Beer Bread

My mom used to make beer bread every now and then.

I used to think I couldn’t eat it because I was under age.

When I would eat my mom’s beer bread, I’d only have a slice or two.

I was afraid I’d get drunk.

The rich, aromatic flavor of this soft bread was good though.

Really good.

All you need for this quick bread is flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, butter and beer.

I used Kölsch, a local light ale.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Make a well then add the butter and beer.

Stir it up to create a sticky dough.

Turn the dough into a bread pan which has been lined with baking paper. You can drizzle honey or more butter over top. I just scraped out the remaining butter from my empty melted butter bowl.

Bake until golden brown and hollow sounding.

Remove from the pan and cool.

You are meant to let it cool completely before slicing…

… but my mom never waited, so neither do I!

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup beer, I used Kölsch, the local beer specialty in Cologne
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a loaf pan with baking paper and set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Create a well then add the beer and melted butter. Stir until a soft dough forms.
3. Turn the dough into the prepared pan. (If you wish to drizzle honey or more butter overtop, you may.) Bake until the loaf is golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

 

 

 

 

 

Prost!

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Palak Paneer

I didn’t mention it before, but last week Sebastian cooked a delicious Indian feast for my birthday. Paneer masala, naan bread and even (admittedly not Indian) chocolate amoretto fruit fondue.

The only place to buy Paneer in Bonn is through one of the Indian grocery stores. The catch is that you have to request it well in advance as it’s made to order. To make my birthday dinner, Sebastian ordered about 600 grams of paneer. That’s 1.3 pounds of Indian cheese.

Needless to say, we had left-overs.

After finding fresh spinach in the grocery store today (a real rarity,) I decided to use the left-over paneer to make palak paneer.

I’ve made palak paneer several times before, but this was certainly the winning combination.

I accredit my success to ghee.

photo source

Ghee is merely clarified butter, a very simple thing to make at home. All you need is a saucepan, butter, heat and a strainer.

To make ghee, simply place butter in a saucepan and cook it over very low heat for about 20 minutes. The butter will begin to separate. Once filtered trough a cheesecloth or strainer, the clarified butter, or ghee is left.

With this ghee, I was able to achieve that “missing Indian taste.”

Palak Paneer

Ingredients are all estimates

Ingredients

• 200 grams butter clarified to make ghee
• 300 grams paneer
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped to make about 1.5 Tbsp.
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1-2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1/4 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder
• 2 small, dried red chilies
• 1 pinch fenugreek seeds
• 1 cardamom pod, seeds removed
• 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 large bag fresh spinach

Method

1. Cut or crumble the paneer into small pieces and fry in 1/3 of the ghee until the cheese is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add another 1/3 of the ghee to a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add the coriander seeds and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, crush together the fenugreek and cardamom seeds. Add the crushed seeds, garam masala, cumin, curry powder, chilies, coriander tomatoes and chopped onions to the mixture.
4. Continue cooking the sauce over low heat for about 1 hour, adding water as necessary to maintain a saucy consistency.
5. Pour in the half and half and stir well to combine. Add the fresh spinach and cook until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and add the remaining 1/3 ghee, if desired.
6. In a food processor, pulse the sauce. I like my palak paneer to have small chunks of veggies but an overall creamy texture. Return the sauce to the pan and add the prepared paneer. Heat through and serve with fresh coriander and naan bread.

Please pardon the terrible photos. We’ve already “fallen back” here so it’s dark by 6pm again. I hate winter.

I love Indian!

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Let’s Cook in Umbria

It has been over a week since my return from Italy and visions of olive oil, cheese and pasta are still dancing in my head.

Since being home, I’ve made the red onion pizza, tomato bruschetta and tomato sauce. I’m still dreaming about the gnocchi.

Everyone I’ve talked to has expressed an interest in taking a cooking class in Italy. I would, without a doubt, recommend a cooking holiday through Let’s Cook in Umbria.

You’ve seen the food, now let me show you the accommodations for a final review of my Italian cooking holiday.

The accommodation is included in the reasonably-priced fee. Guests stay in apartments on the family’s farm. The apartments are complete with a kitchen, dining area, small living room, bedroom and bathroom. There is plenty of space for a small family in each apartment. The kitchens are equipped with a refrigerator, sink and gas stove.

Most dishes and utensils are provided as well. Some tools, like a wine bottle opener and a can opener were not provided but once I asked Raffa for them, the problem was solved.

Jam filled croissants, dry bread biscuits and coffee were also provided for breakfast.

