no holds barred

I went out and bought an 8oz. bag of yeast, 1 pound of butter and 7 pounds

of wheat flour.

It felt almost unholy, somehow breaking my streak of gluten free and vegan

bread-like experiments, but with the goal of coming up with recipes for the

Readers Cafe, I started baking.

Coriander and Caraway Whole Wheat Loaf:

-1 c white flour

-1 c whole wheat flour

-1 t yeast

-2 t salt

-1 T honey

-1 c warm water

-1 T caraway seeds

-1 t coriander seeds

-1 T dried Incan berries

-1 egg yolk

1. proof the yeast by putting it in 1/4 c of the warm water with the honey and

1/4 c flour. after about 30 minutes it should be foamy.

2. while you wait, mix together the remaining flours, salt, and berries.

3. toast the caraway and coriander over a high flame in a dry pan until popping

and fragrant, and add to the dry mix.

4. when the yeast mix is foamy, add the remaining water and pour into the flour.

5. mix until combined and turn out onto a floured work surface.

6. knead for 10 minutes (really, don't skimp on this one)

7. roll the dough into a ball and cover in oil. place it in an oiled bowl in a warm

place, covered with a cloth, until it has about doubled in size (30 min-1 hour).

8. re-roll the dough into a ball, and place on a floured baking pan. let it double

in size again, uncovered.

9. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

10. brush or spoon egg yolk mixed with a touch of water on the top of the bread,

and use a sharp knife to make slits.

11. put the bread in the oven and pour 1/2 c water on the oven floor to steam.

apparently this helps make a crisp crust. close the door quickly.

12. bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on how tall your bread gets. mine spread

out sideways and took only 30. you'll know it's done if you tap the bottom and

it sounds hollow.

Dinner for One:

Now, having a beautiful fresh loaf of bread, I knew that dinner could easily

be the whole loaf, and nothing but the loaf. So to make sure I ate some actual

nutrients, I cooked up this dinner-for-one while the bread was in the oven.

Dinner for one:

-brussel sprouts

-small onion

-garlic

-white balsamic vinegar

-honey

-salt

-egg white leftover from brushing the bread

-arugula

-avocado

-feta cheese

-slices of the fresh bread

-truffle oil

1. cut the stem stub off your brussel sprouts, cut them in half, and boil them for

a few minutes until they turn a bright green and start to get soft.

2. while the brussel sprouts are boiling, slice an onion and saute it in oil until it

starts to get soft and tastes sweet.

3. mix together about 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar, a little bit of honey and a

teaspoon of salt. taste to adjust the ratios.

4. when the brussel sprouts are done, move the onions to the brine bowl and stir.

add more oil to the skillet and add the strained brussel sprouts and minced garlic.

5. let the brussel sprouts cook cut side down in the pan until they start to get a

good brown.

6. when they are done cooking, add them to the brine and stir. pour your egg

white into the skillet now.

7. while this cooks, quickly assemble your arugula, feta and avocado. pour a

little of the brine over the salad and toss. your bread should have just come out

of the oven.

8. slice your bread and drizzle with truffle oil. move your mini-omelette from

pan to plate, and put the brussel sprout mix on top. add salad, and enjoy.

Shortbreads!

And the first test recipe for the Reader's Cafe!

Shortbread base:

-1 1/2 c white flour

-1/2 c whole wheat flour (had to sneak some in)

-1 t salt

-1/2 t baking powder

-1/2 c sugar

-6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

-2 T honey

-1 t vanilla extract

-2 t water

1. cream the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla.

2. mix the dry ingredients and add them to the butter bowl.

3. divide into two bowls

4. spice each batter to make 2 flavors. I used lavender and smoked salt in

one bowl, cocoa cinnamon and chile in the other.

5. roll each into a log and coat the outside in sugar/salt/cocoa or anything

else that sounds good.

6. wrap each roll and chill for 1-2 hours.

7. preheat the oven to 325.

8. cut each log into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and place them on a baking sheet with

a decent amount of space between them. bake for about 15 minutes, or until

the bottoms just begin to brown. let cool completely before serving.