Old World Rye Bread - Recipes to Rival November Challenge

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Many years ago, I worked in a facility that was a 10 minute drive from Short Hills Mall and Bloomingdale's Department Store. When things were calm, I loved to sneak over to the bakery in Bloomingdale's basement and buy a stash of rye raisin rolls. They were not quite Lucullean, but they came awfully close and I loved them. You can imagine how delighted I was when I learned the November challenge at Recipes to Rival was going to be Old World Rye Bread from "A World of Breads" by Dolores Casella. Our hostess, Temperama of High on the Hog, also gave us some leeway to play with the base recipe. My personal quest was to alter it and duplicate the Bloomingdale's rolls. I tried three times, but had to admit defeat. I can tell you that despite that, this is a lovely recipe and well worth your time should you choose to use it to make a plain rye bread. I used dark rye and dark molasses to make the dough. I also pulverized the caraway seeds and added brown sugar, raisins and toasted walnuts to the base recipe. The bread is very easy to make and it has a lovely hint of cocoa in its moist crumb. Here's the recipe.

Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966

Ingredients:
2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons caraway seed
2 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Combine rye flour and cocoa. Do not sift.
2) Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
3) Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl. Add rye/cocoa mix, proofed yeast, butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour. Beat until the dough is smooth.
4) Spread remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into dough. Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic. Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
5) Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise about 50 minutes.
6) Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 1 loaf.

Cook's Note: I added 1 cup or raisins and 1 cup walnuts to the dough before kneading.

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Baklava

Before our friend, Issa, relocate to Dubai, he used to be the authority on middle eastern cuisine to my family and he would make us the best Baklava.  Now that Issa is not here to supply us with Baklava, i have to make it myself.  There are so many versions and recipes and i decided to try this recipe from Athensfoods.com - Courtesy of Chef Dino Lubbat, Dinotto Ristorante, Chicago.  This recipe produced a very good baklava and definitely a keeper. 



Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds walnuts, chopped (i used an assortment of pistachio, walnuts and almonds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1 lemon
40 sheets Athens® Fillo Dough (9" x 14"), thawed
Cooking Spray (i used 1 cup of melted butter)

Method:


In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest.

Lightly spray a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray.

Place 20 sheets of fillo on the bottom of the pan, lightly spraying each sheet with cooking spray as you place in the pan.

Cover with 1/2 of the walnut(nuts) mixture.

Layer 5 more fillo sheets on top, lightly spraying each sheet.

Spread the remaining half of the walnut(nuts) mixture over the fillo and cover with another 15 lightly sprayed fillo sheets.

With a sharp knife, score fillo into 1 1/2" diamonds or squares. Lightly spray the top with cooking spray so it bakes golden brown.(i sprinkle very lightly with water to prevent curling)

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Cool slightly and pour warm syrup (recipe below) evenly over baklava. (i mix 1 cup honey, 2 cups corn syrup and 1 tbsp orange blossom water and pour over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven)

Cool completely, cut and serve.

Tips

•Use butter flavored cooking spray, if desired.

•Instead of cooking spray, brush fillo with 1 cup melted butter, if desired.

•Serve à la mode with a scoop of ice cream, or drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Yield: 30 to 40 small pieces

SYRUP

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 lemon peel
Bring all ingredients to a boil.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain and cool slightly.

Serves

Cheese Bites - An Appetizer for Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Poor planning on my part led to some scrambling today. Several weeks ago I agreed to make appetizers for a fund raiser, not realizing that the date fell on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, I love to do this kind of thing. Not so much today. I've been in the kitchen a lot this past week and right now my idea of a perfect meal is a container of Ramen noodles. Having backed myself into a corner, I felt duty bound to get myself out of it with as much grace as I could muster. These cheese bites and two other very easy recipes were my passport to that graceful exit. The recipe for this appetizer is over a decade old. It came on the back of a box of Land O'Lakes butter. The original recipe called for blue cheese and roasted peppers. I still do that sometimes, but I must admit to doubling the amount of blue cheese I use when making the cheese bites that way. I also make them with Parmigiano-Reggiano and sun-dried tomatoes. The original recipe suggests baking the appetizer in a tart pan and serving it in wedges. I think that's way to rich for a first course and the wedge is hard to serve as a finger food. Over time, I began to make these in rectangular tart pans, cut them into small squares and serve them as finger food that can be passed with cocktails. In a bind, I've been known to use commercially prepared puff pastry or pie crust. The bites can also be assembled and frozen to cook as needed. This is not the best of my appetizers but it's among the most serviceable. I've used it over and over again because it is so easy to do and lends itself to theme and variation. Here's the base recipe.

