Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Welcome to the world of long and short posts.
Yes, some are long.
E. S. P. Cookies
1 egg
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Pkg. Chocolate Kisses (size depends on how many cookies you plan to
make) (optional)
Mix together the egg, sugar, and peanut butter. Roll the dough into
marble-size balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 for 9 minutes.
Put a chocolate kiss on each cookie (press down just a tiny little
bit) and return to the oven for 1 minute. Makes 24-30.
If you don’t want to use the kisses, just flatten with a fork using the
criss cross pattern, and bake for around 10 minutes
Pork Chops & Stuffing Bake
From: Campbell’s Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
4 cups Pepperidge Farm® Corn Bread Stuffing
1 1/4 cups water
4 tbsp. butter
6 boneless pork chops, 3/4” thick
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
(Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
Prepare stuffing using water and butter according to package
directions.
Spoon stuffing across center of 13 x 9 x 2” shallow baking dish.
Place chops on each side of stuffing.
Stir soup and milk in bowl. Pour over chops. Cover.
Bake at 400°F. for 30 min. or until done. Sprinkle with cheese.
Crockpot Red Beans Barley and Sausage Stew
1 pound raw red kidney beans
46 ounces can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup barley
2 each bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
Rinse beans. Place in a large bowl, cover with water
and soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Put all
ingredients in a large slow cooker, stir, cover and
cook on low for 8 hours.
Useful Links
www.redcross.org
www.redcross.org/prepare/makeaplan.html
www.redcross.org/prepare/buildakit.html
www.ready.gov
www.preparedpantry.com
www.waltonfeed.com
http://www.pharaohsstorehouse.com/emergency_preparedness.asp
Why Everyone Should Have a Stock of Food
We live in complex and perilous times. Whether it is a natural disaster, a national disaster, or a neighborhood disaster, our food supply could be disrupted. In any scenario, it is up to us to take care of our needs and those of our families—we should not count on the government. We buy insurance for our home, our car, and our lives but something as essential as food—we often leave overlooked.
There are other crises as well—personal crises. The loss of a job, a loved one, or one’s health might strain personal finances and make a supply of food look very attractive. Whether it is a personal crisis or a community one, we should be able to feed our family and feed them with food that is healthy and that they enjoy eating. In a crisis, our food supply should be a point of comfort and refuge.
There’s a certain confidence that goes along with being self-reliant, with preparedness. If we know we have provided for our family—if we know they are safe—we perform better. We’re happier and they’re happier. We’re better parents, citizens, and neighbors and we perform better outside the home.
Will I Really Have to Use My food Storage?
We hope that you are never faced with a emergency but food storage is not new and it seems that most people who have had long-term food storage have utilized it at least once in the past. Usually, it wasn’t because of a public emergency but a personal difficulty of some kind—an economic setback brought about by illness, the loss of a job, or an accident. But times have changed. We expect that community crises—from terrorists to computer failures—will make food storage an even more important issue in the future.
A Lesson from the DC Sniper Incident
In the Washington DC area during the 2002 sniper shootings, people were running and dodging, taking evasive action between their car and the grocery store. Authorities advised people to make themselves difficult targets. Why would anyone go to the grocery store if they believed they might be shot? People had no choice; they had no food. If people had just a few weeks supply of food on hand, they could have stayed safely at home.
How to Save Money and Build a Personal Food Storage Program that Works
Food storage programs that work are built around one simple principle: Store what you eat and eat what you store. Store what you like, what you know how to fix, and what your bodies are accustomed to. When an emergency comes, we will want to disrupt our eating patterns as little as possible. Most of what we eat today, from main dishes, to breads, to desserts, can be accommodated with storage items. Store them.
Eat what you store. All foods deteriorate over time. They become less palatable and the vitamin content decreases. If you don’t use your food, you will throw it out. Surveys have shown that people regularly overestimate how long food lasts. Governmental and university experts publish shelf lives much shorter than what some manufacturers and individuals suggest. The best way to assure that you will have a good supply of food in an emergency is to regularly eat what you store, using it before it becomes marginal, and replace it. Eating what you store is not a challenge if you store what you like to eat.
