A Heritage of Humor – Stories from my Kitchens

Post #844 It’s Just Rice! No, It’s Not.

March 25, 2024 at 3:49 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Update on long absence at the end.

Here in our household, we love rice. I can talk for hours about the various varieties based on size, shape, color, flavor, cooking times, cooking processes, and recipes. I’ve seen people’s eyes glaze over and a blank expression fill their face after I’ve talked for five minutes, and I know I’ve barely started. Their usual response is “It’s just rice!” But it’s not. We keep three varieties on hand all the time: Jasmine for Partner/Spouse, Basmati for me, and Arborio for both of us.

We also like to watch cooking shows and competitions. Over and over again. Right now, we’re on a Top Chef binge since it’s due to start up again in a few days. And in the season we’re currently watching, one of the chef’s who’s Asian keeps talking about congee, a rice porridge. I realized I’d never eaten it, and never made it. So I went to my handy dandy internet and found the base recipe for congee. Then I went to this particular chef’s web site to see how they make it. Then I made my own spin on it.

Basically, congee is rice that has been cooked in a lot of water for a long time until the grain breaks down and combines with the water to make a gloopy, edible, starchy concoction. In it’s most basic form, there’s no flavor to it since it’s just rice and water. Only the inherent flavor of whatever rice variety you’re using will be present, and not very much of that. But what it actually is is a canvas for whatever flavors you want to add.

Many people have had one version of rice congee as a dessert, rice pudding! Milk or cream, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg cooked slowly for hours into a sweet pudding that defies explanation. Add some fruit, or flavor bits, or chocolate chips, drizzle some melted butter on top, sprinkle with other spices or nuts, it’s a “go to town” kind of dish. Oddly, I don’t like rice pudding. Probably because I don’t like milk.

Rice congee is very similar to risotto. When I was cooking the congee last night, the recipe went like this. I wanted a savory, main-dish version so I followed a recipe that used onions, garlic, and ginger. It added soy sauce and sesame oil at the end for a garnish.

You start with 8 cups of water and add one cup of long grain rice that’s been thoroughly rinsed in cold water. Bring it to a boil then turn the heat down until it holds a gentle simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Once it’s simmering, thinly slice about a thumb size of fresh ginger that’s been peeled, and three cloves of garlic that’s been peeled. Add those to the rice and stir to combine. Then thinly slice the white parts of two scallions and add and stir. Save the greens to add at the end as a garnish, either whole or thinly sliced. At 30 minutes of cooking, the rice should have started breaking down and the congee will thicken and look “gloopy” (the only word I can think of for it.) Watch carefully for the doneness. The rice should be completely soft. Take the pot off the heat once that’s been reached and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a shallow bowl with a garnish of a drizzle of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a sprinkle of the green parts of the scallions.

What I did was I started 8 cups of water heating and added a cup of Sushi rice. Sushi rice is a short plump rice similar to arborio and can be used for risotto as well as sushi. It absorbs about 4 times its weight of liquid while releasing a lot of starch. I rinsed the rice in cold water until all the visible starch was eliminated and the water ran clear through the strainer. I chose the Sushi rice knowing its properties because I wanted a thick congee since it was going to be a meal in itself.

Once the rice was simmering, I sliced a good chunk of peeled ginger and sliced it as thinly as I could. Same with the garlic, but I added an extra clove because we really like a strong garlic flavor here. Then I used leeks instead of scallions for a couple of reason. First, we like the flavor of leeks better than scallion, although we do like scallions. Second, we didn’t have any scallions on hand and this experiment wasn’t planned. Since I was making this a main meal, I wanted a protein in it, and since we had a large chicken breast in the fridge, I cut that up into quarter inch pieces. I wanted to make certain the chicken was cooked completely in the time frame. When I cut the leeks after thoroughly cleaning them (leeks are grown in dirt and the dirt doesn’t completely leave them without washing), I slice the white part, but also went further and got some of the internal green parts. There’s a lot of flavor there. Because I did this, I didn’t reserve any green parts for garnish. I also added a big spoonful of Better Than Bouillion chicken base for flavor, too. After that, I just checked every five minutes to stir and evaluate its progress.