Cheese Bites...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Unbaked pie crust for a one crust pie
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 to 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup drained and chopped roasted red pepper or drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup lightly toaste chopped nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a tart pan (round or rectangular) with a removable bottom with pie crust. Dock crust with a fork. Place foil and pie weights inside pastry. Bake until very lightly bown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights.
2) While crust bakes, combine cheeses in a large bowl. Beat, at medium speed, scraping bowl as required, until cheeses are creamy. Gradually add cream, egg and black pepper until everthing is blended. Spread into prepared crust. Sprinkle with red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. Top with nuts and parsley. Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cut into wedges or squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 14 to 16 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Piperada Bocadillo - Basque Egg and Pepper Sandwich

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A bocadillo is a sandwich that's made with what the Spaniards call a barra de pan, or split baguette. A piperada is the Basque version of a butter-rich omelet that's made with a mixture of peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes. The mixture is called piperade. One taste of piperade will transport you to Basque country, leaving no doubt in your mind as to why this is the signature dish of the region. Once the egg and piperade are combined and warmed through, the resulting piperada is stuffed into a bocadillo to make one of the best sandwiches you've ever had. It's a favorite of mine and I have it more often than I should. I am a huge fan of Spanish cooking, especially that which is done in the regions that border France. Three words come to mind when I think about the food of the area; hearty, healthy and delicious. I really hope you'll try this.

Piperada Bocadillo - Basque Egg and Pepper Sandwich...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil + oil to brush baguettes
2 small onions, coarsely chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 long French baguette or 6 rolls, split
2 tablespoons butter
7 large eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper
Optional garnish: fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2) Add bell peppers, garlic and chili flakes to pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, until peppers are soft and liquid has evaporated, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scoop some bread from lower portion of bread or rolls to form a shallow well. If using a long loaf, cut it into 6 equal pieces. Brush cut surfaces of bread with olive oil and place on a baking pan. Bake until crisp and light gold in color, about 8 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, melt butter in another skillet. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until softly scrambled. Turn off heat. Stir in pepper mixture. Adjust seasoning to taste. Divide among pieces of bread. Sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve hot or warm. Yield 6 servings.

Cook's Note: Baked Scrambled eggs can be used in this recipe.

Peppermint Ice Cream and Ice Cream Sandwiches

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every year, around this time, I make peppermint ice cream to use in a refrigerator cake I serve during the Christmas holidays. I also use it to make ice cream sandwiches that I keep on hand for unexpected guests. This is a really lovely ice cream and buying chocolate wafer cookies makes the ice cream sandwiches really easy to put together. Once the ice cream has firmed enough, I assemble the sandwiches and freeze them on cookie sheets, in a single layer, for a couple of hours. I then transfer them to a freezer bag for longer term storage. I remove them from the freezer about 15 minutes before I plan to serve them. Children love to help make these. They also do a pretty good job of making them disappear. This is the recipe I use for the peppermint ice cream. Crush the peppermint candy to a powder if you prefer an ice cream that is perfectly smooth. If you like bits of peppermint in your ice cream coarsely chop the candy, but make sure the pieces are small enough not to harm your ice cream maker.You might also want to add a drop or two of red food coloring for better color.

Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candies

Directions:
1) Beat eggs and sugar together in a small bowl.
2) Place milk in a saucepan and heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Pour mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Chill for several hours.
3) Stir in cream, vanilla and peppermint extract. Pour into an ice cream maker. Mix according to manufacturer's instructions, adding crushed peppermint for last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer to a freezer container. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Golden Raisins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ina Garten was the inspiration for this recipe. I came across the sprout preparation in her book "Barefoot in Paris" and have talked about making them for the past five years. Yesterday, with some urging from my husband, I made them part of out Thanksgiving meal, and, to my great surprise, they were the vegetable hit of the day. This is a straightforward recipe. I opted to cook the spouts in two stages. I assembled and browned them in the morning and braised them just before serving. It worked well; the sprouts retained their glorious color and added a vibrant green to our table. I had no pancetta in the house so I used bacon and it worked wonderfully well. I really liked this recipe. I hope you'll try it.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Golden Raisins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces bacon or pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
1 (14.5-oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add bacon and saute until fat is rendered and bacon is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper toweling to drain.
2) Add Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add raisins and chicken stock. Lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Return bacon to pan and heat through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 8 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day is warmed by glowing embers and the embrace of family and friends. Eat well and enjoy the comforts of this special day. Know that I count you among my blessings. Thank you for a wonderful year.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to serve this elegant cocktail for special breakfasts or brunch during the holiday season. It's simple to make and the Champagne lends a festive air to a morning celebration. Ginger ale can be used to fashion a similar drink for any children at the table. Bubbles will be more pronounced if you serve the cocktail in a Champagne flute and add the wine just before serving the drinks. Any good sparkling white wine can substitute for the Champagne.

