29 January 2011
27 January 2011
Things are Changing Again
Despite my original excitement to add a new page to my blog, the Weekly Fare page is unruly and a pain to update.
So... I will post my weekly menu right here on the blog each week. Look for the newest menu on Monday.
So... I will post my weekly menu right here on the blog each week. Look for the newest menu on Monday.
19 January 2011
Check out my newest side bar feature: Weekly Fare
Ryan and I both love to cook and we do our best to keep life interesting by constantly experimenting or trying new recipes. Each week we plan a new menu and with luck, we prepare several new dishes. Sometimes, the menu is thrown out the window with late nights at work or just a craving for take-out.
Each week I will update my "Weekly Fare" with a rundown of our latest meals.
For now, it is simple, but I hope to revamp the design in the near future.
Each week I will update my "Weekly Fare" with a rundown of our latest meals.
For now, it is simple, but I hope to revamp the design in the near future.
17 January 2011
When traveling abroad, my favorite places to visit are the food markets, bakeries, and grocery stories. In Asia, my eyes are usually wide with disbelief as I take in the very foreignness of everyday foods. In Italy, especially during my first trip, I am typically searching for the treats my grandparents brought back to us after their visits. I'm not sure if I first picked up a bag of taralli because it look familiar or just because they looked good... but ever since, I've been hooked.
Taralli is a difficult food to describe. Rolled out, boiled, then baked, it is a snack food reminiscent of a pretzel. However, they are made with white wine and olive oil, so they look quite different and do not taste much like a pretzel. In looking for a recipe for this snack, I learned that many Italians eat taralli as a sweet snack - dipping it in icing and adding sugar to the dough. I stuck with the savory version: one batch plain with olive oil and salt, another with crushed fennel seeds.
Rolling out the dough was quite difficult, as it handled like a pastry dough and tended to separate. I ended up rolling the dough flat and cutting it into strips. Once cut, I shaped the dough into ribbons and prepared them for their quick swim in a pot of boiling water.
After boiling, the taralli are baked for about 20 minutes or until golden.
TARALLI WITH FENNEL
Adapted from Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm white wine
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
1 cup Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lightly crushed fennel seeds
Instructions:
In a large bowl, scatter yeast over a mixture of white wine and water; leave for several minutes to bubble up, then stir to mix well.
Add flour, semolina, olive oil, and salt. Mix together, then turn onto an unfloured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of water if dough is too dry.
Lightly oil a clean, dry bowl, and return dough. Lightly oil the top, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 45 minutes or until puffy.
Divide the dough into two portions. Add fennel seeds to one portion. Knead to incorporate.
Divid dough into small portions. Roll each into a long, slim pencil, cut into 3-inch lengths, and pinch the two ends firmly together to form a ring or ribbon.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the taralli in, a few at a time. When the taralli rise, remove and drain on a kitchen towel.
Arrange boiled taralli on a greased cookie sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
Taralli is a difficult food to describe. Rolled out, boiled, then baked, it is a snack food reminiscent of a pretzel. However, they are made with white wine and olive oil, so they look quite different and do not taste much like a pretzel. In looking for a recipe for this snack, I learned that many Italians eat taralli as a sweet snack - dipping it in icing and adding sugar to the dough. I stuck with the savory version: one batch plain with olive oil and salt, another with crushed fennel seeds.
Rolling out the dough was quite difficult, as it handled like a pastry dough and tended to separate. I ended up rolling the dough flat and cutting it into strips. Once cut, I shaped the dough into ribbons and prepared them for their quick swim in a pot of boiling water.
After boiling, the taralli are baked for about 20 minutes or until golden.
TARALLI WITH FENNEL
Adapted from Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm white wine
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
1 cup Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lightly crushed fennel seeds
Instructions:
In a large bowl, scatter yeast over a mixture of white wine and water; leave for several minutes to bubble up, then stir to mix well.
Add flour, semolina, olive oil, and salt. Mix together, then turn onto an unfloured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of water if dough is too dry.
Lightly oil a clean, dry bowl, and return dough. Lightly oil the top, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 45 minutes or until puffy.
