The bread bug bit again last night. Five loaves by the end of the evening, because I’m crazy. This post is about one of them.
I didn’t want all of this month’s recipes to be sweet, but couldn’t decide what to do for savory. I really didn’t want to have to go to the store to buy any special ingredients. And then I realize, we have beer. LOTS of beer. No, we don’t live in a frat house. We overbought for our wedding a few months ago, and even after giving a few cases away, we’re still working our way through the leftovers. Sad but true.
Mrslovey remembered that her mom used to make beer bread from scratch. I’ve never done it before, but how hard can it be? After digging out the recipe card and looking it over, I’m amazed at how simple it is. Really, really simple. I know that lots of people swear by the beer bread mixes that you can buy at home food parties, but this recipe knocks the socks off of those. It’s a beautiful golden brown color, fresh, tangy, and lacks the processed flavor of the boxed mixes. And the best part? You pay up to ten dollars (not including the beer you still have to add!) for the mixes. Mrsloveymom’s recipe costs less than two dollars to make, beer-inclusive. Who can argue with that?? Read the rest of this entry ?
Mrslovey’s hometown has a Farmers Market that’s been operating in the same location for 84 years. It’s definitely an institution, although I must admit that I have never made it there. When we lived out there, we didn’t appreciate good local food the way we do now. And now that we’re back in New England, opportunities to check out the market are few and far between. Last summer Mrslovey and her mother decided to go visit the old market. Having driven 13 hours straight the day before (and not being a member of the insane early riser club, like those two are), I opted to stay in bed.
They came back just after I woke up, proudly showing off the vast quantities of fresh produce they had acquired. And there, in the bottom of the bag, was the most prized purchase of the morning. The market had put together a cookbook as a fundraiser, so they each bought a copy. People, this is no tiny mimeographed handout. This book is substantial – over 180 pages. The majority is, of course, delicious-looking recipes from good solid midwestern farm folk. Also included is a history of the market, with a nice selection of pictures showing how it’s changed (and stayed the same) over the years.
Just like any community cookbook, there are sometimes multiple versions of the same recipe. When I decided I wanted to make bread to use some pumpkin I had put up last fall, I had several to choose from. I used two of the cookbook recipes as a basis, and added my own variation (and glaze) to it. It came out VERY moist, and the glaze added just the right touch.
I just realized that the virtual oven has been quiet this week, as the real oven has been in overdrive. Lots of baking has been going on, and most of it wasn’t quick bread or muffin related, so will have to wait for another month. In the midst of it all, however, I took an evening to make three dozen Chocolate Breakfast Muffins from one of my favorite recipe sources, mail order catalogs, and retail stores – King Arthur Flour. These muffins are incredible. Little handfuls of amazingly chocolately goodness, so compelling that you want to open up the oven and lick the piping-hot batter while they bake, because you can’t possibly wait another minute to taste them. Seriously, they’re THAT good. Read the rest of this entry ?
As you may recall, last week I had a lot of reservations about my muffins, and needed some reassurance. In addition to feedback from coworkers, I also sought out one of my baking mentors, K. Even though she’s been trying to avoid sweets, she was willing to take one for the team so that I could get the opinion of someone whose oven I trust completely. To thank her for this, I offered to let her pick my next recipe. Almost instantly, the words ‘lemon poppy bread’ came tumbling out of her mouth. Okay, works for me!
This recipe is very high on the lemon scale, without being totally over the top. The texture is almost in the realm of pound cake. And the glaze that you pour over the hot loaf when it comes out of the oven…nice. It soaks in, adds more lemon flavor, and gives just a little crackle from the sugar.
So thanks, K, for your brave sacrifice for the greater good – this one’s for you!
loveysoven 