Sourdough alterations...

This is what I get for reading about bread...after getting some information from The Fresh Loaf I was reading articles from SFBI's newsletter. There were articles related to the use of a true barm - soaking the whole grain flour in boiling water (essentially the same as the mash in whole grain brewing) for a period of time with diastatic malt (activating the enzymes) and thus releasing the sugars for yeasts to feed on. Now I'm going to divert for a minute - I don't think you can culture from this "mash". Yeast dies at 138-141 F. You're covering the flour in 212 F water...I haven't done the math (so I might be off) but just roughing it out in my head tells me the beasties died in the hot stuff. I did part of this experiment - I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 T rye flour in 6 ounces of boiling water. I then mixed in a couple of ounces of my starter. I will post on the results tomorrow. I can see where there would be more sugars available to the yeast from the soak. The protein structure has to change (you added heat...proteins denature on exposure to heat...ala scrambled eggs) This also, according to the article, will enable the bread to take higher hydration. I'll post on those results when they happen.

Bread, that Asian grocery smell, Pho, and Vietnamese coffee...

So tonight was a shopping night for Sunday lunch (which is happening...just with an unknown number of guests). First stop - the Vietnamese bakery we had Banh Mi in last night - Banh Mi are the Vietnamese equivalent of Po'Boys - tasty pork or chicken on a roll with pickled vegetables, cucumbers, jalapenos, mayonnaise (not the mess out of a jar this was homemade and decidedly different), and a hit of cilantro. All I can say is it's the best $2-$3 you can spend. I bought a dozen rolls for $3 - if you're in Atlanta get to Lee's Bakery on Buford Highway, just past the intersection of Clairmont Road. The bill for dinner (2 sandwiches and 2 bottles of water) was $6.50. Next stop - Atlanta Farmers Market (also on Buford Highway, just down from the bakery). Let me say two things about Asian grocery stores - first - I love them - I don't know what 80% or more of the goods are but I always have fun exploring. I also struggle to spend more than $20 and yet somehow I manage to leave with a cartful. Tonight was a partial basket. I'm doing my spin on the Banh Mi - I was going to get all fancy and make little meatballs out of chicken but it's going to be more finely chooped chicken in a sauce. I picked up green onions and daikon. I put the daikon with some carrots in a refrigerator pickle of 1T kosher salt, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup cane vinegar, 2 cups water, and 1/4 cup (plus a little) of light brown sugar. I warmed this for 30 seconds in the microwave to get all the goodies to dissolve and then dunked the chopped veggies (smaller than french fries and bigger than true batonette). Cover and in the fridge. So back to the store - I also picked up a bottle of Thin Soy Sauce (Healthy Boy brand from Thailand), Fish Sauce (Three Crabs brand from Vietnam), and Sriracha (Shark Brand from Thailand). The soy is amazing stuff...I'll never buy Kikkoman again...this is just too good (and dirt cheap). The Sriracha is amazing...flavorful, almost sweet, with a flash of heat well after you've swallowed it. Fish Sauce...can I just say this is the first real fish sauce I've ever bought...that's a smell right there. Wonderful salty lightly fishy taste but I have to hold my nose. I also picked up a packet of tamarind pulp (the sour kind) and a box of Sun brand hot tamarind candy (delicious in a kind of freaky way, sweet, salty, sour, then rather hot...but good...addictive sort of good). Total of $10.50. Now the second thing...what is THAT smell? If you frequent Asian markets you know what I'm talking about. It's not totally unpleasant but it's just odd. This store is cleaner than the American groceries I frequent (and they're pretty clean). I knew this was going to be a good trip...I could smell the store from the parking lot. According to these folks this is the #2 market in Atlanta for Asian foods. I have to agree. It doesn't have all the knick-knacks and toys that some of the others do but it's a great store. I'll be looking for it's equal in New Orleans soon (more on that in another post).

