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Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Cooking
Thu Nov 13 2003

Been reading Calichef's diary on baking/cooking. Now that the weather has cooled off, and a little extra heat in the kitchen wouldn't hurt, I think I'll start baking again. Bread.

I was going to start some bread this evening, but I was sorely in need of a nap, and when I woke up, it was time for TV. So, I guess I'll bake tomorrow. My sister sent me a challah recipe. I haven't had time yet to check it against a couple other recipes I have, but I don't suppose there's whole lot of difference.

Now, bread in general has many varieties. White. Wheat. Whole Wheat. Peanut Butter (Sis's recipe). Oatmeal. Oh, yes, and let's not forget Jewish Rye. In my favorite cookbook, The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer (1943 ed.) there are 45 pages of bread and biscuit recipes. And then there are the pages of jams and jellies to go with.

My hands are arthritic, and I have trouble kneading bread, and my breadmaker decided not to bake, so I guess I'm going to have to work these sorry fingers if I want real, honest-to-goodness Whole Wheat bread. This would be a good time to try out Deborah's Honey Wheat Bread. (Now, where did I put that recipe?)

I remember my grandmother's baking day. Ah, such lovely smells. Oh, and the cinnamon rolls. To die for. Maybe I'll make some cinnamon rolls too. If I have some brown sugar. Ah-ha! One whole box, not even opened yet. Raisins? Some, but I don't think quite enough.

No, silly, not whole wheat cinnamon rolls. I'll have to make a separate batch of parker house rolls dough for the cinnamon rolls. That's what my grandmother used, and so, of course, that's the only proper way to make them.

Ah, found Deborah's recipe, but it makes 4 loaves, and I think I have only 2 loaf pans. Oops, it calls for carob powder, and I don't have any. OK, so it's Rombauer's standard Whole Wheat recipe.

But right now, I think I hear my bed calling.

Shalom

6 Comments
  • From:
    CovertOps (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    Dear Chaya,
    You're making me hungry. There are about 3 hours more until sundown, then I can break fast. I wasn't hungry before, but reading your entry made me hungry. I have a weakness for carbohydrates, especially bread and biscuits. Quoting you, I've never met a cookie I didn't like.
    We ought to get together sometime and have a Baking Day. We can get Rena to join us.
    Love,
    E.L.
  • From:
    Thubten (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    So many recipes to choose from...they sound delicious. Such a shame your baking machine is on the blink.
    I've heard real estate agents recommend people have the smell of baking bread wafting through the home when prospective buyers are inspecting it. (Seems a bit obvious though?):)
    Shalom,
    Thubten
  • From:
    TraumaMama (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    Gosh, I haven't baked bread in ages. MMMM, love the smell of it, there is nothing better!
  • From:
    Sezrah (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    peanut butter bread? never heard of that one but it sounds delish
    come to think of it, don't americans have a hankering for a lot of things peanut buttery? over here there's never been anything popular like peanut butter cookies or peanut butter chocolate, us kiwis simply don't eat that kind of thing. same with cherry flavours, nobody goes for it over here

    sez
  • From:
    Sezrah (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    i should have said 'peanut butter-flavoured' things, as we do love peanut butter, although yours is a heck of a lot sweeter than ours.
    if you check out a kiwi supermarket you will not find anything peanut butter-flavoured at all. some supermarkets do sell reeses peanut butter cups but i don't know many people who eat that stuff
    as for cherry things, they tried to sell that cherry-flavoured coke over here but it fizzled out and died in a very short while. not sure what our fave flavours are though, will have to think about that one

    sez
  • From:
    Ozone (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Nov 13 2003
    Oh for the smell and taste of Grandma's homemade bread.