Show Me the Bread ~ Bialys and Sourdough

I want to share a bread post during this pandemic as I know many of you are baking.  I know this because there is no flour or yeast to be found in any store and presumably there is a lot of baking going on.  Social media bears this out as pictures of homemade goodies abound.  I too have flour and yeast because I live in a perpetual state of emergency readiness.  Otherwise I would have been one of those wandering the grocery aisles bewildered by the absence of staples.  I've always kept a well stocked larder partly due to our remote location and partly due to years of California's  vigilant commercial reminders to be always earthquake ready.  They got the emergency wrong but it still turns out to have been good advice.

It's Springtime and vidalia onions are in season and therefore no better time to share a recipe for bialys.  Never heard of a bialy?  Then you probably have never been to a New York City Jewish Deli.  It's similar to a bagel but it's baked and more squat with an onion topping.  Trust me this tastes better than it sounds.  I absolutely love them and bake several batches every Spring.

The recipe I'm sharing was originally published in Saveur magazine.  It was adapted from Mimi Sheraton's book The Bialy Eaters (Broadway Books, 2002) and was pulled off line for some reason.  I've tried to remain true to the recipe as shared but I had to make a few adaptions for it to work for me.  So this is my adaption of the adaption and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.  If you ever get to New York City make sure you hunt down a deli that sells bialys. You'll be glad you did.

Bialy Recipe

Yield ~ 16 ~

1/3 cup olive oil
1 small vidalia onion, minced
2 Tbs. coarse bread crumbs, toasted
7 grams (1 package) active yeast or 1/2 oz fresh yeast
3 cups cool water (note: original recipe called for ice water and fresh yeast)
5 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting (I recommend Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour)
2 Tbs. kosher salt
3 Tbs. poppy seeds

Steps:

1.  First read over the instructions in entirety as this is not your typical bread recipe.  There are two kneading stages for this dough and two options for baking, one using a sheet pan covering and one simply using baking sheets.  I recommend using the sheet pan covering option as it will result in a crispy crust.

2.  Prepare onion mixture.  Heat oil in a skillet and add onion.  Saute over low heat until onion is soft and translucent, 12 - 14 minutes.  Stir in bread crumbs, set aside to cool.

3.  Stir 1/2 cup cool (or iced) water and the yeast (either fresh or active) in a bowl until smooth and the yeast is dissolved.  Add remaining 2 1/2 cups cool (or iced) water.  Set aside.   In a stand mixer with hook attached combined bread flour and salt.  With the motor running slowly add the yeast mixture (I generally have a very wet and sticky mixture by the time I have added 2 1/2 cups  and skip adding the last 1/2 cup).  After adding the yeast mixture turn up the speed to medium-high and kneed until smooth but still still sticky, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.  Don't worry if there are some lumps they will break down during the second kneading stage.  NOTE:  As a time saving hack I use a food processor to add the water/yeast mixture to the flour/salt mixture by drizzling in through the top opening while the machine is running.  Once I have added 2 1/2 cups water/yeast I stop the machine and transfer the mixture to my stand mixture and proceed to the kneading stage as described above.

4.  Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth.  Set aside in warm place until double in bulk, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.  If I'm using an Air Fryer "proofing" function I generally find it is ready after proofing for 110 minutes at 90 degrees.

5.  Return dough to mixer with hook and kneed for 10 minutes.  All lumps must be gone and if you still have lumps after 10 minutes continue kneading by hand until all lumps are gone (or I simply reach into the bowl and using my fingers work the lumps until they disappear).  This is a very wet dough and will stick to the bowl sides.  If you knead by hand add as little flour as possible.  Cover and set aside in a bowl until doubled in bulk, approximately 60 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.   Place a pizza stone on lowest shelf in oven.  Divide dough into 16 pieces and with well floured hands roll into balls (these will not form tight balls as the dough is too wet and lax for that.  You will find this dough is different and behaves differently than other breads and don't expect it to have the form or texture of, for example, a bagel or pizza dough).   Place 5 or 6 balls (1 inch apart) on each parchment lined baking sheet.  Remember you will want them close enough that they will fit under a sheet pan cover, if you choose to bake them that way which I highly recommend.  Cover with floured cloths and let rise until slightly puffy, approximately 45 minutes.

