Can it get any better?

Long ago and far away, there lived a tiny ice cream parlor 2 blocks from my childhood home. Every millenia or two, Dad would take us to get a special treat. My favorite was the seemingly giant soft serve dipped cone. Yum. Yesterday, we discovered homemade hard shell chocolate: 3 part chocolate, one part coconut oil. Melt. Serve. Awesome.

Butternut squash soup

Dinner tonight was too yummy not to share, especially on a cold day.

2 squash
1 lb Portuguese Linguica sausage
1/2 yellow onion, diced
Chicken stock
To taste: Sage. Marjarom, Salt, Pepper. Garlic, Ginger
Garnish with nutmeg

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Bake the squash until tender - make sure to check that the flesh is actually tender rather than just assuming after being in the oven for and hour at 350. In a large pot, cook the sausage without casings. Remove the meat. Saute the onion in the drippings until very slightly burned. Add spices and saute for a few seconds, then add stock and squash. Blend carefully. Add back the meat. Sprinkle with nutmeg and savor the goodness!

Not just at Disneyland

Half the reason America goes to theme parks is because they love to stand in line to ride the rides, but the rest of the reason is for the churros! Isn't it true? But, even with a churro recipe stashed somewhere in the depths of my recipes written on little scraps of paper that rarely get any attention, this recipe caught my attention enough to try it. Thanks to my great baking friend that sent the idea my way, I now have a new love of churro cupcakes. I even made big ones for the zeroth birthday of our little person (hopefully this week)! Yum!

Sorry no chestnuts

Dinner is a constant in this house. It happens daily, sometimes more effectively than at other times, but this idea is one to keep for a mild  - or down right cold - baking day. Yes, I made this in the middle of the summer. Go figure.

Vegetable - Corn on the cob
Remove the very outer layers of husk, but keep most of the covering in tact. Snip off the silk on the end, if you prefer, to prevent it from burning. Heat the oven to 350F. Roast on a middle rack for 30 mins. Then eat!

Fruit - Mixed fresh and roasted goodness
Roast sliced plum, pitted cherries, and grapes for 15-20 mins at 350F. Add fresh blueberries and strawberries. Then sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg. drizzle honey, stir, and eat! Tasty!

Main dish - Roasted turkey and bacon sandwich
Prep the turkey and roast (my Mr. did this bit, so I didn't catch the details, but my guess is 350F for several hours, depending on the weight of the turkey), but, the kicker here is to lay strips of bacon across the breast for added flavor and juiciness. It was tasty! Basting occasionally during cooking only improves the outcome.

When it's cooked, slice the turkey into sandwich size pieces. Spread the best bread available with mayonnaise that has a dash of balsamic and chopped fresh basil, top with turkey, and lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, or your favorite sandwich item, and eat! So good.

Ale? Would you like a little ginger with that?

While we're on the subject of drinks, the latest find is a ginger ale recipe. I combined two recipes to get the following:

Ginger ale

Combine in a 2 liter bottle:
2 T grated ginger
6 oz sugar
1/8 t active dry yeast
2 T lemon juice

Fill with water. Cap. Shake gently to mix. Allow to sit at room temp for 24 hours, until the bottle is expanded enough you are afraid it will burst. Put in the fridge to chill. Drink up.

What I learned:

• It's a tasty homemade treat!
• The bottle will expand as the pressure builds. Neat!
• The yeast flavor lessens after a day or two, making it better
• It gets flatter the longer it sits and the more the bottle is open - surprise, anyone?
• If aesthetics is key, strain the floaties as you pour - it's the ginger and yeast

Elixir of summer

Before beginning, please keep in mind that my husband has thousands of excellent and remarkable qualities, more than I have yet discovered, and I would not trade him for anything. But, you must know, he does not like watermelon. It's the sad state of things when I hesitate to buy a delicious and readily available watermelon for fear it will go to waste because my ever diminishing digestive tract is currently occupied by other things, like a person - yes, a 3 lb person, but a person no less! However, when I stumbled on this recipe, there was no reason to hold back. It wasn't bad, I thought it was really good, actually, but the Man of the House, prefers less pulpy anything. I did learn that ice cubes do not belong in the food processor. Noted for future experiments. Even with all the great nutritional value, like high in Vitamins C and A, as well as Potassium, and lots of other magical qualities, he still would like something different.


