EATING, SLEEPING AND CAMPING IN THE LIVING ROOM

Seems like ages ago, the BW and I are schlepping our entire bedroom furniture into the living room, so we can remove the laminate “wood” flooring. My BW is allergic to the floor and wakes up each day sneezing with itchy eyes, so we acquired these ceramic tiles (boy are they heavy) for the floor.

Right afterward, BW gets sick with the flu. And then I join her malaise. So we’re in our pajamas 24/7 each day and I don’t feel too much like eating, but my BW has to eat, because her diabetes requires a certain blood-sugar level.

Having time all over my hands, I was reading a recent Mother Earth News magazine article about bread, one of my favourite foods. I am intrigued by the concept of not kneading the breads. This is something I need. I read the article and decide to bake a Crusty White Bread loaf. William Rubel wrote this article and stressed “wetness” in the success of the finished loaf.

I make this bread (it is very easy, but you have to start the night before), and it was so satisfying, my beloved and I finished it within an hour after it cooled.

Crusty White Bread

1 pound (455 grams) unbleached flour. I used “bread” flour.
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
11/3 cups (320 ml) water
Baking stone or cookie sheet
Pizza peel or sturdy piece of cardboard

· Put the flour, yeast, salt and enough water in a large bowl and mix them to form a soft, sticky dough. I mixed it with wet hands.
· Let it sit covered at room temperature overnight.
· In the morning, wet your hands, lift dough onto flat, wet surface, then gently stretch it and fold it in half four times.
· Return dough to bowl, cover and let it rise till doubled in size in a warm place (about 70F, 20C).
· Line a bigger bowl with a clean cotton or linen towel and dust it heavily with flour.
· When the dough has doubled, gently turn it out to a work surface.
· With wet hands and a dough scraper (or spatula) stretch, fold and turn about four times until the dough begins to stiffen and assumes a ball shape.
· Put the ball into the lined bowl, cover and let rise till almost doubled, about one hour.
· Preheat oven with the stone inside to 500F (260C).
· Turn dough onto a well floured pizza peel or cardboard. I usually sprinkle cornmeal on the peel. Put a couple of slashes with a sharp knife on the top of the dough.
· Slide onto the baking stone and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. At the beginning, I placed a big 13”x9” pan of hot water on the lowest oven rack; this makes the crust very crispy.
· Let it cool at least 2 hours before slicing. I didn’t want to, but did.

Some folks are maybe put off by this, starting in the evening etc., but you could use a timer and go about your business. I know speed and convenience is the norm nowadays, but for thousands of years, bakers have relied on the live yeast to work the dough and I respect that. If you are undecided, I urge you to try it just once; if you don’t think it is worthwhile then forget about it. If you actually enjoy baking, maybe you could interest a neighbour, bake an extra loaf for them, and get something in return, maybe a jar of pickles or jam or whatever. Or just give it as a kind gesture with no expectations.

Years ago I used to bake a kind of “Cuban Bread” where you added a pan of water to a cold oven and then turned the oven on. Some of my co-workers didn’t like the crisp crust, the water pan can be omitted if you prefer. But it’s wonderful bread.

FRUIT ASSISTED COOKING

If you recently received a blender for Christmas or as a wedding or other gift, you may have read the pamphlet that came with it and started blending fruit smoothies. At first they might have been so thick you couldn’t drink them and so you kept adding juice or milk or water until it was thin enough, but you had more than a litre of beverage when you were done.

I hope you didn’t get discouraged and put the blender away (perhaps next to your old fondue pot), because a fruit beverage in the morning is a healthy way to start the day. A simple smoothie would be ½ cup of frozen blackberries and half a peeled and chopped apple with some juice or milk You can make it even better by adding a little whey protein powder to your “smoothie”. If you are using all fresh fruit, crack some ice cubes and add to the fruit in the blender.

