#sourdough shrimp chives bun

[la-quarantine-bakery]

Corn and coconuts: week of 3/1/21

A prolific week despite business at work. Cornmeal and coconut flour experimentation galore. Successfully avoiding the usage of butter. Figured out that the key to not using eggs for coconut flour is Greek yogurt. Participating in King Arthur’s baking contest.

Sourdough mung bean paste braided bread

Grade: A-

Made this for the #extraordinarybread contest. Conversion to sourdough isn’t perfect and affected the rise, just like the condensed milk bread rolls. I thought I was using coconut filling, but I actually ended up using (unsweetened) mung bean paste that I squeezed some honey onto last minute.

The braiding was a mess too because the braids were too short for the center section. On the bright side, the taste of the bread was nice: a bit gummy because the rise wasn’t great (next time I’ll add a bit of yeast for my crazy conversions) but a subtly sweet flavor.

Recipe: braided lemon bread from King Arthur Baking Company

Modification: sourdough starter instead of sponge (had to adjust hydration); coconut oil instead of butter

Sourdough healthy cornbread

Grade: B+

Made this to use up some sourdough starter. Messed up proportions and added flour even though Puffy should’ve taken care of it. Tasted fine though, undertone of Puffy, but not overpowering.

Recipe: the ultimate healthy cornbread from Amy’s Healthy Baking

Sourdough shrimp chives buns

Grade: B+

I bought frozen shrimps so I wanted some chives as I like the flavor combination. Tasted okay, but the dough wasn’t good - too wet and not extensible. Almost all the buns broke open despite my attempts to seal, and my wonton wrappers that I used for the leftover filling were ripping all over the place. Kind of looks like a cute savory tart.

Chocolate coconut raspberry quickbread

Grade: B+

Used up the last of coconut flour and the freeze-dried raspberries with this recipe. The batter turned a bit lumpy so the resulting cakes aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, but wow, they tasted amazing after some chilling in the refrigerator.

I kind of wish I experimented more with coconut flour, because I think there is much potential. Maybe I’ll actually buy it again. 

Recipe: chocolate coconut quick bread from King Arthur Baking Company

Modification: 300g of Greek yogurt + applesauce in place of eggs for a 3/4 recipe

Spider cake

Grade: B

I find the idea of a custard cornbread without heavy cream to be fascinating. Way too liquidy thanks to imperfect buttermilk powder conversion and too much buttermilk powder that burned but surprisingly baked up into nice cornbread with custard. Might try this again with kefir.

Recipe: spider cake from Serious Eats

Coconut flour vanilla cake

Grade: A-

Olive oil taste but otherwise the best tasting coconut flour cake I’ve made. Slight grittiness from the flour but a lovely taste with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Much better than the eggy coconut flour cake I made in the past and something I want to try again..

Recipe: fluffy coconut flour cake from Detoxinista

Modification: 1/3 cup Greek yogurt for 1 of the 2 eggs (half recipe)

Cornmeal Greek yogurt cookies

Grade: B+

Puffy and texture soft from the Greek yogurt but nice subtle sweetness. More adventures in me trying to use up (past best by date) cornmeal. I’m sure it will taste a lot nicer with butter.

Recipe: perfect cornmeal cookies from Sweetest Menu

Sourdough beef tallow cornmeal biscuits

Grade: A

One thing that I’m grateful to cornmeal for is that I discovered this recipe. The subtle corn taste just pairs so well with the biscuits. Maybe a bit more salt again (and I still end up burning the botoms) but so good. Smells like oxtail soup from the beef tallow. And Martin Philip actually responded to my story tag.

Recipe: cornmeal drop biscuits from Baking Bread by Martin Philip

Modification: beef tallow instead of butter; 50g sourdough starter in a half recipe; kefir instead of buttermilk

Flour Bakery banana bread

Grade: A-

A famous banana bread recipe. I didn’t have enough Puffy discard for a sourdough recipe so I thought, why not try this one? Used applesauce and reduced sugar per my usual, which might’ve made it less tasty. Also didn’t mash up the bananas too smoothly and left lumps. Burned it a bit while baking too I think. But it does taste nice and would be a nice base recipe for experimentation.

