Breaking bread.

 

A couple of weeks ago, Edye stumbled upon a bread recipe that sounded too good to be true... but there was a video and it was the New York Times, how could it be fiction? So, much to Alastair's alarm, she went into the kitchen pulled out the yeast, salt and flour and started throwing them all together. Quelle horreur! Then, she added water... straight from the tap!

When Alastair asked (in that way spouses do when they don't want to offend, but know that their loved one is teetering on the brink of failure), 'What are you doing?' Edye responded playfully, 'I'm making bread,' and grinned. The world must have tipped on its axis: Bread is Alastair's turf, Edye hates yeast.

Then, the messy, gooey dough was covered and abandoned...

'Aren't you going to knead it?' Alastair asked increduously.

'Nope.'

And, she didn't touch it until the next day when she formed the dough into a ball and turned into a HOT Le Creuset pan, put the lid on and shoved it into the oven and walked away again. About an hour later, a lovely, crisp boule rolled out of the oven looking spritely, somewhat mysteriously not ours but beckoning. When we sliced into it, we cringed at being caught not waiting long enough... but it smelled like bread, looked like bread and we couldn't wait any longer to see if, indeed, it ... yes, it was.

So, now Alastair and Edye make bread: hot, crusty and heavenly for breakfast or dinner. We no longer lament the lack of bakeries in Britain, nor do we have to go to the supermarket for a box-shaped and cardboard tasting loaf.

And, now it's yours. For those of our friends and family who are so far away, we share this with you. Breaking bread with you, after a fashion.


Alastair and Edye's No-Knead Bread

This recipe is based on the scribbles Edye copied from the original NYTimes recipe. Alastair follows Edye's notes without ever seeking the formal instructions, sound familiar?

3 cups flour (scooped)
1/4 tsp. instant yeast (the word 'instant' is important)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c water

Mix dry, add water. Cover with kitchen towel, let proof 12 - 19 hours. Put lidded pan in oven, preheat to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, turn out dough, lightly pat, fold in thirds, then thirds again, turn over, seam down. Turn over again, seam up into pot and cover. Bake 30 minutes with lid on, +/-15 minutes with lid off. Turn out onto rack to cool.

No Knead Bread (actual recipe)

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 68-70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot; it may look like a mess, but that's O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

There are accompanying video, photos and article.

We'd love to hear from any of you who give this a taste.

Enjoy!

 

Kerala, amen.

After a couple of days of freezing weather and dense fog, we sought refuge in a night of flavorful eats and conversation at the Rice Boat, just on the other side of Cambridge. With a previous experience under his belt, so to speak, Alastair was heartily optimistic when he rung to say his workmates were dining together and I should come. All who know me know full well my response!

Specializing in Indian food from the southern region of Kerala, the Rice Boat is noted for being different and therefore more than welcome beyond a lengthy list of average Indian food in Cambridge by local reviewers. After eating there, it's easy to see why it stands out. The flavors are familiar but unusually arranged to perform exceedingly well without going overboard.

With a group of seven at the table, we managed to order just about everything and this is the meal that stood out for our next visit:

For a starter, I really enjoyed the Vada, a fried lentil cake in the shape of a doughnut served with a curry soup and coconut chutney. As the British like to says, it's moreish. Alastair would opt for the squid fried with onion and peppers.

For our main course, it would have to be Meen Polichathu which is Kingfish steak, packed with a spicy masala, and wrapped in a banana leaf parcel that is cooked on a dry griddle. It's full of spice that doesn't overwhelm the fish itself.

To complement all of that flavor, I would opt for Puttu, a rich rice flour and coconut bread, steamed in a bamboo tube. Alastair favored the rice pancake, Masala Dosa, filled with sauteed potatoes and onion, served with sambar and coconut chutney

An unexpected treat was Vazhakka Mezhukkuperaty, a simply sauteed unripe banana. Rumor has it that if one can pronounce the dish, it's free.

This is plenty, but if there's room for more, then for dessert, Ada Prathaman, a pudding made with milk and vermicelli noodles, something kin to rice pudding with cashews and an essence of cardamom.

Finally, masala tea, a smoothly spiced cha or chai steeped in milk and slightly sweet.

Winter in Cambridge

Last night, the weather forecast included fog and freezing temperatures, a welcome change from the news that this is one of the warmest years on record. I am happy to report that the meteorologists were right and this morning was a wonderland of hoarfrost. This is a treat for not just me but for the garden which just hasn't received the necessary clues that it should stop blossoming and hunker down for a rest.

For those of you who shoveled snow this morning or tiptoed around icy patches, you'll bear with me as I celebrate the closest I've come to snow this winter.

Edye

Sweetened Greetings!

There are many reasons to spend hours in the kitchen: chocolate desserts come to mind immediately, just about anything with a chile pepper and, of course, dinner with friends. None of these require anything near the time spent on this gingerbread train. And, guess what? I gave it away. It was a prize at the Christmas raffle here in our village. Goodness knows what Alastair and I would have done with it.

It took 36 hours, several pounds of powdered sugar, all of my cinnamon and ginger, 3 metres of counterspace and a good deal of patience. Insanely, I think I could do it again. Perhaps it's my hidden desire to be an engineer, train or building... or maybe my ability to eat a lot of cookie dough.