Start of June Adventure

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Start of June Adventure

Hello loyal follower(s) This was erroneously posted on the Crusty Dough Nut blog

June 10, 2011, we started  our adventure in St George where the forecasted high temperature was to be 92℉, of course we wore our shorts  and light weight tops.  We drove north to Pocatello Idaho where the forecasted  high was 72℉.  Being "desert rats" we were freezing.  Being hardy "desert rats" we walked to Applebee's for dinner because it was only two blocks away.  Not a good plan, we became "drowned rats" walking back in the rain.  This was a problem we rarely had in St George.

June 11, 2011,  as we drove on north through Idaho and most of Montana on Interstate 15 we stopped a  two of the new Rest Stops along the highway:

This was the outside view of the rest stop,  nothing unusual or special from the outside but the inside was special.

the inside was special these were the four privatebathrooms for the women.

And four private bathrooms for men.

 In a regular rest stop there are usually two three urinals and two toilets and no privacy.


Seemed neat to Mr Nut.

View of our RED Prius and the landscape (actually a town)  taken from outside the rest area building.

It was here that we changed into our blue jeans to offset the "cold" weather of the day, the temperature bounced around  all day from 40℉ to 72℉ but most of the time it was in the 50's℉ with clouds and showers.


We were very surprise that the food in the portable refrigerator was still good at the end of the day even though Mr (I forgot) Nut did not plug the refrigerator in the car in the morning.

Our day ended in Shelby Montana, where we had a great meal a a place called Ring Side Ribs.  The picture was of Cyndy and Mr Nut.

  Shelby (population about 3,000) is still trying to profit of a boxing match that took place July 4, 1923 between Tom Gibbons and Jack Dempsey.
Mr Nut says they should "get a life", the fight was almost 100 years ago.

Anyway tomorrow we will slip across the border to Alberta, Canada.

À bientôt,

Mr Nut

Sunday thru Tuesday, June 12-14, 2011

Sunday thru Tuesday, June 12-14, 2011

Hello loyal follower(s)

Today the border guard people let us into Alberta, Canada without a hassle. 

But before we crossed the border we used this neat Montana rest stop with the individual bathrooms as shown in the last blog.

There was a short line to go through customs today and only one gate was open.

  However ------

 During April all the gates in this picture were open  and the vehicle were sometimes lined up for blocks as the Canadian “snowbirds” returned home.  (according our Canadian friends the Aneys)

These are our friends Russ and Sharon Aney at their cabin near Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada.  Cyndy was in the foreground.

 The day was a little chilly as Sharon and Cyndy checked out the front deck of the cabin.

 This was Russ Aney driving golf balls into the lake.  Then on warm days he or his grandkids or neighbor kids go out in the lake and retrieve some of the golf balls.  Russ collects and trades golf balls and he still has in excess of 32,000 golf balls. But hey!  Some people collect stamps, dolls etc so why not golf balls.

 Some shots of the cabin

 This was something special, a 60 ft by 10ft trailer that was used in the oil fields to house the workers.  Each door was for a private bedroom for a worker. 

Russ and Cyndy enjoying some wine before we went out to dinner to celebrate Mr Nut and Cyndy’s  52^nd wedding anniversary. 

Tomorrow we drive to near Glacier National Park to soak in some hot springs and just hang out for a few day.

À bientot,

Mr Nut

"Housekeeping chores" in Mr Nut's blogs

June 6, 2011

Hello loyal follower(s)

Today Mr Nut has gone back and edited some of the blogs by omitting back recipes or changing direction to reflect the use of Baking Parchment  Paper rather than the Jim Lahey method of wrapping the dough in dish towel and just dumping the dough into a hot Dutch oven.

First the blog of April 7, 2011, the bread tended to dry out too fast therefore, the recipe should not have been included.

The recipe from April 12, 2011 82% Whole grain artisan bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper.

The recipe from April 16, 2011 57% whole grain bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper.

The recipe from April 16, 2011 31% whole grain artisan bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper.

The recipe from April 24, 2011 Rustic marbled 33% whole wheat artisan bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper.

