I love bread but I don’t eat it often, so I never have bread lying around. I usually buy a nice crunchy loaf of sourdough or a good baguette from Dave’s Fresh Pasta, but sometimes I’m in the mood for just good sandwich bread. That’s where this recipe comes in handy.

It’s super easy, requires no kneading, and I have fresh baked bread in about 2 hours!

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out the flour, but if you don’t have one the bread will be just as delicious. Toy around with the ratio of all-purpose to bread flour to make a total of 4 cups of flour. I use 2/3 AP flour, 1/3 bread flour, but have fun experimenting! This recipe is so easy, you can make multiple loaves and try them side-by-side (which is what I did).

Start by proofing the yeast in warm water – you know it’s ready when it becomes foamy. If it doesn’t foam up, throw it out and start with another batch of yeast.

While the yeast proofs (about 5-10 mi), stir together the flours and salt.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed. The dough will be very wet.

Cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise until double, about 1 hour.

(obligatory baby in a bumbo picture)

Butter your baking pans. You can use 2 pyrex glass bowls or 2 bread pans or any other shaped pan you like!

Punch down the dough using 2 forks and fold the dough over itself. Separate the (very wet) dough with the forks and plop each half into a baking dish. Cover with dish towel and let rise for 20-30 min.

Bake until golden, remove from oven and take bread out onto cooling racks to cool at least 10 min before slicing. Then enjoy!

 

No Knead Bread (click here to print without pictures)

Ingredients

161 gm (1.5 cups) Bread flour
323 gm (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active-dry yeast
1-2 tbsp butter, room temperature

 1. In a small mixing bowl, stir the sugar and yeast into the water. Let it stand for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and/or bubbling just a bit

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. When the yeast mixture is foamy, stir it up, and add it to the flour bowl. Mix until the flour is absorbed.

3. Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise until double, at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease two oven-safe bowls or bread pans with the butter. Using two small forks, punch down your dough, scraping it from the sides of the bowl. As you scrape it down try to turn the dough up onto itself. You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl, and you want to make sure you’ve punched it down.

5. Then divide the dough into two equal portions, pull the dough apart with the two forks. Scoop up each half and place into your prepared bowls/pans. This part can be a little messy — the dough is very wet and will slip all over the place. Using small forks or forks with short tines makes this easier. It’s best to scoop it up fast and plop it in the bowl in one fell swoop.

6. Let the dough rise for about 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop near a warm spot or until it has risen just to the top of the bowls.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and make for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

adapted from Alexandra Kitchen

It’s that time of year again – squash and soup season!

I love soup. I grew up with soup at every dinner and have tried to do the same in my house now.

When I was in undergrad at NYU, there was a small lunch counter that served a pumpkin soup with curry that was delicious. I looked around for a recipe but couldn’t find one, so I made up my own. I have served this soup at all the Thanksgiving dinners I’ve hosted and make it multiples times a year because it is just that good!

Start with a butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed.

Saute onion and garlic

Add spices

Saute until fragrant

Add the cubed squash and saute for a few minutes

Then add the stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 25-30 min until squash is soft. Puree with an immersion blender off the heat. Stir in the coconut milk.

Finally ladle into bowls and finish with a few drops of heavy cream – swirl for effect. Enjoy!

 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup (click here for recipe without pictures)

6 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups yellow onions, chopped (about 1.5 large)
4 tsp garlic, minced
4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
4 lbs butternut squash, cut into 1-in pieces (about 2)
6 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I use low-fat), shake can before using
1/2 cup heavy cream, for drizzling

 

1. In a large, heavy pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 4 min. Add garlic, curry powder, salt, turmeric, cumin and cayenne, saute until fragrant, about 45 sec.

2. Stir in squash, cook for 3 min. Add stock and bring to a boil

3. Reduce heat and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until squash is soft, about 25-30 min. Remove from heat.

4. With an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Return to medium heat and add coconut milk, adjust seasoning to taste.

5. Ladle into bowls and serve with 1 tsp heavy cream drizzled on top.

A few months ago, a small restaurant opened in the space shared with Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville. Tasting Counter is more of a dinner and a show experience than just a meal.

The diners reserve tickets online, filling out food preferences and either beer, wine, sake or non-alcoholic pairings.

When you arrive, you are seated at one of 16 spaces around an open kitchen. You are greeted by the chefs and watch them start preparing your multi-course meal.

Welcoming Bites:
Smoked paprika thyme puff
Black olive, almond, foie gras
Scallop mousse, cured roe, preserved lemon, sesame crisp

Hake
The hake is cured in avocado oil, sliced thin and served with avocado cream, grapefruit roulade, and smoked sea salt –
the salt crunches in your mouth with each bite, exploding with flavor.

Sea Bream
The fish is marinated in hazelnut oil and paired with fried artichokes, artichoke cream, burgundy truffle, and jerez vinegar – this was my favorite dish!