Pho - a dish that needs to be on more menus. I've never been so satisfied by a bowl of soup in my life. It's also the first time I've eaten soup with chop sticks. I stuck to just the beef...the tendon and tripe might have been excellent but I wasn't ranging far tonight. My father joined me for dinner as he was nearby waiting on my mother. He'd been to this place (or one very similar to it) many years ago and has been trying for all that time to get us there. I wish he'd succeeded before now. I hope we can get back this next week. We ate and had a good time catching up. He'd also mentioned Vietnamese coffee to me. Now I'm pretty much a coffee freak...there isn't much I haven't tried and I'm always up for something new. I had one hot and one iced tonight...imagine drinking melted coffee ice cream...and you get pretty close. Rich, sweet, intense, and with the caffeine and sugar I was buzzing for an hour afterwards.

So...I get my goodies home and I set to work. I've already told you about the pickle. Now...for the chicken...I mixed 1/4 cup of light brown sugar (at some point I'll get palm sugar and test it, but tonight called for what was in the pantry), 1/4 cup thin soy sauce, 1 1/2 T fish sauce (I almost ran out of the kitchen...I'll get used to the aroma over time but it was just rough tonight), 2 T tamarind pulp, and 1 T sriracha. I warmed this in the microwave for about a minute total and stirred to melt/dissolve/soften the tamarind from the seeds/membrane/inedible stuff. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and then I poured through a strainer and mashed on the solids to get all the good stuff...the verdict...sweet, salty, sour, and a little heat (just a sparkling heat, not really even a hit) - there's a hint of fishy but I think when it gets in with the chicken, lime, green onions, and garlic it'll fade fast. I'm going to tweak some Duke's mayo with some soy and sriracha for a little oomph.

On the New Orleans reference...yes...MAF is moving to the Big Easy. Posting will get scarce from the 3rd through sometime the next week. I'll be back...there's new foods to find and I'm assuming the cook's role in my inlaws house for a bit (they've opened their home until the loving wife and I get on our feet and find a place). I'm looking to broaden some culinary horizons and maybe slow down the eating out. I'll discuss more later.

MAC's

No...that's not Mac's...it's MAC - Moves, Adds, Changes. Sunday lunch didn't happen yesterday...which was really fine with me...I turned up a tad short on some important ingredients. So...we went to our pastor's house...always fun, always loud. I took along the butter and French loaf half (which were crowd favorites) and a jar of jam just for the pastor's wife (who promptly hid it in the fridge for her own enjoyment later, which was my whole intent). We finished lunch and returned home to continue packing (something I had forgotten how much I really dislike). I involved my wife in baking bread for the week...I baked my spin on pain ordinaire from the Village Baker. I used some white wheat flour in place of all white. I baked it in two batards and over half of one of them is gone now. I think we might devour the other half tonight. The butter on the bread is some of what's left of the batch I cultured and whipped. Wonderful stuff...

Cooking up a storm...

It's been a good day - slow pace, even in the midst of packing to move - and I've gotten some stuff done. I've made refrigerator jam ala Pim - mine is bumbleberry (a name I picked up from the Lehman's catalog...strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and rhubarb - no apple for me). I'm culturing butter ala Traveler's Lunchbox and making granola of the same. I'm doing a small lot of butter and a half batch of granola (with my own twists...all I had was salted mixed nuts so in they went. I wasn't up for grinding mace so it was cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla). I'm doing lunch tomorrow (or so I think I am...table of six ????). I'll post about it then.

Right...back to work now...

It's been a couple of days since I've posted...been a long week at the office. But it has not been a week without it's successes. The snaps above are from the first real sourdough/pain au levain success I've ever had. I grew my own starter...wheat, white, and a touch of rye just for that little something extra. It was worth losing sleep (seriously folks...this isn't just a figure of speech) over. Look closely at the second pic...3:59 AM...yes I went back to sleep...got up again at 5:30 and got my normal day underway. The response from one of the other bakers on http://www.thefreshloaf.com/ when I asked if anyone else did this sort of thing was "You've been bitten by the "You know you're a bread baker when..." bug". I like that answer. I'm proud of this loaf...it isn't perfect and it is short of what I envisioned texturewise. Tastewise is another matter...there isn't much left of it now...I've mentioned before that my wife isn't a fan of crusty bread...she loves this...crust and all. It's got a natural tang and the wheat flavor shines nicely. I've got a couple of adjustments to make on the next run of this one and I think I'll have it. Thanks to the bakers at the fresh loaf for all the great information and the encouragement you provide by showing us all what's baking in your kitchens. Hopefully more to follow this weekend...I'd like to make jam, butter, and granola...depends....