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2-ounce Cointreau or triple sec, chilled
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
3-ounces cranberry juice, chilled

Directions:
Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice into a chilled Champagne flute. Stir well. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Yield: 1 cocktail.

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs - Outdoor Wednesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I lay no claim to loaves and fishes, but eggs for the multitude is another story. While I do eggs of all types, including Benedict and Florentine, once there are more than six people at the breakfast table, my unembarrassed version of the Marquess of Queensberry rules of the kitchen kick in. Those rules allow you to have scrambled eggs anyway you like them. My friend Louie got the recipe for me from a fire-breathing chef that only he could charm. The recipe defines simplicity, so I thought I could take a little time and share some egg trivia with you before we get to it. Did you know that weight determines how eggs are classified and sized? Small eggs weigh 12-ounces per dozen. The scale then climbs with weight per dozen being 15-ounces (medium), 18-ounces (large), 21-ounces (extra-large) and 24-ounces (jumbo). One large egg is about a 1/4 cup. While that's not important to many, size does matter, especially to bakers. If you try to bake a cake or souffle with jumbo eggs, you're in trouble before you start. The way around this, of course, is using equivalent measures. The color of a shell or the color of a yolk is no guarantee of quality. Eggs are like apples and color means little. Everyone knows that cracked eggs should be thrown away. Did you know that clean eggs can be kept at room temperature for several days? I'm not recommending that as a storage technique. I'm a bit of a traditionalist and prefer to keep mine in the refrigerator where they can be safely stored for up to six weeks. Eggs should be brought to room temperature before starting to work with them. It takes about 30 minutes to bring an egg to room temperature, so plan accordingly. Today's recipe can truly feed the multitudes. The recipe can be doubled or tripled as long as you have no more than 24 eggs in one 9 x 13-inch pan. Here's how it's done.

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients for 6 or 12:
3 to 6 tablespoons melted butter
12 to 24 large eggs
1 to 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
1 to 2 cups milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 11-inch glass pan with cooking spray if using 12 eggs. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass pan if using 24 eggs. Pour butter into baking dish.
2) Beat eggs, salt sour cream and milk in a large bowl. When completely blended, pour egg mixture into pan.
3) Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir well, folding sides and bottom toward center and top of pan. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs are set but still soft. Fluff with fork to form curds. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 12 servings.

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Coffee Twist Three Ways

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a festive bread that lends itself to holiday breakfasts. It's not difficult to make and because of the way it's filled, its flavor is limited only by the imagination of the cook and the staples in the refrigerator and pantry. The base for the coffee cake is a standard sweet bread. The filling is nothing more than a layer of jam topped with a sprinkling of compatible nuts. The bread gets its festive air from the way it's cut and twisted. It's simple from start to finish and if you use a good jam and toast the nuts, you'll have an outstanding breakfast or coffee treat. I must admit that I make and freeze these twists well ahead of time and simply reheat them for early morning festivities. The twist in the photos above is made with seedless blackberry jam and toasted, coarsely chopped, hazelnuts. I have included alternative fillings in the recipe, so you'll have some options should you want them. Here's the recipe.

Coffee Twist - Three Ways...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Dough:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 large eggs, divided use
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour + additional flour for dusting if required
Filling I:
3/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling II:
3/4 cup peach jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling III:
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Heat milk, sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat until butter melts. Let sit for 30 minutes, or until mixture is at room temperature.
2) Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add milk mixture, 2 eggs and 1-1/4 cups flour. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour to form a dough.
3) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour only to prevent sticking. Place in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface; cover and let rest 15 minutes.
5) Coat a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
6) Roll dough into a 14-inch square. Spread with jam of choice, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Top with nuts of choice.
7) Roll dough as for jelly roll, pinching seam to close. Transfer, very carefully, to prepared baking sheet. Reshape as necessary to retain 14-inch shape. Cut roll in half lengthwise. With cut side facing up and starting in the middle, work towards top of dough, crossing strips back and forth keeping cut sides facing up. Pinch ends together and tuck under to seal. Repeat procedure with bottom half of loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
8) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush top of loaf with glaze and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
9) Bake for 30 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield 1 loaf (about 12 servings).


This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Nyonya Otak Otak

Making this dish is not a problem, the biggest problem is getting the leaves - duan kaduk. Daun kaduk, or wild pepper (Piper sarmentosum), is the glossy heart-shaped leaf of a creeper that is often featured in Nyonya cooking. In Hokkien, the name is pronounced as lun kaduk, these leaves  provide the texture and aroma that is so essential to this dish, without it the taste will be vastly different.  I have wanted to make otak otak but if daun kaduk is not available, i will not waste my time to adulterate.  My chance at last arrived when my dear friend, Peng, who is in Colorado Springs, found the leaves in her asian store.  With all the ingredients complete, graciously contributed by Catherine, another dear friend who also share the same passion in cooking as Peng does.. we made some in Peng's house.  Thank you Catherine and Peng.   I can't remember when was the last time i had otak otak and when i opened up a freshly steamed parcel, the aroma jolted my "otak"(in Malay is brain) into rememberance of a good thing.