Since I was eating so much for lunch, I wasn’t really hungry for dinner. I did, however whip up a few simple meals in the apartment kitchen.

Mixed green salad with tomato, apple, celery and warm smoked buffalo mozzarella.

An omelet with tomatoes, onion, spinach and more smoked buffalo mozzarella. 

The living area had a TV and sofa that could pull out into an extra bed. 

The bathroom.

My only complaint with the accommodations is the shower. I have never seen such a tiny shower. My feet touched heal to toe and just fit the width of the shower. There was no place to put my shampoo and body wash so I had to place them on the ground. Let’s just say that picking the bottles up was very uncomfortable. My butt was rubbing against the wall as I bent down while my face was plastered against the opposite wall. Not very relaxing at all.

 

Other apartments had bath tubs. I would recommend throwing out the phone booth shower and putting tubs with a shower fixture in all apartments.

The bedroom had an enormous bed and beautiful furniture.

The view from the apartment is also stunning. I would love to come back in summer to take advantage of the pool too!

The entire grounds of the cooking school are farm-like with cats running around.

We cooked with olive oil from the family’s olive groves and drank wine from their grapes. I really felt like the whole cooking experience was “in-season.” One day Stephania came in from gathering fresh basil from the garden and announced, “that’s it, the basil season is over.”

As I’ve mentioned before, I had a wonderful time in the cooking classes. My only wish is that the recipes would have been provided. I had to take very quick notes along with the photos to “remember” what we actually did. This may have distracted from my participation and concentration.

I know it is difficult to form a recipe when most dishes are done from ‘the feeling,’ but for guests unfamiliar with the way a pastry is meant to feel, a recipe would be a great starting ground.

Raffa, if you ever want more recipes written up and photos taken of the amazing food, just let me know!

Overall Impressions

I Liked

• beautiful location
• accommodations were clean, comfortable, and well equipped
• flexibility in the menu to accommodate dietary needs
• Raffa, the owner, was very friendly and helpful
• willingness to help me get around (Raffa’s husband even drove me into town on my first day since he was heading that direction for a child’s birthday party. This saved me €20.)
• help to organize outings like truffle hunting and visits to local wineries
• classes were casual and comfortable in Raffa’s own home
• cooking classes were taught very well by the knowledgeable and friendly Stephania
• small classes allowed maximum participation
• delicious food and wine
• authentic food taught with a real passion for Italian cuisine

Suggestions

• Rent a car as it cost €20 for a one-way trip by taxi to Perugia. The farm is not far outside of Perugia but the roads are windy. I had high hopes for day trips but my budget couldn’t support the transportation expenses.
• I hope they get rid of the tiny shower and use a tub/ shower combination instead.
• Check that the kitchen has all necessary cooking utensils like knives, can openers and wine bottle openers.
• If possible, develop the cooking menu with the class to meet the interests of the students.
• Provide the recipes for each lesson, that way students only need to jot down extra notes and comments.

If you are planning a holiday to Italy and are interested in taking a cooking class, I hope you consider Let’s Cook in Umbria. They offer many different services from 1 day cooking lessons to week long culinary packages. 

I hope to return someday with my Mom. I know she would love it as much as I have!

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Witches’ Brew

For the last three years I’ve delighted in making a Witches’ Brew with my classes. I don’t like Halloween but I do like cooking. This is my way of playing along with the season by putting and educational spin on the topic.

Instructional texts are taught through a revolting recipe.

Uneasy students checking out the “skinned rat.”

Do you think I have their attention?

This photo is circa 2008. I was really into it that year! 2008 is the same year that when asked where I would get the ingredients, I told my students my cats caught the rats in the basement of my apartment building. A very concerned mother came in the next morning to make sure that I wasn’t really going to feed the children skinned rats.

The kids are given a haunted spell containing the ingredient list for the brew. They first finish the spell with an appropriately gruesome rhyme.

Slimy slug

to make you_____

Skinned rat

to make you_____

Frog’s skin

to make you_____

Martian’s head

to make you_____

Bloodshot eye

to make you_____

Potion powder

to make you_____

Stardust is a must

Magic spell

to make you_____

After working up the students to really believe the spell is what it says it is, they are taken into the kitchen to put the recipe to use.

One by one, the ingredients are revealed!

Get it? Spell? Alphabet pasta?

They love imagining the slimy slugs and frog’s skin. Whenever I would slip and accidentally use the real name of the food, my students were quick to correct me.

“It’s not kohlrabi, Ms. Brady, it’s a martian’s head!”

Boil, boil toil and trouble!

B for brew.

Have a safe and spooky Halloween!

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