Five Easy Steps to a Food Storage Program that Works
1. Determine what you like to eat. Make a list of what you are eating now. Start with your grocery list or grocery receipts. Look in your pantry. These foods are what you want to store. Storing foods that your family likes to eat—not trying to persuade your family to like what you store—is the key to practical food storage. Fundamentally changing what your family likes to eat is not a realistic expectation. While it may be true that “if our kids get hungry enough, they’ll eat anything,” who wants to put their children through that kind of misery? In a hardship, we want to maintain our routines and habits as much as possible and not stress family members with foods that they do not like or that their bodies are unaccustomed to.
2. Determine how much of what you like to eat is storable. Build your storage program around these items. For those items that are not storable, look for ready substitutes that your family will enjoy. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be complemented with frozen and canned produce. Meats can be purchased on sale or in bulk and frozen. Mixes will readily substitute for the breads, desserts, and snacks you currently buy.
3. Purchase storable foods regularly. Keep your plan simple and affordable but buy storable foods regularly. Every week, every pay period, or every month buy something that you can store. You will be surprised how fast your stocks build. Buy items on sale and buy in quantity so that you save money. Think in terms of stocking up, not storing. Replace what you use.
4. Eat what you store. As a general rule, even storable foods need to be used within two years. The FDA suggests that canned goods be consumed within two years. Using your stocks regularly will keep your food fresher, tastier, and more nutritious.
5. Take inventory. From time to time, take inventory. You will be reminded of what you have and surprised at what you don’t have. You can then purchase those items you need and use older items while they are still sound.
How Does a Food Storage Program Save Me Money?
A personal food storage program saves money in three ways:
1. Stocking up leads to buying in quantity or on sale—often with substantial savings. If we store what we eat and use those foods regularly, we save on everyday food.
2. Foods suitable for storage tend to be less expensive than prepared foods. As we gradually rely more and more on our stocks, we use less prepared food and the average cost of our meals is reduced.
3. Habits and attitudes change with a food storage program. Those that have a personal food storage program tend to be more careful with their food purchases and better utilize the foods they purchase.
Many families find that when they adopt a program of purchasing and using storable foods, their food bill drops substantially—as much as 25%.
Rotate, Rotate, Rotate
We believe that most foods—including the products that we provide—should be used within two years for both palatability and nutritional reasons. Foods stored longer than that, though they may be safe to eat, are less appealing and less nutritious. The only way to build a food storage program that ensures that you will have safe, palatable, nutritious food on hand in an emergency is to continuously rotate stocks.
Fats: Storing Butter, Oil and Other Products
Our bodies need fat—good fat—and yet most fats are fragile and don’t store well. Oil oxidizes and becomes rancid as it ages-a process that is accelerated by heat, light, and oxygen. So store your oil in a cool, dark location and rotate it often. (For more information about storing fats, see “Family Preparedness Bulletin #1: Storing Oils and Fats” available on this site.)
In order to maximize the storage life of our products, we do not add oil, shortening, or butter. We believe that the freshest oil or butter possible should be added when mixed.
Why Good Food Goes Bad
Assuming that you have stored your valuable food where bugs and water can’t reach it, can it still go bad? Well, that depends on your definition of “bad”. As stated elsewhere, properly canned or dried foods (if fat free or nearly so) usually do not become unsafe when stored longer than recommended, but palatability and nutrient value are diminished. So while it probably won’t go “bad” as in unsafe, it will become less nutritious or less appealing.
All, or nearly all foods, deteriorate over time. Living organisms are designed with self-preservation mechanisms but when they die or are harvested, naturally occurring enzymes cause discoloration, loss of nutrients, textural changes, or flavor changes. We can slow these changes; we can’t stop them.
The three enemies of stored foods are light, heat, and oxygen. Most foods deteriorate in the presence of light, heat, and oxygen. UV rays damage foods. Fats oxidize just as metals oxidize (rust) in the presence of oxygen. Heat accelerates these processes. To counteract these destructive forces, store food at cool temperatures, in opaque packages, and in airtight, oxygen depleted containers. (Plastic bags are not effective long term oxygen barriers. Nearly all plastic sheeting lets oxygen seep through. In the trade, it is known as the “oxygen transfer rate”.)
Our products are sold in metalized packages. The oxygen transfer rate is very low in metal based containers, less that 1/400th of the best plastic bags.