There are different forms of otak-otak originating from different regions. Nyonya otak-otak is of Peranakan origins from Penang, it is wrapped in banana leaves in a parcel and steamed. However, otak-otak from the south of Malaysia and from Singapore is wrapped up as a thin slice using banana or coconut leaf and grilled over a charcoal fire.

DAUN KADUK

Ingredients:

1 lb fish fillet preferably white fish - slice into thin slices
5 kaffir lime leaves - spines removed and finely shredded
1 large tumeric leaves - spines removed and finely shredded
30 leaves - daun kaduk(the more leaves the better) - spines removed
1/2 cup thick coconut cream
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp fish sauce
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Banana leaves - cleaned, cut into 8" x 8" squares and boiled, wipe dry.

Rempah:

1 x 1/2 inch galangal
2 stalks lemon grass - white part only
5 pieces candlenut/buah keras
1 tbsp shrimp paste/belacan granules
5 pieces fresh red chillies - cut into small pieces
5 pieces/3 ozs shallots - washed and peeled
5 cloves garlic - peeled
1/4 - 1/2 oz tumeric powder or 1 x 2 inch fresh tumeric
10 pieces dried chillies, cut into small pieces, soaked in hot water until soft, drained
3 fl ozs cooking oil for frying

Method:

Prepare the Rempah.


Grate galangal and lemon grass with a microplane zester.

In the food processor, grind the rest of the ingredients except the cooking oil, into a fine paste.(If using the blender, put all the ingredients in including the oil and blend to very fine.)

Pour blended ingredients into a microwable bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, stir and continue to cook on high 2 minutes at a time, until oil surfaces and paste is fragrant and almost dry.



Prepare the mousse:

Pat the fish dry and cut it into 2-inch slices.

Beat slightly eggs and egg yolk with fish sauce, salt, sugar, white pepper.

Mix cornflour and rice with the coconut milk.

In a large bowl, put in the sliced fish, eggs, coconut mixture.and cooled rempah. Mix well to combine.
Lastly add in the shredded kaffir lime  and tumeric leaves.
.To make otak otak parcels:

 For each parcel, , use a square of banana leaf and lay 3 - 4 leaves daun kaduk in the center.  Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the fish mixture on top of daun kaduk.

Fold the banana leaf into half and hold on to the center.  Fold up the right side to the center and open up the leaf to form the parcel edge.  Repeat with the left side and using a staple or toothpick, secure the parcel.

Repeat making the parcels until all the fish mousse is done.

Put the parcel to steam for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves

Puff Pastry Pillow with Creamy Blue Cheese Filling - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was damp and blustery today, the kind of chill that burrows into marrow and sends shivers up the spine. We had been out and were wet and cold. Ever the provider and minder of the hearth, Bob lit a fire and made some toddies while I tended to a decidedly low-brow supper. I pulled tomato soup and puff pastry from the freezer and grabbed the last of our wonderful Crater Lake Blue from the cheese keeper. The intent was to make a meal we had often years ago. My younger persona was a purist who made everything from scratch. We won't speak today about how far I've fallen, it's enough to know that I planned to make something we had had before. Julia Child, in The French Chef Cookbook, had a recipe for French puff pastry that was made from instant-blend flour. It was used to form the base of a Roquefort Cheese Case that would make your socks go up and down. It was also my first experiment with puff pastry and like all of Julia's recipes, if you could see it through to the end, you were guaranteed success. Tonight, however, was not meant to be a test of nerve or skill. We wanted something delicious that could be enjoyed with grace and a modicum of effort at the low table in front of the fire. There would be no rolling or turns of pastry every hour on the hour. That effort was being circumvented by the use of commercial puff pastry. Not just any puff pastry mind you, I planned to use Dufour Classic Puff Pastry which is arguably better than any of its domestic competitors. So, a job that once took all day to accomplish could be done within an hour. Those of us who learned to cook with Julia love her, but we have all come across her maddening tendency to let you know halfway through a recipe that you now need a cup of veloute or mornay or brown sauce. Surprise! Back then recipes were not written with the clarity you see today. At any rate, this was one of those famous "Julia" recipes. Sure enough, halfway through her instructions you'll find you need a thick white sauce to make her Roquefort Cheese Case. Because I'm honoring Julia in the breech, I've modernized her lovely recipe and have include instructions for making white sauce within it and I am, of course, using commercial puff pastry for the shell. This makes a lovely first course or light entree. If you like any of the blue cheeses I think you'll love this recipe.