But if you’re determined not to use the blender (maybe it sprayed your ceiling with blended fruit and now you’re punishing it), you can still enjoy and obtain the benefits of fruit. Try cooking with fruit. You will be pleasantly surprised how fruit can enhance certain dishes. If you think your foods will be sweet, don’t worry, fruit can lend a balance to many spicy foods and actually improve them. Try adding a little fruit from time to time, it will taste good and do you good.

Here is a simple Chicken Curry that uses fruit. If you don’t have all the spices in your cupboard, start with a tablespoon of Curry Powder.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light olive oil- or your favourite vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 piece of gingerroot, the size of a walnut, chopped finely
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1 green Chile, seeds removed and sliced finely
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powdered
3 whole cloves or ½ teaspoon powdered
1 stick of cinnamon or ½ teaspoon powdered
½ teaspoon each, salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon brown or white sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into large dice (about the size of sugar cubes)
1 green banana, just beginning to ripen sliced as thick as the apple
8 ounces chicken or vegetable stock
Apple cider vinegar to taste, about a tablespoon

· Gather all the spices together. If you have ground spices instead of whole, that’s all right, but whole spices should be heated gently, cooled and then ground in a grinder or mortar and pestle
· Drain the rinsed chicken pieces and dry with paper towels
· While they are drying, put the onion, garlic and gingerroot in your blender and whirl it into a paste
· Put the butter and oil into a pot
· While it is heating, put the dry chicken in a bowl, sprinkle lightly with salt, sprinkle the cornstarch over it and massage the chicken all over using your clean hands
· Scrape all the paste from the blender into the pot and stir frequently over medium heat for about 5 minutes, don’t let it stick to the bottom
· Now add the spices, salt and pepper and sugar to the onion mixture and stir thoroughly. Then add the chicken and stir it as well
· While you are cooking the chicken (this will take 10 minutes), check the liquid in the pot. If it’s soupy-looking turn up the heat; but if it is dry go ahead and add the stock, vinegar and the fruit
· Simmer covered about 40 minutes. Check liquid from time to time. Now the chicken will be cooked and sitting in a fairly thick sauce
· Taste the sauce; you may want to add a little more curry powder (or garam masala if you have it). If you think it needs a little more zip, add a little more cayenne
· This goes good over a bed of boiled rice
· Serves six with side dishes

A SPLENDID INDIAN RECIPE: BATATA MURGHI

One of the larger states,and an industrial powerhouse of India, Maharashtra, is located in the middle western portion of the country. It includes several hundred miles of beautiful Arabian Sea coast, dotted with coconut trees. Coconut meat is a big feature of Maharashtrian cuisine. One of the regions most popular dishes, Batata Murghi is an easy to prepare, one-dish meal, that includes a tasty blend of coconut and spices to flavour tender chicken strips. It's a terrific blend of sweet and spicy.

Serves 4-6

2 baking potatoes
3 tablespoons (45ml) peanut oil
2 tablespoons (30ml) minced garlic
1/3/ cup (75ml) dried shredded coconut
1 tablespoon (15ml) coriander seeds
1 or 2 fresh chilies, such as Serrano
½ cup (125ml) of water, approximate
1 lb (500gm) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 ½ cups (375ml) diced tomatoes (about 3)
1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
1 teaspoon 5ml) Garam Masala
¼ teaspoon (1ml) powdered turmeric
3 tablespoons (45ml) fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely
(Coriander is also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley)

Procedure:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into 8 wedges each. Cover them, bring to a boil and simmer until just tender (10-15 minutes). Then drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) of oil in a big skillet or wok over a medium flame. Stir fry the garlic until it is just barely golden. Add the coriander seed, coconut and chilies. Cook 1 minute, stirring all the while, until the coconut is golden.
3. Place this coconut mixture in an electric blender with a ½ cup (125ml) of water and whirl on medium until it's smooth. Put aside for now. Wipe skillet.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet on medium.
5. Make sure the chicken is dry. Cut it into strips the size of your small finger and toss with a little cornstarch to keep it tender. Cook it in the oil about 3 minutes, stirring now and again, until it is golden.
6. Add the coconut mixture and all other ingredients except the coriander leaves to the chicken.
7. Lower the flame and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Stirring often until done.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander when serving.

