Dough: Sourdough Onion Bread

Homemade Sourdough Onion Bread, otherwise known as the first 100% sourdough from my starter that has a decent burst!

Making the Sponge:

Mix together 2 cups starter, 1 cup water, and 1 cup flour. Cover with clean dry towel and let sit overnight. The next day, thinly slice 1 1/2 cup red onion and soften, with oil, in a skillet. Dry toast 1 tablespoon caraway seeds. Add the room temperature onions, caraway, 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons oil, 4 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt to the overnight sponge. Add 2-3 cups more flour to make a firm, smooth dough. Knead. Rise 3 hours. Shape. Rise 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 1 hr.

Prep notes:

I've yet to do the ice/preheated pan to achieve a really crusty crust. I'm just paranoid - I think that the glass on the oven door will explode with the heat change or that somehow I'll light the apartment on fire. I really should get over this....

Tasting notes:

The final dough is quite soft. The baked loaf smells really good when baking and the end result is a nice, soft crumb. The bread smells of onion, but the end result is not very strong. I think that increasing the spices or crushing them before baking may lead to a nice end result.

If you are enjoying my bread recipes stay tuned for Vegan Month of Food (Vegan MoFo). The site has not uploaded the new information for this year but I will be blogging about bread everyday in the month of October! Stay tuned!

I am submitting this post to Bread Baking Day and Yeastspotting.

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Drinking: Margaritas

With summer drawing to a close, there are only a precious few more sunny, summer days to laze on the patio drinking margaritas! Don't let them go to waste.

I have been on a margarita kick as of late. The cause? I found a vintage icepet for two dollars in the thrift store. I wasn't sure whether it would work, but I for 2 bucks - I'd take the risk! And work it does! It makes the most divine, snowy, shaved ice! 

 

Classic Frozen Margarita

1 1/2 ounce tequila
1/2 part triple sec
1 part lemon juice

Shake. Pour over shaved ice.

Anyone have margarita flavor ideas? or Daiquiri's? Or any other splendid ideas for shaved ice?
The summer is drawing to an end and I don't want to waste it!

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Drinking: Spiced Ice Tea

I picked up the book "Spice and Ice" by Kara Newman last summer. It was an amusing purchase because the book was not on the regular shelf but was set up in a display with other drink books, pitchers, glasses, and party games. Actually, the pitcher that is on the cover of this book was directly beside the book. As if to say 'Hey you - buy this pitcher! Oh you don't know what to put in a pitcher? Why here's an idea! Actually here is a book full of ideas!" It was set up for the very unimaginative!

Anyways, this drink was way to spicy for me to consume and because the resident spice lover in my family was away sadly the drink was dumped. SCANDAL!

I did want to mention a unique technique used in this drink. The vodka is directly infused with tea by immersing a tea bag in hot water for 10 seconds, then removing the tea bag and placing it in the vodka. Allow this to steep for 5 minutes.

I've yet to use this techinque in other drinks. If you do, will you let me know?

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Dough: Red Bean Paste Pancakes

I picked up some sweetened red bean paste last week. After a couple of hours (yes hours - I like the Internet and I like food) I found a couple of recipes to try with the red bean paste. The recipe that I used as the jumping off point is here. The technique used to make the pancakes is actually really fun to do - plus they taste pretty good.

Pancakes:
Knead two cups flour and 1 cup boiling water together until smooth. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into 3 inch circles. Brush circles with a tiny amount of oil. Stick two circles together and roll out to one 6" circle. Cook in a dry cast iron skillet until browned. Flip and cook the other side until browned. Remove from pan and peel the two circles away from each other - the inside will be hot with steam so be careful. Cool. Then consume with sweetened red bean paste.

It is important to use a tiny amount of oil. If you use too much oil, the cooled pancakes will not be pliable but will be crusty. Also, the steam is really hot!

Generally, the pancakes can be used in the same manner as crepes. Also, they have a naan like consistency as well.

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Drinking: La Perlita

This drink has a very interesting flavor as there is a hint of carmel. Also be forewarned - be very careful while pouring the lemon juice. One teaspoon is perfect but even a few drops more and the drink becomes kind of icky. Don't ask me why I know that!

La Perlita - modified from the book Coffee Drinks by Michael Turback

Ice cubes
2 ounces espresso
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces soymilk
1 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the espresso, sugar, milk, honey, and lemon juice. Shake. Strain and pour.

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Wordless Wed

Moustache. Wacky Cake. PB icing. Half Birthday.

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Summer Culinary Goals - 15 June to 1 Jul

1. Make crepes. I bought a crepe pan last summer but I have only made crepes two times!
2. Make Hasselback Potatoes. I've seen a lot of these on food blogs lately and they look so yummy. 
3. Visit an African grocery store. Buy Cassava flour. Make bread.
4. Use the vanilla beans I bought. I am waiting to find a perfect recipe that showcases the vanilla.
5. Use the liquid smoke I bought. I bought this because 'I have tons of recipes to make using this.' but when I got home 'What? What recipes? Where did they go!?'

Do you have summer food goals?

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