Iit is Baking and Pizza Day Again! we are still in Shelter in Place and it is the end of week 2. I was feeling very productive earlier in the week and then today I am moving in slow-motion and accomplishing the daily activities forget special projects isn't happening!
Writing about food is fun! So here I am. My Wednesday post for some reason saved in Feburary! It's called Food for the Heart and Soul-Comida 2/28/20, and you can scroll down or just go to archives or categories to find it. It is a recipe day. 

I'll be back this evening with pictures and also info about what I backed? Not sure now!

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...... the distance from home is shrinking to staying home because of the Spring 2020 viral out break, and I could use some continuous at home time to finish sorting my unfinished projects, years of print and digital photos and maybe some good old fashion creating and crafting time! Let me not forget refreshing my music repertoire. This blog is about recipes and cooking and today I attended a community nutrition meeting and I was blown away by all the new cooking groups that have popped up. There is nothing like involving all the senses, I think computer recipes and classes leave a lot to be desired. The human race has never had so much variety with so little individual labor, and as we are noting, our waistlines have never been wider as well. 
I am proposing slow cooking vs fast cooking although maybe not, I may prefer to work in the garden or lose myself in a good book. I opened all my rice containers in the pantry and picked out Red Rice from Northeastern Thailand. Raw, it is a beautiful maroon red color almost like used bricks and cooked it is a rich auburn brown. The nutrition facts label indicates 5 g of Dietary Fiber, no sugars, 34 g Carbohydrate (CHO) and 4 g protein. I am pairing it today with yams, green onions and bell pepper strips with yogurt on the side. This profile may not fit everyone's CHO distribution. Although, during times of stress and emergencies we do crave and eat more CHO therefore these two choices low in fat, high in vitamins and minerals maybe the ingredients of choice. 
 
The power is not expected to be out unless we all start baking bread day and night and have a brown out or an earthquake. A quick rule of thumb is 4-5 oz of produce x (times) 5 portions x 5days then X the individuals in the house. I do plan to go and get produce weekly, why I did not use 7 because sometimes I chose to eat out or I get carried away shopping. For one person this calculates to 6-8 pounds (#) reminder if you eat most of your vegetables as greens you will not need as much weight. I do appreciate the value- added lettuce and greens we can purchase.  I always have on hand, 1-5# of potatoes (various kinds especially sweet & yams), 1-2 # broccoli, 1-4 # carrots, 8 oz -1 #mushrooms, and various kinds of onions at least 1-3#. The freezer always has peas and roasted corn kernels.  My base is approximately 5.5-14#. If I don't eat it all before it starts looking a bit tired or I get more, SOUP STOCK! In our household sodium is the first criteria when buying foods and the reason 99% of all our stocks ae made ahead and frozen in 8 oz, 16 oz and 32 oz portions. 

Let’s get started!
Step one, make a list of all the food you have in the house; then categorize it as food groups, Proteins, Fruits/Vegetables, etc. then combine them into meals you generally make. Then there will be a pile that needs some ingredients added to round out using up your stores. I use an inventory practice from food service and date my canned, boxed, frozen, and dry ingredients….so I can be realistic with myself and not have heirlooms in my pantry or freezer. Remember in the United States we waste more than 50% of the foods we buy because we don’t use it before it expires, or we cook too much and toss the leftovers. As a two person household, my secret is using pans that can only make 3-4 portions. I break this rule for soups and beans.
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This has gone very long, I hope you don’t get “cabin fever” and thanks for reading my thread, I hope this will keep me connected to you and others. 

Todays Recipe
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
 1lb. dried red beans soaked
3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 hot chile peppers diced
4 cups of water, approximately
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 smoked turkey wing
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
 
Rinse the beans, cover with cold water and soak overnight.  Rinse again and set aside.  Chop the fresh thyme or crumble the dried thyme.  In a large heavy pot heat oil and add the onion, garlic, pepper, and thyme.  Sauté over low heat for 4 or 5 minutes.  Add the water, black pepper, bay leaf, and turkey wing.  I like to chop the turkey wing into several pieces before adding to the pot.  Reduce the heat, cover, and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.  Add the soaked beans to the pot and bring to a boil again.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to very low and simmer for about 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and if beans become dry add some more water.  When the beans are tender, remove a cup or so from the pot and mash with a fork.  Stir the mashed beans back into the pot.  Simmer for another 15 minutes.  Serve over hot white rice.  Serves 8.
 
Family Wedding Recipe collection--This is a favorite of the bride’s father who picked up this recipe while traveling in New Orleans.  

March is a month of fun, birthdays, and also sad memories. Especially this week among all the Birthday Celebrations friends are saying good bye to a very special peron on the same day my Mom left this earth. For Mom and all our loved ones that have preceded us. Thank you for all you taught us and the honor of being your legacy. 