Divide the dough into two portions. Add fennel seeds to one portion. Knead to incorporate.
Divid dough into small portions. Roll each into a long, slim pencil, cut into 3-inch lengths, and pinch the two ends firmly together to form a ring or ribbon.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the taralli in, a few at a time. When the taralli rise, remove and drain on a kitchen towel.
Arrange boiled taralli on a greased cookie sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
12 January 2011
I am very surprised that many folks up north are not familiar with the King Cake. After living in New Orleans, the cake is an annual staple not to be missed... but had I not wandered south, it's likely that I, too, wouldn't know much about the tradition.
A brief primer:
Borrowing a Spanish custom (which some say 16th century France adopted as well), the Creoles served King Cake at balls held on the sixth of January (the Epiphany). Baked inside each cake, was a small object, usually a ring or a bean. The person who got the lucky slice containing the ring or the bean became king or queen of the ball. With their chosen partner, the two would reign as monarchs of the party, and would be responsible for hosting the next ball.
In New Orleans today, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. Small plastic babies have replaced the more traditional ring or bean. The search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered.
While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.
Everything old is new again in the world of King Cakes. While the traditional Creole King Cakes are made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar, in recent years, French bakeries in the New Orleans area have begun selling cakes like the ones made in France: made from a brioche dough and containing an almond paste filling. It looks different but tastes wonderful.
--History of King Cake adapted from WWLTV and www.holidays.net/mardigras/cake
A brief primer:
Borrowing a Spanish custom (which some say 16th century France adopted as well), the Creoles served King Cake at balls held on the sixth of January (the Epiphany). Baked inside each cake, was a small object, usually a ring or a bean. The person who got the lucky slice containing the ring or the bean became king or queen of the ball. With their chosen partner, the two would reign as monarchs of the party, and would be responsible for hosting the next ball.
In New Orleans today, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. Small plastic babies have replaced the more traditional ring or bean. The search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered.
While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.
Everything old is new again in the world of King Cakes. While the traditional Creole King Cakes are made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar, in recent years, French bakeries in the New Orleans area have begun selling cakes like the ones made in France: made from a brioche dough and containing an almond paste filling. It looks different but tastes wonderful.
--History of King Cake adapted from WWLTV and www.holidays.net/mardigras/cake
10 January 2011
On Thursday, January 6th, Christians celebrated the Epiphany; the holy day commemorating the Three Kings' visit to baby Jesus. Of course, this is just one belief, as the reason for the celebration and accompanying traditions vary throughout the world.
In Italy, Nonno recalls receiving his only holiday gifts on the eve of the Epiphany; small treats, such as tangerines, were taken from the Christmas tree, where they served as decorations, and placed in the children's shoes. According to Italian myth, these treats were delivered by Befana (deriving from the word Epiphania), an old woman known to give gifts on the eve of the Epiphany.
In Louisiana, the Epiphany is important because it marks the beginning of carnival season. And besides beads and boobs, this time of the year is best known for king cakes. To show my reverence for the the Louisiana tradition, I baked my first king cake of the season.
In Italy, Nonno recalls receiving his only holiday gifts on the eve of the Epiphany; small treats, such as tangerines, were taken from the Christmas tree, where they served as decorations, and placed in the children's shoes. According to Italian myth, these treats were delivered by Befana (deriving from the word Epiphania), an old woman known to give gifts on the eve of the Epiphany.
In popular folklore, Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their socks with candy and presents. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana. --- Italian Christmas tradition of “La Befana”
In Louisiana, the Epiphany is important because it marks the beginning of carnival season. And besides beads and boobs, this time of the year is best known for king cakes. To show my reverence for the the Louisiana tradition, I baked my first king cake of the season.
03 January 2011
2011
Happy New Year!
A Document of Days fizzled out at the end of 2010, but I hope it welcomes 2011 with a bang! I am rethinking my posts and hope to have the blog up and running on a regular schedule in 2011.
A Document of Days fizzled out at the end of 2010, but I hope it welcomes 2011 with a bang! I am rethinking my posts and hope to have the blog up and running on a regular schedule in 2011.
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