Tomato Garlic Focaccia Bread

For the past few months I've been obsessed with the idea of making my own bread. Wait...I need to go back a little bit. Give you some background, so that when I share this recipe, story, picture, etc, you can relish in the success with me.

Shortly after we started dating, Clint and I began to bond over our many similar interests--board games, laughing, 1/2 off margaritas, and food. Yeah, we had other stuff in common too, but finding someone who enjoys food as much as I do, probably would have been enough incentive to continue seeing him, even if that was the only thing we had in common. Thankfully it wasn't. As our relationship got more serious I started teaching him how to cook. Now, I don't claim to be an expert, but what knowledge I had, I began to share with him. Eventually, we began to learn new techniques, recipes, and flavors together. Shortly before we got engaged, we began to really fall in love with good bread. None of that nonsense that comes in a plastic sleeve, but good, fresh, specialty bread. (I blame the Brookshire's around the corner and their excellent bakery) Around that time I became enthralled with the idea of making my own bread. I think it's the ubiquitous nature of bread itself--the fact that it a constant in every major culture in the world--that made baking my own bread so compelling. I felt like I would be joining a tradition, a heritage of turning sustenance into genuine comfort using a few meager ingredients.

Well, we registered for a Cuisinart Bread Maker when we got engaged, and Clint's parents gave us that bread maker for one of our first wedding presents. Since then we've put it to good use. Seriously, I don't think we've bought sliced bread since we've been married. But over the last few months I've become increasingly intrigued with the idea of making my own, free form, hand-kneaded bread. Up until a recent trip to Birmingham to see Stephen and Jenny (Clint's bro & sis-in-law), this whole idea was still just a pipe dream. I figured there was no way that I had time to undertake learning the ins and outs of bread making while working full time, taking classes for my M.A.T., and spending time with the boy and the pup. But on that trip I found a simple, straight forward cook book called 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood. It is currently my favorite book in the world, shoving Ender's Game, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall out of the winner's circle.

While I'm sure that they'll soon find their way back into that circle, I'm loving spending time diving into this new culinary adventure. I'll admit now, my first two attempts were less than shining successes. Bread #1, a Cottage Loaf--which Clint lovingly renamed the bread tower--had some structural issues and, though it tasted good, looked a bit like it was constructed by a toddler working with building blocks.

Potato Focaccia--We had some texture issues here!

Bread #2, a Potato Focaccia Pugliese, though beautiful, had a certain toothiness (read serious crunchiness--to the point of downright hard tack) to it that didn't encourage sauce-sopping or buttering, two absolutely necessary qualities for any good bread in my book.

But, bread #3--Paul Hollywood's Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes and Garlic was an overwhelming success. As I was following the recipe, I became a bit braver and more adventurous, and thus, created my own version of his recipe, which I am sharing with you here. If you're interested in beginning to get into making your own bread, this one is a great starter. It doesn't take days to make, and you don't have to worry about it falling because it is a focaccia, so it shouldn't be that big to begin with. I am beyond excited about this and I hope you will be too!

Tomato Garlic Focaccia Bread

The Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
Scant 4 cups flour
1 TBSP salt
1 Package instant dry yeast
1/2 C warm (approaching hot) water
salt water made with 1 TBSP salt & 1/3 C warm water
1 1/2 Roma Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Fresh Basil (I didn't have fresh so I used dry, but fresh would be even better)

The Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Baking sheet--I use my Pampered Chef baking stone
Rolling Pin
Knife/Cutting board