Home again, home again...

Back home and let me just say that the first day back at work was not fun. It wasn't tough but I enjoy my vacations...especially when I get to relax.

So first order of business...pictures...

I'll disappoint you upfront - I didn't take any snaps at the Farmer's market. I had my camera but I was exploring and didn't really think to grab it until I was feasting on a Nutella crepe and about to depart.

I did take pictures here...

I drove to Avery Island and visited the factory...it's not a big place but it's well worth the drive - if for nothing else to pass mile after mile of cane fields and to say I've been where Tabasco is made. There are also other treats...

Fresh crawfish etouffee. Purchased at the Tabasco Country Store right next to the factory. I took the tour and bought a couple of little mementos. I also visited the Jungle Gardens just down the road from the factory but I'm still working on those pictures...so post for another day.

I spent a week in New Orleans. It's been the third week in a year and the fourth trip in that timeframe. My first trip was a good one - I went two years before the storm. My next trip was a year after. In these recent trips I have been able to see the real city. I've found out that some of the tourist traps are also favorites for locals. I've found that as is true in so many other cities - those hidden neighborhood hole-in-the-walls are some of the best food there is. I will weigh in on two topics: Cafe au lait and beignets and muffaletta. I'm not going to do an exhaustive history of the coffee and beignet tradition in the city but I will say that after multiple visits to both Cafe du Monde and Morning Call I much prefer Morning Call. I've visited the Lakeside location of MC half a dozen or more times (I need my fix at least once when I'm there) and several of the CdM's scattered about town...MC wins hands down in my book. Still...it's fun to go to CdM on a windy morning early (pre 9 am) and watch out of town business men in dark suits attempt to eat fresh beignets piled high with lots of white powdered sugar. I suppose it is the little things in life...especially when they're that funny. Now onto the topic that might get me keelhauled...muffaletta. I have had three versions of this mythical sandwich now. One from the capital of muffaletta Central Grocery, one from an Italian place just around the corner from my in-laws house, and this one...from Cafe Freret (thanks again Lorin). Now the one at the Italian place is in a different category - hot/warm muffaletta. CG and CF are both cold. My wife and I shared the large at CF...I managed to put away half of this thing. I love these sandwiches...meat, cheese, bread, vegetables, olives (which I'm not normally a big fan of) and love all put together in a way only New Orleans seems to do. My wife and I held a fast discussion as we indulged in our favorite NOLA date food (it's a tradition that we share one every trip) - we'll be back at CF...and not so much at CG. For the uninitiated let me offer this - go to CG and experience one (don't go on Monday (they're closed) and go early) then go to CF and really enjoy. These are my opinions - I'm not compensated in anyway that having eaten and enjoyed them (is it wrong to even enjoy picking up the check for them?)

There is more to come...but I wanted to get something to you to update things. Back to the iced au lait I made myself (I always bring back groceries...).

On location in the Big Easy...

I've been here since Saturday afternoon...eating, driving around, venturing into all sorts of places and neighborhoods to bring you, dear reader, what's going on in the city of New Orleans now. Sunday was church, Monday was a recovery day from driving all day Saturday, Tuesday...Tuesday began the adventure. My wife is in class during the day so I get to take my trusty map and go for a drive. Tuesday morning found me sweating myself silly at the Crescent City Farmers Market Tuesday market. Creole tomatoes, okra, eggplant, late season peaches and blueberries, heritage chickens and eggs, grass fed beef, flowers and plants galore were present at this event. I was rather enthralled with shopping and exploring I didn't get pictures - but there wasn't much of a picturesque nature - lots of sunshine and sweat and veggies. Tuesday lunch was supposed to come from Cafe Freret but they are closed until Friday (never fear, gentle souls, I'm going back on Friday to get this.) Today was even more fun. Instead of taking my wife to class she drove herself (we're staying with her parents) and I drove to Avery Island...home of the deliciously spicy Tabasco sauce. The island is also home to a "Jungle Garden" that is beautiful. I'll post pictures later and talk about the tour. No one has been forgotten...I think tomorrow might be a recovery day and time to catch up on my reading. Until later...