muse | no muse

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: About six hours, minimum
Makes: 1 free form loaf

Sponge:
1/3 cup starter
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted

Dough:
sponge from above
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
1-2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Splenda
3 tablespoons canola oil

Whisk together starter, water and flour to make the sponge, about 2 minutes. Incorporate air into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to ferment at room temperature, 6-24 hours.

Transfer sponge to the mixer's bowl and add water, flours, salt, Splenda, and canola oil. Mix on low speed until a rough dough forms. Mix on medium speed for 10 minutes. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 and a half hours. Punch the dough down and allow to rise until doubled again, about 1 hour. Form into a loaf and allow to rise covered until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the baking stone and rack in the lowest position. Slide the loaf onto the stone and bake for 15 minutes. With a spray bottle, mist the oven every three minutes for the first 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 420 degrees and bake 20 additional minutes before removing the loaf. Allow to cool on a rack.

Posted by jack hattaway at 4:00 PM | Permalink

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: About six hours, minimum
Makes: 2 loaves (8"x4.5"x4"), or 2 dozen dinner rolls

Sponge:
2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
1 3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fructose
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

Blanket:
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

First Minute Mix:
1/4 cup canola margarine

10 Minute Mix:
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

Glaze:
2 tablespoons canola margarine

Whisk together flour, water, fructose, and yeast into a smooth batter, about two minutes. Incorporate air into the sponge while mixing. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Sift together flour, nonfat dry milk, and yeast to make the blanket. Temporarily remove the plastic wrap from the sponge. Sift the blanket over the top of the sponge. Do not mix at this time. Recover the bowl with the plastic wrap.

Allow the sponge to ferment for at least one hour. I generally make the sponge and blanket the day before and allow the sponge to ferment at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating.

When ready to mix, transfer the sponge and blanket to the mixer's bowl. Add the canola margarine. Mix on low speed until a rough dough has formed, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the top of the dough and mix for 10 minutes at medium speed. Transfer the dough to a rising container and note where the dough will be when it has doubled in volume. Cover the container and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 and a half hours. Punch down the dough and allow to rise a second time, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for bread loaves or 400 degrees for rolls with a baking stone and rack set in the lowest position and a cast iron skillet beneath the bottom shelf for the preheat.

Halve the dough and prepare for bread pans or rolls. Allow the prepared dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Add 1 cup ice cubes to the skillet just prior to adding the loaves or rolls to bake. Place the pans directly on the stone.

Bake the rolls for 20 minutes.

Bake the loaves for 50 minutes rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through the baking cycle

Melt 2 tablespoons canola margarine and lightly brush over the tops of the loaves or rolls after removing them from the oven. Once the margarine has settled into the bread, unmold and allow to cool on a rack. Wait at least 1 hour to slice the bread loaves. The rolls may be eaten immediately.

Posted by jack hattaway at 3:43 PM | Permalink

Prep time: About 15 minutes
Total time: About 1 and a half hours
Makes: About 3 dozen cookies

1 cup canola margarine
3/4 cup Splenda
1/2 cup fructose
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
1 cup sugar free Hershey's chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat together margarine, Splenda, fructose, sugar, eggs, vanilla, about two minutes. Mix in flour, soda, and salt until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts, mixing until evenly distributed. Drop onto an ungreased half sheet pan. Bake at 375 for 9:30 minutes. I use a 1 inch diameter disher, an ice cream scoop like device with a spring loaded sweeper to encourage the dough onto the sheet. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before removing. Serve with milk.

Derived from the classic Nestle Toll House recipe.

Posted by jack hattaway at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus an 8-24 hour soak of the rice
Total time: About 2 and a half hours
Makes: about 8 servings

1 cup brown rice (or short grain, sweet rice for those with fewer dietary challenges)
2 cans coconut milk
5 cups nonfat milk
1 pint raspberries
3 tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Rinse the rice using your fingers as a rake. Cover with water and allow to soak overnight.

Drain the rice. Combine the rice, coconut milk, and nonfat milk in a heavy pan on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Stir occasionally. Continue cooking until the mixture achieves a pudding or porridge like consistency. Using brown rice, the cook time was about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Cooking times may vary with other rice varieties.

Server warm or cool. Spoon a portion into a serving dish, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (3 tablespoons Splenda and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, in my case) and a portion of the raspberries.

I modified this recipe from Nina Simonds A Spoonful of Ginger. Nina calls for a cinnamon sugar recipe consisting of 1 tablespoon brown or palm sugar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

I found this congee to be quite tasty, especially when topped with sugar and raspberries. I don't eat any sugar (honey, molasses, corn syrup, etc.) these days, and I'm told my tastes have adjusted to my new lifestyle. Nat, LaRayne, AnnMarie, and Jake all confirmed the congee was a tasty treat. I may, however, try the recipe next with 1/4 cup Splenda added during the cooking process and 1 teaspoon vanilla before cooling for something more closely resembling a western rice pudding.

Posted by jack hattaway at 2:36 PM | Permalink

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: About 2 hours
Makes: about 5 servings

1 can coconut cream
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pork steaks
1 tablespoon Splenda
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup cashews

In a heavy soup pot, heat the coconut cream and coconut milk until glistening and fragrent. Add 1/4 cup curry paste, mix well, and allow to simmer.

