Quick No Knead Yeast Bread, Finally!

In years to come, Covid19 will be thought of as the Year of Sourdough Bread. My latest attempt, Dutch Oven No Knead Bread was the first attempt in a dozen where the bread actually formed big air bubbles throughout the whole loaf of bread. Not just on top or on bottom.

Modifications Made:

None. Making bread is an art I do not possess.

Scaled for Likability: Great

Still not perfect but it is the closet a homemade loaf of bread has been to perfect in over a dozen attempts. Acquired skills over the last dozen have taught me two things. One, ensure the dutch oven is fully to correct baking temp before adding raw dough. Two, my oven is too small for bread making always resulting in way too crispy almost burnt bottoms. Bread needs to be at the top of the oven far, far away from the heat source. In a tiny RV gas oven, the dutch oven barely fits meaning the bottom of the bread is going to cook at a temperature hotter than desired resulting in too done bottoms that will need to be cut of before bread can be eaten.

Not a winner of a bread as the rise height still has plenty of room left and bread is still denser than desired. However, none of these factors are a result of the recipe but a result my lack of skills. Outside cooking results, bread has a nice earthy taste but could use a little bit more salt if not adding salted butter. Warm out of the oven was the best tasting. As the bread got cold, the taste seemed shallow. Can't wait to try again, maybe the loaf can be halved if I can find a smaller dutch oven. A very good bread with great instructions to follow along. Well done.

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add po...

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almos...

Cold Corn Bean Salsa

Nothing says junk food like chips and salsa, chips and cheese dip, chips and guacamole. Over the years I have perfected my salsa. It's good on tacos, on nachos, on enchiladas, and of course on chips. Just because I have the best salsa doesn't mean I don't like to try new salsa's like this Best Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Modifications Made: Shoepeg corn was replaced with one can of standard yellow corn with no salt added. Petite diced tomatoes were reduced by half. Italian dressing was swapped for half teaspoon comino, half teaspoon of chili powder, and two tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Salsa was made and let rest for two hours before eating. Scaled for Likability: Good Salsa this was not. Good it was however. It was too much for chips by themselves but was great served over a soft beef taco.

Eating Waffles

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