Puff Pastry Pillow with Creamy Blue Cheese Filling...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Thick Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pastry Case:
1 (14-oz.) package thawed puff pastry sheets
Cheese Filling:
8-oz. blue or Roquefort cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup thick cream sauce
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) To make cream sauce, melt butter over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Blend in flour and cook slowly, until butter and flour cook together for 2 minutes without turning color. Whisk in milk; blend until smooth. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3) To make pastry case, lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll one sheet of pastry to a rectangle that is 1/16-inch thick. Sprinkle cold water on a cookie sheet. Tap off excess. Transfer dough to cookie sheet. Roll out second sheet of dough. Let sit, covered, until needed. Prick center of dough at 1/4-inch intervals with a fork to keep dough flat while baking. Spread crumbled cheese down center of dough strip, leaving a 1-inch margin on all sides. Cover with cream sauce. Fold margins of dough up over filling on all four sides. Brush all margins with water. Cover with second strip of dough, trimming as required, and seal layers together, pressing firmly with fingers. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Maple Butter - Made Two Ways

Maple butter made without a candy thermometer.



Maple butter made with boiling syrup.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are small things that can make a meal memorable. Maple butter is one of them. Its most obvious use is on pancakes or waffles, but biscuits and cornbread, even dinner rolls, are taken to another level when spread with either of the butters we are featuring today. Both are easy to do, though one requires a boiled syrup. I know that some of you are uncomfortable working with sugar syrup, so a second recipe that requires no boiling is also being provided. In one of those contradictions that drive good cooks wild, the butter made with boiled syrup is the most flavorful but it's quite plain to look at. The easier recipe looks like a beauty queen. Whichever version you try, use real maple syrup. The imitation syrup will produce a butter that's not worthy of your time. Once you try maple butter I suspect it will become a staple in your home. I'm starting to use it as a butter replacement in coffee cakes and frostings. It is that good. Here are the two recipes.

Maple Butter I...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup butter

Directions:
1) Using a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat maple syrup until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter.
2) Pour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until it is thick and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Pour into glass containers and refrigerate until required. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Maple Butter II...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions:
1) Combine butter and maple syrup in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat with paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
2) Spoon into jars, cover, and refrigerate. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Recipes courtesy of OSU Extension Service.

Pot Roast with Potatoes for Pink Saturday

Photo courtesy of Bloomfield Farms



Earlier this week, Peg at Bloomfield Farms did a feature about cattle country. As I moved through her wonderful pictures I was struck by the pink tags that were placed in the ears of the cattle once they were in feedlots. My devious mind immediately knew what I would use as my lead photo today. If I led with a tagged steer, I'd need to feature a recipe for beef. So, I made a large pot roast for dinner tonight. It will provide two additional and easy meals that will allow more time for Thanksgiving preparation next week. I bake my pot roast in a low, slow oven. This recipe can be adapted for use in a slow cooker but the texture of the meat will not be the same. I, obviously, prefer the texture of the oven roast. I prepare a rub of sorts and work it into the beef with a jaccard or fork the night before I brown and roast the meat. I was born a contrarian, so I prefer to use flatter cuts of beef for our pot roasts. My favorite cuts are a boneless shoulder or center cut pot roast. Whatever cut is used, it's important that the braising liquid not cover the meat. It should come only halfway up its sides. I use white vermouth in this recipe. You can use red or white wine. My preference for vermouth is based on the fact that it's a fortified wine and can sit for a good while without turning to vinegar. A good French vermouth guarantees there'll always be a decent cooking wine in the house. That truc originally came from Julia Child. Whenever possible, I make the pot roast 24 hours before I plan to serve it. This allows neat slices of meat to be cut before they are warmed. Here's the recipe for the pot roast which, coincidentally, makes great French dip, cheese steaks or barbecued beef.

Pot Roast with Vegetables...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
1 (3-1/2 to 4 pound) boneless shoulder or center cut chuck roast
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry white vermouth or white wine
1/2 cup condensed beef broth, undiluted
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
1-1/2 pounds small red or Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water

Directions:
1) The night before roasting, combine garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Using a jaccard or meat fork, work the mixture into both sides of pot roast. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it is hot, slowly brown roast, about 10 minutes per side. Add vermouth and beef broth and bring liquid to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook, covered, turning roast every 30 minutes, until tender and meat fork easily slips in and out of meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. About an hour before end of cooking time, add carrots and potatoes to Dutch oven.
3) Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Skim fat from surface of braising liquid. Add water or stock if necessary to equal about 1-1/2 cups. Combine flour and water in a lidded jar. Shake until smooth. Add to braising liquid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Using chef’s or carving knife, cut meat against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce over meat. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately. Yield: 6 servings.


