Derivative Taste

This week marked my first attempt at homemade bread. I loosely followed this recipe, but made a couple key changes. Instead of using part whole wheat flour and part “bread flour”, I used all whole wheat flour. Additionally, I sub’d out the butter and used canola oil in its place.

Also of noteworthiness, the recipe claims to make 3 9x5 loaves. However, if you want a loaf that will be large enough to use for sandwiches and what not, this recipe will really only make 2 9x5 loaves.

One important thing that I learned is that the temperature of the water is actually pretty important. First attempt (with nearly boiling water) killed the yeast and resulted in poor results during the first rise. On the second attempt, with the water at exactly 110F, the yeast thrived. The point is that its worth the extra time to pull out a thermometer and check the temperature.

Since I don’t really eat a lot of bread to begin with (but enjoy really good bread when I do), I froze the second loaf after it went through the first rise and was formed into the 9x5 pan. When it comes time to bake the loaf, you just simply remove the pan from the freezer, let thaw completely in the fridge, let rise at room temperature for an hour or two until it is the appropriate height/volume, and then bake as usual. The yeast will only last a month or two in the freezer, so be sure to use it within that time frame.

Really though, home made whole wheat bread was surprisingly easy to make. And the flavor is just so much better than any store bought brand that I just can’t go back to Miltons/Pepperidge Farms/(insert name here). Nothing like the smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread! Try it for yourself!

With the recent start up of winter classes, and beginning my new job as of January 1st, I have unfortunately not been able to spend as much time in the kitchen as I would like. However, I have been able to make a few good meals over the past couple weeks.

POACHED EGGS OVER AVOCADO, HERBED GOAT CHEESE, RED ONION, & SMOKED SALMON

(Ignore the poor execution on the poached egg in the background). The bread was a oatmeal and raisin whole wheat loaf that I purchased from the local Davis farmers market. The baker that I generally purchase from will usually have a box full of what they call “day old” loaves for like a 1/4 the price of the “fresh” loaves. However, I honestly cannot tell any difference in quality so always purchase the lowly “day old” bread. Can’t beat $2 for a whole loaf of oatmeal raisin bread!

ROASTED TOMATO AND GUACAMOLE SOUP

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

This soup was AMAZING. Quite possibly the best tomato soup I have ever had. I followed the recipe to the T, and wow. Also includes a recipe for some quality guacamole, definitely make more than it calls for so you have extra to put on tacos, sandwiches, etc.

Side note: Soup in the picture is fairly thick/chunky, which is how I prefer it. Some people prefer a thinner/more homogenized soup, in which case just add more stock and/or blend longer.

BBQ MEAT LOAF

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

First of all, just trust me in the fact that it tasted much much better than it looks. I swear. And as much as I usually love to bash on all things Martha Stewart, this meat loaf actually turned out really well. Granted, its pretty hard to screw up meat loaf….The only things I changed to the recipe was substituting whole wheat bread for the white bread, and using BBQ sauce in place of the ketchup. And on that note, I found a new go-to BBQ sauce, Jimmy T’s (click for link). They are local to the area here (Roseville, CA) and have several amazing varieties. They are slowly getting their products into the various regional grocery chains (ie. Nugget), so definitely check them out if you are in the area. Jimmy himself happened to be doing a tasting at the local Nugget grocery store the day that I went, and I got to try all the varieties. The standard BBQ sauce was by far the best, with the Cabernet meat marinade as another standout.