is the amazing aroma that started drifting through the house as the pretzel bread baked in the oven.  Yum!  I was also pleasantly surprised with how good the bread tasted.  It had the perfect texture- like a big soft pretzel inside and deliciously salty crust outside.  I'm grateful it turned out well and that my friends at the Oktoberfest party were enthusiastic about eating it.  It was a delightful accompaniment to the grilled brats and stew.  It's definitely something to make again, and maybe next time experiment with different shapes.  Maybe perfectly sized "hot dog" rolls for my brats.  Mmmm....

Finished pretzel bread.

A Nod to Greece

While summer produce was at its height, I was fortunate to receive some plump yellow squash from my neighbor.  Though there are many delightful ways to make squash, I was drawn to a recipe for Greek Stuffed Zucchini in my Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook.  I know the difference between zucchini and yellow squash, but hey roll with what you've got, and when it comes down to it the two are incredibly similar. The squash gets roasted in the oven with a bit of sherry to soften it up a bit.  Meanwhile an aromatic cinnamon tomato sauce is prepared to accompany the stuffed squash.  I've never made this type of tomato sauce and was a bit skeptical at first, but the fragrance and incredible taste won me over quickly.  The filling for the squash is toasted walnuts, golden raisins, brown rice, feta, onion, garlic and fresh parsley.  What a winning combination!  Hats off to the cooks at Moosewood for coming up with this delicious meal.  And now that summer has passed, I will enjoy fall and all its warm soups and pumpkin-spiced things, but part of me will be keeping track of the time and looking forward to another fresh squash harvest.

Drop me a line if you'd like more details about making this dish.

Grainy Casserole

Casserole.  The word brings images to mind of a woman dressed like June Cleaver in the 1950's wearing pearls and a fancy apron, waltzing around the kitchen as she whips up a tasty dish for her husband and children.  With that in mind, you may be disappointed to learn that during my casserole-making experience today I was wearing jeans and a Beatles t-shirt.  No pearls.  No fancy apron, well I have one, but forgot to pull it out of the pantry! Despite my less than classical attire, making the dish had a similar feeling of comfort, like a peaceful time gone by when folks still said things like, "Golly gee whiz!"

Making this casserole is fairly simple, but it tastes great and leaves you feeling very satisfied.  Modify the cream of mushroom soup and sour cream additions to suit your dietary considerations.  I love the flavor of the roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup. It smells wonderful as the casserole is bubbling away in the oven. You'll know it's done when the cheese reaches your favorite level of crispness, or gooeyness if that is what you prefer.  I like crispy cheese and will certainly fight you for a corner piece of most baked things!!

Comfort and Warmth

One of my favorite things about fall is soup.  When the temperature starts to dip down, soup warms you from the inside.  It's such a comforting feeling.  One of my go-to favorites is lentil soup.  I love it.  As a kid I really loved it when my parents would put on a pot of lentil soup because the aroma wafted around the house.  I could not wait until dinner time so I could dig in and enjoy!

I came across a recipe for Lentil and Broccoli Soup in my cookbook, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen. As many of you know, I am huge fan of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.  I am always pleased with the results when I make a recipe from one of her books or TV shows.  I'm happy to report that my experience with this soup was no less wonderful.  Something unique in the recipe, cooking the peeled and diced broccoli stalks with the lentils, is such a wonderful way to use up all of the broccoli parts and add delicious flavor to the soup.  I will make that addition to lentil soup from here on out.  The broccoli florets go in nearer the end of cooking so they remain a brighter green for serving.  In addition to the recipe ingredients of lentils, potatoes and broccoli, I added shredded carrots and some diced black forest ham.  Having the delicious aroma drifting around the house made me feel cozy and warm.