Batata Murghi, with its spices that tantalize your palate, can also be prepared with lamb or goat meat. Either way you're sure to enjoy this fragrant, and exotic Indian dish. Try this dish at your next party. When your guests arrive they will be greeted by spicy aromas that will make their mouth water as it piques their curiosity.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT (YIKES)

Years ago I used to go with some co-workers to a McDonalds every morning. We enjoyed each others company and most of us invariably ordered coffee and biscuits. I always made it a point to not have more than two, because I considered them perhaps a little dangerous. I knew white flour was not all that healthy, so I didn’t gorge on them. I figured the trans-fats in the biscuits were not as healthy as old-fashioned lard, because the manufacturers hydrogenated the oils and added chemicals to make them stable. This was for the shelf life of their products, not to add goodness. Any (fresh) product that when treated can be stored for over a year simply cannot be healthy. I know there are exceptions like dried beans, but they are simply dried, an ancient preservation technique. Supermarket shelves are loaded with processed “food” products that if you read the ingredients you probably couldn’t pronounce them unless you studied chemistry. Our taste buds get so jaded with these manufactured “foods”. To pump up the taste they use a lot of salt. As filler and to mask the taste, corn syrup is used. And if you look carefully, you’ll see plenty more chemicals that shouldn’t be in that gaily-wrapped “food” product.

I don’t enjoy fast food. It doesn’t seem real to me. Years ago when my work was out-of-doors in different parts of the city, if I got hungry I would get a small loaf of French bread and a tin of Brisling sardines at a grocery store. (A grocery store is like a miniature super market, only a few aisles) Back then those Brislings were packed in Sild oil, very healthy and more importantly at the time, very delicious. A friend of mine used to go to a fast food place and get a hamburger (incredible how they can make those patties so paper-thin). Whenever we talked about it, he exclaimed he didn’t particularly enjoy them, but it filled him up. That was so sad to hear. Food should be a wonderful, tasty, soul satisfying experience.

If I’m stuck out in the field and get hungry, peanuts are readily available, along with other nuts as well. It’s a shame that people are so rushed for time that they consume chemical laden products. Let me show you two different ingredient lists for the same basic product.

Full ingredient list for a Chicken McNugget (from McDonald’s website)

White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary). Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.



Full ingredient list for Homemade Fried Chicken:

Bone-in chicken pieces, egg, milk, flour, oil (I like lard or peanut oil) salt and pepper.

How can something so simple get so complicated? All to save time? My mother used to say: What do people do with all this “time” they save?

Surely, in a few minutes you can wolf down an inexpensive, filling meal. Use the drive-thru and you don’t even have to walk the hundred feet or so to get your “meal”. But for goodness sakes what is the true cost of these “fast foods”. They may be cheap on your wallet, but also your body, health and longevity as well.

A little planning can make your life better. Get a decent thermos bottle and pack homemade soups. Carry peanuts or pack a lunch sandwich made with quality stuff. Once you study it, you will see how horrible a steady diet of fast food is. Read the ingredients on store-bought products. But remember, prepared food is overwhelmingly loaded with chemicals that may not be healthy. Sure, they may not kill you… yet.

"The Angels of Mons" by Carl Leckey MBE

Shortly after writing Great Britain Eats Tons of Chicken Tikka Masala, my beautiful bride wondered if her cousin, who lives in Northwest England, enjoys Indian food.

My wife’s cousin, Carl Leckey, had worked on tugboats in the busy Mersey River for many years. After that he was a lock-keeper for the British waterways. In 1985, Carl was awarded a Churchill travelling fellowship to study ports and harbour services in the USA and in China. Subsequently, Mr. Leckey undertook a series of lectures on his findings, and in 1995 was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) by the queen for services to the British waterways.