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Wonton Noodle

Making good wonton was a long process as i was not able to buy good thin wonton wrappers and had to Homemake from scratch but i have found it - the brand is Double Happiness and they are thinner than the ones i homemake.  I am glad that it is available cos my grand daughter, the picky eater, has come to like wonton and even eat the wonton noodles.  We were on vacation in Vancouver and she ate 5 meals of wonton noodles. Talking about vacation and wonton wrappers/skin, there is something that has to be told.  It is the opposite to what the ad. say - What happened in Vegas, remain in Vegas?  What happened to me and my friends in Vegas had to be told.  I was at the checkout in Ranch 99 Supermarket and heard someone ordered 2 boxes of wonton skin.  2 boxes, this lady must have found the wonton skin that i am looking for,  so i turned around and asked this pretty lady what the brand was.  We started talking and from my accent she had to ask where i was from and when i told her that i came from Malaysia, she was grinning with joy and told me that she was malaysian too.  She asked  if i would like to go to her place and she will make me 'Ice Kacang', Ice Kacang in the desert, it was 104f that day, I accepted right away and had to gather my friends to meet her.  She made the best Ice Kacang and insisted that we come back again to meet her other malaysian friends and she will be cooking 'Chilli Crabs'.  We went back to have chilli crab the next day and met up with WPY, who was just as sweet and hospitable - she treated us to Harvey Mandel and drove us Las Vegas and brought us to the biggest outlet.  The night before we left Las Vegas, KD, the wonton skin lady, brought us to the best buffet in town - Rio , the food stretched as long as the Grand Canyon.  These two wonderful ladies, KD and WPY have renewed my faith in the human kind.  Thank you KD and WPY, i, nancy and siew chin will never forget your kindness and generosity and i hope you will remember these 3 ladies you picked up off the strip.

Ingredients:

Wonton Noodles
Wonton Wrappers - Double Happiness brand (make your own Homemade Wrappers)
Choy Sum/Shanghai Bak Choy
Spring onions - chopped for garnishing
Sesame oil and lard

Filling:

Same as Fried Wonton
or
Same as Wonton Soup

Soup:

2 lb pork bones - neck or otherwise (in Malaysia, hawkers like to use bones from the head - chee tau kuat)
1 cup ikan bilis - rinced
1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced
6 cups water
1/2 tsp msg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Method

To Cook the Soup:

Place pork bones and enough water in a big pot and bring to the boil.  Continue to boil until all the scum floats to the top.  Drain pork bones and discard the water.  Wash the pork bones thoroughly with cold water.

In the pressure cooker, place cleaned cooked pork bones, ikan bilis and ginger and 6 cups of water.  Close the lid and let it pressurised for 30 minutes with 15 lb pressure.  Release the pressure before opening lid.

Remove the pork bones and ikan bilis and pass soup through a sieve.

Adjust the taste with msg, salt and pepper.

Bring back to the boil before serving.



To cook wonton noodles:

Bring a large stock pot of water to the boil.

Loosen the wonton noodles before putting into the boiling water.  Swirl noodle with a pair of long chopsticks to prevent noodles from sticking together.  The thin noodles cook fast to al dente.  Remove with spider strainer and dung into a large container of cold water.  Return noodles to the boiling water just to warm it up.
Remove from water and put into serving large bowl and add in sesame oil and lard.

Bring the water back to the boil and add in the choy sum or shanghai bok choy - green vegetables will remain green when cooked because this water has alkali after cooking all the wonton noodles.  Remove and distribute among the bowls of noodles.

To cook the wonton:

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and drop in the wontons.and simmer uncovered, stirring gently, when wontons float to the top, that usually means they're done. Unless there is too much air inside the wontons due to bad folding. Cut one open to check for doneness. Remove wontons and distribute among the bowls of noodles.

To serve:

Pour a cup of hot soup into the bowls of noodles which are topped with vegetables and wonton. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Serve hot and enjoy with pickled green chillies. (Green chillies/jalapenos are pickled with vinegar and salt and the acid in the vinegar will contra the alkali used to make the noodles and wonton wrappers - giving the bowl of noodles a good eat)

NOTES:

My preference to a good wonton for soup would be the fill and squeeze method for wrapping the wonton as the skin is not doubled and will remain soft and silky when consumed, like swallowing the cloud, befitting its name WONTON.  In cantonese - won is the cloud and ton is to swallow.  The beautifully wrapped ones are better for deep frying.

