[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I'm a fan of my very simple rice cooker. It does specify different water levels for amounts of brown rice, with the amounts for "other rice" on the other side. When I've used brown rice for a stir-fry, I find that it is best if made a day ahead and refrigerated, which helps dry it out.

CWCdesign--I've been following Kenji Alt-Lopez's instructions for cooking beans from his book The Food Lab. He recommends adding salt when soaking the beans and also adding salt to cook the beans. That method has worked well for me. I always test-eat a bean at what is supposed to be the end of the cooking time to see if it has softened appropriately or if I need more time, perhaps at a bit higher heat.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the interesting article, with accompanying video, Aaron. When I bake the King Arthur pumpkin ginger braid (not challah but uses six braids), I do the six-strand braid that is specified. I have crib notes in that I bought the KABC mat that has the directions on it. While it helps to know which braid goes where, I think that there is more to it, in the positioning of the braids while working. This video gave me some ideas on how to place a strand before moving on to the next one.

A good friend, of more than 30 years once told me that it took a while for her to realize that Protestant was actually an umbrella term for a lot of different groups, with even the long-established denominations having splits within them. My friend passed away in December, four and a half years after a major stroke robbed her of so much of her life. I missed her then and miss her now.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--our local grocery store actually had some small organic pumpkins for sale. I cannot say I wasn't tempted, but I still have four pie pumpkins and that Long Island Cheese to cut, process, and freeze or use. I'm being held back by lack of freezer space, even though we have two refrigerators with freezers. I wish that I could figure out a place for a chest freezer.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I've posted the directions for making pumpkin puree in the recipe section. Let me know if anything is unclear.

I made muddled mashed potatoes on Wednesday to go with leftover turkey and gravy for dinner. We also had microwaved fresh broccoli. I made yogurt today as well.

[BakerAunt]

I also like a good Reuben.

Our dinner was leftover turkey, dressing, gravy, and (for me) cranberry-cherry relish, and microwaved fresh broccoli.

We had fog all day but temperatures in the high 40s.

[BakerAunt]

One of my spaghetti squashes was showing signs of going bad, so on Monday, I baked my considerably lightened up version of Ken Haedrich's Spaghetti Squash and Parmesan Cheese Quiche. I use a 10 1//2-inch quiche dish, having had an unhappy experience with the size recommended. I use my oil-buttermilk crust (have olive oil and half canola). I cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in olive oil rather than butter, and I use a 12 oz. can of 2% evaporated milk in place of a cup of half and half or milk and 1/3 cup of heavy cream. His recipe states 2 1//2 cups spaghetti squash, but if I'm going to roast a squash, I plan to use it all. The squash was 2 lbs. 14 oz, and I cut out a couple of bad spots before roasting. I probably had somewhat over 3 cups. I use 8 oz. mushrooms (recipe states 1 ½ cups). I used pre-grated 2% mozzarella on the top as I do not have cheddar or fontina. The only drawback to this recipe is that it takes about two hours of prep and another 45 minutes to bake. I started it after 10 a.m., so lunch will be late today, but on time for the rest of the week when I warm it up.

[BakerAunt]

Happy New Year, Everyone!

We will be having roast turkey, which my husband has wrestled into thawdom, in spite of six days in the refrigerator. I will make Pepperidge Farm Blue Bag Dressing. (Is there really any other kind?) and make some gravy from the turkey drippings. I plan to pull out some frozen green beans that came from our garden for the vegetable. We will have more apple cake for dessert.

[BakerAunt]

Citrus and olive oil goes very well together. Also, chocolate and olive oil--but that is another story. CWCdesign's proposed Meyer Lemon cake made me think of Miss Cindy and smile as I remembered her intrepidness in shipping Meyer Lemons to any Baking Circle Member who wanted some.

I had considered baking Whole Wheat Julekake, from Ken Haedrich's Home for the Holidays for New Year's breakfast, but since I baked that apple cake last night, I decided to wait and bake it for Twelfth Night or Epiphany. It calls for half an orange--peel and all! I'm planning on replacing the 4 Tbs. of butter with oil. I was thinking avocado, but olive oil might be an option.

[BakerAunt]

I baked a wholegrain apple cake in a 9x13 glass baking dish on Saturday. It's a recipe from an older cookbook, Recipes from the Old Mill, that I have adapted. This time, I increased the whole wheat percentage by another ¼ cup in my version that also uses barley flour. It was slightly warm when we cut some for dinner but as delicious as I remember. I bake it in a glass cake pan because the apples would affect the finish on the USA pan.

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on New Year's Eve, we had the rest of the Turkey-Zucchini loaf, with roasted sweet potato chunks and microwaved fresh broccoli. Earlier in the day, I made broth from the bones of the Thanksgiving turkey, which has been in the freezer, along with the turkey we will have on New Year's Day. I had to wait with the broth until I had more freezer space.

Joan--I hope your new daughter-in-law gets her luggage back eventually. It will travel more than she did this holiday!

Chocomouse--I do not think my stepson and his wife minded being in San Diego for a couple of extra days, but it was a bit of a problem as he did not have his work computer with him.

[BakerAunt]

I roasted potato chunks, tossed in olive oil and Penzey's Sunny Paris for dinner on Friday. We had them with more of the Turkey-Zucchini Loaf and the rest of the coleslaw.

My younger stepson and his wife had to stay a few extra days in San Diego because they flew Southwest. Tomorrow they will be able to fly home to Colorado Springs.

[BakerAunt]

Looks great, Mike! Are those snow peas?

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on Thursday, I made my Turkey-Zucchini Loaf with Peach-Dijon Mustard Glaze. I used 1 ½ cups zucchini that I froze back in October. Although it changes texture, it works in the meatloaf. I also roasted the last two honey nut squashes that I had from the farmers' market. We had coleslaw as well. Earlier in the day, I made yogurt.

[BakerAunt]

I made Crispy Oven Fish and Chips with Dill Tartar Sauce for dinner on Wednesday. The cod we found at Aldi's is especially good. I also made Buttermilk Coleslaw to go with it, using the smaller of the two farmers' market cabbages that I still have.

The temperature went above freezing today, for the first time since last Thursday. Temperatures are supposed to soar into the upper 40s tomorrow. The lake froze, but with the warmer temperatures and wind, it may not last. We still saw a few ice fishermen out, and we also saw a couple of ice boats near the shore.

[BakerAunt]

I love the Elizabeth Alston scone and biscuit cookbook, Aaron.

Mike--It's always special on that first bake with a new pan!

On Tuesday, I baked my Rustic Sourdough Whole Grain Bread in a Cloche again. Instead of an overnight rest period for the levain, I shortened it to four hours to see how that changes the flavor. I also added an extra ¼ cup of water at the start, which made mixing easier, but it still needed another tablespoon of water when I added the salt after incorporating the whole grains and allowing them to rest for 15 minutes. I increased the second rise from 35 to 40 minutes and once again spritzed with water. I baked covered for 52 minutes at 425F, starting with a cold oven. It tested at 195F after that time, so I returned it to the oven for another minute. Once again, it is a lovely rustic loaf.

[Author]

Posts