Recipe: Flour’s famous banana bread from Flour by Joanne Chang

Modification: applesauce for oil; 2 bananas instead of 1.75 for a half recipe; reduced sugar and Greek yogurt for sour cream; no add-ins

Mung bean paste black sesame peanut cookies

Grade: B+

Now that I found mung bean paste, I figured I’d try to use up to wrap up tang yuan filling as I’m too lazy to make the mochi wrappers. Then steamed them. Dough and filling tasted okay but not amazing together. I’m crazy for saying this but we need more sugar.

Coconut sugar shiroan

Grade: A-

Used coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar on a whim. I guess I won’t be able to make it matcha flavored but it does have a nice caramel undertone.

Recipe: white bean paste from Just One Cookbook

#sourdough healthy cornbread #chocolate coocnut raspberry quickbread #spider cake #coconut flour vanilla cake #cornmeal greek yogurt cookie #sourdough beef tallow cornmeal biscuit #sourdough mung bean paste braided bread #flour bakery banana bread #sourdough shrimp chives bun #coconut sugar shiroan #mung bean paste black sesame peanut cookie

[foodpilgrim]

Three Restaurants and a Preview of 2018

For the final post of 2017, I thought I'd share some dining highlights from the year ending, preview some of Food Pilgrim's destinations in the New Year, and explain a bit more about why I am doing this exercise.

The last first: When photographer and video producer Donna Campbell and I traveled North Carolina to create the guidebook series called Literary Trails of North Carolina for the state arts council (published by UNC Press), we also made a practice of trying to eat local dishes. No chains. Sometimes dining suggestions even made it into the narrative about literary destinations.

Ultimately, we had so much fun on our treasure hunt for NC writers' historic haunts and chasing down references to places that had appeared in their poems, stories, and novels, we didn't want to quit, even after we had put 150,000 miles on my truck and cris-crossed the state through three volumes--Mountains (2007), Piedmont (2010), and Eastern NC (2013). The series took nearly 10 years to produce.

Longing to explore some more, I cooked up the idea for The Month of Their Ripening: North Carolina Heritage Foods Through the Year, pitched the book to UNC Press, and soon we were back on the road, hunting down the backstories on twelve different ephemeral foods that matter to North Carolina's cultural history. We were learning about foods that come around only once a year and make us long for them in the offseason. The twelve chapters discuss such distinctive ingredients as ramps (April), soft-shell crabs (May), scuppernongs (September), persimmons (November), and oysters (December). The book comes out in September.

Meanwhile, I am now telling stories of other food products and their producers around the state and beyond through this blog. I hope that these installments might reveal something new to readers and provide ideas for new dishes, dining destinations, and cultural traditions to try on. What drives me is curiosity, a hunger for getting on the road, and hearing stories of people who are passionate about what they do, while reflecting on the very human practice of making the food that also helps make memories.

In 2018 I plan to introduce you to a long-running flour mill in Boonesville, NC, two more Ashe County destinations--a maple syrup farm and a cidery, a recipe for twice-roasted coffee and the fluffiest grits ever, which I learned from a restaurateur in, of all places, western New York. I still need to write about four  drinks that I sampled in Ecuador last summer, a place in Eastern North Carolina where you can go to make your own cutlery, plates, and bowls, and who knows what else.

I hope these story ideas pique your interest in continuing this journey with me. Meantime, here are three restaurant recommendations that you might want to put on your bucket list for 2018:

The bakery case at Blue Door Cafe.

B R U N C H Blue Door Café and Bakery, 1970 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

This find was pure lagniappe. On a regular summer business trip to western New York, we took a different route and landed in Ohio at brunch time. Because the Blue Door is both a café and bakery, all of the graceful pastries and associated breads are fresh from their ovens. The menu is decidedly European influenced with spaetzle, blintzes, crepes, and several kinds of custardy French toast. One involves apples and caramel; another is called bananas foster for the eponymous dessert and is made with sourdough, butter rum-soaked bananas, candied walnuts, chocolate, and more. Donna ordered crepes with fresh peaches. I cannot eat such heavy sweets for breakfast, but I loved reading about them on the menu. The Blue Door also values midwestern farm products such as Nueske's thick cut bacon from Wisconsin and Ohio maple syrup. Their high level corned beef hash is made from "Neiman Ranch, nitrate free corned beef, organic potatoes and onions, sweet cabbage and organic carrots -- all diced together, sauteed and served with local, cage free and free range eggs and a flaky croissant." I ordered the huevos rancheros for which the tortillas are also house made, featuring Chihuahua cheese, refried black beans, D'Artagnan Spanish chorizo, and a local Brunty Farms organic egg. This breakfast bowl also came with fresh guacamole, lime crema, fresh pineapple salsa, and a spicy, house made tomato and red chili sauce. We'll be taking that route again next summer.

