Sushi Night on Anniversary Night- April 9, 2008

Little Boy Blue (LBB) was in Hawaii the whole week before our super date. Then, the next Monday, he was again on another business trip (local) for 3days but came home for the night~ to enjoy a simple sushi dinner that I prepped at home with a bonus of cherry pie that I baked as well. I always cover the food with cling (surround) wrap (*see photos*) while I prepare to serve the rest of the meal to keep them warm and/or free from germs. Ours was a simple anniversary night celebrated quietly and well spent with fond memories to linger by.

Wheat Berries, Wheat Bran & Wheat Germ in Photos

These are basic ingredients in baking some delicious and nutritious wheat bread. I bought the wheat berries (these are grounded to make the wheat flour) in Chinatown. I use my VITAMIX to grind it into powder form. They look like brown rice before they are grounded. Photos above show these wheat products. Those in rectangular saucers are wheat in different stages: powdered form; wheat berries as bought from Chinatown and the wheat berries, soaked overnight for another recipe called ("cracked wheat" and/or "sprouted wheat" bread).

My First BRAN BREAD

I baked this at noontime today and used the recipe taken from "THE SECRETS OF JESUIT BREADMAKING." This bread used wheat bran. It's quite tasty and tender. The bran added some spunk and texture unto it. I purchased the wheat bran at the health store in my neighborhood. Where I live is convenient, it has everything.

The recipe also asked for honey and this adds up to the unique flavor of the bread. Some ingredients included "unbleached all-purpose flour" (I used bread flour). I substituted sour cream and diluted it in water instead of using buttermilk. So far so good. I realized how practical it is to have a huge container of sour cream all the time as it is quite practical for baking breads and cakes. Instead of using milk, I use sour cream. It adds up to a nice texture of the bread or cake.

Happy Birthday,Brother!

Today is the birthday of Phie, my 4th brother. He is nice, sweet, caring and thoughtful. He is the handy man of the family, the reliable one~ in charge of our family taxes, real estate ventures, property lease holdings, etc. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHIE!!!

April 9, 2008: Fourth Wedding Anniversary

We're going strong and more in love! We had sushi dinner at home, made by moi. I also baked cherry pie as well as Italian round baguette. I'd upload photos tomorrow. Am sooooooo tired baking and cooking, done in the name of love. Whew!

Pan De Sal (Filipino Bread Roll) By Brother Rick Curry, S.J.

I got this recipe from Brother Rick Curry's book, "The Secrets Of Jesuit Breadmaking" on page 49. Brother Rick is a Jesuit. This is from Ateneo de Manila Jesuits recipe. This is a part of the collection of recipes that he made into a book in 1995. Today, this is known as the bible of breadmaking. The book features the traditions and recipes of Jesuit bakers around the world. I borrowed this book from my North Beach Library. I only photocopied the recipes I like.

PAN DE SAL Ateneo de Manila Recipe*

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 ounces plain crackers (about 40), crumbled

PROCEDURE:

1. Combine the shortening, salt, sugar, and boiling water in a large mixing bowl. Stir and set aside to cool.
2. Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl, stirring until yeast is dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Gradually mix in flour to make a dough.
4. Turn out on a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness. Return it to the bowl.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk--about 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 425*F.
8. Flour two baking sheets.
9. Gently knead the dough again.
10. Divide into 16 pieces and shape into buns.
11. Roll the pieces in the cracker crumbs and place on the baking sheets, spread well apart.
12. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.
13. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 16 buns

I baked this bread last Saturday using a stand mixer *KITCHENAID*. It was my first time to bake "PAN DE SAL," a bread I grew up eating in the Philippines. But having been used to baking a lot of Italian and French breads lately, I find my homegrown bread to be bland. However, by miracles of all miracles, husband loves this bun. He quipped, "This is good bread for sandwiches!" Because the proofing time of PAN DE SAL is only for 45 minutes (first proofing) and the second rising time is 25 minutes, the bread is not tasty as would an Italian bread where 3 to 4 hours rising time is needed. But each culture has ways and means to prep their bread.

