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Foodie Thread

 
 
 
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Pecan pie bars.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
Make a yeast starter (as you would with beer) half an hour before starting. Your yeast, and a little of the sugar (needs very little, half a tsp) and a little water. Your yeast comes out of its dormant state and starts dividing in top gear. It is then ready to feed off your bread, not yawning and wondering where it is.
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This has always been my question, is there a way to test if the yeast is decent before doing a bread? Nothing worse than going through the motions and after 60 minutes you are boned.
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That's what the starter does. If your yeast was completely dead, you would know. If it's just that most of it is dead, the live ones have a chance to breed up before you send them into action.

Those are lovely looking loaves.
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Thanks. Based on what I've learned, I'll be tackling the pumpernickel again next weekend. I don't think that has any whole grain, rather it is rye flour, but I'll be paying special attention to the moisture.

I'm voting with intuition. I have always been "afraid" of bread. Followed recipes religiously.

This was the first time I felt I knew what I should be seeing, and kneaded in flour until I had the texture I thought I should have. Also, this time I had the patience to let it prove properly, both times. I will be pinching your microwave trick.
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I wish my Father-in-law didn't toss their old microwave. It was probably made in the early 80s, and you could rise two loaves in a pan and still have room for a 20 pound turkey, and a Fiat!
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:D I have used a microwave as a makeshift Esky before, but your bread idea is genius.
 
2 foodie things.

1/. Bread report.

That first acceptable loaf I made turned out to be only 19% rye. It was a Laucke bread, and while I am still rapt to have had the experience of producing a usable loaf, it's not the same as doing so under 100% rye conditions. So on Friday I bought 10 kilos of rye flour and tried again. It would have been perfect if I hadn't let the tea towel drape on the top during the second proving. It suppressed the rise. On the other hand, I have baked my first square loaf. :)


2/. If you mix preserved ginger, glace cherries, good quality cocoa, coconut oil and shredded coconut and stick it in the fridge for half an hour, you risk diabetes and heart disease, but you will die happy.

PS I just reminded myself that was in the fridge. It is NOT a breakfast food!
 
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Last night's dinner was very simple - but oh so yummy.

A Pork Sirloin Steak, Pan fried - and at the end I tossed in some minced ginger and chillies, which created a little flavouring for the Bok Choy I tossed in the hot juices, served with a cob of corn. That was it.

There is no need for complex quantities of ingredients when making a nice dinner, but it's still fun to create. :D
 
Seitan Alert!!!

Still working on developing Pumpkin Seitan for Thanksgiving. My first attempt mixed pumpkin with gluten, and cooked it in a vegan chicken broth. Result, a great consistency, but lacked in flavor.

Second attempt, add pumpkin spice to the gluten, in addition to the pumpkin. Flavor of uncooked mix was underwhelming, so I added pumpkin spice to the broth. Result... Well, I have now remembered that spices contain oils. I noticed that the seitan was much softer while originally mixing it. After cooking in the broth and then pan cooking, the seitan was almost greasy on the interior. The flavor was about right, but the consistency was not good. This would need to be cut into fine pieces and browned thoroughly to be enjoyable.

My third and likely final attempt to develop the recipe will hang on my lessons with regular seitan. The broth is critical. So I will add molasses (maybe), whole cloves, and a few cinnamon sticks to water (no vegan cubes). Seitan will simply be a mix of pumpkin and gluten.

For those playing at home with regular seitan, I add cold broth in lieu of water to the gluten when initially mixing the seitan together. I found that works better than warm broth.
 
It is possible that I have my priorities wrong. There are Magpies carrolling on the verandah, and I am keeping a photographic record of bread.


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This is what I was aiming for. 100% rye with caraway seeds. Without wheat to give it elasticity, this is probably as good as I can do, and it makes sandwiches and toasts fine. Kinda chuffed.




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19% rye for comparison.
 
spikepipsqueak said:
It is possible that I have my priorities wrong. There are Magpies carrolling on the verandah, and I am keeping a photographic record of bread.


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This is what I was aiming for. 100% rye with caraway seeds. Without wheat to give it elasticity, this is probably as good as I can do, and it makes sandwiches and toasts fine. Kinda chuffed.




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19% rye for comparison.
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The bread looks great. Just be careful that the magpies don't take the verandah away if you continue to ignore them.. :p

And Bilby says you can't fool him, he knows Cassowaries come from eggs, not seeds.
 
Tonight I discovered that KISS is a good standard to follow with regards to dinner.

We had a pan seared rump steak with Capsicum, baby corn and mushrooms sauteed in butter. TOTAL.

It was delicious, tender, and I will do it again.
 
In keeping with my anything that can be wrapped in a tortilla series, I present the Thankgiving Buritto:

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I liken American Thanksgiving fare to American breakfast. You can mix and match but you can't go wrong. I've always loved Thanksgiving, but lacking a family takes the event a bit outside the norm. So, not to be deterred by my social dysfunction, I pressed ahead and submit for your consideration my latest iteration. It is (and I'm not ashamed to admit) Kraft Stove Top Stuffing, white meat turkey, candied yams and cranberrys. I think as that lonely day approaches, I'll make some of my ever so good deviled eggs as a side. They're best made with a good deli mustard that contains horseradish.

I have no idea why the pic is upside down, but I'm too drunk to fix it.
 
Made a simple breakfast sandwich. That's cheddar, not sweet potato.

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Worked better with only one sausage patty but I still wanted two.
 
Daughter's second birthday, so traditional birthday affair. Vegetarian Sans Meatloaf Cupcakes frosted with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese (gouda and parmesan cheese).

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Two pack gimme lean (hamburger), three handfuls of fresh spinach, diced up onion, 1+ cup of oats (the extra is a feel thing for a more solid mixture), 1 egg. Mix that all up. 1/2 cup ketchup and 2 tbsp for brown sugar for topping. For the cupcakes I added the mixture into the "meat" mix itself.


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One block of gouda cheese. Added parmesan to taste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup). 2 cups of milk, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup flour. Mix butter, flour. stir in milk Head at low to mid heat to thicken until it coats a spoon, whisking often. Then remove from heat and add the shredded cheese.


Leftover mashed potatoes led to making a full Sans Meatloaf.

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