The Process

Before baking

Hollywood's recipe calls for the garlic to be crushed, put in the oil and left to infuse overnight, I changed this up a bit because really, who has that kind of forethought?
1. Put crushed garlic in oil and heat on low (2-3) for several minutes until the oil becomes very fragrant--you're infusing the oil w/the garlic flavor.
2. Pull the oil from the heat, remove garlic carefully (saving cloves--go ahead and chop them very finely), let oil cool until warm enough to touch without burning.
3. Combine flour, salt, yeast, (when putting salt and yeast in--put yeast in one side of flour and salt on the other because salt kills the yeast) half the oil, and all water (not the salt water) in a large bowl.
4. Using your hands, try to grab the flour and bring as much of it into contact with the water as possible, mixing thoroughly with your hand for approximately four minutes. Your hand will probably be sore if you're doing this right.
5. Once the dough is well mixed and consistent, tip onto a lightly-floured counter or large cutting board and knead for 6 minutes. To knead: flatten slightly with your hand, pull one quarter of the dough out away from the center and then fold back down toward center. Use the heel of your palm to press the dough firmly back into the center. Turn the dough about a 1/4 turn, then repeat. You want the dough to be stretching without tearing before you finish.
6. Put down ball back in bowl and let rest for an hour.
7. Tip dough onto lightly-floured counter, and roll out in a rectangle to about an inch thick.
8. Use your fingers to sprinkle the salt water over the top of the dough, then brush the dough with the remaining oil.

The finished product

9. Use a sharp knife to prick the top of the dough all over, press the tomato slices firmly into the dough, sprinkle with basil, and top with the chopped garlic that has essentially been fried in the infused oil.
10. Put the dough on a lined baking sheet or bare stone and let rest for 25 minutes. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 degrees when you finish with the dough so that it's ready when the dough is.
11. Cook the loaf for 25 minutes, turn the sheet/stone in the oven, and cook for another 2 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and put loaf on wire rack to cool.
13. ENJOY!

Pickles approved of it too.

I really think this is the best bread--with or without the bread maker--that I've ever made. I hope you guys like it!

Hiatus...

Ok, it's not really a hiatus, but I have been super busy with the end of school approaching, a mid-term for my M.A. class, traveling to see in-laws, and everything else that's going on. I promise, more posts will be forthcoming soon, just know that I have a new obsession--homemade bread. All of you will get to benefit from my miss-steps in the kitchen (like tonight's bread tower). Once I've gotten the hang of this, I assure you, recipes and photos will return.

Kitchen Confidential: Perspectives From the Other Side

Last night, with a hot bath and a nice glass of wine, I finished reading Anthony Bourdain's industry-rocking memoir Kitchen Confidential. I have pretty much the best husband ever, because he gave me this book along with these gems for my birthday last week. Since I love food and snarky television hosts, I pretty much heart every aspect of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations. So I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading the book and realized that the same irreverent and self-depreciating tone that propels his show are captured perfectly in the book. As I began reading, I felt as if a tiny Anthony Bourdain were nestled deep within my brain telling me stories from his past indiscretions. I'm giving you fair warning now: if you have a weak stomach, if you're easily offended by strong language, if mention of heavy drug use and abuse is going to be off-putting, this is so NOT the book for you. But, if you're a true and passionate lover of food--all food--and you have a deep and abiding respect for the real people who bring that food to you, who prepare it, and love it, and dedicate their entire lives to fixing it just right for you, then this book is a must read.

Essentially, Bourdain just tells his story. He is upfront about the fact that he is far from a model student, chef, or human being. He tells you how he first fell in love with food, and how he fell into the restaurant business. But, while he tells all the nitty gritty, sometimes terrifying tidbits about the most mysterious room of a restaurant (for diners anyway)--the kitchen--the reader quickly realizes that this is a man motivated by a deep, pure love of food. A man who is passionate about what he does, why he does it, and the people he does it with. He is, as they say in his business, a chef's chef. That said, his communication is so upfront and honest, it's easy for those of us who are not in the industry to willingly follow him in this journey through 30 years of cuisine.

I think my favorite part though was his final chapter. This book was written in 1999, before his TV show, before the cult of personality that has grown to dominate American foodom. In his final chapter I got to experience Tokyo with him for the first time. Any regular viewer of his TV show sees him as a well-traveled, highly experienced globe trotter, but the last chapter tells a different story. It shows a confident, secure chef being pushed into going to Tokyo to help fashion the Japanese branch of the New York restaurant Les Halles. It shows his confidence quickly shattered by the thought of traveling half-way around the globe and stepping into a French man's kitchen to teach him French cuisine. But my favorite thing is that it shows him fall in love with Japanese and Asian culture for the first time. It was like reading your grandparent's love letters from when they began dating or watching a home video of Slash being given his first guitar--entertaining, enthralling, and so enviable.

