Holidays Archives | Page 9 of 11

Cranberry Oat Bars

November 21, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving week!

There will be plenty of cooking going on in a few days, but I had to start in on the celebrating this weekend by pulling out some cranberries!

Thanksgiving would not be complete without cranberries for me. It is one fruit that I really missed while we were living in Brazil despite my access to a tropical fruit wonderland at the time. I just really missed that tart, tangy flavor that only belongs to the cranberry.

I eat dried cranberries almost every day and I stock up on the fresh during this time of year keeping them in the freezer until I’m ready to make a recipe like this one.

I’ve made these oat bars before, substituting different fruits. The original is made with blueberries and it came from Bryant’s Blueberries, a farm just outside of Louisville, KY. I’ve modified it over time using whole grain flours and a variety of sugars.

You can use just about any berry with these as well as peaches. This time of year, the cranberry is perfect. These bars are sweet enough for dessert, but wholesome enough for breakfast.

Cranberry Oat Bars
Adapted from Blueberry Oat Bars, Bryant’s Blueberries

1 ¾ cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
¾ cup muscovado sugar
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups fresh or defrosted cranberries
½ to ¾ cup demerara sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp arrow root powder
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, muscovado sugar, nuts and baking soda. Pour in the melted butter and stir to mix well. You should have a moist, but crumbly mixture. Reserve about ¾ cup of the mixture.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the remaining oat mixture into the baking dish. Spread it evenly and press it firmly into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a sauce pan combine the cranberries, ½ cup of sugar (add more if you want it sweeter) and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for about 2 minutes. Stir to break up the berries.

Stir together the arrow root, lemon juice and water to make a paste. Add the paste to the cranberries and stir until the fruit is thickened. Remove from heat.

Spread the fruit over the oat crust leaving just about a ¼ inch edge on all sides. Crumble the reserved topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges of the crust begin to brown. Cool the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled completely, cut into bars. Makes 15 bars.

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2010

Guess what? I missed Halloween! I can’t believe it!

Our local news said that our town would be celebrating on the 31st while some surrounding towns would celebrate on the 30th and even the 29th.

Do your cities do this? The first time I experienced this whole choose-your-Halloween was when we came to Kentucky. It annoys me a bit. I miss the good ol’ days when Halloween was the 31st no matter what day of the week it fell on.

Anyway, my husband went to a football game out of town over the weekend with plans to be back Sunday so we could hand out candy and show off the pug. That is Macy above. She decided to be a candy corn this year in honor of her favorite toy.

I was in the middle of doing yoga when I started hearing voices outside. I looked out and saw a few kids dressed up. Thinking that perhaps someone in the neighborhood was having a party and they were headed there, I didn’t pay much attention.

Then as the night went on I realized that there were kids out trick-or-treating! No one was coming to our house because no lights were on and by the time I realized they were actually out to get candy the specified 6 to 8pm time frame was almost over.

This whole time frame thing gets me too. I remember trick-or-treating well into the night. That was the fun of it!

So now, I sit here on actual Halloween with no celebrations, a pug with no one to see her costume and candy. Fortunately I didn’t buy a lot because our neighborhood isn’t that big living out in the country a bit.

Oh well, maybe next year.

Maybe you can let me know what exciting things you did for the holiday to ease the disappointment.

To ease your pumpkin craving check out this great article LouAnn of Oyster Food and Culture shared on Twitter – Any Way You Carve It with 13 ways to cook up pumpkin!

And don’t forget. The last day to sign up for the International Blogger Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange is Friday!

Happy Halloween!!

Updates and Mushroom Recipe Challenge!

October 18, 2010

First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind birthday wishes last week. It was a wonderful day! I couldn’t feel more blessed by all the celebrations and acknowledgements.

Yesterday was supposed to be the date of my 2nd half marathon. Yes, I said supposed to be.

