mix, mix…stir, stir

I’ve been on a nice run of baking successes lately, but had a doozie of a failure last night. I made rye bread that is better suited as a doorstop rather than as a consumable.

I expected creating the rye starter to be the tricky part, but that worked like a charm, sort of. I tried two different starter methods. The one from the recipe I was interested in trying seemed so unconventional that I decided it would be wise to create a back-up starter, which turned out to be a good plan. The recipe called for a starter made from rye flour, buttermilk and salt, which was then to be left for four days to do it’s starter thing. The use of buttermilk in starter is unusual though not unheard of, but I have never heard of salt being added so early in the game as it’s a yeast inhibitor, and I was very suspicious that the starter didn’t need to be fed daily. 

For my back up starter I turned to a new book I have been exploring. I received a review copy of Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley from the publisher, Andrews McMeel. The book gives a great overview of rye starter and bread and instructions for a simple starter of rye flour and water that was bubbly and active after the first day. After four days of feeding it was ready to go, unlike the buttermilk starter which I tossed out on day two when I discovered a thick coating of fuzzy mold growing across the top.

As Whitley describes in Bread Matters, rye bread dough is supposed to be very wet and loose like the consistency of mashed potatoes. The recipe I made created dough more like cake batter. I think it was just too wet to be able to rise. Now that I at least have a healthy rye starter I look forward to trying the rye bread recipes from Bread Matters and I expect they will be winners. The only thing I have made so far from the book besides the rye starter is the English muffin recipe, which I make almost weekly. This recipe alone is enough to put this book on my “buy” list, but once I do a bit more baking from the book I will share a full review.  I have to say I find myself reaching for this book over the other bread books I own when I want information, like how to make a rye starter, for example.

Whenever I need a good hearty laugh, I just click over to see the latest from Jen Yates at Cake Wrecks. Her world famous blog documenting “when professional cakes go hilariously wrong” is endlessly entertaining. Cake Wrecks is now available unplugged in the form of a good old fashioned book. Jen and her husband John stopped in Seattle to spread cheer, share cake and sign books.

Of course they added a fun cakey twist to the event by hosting a cupcake Wreckplica contest; fans were challenged to replicate a favorite Cake Wreck on a cupcake. Though I had put this event on my calendar months ago and was looking forward to it, I managed to completely forget about it the day of. Thankfully they sent out reminder email that I saw 2 hours before the event started, so I raced to the kitchen to make cupcakes determined to participate in the cupcake Wreckpilca competition. Having only 2 hours, I selected a very simple Wreck to replicate, though it wasn’t a winner, it was fun.  The original Wreck is part of a collection of Father’s Day celebration cakes scroll down to the last one of the bunch to see the origional of my Wreckpilca.

My Wreckplica

Jen and John carefully judge the many entries

The winning Werckplica -My Lap’s On Fire

The evil genious behind Cake Wrecks, Jen Yates with her husband John

Cake Wrecks – the book, is every bit as enjoyable as the blog and is primarily new material not published on line including stories about the bakers, reporters, and recipients of Wrecks.  We are set for entertainment should we lose power or our Internet connection! It’s a fun book worth having on your shelf.

This 2009 James Beard Award-winning book is the ultimate culinary idea generator. Have you ever wondered what foods are good match with fennel, or been stumped over what to do to take tonight’s pork tenderloin in a new flavor direction?

The Flavor Bible lists hundreds of ingredients in alphabetical order, offering dozens of flavor matches for each ingredient as inspiration.  Karen Page and Andrew Dorneberg interviewed highly regarded chefs and culinary experts across the US and Canada compiling data on natural flavor affinities for all kinds of foods, spices, cuisines, and beverages to create this encyclopedia for your palate. If you’re a free spirit in the kitchen, creating your own culinary masterpieces, or you would like to be, this book is a fantastic resource. Chef commentaries and tips on various ingredients are sprinkled throughout the book giving insight into how they pair foods and layer flavors.

This is a book of concepts and ideas, not recipes. It’s pure inspiration. My copy has found a permanent home on the counter in my kitchen where it’s within easy reach. Anytime I’m pondering what to do with a dish or ingredient I draw on the flavor pairing expertise of dozens of culinary professionals that this book puts at my fingertips.  The Flavor Bible is celebrating its one year anniversary this week, and of all the books I own, I have probably referenced it more times in this one year than many books I have had for decades.  It’s one of the books I’ve included in our Essential Spice References section because it’s become such a valuable tool in my kitchen. Happy anniversary Flavor Bible!

If The Cornbread Gospels missed your radar when it was released two years ago, you need to circle back around and catch this book. I picked up a copy because I flat-out love cornbread. Well actually, I love corn in all forms, including candy. You might question the value of an entire book devoted to this simple, comforting food; I was skeptical too, at first.

The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon is deeper than a collection of recipes; it’s also a collection of stories reflecting our American culture and cultures the world over. The recipes are great, but it’s the stories that grabbed me, they feel important. How could they not, when the story of cornmeal in this country begins with providing desperately needed sustenance to the first settlers, slaves, and Civil War soldiers?