It was done right at the 40 minute mark, so I took it off the heat, added fresh cracked black pepper, and set out the garnishes I did have: the soy sauce, some sesame seeds, and some grated parmesan. I wish I’d taken a picture because that was an impressive bowl of rice. We both gobbled it down like we were starving men eating the first meal after a seven day fast. It was thick, and delicious, and filling like nothing else.

The arborio rice didn’t break down completely although it did release its starch giving the congee the right consistency. I liked that aspect, but I’m going to try it again with “regular” rice and see what happens. There was still plenty left over so once it cooled, I put it in a plastic container with a lid and put it in the fridge. Today, we both had it for lunch. I ate it cold from the fridge and it was just as delicious as the night before. Partner/Spouse added some Orange Chicken he’d made the day before the congee and heated it in the microwave. He said it was even better than the night before, but he might be a little biased since he made the Orange Chicken.

The consistency and flavor were very much like risotto as I’d expected. However, if you don’t want a thick rice meal, you can add more water, or broth to thin it out a little to have more of a soup style. And you can experiment with your own flavor combos. One thing I liked better about congee than risotto is the cooking process. Instead of having to stand in front of the pot and stirring continuously while adding the liquid at intervals, you simply put it all together and let it simmer on its own while checking it once in a while. Seems much easier on the cook.

So, I give rice congee an A++ rating and recommend it to anyone who likes rice.

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Update on Absence –

So last Spring, I started experiencing shortness of breath. I didn’t notice it too much at first, but Partner/Spouse’s nursing instincts kicked in and unbeknownst to me, he started monitoring it. By last Autumn, it had grown bad enough that he insisted on a visit to the doctor. The doctor gave us a referral to a cardiologist because she could recognize the symptoms but couldn’t evaluate a cause. She and Partner/Spouse had a long conversation in a language I don’t speak and determined the cardiologist was the first step.

This was right as the major holiday season hit. And we moved just prior to that. And the dogs were acting up due to the move. Lots going on, and the symptoms were getting worse. By the time I saw the cardiologist, my energy levels had plummeted. I had difficulty walking the dogs in the back yard; I had to pause at the top of the stairs to catch my breath; Partner/Spouse refused to let me drive anywhere; and I was just listless, not wanting to get up off the couch at all. So I scheduled the cardiologist for just after the first of the year, past the holidays, etc.

After the consult, he scheduled me for full blood work, and echocardiogram, and a stress test. The blood work we did same day, and the echo was a couple of days after. The stress test had to wait a month for the next opening. All those showed my heart was fine. It did show my murmur, which I’ve known about for 25 years and has never presented a problem before. However, during the stress test, I couldn’t complete the time on the treadmill. Within 4 minutes, my oxygen level went from 99% to 80% which scared everyone in the room, including me. I got dizzy and had to be helped off the machine. They completed the test by injecting me with something to get the heart rate where they wanted it to be. But again, the heart showed up perfectly fine. Everyone concluded it was pulmonary.

So, they scheduled a chest x-ray, and breath test, and a full pulmonary function test. The x-ray showed cleared. The breath test showed something was obstructing air getting to my lungs, but not what. So, we gotta wait for the full test. The upside of this is that the chest x-ray didn’t show lung cancer. And as long as I take it easy, I’m not short of breath and can keep my energy levels up.

Then Partner/Spouse remembered a sleep apnea appointment I’d had a couple of years ago. That doctor remarked that I have a narrow trachea, and that age will cause the muscle to sag a little. We had gone to the sleep doctor in the first place because Partner/Spouse noticed some breathing issues while sleeping and wanted it checked out. We didn’t pursue the apnea stuff at the time, but now Partner/Spouse believes the narrowing of the trachea is at the root of what I’m experiencing now. I’ve got a follow up with my regular doc at the end of next month so we’ll talk with her then.

So, that’s been my winter. With the holidays, health, weather, new house, crazy dogs, and all, energy for writing was limited. I’ll keep up better with it better than I did. And if anything changes, I’ll make sure to post small updates to let you know what’s going on.