7.  Wet the bottom of a small glass or jar (approximately 3 inches in diameter) and press into the center of each ball and twist to create a flat thin center with a puffy rim.  Using your finger lightly apply a small amount of water to rims.  Sprinkle surface with a few poppy seeds and add 1 or 2 teaspoons onion mixture to the center and a tiny bit around the edges.  Resist the temptation to add more onion mix as over filling will cause the center to rise up like a knot.

8.  You will bake the bialys in batches.  If you want to create a dutch oven effect, cover tray of bialys with a 9x13 sheet pan turned upside.  Place tray of bialys (covered by sheet pan) on the pizza stone and set a heavy cast-iron pan (or brick, etc.) on top of the sheet pan to weigh it down and trap heat.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the sheet pan covering and move the tray of bialys to the middle rack and bake until well browned, approximately 6 to 8 minutes (total cooking time 16 to 18 minutes).  Note:  the original recipe does not call for baking bialys under a sheet pan I found that tip online and I find it creates a nice crust.  But you don't have to use the sheet pan to cover the bialys and can simply follow the baking instructions omitting the sheet pan covering.  If you skip the sheet pan covering you can get by with using just 2 baking sheets (8 bialys per sheet).

Bialys are wonderful freshly baked and still warm from the oven but they also freeze well.  To reheat I zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds and toast for a couple of minutes in a toaster oven.  I personally don't add any topping (such as cream cheese, etc.) as I would with a bagel.

Pictured above is a typical breakfast for me.  I love Coach's Oats topped with fruit and walnuts, Japanese green tea (in particular, DavidsTea Gyokuro Yamashiro), a slice of my homemade sourdough bread and I like to have another type of breakfast bread such as a bialy as well.  This is a substantial repast and needless to say I have no need or desire to snack mid-morning.  I adhere to the philosophy of breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess and dine like a pauper!  At least in a caloric/carb sense.  That is if you ignore my lunchtime baked treat. 

A Word or Two About Sourdough

There is currently a tremendous interest in sourdough.  But a sourdough adventure requires a multitude of things not necessarily on hand including wild yeast, bread proofing baskets (brotform), lame (for scoring), dutch oven (for crust) and a process that is well beyond the scope of my humble blog.   If you are interested in sourdough I recommend the recipe in Tartine Bread and getting a jump start on your wild yeast by buying King Arthur Flour's Classic Fresh Sourdough Starter.  Years ago I attempted to create my own wild yeast via a petri dish until I had the epiphany that it was crazy to try and improve on King Arthur's hundred year old starter that had obviously stood the test of time.  I do keep dual starters - one fed by the Tartine Bread method and the other following King Arthur Flour's method.  I do this as it gives me flexibility with different types of recipes and also ensures that if one starter goes bad or spills, etc. that I have another to begin again with.

I love huge door stopper slices of sourdough and my favorite toppings include butter and honey; olive oil and Zaatar (make middle east style bruschetta by adding feta cheese on top); olive oil and dukkah; and last but not least, butter and seville orange marmalade.  Sourdough isn't just for breakfast though.  It's also fantastic with a bowl of soup, toasted hard and drenched in olive oil.

Homemade bread is one of my favorite foods and I never cease to be amazed at the amazing results you can achieve in your own kitchen.  I hope you will embark on a life long love affair as I have.  If you are new to bread baking and want a try a simple yeast bread recipe I recommend trying my classic dinner rolls.

Just a quick word on the pandemic before closing.  Each of us are having to make changes in our priorities and we are recognizing that the actions we take impact others and the planet.  It is my hope this will lead to positive and lasting changes in society and how we treat each other.  If it does the world will be a better place to live.  Something good coming from something that is bad.  Until next time be well and stay safe and keep baking, it's something wonderful that you can share.

Spring Zweig Sweater and Chicken Vegetable Instapot Recipe

This is a knitting blog and, as always, I have a project to share.  But first I want to talk about the COVID-19 crisis and how anxious and worried I am for our neighbors, community, world and of course our family.  I wish everyone could stay home and avoid exposure to the virus but I know there are those who perform essential roles in providing healthcare, food, supplies, and leadership and my thanks and prayers are with each of you and your families.