Rinse and dry pork steaks. Trim visible fat and slice thinly. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan and stir fry the pork slices with 2 tablespoons of red curry paste until the pork is well coated and even seared. Add the pork mixture, carrots, Splenda, and cashews to the coconut curry mixture. Simmer covered for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Serve hot over brown rice.

This variation has only a passing resemblance to the original recipe for red beef curry, but it was quick, easy, tasty, and used what I had in stock.

I derived from Real Thai, The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott.

Posted by jack hattaway at 2:04 PM | Permalink

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour, 15 minutes
Makes: about 12 cups stock

14 cups water
2 leeks, sliced
2 bunches of scallions, sliced
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
12 whole peppercorns
3 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced
1 bunch parsely
1 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

Wash vegetables. Combine ingredients in stock pot. Bring to boil on high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain stock and press vegetables for extra liquid. Discard vegetables or pulp for use as a thickener for soup.

Refrigerate for 4-5 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Derived from Moosewood Restraunt Daily Special recipe for Asian Soup Stock.

Posted by jack hattaway at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: About 2 hours
Makes: about 10 servings

5 cups coconut milk
2 pounds pork steak cut into small pieces
1 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup mussamun curry paste
2 tablespoons Splenda
3 tablespoons tamarind liquid
12 whole cardamom pods
6 cinamon sticks
2 pounds red potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
1 large onion cut into thick wedges
1/2 cup dry roasted cashews
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a heavy soup pot bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add pork and reduce heat to a low simmer for about 1 hour, or until the pork is thoroughly cooked.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, warm the coconut cream until oil begins to appear on the surface. Stir in the curry paste and continue cooking for 3-4 additional minutes.

Combine the curry into the soup pot. Add the potatoes, cardamom, cinnamon, tamarind liquid, and Splenda. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the onions and cashews and continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Add lime juice to sharpen the flavor.

Nancie's recipe calls for additional fish sauce(3 tablespoons) and brown or palm sugar instead of Splenda (2 tablespoons). Do to my lifestyle change early in 2005, the dreaded middle-aged white man's disease, and a suboptimal gene set, I've left the fish sauce out of my curry and swapped brown sugar for Splenda with acceptable results. Nancie also calls for beef and dry roasted peanuts; but, I was introduced to mussamun with pork and cashews and prefer them in mine.

Derived from Real Thai, The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott.

Posted by jack hattaway at 6:43 AM | Permalink

Prep time: about 35 minutes
Makes: about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup tamarind pulp
1/2 cup water

Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 20-30 minutes. Drain liquid through a fine meshed strainer and press extra liquid out of the pulp with the back of a spoon. This doesn't keep well. Discard unused portions.

From Real Thai, The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott.

Posted by jack hattaway at 6:39 AM | Permalink

Prep time: about 40 minutes
Makes: about 1 cup

1/2 cup dried red chilies
10 whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
4 stalks fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 tablespoon finely chopped and peeled fresh galanga or ginger
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped shallot

Stem chilies and remove seeds. Chop coarsely and soak in warm water, about 20 minutes.

Dry roast the whole spices over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring or shaking to prevent burning. Grind whole spices and peppercorns in a spice grinder.

Remove hard outer leaves from lemongrass. Remove the upper grassy top and the hard root end at the bottom. Thinly slice crosswise and chop.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth using the chili soak water to facilitate the blend.

Store the paste in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Nancie's recipe calls for additional salt (1 teaspoon) and shrimp paste (1 teaspoon). Do to the dreaded middle-aged white man's disease and a suboptimal gene set, I've left both of these out of my red curry paste.

Derived from Real Thai, The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott.

Posted by jack hattaway at 6:06 AM | Permalink

Prep time: 40 minutes
Makes: about 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup dried red chilies
2 tablespoons whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole corriander seed
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 stalks fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh galanga or ginger
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

Stem and remove seeds from chilies. Coarsely chop and soak in warm water for about 20 minutes.

Measure spices, whole seeds in one bowl, ground in another. Dry fry whole spices 3-5 minutes over medium heat stirring or shaking to prevent burning. Return to bowl to cool. Dry fry ground spices 2-3 minutes as above. Grind whole spices with a spice grinder. Combine all spices together.

Trim lemongrass stalks. Remove grassy tops and hard root bottom yielding about a 3 inch stalk. Remove hard outer leaves. Slice stalk crosswise as thinly as possible. Chop slices.

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth using the chili soaking water to facilitate blending.

Store in a glass jar, covered tightly. Keeps for about 1 month in the refrigerator.

Nancie's recipe calls for additional salt (2 teaspoons) and shrimp paste (1 tablespoon). Do to the dreaded middle-aged white man's disease and a suboptimal gene set, I've left both of these out of my curry paste.

Derived from Real Thai, The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott.

Posted by jack hattaway at 6:11 PM | Permalink

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour, 15 minutes
Makes: about 8 cups stock

10 cups water
2 medium onions, quartered
1 medium sweet potato
2-3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 medium potatos, washed, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig cilantro
1-3 bay leaves
6-12 peppercorns
6 allspice berries
6ish mushrooms, sliced

Wash vegetables. Combine ingredients in stock pot. Bring to boil on high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain stock and press vegetables for extra liquid. Discard vegetables or pulp for use as a thickener for soup.

Refrigerate for 4-5 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Derived from Moosewood Restraunt Daily Special.

Posted by jack hattaway at 6:04 PM | Permalink