As always,

Post #883 Happy New Year’s Snow “Storm”

January 7, 2024 at 12:12 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I hope everyone had a good holidaze season, whatever you were celebrating, or not. Winter is a special time of year in the north because the cold and snow force people inside more than other times of the year. We’re in the middle of a “snow event” as they are now called. Storm doesn’t seem appropriate when the fall is so gentle. But it goes on for so long, and the temps are so low that it needs to be called something more than just a snowfall. So, event it is. And we’re in the middle of one. The roads are being treated and cleared regularly, and no one in my area is housebound, but there are areas where it’s more treacherous than in my neighborhood. I’ve already seen a few cars going way faster than conditions dictate, so I anticipate loss of power due to cars sliding into poles.

Right now, I’m relaxing after a rigorous morning. Got up late, almost 8am. The first half hour is dedicated to the dogs and their needs. The both love snow, so going outside to do their jobs (big and little) was more of a delight for them than it was for me. But snow makes it easier to clean up after them, so there’s that. I saw a few fat squirrels out, too. Then, they need to fed which is always a production. If there’s any leftover meat from the previous day’s dinner, they get a small portion of that with their dried dog food. Think two tablespoons at the max. So while I’m chopping that up, Bear is sitting next to me whuffing at me to hurry up, while Rosie lays on the couch or in her dog bed and goes back to sleep. Sometimes she doesn’t eat breakfast until after noon.

Once all that was done, and I’d taken my meds for my shoulder and arm, I had to bundle up again and clear off the front sidewalk. Up here in the great white north, it’s up to each city about who keeps the sidewalks clear. In Vermont, our first place, the city did it. I would usually go out and clear up after them and make sure the car wasn’t snowbound. I also made a path through the mound of plowed snow for the mailman to get through to the house. In this city, we’re responsible for the sidewalks, and we’re supposed to do them as early as possible (although I have noticed some people who never clear their walks.) The house came with snow shovels of various types (I bet you didn’t know there were different shovels for different snow types, did you?) so we didn’t have to get any. Right now, the all-purpose one has a home on the front porch. We also have a large bucket of pet-friendly ice melt. I love this stuff. You spread a layer on the cleared sidewalk, or low snow sidewalk, and the snow magically disappears. And it stays away for quite a long time.

I have about thirty feet of sidewalk to clear, plus four feet of walkway to the house, and the 4×7 patch of concrete of the driveway that enters the street. We always park in the driveway edged right against the sidewalk so we don’t have to shovel any of the driveway. It takes me no more than twenty minutes to clear when the snow is as light as it was today.

That’s what we ended up with. The snow is still coming down lightly, so I’ll have to get out again and clear it later on. Partner/Spouse helped out and spread the ice melt on all that I’d cleared, and ordered donuts to be delivered when I was done!

So this is a food blog, right? What the hell am I doing writing about snow and shovels and sidewalks and ice melt? Because on a cold day with snow falling and a day that starts with physical activity, what do you do about the main meal for the day? You want something heartening, and warming, and soothing, and easy to make. For what we have in the house, that means a stew of some kind. What better stew than Beef and Onion stew?

I’ve written about Beef and Onion stew a few times in this blog, but it bears repeating. It’s deceptively simple. It doesn’t take a lot of work, and the depth of flavor is amazing. It’s a long, slow cook, and there are many ways to do that. You can put it in the oven on a low temp like an Irish Coddle; you can put it in a crock pot slow cooker; you can put it in a pressure cooker if you’re short on time; you can cook it on the stove top at a low simmer. My favorite is the stove top. Today, I’m doing the crock pot so I can just ignore it.

First, the ingredients are beef roast of any kind, onions, water, and seasonings. You want the same amount in weight of beef and onion. So, if you have one pound of beef, you want one pound of onion. Then enough water to cover the onion and beef by about an inch, and some salt for flavor. Easy peasy. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the onions disappear and the beef is falling apart tender. The cooking time depends on the cooking method. Today, I’m going to start the stew in the crock pot slow cooker, and finish it on the stove top. There’s a method to my madness, though, that I’ll explain in a minute. 