Thirded Colonial Cornbread with wheat and rye flours and molassas

It’s the deep-rooted, passionate, regional differences in cornbread that make it so interesting. Crescent Dragonwagon dives into all of it sharing interesting lore and history to anchor the recipes in context. She also nails down the often confusing lexicon of cornbread, for example, what’s a babycake vs. a muffin, or a johnnycake vs. a jonnycake. Rhode Island actually has a state regulation defining what exactly qualifies as a “jonnycake” without an “h” compared to one with. Talk about deep-rooted and passionate!  Along with her personal cornbread stories she shares an entertaining collection of cornbread related quotes and stories from a numerous characters she met during her six year cornbread odyssey.

New Spain-Style Corn Pudding with corn kernels, goat cheese, pablano chiles, scallions and a hint of cinnamon

Recipes in The Cornbread Gospels travel the globe illustrating just how worldly this humble grain is. There are Mexican, Colombian, Portuguese, Greek, and even South African recipes in the book. In addition to numerous regional cornbreads there are recipes for pancakes, waffles, yeasted breads, spoonbreads, steamed breads, and desserts. There is also a chapter dedicated to using leftover cornbread that starts with the wise advice to always make a double batch of cornbread so you have some leftovers.  If you’re like me and happy to serve cornbread as the main event, you will appreciate the “go-withs” chapter, filled with side dishes that compliment the star of the table.

Yankee "Spider" Cornbread with a Custard Layer

I have made oodles of recipes from this book and they have all been good, but the Yankee “Spider” Cornbread was thrilling. It self-generates a creamy custard layer that rests on top of the cornbread, but just below a crispy top crust. It’s remarkable and incredibly addictive. I have a difficult time not tucking flavor infusions into cream and milk, so I played around with this one a bit and infused the milk with a few sprigs of fresh sage to create a sage custard layer that was spectacular.

Blue, Blue, Blueberry Blue Corn Muffins

A few other favorites from the book are the Blue, Blue, Blueberry Corn Muffins which are light and tender with a delicate blue hue from the blue cornmeal. The “Thirded” Colonial Cornbread was a completely new and delightful experience. Thirding is apparently a technique the colonists used to stretch their precious wheat supplies, so this recipe uses cornmeal, rye flour, and wheat flour. The texture is soft and delicate and the addition of molasses gives it an irresistible flavor reminiscent of Boston Brown Bread. Miss Kay’s Dark Secret Cornmeal Cake is a perfect snack cake for any occasion and just as easy to make as a batch of cornbread. The addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice give it a warm deep flavor that blends nicely with the dark secret – a touch of cocoa.  The Cornmeal-Oatmeal Cranberry-Orange loaf is a balance of sweet, tart, crunchy and tender. The cornmeal adds a layer of flavor and texture making it more satisfying than most quick-breads without being the least bit oily, a downfall of so many quick-breads. Crescent Dragonwagon was kind enough to share three recipes with us from The Cornbread Gospels so you can have a little taste of what awaits you in this gem of a book.

Blue, Blue, Blueberry Corn Muffins
Yankee “Spider” Cornbread with a Custard Layer
Cornmeal-Oatmeal Cranberry-Orange Loaf

Cornmeal-Oatmeal Cranberry-Orange Loaf

Besides the fact that The Cornbread Gospels is a wonderful book, how could you not want to read and cook from a book written by someone with such an intriguing name? Crescent Dragonwagon is also the author of Passionate Vegetarian, Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread, and Dairy Hollow House Cookbook, nine children’s books, and two novels. She teaches writing workshops, and blogs about cooking, eating, and writing at Nothing is Wasted on the Writer, where you can also read the story behind her unique name.

Rosemary Corn Crackers

You should also check out I Love Cornbread. It’s the international network for all things cornbread!

The 2009 James Beard Awards were just announced and I wanted to highlight the book awards. I own or have read many of these books and the rest will no doubt end up on my list. I am thrilled to see Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes win Cookbook of the Year, and it won Best Single Subject too. I have flipped through it at the store and will most likely buy a copy once I test drive it from the library, though there are still 16 people ahead of me in the queue. I may just break down and buy a copy.

Cookbook of the Year

Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes
Author: Jennifer McLagan

American Cooking

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook
by Martha Hall Foose

Baking

Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking
by Shirley O. Corriher
This is a fantastic book. I have her first book written up in Essential References, and need to add this one.

Beverage

WineWise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine
by Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, and Michael A. Weiss, The Culinary Institute of America

Cooking From a Professional Point of View

Alinea
by Grant Achatz
A beautiful book with some of the most complicated recipes I have ever seen. Really interesting read and great for inspiring ideas.

General Cooking

How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition)
by Mark Bittman

Healthy Focus

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life
by Ellie Krieger

International

Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
This is one of my favorite books. It is stunningly beautiful and takes you on a journey. I have a review in Essential References.

Photography

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
Photographer: Dominic Davies

Reference and Scholarship

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs
by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
One of my most referenced books. I keep this out on my kitchen counter and turn to it all the time for inspiration. Read my review in Essential References.

Single Subject

Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes
by Jennifer McLagan

Writing and Literature

In Defense of Food
by Michael Pollan

This isn’t a book award, but I have to highlight a local Seattle journalist, Rebekah Denn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She won for Newspaper Feature with Recipes for her article, “High on the Hairy Hogs: Super-Succulent Imports are Everything U.S. Pork Isn’t.”

Happy reading! Check out the rest of the 2009 winners of James Beard Foundation Awards.