Food with Intention

Several years ago, I had just watched the film Like Water for Chocolate and was very intrigued by the idea that our intentions and feelings can be transferred to food as we make it. I decided to make my husband a wonderful feast. It would look great, taste wonderful, and convey my love for him. It was mid-summer and the garden was bountiful. All day long, I went from garden to kitchen creating with joy and love.
The two things that stand out best in my memory were the appetizers and the cheesecake. It was to be a plain New York style cheesecake with fresh peach compote on top. It took all day long to set. I finally opened the oven thinking it had to be done by now and was moved to tears by what I saw. A perfect heart had cracked in the center of the cheesecake. I couldn't have done that on purpose if I had tried. As the cake had decorated itself, we had the peach compote on the side.
Now the appetizers I made really knocked my socks off. I don't even like eggplant or tomatoes. I tried to like tomatoes every year for 21 years. They always let me down until I grew some for my husband. There is nothing tastier than a fresh home-grown tomato. This simple recipe was one of my best spur of the moment, fresh from garden ideas ever. I hope you enjoy!

Eggplant Medallions

1) Take any eggplant (I grew small fuschia ones that year) and slice 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in a dish and sprinkle with salt all over. Use a good deal, you will wash it off. This leaches bitterness from the eggplant.
2) Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Tomatoes should be same or smaller in radius as eggplant.
3) Slice thinly as much smoked gouda cheese as you want to use.
4) Rinse eggplant and arrange single layer on greased baking tray.
5) Top each eggplant round with slice tomato then gouda cheese.
6) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7) Broil until done. Keep an eye on them 5-10 minutes depending on broil range.
Serve warm and eat up the compliments.

How to Bake Bread and Quilt

It is days like today that I feel my cabin is actually inside a snow-globe. It is not snowing. The wind is whirling the light, glittery snow in such a crazy fashion that if you imagine being in a snow-globe, you can sense what it would be like. Snow-globes remind me of the holidays, which are upon us. This time of year is filled with tradition. Most of my traditions and memories are of the fabulous foods. My mother always had cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. I made some cinnamon bread the other morning. Isn't it wonderful how certain foods can conjure memories. The bread was great and it is so easy to make bread. I read in a quilting book that one should take a break and move around every hour to keep from stiffening up. Well, I discovered making bread and quilting are good partners. So, without further ado, here is what I do.

First, choose which quilting project you will be working on for the day. Piecing is good.
Then, it is time to start the bread. I will give you my plain white bread recipe but it is very versatile. You can use whatever flour combinations and sweeteners you wish.
Oh yeah, a word about my precise measuring technique. The palm of my hand is calibrated to Tablespoon and teaspoon measurements. Yours is too, but you might not know it yet.

Okay, Ready, Set, SPONGE:
1) In large bowl, mix 3 cups warm water (not too hot or yeast will die) with 3 Tablespoons sugar or honey and sprinkle on 1 1/2 Tablespoons dry yeast. Stir a bit then add 1-3 cups flour, enough to make something very wet but holding together. Scrape down sides and beat well for a minute or two. This is your sponge. Cover and let rest for about 50 minutes.
2) Go see how much piecing you can get down in 50 minutes. Stand and stretch.
3) Back to the bread. It should look like lunar scape by now. Add 2 Tablespoons oil and stir. Add 2 Tablespoons salt and stir. Start adding flour slowly and mixing in. This is where the muscles start to matter. Keep adding flour until you have a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board. Knead for 5 -7 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover again.
4) Now you can get back to sewing again. You'd be surprised how much you can get done now that you are warmed up. After the bread has risen for an hour, you need to go check on it.
5) Grease 2 loaf pans. Press down the dough. Form 2 loaves. I usually leave one round and braid the other. Place in pans, cover, and let rise again.
6) You should know by now that you have another hour to sew again. What are you waiting for? Just wash the oil off your hands really well.
7) Get up after 1/2 hour and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8) When the bread has risen to twice it's size, put in oven to bake. Set timer for 45 minutes and check. The timer is important if you are still quilting!
9) Bread is done when all golden and looking yummy. Let cool for a few minutes before taking a break. I recommend eating hot bread with butter and admiring your quilt work from across the room.
If you want cinnamon bread, when it is time to form, roll out the dough, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up tight and make sure ends are tucked under. If there are leftovers, it makes great french toast.
It is really a lot of fun when you get into it and "race the bread". It has become one of my favorite traditions which I do at least once a week. Traditions bring us back to our childhoods, back to easy times when life was mostly about food and fun. Take your loved ones back in time with some great recipes in the book A Homemade Christmas. This is a great ebook I found with so many of the our favorite holiday recipes. You can find it on the sidebar link. It is quite well priced and comes with the bonus ebook All Time Favorite Christmas Cookies. My brothers and I each had our own favorites. Do you remember yours? Of course, why don't you make a batch this year. Happy Quilting and Cooking