Arepas

Last week, I mentioned working on a chocolate bread based off the banana nut bread recipe. I’m close. I’m really, really close, but not quite there yet with the recipe.  So we will wait another week or two for that recipe.  This week, we’re talking arepas.  I mentioned in my first post, I’ll share my triumphs and my not-so greats. This recipe for arepas, from the Maseca website, sort of falls into both categories. Several months ago, I purchased a bag of masa harina to make corn tortillas. It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a long time, and decided [...]

Banana Nut Bread

I hate bananas.  I don’t like to eat them.  I don’t really like things flavored with them.  However, there are two applications of banana that I crave: banana nut bread and banana spring rolls.  I’ve wanted to tweak Ruhlman’s quick bread ratio to make a chocolate quick bread that has been bouncing around in my head.  To familiarize myself with the ratio, I made a very straight forward banana bread found in the book.  Next week, we’re going to make the chocolate creation. For this recipe, we will need the following ingredients: 8 ounces unbleached white flour (about 1 and [...]

Crawfish “Pistolettes”

In the area of Louisiana known for its Cajun heritage, there is a wonderful seafood item known as the pistolette that I adore.  A pistolette is a small bit of bread, about the size of a dinner roll, stuffed with crawfish etouffee and rice.  The roll is typically deep fried when served.  When you find a pistolette that’s cooked just right, that first bite will make you moan in ecstasy.  Unfortunately, finding one cooked just right is the hard part.  Fried wrong, they can become leaden bombs that are on the complete opposite side of the taste spectrum.  I really [...]

Basic Sandwich Bread

When I first decided I wanted to learn how to make bread, I started with a bread machine and a recipe I found online.  I’ve been using the recipe for years now.  For the most part, the basics of the recipe haven’t changed, though I have tweaked it slightly to suit me over the years.  I use only unbleached white flour now as I like how it tastes the best.  I also like the consistency of the bread loaf.  I long ago quit using molasses as I find it makes my dough too gummy.  As well, I’ve graduated from the [...]

Kielbasa Kolache with Roasted Garlic and Cheddar

When I finally found a recipe to make kolaches, my eyes saw dollar signs.  Not stars. Dollar signs.  The thought of all the money this would save me floated through my head and made me grin heartily.  The bakeries in my immediate area offer a small variety of breakfast choices: donuts, biscuits, and kolache. Always one for a donut when I skip my morning yogurt/granola combo, I steadfastly ignored the kolaches as I satisfied my sweet tooth.  One day, I walked into the bakery and decided I wanted something savory and took a gamble with the sausage kolache. Immediately, I [...]

Next Page »