When making this stew, the basic ingredients are the same, but additional ingredients are legion. Today, I’m adding red wine to give it a more Beouf Bourguignon flavor. I’m also putting in leeks because we like them. And I’m adding fresh garlic, dried thyme, and Hatch green chili flakes. The garlic and thyme pair well with beef to add depth, and the chili flakes because we desperately the Hatch green chilies and the added kick of spice is wonderful. I’m also going to add cubed potatoes at the very end.

So here’s what I did. I had a two pound chunk of eye roast. I cubed it in large chunks and put it in the crock pot turned on high. I poured a box of beef broth into the crock pot and added two pounds of rough chopped onions, four large cloves of garlic that I peeled and rough chopped, a sprinkle of thyme, and one cup of red wine. Later, what I’ll do after several hours of cooking on high is put the whole concoction from the crock pot into a large pot on the stove top. I’ll add liquid if I need to, but I don’t believe I’ll need it. Then I’ll refresh the flavors after I’ve done a taste test. I’ll set the burner to simmer, add the leeks and potatoes, and reduce the liquid to almost a gravy consistency. By that time, the onions will have disappeared and created a sauce with everything else that will taste amazing.

Ordinarily, I’d serve the stew over noodles or rice. But this time, since there’s potatoes and leeks in the stew, I’ll just make toasted bread to go with the stew. The aroma will fill the house with warmth and nostalgia.

I hope everyone reading this is having a great weekend. Take care of yourselves in whatever weather you’re in, and as always,

Post #882 Peppermint Dreams

December 24, 2023 at 3:40 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

This is a short post to wish everyone a happy/merry Holiday Day, and to share a couple of recipes I made today and in the past. One of my favorite flavors is chocolate. As far as I’m concerned, it should be a food group and included in every meal. Every. Meal. A close second is peppermint. I love the coolness it imparts into everything it touches. All my personal soap products are peppermint scented; I drink peppermint tea (when I drink tea; not often); and I have a bag of pep-o-mint lifesavers almost all the time. When I was a kid at Christmas, mom would yell at me for eating all the candy canes off the tree. And Partner/Spouse just got me a large bottle of peppermint oil to make my own peppermint scented stuff. Smells so good. And it’s good for you, but I’ve written about that in the past so you can search the blog if you’re interested.

Because today, I’m going to tell you about two peppermint candies that I’ve made and that I love. I just finished making one; the other I haven’t made in years. The difficult part is that when I make these things, there’s so much we end up either freezing part and forgetting about it, or tossing it because it goes stale before the two of us can finish it. And we seldom stay in one place long enough to give anything to the neighbors.

So the first thing I’ve made in the past is basically peppermint pillow mints. These are a light, soft, peppermint candy made from three ingredients and a simple process. All you need is 8oz of cream cheese at room temperature, 3 cups of confection sugar, and 1 tsp of peppermint extract. A couple of heads-up about the ingredients. First, always use the highest quality you can afford. Second, sift the sugar to avoid lumps. Third, make sure you use peppermint extract not oil. Peppermint oil is far too strong to use on cooking.

First, I use my stand mixer for this recipe. It makes a very stiff dough and it’s usually too strong for any hand mixer or wooden spoon. Unless your arms look like Arnold’s and the wooden spoon is a canoe paddle and the hand mixer is a super triple deluxe model for chefs on the go. Put the softened cream cheese and the peppermint extract in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat it until it’s smooth and creamy. Add the sugar one cup at a time and mixing thoroughly between additions. By the end, the dough will be like playdough. If it doesn’t look or act like this, add more sugar in quarter cup increments.

That’s it. The candy is ready for manipulation. And it’s here where the possibilities open up. You can leave it white, or add color. You can make the whole batch one color, or split the batch and make various colors. Just add food coloring for whatever you like. I suggest using the gel rather than the fluid. It mixes faster and more evenly. (Funny story, one time I made a batch for Christmas at my ex-wife’s mom and dad’s house. I split it up and made four colors. Her sister swore the “blue ones taste better” even though I explained it was all one batch. She insisted.) Then, you break off small bite-sized pieces and shape them any way you like. You can roll them into small ball then flatten into discs. You press into small(!) molds. You can roll the dough into thin sheets and cut into diamonds or circles or squares or triangles or whatever. I’ve even made small balls and dipped them into chocolate. The sky’s the limit!