I’ve been very sick lately. It’s been going on about 2 weeks now. After a couple bugs, I had a bad reaction to my antibiotic so it has been slow getting over.

I was in bed all weekend and after my second trip to the doctor last Friday I had to make the final decision that I would pull out of the race. I was incredibly disappointed because I had plans to meet up with Andrea of Off Her Cork. There was just no way I could run, though, so now I’m looking ahead to the half in Cincinnati next May.

So now you know where I’ve been. Why I haven’t commented on many of your blogs or posted many recipes of my own.

Until I’m back up and running around here I hope you’ll check out Friday’s post about the International Blogger Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange I am co- hosting with Adrienne of Gastroanthropology. We are hoping this will be a fun way to get some new cookie recipes this season!

Finally, I’m excited to announce that the Mushroom Recipe Challenge from Marx Foods will be open for voting today. I entered my Acorn Squash Soup with Porcini Mushroom Cream and Wild Mushroom Goat Cheese Toasts.

Apparently all the entries were so delicious that 10 prizes will be awarded instead of just one! If you liked my recipe, I’d greatly appreciate your vote.

International Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange

October 15, 2010

How cookies became the focus of my holiday treats I’m not quite sure. We were never really the cookie family growing up. We had plenty of delicious, traditional sweets, but they were mostly in the form of cakes and pies. My grandma may have made a few varieties of cookies, and my mom would make divinity and fudge, but that about summed it up in my family.

During grade school my friend’s mother used to go all out. She’d start weeks ahead of time. She’d freeze dough, cookies and candies in anticipation of the holiday season. My mom’s best friend would always send over a plate overflowing with holiday cookies she’d spent hours baking and neighbors would drop by with their cookie-tray offerings.

Perhaps this is how I became so infatuated with the holiday cookie and the holiday cookie gift tray. All I know is that when it comes to Christmas and food, cookies are the first thing that comes to mind for me.

A few weeks ago, Adrienne from Gastroanthropology and I thought we should get our food blogging friends involved in a cookie recipe exchange, the International Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange to be exact.

As part of this recipe exchange you’ll be doing two things. Sending a recipe to another blogger, and making and posting about the recipe another blogger has sent to you.

We’d love to get as many people involved as possible and the exchange is simple. Leave a comment here or on Adrienne’s blog, Gastroanthropology, by November 5th to let us know you are interested in participating. Be sure to leave a valid email address when you sign in to comment.

Each participant will create an original or an adapted, attributed-to holiday cookie recipe and send it to the blogger we’ve randomly selected for you via email by November 15th.

Once you receive a recipe we ask that you post on the recipe by December 15th. Adrienne and I will do a roundup of all the recipes so you know where all the cookies were baked and how all the cookies turned out.

We are aware that a few of you have dietary restrictions or allergies. When you receive a recipe you may alter it to fit your dietary needs, but please post the original as well. If you have any trouble altering a recipe feel free to contact me at lori AT fakefoodfree dot com or Adrienne at gastroanthropology AT yahoo dot com for advice or suggestions.

The only guideline is that the recipe should be something you’d find on a holiday cookie plate, so anything from rugelach to alfajores to fudge squares to gingerbread men!

Important Dates:

Let us know you want to participate by November 5th.

Send your recipe to the blogger randomly selected for you by November 15th.

Post about the recipe you received from a fellow blogger by December 15th.

What do you say? Let’s start collecting and creating those recipes and get some baking going on around the world, all in honor of the beloved holiday cookie plate!

Birthdays 29, 30, 31 and 32

October 13, 2010

If you would have asked me in my early 20s where I would spend birthdays 29 through 32, I probably would have told you at home. As it turns out, I spent (and am spending) those birthdays in 4 different cities, in 3 different countries.

Today I can’t help, but look back and marvel at how incredible life is. Someone recently asked me how my expat experience changed my outlook on life. After a little thought, I came up with an abbreviated version of this.