It is the kind of book that must be read with an open mind, a hot bath, and a great glass of wine.

Crock-Pot Dinners: Pork Tenderloin

Recently Clint and I attended a wedding back in Longview, TX. The wedding was beautiful--held outside in a vineyard--,and I really enjoyed seeing and hanging out with some old friends. I wish I could have spent more time with everyone. While noshing away at the reception, a few friends from high school and I began talking about the joys of crock-pot cooking. Working as a teacher, being able to toss a few things into the crock-pot in the morning and come home to a "home cooked" meal is awesome. What's even more awesome is the fact that Clint is usually the one tossing the things in the crock-pot, so crock-pot days (or weeks, as we've deemed this one) essentially mean I have very little cooking to do when I get home. Since we just got back from Spring Break, I'm definitely ok with a few diminished household duties.

As we were planning this week's menu--yes, we're that couple. If you're not in the habit, I highly recommend it, both from a diet and financial standpoint--, both of us agreed that a week of crock-potting would be a welcome change. We both love cooking, but especially right now (when both of us are so busy with school/work), it's nice to not have to spend an hour in the kitchen every night. Tonight's dinner was our first attempt to do pork in a crock pot. I was a little hesitant just because I wasn't sure how a tenderloin would stand up to 4 hours of heat (especially since tenderloin is a fairly quick-cooking cut). I can now say with 100% positivity that the pork tenderloin we ate for dinner tonight ranks in the top 3 pork tenderloins I've ever eaten. I can't actually remember numbers 1 and 2, but my dad is a beast in the kitchen and on the grill, so I'm assuming that his get the top 2 spots. In fact, as Clint and I sat down to dinner, I remarked that the whole meal reminded me of summer. A mix of squash, zucchini, and red onion cooked en papillote (sort of) in a skillet accompanied the tenderloin and its jus. It was perfect. A great way to herald the coming summer (38 days left of school!)

Originally I found this recipe online, but because I'm a tinkerer by nature, we had to make adjustments. I've also included the "recipe" (if you can even call it that) for the veggies. They're about as easy as you can get, and they look/taste great.

Pork Tenderloin (easily serves 4, or with ample leftovers)

Ingredients
1 (2-3 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
1 envelop dry onion soup mix 
1 1/4 C water
1 1/2 C red wine (we used the left overs from the Norton we picked up at Enoch's Stomp)
3 Tbsp minced garlic

3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Supplies
Crock-pot
Crock-pot liners (if you're a frequent crock-potter and you're not using liners, shame on you! It means no clean up.)
Heavy-bottomed saute pan

Process
1. After the tenderloin has been trimmed to remove all excess fat, pat dry the meat and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. On medium high heat, sear off all edges of the tenderloin. You're not cooking the thing, so don't spend too long on this. You just want a little color and to seal in the juices.*
3. Place the crock-pot liner in the crock-pot and put the tenderloin in the pot.
4. Add the dry ingredients covering the top of the loin.
5. Add the wet ingredients and garlic to the pot. Try to get as much of the garlic to stay on the loin as possible.
6. Cover and cook on low for 4-4.5 hours.
7. Remove the loin and let rest for about 10 minutes on a large cutting board. It will be very juicy, so expect a little juice to run over the side of the board. If you want to avoid this, make a ring around the loin using rolled up paper towels about 3-4 inches away on all sides.
8. Slice the loin in 3/4 inch slices and plate with the au jus on top (or in a cup on the side for dipping)
9* If you are trying to dress this up, after pulling the loin, put the au jus in the saute pan over medium high to high heat reducing it slightly. Then, use  about 1 Tbsp corn starch tempered with hot water (add the water to the starch, not other way around) to thicken the sauce stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until desired consistency. You don't have to do this, but it will thicken the sauce a bit so that it is a little more noticeable on the plate.