Serves

Portuguese-Style Turkey Soup With Linguica, Kale and Potatoes - Remains of the Day for Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Once the dishes are done and the silver and china put away, the work associated with Thanksgiving dinner is nearly done. Among the outstanding tasks is the handling of the remains of the day. The meat is no problem. It will mysteriously disappear and by Saturday the turkey carcass will be picked bare. Some look at carcass and see a skeleton, others see a soup that emerges with little effort from the last vestige of the Thanksgiving meal. I've tasted lots of turkey soups in my day and have never come across a bad one. Just in case you're in the market for something a bit different, I have an atypical turkey soup to share with you. It's based on caldo verde, a Portuguese soup that's made with Linguica sausage, kale and beans or potatoes. Here, however, rich turkey stock takes the soup to another level. The soup uses two kinds of potatoes, one to thicken and the other to flavor and provide some texture to the soup. The kale freshens and adds a healthy component to a soup that normally uses leftover vegetables that are well past their prime. Linguica is a wonderfully flavored garlic sausage that you can find in most large supermarkets. You have all the other components you need to make this in your pantry. If you don't want to use wine in the stock add an additional 2 cups of water and you'll be fine. Here's the recipe. You'll see it's made in two parts. First, the stock and then the soup. The stock can be made in a crock-pot.

Portuguese-Style Turkey Soup with Linguica, Potatoes and Kale...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Stock
1 turkey carcass, broken into several large pieces
4 quarts water
2 cups dry white vermouth or white wine
2 (8-oz. each) baking potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large rib celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled but smashed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
A small bunch of parley sprigs
Soup
6 medium boiling potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound Linguica sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3/4 to 1 pound fresh kale, stems discarded, washed and cut into 1/4-inch strips

Directions:
1) To make stock, place carcass, water, wine, baking potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt pepper and parsley sprigs in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, skimming surface of soup as necessary to remove any scum that forms.
2) Remove potatoes and set aside. Strain stock through sieve into a large bowl. Remove any meat from strained solids and set aside. Discard solids in strainer.
3) Place potato chunks into a blender with one cup of stock. Puree.
4) To make the soup, return stock to a soup pot. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in potato puree. Add boiling potatoes to pot. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot and simmer, until potatoes are tender. Add Linguica and reserved turkey to pot. Simmer over medium-low heat to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add strips of kale and cook 5 minutes longer, or until kale is tender. Taste again for seasonings, adding salt and pepper as required to taste. Yield: 3 quarts; 8 to 10 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I happened on Jane Grigson's book "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery" back in 1974 and became an instant admirer. It was an alchemy of sorts. Curled into my favorite chair, warmed by the fire, I turned page after page and was transported incrementally to the wood-fired stove of a French farm kitchen and the wondrous world of charcuterie. I began with pate and moved slowly on to andouille and the boudins, blanc and noir, and ended, finally, with a cassoulet so delicious it made eyes cloud and mist. I no longer make pate, or, for that matter, cassoulet, but every so often I set dietary concerns aside and ready a batch of sausage for the breakfast or dinner table. I suspect that your holiday menu has been set in stone for several weeks now, so, rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I'd use these few days before the feast to speak of other things. Today it's breakfast sausage for the family or guests with whom you'll share the holiday. Simple. Easy. Delicious. The patties can be made well ahead of time and frozen. They can be baked to feed a gang or grilled to feed just two. While I prefer to grind the meat I use, the sausage can be made with the ground pork you'll find in the supermarket. This recipe uses no exotic spices and you probably have everything you need in your pantry. Here's the recipe for this crowd pleaser.

Breakfast Sausage...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Combine salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, allspice, brown sugar, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well.
2) Pat ground pork into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork. Mix well. Using a scoop or 1/4 cup measure, form patties about 1/2-inch thick. Place on a tray. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 21 patties.
3) To pan-fry, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan, about 7 minutes per side.
4) To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until center is no longer pink.

You might also enjoy these links:
Ryan's Recipe Blog - Taste Festival Sausage Making
Pork, Knife and Spoon - Making Sausage - A Primer
Italian Chef Blog - Fresh Italian Sausage

Pfeffernüsse - Outdoor Wednesday

Over the weekend we happened upon a Christmas tree harvest at a local farm. It was fascinating to watch. I was amazed by a seeming contradiction as we watched the process. It's become highly mechanized but still remains quite labor intensive. The men, using specialized equipment, moved in teams to fell, bundle, lift and transport the trees. They completed in a day what would have taken weeks not long ago.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My feature of the day was to have been Transylvanian Goulash. Since there was no way to tie it to a Christmas tree harvest, I thought a holiday cookie recipe might be more appropriate. Pfeffernüsse are a favorite of mine. Today's very old and authentic recipe comes from Hannie, in whose German kitchen I learned to make them. Pfeffernüsse are spicy cookies that are part of the Christmas traditions in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. The name translates to peppernuts and it accurately describes their spicy taste as well as the fact that they contain finely chopped nuts and a small amount of black pepper. Spices vary in different versions of the recipe, as does the coating which can range from a liberal application of confectioners' sugar to a thick glaze. The cookies are very easy to make, but they need to be refrigerated in order to shape them, so plan accordingly. Here's the recipe.