Shelf Life: How Long Does Food Really Last
As you might expect, there is a wide range of published shelf lives. Because foods deteriorate over time, rather than becoming unsafe, they lose quality and nutritional value. But since it is a gradual process, what is acceptable to your neighbor may not be acceptable to you. Since shelf life is partly a matter of judgment and preference, even scientists differ in their evaluations. When in doubt, rely on governmental sources.
We encourage our customers to rotate products by using them before they get old. In so doing, the best in quality and nutrition is captured. We suggest that all dried products and most canned products be stored in a cool environment and used in two years or less. We recommend that products containing nuts and whole wheat be used in one year and all other products be used in two years. Those products with nuts and whole wheat are so noted on both the product packages and our literature. We package nuts separately so that you can check them for staleness before using. Products can be used beyond the recommended periods but performance and nutrition may be reduced.
Bread: The Staff of Life
Americans (and many other cultures) serve bread with nearly every meal. Meals don’t seem complete without some form of bread. No wonder it’s called the “staff of life”. We believe that bread is a key consideration in any food storage program.
How do you store bread? Some rely on wheat as their source of bread in the event of an emergency. If you are into grinding wheat and baking bread regularly—bravo! The rest of us need a better answer. We don’t have time to grind wheat and bake bread, or we haven’t acquired those skills, or our families don’t like the heavy, dense bread that usually comes from ground wheat. We need a better answer.
If the bread that we eat is going to be a key component of our food storage program, then making bread should be quick and convenient. With our “E-Z Bake” breads, we’ve addressed that requirement. A loaf can be mixed in minutes—much faster than running to the store. There is no kneading, no tedious punching down, and no shaping of loaves. “Mix and pour convenience” has been our goal. We believe that we have achieved that convenience in a remarkable way.
Stored foods often are boring or dry. Boring foods don’t work well in a food storage program because they don’t get used and eventually become stale. Our mission is to provide food that you will use and enjoy. In an emergency, we want to lift your spirits. Instead of meals from food storage being a burden, we want them to be enjoyable and comforting. That’s why we provide products that are exciting and different, that will add interest and variety to your meals, everyday—not just in an emergency.
Why Grocery Store Foods Don’t Store Well
Most grocery foods are not packaged for long-term storage. Instead, they are packaged inexpensively, suitable for consumption within a few weeks. Plastic and paper containers do not provide adequate oxygen barriers. Unless you are willing to repackage the food you buy at the grocery store, using metal containers or bags, do not consider grocery store products suitable for long-term storage and family preparedness.
FREE! Baking Bread without an Oven: An emergency and Outdoor Bread Manual
What would you do if the power went out? Could you feed your family? Could you save the food in your refrigerator or freezer?
Whether you’re an outdoors person who would like to bake bread in the woods, would like to bake bread on your grill, or just want to be prepared don’t be without this manual.
You’ll get — complete recipes and techniques....
* Emergency Bread
* Making Bread Outdoors
* Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven
o Yeast Breads
o Biscuits
* Baking Bread on the Grill
* Steamed Bread at Home or Camping
* Fried Bread
o Flatbread
o Sopapillas
o Pancakes: Not Just for Breakfast
* Food Safety: Living without Refrigeration
* What to Do When the Power Goes Out
* Campfire Cooking Tips
This manual will be sent to you via email. Save it on your hard drive; print it out and share it with family and friends. This 21-page manual is yours to keep. You will also receive a free subscription to our informative newsletter with “How to Bake” information and tested recipes. (You can unsubscribe at any time with a simple click.)
The free manual is yours to keep...and we will never, ever share your email address. Just go to www.preparedpantry.com and click on “Free” on the upper right hand side of the screen to find out how to receive this manual immediately via email.
You don’t need to give us your address or even a last name.
http://www.preparedpantry.com/emergencybreadinfopage.htm
You must see the photos of this storage on the wall system, a handy person should be able to make it, it is neat:
http://www.pharaohsstorehouse.com/on_wall.asp
Refrigerator Bran Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups all-bran cereal such as All Bran or Bran Buds
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup very hot water
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup stone ground wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1. In a medium bowl, add the cereal and raisins and then the very hot water. Stir in the melted butter. Set it aside to soak.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and stir in the buttermilk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flours, salt, and baking soda together until well combined.