I think it will be many months before a vaccine is widely available.  Those of us who are older, have underlying health conditions or family in those risk categories will likely have to take precautions for longer than others.  This means staying at home and not leaving for any reason and that can be isolating and lonely.  But there are things you can do to stay connected and be part of your community.  For example I have joined a group on Facebook (Milk Street Community) that shares recipes and tips and our Temple (Makom LA) has a variety of live services streamed on Facebook as well.  Both are welcoming and friendly communities.  Other options include having a virtual happy hour on Zoom and other creative uses of social media platforms.  Look around and find those that interest you and join in.  This is also a good time to touch base with friends and family and rebuild relationships that have drifted apart.  And of course you should absolutely keep knitting!

In this post I am wearing the very popular Zweig Sweater designed by Caitlin Hunter.  It's a unique design that combines texture, lace, and colorwork and yet still manages to be an easy and straight forward knit.  That's the magic of Caitlin's patterns - they look a more complicated than they are.  I chose to use Spring colors as I don't have many sweaters for that season as Spring in Southern California feels like summer anywhere else.  Ironically it's really cold this Spring but as we are confined to home I'll just have to sashay about the house in my new sweater.  That's okay because next year I may break down and wear this in the Winter as well and make it a two season sweater!

My mother would laugh at that as she is always telling me I am too rigid and I need to be more flexible.  But I like each season to shine for it's own special reasons and I resist crossing over seasons in clothing or food.  Spring is a time for lemon flavored baking, pink flowers, Easter baskets, enjoying the sound of birds singing, baby lambs, longer days and rediscovering the miracle of regrowth and renewal. I'd love to hear what makes your heart sing about Spring.   

I won't go into my tips for colorwork or how to achieve a custom fit for a sweater because I have shared those tips in previous posts.  My tips for knitting a sweater are in the post Knitting a Sweater and Tips to Achieve a Custom Fit and my colorwork tips are in the Hebe hat post (an Alice Staremore design) and to be honest I think there are now a number of Youtube videos that would probably make great free tutorials for colorwork.  But I still stand by my advice to practice, practice, and practice more on a swatch holding two strands in your hand and get very used to knitting that way before you embark on your first project.

Particulars:  Zweig Sweater, designed by Caitlin Hunter (Boyland Knitworks); yarn by A Homespun House (merino/cashmere blend).  This was a very easy sweater to knit.  I made the smallest size (XS) and made no modifications.  I chose the amethyst color and Molly (the dyer behind A Homespun House) helped me pick the contrasting color of stardust and I think that was the perfect choice. 

Other patterns that I've knit by Caitlin Hunter are her Kobuk hat and Sunset Highway Sweater.  I love all her designs and I'm sure I'll be knitting more.  Other projects knit using a homespun house yarn include the beautiful shawl in my last post and All the Angles, a shawl designed by Stephen West that I have yet to photograph.

Before I switch gears to cooking I have just realized that I am approaching my 13th Blogiversary.  That's a long time.  My very first post Welcome to Mr. Puffy and Claudia's Blog! was back on May 5, 2007.  I want to thank you for reading along on this journey and for the comments and private notes that I've received.  I'm glad that I embarked on this journey and I know there are many more projects and recipes that I want to share and I hope you will following along with me and find some inspiration along the way.  

Instant Pot ~ Chicken Vegetable Soup ~

Steve and I have been practicing self isolation long before it became popular.  Largely a result of living in the mountains and working long hours at home.  And when you spend a lot of time at home your meal repertoire gets to be pretty large by sheer necessity.  I know many of you are not used to cooking meals at home and the COVID-19 crisis is making you consider how exactly do you stretch that chicken or use up bags of legumes.  So I thought this would be a good time to share a recipe that will help on both accounts.

A quick word about the Instant Pot (pressure cooker).  No you don't need one to make this recipe.  You can simply cook the chicken and legumes on your stove top and adjust the cooking time.  However I think you'll have to cook it long and slow at a low heat to achieve the same texture and melding of flavors.  

I'm obviously a fan of the Instant Pot and this is how it happened.  One day Steve came into the house calling "I have a gift for you."  I was very excited..... until I saw it was a cooking implement.  To say I was underwhelmed is an understatement.  Then I used it.  Now I laughingly say Best. Gift. Ever!  It does take a few times to get comfortable using it and you do have to be careful that you don't overcook things (I found the recipes included waaaaay overstated the cooking time).  But it's worth the effort and now I use mine weekly to make a stew or soup for the weekend.  They are sold everywhere including Amazon, etc.  I have the 6-quart size which is the most popular. 

