The Feathered Nest

The softer side of MaisonBisson

Savory Bacon-Topped Pie To Celebrate International Bacon Day September 5, 2009

TowerGirl @ 8:06 pm
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flaky crust

When my husband asks, “Did you know that Saturday is International Bacon Day?” what he is really doing is giving me a challenge. I have a hard time turning away from a challenge. I am a sucker. I awoke about six this morning and I stared at the ceiling thinking bacon-y thoughts. Breakfast was out. Sure, what could be more satisfying than a nice stack of buttermilk pancakes drowning in good ol’ NH maple syrup and a side of bacon? But really, I needed a new angle. I pondered new twists on the BLT, I considered bacon wrapped lobster chunks, and I recalled a post I’d seen on chocolate dipped bacon. I believe all these to have wonderful yumminess potential, but I didn’t want to do something I’d seen before.

I love savory pies. I have featured my salmon pie here before and we haven’t had it in a while. I usually do a lattice top crust on it. What if, instead of pie dough, the top “crust” was a lattice constructed of God’s gift to cardiac surgeons? I mentioned the idea to the hubby. A lustful glint filled his eyes. I had my plan.

I have finally become competent at making pie dough from scratch. I just use the “flaky crust” recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I started work on my traditional salmon pie recipe while the hubs pitched in and lightly browned the bacon on the stove. On top of it all I wove the bacon and put a light egg wash over the whole thing.  Finally, I popped it in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes.

It smells amazing. I am serving it with corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes from the local farm stand. I am adding International Bacon Day to my permanent holiday schedule.

 

Cinematic Inspiration August 12, 2009

TowerGirl @ 5:54 pm
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Going home
I read the book Julie & Julia, and I loved it. I loved the connection between food and self. I loved that it showed the hard work that goes into marriage. I like that it showed that the hard work is worth it.  I have a passionate relationship with books I love. I become fiercely protective of them. So, when Hollywood decides to meddle with one of my books I am wary.

Today I went to see the movie. I will now confess that I enjoyed the movie too. It was more really good mac n’ cheese than coq au vin. It was comfort food. It was satisfying. It combined the things I love: food, writing, commitment, and the celebration of imperfection. It served them up with a big ol’ side of hope.

I left the theater and went the grocery store. Right now, the house is filled with the smell of garlic and roast chicken. I don’t claim to be an expert on the cinema. I don’t really claim to be an expert on anything. All I know is I watched the movie and then felt an overwhelming need to cook. I give this film two thumbs up and those thumbs are covered in garlic-y, buttery goodness.

 

Focaccia August 5, 2009

TowerGirl @ 12:21 pm
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focaccia

I have not given up on bread, I have just been busy. This recipe is a keeper. I used the focaccia recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and divided it into three sections. I froze two of the sections and put the other in the fridge overnight. The next day I took the dough from the fridge and gave it about three and a half hours to come to temperature. I caramelized a bunch of Bermuda onions and cut stems of rosemary from my window herb garden. I cooked it on my new bread stone and the results were super yummy.

A few days later, I took one of the dough balls from the freezer and gave it most of the day to defrost and proof. That night, I baked it on the stone for five minutes in a 500 degree oven and then topped it with seasonal tomatoes, fresh basil, zucchini, onions, goat cheese, and parmesan. Then I stuck it back in the oven until everything was golden and bubbly. It made fresh and wonderful pizza. I plan on always keeping some dough in the freezer. This recipe knocked the socks off any prepared doughs I’ve used. Now, I just need to master the cool dough tossing thing. My attempts left me with a dough hat; neither hygienic nor attractive.

 

The Sweet Taste of Defeat July 13, 2009

TowerGirl @ 11:23 am
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cinnamon buns

It may not be possible to make a bad cinnamon roll. Sweet dough, cinnamon, and a gooey glaze: what’s not to like?  I used the recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and the results were sublime, even if I only baked them because I lost a bet. This recipe calls for a bit of citrus in the dough. I used lemon zest and it gave a nice freshness that lightened the sometimes oppressive heaviness of such toothache inducing confections.

I believe the hubby was satisfied with his winnings. He certainly had no problem consuming his spoils. I confess to eating my share as well. Sweet defeat.

 

Bread Update July 8, 2009

TowerGirl @ 8:05 pm
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Bread
“Good things come to those who wait.” I have found this wise old adage to be very true in baking bread. I hope it also applies to waiting for me to post about my bread making escapades. Above is a photo of specimen A. It is a classic white bread; good for sandwiches and toast. I am mostly pleased with the result. It came out moist and tasty. My one wish is that it came out a bit taller. I like my bread, like my men, to have some height. I let it rise longer than suggested, but it still isn’t the majestic loaf I wanted.

What I learned by this initial experiment is that you cannot bake bread if you are in a rush. It took most of the day. Of course, much of the time was waiting for it to rise or “proof” as my cookbook calls it. This allowed me plenty of time to give the house a good cleaning. I felt rather like a frontier woman, albeit a frontier women with plumbing, lots of appliances, and a terrific soundtrack to help the task along. Tomorrow, I continue my journey yeast. I lost a bet to the hubby. Since we share a bank account, waging money is an exercise in absurdity.  In our house, the stakes are much higher than mere dollars. We bet fresh baked cinnamon buns. I lost, I bake. I’ll let you know how things go. Update: here’s the Cinnamon Bun story.