[BakerAunt]

My husband has been working hard sanding and applying polyurethane coats to bookcases that we had built for the study, since we could not find any bookcases that fit the need and were solid wood. Our contractor will install them next week. To thank my husband, I baked a cherry pie on Saturday night. I used my oil-buttermilk crust, the filling recipe from Baking Illustrated (from Cooks Illustrated), my adaptation of the streusel topping from Carol Walter’s pie book, as well as my adaptation of her technique from her Blueberry Streusel pie. I used three jars of Dark Morella cherries that we found at Aldi’s earlier this year. (I have another three jars in the pantry). These are equivalent to those I used to get at Trader Joe’s whenever I was near one. For the streusel, I replaced 1/3 cup melted butter with 1 Tbs. melted butter and 3 Tbs. avocado oil. We will cut into the pie for dessert tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

On Saturday I made a large pot (1 ½ times my usual recipe) of split pea soup with ham, carrots, celery, and dehydrated onion (the last in deference to my husband). I seasoned it with thyme and marjoram. It as a good meal for a cool, overcast day with a few dribbles of rain. We have plenty to eat throughout the next week.

[BakerAunt]

I seem to recall that Skeptic does not have a stand mixer. The member whose mixer is out for repairs is Italian Cook.

[BakerAunt]

Mike--are these the tomato plants that had the iron deficiency earlier?

We have lettuce coming up in the garden. The snow peas have also started to come up. We had a week of temperature getting into the frost/freeze zone at night, so the tomato and pepper plants are still in the house.

My husband saved some seed from the honeynut butternut squash that I bought at the farmers' market last year. We will try planting some and see what happens.

[BakerAunt]

We were out of bread, so I baked two loaves of Len’s Semolina Rye on Friday afternoon. The loaves have better rise if I preheat the oven to 400F, then drop the temperature to 375F after I put in the loaves. As the bread was baking, my husband came down the stairs and exclaimed, "Those smell so good!"

[BakerAunt]

I made another batch of yogurt on Friday. In a moment of absentmindedness, I used the Baker’s Special Dry Milk instead of the Bob’s Red Mill milk powder. I add the milk powder before I heat the milk. My first thought was that I would not be able to get it mixed in, but it whisked to a smooth consistency. When I heated the mixture, I noted that I did not have as much residue as usual sticking to the sides of the pan. The yogurt is now incubating. I hope that there will be no off taste when I eat a jar at breakfast tomorrow. I will add a note to this post tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I baked my version of the KABC Dutch Oven Dinner Rolls in my Emile Henry ceramic crock. I cut the salt further, so it is now ¾ tsp. rather than 1 ¼ tsp., and I increased the water to 1//3 cup and the buttermilk by another tablespoon. We had some at dinner with leftover soup.

[BakerAunt]

I tried a new recipe for dinner on Wednesday, “Skillet Chicken Thighs with Broccoli and Orzo,” from The New York Times. I had read the comments, so I deleted the lemon, as many people said it overwhelmed the dish. I increased the recipe as I wanted to cook six rather than four chicken thighs. I ended up doubling the other ingredients, except for the broccoli, as I was 8 oz. short of what I would have used. I also followed the suggestion by commentators not to let it finish cooking covered on the stove but to put it uncovered in a 425F oven for 15 minutes. I used ½ tsp. dried thyme in place of 2 tsp. fresh. If I were to make it again, I would increase the dried thyme to 1 tsp. We like the recipe well enough that I will likely make it again. The downside is browning the chicken in the pan at the start, as that sends grease everywhere. I now need to clean the stove top.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I made dough for another batch of my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers (Baker Aunt’s Crackers). I’ll bake them in five or six days. I am trying to keep up with my husband's consumption of them.

Aaron--Consider trying the Rye and Barley Crispbread. It makes 32 large squares which might slow the consumption a bit, as do the whole grains and the seeds on top.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Dinner on Tuesday was salmon and couscous with Penzey’s Greek Seasoning, mixed greens salad with carrots; and microwaved fresh broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

Mark Bittman weighs in. This is an article and also has a recording of an interview he gave on All Things Considered:

https://www.bittmanproject.com/p/epicurious-and-eleven-madison-park?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMTAxMzQwNywicG9zdF9pZCI6MzYyNTQ1NzYsIl8iOiJyRklVMCIsImlhdCI6MTYyMDc0MzYyOCwiZXhwIjoxNjIwNzQ3MjI4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMTc1MzY2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.oQ78cQuerHOcpdacYgmAIZwWYPcujyjG6Ws5u8HPonA&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#play

[BakerAunt]

My guess is that just as you would cream butter with sugar, so you "cream" the oil with the sugar. I have also noted that in a lot of oil cake recipes.

Black pepper is also an ingredient in the German Pfeffernusse cookies. I have a gingerbread cookie that uses a dash of cayenne.

I need to bake those rye ginger cookies again. They are delicious.

[BakerAunt]

I'm not sure about the relationship between Bon Appetit and Epicurious. An email from Bon Appetit this evening is full of beef recipes. I assumed both magazines are owned by Conde Nast but perhaps operate independently from each other?

[BakerAunt]

I baked my Lime Pecan Biscotti on Sunday, incorporating the changes I made last time, which uses 2/3 white whole wheat flour and more lime juice.

I also baked my Rye and Barley Crispbread (recipe here at Nebraska Kitchen). This time I topped them with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, since sesame seed seems to be an issue for my husband.

[BakerAunt]

For lunch on Sunday, I made Creamy Tomato Soup (do not recall where I found this recipe), using fire roasted crushed tomatoes, evaporated milk, and 1 cup of turkey stock. I seasoned it with Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset and ¼ tsp. of their roasted garlic. I had some with a bowl of popcorn—one of my favorite rainy-day lunches.

It rained most of the night here, and we are still getting some light rain. It was 37F this morning. We needed the rain, and it is perfect weather for being in the kitchen.

[Author]

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