Our whole lives people tell us to set goals and work toward them, to dream and achieve it. I fully agree with setting goals and dreams, but I also encourage people to be flexible. As much as you think you know exactly what you want out of life at this very moment, don’t forget to let life happen.

Don’t let your goals and dreams get in the way of where life wants to take you. Work with life and allow it happen to you while constantly re-evaluating those goals and dreams.

You just might find that it takes you someplace amazing, exactly where you were meant to be at any given time. Someplace like 4 birthdays spent in 4 different cities in 3 different countries…

Number 29 – My first sushi experience in Maringa-PR, Brasil

Number 30 – Hiking Ilha do Mel (Island of Honey) off the state of Parana, Brasil

Number 31 – A cooking class in Chiang Mai, Thailand followed by Happy Birthday sung to me in our room with a cake from those working at the hotel where we stayed.

Number 32 – Celebrating the fact that this is the first time in 3 years that I’ve been with my extended family around my birthday. Complete with a birthday week with my husband, one of my mom’s cakes, sweet potatoes from my dad’s garden, foodie gifts from my in-laws, and playtime with my pug.

Baked Explorations: Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies

October 11, 2010

I remake these delicious Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies every year! Soft and chewy, they are by far my favorite spiced cookie. Perfect for the holiday season or any time you have a craving!

When I received my copy of Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, I turned directly to the Cookies and Bars section.

I’m not sure why because the book is filled with every other treat imaginable – pies, tarts, bundt cakes, layer cakes, cupcakes, waffles, donuts and scones. The subtitle of the book is, Classic American Desserts Reinvented, and these experienced authors and bakers have left no stone unturned.

Lewis and Poliafito are authors of another, very popular, cookbook, Baked, and own a Brooklyn-based bakery of the same name. It was love at first word as I read the introduction when Lewis explains how he no longer plans vacations like a normal person. He writes:

“In addition to choosing the mountain, the condo, and the best month to ski, I might also insist that we spend a day off-slope in search of a much-written-up, much-blogged-about creamy bourbon milkshake.”

One, he mentioned food and travel. Two, he mentioned bourbon.

I’ll sum up my review of this cookbook pretty quickly – if you love to bake or want to love it, you need this cookbook. The recipes will spark some memories of old time favorites, but you might also be introduced to delicious cakes and pies you were previously unfamiliar with.

Each recipe begins with an interesting story. The instructions are straightforward and well explained. The only thing I might fault is that the ingredient list is difficult to read due to small print and italics, but it emits a bit of style that goes so well with the book that I’m willing to overlook it in my recommendation.

The Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, Salt-n-Pepper Sandwich Cookies, Carrot Coconut Scones and the Caramel Apple Cake are all on my to-bake list. For this review, however, given my current schedule I chose something a little ambitious, but no less delicious.

The name given to these cookies in the book is Joe Froggers and a wonderful little story accompanies this name. However, according to the Baked Note (little tips throughout the book) the original Joe Frogger was made with all vegetable shortening. The authors switched this to half butter, half shortening and warned that an all butter cookie just wouldn’t be a Joe Frogger.

Baked Explorations: Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies

So unfortunately, I guess I can’t call mine Joe Froggers because I don’t use vegetable shortening in my baking. I can, however, give it the second name given in the book – Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies.

If you are looking for your next gingerbread man, I’ve found him for you.

This cookie bakes up into a chewy, soft, spicy cookie. As you have probably already guessed, yes, it is going on the holiday baking list! I love this cookie!

I used my standard white whole wheat flour, dememara and mascavo sugar, but I am printing the original recipe here for you to do as you wish. The dough needs to be refrigerated so plan ahead when making these.

This cookbook is one for your baking bookshelf. If you can’t get it in time for your holiday baking, I’d highly suggest putting the book itself on your gift wish list!

Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies

Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

Makes: 36 to 48 cookies (depending on the size of your cookie cutter)

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups molasses
3 tablespoons dark rum
Coarse sugar for décor

Prep

Whisk the flour, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until there are no visible lumps. Add both sugars and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the molasses, and beat until the mixture is uniform in color.

Prepare 1/3 cup very hot water. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the hot water; in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, add the rum, and mix for 15 seconds. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Roll the dough into a ¼ – inch thick round. Cut out the cookies with a 2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sanding sugar onto each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, until they are set. The author notes – 8 minutes for a chewy cookie, 12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to write about it nor did I receive any compensation for doing so.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Chocolate Cashew Shortbread

August 17, 2010

It’s starting.

That point in the year where I see a cookie recipe and I think – oh, now that would be nice on my holiday cookie tray. I know it seems a bit early, but it starts for me about this time every year.

I had cookies on my mind this week because I still have some of the fabulous raw cashews that Oh Nuts sent to me a few weeks ago. While I haven’t tired of eating them as a snack or in stir-fry, I’ve felt the need to get a little more creative.

As a result I turned to my favorite shortbread recipe. I doubled the batch to make a few more for freezing, added cocoa because I’ve been hungry for chocolate, and then incorporated the cashews.

What I like most about these cookies is that they turn out pretty darn cute with very little effort. Few ingredients, easy to bake, and a rich, buttery chocolate flavor with a nutty crunch. Hello, holiday baking list!

Chocolate Cashew Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ demerara sugar
2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup raw cashews, finely chopped
24 to 30 raw cashew halves (optional)

In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Let it mix on medium and then high for about 3 minutes. The demerara takes a while to get incorporated. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and vanilla.

On a piece of plastic wrap, spread out the chopped cashews. Remove the cookie dough from the mixing bowl and form it into a log with your hands. The length is up to you and depends on how big you want your cookies. Mine ended up being about 18 inches long, give or take a bit.

Place the cookie dough log on the plastic wrap and gently roll in the cashews until it is fully coated in nuts. Wrap the plastic wrap around the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and use a serrated knife to cut the cookies about a ½ inch in thickness. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, or on a baking mat on a cookie sheet. Press a cashew half into the top of each cookie if using.

Bake for 12 minutes or just until cookies are firm. The edges and cashews will brown only slightly, if at all. Allow to rest for 3 or 4 minutes and carefully move to a cooling rack. Makes about 24 to 30 cookies.

Disclaimer: I’m sure you are just dying to read one, so you can check out the original when I used Oh Nuts in a recipe a few weeks ago. Oh, alright, I won’t make you surf the web. Oh Nuts were sent to me free of charge for review, no obligation, no compensation.

Taste of Chicago

July 7, 2010

Chicago has always been one of my favorite cities. When I was in high school our art and chemistry teachers used to organize a trip each year. We’d head up from southern Indiana for a weekend that always included Chicago-style pizza, a show, shopping Michigan Avenue and a stop at some other attraction such as Shedd Aquarium.

Chicago was really my favorite city until I discovered the public transportation system in DC and the rustic outdoor feel of Seattle. It may have dropped a few slots, but it still remains in my top 10 in the US. These days my brother-in-law lives there along with his wife who is native to the area. So visiting now also includes an insider’s view and local tips. Not a bad situation to be in.

It has been a long time since our last visit so we decided to make the trip up over the holiday weekend. My husband had wanted to see a Cub’s game and it didn’t hurt that our trip fell the same weekend as the Taste of Chicago! So this week, Chicago is the part of the world we’ll be covering here on the blog. I’ve got a few posts for you that cover some incredible eats from our weekend.

We arrived on Friday, mid-afternoon and headed downtown to the Taste of. I had been warned it would be crowded and hot and tiring so I was prepared. To be honest with you, all three of those things seem to have much less of an effect on us since living in Brazil. It is like our crowd and heat tolerance has increased quite a bit.

Fortunately we got there fairly early in the day so there was still plenty of room to move around. By the time we left, however, it looked like this. Yeah, I was glad we went early.