The second peppermint candy I make, I made today:

This is Peppermint Bark. Bark is really just melted chocolate cooled into a sheet and broken into pieces that resemble shard of tree bark. Sort of. Use your imagination. You can use any form of chocolate you like, even that monstrosity called “white chocolate” which isn’t really chocolate at all because the very thing that makes chocolate chocolate is removed from “white chocolate.” But I won’t tilt at that particular windmill just now.

First, to prep the area, get a sheet pan (with a lip) and spread either parchment or foil on the bottom so it goes up the sides a bit. Spray with a cooking spray for easy release. Now at this point you can put the melted chocolate from the next step directly onto the foil or you can create a “crust” by putting cookies, or pretzels or crackers or cake or whatever the heck else you like in a thin layer on the bottom. Melt about 12oz of chocolate chips either in the microwave or over very low heat on the stove top. Add 2 tsp of shortening (think Crisco not butter). Pour the melted chocolate in the sheet tray over whatever crust, or not, you’ve chosen. Add toppings. Toppings are whatever you want. The most important one is crushed candy canes. This is called peppermint bark so you have to have something that tastes like peppermint. Candy canes add the flavor and a pop of color, too. Another important element is a hit of salt to cut the sweetness. Pretzels, potato chips, a rough grind of salt, salted caramel, popcorn, corn chips, whatever strikes your fancy. Just be sure it doesn’t make the peppermint taste weird.

So my bark today is a layer of graham crackers, melted bittersweet chocolate, and a top layer of crushed candy canes, crushed pecans, crushed cashews, and sunflower seeds. I also had pretzels, but forgot to put them on. Right now the whole sheet is cooling and solidifying. Once that’s done, I’ll break it up and put it in a bowl.

There’s another method to make bark that is caramel forward. Layer a single layer of small pretzel sticks on a prepared sheet pan. Melt some caramel candies carefully so they don’t burn and carefully pour it over the pretzels. While the caramel is still hot, sprinkle chocolate chips, coconut, and any other topping you like. Let it cool completely, and break into bark. It’s yummy.

So, there it is. Peppermint candy two ways, and both of ’em easy peasy. I hope everyone has a wonderful time. Reach out if you need me. I’ll be here.

and as always,

Post #881 All The Help You Need!

December 21, 2023 at 3:49 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

So the holidaze are upon us, and with that come the stress of making all our plans come out perfectly. Looking for ingredients, fighting crowds, wanting to relax, making meals, it all comes together at once in a morass of expectations and tensions. We’re all looking for shortcuts, and I’ve found some from some old magazines that may give you a hand.

First, breakfast. When my sibs and I were young, very young, we were not allowed to open any Christmas presents until we’d eaten breakfast. Over time, we negotiated it down to the minimum: four cornflakes and a splash of milk. The picture below give an idea for those moments.

When we lived in upstate NY when I was a kid, mom worked for a brief time in an office with some other ladies. That winter, this was the big idea.

Everyone was talking about it. It was on the radio, the television, magazines, we heard about it in elementary school. But while everyone was talking about it, we knew of no one who had actually tried it. Until one day when mom came home from work a little late. One of the younger ladies had tried it. Mom said she ended up throwing up her toenails. 

I like jello. I don’t eat it often. When I do, it’s usually cherry or lime flavored. The flavors listed at the top of the ad above I suppose were meant to expand the range of the product, but I’m no certain I’d enjoy any of the vegetable flavors. Now if there was one called cucumber, I might enjoy that one.

I like fish. I like mushrooms. At one time in my life, I even liked canned mushrooms. Even cream of mushroom soup. As I grew older, my tastes became a little more refined, and canned mushrooms became more rubbery. I don’t eat canned mushrooms now. If I want mushrooms, I’m buying fresh varieties and cooking them myself. I cannot believe that heating a can of mushrooms in their canned juice and then dumping it on a cooked fish would be appetizing.

So in a pinch, when you need a meal fast, open up the phone book to peruse the menus of the local pizzerias. We did that back in the day. Now, of course, it’s all about Door Dash. When I was working at McDonalds in high school, one of the busiest days of the year was Christmas Eve. Another one was the day before Thanksgiving.

For those times when an impromptu party erupts, or if you’re just planning snacks for the evening, not much beats a bowl of nibbles. Chex Mix has been such a mainstay for so long you can now buy bags of Chex Mix instead of making your own.

I am NOT a fan of Spam. And the things they’ve come up with for using it have been frightening. Canned beans and Spam? Umm, no thanks.

Peaches and Spam? I like cooked peaches. I wouldn’t like this. Now, if I had a canned Danish ham for this, I’d probably enjoy this.

As a kid, I ate a lot of these things. As an adult, we have them once in a while. I still like them, I’m just more aware of my salt intake now. They can be a good quick meal. Just not often.

I’m a steak purist. I want the meat and a tiny bit of salt. I’ve tried the various bottled and jarred condiments but I always go back to just plain salt. I have no clue how this would taste. I like potatoes, but I don’t like potato soup. On top of a steak? No thanks.

Creamed carrots in a raw onion cup with hot dogs? I feel like the Life commercial. “I’m not gonna eat it. You eat it.” But, if you’re in a hurry, or want something totally unique for the holidaze, this could be your go-to.

In a pinch, nothing’s better than crackers and cheese. We keep cheese in the house all the time. We don’t keep this stuff in the house. I’m guessing there’s a reason why they’re marketing to kids. Would be a good idea if you’re having a kids’ party or a kids’ table.

I had to throw this is just because of the various hot dog cuts. It was crazy. Another kids’ party on the way!

These last two are just for fun. Snow man arms? and McDonald fries as a Christmas tree? Not what I would have expected.

So have a happy holiday, whichever one(s) you celebrate. Watch for another post this weekend.

And as always,

Post #880 English Muffins Are Good!

December 18, 2023 at 3:27 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A long while ago, when I was much younger, I was more active than I am now. I was constantly on my bicycle. It was my primary mode of transportation instead of a car. I had a car and I used it for longer distances, but for tooling around in my small town, my bike and I were the norm. I lived in a southwest desert town so you can imagine how sweaty and grubby I got, even on short jaunts.

I’d often stop by my dad’s gas station to get a drink of the coldest water in town, and rest in the shade for a bit. Sometimes, I’d eat something, but I mostly like to ride with an empty stomach. (My diseased gall bladder was just starting to make itself known at the time and wasn’t a quantifiable entity, and my digestion was erratic at times. I put it down to the large amount of OJ I was drinking and the same amount of granola I was eating.) But occasionally I’d find myself a long way from a convenient pit stop, and I’d stop at a small diner if one was available.

On one such occasion, I stopped at a small place I knew pretty well and sat at the counter. Now, imagine a skinny guy in tattered denim shorts and a sweaty t-shirt and dirty sneakers sitting slumped at the counter and swallowing glass after glass of ice water. I’d told the waitress that all I wanted was a toasted English muffin with butter on it and all the water I could drink. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I’d some kind of carbs to get me home. The water was pure instinctive life saving measures. It was the desert, and the best place for water was in my stomach.

She’d seen me a time or two before, and knew I wasn’t the homeless vagabond I appeared to be. She set about taking care of my order, adding a couple of packets of jelly to the side, and some dill pickle chips because I’m a fiend for them. I grinned at her when she did that. I ate my small snack slowly to give myself a chance to rest and ingest and digest. We exchanged pleasantries each time she walked by, but I didn’t stretch out my stay too long. I didn’t want to lose my willingness to get back out on my bike. 

I reached into my pocket for money to pay and she shook her head. ”It’s already been paid for.”

I was startled. ”Who?” I didn’t want her to pay out of her tips since that’s what she needed to get by.

“They’ve left already. They just wanted to pay for your meal. I explained you were local and didn’t need it, but they insisted.”

I left a couple dollars for her tip and went outside to my bike. I was getting geared up to take off again, and an older man walked up to me. I recognized him as a “snowbird” as we called the winter visitors.  They were the retired people who lived in the North but came to our desert area to escape the snow. I wondered what he wanted.

“Hey, young fellow,” he started. ”Did you get enough to eat?”

I nodded. ”I did, thanks. Were you the one who paid for me?”

He smiled. ”Yep. I felt bad seeing you could only afford one muffin like that.”

I didn’t want to embarrass him, so I didn’t explain my situation. ”Well, thanks again. I’ll pay it forward when I can.”

We talked about nothing important for a few minutes, then I explained I had to go. I felt odd about the occurrence but humbled at the same time.

See, I’ve loved English muffins my whole life. I had two of them for breakfast this morning. I toasted muffin with butter on it goes a long way before anything else catches up to it on my favorites list. I like the crispiness of the edges, and the nooks and crannies that hold the melted butter in pools that surprise you. They have to fork split to get that texture. Using a knife defeats the purpose, and you might as well be eating toasted bread. And for my tastes, never use an English muffin for a sandwich. I eat them with bacon on the side, but I hate using them for a sandwich. Just me, I guess.

I’ve never made English muffins on my own, for no reason I can think of. But I’ve got the rings to make them, and I’ve watched several baking shows where they’ve been made. I know I can do it. I just haven’t yet. Yet.

One thing I have made is English Muffin Bread. This is one of the best breads ever created! It gives the flavor and texture of the English muffin, but in a loaf style that turns it into another delight. I’ve included the recipe I use at the end of the post if you want to go that far.

Finally, I wanted to explain my absence a little bit. I’ve been dealing with a nerve issue in my right shoulder and arm. It’s caused considerable pain, and cramping of the muscles, and of course, I’m right handed so I’m almost useless at times. It took some time, but I finally was able to get on a course of meds for it, and after a few weeks, things are calming down. Since I’m diabetic, they didn’t want to use steroids right away, so they put me on a longer term pill to manage the pain. Now that the pain is under control a little, I can start rebuilding the strength in my arm so it can accommodate what I need it to do. Like type.

I hope everyone has a good holiday season, whichever holiday you celebrate. I’ll be posting a couple more times before the major one, so watch for it.

Take care, and as always,

English Muffin Bread

• 5 cups flour (it calls for bread flour, but I’ve made it successfully with AP)
• 4 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp  sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups hot milk (or water as I’ll discuss in a moment) 120 degrees
• 2 Tbsp corn meal
• baking spray

In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.  Make a well in the center and pour in the hot milk or water.  Note: I don’t keep milk on hand since no one in the house likes it for anything so I put in buttermilk powder in the proper quantity and whisked it with the dry ingredients.  Then I used hot water rather than milk.  It didn’t hurt the bread at all.  Interestingly enough, the hot water out of my tap is exactly 120 degrees.  I measured it with a quick read thermometer.

Stir everything to combine.  On the show, they stirred by hand using a rubber spatula.  I used the dough hooks on my electric hand mixer.  You could also use a stand mixer.  Just don’t over combine.  You want everything mixed together, but you don’t want to knead it.  Place it in a warm draft free area and let rise for 30 minutes.  You’ll be surprised at how fast and how high it will rise.  My Trick:  I put a small plastic bowl of water in my microwave and heated it for 1 minute.  I took the bowl of water out and put the bread dough in.  The microwave was warm enough to allow the dough to rise while keeping all drafts and breezes off.

When thirty minutes have passed, stir down the dough gently with a rubber spatula.  Prepare two loaf pans by spraying liberally with baking spray then coating the bottom and sides with corn meal.  This will allow the bread to release from the pan easier and give the bread that crunchy exterior.  Divide dough equally into the two pans.  Allow the bread to rise in the pans for thirty minutes.  See My Trick above, the microwave will still be warm enough for this step.

When thirty minutes have passed, heat oven to 375 and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to cool.  This makes the best toast in the world!  But it also makes great sandwiches.  It also can be used to make crostini or bruschetta.