I am not sure if you all have noticed my business motto is food for the heart and soul. We need to feed our soul which in my book includes making room for cultural foods, memory foods such as the cookies and cakes I mentioned in Feburary, and of course those cravings that we get from time to time. Feeding my soul and my husband's generally includes the smell of homemade yeast breads and soups or stews, it takes all day and the smells hang in the house all night. The best part is we have food to eat for weeks.  I will share that I don't freeze my soups and stews. What I do freeze is the broth, and roasted meats so putting a quick soup together is easy. I don't like my potatos frozen unless produced commercially and those potatoes don't work in soup. If your soup repetiore is short, I'd like to suggest Better Homes and Gardens Specal Interest Publications. I have one on Soups and Stews from 2015, which I have never made a recipe from but do gather inspiration and a little motivation. I don't use a recipe for soup so they vary. Do be careful not to add so many ingredients that you broth gets cloudy and pasty unless it is a stew or creamed soup. 5-7 increadents tops so the flavors come through. Plus, I have to say it here! Really bone broth, who ever made broth without bones?? My grandmother Esther used to think some of the food discussions folks had were really dumb and I would agree with her here. I will stand corrected if anyone has another opinion. 

This posts recipe is my basic bread.... Bread needs to rest and rise, don't speed through it

BASIC BREAD WITH VARIATIONS 
 
2 Tbsp double acting yeast
6 cups bread flour
4 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
 
Tips and Directions:
This white bread is the morphing of Alice Bretag, my mother-in-law’s recipe and years of playing with bulk ingredients.  Although I do use a dough hook on a heavy-duty mixer, the recipe can be made by hand.  The esthetics of smelling the yeast proofing and adding that last little bit of flour to get just the right feel is what homemade bread is all about.  A must have tool is a thermometer. If the first step is right success is yours!
 
Steps:
*Proof 2 tablespoons of double acting yeast in 2 cups of water
 
With a paddle on the mixer add 2.5 cups of flour and beat until smooth approximately 2 minutes.  This step will help develop the gluten to hold the breads shape. 
 
Then add the salt and oil; continue to stir until they are well mixed.  The Salt adds flavor and helps the crust to brown and develop its smooth surface. 
 
Attach the dough hook and add another 2.5 cups of flour.  Add the last cup slowly until the dough is not sticky.  The amount of flour will vary depending on the humidity in the room and the age of the flour.  Remember that flour absorbs moisture while the container is open.  I like to add the last bit of flour by hand on a floured counter or board. 
 
Shape into a ball and allow to rise.  I use a large plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid.  I oil the bowl and then roll the ball so that both the top and bottom are oiled lightly.  It rises quickly.  Generally takes 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the room.  You know it is ready when you insert your finger and the indent does not spring back. 
 
Divide the dough into 2 loaves or 20-24 rolls.  To get a nice smooth crust roll dough into itself.  Let rise for approximately 20-30 minutes until double in size.  My favorite pans are well seasoned stone
 
Bake loaves for 30-40 minutes and rolls for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven.  Cool on a wire rack, and then wrap in plastic to preserve moisture.  Eat soon.  Adding dry milk solids can extend freshness a little longer.
 
VARIATIONS:
The proportions above will guide you through a huge variety of flavors and textures.  Here are some general tips.
 
Liquid:
Use the whey left over from making yogurt cheese.  This adds a tart taste to your loaf plus increasing the protein in the loaf
 
Use ¼ cup water to proof and use buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt for the rest of the liquid.  You add this liquid right after proofing.  If using regular milk it must be scalded (brought up to a boil) and then cooled completely. 
 
Oil or other fat:
One can actually leave this out.  It will make a very dry loaf unless you are using yogurt or buttermilk.  Recently I have experimented with nut oils and cold pressed corn oil.  Let you imagination be your lead.  When I seek a buttery flavor I may combine real butter and olive oil.
 
Flour:
When adding whole grain flours use them during the kneading process.  The whole grain can cut the gluten threads when they are forming and give you a denser loaf.  Below are some of my proportions
 
Honey Cracked Wheat Bread:
Use ¼ cup honey when adding the oil and salt; 3 cups bread flour, 1.5 cups of Whole Wheat Flour, ½ cup cracked wheat berries.  If it is too crunchy for your taste soak the cracked wheat for 10 minutes in ¼ cup of boiling water.  You may need just a little more bread flour at the end. 
 
Spelt Bread:
This flour is really nutty tasting and a light color of grain.  Use 3 cups of Bread flour then for the kneading step 2-3 cups of ground Spelt.  Use a light oil and go light on sugar.
 
Sesame and Pumpkin Seed Bread:

As I sit down to write, an interesting conversation from this month comes to mind.  I requested food log and the questsion back to me, was which foods should I record?" I was rather taken aback, of coursee the answer is everything including watere that passes your lips and you swallow. Magical thinking is strong in our food culture and the myth that some foods count and others don't continues to surprise me. Everything provides something and I like looking at the patterens in food intakes. There are days that the macro nutrieint porportions continued over a lifetime will lead to chronic diseases. If the average in a week is close to the American Heart Associations recommendations, good job!

This year the media has been focused on the Coronavirus and I have included a link to CDC  reference. Remember healthy people have strong immune systems because they eat right, sleep and keep active. We surcumb to infections when we are tired and run down, then we have to get back to baseline. Take personal actions to take extra care of yourself, not worrying about this is one way to keep strong as well. I have loaded my purse and pockets with Sani wipes and I am trying not to hug or touch people since I surcumbed to the flu this year. I am over it but I think my immune system needs some healing time too. 


https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.htmllanni