We wanted to focus on more of the ethnic foods for this event. A lot of them we can’t get around central Kentucky, or if they are available, they aren’t quite as authentic as they tend to be in city like Chicago.

This was my first time going to this type of Taste Of. There was no entry fee; guests could buy tickets for 50 cents each before the event. Then tickets could be used to purchase food. All the booths had full meals that were about 6 to 11 tickets each and two options on their tasting menu that were 2 to 4 tickets each. We stuck with the tastings so we could try more things.

Okay now you know how it worked. Enough talk. Let’s go on a tour of the Taste of Chicago.

The first stop was for the Bobak’s All Natural Chicken Apple Gouda Sausage served with honey mustard. I should have tried it without the honey mustard first to get the full flavor of the sausage. Even so, this was really good. Not as much apple sweetness or gouda flavor as I would expect, but a great chicken sausage.

I never thought I would say this, but I really miss mandioca (cassava, yuca) from Brazil. They version I miss the most – fried. Fortunately Las Tablas was serving yuca fries with a delicious salsa verde on the side. It hit the spot.

If you know Chicago, then you know Garrett Popcorn. It is such good stuff. The biggest kernels you have seen with the best caramel flavor. And as fake as it may be, I have to admit I love the doesn’t-occur-in-nature neon orange cheddar thrown in with my caramel.

At the taste they served Caramel Popcornsicles, a popcorn ball freeze dried on a stick. It was as tasty as their original caramel and actually kind of refreshing with the cold which you typically don’t expect from popcorn.

Next came the one thing I had been anxiously awaiting. Mango Sticky Rice! Oh, how I have missed this from Thailand. It was so good even though the mango was canned. I got over that quickly because the rice was so close to what I remember from our trip. Even better, I was taken to an Asian market in town and finally came back with a bag of sticky rice! I’ll be making my own version soon!

The Varenyky from the Shokolad Café caught my attention because the eggplant and potato variety came with an Indian spiced sauce. I have since learned that varenyky is a Ukrainian dumpling similar to perogies. I typically love this type of dumpling, but this one was just okay. The sauce needed a lot more spice to it. I’m not sorry I tried it though because I actually think it may have been my first Ukrainian dish.

There were lots of sodas and energy drinks being sampled, and while we aren’t fans of soda anymore, this Manzanita Sol from Pepsi did catch our attention. We were hooked on apple spritzer while in Austria which is kind of like an apple soda, but a lot lighter. More like a sparkling apple flavored water. The Manzanita is nothing like that by the way. A sugary apple soda. Guess I’ll have to go back to Vienna.

Another new cuisine for me – Puerto Rican. We tried the mini Jibarito Sandwich from Sabor Latino Restaurant. The name comes from Jibaro which is a term used for those in agriculture working in the sugarcane and coffee fields, basically farmer’s from what I understand. It is traditionally a plantain and steak sandwich. This was so good! I absolutely loved the fried plantain version of a bun! I found a recipe if you’d like to try it yourself.

Now for the unique award – a Mashed Potato Stuffed Chocolate Cupcake. Yes, you read that correctly. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. Not something I’d have to go back for, but a nice sweet and salty combo and the smooth potatoes with black pepper blended nicely with the chocolate. The cupcake itself was excellent. These were served by Polo Café and Catering. I was joking with my husband that I’d love a wedding reception do-over and sneak these onto guest’s dinner plates to see the reaction!

These Pot Stickers from Star of Siam were by far the best deal. Just look at all of them! They were comparable to the full portion at most places. They were also one of my favorites with a delicious Thai chili glaze on top.

My husband was hungry for the Red Beans and Rice with Jerk Chicken. Vee Vee’s African Restaurant also had goat, but although I don’t like eating it for sentimental reasons, I have had goat and I really don’t prefer it. The jerk chicken was great, and although my bite wasn’t all that spicy my husband assured me that the more you ate it, the hotter it got.