The recipe from May 17, 2011 Whole Wheat Rustic artisan bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper

The recipe from May 19, 2011 Rolled oats Honey bread was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper

The recipe from May 27, 2011 Swedish Limpa  was updated for Baking Parchment  Paper

That was more time consuming than Mr Nut thought it would be, but now everything is up to date.

It is time for a nap.

À bientôt.

Mr Nut        

Miscellaneous Activities

Hello loyal follower(s)

      The internet is back in our home but not as fast as we would like.  In Mr Nut's last blog the marvels of Baking Parchment Paper was extolled.  With that in mind Mr Nut went back and edited the recipe in the blog of May 17, 2011 for 33% Whole Wheat Rustic Artisan Bread.
     Another great adventure of the day was to refinish our "all uses" table.  We have abused it for eighteen years and it needed.

Our center of activity with one coat of minwax polycrylic protective finish. Two  more coats to go---what an adventure.

Cyndy's early morning (9AM) adventure into the strawberry patch.  The strawberries are about done for now, and the pea pod are completely done.

The beets are ready and the Swiss Chard keeps on producing.

We had our special pizza last night.  Here it is ready to go in the oven.

Mr Nut thinks he has the technique of getting the pizza off the peel and into the oven mastered.  Four successes in a row with out a mess.
  What really helped was when he realized the oven shelf could easily be pulled out, and then put the pizza on the shelf.  Also flouring the peel before putting on the coarse corn meal, helps keep it on  the peel.

Last Thursday, Mr Nut as the Sous Chef made his recipe from the April 24, 2011 blog for Hachi Parmentier and tonight we will finish it off.

Hachi Parmentier ready for the table.




Mr Nut want to leave you with a neat recipe

À bientôt,
Mr Nut

Crunchy Nut Coleslaw

6-5-2011

Modified from allrecipes.com 

submitted by Judy Madsen of Ellis Idaho

Dressing:

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar          ADD DRESSING AND NUTS JUST BEFORE 

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                         SERVING

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Coleslaw:

2 cups finely chopped cabbage

1/2 cup chopped cauliflower

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet Vidalia or red onion

2 tablespoons chopped green pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped cucumber

Chopped nuts:

1/4 cup chopped peanuts,  cashews or mixed nuts

Directions:

1. For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons  sugar, 1 1/2 cups vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until blended.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups cabbage, 1/2 cup cauliflower, 1/2 cup celery, 2 tablespoons onion, 2 tablespoon green pepper and 2 tablespoon cucumber. 
3. When it is time to serve the salad:  Add dressing and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with nuts. 

Rustic Rye Bread

from June 1, 2011

Hello loyal follower(s)

     Mr Nut seems to learn something new, or an improved method of doing something every time he does something related to cooking.  Of course when you start from almost zero it should be easier to learn new things.

      Baking Parchment Paper and how to use it when baking bread was the new discovery this time.  Used in the book Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett © 2009  and also found in a 2006 Cook’s Illustrated magazine, its use seemed to be an improvement from Jim Lahey’s approach to making bread. 

       When Mr Nut finally gets his internet connection restored he is planning to go back and revise many of the bread recipes to reflect the use of  Baking Parchment Paper.

Still searching for a rye bread that he likes, Mr Nut today used a modified recipe from Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett © 2009.

First of all, the loaf was smaller based on only four cups of flour instead of six that are needed for his large diameter base Dutch oven.

Now for the improved method of handling the dough.  Instead of wrapping it in a dish towel and then having to dump it into the Dutch oven, the second fermentation was done in Baking Parchment Paper which was then used as a sling to gently place the dough into the Dutch oven

This was the loaf after it had baked in the Dutch oven for 45 minutes and and was lifted out of the Dutch oven and placed on a piece of aluminum foil ( helps keep the bottom of the loaf from burning) to finish baking.

The finished product-----  good color 

As you can see the bottom of the loaf was not burned.

The crumb was very good

Mr Nut found a website while on the internet at Mc Donald’s that had smaller Dutch ovens at a reasonable  prices. He will probably order one but maybe not until August because he will be traveling for the next three and one half months.  Ideally a Dutch oven with an interior base diameter of 7 to 8 inches.  