*You don't necessarily have to sear the loin to ensure a juicy cut, but the searing also adds a little color and prevents the finished product from taking on the gray-ish color that pork can acquire during cooking.

Easy Summer Vegetables (Comfortably serves 2)


Ingredients
1 yellow squash, sliced about 1/4 inch thick 
1 zucchini squash, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 small to medium sized purple onion (I know they're technically called red onions, but come on, they're clearly purple) cut into about 8 large chunks
Olive oil
2-3 Tbsps Texas Seasoning Salt (recipe available on blog) or Tony's seasoning

Supplies
2 medium sized pieces of non-stick aluminum foil
Saute pan
Medium mixing bowl

Process
1. Heat saute pan on medium high heat. 
2.  In a medium mixing bowl combine squashes and onion with enough olive oil to lightly coat (1-2 Tbsp) and seasoning salt, mixing with hands or wooden spoon to ensure even coating.
3. Dump mix onto 1 sheet of aluminum foil, collecting veggies toward center.
4. Place other sheet of foil on top and seal edges with at least two folds on each side, tight enough so any liquid will not escape. (This is a poor man's en papillote--usually used for fish/poultry, I think it works great on veggies)
5. While you can toss the whole bundle on the grill if so inclined, we usually just pop the whole thing into the saute pan and cook for about 4 minutes before flipping (carefully) and cooking an additional 3 minutes.
6. Carefully, remove the bundle, unwrap, and serve.

As far as actual in-the-kitchen cooking time, this whole meal took about 15 minutes to come together. We also had some rosemary bread to soak up the au jus. We're bread people, so every meal usually has some sort on the plate, but because of this sauce, you'll want/need something if for no other reason, then to become a vehicle for sauce-to-mouth transmission.

Reading Reading Lolita in Tehran in Louisiana

Being on Spring Break has its advantages. I can stay up past 10:00; my brain can finally function enough to finish Reading Lolita in Tehran, and I actually have time to devote to a blog posting. Earlier on my page I compared Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evonavich to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Comfortingly simple and highly consumable. I'm not about to make any gastronomic comparisons for Azar Nafisi's novel, but I will say that, like some of the best of both books and food, it requires time to digest.

The nonfiction narrative chronicles Professor Nafisi's life as an academic in the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, unlike most memoirs, her story is presented bibliologically (not a real word--I know) instead of chronologically. It is, as the subtitle suggests, A Memoir in Books. What that means is that Nafisi has structured her novel around her memories of teaching, reading, and responding to various authors, disregarding the constraints of a time line in order to tell a story that, for a reader, is poignantly stirring. The book follows Nafisi as she reads several controversial authors with her classes in the University of Tehran as well as with a small "class" of girls that meets in her home regularly after the Islamic regime has essentially forced Nafisi and so many others out of the university classroom. As she writes about her experiences with each author, the reader learns about the intricacies of a life in a state of constant oppression. (To clarify quickly, this blog is not designed to be and will not become a political soapbox; therefore, I plan on spending very little time discussing one of the central issues of the book--the cruelties of the Republic's regime. Nonetheless, it does merit recognition for the sake of Nafisi and so many others who have been physically, emotionally, spiritually, or metaphorically silenced by the current politico-religious situation.) Nafisi begins with the titular reference to Nabokov's Lolita. And though the title suggests that the entirety of the book is devoted to Nafisi's experiences reading this explosively shocking book in the reactionary state of Iran, the book moves past Lolita and Nabokov. In fact, I think the most moving portion of the narrative, for me at least, was her discussion of reading Austen in Tehran. Austen? Controversial? Pshah...right? But as Nafisi explains, Austen is quietly controversial. She subtly imbibes her prose with a thread of dissent. It's the harsh wit in Elizabeth Bennett's assessment of Mr. Collins. The cold cruelty with which she invites her readers to mock Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliott's self-indulgent philosophies. It's quiet and subdued, but it is there, lurking, waiting to be released by the canny reader. If you're still questioning the idea that Austen is controversial, think of her as going without underwear while wearing a skirt. From the outside, she appears prim, proper, and perfectly appropriate, but every once in a while a gust of wind sneaks up and exposes something no one was expecting.

