THE CAFE

When a recipe calls for a packet of yeast, just use 2-1/4 teaspoons. The bread should be sliced and eaten within 30 minutes of the oven. Alternatively, let the bread cool, then cut into thick slices and wrap in one or more foil packets. Just before serving, reheat the slices right in the foil at 350F for 12 -15 minutes. Freeze remaining packets for serving another day.

I prefer it toasted with peanut butter. Outstanding and so easy! I am a beginner at bread and this recipe/method made me feel like a pro.

(My first attempt at this recipe is pictured below.)

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and water. With a hand-held mixer, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. (Time yourself, 3 minutes takes forever with such an easy job.) Add the remaining flour and mix until fully blended. If the dough gets so thick it wants to ‘climb’ the beaters, stop, remove the beaters, and use a wooden spoon to finish blending. The dough will be thick and heavy.

Grease a 1-1/2 or 2-quart casserole dish and dust with cornmeal. Add dough and arrange evenly (it’ll be thick and heavy, this needn’t be perfect). Sprinkle with cornmeal.
Cover with a light towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 – 60 minutes, until bread roughly doubles in size.

Some time midway through preparation, preheat oven to 400F. Remove the towel and bake for 30 – 45 minutes until top is golden. Turn onto a cooling rack.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 170 Cal; 5g Protein; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 36g Carb; 1g Fiber; 149mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points

www.kitchenparade.com 

If you measure your flour by dipping the cup into the bag or canister, and sweeping off the excess. This will give you up to 3 to 4 tablespoons additional flour, per cup, than the sprinkle-and-sweep method.

Guaranteed baking success starts with measuring flour the RIGHT way. A properly measured cup of flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces. Please follow the steps below when measuring flour by volume.

Julia Child: Cooking with Master Chefs

In COOKING WITH MASTER CHEFS, Julia Child visits sixteen nationally acclaimed master chefs in their own kitchens. Each chef demonstrates distinct techniques, regional recipes, and culinary tips which guide home cooks through their favorite recipes. Expertly preparing each dish and teaching with passion along the way, the master chefs offer the viewer a unique and inspirational learning experience.

For more than 40 years, Julia Child and public television have inspired Americans how to create culinary masterpieces in their kitchens. Now you can view Julia’s recipe collection and watch other popular PBS cooking programs online. Bon appetit!

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Bacon Improvement

A simple glaze of brown sugar and orange juice can take breakfast favorite to sublime heights.

By Adam Ried  |  September 23, 2007

Bacon may just be as good as it gets. It's rich, meaty, fatty, smoky, and faintly sweet - in short, right on the doorstep of decadence. With a profile like that, is there room for improvement? Surprisingly, yes. All it takes is a bit of brown sugar, a few drops of orange juice, and a turn in the oven. This magical combination yields lacquered bacon, a.k.a. glazed or candied or sugared bacon, an unexpected case of gilding the lily. This simple glaze gives bacon a luxurious, irresistible sheen. And it treats the taste buds to new dimensions of flavor while accentuating the qualities that are already there, elevating bacon from decadent to sublime.

BROWN SUGAR LACQUERED BACON
SERVES 8 (2 OR 3 STRIPS PER PERSON)

1 pound (ANY BRAND) thick sliced bacon
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons orange juice

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a large wire rack in the pan. Arrange the bacon slices on the rack and roast until the bacon renders some of its fat and the slices shrink significantly, about 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE MUSTARD

1. 2 tablespoons POWDERED MUSTARD (.5 cup)
2. 1 tablespoon SUGAR (.25 cup)
3. 1 tablespoon Distilled WHITE VINEGAR (.25 cup)
4. 1/4 teaspoon KOSHER SALT (1 teaspoons)

STORE IN A COOL, DARK PLACE FOR 2 WEEKS. TASTE. IF STILL TOO BITTER, LEAVE IT ALONE FOR ANOTHER WEEK.

ONCE READY, SCRAPE INTO A BOTTLE/JAR AND STORE IN FRIDGE UP TO 3 MONTHS.

Homemade Finnish Mustard

Mustard only comes in garish-yellow plastic squeeze bottles and pricey shelf-stable jars, yes? No more! Here's a homemade mustard for special occasions, made with just a few pantry ingredients and a quick stir on the stove.

For a sweet-hot, soft and smoothable mustard, make this an hour or two before serving. Once refrigerated, the mustard thickens and its heat moderates. It will soften again if left out but not as much as at first.

• 5 tablespoons hot dry mustard powder (such as Colman’s English Mustard) I used $1 drugstore dry mustard powder!
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

In a bowl, smash together the mustard, sugar and salt with the back of a spoon, working out all the lumps and combining thoroughly. Transfer to a medium saucepan and set heat to medium low. A tablespoon at a time, add the cream, incorporating each spoonful before adding another. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring nearly constantly. When it boils, cook at a low boil for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and darkens a bit. Let cool and transfer to a serving container or glass jar for the refrigerator. Will keep a week or so.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Tablespoon: 55Cal; 4g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 13mg Cholesterol; 100mg Sodium; 5g Carb; g 0Fiber; 4g Sugar; 0g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

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Adapted from Falling Cloudberries

Approximate Hands-On Time: 22 min.; Total Time: 47 min.

Whisk warm milk into the flour mixture to ensure a lump-free sauce. For extra creamy sauce use Velveeta + shredded Cheddar equally.  The secret that makes this recipe rock is the cayenne pepper & mustard powder. (I use dollar bottles from CVS & Spartan—delicious)

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  cups  milk

• 2  tablespoons  butter

• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour

• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground white pepper

• 1 teaspoon EACH dry mustard powder + cayenne pepper or more to taste

• 1  (10-oz.) block extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded or pre-shredded works fine.

• 1/2  (16-oz.) package elbow macaroni, cooked 8 OZ TOTAL

Preparation

1. WHISK FLOUR INTO BUTTER

Microwave milk at HIGH for 1 ½  minutes. Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.

2. WHISK IN WARM MILK

Gradually whisk in warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.

3. WHISK IN CHEESE

Whisk in salt, peppers, dry mustard, 1 cup shredded cheese (or ½ cup Velveeta + ½ cup cheddar, until smooth; stir in pasta. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining cheese.

4.  Place under broiler until golden and bubbly.  Enjoy!!!

Beer Bread

Yield = 1 standard loaf pan or 3 mini pans

butter for greasing the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 beer, I like Magic Hat #9 or any amber ale or Bass or whatever
4 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

2. Grease a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan (a standard loaf pan) with softened butter.

3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add beer, stir until combined and place in prepared pan.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375ºF and bake for 30 minutes longer (or less) or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Let bread sit in pan.

 http://www.alexandracooks.com/2010/01/07/vermont-cheddar-cheese-soup-beer-bread-yum-yum/