Suffering from arthritis, he underwent hypnotherapy to relieve the pain. A side effect was recalling events in his past all the way back to childhood, where Carl recalled listening to his grandfather and fellow vets discussing the horrors of World War I. A fascinating subject discussed by Carl’s grandfather and friends was an incident that happened in Mons, Belgium. The British and German soldiers allegedly witnessed a group of angels hovering in the air above the battleground, perhaps trying to stop the slaughter or give solace to all involved.

Carl’s book, “The Angels of Mons,” is about an underage member of the “Labour Corps” and his mates who drove the ambulances and dealt with grisly matters on the front lines. It is fact-based fiction that will open your eyes to the horrors of the Great War.

Mr. Leckey has written two additional books since then. In stark contrast to the gritty yet sometimes humorous “The Angels of Mons,” he has written a funny story about his time working on the British canals with zany characters that will entertain you. It is titled, “Tales of the Cut.” He has also written a riveting sequel to “The Angels of Mons.”

You can find his books at Amazon.com or direct from the author in the UK. Check out Carl’s web site for details. http://www.carlleckey.co.uk/aom.htm

My beautiful bride asked Carl and his lovely spouse Rose for a couple of his and her favourite recipes. Here is one that I knew would be terrific before I even cooked it. As a former homebrewer I appreciate beers, ales and malt beverages; hoppy and malty. This recipe uses a stout porter of worldwide renown, Guiness. If you ever find Guiness stout on draught, try some, it is wonderful. If you cannot find Guiness, then get a dark, malty porter. If you can’t find that, then move. Anyway, Carl and Rose call this:

Food Fit for a King

1 lb shin beef (I used Chuck, good collagen makes nice gravy) cubed into 1” chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, sliced thickly
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk of celery, diced
Flour
1 bottle of Guiness stout (or a dark porter)
14oz can of tomatoes, crushed or pureed
Salt and black pepper to taste
Beef stock

Method:

Season the beef with lightly salted and peppered flour. Shake off excess.
Sauté beef in oil thoroughly to brown all over.
Remove beef and sauté the onions, garlic, celery and carrots a minute.
Place beef and vegetables in a preheated casserole dish.
Pour on the Guiness and the tomatoes and simmer with the lid on.
Make sure the beef is covered, if needed add some beef stock

Cook about 45minutes or so till beef is tender.

Make dumplings and half an hour before serving add them to casserole. Again, be sure you have enough liquid.

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 cup of milk (perhaps a little more)

Method:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Cut in butter and mix
Stir milk lightly into the flour with a wooden spoon
Make sure the dough is moist

With the liquid at a gentle simmer (not boiling); drop the dumplings into the casserole by either teaspoons or tablespoons. Now cover the pot, they need the steam. Check after 5 minutes, they should be almost done. Leave the lid ajar and the dumplings will crisp up slightly.

Serve in bowls with a couple of dumplings in each. Don’t tell Carl and Rose this, but if you don’t care for dumplings, you could peel and cube a couple of potatoes and cook them with the other vegetables.

By the way, you can make this in a slow cooker on low for about 6-8 hours.

BRITAIN EATS TONS OF CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

One might think that the most popular dish in Great Britain is Fish and Chips, but with 18 tons consumed there each week, the national dish of Britain is actually Chicken Tikka Masala.

As popular as this curried chicken is, it is indeed not indigenous to the sub-continent, but was concocted by an Asian chef in London. Nonetheless; it is a delectably tasty treat often ordered at Indian restaurants; the most popular curry on their menus. I wonder how many people make it at home in the British Isles or here in the U.S.A? I’ve made it a few times, each time tweaking it, but still wanting to keep it authentic to the curry house favourite.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Chicken Tikka Masala, you are sure to love this stunning, spicy delight. You might already have all the required groceries on hand, or can easily obtain them. Millions of Britons can’t be wrong, so try this Tikka.

This is an adaptation of a Cook’s Illustrated recipe by Rebecca Hays.