Tortellini
lobster, pine mushroom, beef broth and lobster foam

Ocean Trout
shallot cream, basil oil surrounding a fermented soybean paste, and orange blossom pearls

Monkfish
with a trio of creams – tomato, fennel, and garlic along with saffron cured salmon roe
the saffron really cuts the salty-fishiness from the roe – something I’ve never encountered before, it was beautiful.

Persimmon Tea
with a pine nut cookie palate cleanser. The cookie was still warm, slightly chewy and delicious.

Miso Cured Duck
with a pear, daikon and celery gelatin, soy cream and celery cream (which blew my mind)

Dry Aged Beef Sirloin Cap
burdock, cilantro, ginger, red curry – the pairing of the pungent, spicy ginger with the beef was wonderful, though this was my least favorite dish

Lime Curd
passionfruit, lime, ginger ice cream, molasses cake, meringue

Bittersweet Chocolate
guava, macadamia nut, candied kumquat, coconut cream

Parting Morsels:
Yuzu chocolate truffle
Strawberry almond cake
Plum lavender chew

Needless to say it was a wonderful night and we will definitely be back!

I am obsessed with eggs. Add a fried egg to anything and it brings the dish to a higher level.

So I was excited when I stumbled across this recipe in Cooking Light.

I’ve made a few adjustments and it is my go-to dinner anytime!

The sauce is very easy, just a few ingredients (though you may need to hit up an Asian market for them) – soy sauce, Korean hot pepper paste, fish sauce, sugar and sesame oil

Stir fry the beef, then add the sauce

While meat cooks, prepare your veggies.

Remove the meat, place in a bowl and cover to keep warm. Stir fry the veggies and mushrooms

While the veggies cook, fry the eggs in a nonstick skillet until desired doneness (I like a runny yolk)

Place steamed rice in 2 bowls, top with beef, veggies and egg – Enjoy!

 

Asian Beef with Vegetables and Fried Eggs (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 3 tbsp sugar
– 3 tbsp Thai chili paste or Korean Hot Pepper paste
– 3 tbsp fish sauce
– 3 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 lb lean ground beef
– 3/4 tsp crushed dried Thai chile or crushed red pepper
– Mushrooms – shiitake, oyster, combination
– 3 small baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into quarters
– 4 eggs
– steamed rice for serving
– sesame seeds, for serving, optional

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside

2. Heat a large pan over high heat. Add 2 tsp oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic, stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add beef to pan. Cook 2 min or until done. Stir in soy mixture, cook 1 min or until sauce slightly thickens. Place into bowl, cover to keep warm.

3. Add 1.5 tsp oil and crushed red pepper to pan. Add mushrooms, cook for 5 min, then add bok choy. Stir-fry for 2 min or until crisp-tender. Take off heat.

4. In a nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2.5 tsp oil over medium heat. Crack eggs, 1 at a time, into pan and cook until whites are set, but yolks still runny, or to your liking.

5. To serve: Divide rice into 4 bowls, top with beef, mushrooms and bok choy. Top each with 1 egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

 

Summer is berry season and we always have berries in our fridge. Unfortunately, many times, the berries become just past prime and no one wants to eat them anymore.

Thankfully, extra ripe berries are perfect for jams and desserts. I stumbled across a few berry pie recipes that I have morphed into a combination pie/crumble – you get the best of both worlds: delicious, flaky crust with a buttery crumble, sandwiching a not-too-sweet berry center

(you can also use frozen berries – mixed bag or single berry, it’s your choice)

I prepare my own pie crust, but you can use store-made pie crust to make things easier. Just roll it out and put in the fridge while you prepare the berry mixture. Use the tines of a fork to make a nice decoration along the edge.

This recipe is super simple and only calls for a few ingredients – berries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, corn starch. Mix them together and let them sit for at least 30 min, then fill the prepared pie crust.

While the berry mixture sits, prepare the crumble topping with flour, sugar, butter in a food processor and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Bake the pie and let it sit for at least 20 min before serving. I always serve it with vanilla ice cream

I usually have left over crust, berries and crumble, so I make a mini-pie for myself

 

Mixed Berry Pie Crumble (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- Pie crust (homemade or prepackaged, rolled into 9-in pie plate, chilled for at least 30 min)
– 3 cups mixed berries, fresh, frozen or both
– 1/2 tbsp corn starch
– 2 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
– 1/4 cup water
– 10 tbsp sugar, divided
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
– pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine berries, corn starch, vinegar, water and 4 tbsp sugar. Let stand for 30 min.

2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, salt and remaining 6 tbsp sugar until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Do not over-mix or it will become a pastry. Place in fridge until ready to use.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer berry mixture to prepared pie dish, sprinkle with crumble and bake until top is golden, about 60 min.

4. Serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

 

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cakes, Cookes, Pies & Tarts)