Sourdough Cinnamon Toast Desert

This is an extremely quick and easy desert to make for breakfast or even after dinner.  All the credit goes to my local "bee man"  for suggesting this recipe.  We decided to buy some whipped honey from him and this excellent version of cinnamon toast is one of the ways he suggested using it.  Whipped honey is less sticky and more easily spreadable than regular honey.

Sourdough Pitas On the Grill

* We linked this post at Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS *

I still have no oven, and we needed to have some pitas to enjoy our gyros properly, so I thought I'd give grill baking a shot.  It worked out great!  Now I know how I'll be making some of my breads this summer when the heat gets too intense for indoor baking...

Menu for 03/06/2011 - Split Pea & Barley Soup with Sourdough Sesame Crackers (Dude1)

I guess I was in the mood for yet another 'green' soup.  My green colored vegetable of choice this time was split peas.  This soup was inspired by the split pea soup at California Pizza Kitchen.  I have fond memories of CPK back when I was living in Monterey CA.  Who has time to cook when you're working on a Master's thesis? The barley in this makes it extra hardy and easy to get full with.  I served it with some homemade sourdough sesame crackers.   The added excitement of the night while making this was an explosive mishap with the blender.... green goo everywhere!

Menu for 03/04/2011 - Broccoli Soup with Sourdough Garlic Croutons

Tonight I needed a meal that was quick and easy because I had to work late.  I have also been feeling like we have not been eating enough vegetables lately.  Broccoli soup seemed to meet the criteria very well.  I've adapted a soup by Jules over at Stonesoup.  What intrigued me about her post, was her method of making a flavorful soup when  you don't have stock.  Now, I did happen to have homemade chicken stock, but I wanted to try out her method to see how it compared.  To make this magic work, I caramelized onions, and added soy sauce and a touch of lemon juice.  Also, to sell this soup to my wife and child I knew I was going to have to add something extra  yummy to top it off.  I chose homemade sourdough garlic and parmesan croutons.

The Bleak Midwinter Pizza Festival (and Sourdough Pizza Crust)

 

** We linked to this post over at The Healthy Home Economist.  You should be sure to check out Sarah's great blog! **

Every year, in the middle of the winter (or early spring, if we're busy like this year) we hold the Bleak Midwinter Pizza Festival here in Cape Girardeau.  A few families get together, and we make pizza and play games to fight off the chill.  I always try something a little unusual -- this year it was a pizza with a pesto base sauce, spinach, goat cheese, basil, and little dollops of red sauce.  It came out great!  I always make my pizzas on whole wheat sourdough crust, which for me is what turns regular pizza into the sort of transcendental experience that real food demands.

Sourdough Whole Wheat English Muffins

I posted this recipe over at Food Renegade, an excellent real food blog. You should check it out!

Having just moved to a new house that I'm having to remodel extensively, I don't yet have an oven. I saw Dude1's post about his sourdough bread last night and decided I needed some myself. What kind of bread can you make without an oven? English muffins. Read on:

How to Catch Wild Sourdough

You'll probably note that both Dude1 and I are big sourdough fans. In fact, I went to the trouble of carrying a sample of my wild-caught sourdough starter to him all the way from Missouri (TSA: "What's that?" Me: "Just my sourdough" TSA: "...") so he could give it a shot. I think he's caught his own since then, but we are both hooked.

Sourdough cultures are actually a mix of at least two (and more likely a large number) of microorganisms. At a very minimum, you will catch a yeast and a bacterium. The yeast is typically attached to the flour when you buy it, so that part is easy. The bacterium will be a species of lactobacillus (the lactic acid bacteria responsible for the tang of other fermented foods, like yogurt). The yeast is responsible for the leavening action of the starter, and the bacterium gives it the sour flavor. Fortunately for us, both of these organisms are so ubiquitous in our world that we would be hard pressed not to catch them under the conditions of our little operation.

Menu for 02/23/2011 - Reheating My Grassfed Beef (Dude1)

Tonight was leftovers using the red meat we cooked while Dude2 was out here visiting.  By the way, I obviously need to take more time with my food photography because the above picture does not look all that appetizing.  Believe me, it was quite good.  Anyhow, the trick for me was to reheat the rare ribeye that Dude2 cooked without making it tough and turning it into a medium cooked streak.  Obviously, microwaves are a big no, no and I don't usually have luck reheating in a toaster oven either.  Continue reading for how I successfuly reheated the rare steak, tips on homemade sourdough bread, and my sauteed zucchini.