Chicken Vegetable Soup - Instant Pot Recipe

Yum

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 lbs.), skin removed

1 cup mixed legumes (i.e.split peas, barley, red lentils, and maybe small pasta pieces).  I like Bob's Red Mill vegi soup mix which is a mix of all these.  No pre-soaking required.

1 stock cube - I use Rapunzel vegetable bouillon (low sodium) Ralph's grocery store sells this brand

Assortment sliced/diced vegetables  (zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, sweet onion, and small cherry tomatoes)  These should be cut pretty thick or they will dry out during the roasting process.
2 Tbs. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (optional)

Salt to taste

Steps:

1.  About 1.5 or 2 hrs before you want to eat wash and remove skin from the chicken and cut off all fat.  Place the skinned chicken in an instant pot.  Add 1 cup or desired amount of legumes, salt, and stock (I use 1 cube) and water sufficient to cover chicken by approximately 2 inches.  Set instant pot on "poultry" setting and adjust cook time to 7 minutes.  After the timer goes off leave the chicken in the instant pot for roughly another half hour to allow it to continue cooking in the hot liquid.  Open and remove chicken from liquid at this point and check that it is cooked though.  If it is, set it aside to cool.  Close the instant pot until vegetables are ready to add.

N.B. I find the 7 minutes plenty of time to thoroughly cook a chicken but it never hurts to double check and should you need to cook it longer you can always place the chicken back into the hot liquid and allow it to continue cooking until you are satisfied that it is cooked through.    

2.  In the meantime preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss mixed vegetables in olive oil and salt to taste.  Spread out on a foil covered tray and bake for approximately 40 to 60 minutes or until tender and the edges have started to brown.  Cooking time is an estimate.  You need to check and see how fast the vegetables are cooking because If you slice the veggies too thin they will cook faster and you risk they shrivel up to nothing.   When they are ready remove them from the oven and fold the foil over to tent vegetables (keep warm) and set aside until ready to use.

3.  About 5 minutes before you want to eat shred the white meat and remove all bones (I typically don't use the dark/thigh meat but that is your choice).  Set shredded chicken meat aside.

4.  Add 50 to 75% of cooked vegetables to the hot liquid in your instant pot and using a hand immersion bender or any type of blender pulse a few times to break up the vegetables and legumes to make a chunky rich broth.

5.  Taste broth and adjust seasoning (add salt, oregano) as desired.

6.  Add shredded chicken and remaining 25% vegetables to the instant pot and you are finished!

We often eat an Instant Pot soup/stew with a side salad and bread.  The bread pictured above is a Turkish flatbread that I made following this Youtube video.  It's wonderful to scoop up dips and soup.  If you are simply going to eat it on it's own then I suggest you increase the salt.

Until next time stay home, stay safe and may all of you and your loved ones find ways to stay connected during this stressful time.  In the sage words of my mother "this too shall pass" and we will get through this together. 

  

Black Magic Butter Dream Cookies and Christmas Gnomes ~

Who doesn't love Christmas cookies?  No one that's who.  And if you master the art of baking Christmas cookies you will always be in demand at holiday parties, social gatherings, and secret political coups.  But mostly you will reap the benefits from your own family's enjoyment and eager anticipation for your holiday cookie baking to begin.  This year I'm sharing one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes which has the added bonus of being super easy to make!  So those of you who are not stronger bakers (and you know who you are) or even if you think nothing of whipping up a classic french Croquembouche you will find this cookie a nice addition to your Christmas cookie repertoire.

Black Magic Butter Dream Cookies
~ yield ~ 2 dozen

The recipe was given to my mom from a lady in her church.  She called it Black Magic Butter Dreams and they indeed melt in your mouth in a pretty dreamy way.  It's also a pretty quick recipe to make (although you need to chill the dough for a couple of hours) and it's a good all round additional to your holiday cookie plate. 

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 oz)  sweet butter (unsalted) room temperature (I like to use Kerry Gold Irish butter)

1/2 cup - sifted - powdered sugar (plus an additional powered sugar to garnish baked cookies)

1 tsp vanilla extract

 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (chop by hand as the irregular pieces create nice texture and crumb)

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Using an electric mixer beat butter, 1/2 cup sifted powered sugar and vanilla at medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on how soft your butter is) or until light and fluffy. 

3.  Sift together flour and salt.  Using a wooden spoon stir flour mixture into butter mixture until fully incorporated.  Add walnuts and stir briefly until distributed evenly.

4.  Refrigerate cookie dough for 2 to 3 hours.  When dough is chilled use your hands to roll  into 1 inch balls and bake 15 minutes or until set and slightly brown.

5.  While cookies are still warm, roll in powered sugar.  When cool give them a second roll in powered sugar.  

I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine does.  I've seem similar recipes using pecans but I think walnuts are especially nice in Christmas cookies.  One of my favorite Christmas cookies of all is a walnut cookie recipe I shared many years ago called Festive Walnut Christmas Cookies.  This was a favorite cookie of my father's and I make them every year.  

It's Nice to be Gnome for the Holidays ~

In my last post I mentioned that I'm going crazy knitting gnomes!  This is the newest addition to my collection and I think he's a jolly addition to my Christmas decorations.  He's perched here on the edge of my Swedish advent calendar, which is only appropriate as gnomes (or tomte as they are known in Sweden) are a traditional part of Scandinavian folklore.  Apparently Tomte have been living in Scandinavia since the beginning of time.  They live in lofts or barns and wear bright-red caps and wooden clogs.  Rarely seen except for children and the family cat, he is a helpful guardian of the farm and livestock.  If you are missing a sock or something has been mysteriously moved then the tomte borrowed it.  But be wary because if you offend him he may play tricks or do something even more nefarious. On Christmas eve good children in Sweden climb to the barn loft in the countryside or their house attic if living in the city to leave a bowl of rice pudding with a lump of butter and a mug of beer for the tomte.  In the morning little gifts are tucked into their shoes and the bowl and the mug are empty, proof that the tomte was there!  I've always related more to my mother's tradition who is English but since my father's passing (he was Swedish and Norwegian) I've wanted to connect more to his part of my heritage.  And what could be a better way than bringing these whimsical tomtes into my home!

Particulars:  Gnome Pun Intended; designed by Sarah Schira (imagined landscapes); US 1 needles; mini skeins by Black Sheep Dyeworks (colorways cinnabar (red) and lettuce tonal (body) and scrap white yarn by Knitspot stranded with scrap silk mohair for the beard.  Finished gnome is 8" in height.  I did add a pretty bead to the tip of his hat which I think is a nice finishing touch.  To see my autumnal gnome see the post Sweater Weather and Gnome Spotting.  And to see the original project using the silk mohair used in the beard see the Northern Skies shawl post.  I must confess the knitspot yarn was knit into a fantastic project but it has yet to be photographed.  Someday!

We all love this newest addition to our holiday gnome family.  Especially Simcha.  

Until next time be well, love well and know that Steve, Simcha and I are wishing peace, happiness, and good tidings to all this Hanukkah, Christmas and throughout the New Year ahead. 

SCONES - the British Way

As an American I've found it a long and arduous journey to find the perfect British scone recipe.  There were many perils along the way from disappointing recipes, confusing measuring conventions, differences in flour composition, and perhaps the most challenging factor, no decent example to be found anywhere.  I've had tea at the Biltmore in Santa Barbara and numerous other posh establishments and never had a cup of tea worth drinking or a scone enjoyable to consume.  While I didn't know how to make a scone myelf I knew enough that the pale, slightly risen, and cold offering was not a proper British scone.  Not by half.  Which is why I made it my mission to figure out how to bake a British scone and why it all goes so wrong in America.

The simple answer is that it's due to the flour.   All purpose flour in England has a higher protein content than in America.  But it's more than that.  I won't lie.  To succeed in America with baking British scones requires yes, the right flour, but it also requires its very own technique which is why I've been very exacting in the instructions below.  Follow this recipe and you'll be happily munching on scones as you watch Wimbledon this summer with butter and jam dripping down your fingers.  Or regularly with a cuppa and a good book, as I do.  Parenthetically I'm thoroughly enjoying the Maisie Dobbs series.

The recipe I'm sharing is my own and derived from a variety of sources including trial and error and serendipitous surprise.  As mentioned above I can not stress enough the importance of using the right flour which, luckily, is lurking at your nearby grocery store.  I actually had self raising flour imported from England (quite expensive) and didn't like the result as well.  Similarly cake flour (which has a higher protein content and is sometimes recommended for British scones) gave disappointing results.  The good news is that Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour is reasonably priced and available at a variety of grocery chains and, incidentally, makes fabulous baguettes as well.

Without further ado good luck and I hope that you enjoy these scones as much as Steve and I do!

SCONES - the British Way
Yield ~ 9 to 10 scones

INGREDIENTS ~

Either:
1/2 cup currants - soaked 10 minutes in earl gray tea (or plain hot water)
or
4 oz sultanas (golden raisins) (no soaking necessary so long as fresh) - set aside

Combine in a large bowl:
450g Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour or British self raising flour
If using Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour add 2 TBS baking powder
If using British self raising flour add 2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
85g (6 Tbs.) sweet butter - slightly softened (I use a European butter such as Kerry gold) cubed

Combine in a separate bowl (and reserve 2 TBS):
1 large egg plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup
7 Tbs. (92g) fine white sugar  (caster sugar or C&H baking sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish: Demerara sugar

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  N.B. you will drop the temperature to 425 as soon as you pop the scones in the oven.

2.  If using currants instead of sultanas soak currants in earl gray tea or hot water for approximately 10 minutes and blot dry.   Measure and set aside whichever you are using (either currants or sultanas).

3.  In a medium bowl combine your choice of flour, appropriate amount of baking powder (depending on your flour choice), salt, and cubed butter.  Using your finger tips rub butter into flour mixture until consistency of fine sand.  It is very important that there are no lumps of butter left as you want a cake like consistency and not a flaky consistency like a biscuit. Set Aside.

4.  In a separate small bowl combine egg and milk mixture, sugar, and vanilla.  Whisk until sugar is entirely dissolved.   Remove and reserve 2 Tbs. of mixture to be used later for brushing tops of scones.

5.  Add either currants or sultanas to the flour mixture and toss to combine.

6.  Add the milk mixture (less the 2 Tbs. reserved to brush the tops) to the flour and raisins.  Using a blunt knife cut the wet ingredients into the flour mixture to form a wet and shaggy dough.  Don't worry if not all the flour is incorporated - it's better to not incorporate all the flour rather than having a dough too dry (there are a variety of factors that can affect how much flour is needed to create the dough such as humidity).  Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and kneed a couple of turns until smooth.  Then gently fold dough in half three (3) times to create layers.  Use only a small amount of additional flour to prevent sticking as adding too much will create heavy scones.  Use your hands to pat dough into a smooth round approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches inch thick.  Do not use a rolling pin as it will overwork the dough.

7.  Using a floured biscuit cutter (2 3/4 inch diameter) stamp out scones using a quick hard stamping motion with the heel of your hand and do not twist the cutter.  Be as efficient as possible in cutting as many scones from this dough, as the scones made from the re-rolled scrap dough are not as nice. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and transfer to refrigerator for 30 minutes (which allows the baking powder to begin work and keeps dough cool to prevent spreading).

8.  Just before placing scones into oven brush tops with reserved milk mixture.  Only brush the tops (not sides).  Finish with a sprinkle of demerara sugar or similar course baking sugar.

9.  Drop oven temperature from 500 to 425 degrees and bake 7 minutes and turn pan.  Continue to bake scones an additional 7 minutes (a total of 14 minutes) or until dark brown on top.

Scones do not keep well and are best served warm from the oven when they are absolutely divine.  Contrary to the Brits I enjoy mine with strawberry jam and a spot of sweet butter but for the real deal use clotted cream and/or whipped cream (I find clotted cream at Gelson's Grocery Store).  Once cool freeze the leftovers and I find they are best briefly microwaved (30 seconds) and toasted in a warm oven.

If traditional British scones are not your cup of tea you might enjoy previously shared recipes for Irish Scones and/or  Almond Scones (these scones are easy and delicious and this post includes my mother's tips for brewing a perfect cup of English tea).

And There Has Been Knitting ~

As regular readers know this has been a sad year for me with the passing of my father and my mother relocating into assisted living.  There is still much to be done not least of which is the closure of all the loose ends from a lifetime (60 years) that my parents spent together.  But time passes and it gets easier.  It's been a reminder for me that nothing in this world remains the same.  And my faith is stronger for it.

Throughout it all I continue to knit.  But I won't pretend this shawl is fresh off the needles as it was finished last Spring and there are many other more current projects.  But I wanted to show this shawl as it's been a really useful addition to my wardrobe. Every once in a while I'll pick a design for it's simplistic beauty, as in this case.  Although it was a fairly challenging knit and required close attention to the pattern the payoff has been worth it and I don't believe it would be a problem for an average knitter with determination.

Particulars:  Rheinlust designed by Melanie Berg; 2 skeins Ella Rae Lace Merino (920 yrds).  I was concerned about having enough yarn and only knit 8 repeats of Chart B and ended up with 4g yarn remaining.  Final blocked measurements 20" x 73."  A previous pattern of Ms. Berg's that I knit was her Qwist Mitts.


Until next time be well and love well and may all your scones be sweet ~

Israel and a Taste of the Middle East

It's been weeks since my last post so I'll quickly update you on what's been happening this summer. We have had both amazing highs and frightening lows.  The high point was obviously our trip to Israel which was amazing!  The low was my father being seriously injured in a fire that required him to be airlifted to a burn center here in Los Angeles which was a blessing as Steve (a retired doctor) was invaluable in making critical medical decisions that effected his recovery.  It's now six weeks since his injury and I am extremely happy to share that he is at home recovering and his wounds have almost completely healed. It's nothing short of miraculous and largely thanks to Steve's decisions and my dad's wonderful healing capacity. But a very stressful time as you can imagine.

As I promised in my last post I do have a wonderful vegetarian dish that I am dying to share!  It's a knockoff of a dish that I had while in Jerusalem that was served as a main course.  I enjoyed it so much that while in the restaurant I carefully and surreptitiously wrote down all the ingredients on a napkin sothat I could recreate it when I returned home. You might find that some of the ingredients are not your typical grocery staple but they all have a long shelf life and I think once you try this dish you will find that you make it over and over again. I know that I do.  It's also a great dish to have in your repertoire in this day and age when everyone is either a vegan, vegetarian, or some other enlightened or otherwise picky eater.

Red Quinoa and Mushroom Salad

~ serves 4 ~

Salad Ingredients:

3/4 cup red quinoa (measured raw)
1/4 cup fine Bulgar (measured raw)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup raw slivered almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries - chopped
1/2 a small red onion or medium red sweet pepper - diced
7 medium to large sized brown mushrooms - quartered
2 Tbs. olive oil for sauteing mushrooms
Coarse Kosher Salt (used to season the mushrooms)

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon tahini
1 tsp. Chia seeds
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice* 
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil (I use Greek Kalamata extra virgin olive oil - available at Trader Joes)

*For a Southern California twist try substituting 2 Tbs. sweet wine vinegar for the lemon juice and eliminate the added sugar.  It's a little pricey but I love using Blackberry Roasted Pepper Vinegar and use it on all my salads.  

Optional Garnish:
Parsley 

Steps:

N.B.  There is a long soak period to soften the bulgar grain so I generally begin my salad preparation roughly 2 hours before I wish to serve.

1.  Cover raw bulgar in cold water and allow to sit at room temperature 1 hour covered.  Drain and set aside.  N.B. If you are using a whole grain bulgar it will take 1.5 hours up to 2 hours to soften. Parenthetically I prefer a cold soak to using hot water because it retains a better texture for salads, but you could always use the hot water method for a faster process if you prefer.

2.  Boil red quinoa in salted water for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  

3.  While bulgar and quinoa are being prepared chop celery, cranberries, red onion (or red sweet pepper) and quarter mushrooms.  Set aside.

4.  Toast almonds in a dry pan until slightly browned and fragrant.  Set Aside.

5.  Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft and cooked through, then season with coarse kosher salt.  Set Aside.

6.  Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a small jar and shaking well.  Set Aside. Incidentally this is a lightly dressed salad.  If you prefer a lot of dressing on salads you might want to consider doubling the dressing and adding to taste.

7.  Prepare Salad by combining all ingredients except mushrooms and dressing.  Add dressing to mixture retaining 1 tablespoon and mix well.  Sprinkle mushrooms over top of salad and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of dressing.  

8.  Serve at room temperature either as a main course or as a side dish as I typically do.

Sojourn to Israel ~

Of all the amazing places that we have traveled and sights that we have seen Israel is my favorite for its religious and historical significance are truly awe inspiring.  And the food is pretty delicious too. Which I always count as a positive for any vacation destination.  As a preface we went as tourists and not as pilgrims. This means that we saw and explored everything from the formation of the modern Israeli state to cultural and archaeological sites and both Jewish and Christian holy sites and never had enough time at any one location.  Our trip left us exhausted and profoundly impacted by our experience.  Someday I would like to return as a pilgrim and stay just in the old city of Jerusalem.