The Sweet Potato Hashbrowns from a restaurant by the name of Hashbrowns had been on our list before arrival. These were good, but not what we were expecting. I had the fried, crispy version in mind. These were soft with what tasted like a lot of extra butter and spices. I’d get them again, but I think a Waffle House version might be better.

With a few tickets leftover we stopped at The Grill on the Alley for Mango Rice Pudding with Dried Cranberries. This was completely unexpected as well. (Apparently we had a lot of expectations). It was spiced almost like a traditional pumpkin dessert. There wasn’t the tropical, coconut/mango flavor I thought there would be. Good, but autumn flavors to me, despite the mangos.

Finally we finished off this eating marathon with a food that is as cultural as the sticky rice and yuca – a Chicago-style hot dog (or half of one) from Gold Coast Dogs. There is nothing else like these for me. The more stuff on top the better, especially that nice, spicy pepper you can see there in the photo.

That concluded our Taste of Chicago. After that, we did some major walking and went down to Navy Pier to see this:

This happens to be where we got engaged way back in 2002. Right up there on the observation deck in the middle of February during a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. We’ve vowed to make it back for a repeat cruise at some point. Maybe anniversary #10.

We settled in at Navy Pier for some beers and to split a bag of Garrett Popcorn. I told you we couldn’t get enough of this stuff, right? We felt we needed to take full advantage while there, so while a bit unbalanced, this was our dinner. Not a bad way to end a wonderful day, overlooking the water.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

May 1, 2010

I waited until the perfect time to try it; after all the other treats had gone and day after day of staring at it made the cravings unbearable. You see I got quite the Easter gift this year. My thoughtful husband picked up my Easter gift while in the Chicago airport during a business trip — Vosges Haut-chocolat.

Thus far in my chocolate-tasting experiences, this is the best chocolate I have ever had. I absolutely love it, all the wild flavor combos with the wasabi, peppers, curry, bacon, sea salts. The list goes on and on. When I eat it I feel like one of those people on the tacky chocolate commercials who fall into a relaxing dream-like state of contentment.

It is that good. Promise.

My Easter gift consisted of a 42% deep milk chocolate rooster made with pink Himalayan salt and a 62% dark chocolate bunny made with Tahitian vanilla bean.

First came the rooster. I’m usually a dark chocolate fan, but there was something about the deep milk with its smooth and creamy texture that has me rethinking my preferences. It lacked the bitterness of dark chocolate and was sweet, yet not too sweet. The salt tingles your tongue. A perfect combination.

Next came the bunny. Poor bunny that was at first earless, then headless, and now, all gone. He was full of vanilla bean, and the mix of the bitter, yet sweet bean with the chocolate was nothing short of incredible.

I know. It’s just chocolate, you say. But no, Vosges chocolate is not just chocolate, it is seriously a full food experience.

**************************************************

Now that I have everyone craving chocolate, I’ll move on to the links. I just had to share my Easter gift with you.

It’s a big weekend around here. My husband runs his first marathon tomorrow! He’s going to do great, but feel free to wish him luck anyway! I get to be a spectator and cheer him on as well as test my camera skills with action photos. I’ll report back on Monday.

Until then, I found some great reads over the past couple weeks that I hope you enjoy too.

It’s Derby time and if you don’t know what a Mint Julep is you need to read this. It’s a big part of Kentucky culture and food history. Cheers!

Homemade Strawberry Applesauce from Reluctant Vegetarian makes great use of those spring berries. It looks very easy to make. I probably shouldn’t, but I just keep picturing it over some ice cream!

Getting College Students to Eat Better Using a Stealthy Strategy is a report from Science Daily about recent research which shows that connecting food to environmental and social issues results in better eating habits. Very interesting and it has worked for me as well.

What Came First: The Chicken or the Cancer? is a guest post on the FRESH website regarding that popular fried chicken company that has decided it wants to donate money to cancer research. Even if you don’t have time to read the whole thing, just go read the last line. Sums it up pretty well.

