bread marathon Saturday....

Loaf one just out of the oven, perfectly blistered just the way I like it... crisp crust and smelling like heaven. This is the third batch of bread, I'm a bit obsessed with the same recipe, changing it, adding more water each time, I have yet to be disappointed. Doubling the recipe I get three boules and five little demi baguettes (for veggie meatball subs tonight!). Yesterday was a great day for mixing while we endured yet another snow storm - it was beautifully blustery and perfect around ten last night for shoveling and running in the snow with Finn.

When not in the kitchen mixing, I spent my time upstairs... here:
warm and quiet next to the fire. More bread pictures to come later as they emerge from the oven. Thank you Nancy Silverton! and cheers to a peaceful Saturday baking.

Ummm, yes please

French toast cooked in bacon fat... wait, let me rephrase, cooked in bacon fat from a pig raised by our dear friends Dwight and Maggi. Crispy, eggy, cinnamony goodness.

Directions:

1. Take white bread slices

2. Dip in eggy, milky, cinnamony mixture

3. Fry in the same pan as your bacon

4. Voila! Bacon fried french toast.

If you haven't tried it, you should not miss it... it's the simplest things.

This is how we are spending our millionth snowy day at home. I'm also getting ready for a bread marathon and soup for dinner. More pictures when I can find my camera cord!

Enjoy your snowy Friday!

dinner tonight....

This recipe from Gourmet is a quick warm dinner for these cold windy days... we are staying in today - waffles for breakfast, soup and pie for dinner. A day to gather myself for the coming weeks, fill out paper work (for my spring project... stay tuned!) and rest my body. Hope everyone is fairing well through the winter, we're almost there!

FOR PASTRY DOUGH

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

FOR FILLING AND GLAZE

• 1 medium boiling potato (5 oz)
• 2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 9 oz good-quality white Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)

MAKE DOUGH:

• Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
• Drizzle evenly with 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a work surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute butter. Gather dough together with scraper and press into 2 balls, one slightly bigger than the other, then flatten into disks. Chill each disk, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

MAKE FILLING AND GLAZE WHILE DOUGH CHILLS:

• Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup). Steam potato in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• Cook onion in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.
• Whisk together 2 eggs, cream, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined well. Stir in potato, onion, and cheese.
• Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl and reserve for egg glaze.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE PIE:

• Put oven rack in middle position and put a large baking sheet on it, then preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out larger piece of dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin and fit into tart pan. Spoon filling evenly into pie shell and brush some of egg glaze on rim of shell.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then cover pie with it. Trim edges of pie, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then press edges together and crimp decoratively.
• Brush top of pie lightly with some of remaining egg glaze. Cut several steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
• Bake pie on hot baking sheet until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

grey. very grey.