I served this with ALTON BROWN's ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE. Alton's recipe is simple consisting mainly of ground pork, salt, pepper, parsley leaves and fennel seeds. No wine or vinegar whatsoever is needed. My original Italian recipe has red wine in it and husband prefers Alton's so far. I am delighted to have found this recipe of ALTON at http://www.foodnetwork.com/ Huband said that this is almost like his mom's recipe. The secret? I increased the volume of pepper to 1 tablespoon. Likewise with the fennel seed. The recipe is written below. Ciao!

Italian Sausage

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

2 pounds pork butt (2 1/2 pounds with bone)

diced into 1/4-inch pieces 5 feet of 36 millimeter collagen casings (do not allow to get wet at any time)

Shortening, to lubricate nozzle of stuffer

Special equipment: meat grinder with stuffing attachment or manual stuffer

1. Toast fennel seed in medium sized, heavy saute pan over medium heat, constantly moving seeds around in pan until they start to turn light brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, grind seeds and combine with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley in medium mixing bowl.
2. Add pork and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork.
4. After lubricating stuffer or stuffing attachment with shortening, load casing onto attachment, clipping end with a clothespin.
5. Stuff meat into casings, trying to avoid air pockets. After stuffing is finished lay out on counter and tie off end.
6. Pinch and twist to form 4-inch sausages.
7. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
8. Store in refrigerator for use within 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, wrap in aluminum foil. If using immediately, saute over medium heat in a heavy saute pan with 1/4-inch of water.
9. Bring water to boil, put on lid and cook for 10 minutes.
10. Remove lid and continue cooking over medium heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Sausage should reach an internal temperature of 150 to 156 degrees F.

NOTE: I simplified this recipe and used only the GROUND PORK I bought and purchased in Chinatown where I shop for fresh veggies, poultry, seafoods, meat and pork. I also utilized the DRIED PARSLEY I got here at home as I don't get to buy fresh parsley in North Beach. Moreover, I didn't use casing as I have no instrument for putting on the ground pork inside it. Using an ordinary funnel is difficult and could be tricky so better try to do this without having to use the casings! The sausage tasted perfect with the PAN DE SAL! Try it, it's easy to do!

PAGNOTTA, Italian Round Country Bread

I baked these two round pieces of PAGNOTTA yeterday after husband and I came back from the park. To bake this bread, I needed a mister so I went to Chinatown (close to our flat) near Walgreens and purchased one.

The bread turned out quite all right. It was quite tasty and authentic in flavor and appearance. It measured to 9" in diamter. Yesterday was just my first time to bake this PAGNOTTA and I did well. The crust is the crispiest crust I ever had! The inside had a nice a bit of salty flavor and has nice holes that say a lot of what a great bread it is. The cornmill and the bread flour mixed and sprinkled over the crust made it more crunchy. After tasting this bread for the first time, it has now become our favorite more than the CIABATTA or FRENCH BREAD. The sourdough sets the difference. The book I am using in baking this is called, "THE IL FORNAIO Baking Book" by FRANCO GALLI. There are shortcuts to do this bread. I watched in YOUTUBE. Some bakers use DUTCH OVEN or LA CLOCHE CLAY BAKER (round). It is like a garlic baker. I baked this the traditional ITALIAN WAY without the aid of these tools, just my plain cookie pan. And it worked just fine.

WHAT IS PAGNOTTA?

PAGNOTTA is a rustic peasant loaf with a hard, deep brown crust and a soft, white center. This bread keeps well for 3 days or more so long as it is kept tight in a ZIPLOC bag. PAGNOTTA is found in northern ITALY. It is baked without a tinge of olive oil so this is a healthy bread to eat.As a beginner in making bread, you may not have the heart for this recipe as it takes a long process to do it. It has 3 rising time before it is baked in the oven. First proofing is for 1 1/2 hours; second is for 1 hour; third and last was proofed for 55 minutes. Baking time was supposedly for 1 hour at 425 degrees Fahrenheit but since my oven's temperature gets hotter than the norm, I only baked my bread close to 27 minutes and by that time, they were done and had a hollow ring when you drum it!

