Bread Alone

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”
James Beard (1903-1985)

I have to agree with James Beard on that...

Before I begin about the book Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks, I feel I must address the state of bread in the USA. I grew up eating the white sliced stuff in the Colonial or Merita wrappers, nasty, soft, and tasteless. As Julia Child said, “How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?”  Lately, all we hear is that we need the whole grains. Well, I am here to tell you that whole grains can be made into a good loaf of bread- my recently married daughter, Lindsay, even grinds her own wheat and makes her own bread. And it is delicious! BUT,  I have a secret guilty pleasure- the White Mountain bread that Publix bakery makes!! Mmmm, good! Makes great sandwiches, French toast, etc. Although I try to eat my whole grains daily, sometimes you just have to have some of that unhealthy, soft, squeezable white bread. OK, enough said….

Synopsis

Thirty-one-year-old Wynter Morrison is lost when her husband leaves her for another woman. Desperate for a change, she moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of the time she aprenticed at a French boulangerie, when her passion for bread-making nearly led her to leave college and become a baker.
Once again, the desire to bake bred consumes her thoughts. When offered a position at the bake shop, Wyn quickly accepts, hoping that the baking will help her move on. But soon Wyn discovers that the making of bread—the kneading of the dough—possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power—one that will ultimately renew her heart and her soul. (from Barnes and Noble)

In November, 2003, Roxanne and Vicki hosted- Roxanne made her delicious spaghetti and meatballs (although she says she does not have a recipe she did give me the ingredient list for the meatballs- so I came up with a Rachael Ray recipe that is very close...I don't think we will ever get Roxanne's secret sauce recipe so we will have to settle...). Served alongside was salad and bread. ( I will share my recipe for Texas bread with you). Vicki did a chocolate cake with caramel sauce to end our delightful meal.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
(adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe, and from Roxanne)

1 pound spaghetti
Salt for pasta water

1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp parsley flakes
Salt and pepper

Sauce-
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably Italian

extra Parmesan cheese for passing at the table

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.
Mix beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until no longer pink inside.
Heat a deep skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and onion. Saute 5-7 minutes until onion is soft. Add beef stock and crushed tomatoes. ( You can also add parsley, basil  , oregano, at this time- whatever flavors you like.) Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Toss hot drained pasta with few ladles of sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Serve together with MORE cheese. Yummy!!

Donna's Texas Bread

2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup very warm water
1 3/4 cup warm water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp shortening (that is the white solid stuff in the cans, very bad for you!)
2 cups whole wheat flour
4-5 cups unsifted all purpose flour

Sprinkle yeast over the very warm water, stir to dissolve. Add the rest of the warm water, then the sugar, honey, salt and shortening. Stir in the whole wheat flour, then the white flour, 2 cups at a time , to the desired consistency. Knead dough on floured surface for 10 minutes. (Gives you a good workout...) Add last cup of flour as needed. Place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled. (1 to 1 1/2 hours) Then punch dough down, shape into 2 loaves and put into 2 (8 or 9 inch) well greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise 45 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, remove from pans and brush tops with butter. Delicious hot or cold!

( When I married my husband Phil many years ago, he talked about his Texas roots so much I decided to make this bread just for him...that was many years ago, but after reading the Bread Alone blog I just wrote, I think I am inspired to try this again...sometime...when I have lots of free time...and nothing else to do...)

Roxanne and Vicki carried out a Thanksgiving theme, we all told things we were thankful for, and we kept it simple just like the book...the door prize was a woven bread basket, homemade bread and a tea towel.



So go to your kitchen, and get something to eat- I know I have made you hungry!!!

The next blog will make you lose your appetite- it's about Ghosts of Boyfriends Past...