Sugar dusted crepes with peaches and microgreens at the Blue Door.

L U N C H Tim Ho Wan, 85 4th Avenue, New York, NY 

A foolish consistency be damned. Here I broke my rule against chains, but the only other U.S. link besides this one in NYC has just opened in Hawaii. Tim Ho Wan launched its dim sum dynasty in Hong Kong and soon earned a Michelin star. The chic but austere décor in Manhattan hosts a feeding frenzy from 10 am to 10 pm weekdays and a bit later on weekends. Okay, so we didn't order the chicken feet, but we went early and ate and ate and drank hot jasmine tea and then Chinese beer as an antidote to the cold April bluster outside. It seemed like the real deal since we were soon followed by groups of students from nearby NYU and Cooper Union who huddled inside the door and outside on the street clutching table pagers and umbrellas that bumped and shuddered in the wind. The food came fast, and we kept ordering. My favorites were the deep fried eggplant with shrimp, the baked BBQ pork buns, and steamed dumplings with shrimp and chive. The pan fried turnip cake, however, did not remind me of past turnips I have known and loved.

Already deep into our dim sum, Donna Campbell helps decipher the delicacy of baked BBQ buns to a nearby diner at Tim Ho Wan in New York City.

D I N N E R Artisanal 1290 Dobbs Road Banner Elk, NC

Besides the manicured mountain setting, the outdoor tables set on a covered patio above a bold stream, and the daily menu that infuses the immediate locale and reaches east to harvest from the Atlantic Ocean, this seasonal restaurant is finally all about the best ingredients. Each element takes its moment on the palate, and the combinations are surprising and always aesthetically configured. Every plate is an abstract painting with intense colors that become flavor explosions. The portions may at first seem small but are right-sized by their intensity and mix of textures. Yes, Artisanal is very expensive, so this is a once-a-year destination for me, always with special friends. Among the deft combinations are cloudlike crab and pimiento cheese beignets served with pickled green tomato and a smear of bacon jam; rustic scallops with smoked tomato jam and local country ham; crispy tempura soft-shell crab with spiced cabbage, blood orange and creme fraiche; hickory smoked duck breast with sunchoke, kumquat, spinach pudding and caper; and most stellar among the sides--caramelized cauliflower with ramp pesto and parmesan. The operation is run by a Charlotte couple who have amassed an enormous wine cellar, convened a well-humored and unpretentious staff, and set a luxurious pace for meals that leave room for irresistible desserts based on fruit in season.

Happy New Year!

The Artisanal take on panna cotta with ripe, NC strawberries and creme fraiche.

#restaurants #food

[la-quarantine-bakery]

Adoughventures: week of 11/2/20

Sourdough red bean paste babka

Grade: B+

I had some red bean paste to use up and wanted to bake a healthier babka, i.e. no chocolates. This recipe came highly recommended on Reddit so I wanted to give it a try. It was pretty straightforward. Incorporating the butter by hand was harder than expected and I still had butter chunks in my dough this time, which probably affected the bake, so something to improve for next time. Otherwise the dough was satiny even if not quite smooth, very lovely and reminded me of brioche dough (as it should).

Underproved though, as evidenced by the giant splits in the finished bread. The inside was a bit gummy as a result, so I’m disappointed. This just means I’ll have to make this again!

Recipe: sourdough babka from the Perfect Loaf

Sourdough shrimp and chives buns

Grade: B+

I had dim sum a few weeks ago with friends and loved the shrimp and chives dumplings. So I bought some chives to make dumplings with pork, but it turned out that I bought shrimp after so even better. The filling was really fun to make and I think next time I could add some cornstarch or egg white to help everything gel more. As it was, the filling was delicious and I need to continue improving my skills at wrapping.