Easter Sunday in San Francisco

We were up early at half past five in the morning. I, for one, was excited! It was our hosting of the hospitality. We left at around 8:30 AM and drove to NDV, parked the van on the street (it is tough to find a parking space in SFO). We brought our stuff as hosts for the Easter Sunday Mass at 9 AM. I baked different kinds of bread for this special day, days ahead. These are the kinds of bread that stays for good days and they still come out to be quite tasty. These are round breads or crusted breads. At the reception, people came in groves at around ten minutes after ten. They were impressed with the hall's decor (done by Mary, Maria and Christianne). The guests loved the food and complimented us all regarding the table setting that had the symbols of Easter: bunny, eggs, candies, etc. At the reception the one thing that went fast was the CIABATTA!!! Well, as a non-professional baker who only learned to bake bread (self-taught) about 3 years ago, I was thrilled! Many complimented me for the great tasting bread they ate yesterday! I made several yields of Greek Humus. The folks ate half of it and left the rest untouched. The brie cheese was barely eaten at all. Husband and I are trying to introduce different kinds of food to orient them with diffrent kinds of food as we are quite diverse, culture-wise. We also noted that most of our regulars and visitors (from other cities and countries) prefer regular sliced cheeses (cheddar and Monterey) as opposed to brie. Anyhow, after our time ended, we left all the food including fruits, candies, et al to the French hospitality group who handles the French mass at 10:30 AM. The Lithuanian Raisin Bread was well-liked by the way. Br. Joe, a Marist- raved about it. I just blushed and said, "Ooooooh. Wow. Thank you!"

Ciabatta

Click photos to enlarge*

This is the first of the 2 sets of Ciabatta I am baking right now. The last one is still in the oven. Weare eating this at the moment and boy, what a great tasting bread! It has holes inside it, also known as "OCCHI," (or eyes) made from elastic dough that must be "pulled" into its unique form. It bakes at 425 F oven. However, I made the mistake of setting it to 475!!! But I adjusted the temperature to 425, five minutes after I discovered my error! The baking time was shortened. So, in 25 minutes' time it had this hollow sound when you top it over which meant that the bread is done, baked and ready to cool down on a drying rack. Ciao!

Working In My Kitchen

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE*
PHOTOS: (Morrocan bread with Greek humus); bow spinach pasta, ravioli pasta with white wine and apricot sauce; spinach ravioli; Ciabatta bread (second rising);whole wheat sourdough starter; Ciabatta bread (second rising).

Now that I am done with my quilt, I am quite busy experimenting in my kitchen with various recipes I have at the moment. These are items akin to making bread (CIABATTA and MORROCAN HOLIDAY BREAD), humus (Greek/Mediterannean dip), sourdough starter, flaky crust (using LARD), home-made spinach ravioli and bow pasta plus the delicious white wine with apricot for pasta sauce. As I am writing this, my second version of "CIABATTA" (Italian Slipper Shaped Bread- pronounced as CHEE-YA-BAT-TA) is on to its second rising. This is a different recipe because it does not set to rise (the dough) for 24 hours but rather, the sourdough starter was made to ferment naturally for 3 days. Naturally in what sense? Averagely, you add yeast to make a sourdough and you use regular bread flour or all-purpose flour to do it. However, this sourdough starter from the famous book, "THE IL FORNAIO Baking Book" by FRANCO GALLI only asks you to mix organic wheat flour and water in equal proportion (2 cups whole wheat flour + 2 cups water). And true to its promise, in 3 days' time it fermented quite easily and bubbles formed. For you who do not bake breads, sourdough is needed to add that soury flavor in a bread. In ITALY, sourdough starter is called "BIGA." BTW, three days ago I baked my first CHERRY PIE this spring time- the filling was taken from the whole bunch of cherries I canned last summer 2007. For the pie crust, I used another recipe from an Italian book I borrowed from my North Beach Library (I forgot the title). Alternately, instead of butter- I used LARD (as per suggestion of my sister-in-law GLENDA who lives in Oregon and also upon husband's prodding. And they were right). The crust is so flaky and crunchy!!! Even now, husband raved about it after he had eaten the last piece this morning.

