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Showing posts from June, 2011

No-Knead Bread

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I found this bread recipe and I tell you, it's amazing. You really don't have to knead and the result is a soft and fluffy bread. The recipe tells you to stir all the ingredients together (yes, just stir with your spatula, no mixer, no hand kneading); then put the dough in the fridge overnight, and it'll be ready to be baked the next day. Before I put mine in the fridge I set aside a small chunk of the dough and let it rise on my kitchen table, covered with kitchen towel. I just wanted to know if I could also make a good bread without having to wait overnight. About an hour later the dough had risen twice its size. I formed the dough into a ball, let it rest in a cake pan for a while, then baked it right away. Half an hour later I took this wonderful bread out of the oven. It smelled and tasted wonderful, with or without a spread of butter. It had a thin and crispy crust but so soft inside. (I'm sorry I have no photo, the bread was all gone before I had the chance t

Homemade Crackers

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One day I took my son out all day, from morning until late in the afternoon. I brought along his homemade food but he refused to touch it. Even when my husband and I had lunch at a restaurant he just tasted a little of my meal but seemed not interested to eat. Feeling worried of him barely ate anything aside breast milk we stopped by a convenience store, bought some bread and a pack of whole meal crackers (I’ve glared at the ingredients written on the package and I thought it was the most nutritious one that I could find in store-bought biscuits). My son rejected the bread but liked the crackers so much. Later at home I thought of baking him homemade crackers so I’d know for sure what they contain. I browsed the web for a recipe and found so many of them. They are homemade versions of store-bought crackers, familiar ones you may find at supermarkets. This is the first thing I was intrigued to try: Fish Crackers Fishes in the Pond Actually I’ve never tasted the real Goldfish Crackers

Potato Gratin with Smoked Beef, Mushroom and Cheese Sauce

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This is how to bake delicious goods in one dish: Boil potatoes until tender (peeled or not, as you wish); slice thinly, set aside. Saute chopped onion, garlic, your choice of mushroom, and smoked beef. Season with salt, pepper, basil or oregano or whatever you like. Set aside. Make cheese sauce: heat some milk, stir in shredded quick melt cheese, let it melt. Thicken with a little cornstarch diluted in a little milk. Layer all the prepared ingredients in a buttered baking dish (you could also rub some crushed garlic if you like). Potato slices go in the bottom, top with sauteed mushroom and smoked beef, then pour the cheese sauce (fight the urge to lick your spoon. Or not). You can repeat this 2-3 times to make wonderful layers. When you're done with the layering, sprinkle some grated quick melt cheese on top of all. Add some extra seasoning. Now bake them until set and the cheese melt. Enjoy while still warm (and finish them before they get cold).