Tips for Tackling the Hawkers and Savoring the Foods of Singapore is my recent post at The 3 Star Traveler. Lots of food photos from our time there last October!

Pretzels: A Word About Easter History

March 30, 2010

When I think about the things I associate with Easter, pretzels is typically not one of them. Hot-cross buns, chocolate, eggs, bunnies, and on a religious note, sacrifice, the cross and new life. No, pretzels really don’t make the list. Well, that was before I read about their history a couple years ago.

My interest in pretzels began when we traveled to Austria and Germany a few years ago. At that point I discovered one of my top five meals of all time – German sausage, kraut, mustard, a pretzel and beer.

It has to be from the source though, so traveling is required. A simple meal, yes, and likely very unexciting for many, but it tops my list. In many cases, I could just go for the pretzel, mustard, and beer, and believe me; in Germany they are large enough to be made a meal!

This is what sparked my interest in pretzels and I soon learned that their history is strongly associated with Easter. Well, actually, they are associated with Lent. As the story goes, pretzels originated in Southern France or Northern Italy when a monk was making unleavened bread for Lent. At this time it was common for arms to be folded across the chest when praying with each hand on the opposite shoulder. Does that vision look familiar?

Such is the traditional shape of the pretzel. Supposedly this monk used the pretzel as a reward for children or other monks (each account is a bit different) who recited their prayers. Therefore the pretzels were first named “pretiola” which is Latin for “little reward.”

Another name associated with the pretzel is “bracellae” which is Latin for “little arms.” As pretzels made their way to Austria and Germany they became known as a “bretzel” or “pretzel.” Historically, aside from the association with Lent, pretzels symbolize good luck, long life and prosperity.

I’ve wanted to make pretzels for a while now, especially since I read about the history, and I decided that this Easter is the year for it. Traditionally, due to the strict Lenten fasting rules of the Catholic Church, breads made during this time were composed of only water, flour and salt.

Most pretzels today use more ingredients. For example, the one I set out to make is a recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzels by Alton Brown. As is typical of my baking, I made a few changes.

I used mascavo sugar in place of the white sugar and white whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour. I also didn’t have kosher or pretzel salt so I just used my finely ground sea salt, but used half of what the recipe calls for in kosher salt.

I was so happy that these whole grain pretzels turned out beautifully. They raised well, browned up nicely and remained soft and tender on the inside.

Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Homemade Soft Pretzels by Alton Brown

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tbsp of mascavo/muscavado sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 pk active dry yeast (I used rapid rise)
4 cups white whole wheat flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp water
Olive oil
Salt or other seasoning

Combine the sugar, salt and water in the bowl of a mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes, it will begin to foam. Add the flour and butter and use the dough hook to mix the dough on slow. Gradually increase the speed to medium and let mix until the dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This only took about 2 to 3 minutes for me.

Remove the dough and knead into a ball. Place the ball in a clean bowl and coat with olive oil. Cover and set aside in a warm place to let rise for about 55 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large soup pot. Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll out each piece to about 24 inches long. Shape into a U, cross in the middle, and press the two ends into the opposite sides of the bottom of the U. In other words, make a pretzel shape however you see fit. Mix the egg yolk with the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Drop the pretzels in the boiling water one at a time for about 30 seconds. Remove after they float to the top. Place on a cookie sheet (four pretzels per sheet) covered with greased parchment paper or with a silicone mat. Brush the pretzels with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with salt or other seasoning. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.

Eating these lovely treats is a far cry from a sacrifice, which is what I usually associate with the Lenten season. So that is why I think I’ll stick with the name “pretiola.” I will gladly take these as a little reward any time of year.

In fact, I like that name so much I decided to spell it out for you. So this pretzel experiment is being submitted to the Eating Your Words Challenge hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor the Thyme.