We went to a party this afternoon and early evening, so no need to cook. Our area is under a heat advisory due to heat and humidity. We may get some relief on Monday.
Organizing the kitchen cabinets, of which there do not appear to be enough (are there ever?), will be a work in progress. I've tried some items in some spots, then ended up moving them. I still have a lot to unpack as well.
It is nice to see all my cookbooks again. However, I'm moving most of the cake, pie, and cookie ones to a bookcase in the apt., since I am still limiting butter in my diet. For inside the house, I've prioritized the bread books and cookbooks that will help me expand my healthy entrée and side dish repertoire.
So far, I am pleased with my Wolf oven. Every item I've baked has done very well and baked evenly. It has three racks, and these are not the simple ones that just slide in and out. They have an assembly that allows the rack to be completely pulled forward from the oven without tilting or falling out. (That explains why Wolf is so insistent on installing the anti-tip mechanism.) I will probably keep the top rack out of the oven, since I usually bake on the center rack, but I'm not sure where to store it, given its bulkiness. I haven't tried the convection feature yet; if I do, I'll put that shelf back. These are not the kind of shelves you want to be moving once the oven is heated.
I like the burners on the top as well, which seem to me more easily controlled than those on my old Thermador, but that may be because burner technology has advanced from 2001.
Italian Cook--I realized that I never answered your poking question. I did not do a lot of poking. I'd say a moderate amount is all that is needed.
Among the cookbooks I’ve unpacked is Martha Stewart’s Healthy Quick Cook. I have green lentils, so I made the “Cold Lentil Salad” to go with my tuna fish sandwich for lunch. I had to omit the parsley, as I had none. The salad needs it, so when I’m at the grocery tomorrow, I’ll buy some and add it.
Note: I added the parsley, but now I think that it could use some vinegar.
BakerAunt.
I missed it.
On Friday afternoon, I made three 8 oz. and one 4-oz. jar of black raspberry jam and canned it. Ninety percent of these berries came from the terrace in front of our house; the rest my husband picked one day in his woods. We had planned to go out and pick more, but with the slower schedule on our house, we did not get the chance. We hope to go blackberry picking as soon as the berries ripen. We have some on the terrace, but since we like seeded blackberry jam, I need a lot in order to get at least 3 ½ cups jam.
Friday morning I baked my standard "knead in the bread machine" bread. For the grains this time, I used 3/4 cup rolled 5-grain cereal and 1/4 cup malted wheat flakes and 2 Tbs. wheat bran--all of which I soaked in 1 cup buttermilk. I further reduced the salt to 3/4 tsp. and the honey to 1 Tbs. I used 2 Tbs. olive oil. I've had hydration issues with this recipe, so I used just 1/2 cup water, but I needed to add 2 Tbs. more. I've realized that this bread bakes better at 375F for 40-45 minutes. We will use it for sandwiches for supper tonight.
Chocomouse--We were able to move back into the house a week ago yesterday. I'm moving items from the apt., but I'm also unpacking items that I haven' seen for two years. It's rather like Christmas!
Ah, I selected correctly, probably because I've read about it somewhere.
I baked cornmeal seeded crispbread on Thursday morning. I had planned to bake bread, but I got caught up in unpacking more of my cookbooks, as well as arranging some of the shelves in the kitchen and unpacking and putting in some of the dishes.
I suspect that you are correct: the top would be soggy. What you need is one of those small ovens that does not heat up the entire place--or else the ability to cook the apple crisp in the slow cooker, then crisp the top in the toaster oven.
I made a zucchini-tomato-mushroom pizza. The details are in the "Substituting Asiago for Gruyere" thread.
Missed it.
The pizza turned out very well. I used my usual sourdough crust, and I only used about 1 1/2 pounds of grated zucchini. After I let it drain, I wrapped it in a linen towel (a green one) and soaked out as much of the rest of the water as I could. I brushed the pizza crust with olive oil, then distributed the zucchini. I put some sliced tomatoes on top (I let the slices sit on paper towels prior to using them to remove excess moisture). I sprinkled heavily with the Penzey's Frozen Pizza topping, since it does not seem to me to have that much flavor. I added sliced mushrooms, then 4 oz. grated asiago, then shredded Parmesan on top. I added freshly ground black pepper, then into a 425F oven for 20 minutes. I baked it in a half-sheet pan. My husband and stepdaughter both loved it. I'll make this variation again when I am blessed with zucchini.
Thanks, Mike. All I have in the house is low-fat mozzarella (in the freezer--thanks for that tip!) and 2% cheddar, which I had to buy grated (with the usual additive), as no one around here carries 2% cheese. The comments on the recipe suggest that mozzarella, in combination with the zucchini, is too bland. I have the asiago because I bought it for a bread recipe that I'd made twice and was going to bake again--and then I had to reduce saturated fat in my diet, so it has been sitting in the refrigerator, unopened. With a third person here, it's a chance to get help eating it.
I have only a little less than 1 1/4 pounds of the zucchini, so I'll use4 oz. of the asiago and some Parmesan. I've decided to try sliced tomato (drained on paper towels) and sliced mushrooms on top of the zucchini. I'll probably use that "frozen pizza" seasoning and perhaps a bit of garlic powder.
I deduced the correct answer.