For the chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ teaspoon ground coriander powder
¾ teaspoon ground cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper to your taste

For the yoghurt
1 cup of whole milk Greek yoghurt or regular whole milk
yoghurt plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh gingerroot

For the masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon powdered ginger

For the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh gingerroot
1 minced fresh chile
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tin (28ounce) tomatoes crushed by hand or in blender
2 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup heavy cream

Method:

Combine the six chicken spices and salt in a small bowl.
Sprinkle all over the chicken and press in so it sticks.
Now put the chicken on a platter, cover loosely and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour is ok).
In a large bowl, blend the yoghurt, oil (if using), garlic and gingerroot. Set aside.

Make the sauce by heating the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium flame.
Stir in the onion and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, gingerroot, chile and tomato paste plus the masala mixture and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt. Bring it to boiling, than simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Now stir in the cream and return to simmer. Then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

While the sauce is simmering, place rack in oven 6 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. With tongs, submerge the chicken breasts into the prepared yoghurt. Put the coated breasts (make sure they all have a nice coating) on a wire rack and place that in a broiler pan. (I have a cast iron skillet with a ridged bottom designed for broiling hamburgers which also works very well).

Broil the chicken about 7 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Look for a slightly charred but not scorched surface. Then turn over and cook the flip side the same way.

When the chicken is cooked, cut each breast into similar- sized chunks. When ready to serve, taste the sauce for salt, then place the chicken pieces (tikka) in the sauce, and serve right away. Serve over steamed rice. You can garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

If the list of ingredients seems a little off-putting, you could mix the masala blend and prepare the yoghurt the day before to save some time. This dish is really marvelous, no wonder it’s so deservedly cherished.

CASSOULET: A CELESTIAL CASSEROLE

In 1981, I am with a group of automobile people in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to preview the newly designed Chevrolet Camaro. It hasn’t come out yet and we are seeing it for the first time, on film in a big screen. Because of industrial spies, everything is tightly supervised. When the film starts and the Camaro is viewed, the whole audience applauds.

It was a beautiful automobile, so I suppose the reaction was ok; but the meal we enjoyed, now that was laudable. Nobody applauded, but we could have. Among the items served, a Cassoulet was astounding. A gent seated next to me said “these beans are wonderful, eh?” He was right. The sausage, the pork, the beans, all cooked with confit made a delicious dish. I forgot what else we had that day, but not that dish of beans and meat. Sometimes when you order it, it is too salty; one time mine had a greasy taste. Cassoulet is not popularly made at home because it is complicated, and you can’t always get the traditional groceries. I went to the library and looked it up, and then proceeded to refine it. I ended up with a Cassoulet that’s simple yet tasty. This is a delightful classic and serves about 8 diners. If you want to, you can make it on a weekend and freeze portions for later in the week. You could substitute other meats as well.

Prepare the beans

1 lb (500g) dried Great Northern Beans
20 fluid ounces (600ml) chicken broth
20 fluid ounces (600ml) water
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 tablespoon minced garlic,
2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters, and stuck with 2 cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves.

Rinse and sort the beans. Soak overnight or quick- soak by covering with water, bringing to a boil and let sit for one hour.
Then drain and throw out soak water. Put all the above ingredients in a big pot or a pressure cooker. Either cook for one hour in regular pot, or 5 minutes in pressure cooker. When done, set aside or quick -release the pressure cooker. Remove one cup of beans. If not soft enough, boil until soft and mash them. Return to pot.(The beans can still be a little firm as they are going into the oven. The mashed beans are to give body to the casserole).

Finish the cassoulet

5 slices bacon
1 lb (500g) kielbasa or other cured, smoked sausage, sliced
4 smoked pork chops
1 lb (500g) bratwurst sliced
½ cup white wine
2 carrots, cleaned and sliced

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Fry bacon crisply, remove and crumple it and save the drippings. Don’t crowd the skillet, fry up the meats, some at a time, until all are browned. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, place half the beans in a Dutch oven and place meats over, including crumpled bacon, and then cover that with remaining beans. Cover the Dutch oven, put into the oven and bake for 1 hour, check midway to make sure there is enough liquid, if not add a little water.
When serving, you may want to cut the chops up so there is some for all.

Try cooking these beans and meats, they’re absolutely scrumptious.