PALM SUNDAY- March 16, 2008 at NOTRE DAME, Basque Mass

It was our first Palm Sunday at our parish and our first time to attend a Basque Mass, as participated in by the Basque Community of Bay Area. The mass was said in French, Basque and English. The trumpet music and traditional hymns in Basque were unforgettable. Click, to enlarge *











Who are the Basque People?


The Basque people are the oldest indigenous living group known in Europe. They live in the north central Spain, and there are also a couple of Basque regions in France. Their language, culture, customs, and land are all distinctly different from the rest of Europe. They have their own newspaper, radio, and educational system.


The Basque people have strong traditional ties to their families and to their land. They have an independent spirit, respect for liberty of the individual, and a love of freedom. For that reason, they have struggled to become an autonomous region, with their own government, for years. During the Spanish Civil War, the Basque and Catalan people fought with the Republicans as seperatists groups, in order to try to gain the independence that they have desired for so long. However, when the Republicans lost to the Nationalists, and Franco took over Spain, it looked as if the Basque people would forever remain under the rule of Spanish government. However, the Basque people have now been granted more freedom, such as the right to speak Euskara (the Basque language), the right to educate in Euskara, and the right to teach about the Basque culture. Most Basque people are satisfied with the freedom that they have been granted, but there are still some extremists who are fighting for the right to have an entirely autonomous region. These people are usually associated with the ETA (the Basque seperatists group) and go to extreme measures to try to win what they believe to be rightfully theirs. However, for the most part, the Basque people are willing to make compromises and are happy with what they can get.

San Francisco's St. Patrick's ParadePhotos- Saturday, March 15, 2008

More ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE PHOTOS- March 15, 2008

The gay community is represented by these men in black and red ensemble. They were collecting donations to help give back to the community.

St. Patrick's Day Parade- March 15, 2008 at Market St., San Francisco

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE*

Our handsome mayor, Gavin Newsom, 42nd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco joined the parade.

We were in Market St. 10 minutes before 11 noon. By exactly 11 AM, the parade started. It was the longest parade I have seen in SFO! Irish folks came by in different costumes as they celebrated St. Patrick's Day! We all joined in. The parade participants threw candies at the crowd. Husband and I enjoyed it so much. Whoah! My share, I put the chocolates and hard candies inside my loot bag while I ate the rest. Haha! Actually, my bag initially contained the chewable lactase enzyme we bought at the specialty shop in Grant. But as the parade progressed, I decided to utilize it to store my goodies! Notice our green and gold beads plus husband's sticker on his jacket? Well, we all got them at the parade. That's the fun side of being a spectator! You get a lot of freebies! Moreover, I got myself a nice key chain and a green rubber bracelet (see photo) as well with Happy St. Patrick's Day embossed in it. At around 4 PM, we walked to Civic Center and joined the crowd there for the party. There was a band playing music I hardly knew. Beer was served of course! Husband and I sat on the pavement and ate our snacks. Coming home, we took Bus 9X and nestled in our flat.

NEWSBIT: St. Patrick's Day used to be celebrated on March 17th but the Catholic law indicated that it cannot be celebrated on the week of Lent. So this year it was moved to March 14 and the parade-on March 15. Not bad. Here are some photos to enjoy. The video files~ I will upload tomorrow. And more photos to come, too. Ciao!