Hi there. I should start this post by acknowledging things have been very quiet here since late February. Between having limited internet access at my apartment for the past three weeks due to shoddy Road Runner service, long days at work, and a minor boyfriend medical emergency, I haven’t been cooking or posting much. I have been documenting my existence with daily photos and uploading them when I can. I’ve also been eating a lot of sandwiches, my favorite of which has been this week’s melted brie, apple, and blackberry jam on toasted whole wheat.

But let’s get down to the business at hand. It’s St. Patrick’s Day. You may be reading this through Guinness goggles; perhaps you have a bottle of Jameson nearby. You may not be drinking and just wearing a wool sweater, or still giggling to yourself about the suckers you saw wearing wool sweaters on a day that hit sixty degrees.

I have no sweater or booze. Instead, I have a large chunk of crispy, sugar-topped Irish soda bread. This is the first soda bread I’ve made that couldn’t double as a doorstop or weight training tool and I owe it to this recipe from Epicurious. It’s not be the most traditional recipe, but it was a hit this morning at work, and I’ve consumed half of a second loaf by myself. Its scone-like consistency and flavor may make it a staple in my breakfast bread rotation. The only issue is tracking down buttermilk and having plenty of raisins on hand.

Even though the holiday is almost over, give the recipe a shot and enjoy a slice on Sunday morning with a cup of tea.

There are a number of recipes written on random stationary in my grandmother’s collection. This is on hotel stationary, while others come from factories, a research facility of some sort, and (what I believe to be) my aunt’s algebra homework.

According to my mother, this recipe for honey whole wheat bread was one of her favorites. After making it today, I can see why. The crust is crunchy, the interior is soft, and there is the tiniest hint of honey. My baking process wasn’t error free, however.

More photos and the full recipe after the jump.

Grandma Mangan’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread
In a mixing bowl:
-3 cups w. wheat flour
-2 pkg. yeast
-1 tbsp. salt

Heat to luke warm:
-1 1/2 c. water
-1 1/2 c. milk
-1/2 c. honey
-2 tbsp. cooking oil
Add to dry ingredients. Mix well.
Add 1 c. w. wheat flour.
Then add 3-4 c. white flour to make stiff dough.

Turn out and knead 5 mins.
Rise 45-60 mins.
Shape it into loaves. Rise 30-45 mins.
Bake at 375º for 40-45 mins.
Brush with butter.

This recipe makes a lot of dough. If I didn’t botch two loaves by placing them in loaf pans, rather than letting them be freeform on a baking sheet, it would have made 6 small loaves or 3 large loaves. To give you an idea of how unprepared I was, here’s a time lapse of the bread rising in the largest bowl we have in our kitchen:

Once the dough reached this mushroom cloud status about 45 minutes in, I decided it was time to shape it into loaves. I used my hands and a sharp knife to grab clumps of dough and slice them away. I placed four on a lightly greased cookie sheet and two in loaf pans as a test (which failed, as I mentioned earlier. Too crunchy).

As the loaves were rising a second time, I ran to the nail salon near my apartment for a relaxing $8 manicure. It was a crazy weekend and I felt like some budget-conscious pampering was in order. Grandma would have been proud. Not bad for $8, right?

I returned home, pre-heated the oven, and put the loaves in to bake. Overall, I think they turned out well and will be perfect for breakfast and a few sandwiches throughout the week. I also turned the botched loaves into croutons, at Clare’s suggestion.

The kitchen table in my apartment offers a rotating assortment of baked goods in tupperware containers and ziploc bags. Last week, Erin made pumpkin cookies and banana nut muffins. Then, Clare made pumpkin bread and muffins, followed a few days later by Magnolia cupcakes (mini and full size). Erin made corn muffins yesterday, then I made zucchini bread. Erin made zucchini cookies, a batch of brownies, and more muffins this afternoon, and finally, while not baking-related, Jess made a whole bunch of edamame tonight. There’s nothing better than getting home from work to a fresh plate of cookies, or waking up in the morning to a plate of muffins waiting for breakfast.

My zucchini bread recipe came from Simply Recipes, my new trusted source for baked goods. They’re behind the brownies and banana bread that I have shared with many friends and they’re always a hit.

My friends Angela and Sean hosted a small gathering Sunday afternoon to celebrate an a match made in culinary heaven: grilled sandwiches and beer. They gathered an impressive array of meats, cheeses, mustards, and more, and were ready with some fantastic combinations. More photos and combos after the jump

Angela made the first batch of sandwiches. They included ham, Swiss cheese, thin-sliced Roma tomatoes, and mustard. The secret ingredient? A light spread of cinnamon applesauce on each slice of bread.

They were the perfect match with a Belgian wheat beer.

Sean made the next two varieties. The first had thin-sliced granny apples, red onion, bacon, and cheddar sandwich with mustard.

Sean assembles the magic:

The final was a dessert sandwich of brie, granny smith apples, and cranberry pepper jelly. I don’t have a photo of the final sandwich, but I do have one of a lot of slow-cooked bacon. Mmmm.

In short, grilled sandwiches + beer + Sunday afternoon = WIN.

I only cooked one night this weekend for a dinner party to celebrate the visit of my friend Inbal. She moved to Israel last year, but she’s back for the month to visit friends in all corners of New York State and she spent the weekend on the lovely futon in my living room. (Lovely is a bit strong. Creaky and lumpy may be more appropriate adjectives.) I decided to keep things simple by using existing recipes, so we made salsa, salad, and a summer tomato tart. We finished the night with cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar and a tasting of our friend Sean’s amazing home brewed beer, along with a few rounds of Rock Band.

This afternoon was my first time back in the kitchen, and as I assessed the contents of the fridge, I was faced with a wall of questionable leftovers. The three items that held up were the blueberries, figs, and a forgotten lemon (it should have been zested for the tart), so naturally I thought, “Muffins.”

These muffins are a take on the traditional blueberry muffin with pureed fresh fig and a dash of lemon zest. I think they have just the right level of sweetness, but you could get away with cutting down the sugar to 3/4 cup. They’re also a great way to use leftover ingredients if you make the Fig and Goat Cheese Salad I posted last week. Recipe after the jump.

Blueberry Fig Muffins
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs, lightly beaten
-1/3 cup milk
-1 tsp. lemon zest
-2 cups flour
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup pureed fresh fig (5-6 small figs sliced in half and pureed food processor or blended with 2-3 tbs. water)
-1 1/4 cup blueberries

1) Pre-heat the oven to 375º and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2) Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat until smooth, then add the lemon zest. Finally, add the milk and stir until fully incorporated.

3) Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to the batter in three separate parts and do not overmix.

4) Gently fold in the fig puree and blueberries using a spatula. Once evenly distributed, fill the muffin tins. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

I’ve mentioned my Sunday ritual before on this blog. I wake up early, plan the menu for the week, make a shopping list, and then head to the store once Ramsey wakes up for anything I wasn’t able to grab at the farmers’ market. As budgets become tighter, I’ve also added a quick fridge and cupboard inventory to the the routine, rummaging through the deepest recesses of food storage areas to make sure I know exactly what I still have and what needs to be replenished. This was inspired by what was becoming a wasteful practice of cleaning out the fridge after returning from the store to find all sorts of items that could have been used for dishes the previous week, but I had forgotten they were there.

During my inventory this past Sunday, I found a large chunk of ginger left over from dumpling adventure last week, as well as ample sugar, flour, oil, and spices. I decided to make a Ginger Pear Quick Bread that would only require the purchase of two pears, and would also serve as breakfast for much of the week.

Ginger Pear Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf in a 5″ x 9″ x 3″ pan
-1 cup grated peeled pear
-1/2 cup pear in 1/2″ cubes
-1 1/4 tbs. minced ginger
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. ground cloves
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-Dash of salt

1) Preheat oven to 350º

2) Mix grated pear, sugars, eggs, oil, and spices in a large bowl.

3) Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl and add to the pear mixture in three equal parts, stirring thoroughly between each addition.

4) Fold in the cubed pear once dry ingredients are fully mixed into the batter.

5) Pour into a lightly oiled loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Quick breads are what simple breakfast dreams are made of for me. Defined by their use of chemical levening agents like baking powder or soda in place of yeast, quick breads can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and baked for about an hour, resulting in a dense, cake-like treat. They’re typically made up of just liquid, butter, egg, sugar, flour, and a leavening agent, so chances are good you have all of the ingredients for some sort of quick bread in your kitchen right now.

When my boyfriend Ramsey mentioned his love of banana bread a few weeks ago, I realized I had never actually made what may be the quintessential quick bread. I’d made pumpkin in the fall, but had yet to attempt banana. Thus, I went on a hunt for a classic banana bread recipe that would bring back memories of childhood breakfasts.