And while the readerly portion of myself enjoyed the constant references to books, authors, and philosophers that I grew to know and love in school, the human and woman in me connected to Nafisi's distress of living a life of falsehoods, forced piety, and restriction that she neither asked for or welcomed. One of my favorite passages in the book occurs as Nafisi is wandering a quiet garden on a walk through Tehran. She is considering her life in this new Iran, and remembering her schooling in the United States. As she recalls this walk, Nafisi explains
     "I had a feeling that day that I was losing something, that I was mourning a death that had not yet occurred. I felt as if all things personal were being crushed like small wildflowers to make way for a more ornate garden, where everything would be tame and organized. I had never felt this sense of loss when I was a a student in the States. In all those years, my yearning was tied to the certainty that home was mine for the having, that I could go back anytime I wished. It was not until I had reached home that I realized the true meaning of exile. As I walked those dearly beloved, dearly remembered streets, I felt I was squashing the memories that lay underfoot" (145).
Hearing her Reading her speak about the difficulties of finding/losing her sense of home helped me to understand how difficult living life under that sort of regime could be--not in the overt, obvious problems like having to wear the veil or losing your rights as a woman and academic. I think anyone could easily see how difficult those problems would be to overcome. But losing that sense of security and comfort of place that most of us associate with the image "home," that would be trying beyond any dress code.

It took me a very long time to read this book. It was difficult. It was dense. At times I felt as if I were trudging through a quagmire of emotion and memory that Nafisi herself could not quite sort out to her liking. But it was worth it. Sometimes we as readers need to be challenged. We need to put down the peanut butter and jelly, reach out, and overwhelm our senses. We need to experience life beyond comfort, equality, and home, if for no other reason than to enjoy and appreciate that which surrounds us daily. We need to experience something that is painful so that we can remember how good comfort is. And we need to read something that is overwhelmingly about a lack of empathy, something Nafisi explains is "to [her] mind the central sin of the regime, from with all the others flowed," in order to remember just how similar we all are in this world (224). And I think that experience is exactly what we look for and need in our reading. It is what makes reading so vitally important--a richness of experience. We have the opportunity to travel and reach far beyond out native land because we, as readers, have the capacity to experience life outside of ourselves. It is this idea, the ability to reach outside of oneself that constitutes what I consider to be Nafisi's most poignant expression of hope and possibility in the book:
     "I have a recurring fantasy that one more article has been added to the Bill of Rights: the right to free access to imagination. I have come to believe that genuine democracy cannot exist without the freedom to imagine and the right to use imaginative works without any restrictions. To have a whole life, one must have the possibility of publicly shaping and expressing private worlds, dreams, thoughts, and desires, of constantly having access to a dialogue between the public and the private worlds. How else do we know that we have existed, felt, desired, hated, feared?" (339).

Easy Chicken Piccata

Like I've mentioned before, Clint and I both grew up on traditional southern comfort food. So when I began to learn to cook, a large number of the dishes I started with were not exactly diet friendly--heavenly, yes, but oh so heavy. Once Clint and I met and began cooking together on a regular basis, both of us realized that we needed to learn some staple, go-to recipes that are easy and yummy but also healthy. We're still on the look out for those kinds of recipes, but we have developed quite a collection of lighter meals that don't sacrifice on flavor.

One of our favorite weeknight dishes is Chicken Piccata. If you've never made this, you're really missing out. It packs tons of flavor without being overly heavy; furthermore, it only takes about 15 minutes to whip up. If you've never even eaten Chicken Piccata, it's a lightly breaded chicken breast served with a lemon and caper sauce. We like to serve it with Brussels sprouts sauteed with pecans and Parmesan cheese and a crusty bread. Oh so good!