We began our trip in Tel Aviv which is a vibrant modern city (as seen above) with a young population and a liberal culture self described as Jew-ish, i.e. the residents identify themselves as Jewish but they pick and choose the commandments they follow.  For example almost everyone has a tattoo which are forbidden in the bible.  

The food is also outstanding in Tel Aviv (and throughout Israel).  Both at hidden away bakeries and the famous spice markets.  I'll never forget the incredible savory bourekas I had in Tel Aviv made with hand pulled fillo dough.  They were melt in your mouth delicious and just the memory makes my knees go weak. It even crossed my mind that I should learning how to make hand stretched fillo dough. But then I realized I wasn't insane. So I'll be sticking with frozen fillo dough.  Warning. There are potato bourekas pictures below.

I did come home with a variety of spices from the markets and in particular I love Zaatar (a blend of hyssop, toasted sesame seeds, salt and lemon) that is use as a dipping spice for bread.  I like it on my morning toast drizzled with olive oil for a savory start to my day.  I find it strangely addictive. Traditionally it's a topping for pita bread although I first tasted it as a dry rub on a Jerusalem bagel in the old city of Jerusalem.  Which reminds me, definitely add eating a Jerusalem bagel to your to do list.

But our trip wasn't just about the food.  We visited incredible archaeological sites including the ongoing excavation site commonly called Abraham's Gate at the city of  Dan.  It's called Abraham's Gate because Dan is the city where Abraham rescued his nephew Lot and both Abraham and Lot would have walked through this arched gateway to enter the city.  

And of course we visited many Roman sites including Harod's Palace and the Roman theater in Caesarea where Steve and I sat on on the public toilets located near the entrance to the amphitheater. But don't let Steve holding his nose fool you.  These toilets are no longer used by the public.  I can not even imagine anyone thinking it was a good idea to have open air public toilets where people entered and exited the forum.  Although you do need a bathroom at public events. To think I am squeamish about pit toilets which are at least private.

The Golan heights was another interesting place to visit.  We took a guided jeep tour up to the Syrian bunkers where troops used to snipe at the Jewish settlers in the Huleh Valley below until Israel seized this area in the Six-Day war in 1967.  You can see from the bunker pictured below that the Syrian bunkers were well camouflaged and it was only through the intelligence of an Israel spy who infiltrated the Syrian army that Israel was able to pinpoint the exact location of these bunkers and was quickly able to neutralize them.  The story of this spy (Eli Cohn) is told in the book Our Man in Damascus written by Eli Ben-Hanan. Eli Cohn was eventually captured and hanged for espionage by the Syrians.

But for me, a Christian, the most significant and profound experience was to visit the places where Jesus lived and performed his miracles including the miracle of loaves and fishes, walking on water at the sea of Galilee, and where he gave the sermon on the mount.  In the old city of Jerusalem we visited where the Last supper is believed to have been held, King David's tomb, the Western Wall and the Jewish quarter. But without a doubt the most significant experience of the entire trip for me was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where Jesus is believed to have been crucified.  To actually place my hand into the rock where Jesus was crucified and to think what he suffered for humanity was very emotional. The picture below was taken while waiting in line and shows the wall hangings above the rock where Christ was crucified.  The Holy Sepulchre is also believed to be the site where Christ was buried after being crucified and rose again.  

As you can tell we had a once in a life time experience.  If you are thinking about visiting Israel we have only the highest praise for Arza World tours and our guide Yishay Shavit who was incredibly knowledgeable, humorous, balanced in his opinions, and someone you would want to entrust your trip and safety to.  Yishay is an independent tour guide and leads tours all over the world.  Our trip was organized and led by our Chazzan Danny Maseng and his lovely wife Terry Maseng through Makon LA and next year they plan on leading a tour through Spain.  Non members are welcome and all faiths are included!   Lastly here's a picture of me looking very much the tourist in Tel Aviv and I hope to be a tourist in Spain next year too.  

Until next time be well and love well.  Already my thoughts are turning toward Fall and I'm getting excited to share the knits, flavors and holidays of this my favorite of all seasons!