4. Make a crater in the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg mixture and the cereal mixture and then stir with a spatula until combined.
5. If you choose to make muffins now, fill well-greased tins two-thirds full. Refrigerate the remaining batter in a covered container in the refrigerator.
6. Bake the muffins for 14 to 18 minutes or until they test done. Let them sit in the tins for several minutes and then remove them to wire racks to cool. Freeze any leftovers.
This is a great recipe to use in your RV. Simply mix the muffins in the kitchen at home and pack the batter in the RV. You can bake up as many muffins as you need anytime that you need them.
Hints and Tips for Better Cornbread
Cornbread has been nominated the official American Bread and why not? It’s original to the Americas. (Corn originated in the New World.) And Americans certainly have a love affair with cornbread with regions adopting favorite types and a world of variations. Whatever your preference, the following tips and techniques will help you build better cornbread.
• Always check your cornmeal for rancidity before baking. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty; good cornmeal will have a sweeter smell.
• When mixing batter for cornbread or muffins, put away your electric mixer. Mixing by hand helps eliminate over mixing. It is desirable to have a few lumps in the batter. They will hydrate during baking and the lumps will help give a craggy appearance to your breads.
• Once moistened, work quickly with the batter. The moisture will activate the leaveners in the batter.
• Cornbread does not keep well. It is best used on the day baked. Store leftovers wrapped in plastic and then aluminum foil and placed in the refrigerator. Cornbread can be frozen for six weeks.
• Use old-process cornmeal instead of degerminated cornmeal when available. Cornmeal with the germ should be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months. If you have more old-process cornmeal than you will use in six months, freeze part of it. It will keep in the freezer for over a year.
• If you are making cornmeal for stuffing, it can be baked up to three days ahead. Crumble it and keep it an airtight bag. Consider adding sage to cornbread batter.
• Consider substituting whole wheat flour for white flour. With the grainy nature of cornmeal, your kids won’t even know that you slipped whole wheat in on them.
• Consider sugar a variable. A sweeter cornmeal will have 1/4 cup sugar or more for every one cup of flour and one cup of cornmeal. Many southern style cornbreads have little or no sugar.
• When making corn muffins (or any muffins), partially fill any empty tins with water. The moisture will improve the muffins, the tins will heat more evenly, and cleanup is easier.
• Many of us love crusty cornbread. A dark pan will make crustier cornbread than a light pan. For the crustiest cornbread, use a skillet.
• Typical recipes call for cornmeal and flour in a one-to-one ratio. Some skillet cornbreads omit the flour and use extra eggs. These cornbreads are not only very good, they are good for you and an option for those who are gluten intolerant. As an example, see our Texas Chili Corn Bread.
Texas Chili Corn Bread
This recipe was adapted from Baking in America by Greg Patent. (We recommend this book.) We use chiles instead of jalapenos, red bell pepper instead of pimentos, and garlic powder instead of clove garlic but feel free to experiment.
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped and diced
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped and diced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 4-oz can diced green chiles, drained (less if you prefer a less spicy bread)
1 cup corn kernels—fresh, frozen, or canned
11/2 cups grated cheese, cheddar or jack
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a ten-inch skillet and place it on the middle shelf in the oven.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs then stir in the rest of the ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.
3. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
4. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and immediately pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and return to the oven.
5. Let bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. The top will be a rich, golden brown. Let cool for ten minutes before unmolding.
http://www.preparedpantry.com/articleindex.htm
Steamed Bread: At Home, at Camp, or in an Emergency
Steamed breads are so versatile. We love the outdoors and are always looking for interesting and different foods that we can cook while camping and steamed breads can be cooked as you lounge around the campfire. They make wonderful treats at home. And they make great emergency fare since you don’t need an oven or even a range to cook these breads.
We put the following recipe together for a trip into the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming with a group of varsity scouts. We started it cooking next to the morning fire and by the time breakfast was over and the dishes were done, the bread was ready. It was a little rich for morning food—more like a cake than a bread—but these backpackers didn’t seem to mind and it certainly turned out good enough to be a treat at home.
Apricot-Date Nut Bread with Caramel Sauce
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup apricot nectar
2 cups chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped Brazil nuts
Caramel Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup dry milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. (If you are taking this camping, combine these ingredients in a plastic bag before leaving.)
Stir in the juice until just combined. (An individual serving-sized can of apricot nectar is just about the right size.) Stir in the dates and nuts. (If you prefer, you can substitute raisins, dried apricots, or cranberries for the dates. Of course, you can use your favorite nuts.)
Pack the dough into a well-greased large can or other cooking container. Cover the top with heavy foil and tie it securely with string.
Place the can on a rack in a large pan or kettle. (At camp, a few clean pebbles work as well as a rack.) Fill the pan with water and set it to simmer. Let the pan simmer for two hours, adding water as necessary. When done, invert the bread onto a plate and slice to serve.
For the caramel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar and cornstarch and stir. Then stir the water and dry milk together and add to the pan. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly, about five minutes at low heat. Add the vanilla. Serve hot or cold over the nut bread. (For camping, put the dry ingredients in a plastic bag adding the vanilla to the brown sugar. Melt the butter, add the dry ingredients and then the water.)
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How to Make Easy Sourdough Bread
Sourdough simply uses wild yeast in place of commercial yeast to leaven the bread. It relies on the wild yeasts that are in the air all around us and cultures those yeasts in a warm, wet environment created with water, flour, and sometimes other components.
When creating a sourdough starter, we always felt like we were on an expedition trying to trap invisible yeastie beasties with our flour and water concoctions. Because we couldn’t see the beasties, we were never sure what we had captured. While usually successful, we never felt like we were in control. Maybe that is the way sourdough bread should feel, a symbiosis with nature.
But there is an easier way: use commercial yeast in the starter. I know, that’s heresy to the sourdough bread zealot but we only care about the bread. Using commercial yeast is easier, it’s the alcohol from the long cool fermentation that creates the sourdough-like flavor, and the wild yeasts will eventually take over the starter anyway. Because it’s easy, it’s no big deal if you abandon your starter after a few weeks; you can readily start another when you’re back in the mood or have the time.
Using this recipe for sourdough bread, a small amount of yeast is used in the starter. As the starter is used and refreshed with new feedings of flour and water, wild yeasts are introduced and cultivated.
Here is the recipe:
For the starter:
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup high gluten unbleached flour.
Mix the starter in a glass or steel bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside at room temperature until it is doubled and bubbly, maybe 4 to 6 hours.
For the sponge:
A sponge is a pre-ferment, a wet mixture of flour and yeast that acts as an incubation chamber to grow yeast at the desired rate. It is added to the dough.
1 cup of the starter
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups flour
Mix the one cup starter with the flour and water, cover, and set aside to ferment until it has tripled in volume. At room temperature, it will take four to eight hours. You can put it in a cool place—about fifty degrees—and let it perk all night. (In the winter, your garage may be just right.) You can also put it in the refrigerator overnight. At temperatures of forty degrees, the yeast will be inactive but the friendly bacteria will still be working and enhance the sour flavor of the bread. If you retard the growth with lower temperatures (“retard” is the correct term for slowing the growth of the yeast), simply bring the sponge to room temperature and let it expand to three times its original volume before proceeding.
For the dough:
All of the sponge
11/2 cups flour (more or less)
2 teaspoons salt
Mix the salt with the flour. Knead the combination into the sponge by hand until you have a smooth, elastic, slightly sticky dough, adding more flour as needed. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise again until doubled, about an hour.
Bakers note: Notice that the salt is not added until the last stage. Salt in the sponge would inhibit yeast growth.
Form the loaves:
Though you can make this bread in pans, it works best as a large freestanding round or oval loaf or two smaller loaves. Place a clean cotton cloth in a bowl or basket in which to hold the loaf. Lightly dust the interior of the bowl with flour. Place each formed loaf upside down in a bowl on top of the dusted flour. Cover the loaves with plastic and let them rise again until doubled. This rising will probably take less than an hour.
Bakers note: You want a light dusting of flour on the cloth to be transferred to the bread, not a heavy caking. Softly sifting flour from a strainer is the easiest way to achieve an even coating. A stainless steel strainer is available in The Student Commissary.
If you choose to bake the bread in pans, omit this step. Instead, let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic until doubled. Form the loaves for pans, place the loaves in greased pans, and let rise until well-expanded and puffy. Bake at 350 degrees until done, about 30 minutes.
To bake crusty bread:
To form the thick, chewy crust that is typical of artisan breads, follow these instructions: Place a large, shallow, metal pan in the oven on the lowest shelf. You will pour hot water in this pan to create steam in the oven. (High heat is hard on pans so don’t use one of your better pans and don’t use a glass or ceramic pan which might shatter.) An old sheet pan is ideal. Fill a spray bottle with water. You will use this to spray water into the oven to create even more steam.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the oven is hot and the bread is fully risen and is soft and puffy—being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam and with a mitted hand—turn your head away and pour two or three cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. With spray bottle in hand, open the door and quickly spray the oven walls to create more steam and close the door. The oven is now ready for the loaves.
Work quickly to get the bread in the oven before the steam subsides. Gently invert the loaf or loaves onto a slightly greased non-insulated baking sheet on which a little cornmeal has been dusted. With your sharpest knife, quickly make two or three slashes 1/4-inch deep across the top of each loaf. This will vent the steam in the bread and allow the bread to expand properly. Immediately, put the bread in the steamy oven. After a few moments, open the door and spray the walls again to recharge the steam. Do this twice more during the first fifteen minutes of baking. This steamy environment will create the chewy crust prized in artisan breads.
Let the bread bake at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes in the hot steamy oven then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for a total of 35 to 40 minutes. Check on the bread ten minutes before the baking should be complete. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking to keep it from burning. The bread is done when the crust turns a dark golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees. It is important that the bread is well-baked to drive moisture from the loaf. If the bread is under baked, the excess moisture will migrate to the crust and you will no longer have the dry chewy crust of a great artisan loaf.
This sourdough bread is to die for. The prolonged rising gives the yeast plenty of time to convert the starch to sugars and the friendly bacteria a chance to impart their nut-like flavors.
Storing your crusty bread:
Unused crusty bread should be stored in a paper bag at room temperature. If the bread is stored in a plastic bag, the crust will become soft.
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Indian Flatbread
This makes a quick side dish to feed the kids, a bread that you can make without an oven, and a great trail bread. You can double or triple the recipe depending on how big your tribe is.
4 cups bread flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dry milk solids
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
Enough vegetable oil to fill the frying pan to 1/2-inch deep.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Form a depression in the dry ingredients and slowly pour half the water in. Mix and add the remaining water as needed to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead the dough lightly. Cut pieces from the dough and form them into round discs about 1/4-inch thick.
Heat the oil until hot. When the oil is hot enough, a small piece of the dough placed in the oil should brown quickly but not burn. Slip the dough pieces into the hot oil, fry them until brown on one side, and turn. When done, remove them to paper towels. Serve them hot as a bread or with syrup or honey as a side dish.
http://www.preparedpantry.com/Emergencybread.html
Helpful Baking Tips
Emergency Bread
What if you had all the fixin’s to make bread but no oven? In the event of a natural disaster, that could be the case. Don’t despair—there are lots of ways to make delicious bread without an oven.
Fry it. Those indulgent raised, glazed donuts are fried. You can do the same with any dough. Serve them hot with a little butter and syrup or honey and you will have a treat that the kids will clamor for. Simply mix the bread as instructed and let the dough rise. Instead of forming loaves, roll or pat the dough on a counter until it is about ½-inch thick. Slice the dough into wedges, separate the pieces, and let them rise again until twice as thick. Heat a pan of oil until hot and slip the dough pieces two or three at a time into the hot oil. When one side is browned, turn the dough over. If the oil is hot enough, the dough should absorb little oil. When done, drain the fried bread on paper towels. Pictured above is Old-Fashioned White Bread fried in five-inch wedges then slathered in butter and served with apricot preserves.
Boil it. Bagels are boiled. Actually, they are boiled and then baked. You can form your dough into a bagel shape, let it rise, and then gently slip it into a large pan of rapidly boiling water. Once the bread is firm, remove it with a slotted spoon, let dry, and then fry each side in a lightly greased skillet to create a crust and finish the cooking. The advantage in this technique is that you can use much less oil (and less fat in your diet) than deep frying.
Bake it. That’s right—even without an oven you can bake bread. It’s easy to do on most outdoor grills. (Be prepared. Always have extra propane or charcoal on hand but never use an outdoor grill indoors.) Baking requires heat from both above and below. If your grill doesn’t have a cover, use a bucket or tub to capture the heat and direct it down onto the bread. (You want as much heat coming from above as below.) If the bread is too close to the heat—as it likely is—stick something under the bread pan to raise it—a couple empty tuna cans, an old brick—almost anything will work as long as it doesn’t insulate the bread from the heat.
You can use a Dutch oven to bake bread. Line the Dutch oven with aluminum foil and place the dough on the foil or lay the bread pan in the Dutch oven. Stack hot coals on the lid. You can bake bread over an open fire with two pans. Two pie tins will work for biscuits. To form a makeshift oven, put a large heavy pan on warm coals, a lid or baking sheet over the top, and stack on hot coals. Remember, you are trying to get as much heat from above as below. (The tendency is to have too much heat at the bottom.)
A good place to practice these techniques is on your next camping trip. You can become a real pro at making unconventional bread while enjoying the treat of fresh bread while camping. We guarantee that fresh bread over an open fire will make you the envy of the campground. With a little imagination, you can bake almost any bread without an oven. If you want to try frying bread, Old-Fashioned White Bread and Old-Fashioned Honey Wheat Bread are nearly foolproof. We hope disaster never strikes but it’s nice to know that those bread mixes in the pantry can be used in an emergency.
This is very similar to a yeasted fry bread. It uses baking powder for leavening instead of yeast. It is best served hot and we think with syrup or jam.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Add the milk and stir with a fork until combined. You will probably need to remove the dough to the counter and knead the ingredients together to get a smooth dough.
2. Form patties three to four inches in diameter and 3/8-inches thick.
3. Fill a frying pan with vegetable oil to about 3/4-inches deep. Heat the oil to medium-high. Cook the patties until golden brown, turning once.
Baker’s note: If your temperature is too high, the bread will not be cooked clear through before the outer surface burns.
Post 2113 is:
Portuguese Fry Bread
Homemade Chapatti (or Chapati) Recipe
If you can make pancakes, you can make this chapatti. There are only six ingredients and the process is simple. Serve them hot with butter, honey, jam, or cinnamon and sugar or plain as a complement to a main dish.
Ingredients
1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat a griddle or frying pan until it’s very hot. We used an electric griddle set on 400 degrees. Do not grease the griddle.
1. Mix the flours, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand-type mixer.
2. Add the water and oil. Mix with a dough hook for six to eight minutes or until the gluten is formed. You may need to add a bit more flour or a dribble of water to get the consistency of bread dough.
3. Divide the dough ball into ten or twelve pieces. Roll one into a thin disc as if you were making a tortilla. Place it on the hot griddle. After a minute, turn it over then remove it to a hot plate. Continue with the other pieces.
4. As the breads come off the griddle, microwave them for ten to fifteen seconds.
Serve hot.
Baker’s notes: If the griddle is hot enough, you should have browned spots on the bread. Do not overcook the breads. Overcooked breads will be crisp and dry instead of soft and chewy. The moisture in the bread creates the steam that puffs the bread.
While we could never get enough steam to make the breads as puffy as those in a restaurant, these were still good.
http://www.preparedpantry.com/ChapattiPrintable.htm
Easy Italian Zeppole
These donut-like Italian pastries are very good. They are made with a cream cheese- and egg-rich batter but are really simple to make.
The kids will go nuts over these.
Ingredients
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
powdered sugar
Directions
1. Place the cream cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk the two eggs together in a cup. Stirring often, heat the cream cheese until it melts. Add the eggs and blend in. Add the vanilla.
2. Mix the flour, salt, and granulated sugar together in a bowl. Add these dry ingredients to the pan with the cream cheese mixture. Stir until smooth.
3. Heat vegetable oil to medium high. Drop the batter into the hot oil by tablespoons, three or four at a time. Cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
4. Roll the pastries in the powdered sugar or dust with powdered sugar. Serve while still warm.
The Versatile Santa Fe Sopaipillas
We like the versatility of sopaipillas. They are great at home as an accompaniment for meals, a vehicle for our favorite Mexican foods, or dipped in cinnamon and sugar and served as a snack for the kids. But they also work as camping food. They can be made ahead of time as a mix and they work as great, fresh bread on a backpacking trip. And keep them in mind for emergency bread—they can be cooked over any heat when the power goes out. Best of all, they are quick and easy.
(We’re always interested in bread that can be cooked in the event of emergency. See an earlier article titled, “Emergency Bread”.)
Santa Fe Sopaipillas
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup dry milk
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup cool water
Optional cinnamon-sugar coating:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening. At this point, you have a mix. Store the mix for no longer than thirty days in the pantry, six months in the refrigerator, or two years in the freezer.
2. To make the mix, place the ingredients in a medium bowl. Form a depression in the middle and pour in the water.
3. Cut the water into the mix. The dough will be crumbly and dry. Remove to a clean surface and knead for two minutes. You will have a stiff dough.
4. Form the dough into balls the size of golf balls. Smash the balls flat with the heel of your hand until they are no more than 1/4-inch thick.
5. Heat cooking oil in a heavy fry pan or Dutch oven. The oil should be 3/8-inch deep and hot enough that there is a slight sizzle when the dough is placed in the oil.
6. Fry each side until brown. Dip in cinnamon and sugar if desired.
This recipe will make about a dozen three-inch sopaipillas.
Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red-Pepper Tart
Crust:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cooking spray
Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups vertically sliced onion
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
3 large red bell peppers
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Thyme sprigs (optional)
To prepare crust, dissolve yeast and honey in warm
water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and
level with a knife. Stir 1 cup bread flour and 1
tablespoon oil into yeast mixture. Cover and let rise
in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours
or until bubbly. Stir in 1/2 cup bread flour, whole
wheat flour, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until
smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); dough will feel
tacky. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking
spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a
warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 1 hour or
until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the
dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen
enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 10
minutes.
To prepare the topping, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a
12-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray
over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 5
minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt,
thyme sprigs, garlic, and bay leaves; cook for 15
minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring
frequently. Remove from heat. Discard thyme sprigs and
bay leaves.
Prepare broiler.
While onion is cooking, cut bell peppers in half
lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place the
pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking
sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 15 minutes or
until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, and
seal. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel and coarsely
chop.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Roll the dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Place the
dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Top
with the onion mixture and the chopped bell pepper.
Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 425°
for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Cool slightly. Sprinkle with chopped thyme. Cut into 8
squares, and cut each square in half diagonally.
Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
Yield 8 servings
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 192(20% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 0.6g,mono
2.6g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 5.6g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg;
CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 581mg; FIBER 4.1g; IRON 2mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 34.3g
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2001
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fruits-n-Veggies-recipes/
Garden Minestrone
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped yellow squash
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
4 cups chopped tomato, divided
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth,
divided
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short
tube-shaped macaroni)
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and
drained
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add
onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add
oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash,
zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until
vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender;
process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan;
return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and
remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until
pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from
heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese.
Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 2
tablespoons cheese)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 217(25% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 2.7g,mono
2g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 12.6g; CHOLESTEROL 12mg;
CALCIUM 206mg; SODIUM 812mg; FIBER 7.9g; IRON 2.7mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 30.5g
Kathryn Conrad , Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2005
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/recipes_for_health/
Herb Cheese Quick Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup beer
2 large eggs, beaten
Grease 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and dust with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 350
degrees.
Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cayenne, sage,
rosemary, garlic and cheese together.
In separate bowl, combine olive oil, milk, beer and eggs. Add to dry
ingredients and stir with wooden spoon just until moistened. Transfer to
prepared pan, smoothing top. Decorate with additional herbs, as
desired.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes. While still warm, brush with olive oil and dust
with cayenne pepper and salt. Makes 1 loaf.
Source: For Susan Nekich of Milwaukee, this bread won first place and
$150 worth of Clabber Girl collectibles in the Clabber Girl Quick Bread
Contest. Published in the Milwaukee Journal Newspaper August 8, 2001
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