Recipe follows:

À bientôt

Mr Nut

Rustic Rye

From kneadlessly simple by Nancy Baggett ©2009

Modified for cuisinart 7 qt stand mixer with 

Speeds 1 - 12

Yield one 9 inch round

Made without molasses, brown sugar, or any of the other ingredients used to deepen rye bread color as in the Swedish Limpa  from the grandmother of Cyndy’s  recipe from circa 1910. This bread is lighter than many of the other rye breads. The flavor of the grain takes center is apparent, and, since the dough is not sweet, the pleasing slight bitterness of the rye comes through.

    Long first fermentation was used in this recipe.  The fermentation process is aided by the addition of dough enhancer (see blog of April 5, 2011).  A combination of caraway, fennel, and dill seeds lends the best flavor to the bread. 

Ingredients:

2 cups (10 ounces: 280g) rye flour

2 cups (10 ounces: 280 g) unbleached white bread flour.

1/4 cup ( 1.25 ounces: 35g)dough enhancer. 

1/4 cup  ( 1.25 ounces: 35g) Vital wheat gluten

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

2 teaspoons Sea salt

1  tablespoon assorted seeds, preferably 1 teaspoon each caraway, fennel, and dill seeds mixed
together (or substitute 1 tablespoon caraway seeds). (save 1 teaspoon of seed mixture for pressing into top of dough just before baking)

3/4 teaspoon instant yeast.

About 2 1/4 cups  water.

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.

Canola oil or oil spray for coating dough

Directions:

1. Dry mix: In the mixer bowl using the Chef’s Whisk at speed one, mix together the blue ingredients.
2. Wet Mix: In a separate bowl mix by hand the red ingredients.
3. Combine by adding the wet mix to the dry mix. Keep mixing to a minimun, and aim for a stiff dough. Move  the dough from the mixer bowl to another bowl (oiled ) so you can clean the mixer bowl.
4. First Fermentation: brush or spray the top of the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Then let rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. (around 75℉)
5. Deflate dough:  Gently press down on center of dough to deflate. Holding edge of dough with fingertips, fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Add more rye flour if the dough is sticky, aim for a stiff dough. Turn bowl quarter turn; fold again. Turn bowl and fold dough 6 more times (maximum of 8 folds). 
6. Second Fermentation: Set out a 15-inch square of baking parchment paper. Spray it with nonstick spray, then generously dust it with rye flour. Invert the dough into the center of the parchment. Generously dust the dough with more rye flour. Smooth out and round the surface to form a round shaped, domed loaf; it may be sticky, so flour your hands, and sprinkle more flour over the top as needed. Using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the loaf to a skillet or  bowl just slightly smaller in diameter than the dutch oven to be used. Tent the bowl with nonstick spray-coated foil.  Let it ferment for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the dough doubles from the deflated size.
7. Prepare Oven: 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the middle of the oven with the Dutch oven; preheat to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone place it near the bottom of the oven it will act as a heat sink. 
8. Final Dough preparation: Sprinkle or spray the dough top generously with water. Sprinkle on the remaining seeds, patting down to embed slightly. Using well-oiled serrated knife or razor, cut a 1/2-inch-deep, 3-inch diameter circular slash in the dough center. Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully lift the dough into the pot; take care not to touch the hot pot. Immediately top the pot with its lid.
9. Baking: Reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake on the lower rack for 45 minutes. Remove the lid. Using the parchment paper, lift the loaf from the pot and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Pull the parchment away from the loaf sides so they are exposed. (If the top is well browned, cover it with foil.) Bake for 25 to 35 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 210° to 212°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Note: the appearance of the loaf is more important in determining the doneness of the loaf than the internal temperature (from Cook's illustrated magazine, May-June 2011 page 31).  Cool  thoroughly on a wire rack.

SERVING AND STORING: Cool before slicing and storing. The flavor improves after several hours of storage. To maintain the crisp crust, store in a large bowl draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.