Weeknight Chicken Piccata 

Ingredients
4 small/medium sized chicken breasts
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp light butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2/3 C boiling water
1 chicken bouillon cube
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp capers in liquid


Equipment
Cutting board (not wood)
Plastic wrap
Meat tenderizer
Large zip-lock bag
10" saute pan

Process
1. After trimming chicken breast of any excess fat/skin, place a sheet of plastic wrap on the cutting board, on top of that, place the chicken breasts (smooth side down) and an additional sheet of plastic wrap on top of the chicken.
2. Use the meat tenderizer to lightly beat the chicken, starting from the center and working outward, to about 1/3 of an inch thick
3. Combine flour, salt, and paprika in plastic bag.
4. Add flattened chicken breast to bag, and shake rapidly to lightly coat the entire breast.
5. In pan, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat, add garlic once butter melts.
6. Once combined, place chicken in skillet, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden and juices run clear--make sure it's cooked through, but don't overcook the chicken. It will end up dry and tough.
 7. While chicken is cooking, boil water and add bouillon cube until incorporated.
8. Pull chicken from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
9. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to saute pan, stirring frequently until the pan in deglazed.
10. Add in capers and simmer for 1 minute.
11. If sauce is too thin, increase heat to medium-high heat, allowing sauce to come to boil and reduce for about 1-2 minutes.
12. Add an additional Tbsp of butter to sauce, stirring until incorporated.
13. Add chicken back into pan and spoon sauce over.
14. Slice lemon and place on each chicken breast.

I highly recommend serving the chicken with crusty bread and a green vegetable. The dish is quite lemony, but the saltiness of the capers works well to cut through the tang. Enjoy!

Texan Seasoning Salt

 Being in Louisiana, we buy and use Tony Chachere's (Sash-er-y's) Creole Seasoning quite frequently. I love that garlic-y, peppery flavor that food takes on when this salt is employed. That said, occasionally, a Texas girl is  in need of a different flavor to wake up her palate. Because of this (and because I get to go home way less frequently than I would like), I began to consider trying my hand at making my own seasoning salt that would feature some of the more common spices and flavors prevalent in the Great State. About 5 months ago I stumbled upon a recipe in The Cheese Lover's Cookbook & Guide by Paula Lambert. If you're unfamiliar with this book, Lambert is the founder and owner of the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas. Her book, which I found at The Cook's Nook--for all kids from the View (Longview that is)--is full of sweet, savory, salty, creamy recipes for cooking with cheese. It also includes recipes for making your own cheese, something I fully intend to do, but have yet to have the courage to attempt.

As I was perusing the book I found a section called "Basic Recipes" that included a seasoning salt recipe that she claims that she has been using "forever." After examining the ingredients, I decided that this recipe could be just the thing to bring a taste of home down I-20 and into Monroe, LA. I first made a batch up in October of 2010. After using it a few times, I decided to include it as part of my Christmas gift basket for family members. While I don't know if all of the recipients have used the salt, I feel certain that just a few uses will ensure that this seasoning salt will be a staple in your pantry. I store mine in an airtight Tupperware container in the cabinet beside the stove for easy access. Her recipe, which I've changed ever so slightly, is quite large, so I usually halve it for our personal use. But if you're making it for gifting, a full recipe can comfortably fill 4 half-pint mason jars.

Texas Seasoning Salt

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups Salt--I use Morton's
1 1/4 cups Kosher Salt
6 tablespoons of black pepper
1/2 cup cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup chili powder

The Process
Be sure to use fresh spices from the store because they have much more flavor, and they'll last longer once mixed together. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well using a whisk. There is a lot of pepper and other strong spices in the mix, so be careful not to sneeze. Once mixed well, store in an airtight container. The mix should last for about a year. 

If you're wondering what you would use this for--it's an excellent base seasoning for chili, pot roast, taco meat, hamburgers, etc. In fact, I use it for seasoning chicken breasts that are going to be sauteed (for wraps or a light meal with rice), as well as seasoning meat for any kind of casserole. Enjoy!