[BakerAunt]

I got it because I recall reading about it somewhere. There are benefits to reading all the food emails I receive.

[BakerAunt]

Interesting article on pizza--particularly, Detroit style:

https://www.tastecooking.com/future-pizza-crunchy-square/

[BakerAunt]

On Friday, I baked a batch of Hot Cross Buns using my own recipe, but I used white whole wheat flour this time and increased the whole grains. They came out well, but I think that I will increase the cinnamon from 1 to 1 ½ tsp. next time. I do a full frosting of the tops rather than make crosses, but some day, I may do a frosting cross on top of the frosting.

On Friday I also baked, for the first time, Stella Parks’ recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread. I was unable to find a listing on my Cuisinart Food Processor for how many cups it holds, and the recipe calls for a 14-cup processor. I have the DLC-7 Super Pro. In looking through the manual (yes, I still have it 30 years after I received it), I read that the processor can handle 8 cup bread recipes with regular flour or 5 cup recipes with whole wheat flour. As this recipe uses 3 ½ cups whole wheat, I decided that I could knead the dough in one batch, and that is what I did. I reduced the salt slightly to 10 grams. I do not have instant yeast, so after I put the dough into the food processor, I put in the brown sugar, then put the salt on one side. I proofed my yeast with the water and a bit of the reserved brown sugar, then poured that on the other side. Next time, I might drizzle it in through the feed tube. After I did the 75 second processing, I poured the oil in through the feed tube while processing. It was a somewhat sticky dough, and I did not enjoy getting the processor blade cleaned off, but the dough did come out of the bowl relatively easily. I did two pre-shapes of the loaf; next time, I’ll just do one. The loaf baked well, with only a slight bit of sinking along the center after it came out. I’ll report on taste tomorrow.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I missed it. My educated guess turned out to be not so educated.

[BakerAunt]

On Friday, I again roasted sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil for 30 minutes, then drizzled them with maple syrup and roasted an additional thirty minutes. However, I was also baking bread, which needed to go into the oven sooner than expected, so I pulled the sweet potatoes out after the first half hour before returning them to the oven with the maple syrup drizzle 45 minutes later to complete the last half hour of roasting. It worked.

[BakerAunt]

For Thursday night's dinner, I made my healthier version of my mother's hamburger stroganoff, which we had over a mix of brown and a mixed rice blend (a combination that Bob's Red Mill does not appear to sell anymore.) We had microwaved fresh broccoli as the side dish.

[BakerAunt]

I had a leftover zucchini, so I used half of it to try a new recipe on Thursday: KAF’s Zucchini Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars. The batter is made in the food processor, and chunks of zucchini are processed with an egg and oil to make a smooth concoction before adding the rest of the ingredients. I used KAF’s option of white whole wheat flour. I added 2 Tbs. Flax meal and 2 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill powdered milk. I cut the salt form ¾ to ½ tsp. and did not sprinkle any on top. I used 6 oz. rather than 5 oz. zucchini. My major change was to cut the chocolate chips from 2 cups to about ¾ cup (120g), in order to reduce the saturated fat from that source. I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (3.5 g saturated fat per 15 grams of weight.) As dark chocolate can be overwhelming, cutting it down worked for taste as well as cutting saturated fat. We each had a slice for dessert tonight, and the recipe is a keeper—especially when zucchini season comes around.

[BakerAunt]

Mike--I tried looking up farro on the internet, and apparently there are three different varieties and some variation in spelling. What I use is sold by Bob's Red Mill. In appearance, it looks somewhat like pearl barley. The package gives two ways of cooking it. I follow the method of rinsing it well, then adding it to boiling water or broth and simmering, covered for 30 minutes. If the broth is not absorbed, I cook it down. The other method calls for soaking overnight, then cooking for about 10 minutes.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday afternoon, I baked a double recipe of my Lower-Fat, Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers from the dough I made last week.

[BakerAunt]

It's great to hear from you, Cass!

For dinner on Tuesday night, I made my Dijon and Peach Glazed Turkey and Zucchini Loaf. I doubled the zucchini, doubled the adobo seasoning, increased the oats by 50% and did the same with the glaze recipe. To go with it, I experimented with a farro risotto. I began by cooking 1 cup of farro in 3 cups of my homemade chicken/turkey broth. Meanwhile, I sautéed cut carrots and celery, then sliced mushrooms in grapeseed oil. I added green onions at the end. When the farro had cooked for 30 minutes, I uncovered and boiled off most of the liquid, before adding the faro to the vegetable mixture. I then grated some Parmesan and stirred it in. We liked it a lot, and it made a perfect accompaniment to the glazed turkey loaf.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--I sometimes use tomato paste from a tube to spread on the pizza crust. I've also brushed it with olive oil and put sliced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes on it.

I use part-skim mozzarella on my pizza as well as freshly grated Parmesan. For a pizza made on a half-sheet, I use 4 oz. That keeps my serving to 1 oz. per meal.

The part-skim mozzarella has been the best that I could find here for a lower saturated fat cheese. However, today, I found pre-grated 2% cheese at Kroger in the larger town where we do our grocery run. I'm planning to try it for a black bean burger recipe. I'm not sure that I could find vegan cheese in this area, even if I wanted it. I'll stick to lower-fat cheeses because I also need to get a good amount of calcium from foods I eat--especially in light of a recent nutritional study that calls into questions whether supplements actually provide the benefits of consuming vitamins and minerals in real food. Sigh.

[BakerAunt]

This thread contains so much neat stuff!

My mother always saved bacon grease and used it. She fried chicken in it. She seasoned green beans. She used it in cornbread. Until I got hit with the high cholesterol numbers, I saved it also. I would use a little to saute onion to get some flavor in clam chowder or a bean soup. I'll probably have at least a few BLTs this summer, but the grease will be sopped up with a paper towel and thrown away.

Fat clogs were a problem for the city when I lived in Lubbock. They had a special truck for cleaning them out.

A friend of my husband's there had a vehicle re-engineered to run on used cooking oil. However, he gave up on it because the local restaurants--unlike the place where he had lived in California--either were not willing to strain it or left it out in containers in the alley where people would dump in other stuff. We had a renter here in Indiana, who when he moved left container after container of used cooking oil in the kitchen. We actually took it back to Texas and gave it to the friend.

Joan's story reminds me of when my husband wanted to cut something and reached toward my embroidery scissors. He'd never seen me move that fast. I now keep them out of sight.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I got it. I didn't want to run back to the apt. for the calculator (computer is in the still being remodeled house), so I worked it out with pen and paper.

[BakerAunt]

Mike--I think that it's the weight of the spelt flour that KAF has incorrect in the recipe. I might drop them a note.

I also would like to know about Len's basket weave shaping technique.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Like Len, I was able to deduce. I thought about different kinds of cheese and what might be done in making all cheeses.

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