Pfeffernüsse ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 -1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup very finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup very finely chopped candied orange peel
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup brandy
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Mix flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, beat white and brown sugars into butter. Add egg yolks and mix to combine. Add almonds, orange peel, lemon zest and mix. Stir one third of flour mixture into butter mixture. then add molasses and brandy. Mix in remainder of flour mixture. When fully blended, cover dough and refrigerate overnight.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon measure, form dough into balls and place them on prepared cookie sheets, 1-1/2 inches, apart. Bake for 14 -15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheets. Roll in confectioners sugar. Store in airtight container. Yield: 42 cookies.

Here are some other interpretations of Pfeffernüsse:
A Bowl of Mush - Pfeffernüsse
Global Gourmet - Pfeffernüsse
The Barefoot Kitchen Witch - Pfeffernüsse

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Kitchen Reveal Day

Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen, came up with an idea for an Annual Kitchen Reveal Day that would allow others to see where our cooking is done. My kitchen is part of a great room and it's always on display. That keeps me on my toes. I've included a shot of the pantry as well. The pantry makes the placement of the kitchen possible. Our home is built into a hillside and because of its many windows the house is full of light even on gray Oregon days.

Omelette Noodle

Alexander's Pre School teacher wanted to have the recipe of his favorite dish as she is making a recipe book of all the favorite food of her class.  When i asked him which is his favorite, i was glad that it was something that i cook for him and not something out of the box.  He loves noodles in any form and he could use his chopstick and pick up the most slippery kind.  This pair of child chopstick is worth every cent spend and every asian mom should get a pair for their child as eating noodles using chopsticks is so much fun.



Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch/tapioca starch dilute with 1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Beat all the ingredients until blended.

Heat a small frying pan preferably a non-stick one with as little oil as possible.

Pour in enough of egg mixture to make a thin omelette. When omelette sets, flip over and cook the other side.

Remove onto a chopping board.

Continue to make omelette with the rest of the egg mixture .

Pile the omelette and roll it up like a swiss roll, then cut into tiny strips, loosen the strips and ta-ta noodles are ready.

Enjoy them as much as Alexander does.
Serves

Anadama Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't know how or when it happened. After years of going "over the river and through the woods" there came a day when I, ready or not, like it or not, was the grandmother to whose home the revelers cometh. I know it's terribly unsophisticated to celebrate this meal, but I'll tell you up front that I love it, if for no other reason than the wonderful aromas that emanate from the kitchen as this dinner comes together. Christmas builds to a olfactory crescendo with aromas that are released over a period of days. Not so Thanksgiving. This is an all or nothing affair. The assault begins with breakfast bacon and continues through the day as the aroma of bread and pie and turkey and cider meld into a harmonious union that could put the orchestration of a symphony to shame. Thanksgiving is not a difficult meal to prepare; it's as easy to make for twenty as it is for two, but it does require a game plan and a bit or organization to pull it off. I do a great deal of the work ahead of time. Today I made our rolls, both Anadama and potato, and enough pie crust to last us through the Christmas holiday. Everything is in the freezer waiting to debut on the big day. The pie crusts will be rolled and filled on Thanksgiving morning. I pre-bake the rolls. We talked about Refrigerator Potato Rolls last year. Since then I've resurrected this wonderful recipe for Anadama Rolls. The recipe appeared in Bon Appetit over a decade ago. I really like these rolls. There is something especially fitting about rolls made with corn meal and molasses for Thanksgiving day. Symbolism aside, the rolls are really wonderful and they are not hard to make. I know you'll like them. Here's the recipe.

Anadama Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry yeast
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool until thermometer inserted into center of mixture registers 115°F, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
2) Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and top looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto work surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 10 minutes (dough will remain slightly sticky). Form dough into ball. Coat a large bowl with butter or shortening. Add dough to bowl and turn to coat dough with butter or shortening. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3) Punch down dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Coat each of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with butter or shortening. Roll dough into 18-inch-long log. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into ball. Place 9 dough balls in each pan, spacing apart. Cover each pan loosely with towel. Let rolls stand in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls with egg glaze. Sprinkle with seeds. Place rolls in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Wrap rolls in foil and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.) Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Cinnamon Rolls
Pinch My Salt - Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls
Cooking By the Seat of My Pants - Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting