Herbed Bread: Fennel-Semolina Loaf

Italian Semolina Bread: Fennel VariationIngredients (Recipe and bread picture from Pat Taaffe)

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 2/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
3 cups durum flour
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds for top crust, approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons
Cornmeal for the pizza peel
Cornstarch wash

Process:

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the lukewarm water in a five quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the flours without kneading, using a spoon , a 14 cup food processor(wirh dough attachment) , or a heavy duty stand mixer (with dough hook).If you'te not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises
and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is esier to handle when it is cold.Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use within the next 14 days.


5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a one pound (grapefruit sized )piece.Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides to form an oval shaped free-form loaf.Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal -covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.

6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

7. Just before baking, paint the surface with a cornstarch wash, sprinkle with fennel seeds (look at the bottonm of this post for other suggestions) and slash the surface diagonally, using a serrated bread knife.

8. Slice the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour one cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the over door. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will need adjustments in baking times.


9. Allow to cool before eating.

Many ethnic specialties feature yeast breads quick breads using a variety of spices and herbs.Add the following ingredients per pound (3 to 4
cups flour) of yeast dough.1 tsp. sage, 2 tsp. caraway seed, and 1-1/2 tsp.
nutmeg;1 1/2 tbsp.sesame seeds 1-1/2 Tbsp. dill seed or 1-1/2 Tbsp. caraway seed and l/8-cup instant minced onion; orl/2-tsp. sage, l/2-tsp. thyme, and l/2-tsp.marjoram.
DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Chemistry and Cooking with Herbs

Aroma: The herb has volatile oils (rapidly
evaporating)contained in stems and leaves.

Flavor: The herb has chemical compounds
containing flavor chemicals such as
stevioside and capsalin.

We detect flavor though taste, smell, and
texture. Coolness, hotness, and
temperature are also important.

Taste: Types and Herbal examples

Taste buds last an average of 10 days!

Sweet: Stevia, Licorice, Sweet Cicely.

Salty: Sodium ions. Tomatoes.

Sour: Acid: French sorrel.

Bitter: Wormwood, Hops, Wild chicory, Dandelion greens,

Savory or “Umami”: Cheese, Soy sauce, MSG

Cooking With Herbs

Composition or Arrangement:
No chemical change due to temperature
or medium used. Garnishes, dressings.
and cheeses. Salsas, sauces, cocktails made with Lavender or Basil, wrapping with Sea Weed or Shiso. Pesto.

Emulsions , diffusions, infusions
Glazes for meat,
Bouquet garni. Using oils or fats to draw out essential oils/flavors. Teas. Oil and vinegar infusions, herbed butters


Chemical changes in the substances due to
heating, pickling or freezing: Frozen liquids.
From liquid, pickling or using brines that
cause absorption of flavors, change
in texture. Breads, baked goods.

Rosemary and Gray Sea Salt Roasted Potatoes

This dish us surprisingly easy to make and adds an elegant touch to any roast or grilled fish dish.

Ingredients:

2 lb. potatores, preferable small Russett ones

Gray sea salt (or, frankly, any other sea salt, flavors will vary)

2 tsp Rosemary (fresh), finely minced

Olive oil

(Mortar and Pestle)

(Roasting Pan)

Scrub potatoes throughly. Boil for ten minutes and remove with a slotted spoon from the pan.

Let cool until you can handle the potatoes (without burning your hands).

Using a mortar and pestle, pour the sea salt into the bottom.

Pour the rosemary onto the top of the salt and grind the rosemary and sea salt.

The salt will be infused with the rosemary.

Take olive oil and coat the roasting pan. You wiull be cutting the potatoes into wedges and rolling them in the oil in the pan.

After coating the potatoes with oil, sprinkle the salt and rosemary mixture a bit at a time over the potatoes.

Be sparing---you do not want a dish that is too salty.

Place in the oven , heated to 350 degrees and roast for at least 1/2 an hour, or until they are crispy.

French, English and Italian Tomato Sauces

Tomatoes from the End of Summer

If you followed either workshop in the summer, you can use your ice cubes of the two herbs in this easy Italian sauce.

Ingredients
2 cans of plum tomatoes, with sauce, chopped.
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
1 Onion. Bermuda, minced finely
cloves of garlic, peeled, minced
3 ice cubes of basil and oregano mix (or 1 tbsp of each herb, minced, if fresh; 1 tsp of each herb, if dried.)
1 tspn. Sugar

Preparation
1.Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven
2.Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, Add garlic, mix with onion, and cook until alliums are translucent (alliums=onion and garlic)
3.Add tomatoes, stir. Let simmer, not boil, covered, 1/2 hour.
4. Add sugar, then Basil-Oregano cubes, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
If you do not have cubes (it is the middle of the winter, for instance), use
1 tsp of each herb. If you want a more "herby" taste, increase the proportion to 1 1/2 tspn of each.
5.Serve over piping hot pasta.

A variant on this recipe that does change an Italian sauce into a French one:
- Add one tsp TARRAGON (dried, or 2 tsp (fresh) when you add the herbs.

Another variant from Jekka's cookbook, an English sauce:
- Saute the onions and garlic in BUTTER. Do not use oil.



DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Another recipe from the Flavor and Fun Workshop:

Herbs: Use with Caution