Sourdough maple oat sandwich bread

I wanted to make a sourdough with maple syrup for a while, and maple oat was a classic combination that I’d tried (not super successfully) in non-sourdough bread. I would’ve preferred a rustic bread but then again I could always improve my sandwich bread technique.

This dough was proved for two days in the fridge due to weekend plans. I tried to improve my loaf shaping but the end loaf was a bit flat and I sort of had to force into into the pan. I was able to wet the top and roll in oats to attach, so hopefully the oats wouldn’t fall everywhere post-baking.

The taste was good, not sweet despite the maple syrup, and moist thanks to the soaked oats in the dough. A good sandwich bread for sure.

Recipe: maple oat sourdough sandwich bread from Vanilla and Bean

#sourdough red bean paste babka #sourdough shrimp and chive bun #sourdough maple oat sandwich bread

[la-quarantine-bakery]

Quick bites: week of 11/2/20

Baked apple cider muffins

Grade: A-

I thought this was a good way to use up the apple cider leftover from sourdough apple honey challah and it was! I overboiled the cider a bit as I was trying to concentrate it, but it didn’t end up making a difference. It tasted lovely with the spices and next time I might add some sourdough starter to replace the baking powder, which I already reduced (hence the smaller domes).

Recipe: baked apple cider donuts from Pretty Simple Sweet

Red curry pepper shrimp

Grade: A

Should’ve taken a picture of this - it was really delicious! I had some peppers that Mom packed for me so initially I just stir fried with shrimp, and then I added red curry paste because why not, and steamed them in my covered pan until the liquid had all evaporated. The flavor was on point and the dish was so colorful with the different colored peppers.

Shrimp, chives, and eggs stir fry

Used up leftover fillings from the buns by stir frying with an egg. So good!

Salted egg yolk cookies

Grade: A-

I wanted to make these cookies for friends who bought me salted egg yolks for a while and I am glad that they turned out delicious. I could’ve done a better job of mashing the egg yolks and some of the cookies were a bit burned on the bottom. Even though I forgot the salt so the cookies veered a bit on the sweet side, they tasted yolky and salty and sweet. Next time I might try duck fat instead of butter.

Recipe: salted egg yolk cookies from What to Cook Today

Sourdough granola

Grade: A-

With discard building up again now that the heat is keeping my apartment quite warm, I am making another batch of granola, this time with sunflower seeds, almonds, and cranberries.

Recipe: homemade sourdough granola from 24hourkitchen

#baked apple cider muffin #red curry pepper shrimp #salted egg yolk cookie #sourdough granola #shrimp chive egg stir fry

[la-quarantine-bakery]

Adoughventures: week of 7/13/20

Calpico bread

I had this phase where I wanted to put all the interesting ingredients in bread. While searching up recipes for Calpico bread, I found a few that seemed interesting, so I bought a bottle of Calpico and then got distracted by other recipes.

I want to clear out my fridge so I decided to finally make the bread this week, using commercial yeast. The bread itself was straightforward, pretty easy to handle. And Calpico lent it a nice smell as I was kneading and shaping the dough.

Perhaps I didn’t put enough sugar, but the final product was just...okay. Okay texture, okay taste, nothing special. Good bread for toasting with butter and jam I guess, and perhaps would’ve been better if I’d gotten flavored Calpico instead.

Recipe: bread made with Calpis from Cookpad

Shape references:

Bow milk buns from seeyasia

How to make soft & chewy milk bread / rose flower buns / dinner rolls recipe from Josephine’s Recipes

Sourdough chives and egg buns

I really love this dough recipe because it’s such a nice way of using up my extra sourdough discard. This time, I had chives in the fridge, so I made eggs and chives fillings, with some dried shrimps because why not.

There’s improvement to be made in the fillings, as my current version isn’t flavorful enough. More shrimps to start, more sauce I think, and Mom said not to cook the chives and just cook the eggs, so I’m going to try that next time.

Recipe: sourdough discard dumplings from Du’s Dough

#calpico bread #sourdough chives and eggs buns