Buttermilk Apple Bread May 19, 2008

This recipe comes to us from Cocunut and Lime.

Here is my first video! Enjoy — ingredients and recipe below.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

3 T. brown sugar

1 T. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (i added a few shakes of nutmeg)

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 T. olive oil

1 egg

3/4 cup (equivalent to about one apple) apple, cubed

** As mentioned in the video, I used Granny Smith Apples, the original recipe used Pink Lady Apples. If you use tart apples, add more brown sugar.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

2. Add buttermilk, olive oil and egg to flour mixture and stir well.

3. Fold in apple cubes.

4. Butter and flour loaf pan. Pour mixture in and bake for about 30 minutes.

***

Enjoy warm with jam or just plain!

***

Lessons learned: Read the instructions! Just now as I step this post I see it says 1 Tablespoon of baking soda! I put in about 1/2 tsp. No good but noted for next time. Also as noted in the video, I didn’t add more sugar to counter the “tartness” of the apples. Despite these few slips, the bread turned out really well, once I added some jam or ate it with a thin slice of apple.

***

UPDATE: I made this recipe again last night because, as you saw in the video, it wasn’t quite right. So, I did what the original recipe called for and added more brown sugar (about 2-3 more tablespoons) to the flour mixture. I did this because I was using tart Granny smith Apples. Another thing I did to sweeten up the “flavor-flav” is after chopping the apples, I coated the cubes with cinnamon and brown sugar. In the end — a success!

Mama’s Cookin’ February 27, 2008

My mom is the best cook, simply put.

All those cooking tips so far in the blog post (as of Feb. 26), I heard her say at one time or another. She can look at a sauce and by the texture, color or aroma tell what’s missing. She also gives it the ol’ fashion taste test.

Her homecooking is exactly that – homey, warm, soothing.

As a family growing up, we made a point to sit down for dinner together every night. There was joy around the food, laughter around the table and lovely memories of dinners at my house. It was a time to relax, take 30 minutes out of a busy homework night, and just enjoy.

Every year she happily makes the brisket at Hannukah and the turkey at Thanksgiving (28 people last year!).

She’s happy when she cooks and that’s what I learn from her. She taught me how to be flexible, imaginative and courageous – in the sense of..what the hell, just try it! – when it comes to cooking.

Especially now that I’m not just eating granola bars for dinner anymore, I call her about anything (and everything else) cooking related. How do I shred chicken? How do I make a stir fry? What’s your recipe for kasha varnishke’s (recipe to come) again?

She’s a whiz. And there’s a whole lot more I plan to learn.

Cooking Tips February 25, 2008

This will update regularly. Hopefully it will show up under recent posts each time that happens.

The purpose of this section is as I experience and learn – I want to share! So…here are some already accumulated cooking tips from past experiences and of course, my mom.

And if you have any you’d like to share, please send in a comment.

1. Keep the kitchen clean before, during and after the cooking process.

2. Timing is everything!

3. Do all the chopping and dicing beforehand so that you’re not chopping with a pot of boiling water about to spill over, a skillet that’s about to burn and rice that’s about to char.

4. Be patient!

5. Read the recipe all the way through before cooking, then you can get an idea of how each ingredient plays into the meal. From there, the creative juices come flowing forth.

6. Taste as you cook! How will you know what flavor spice or aroma is missing without it?

7. Put some music on and get in the groove.

8. Have Fun!!