I first tried Mark Bittman’s recipe from How to Cook Everything, and while good, it wasn’t quite as moist as I wanted. I’ll try it again soon and modifying a few things, but in the meantime, I found what may be the easiest, fool-proof recipe on Simply Recipes. I’ve made it twice since finding it over the weekend and it doesn’t even require a mixer! Dishes are also easy, with just a loaf pan, bowl, fork, and spoon left to clean when all is said and done.

I promise this will be my last post about muffins for a while. (They’re just so easy to make and delicious.) Last weekend called for some cranberry muffins made with fresh cranberries, seeing as they are easily available with Thanksgiving just over a week away. Fresh cranberries also add an extra bite without adding too much sweetness, while it can be hard to find dried unsweetened cranberries.

Mo’s Cranberry Apricot Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 egg
-1 cup yogurt
-1 1/2 tbs. apricot preserves
-1 tsp. grated orange zest
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-Heavy pinch salt
-1 cup cranberries, cut into quarters 

1. Preheat oven to 400º.

2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, apricot preserves, orange zest, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing in completely before additions. 

4. Fold in the cranberries. 

5. Add mixture to greased muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 of the way.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. When done baking, remove and let cool for a few minutes, then turn muffins out onto a tea towel or paper towel to cool completely.

Bread is just about as basic as it comes, and yet people are scared to make it. They think it’s going to be a lengthy, complicated process, but in reality, it requires a small amount of prep time and a bit of waiting around. You probably already have all of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen, just waiting around. Really, when was the last time you used any of the yeast from that three pack of Fleischmann’s you decided to pick up a few months ago? 

If you’re looking to make a lot of dough and have it at the ready for two weeks or more in the fridge, I highly recommend the Simple Crusty Bread recipe, featured here in the NYT, but originally from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. If you only want to make a plain white loaf the old-school way, tea towel and all, here’s a simple recipe.

Simple White Loaf
-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 cup water
-1 packet yeast 
-2 tsp. salt
-2 tbs. butter, softened

1. Mix yeast, flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly start adding the water and mix with your hand, adding the softened butter, and mixing until all of the flour is moistened and begins to form into a dough. 

2. Remove from the bowl and place on the lightly floured surface, perhaps a large wooden cutting board or if you’re feeling really daring, your newly cleaned countertop. Knead the bread for 8-10 minutes, or until it’s easy to form into a smooth ball. Keep flour close at hand to put on your hands as needed.  

3. Lightly coat the inside of a large bowl with oil and place the ball of dough inside, turning it once to coat the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and place somewhere warm for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size. I like to place my bread on the bedroom radiator when it’s not too hot. It’s in good company with a small selection of Ramsey’s instruments. 
 

4. Take the bread back to the kitchen and punch it down, taking out your rage and frustration that’s built up during the week to remove most of the air from the dough. 

5. Place the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet, lightly grease the top, and sprinkle a small bit of flour on it. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for 45 minutes to an hour, again doubling in size. 

6. At the halfway mark, pre-heat the oven to 375º.

7. Once the dough is ready, place the sheet in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a plate or wire rack, if you have it.

After making the pumpkin muffins in my last post, I was left with about six cups of roasted pumpkin puree in a tupperware container in the fridge. I wasn’t sure what to do, but after the dozen muffins I made Sunday morning were almost gone by Monday morning, I decided to make two loaves of pumpkin bread with a modified version of the muffin recipe. The results were pretty good, evidenced by the fact one loaf is almost gone, while the other has been safely stored in the freezer. There were still four cups of pumpkin puree left, but those were also placed in the freezer as well to wait for a mid-winter pumpkin craving. 

Spiced Pumpkin Bread with Golden Raisins
Makes 2 loaves in standard loaf pans (anywhere around 9×5x3)
-2 cups pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 cup brown sugar
-3 eggs
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-2 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. ground ginger
-1 tsp. nutmeg
-1 tsp. ground cloves
-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-2 cups golden raisins

1) Preheat oven to 350º

2) Mix pumpkin, sugars, eggs, oil, and spices in a large bowl.

3) Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl and add to the pumpkin mixture in three equal parts, stirring thoroughly between each addition.

4) Fold in raisins once dry ingredients are mixed into the batter.

5) Grease two loaf pans and divide batter between them. Top each loaf with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar (Mo Note: I forgot to add the sugar and cinnamon when I first placed my loaves in the oven, so the picture above is a bit misleading. If added before baking and not halfway through, the sugar should melt and crystalize properly). Bake them for one hour, or until a wooden stick comes out clean.