A few days ago, he sent me a video of a juice recipe, which was something different. It takes nearly 10 minutes for the video to show you how to cut, blend, and explain that good juice must be strained. But if you have 10 minutes, it's an interesting view. Tonight we tried it. And it was excellent. Really excellent! We juiced one melon, which was selling for 25 cents per pound, and made nearly a gallon of juice. Now I just have to figure out how to get out the lovely red color from our 'strainer.' (Thank you to the giver of this lovely towel. It has served us very well. Hopefully you aren't offended at our multitasking its purpose.) At least I'll have some juice to quench the thirst while washing. Maybe with a little lime in it...

Hold the raisins

Good Morning! You open the cupboard and pull out a box of bran flake and sugar-crusted raisin mixture, claiming to have two full scoops of raisins in every box. For a college assignment, a group of students and I analyzed this product to establish the meaning of this claim. We discovered that, in fact, based on percent of raisin volume and weight per box, the amount of raisin varied greatly enough, even of the same package size, that there was no consistency at all. No two scoop sizes were alike. 

That aside, have you ever checked out the ingredient list on the various flakes of branny goodness? Ever notice that even the most basic version have fun chemicals like BHT and caramel coloring. Sounds delicious! Time to eat!

Unless, of course, you want to keep it natural. How? Make some of your own! Is it simple? Yes! Does it take some time? Also, yes. Is it worth it? Right now, for me, yes. I found a recipe here at 48 Homemade Breakfast Cereals > Willow Bird Baking.

She writes for a while about all kinds of cereals and has lovely pictures and when you get to the very bottom, you find this recipe (that I have taken the liberty to shorten and modify):

Bran Flakes

Recipe by: Adapted from Mr. Breakfast and now from Willow Bird Baking
Yields: about 3-4 servings (But doubling or quadrupling is a good idea,)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup almond flour (or other finely ground nuts or ground flax)
Some honey (a Tablespoon is noticeably sweet, 3 T is really! sweet)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (though I'm not convinced it lightens it at all)
1/4 teaspoon salt, if you want
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients well. then add the wet. Cut 2 sheets to fit a baking tray or cookie sheet and place half the mixture on each sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and roll until thin and evenish.

Remove the plastic and transfer paper to the baking sheet. Heat oven to 350 F. Cook for 5-10 minutes, checking for a flexible, lightly browned leather like flake, slightly browned on the edges. It can burn quickly, so pay attention. Allow it to cool and repeat until dough is used.

Reduce the heat to 275 and break each flake into smaller flakes, like bran flake size. Spread them out on a sheet and cook for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Cool and eat up, because they only last for 2 weeks, according to the original site. Chances are, you won't need to worry about them lasting that long.


She gives the nutrition info as follows:

Nutritional Info: Serving size: about 1/4 of total yield Calories: 146.3, Fat: 5g, Sodium: 185mg, Carbs: 24.5g, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 8g, Protein: 5.5g

Fun variations: Add cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, try different nuts, use juice in place of the milk and/or water. If your sweet tooth demands try it with chocolate chips (mix in the cereal bowl, probably not while cooking.) Also, combine with other cereals or add fruit to serve. It's tasty!

Am I extreme? Probably. Does my family like them? Yes.

The wobble in the gobble

Imagine walking into the kitchen just as the most succulent looking turkey comes out of the oven. It's brown and crispy skin glistens as steam rises from the warm meat. Take a sniff. Ah, delightful! Too bad you still have to wait another 20 minutes before digging in.

That is what happened in our house this weekend. My resident-chef husband cooked a delicious bird for our April Fools dinner. No joke. He followed a recipe by Gordon Ramsey, plus or minus a few things. It was wonderful. Sorry no picture. It would only make you hungry.

Some changes he made, were to cover from the beginning with foil and bake on 350. Somehow he didn't mind that we did have bacon either. The last 30 mins, he basted and left the cover off for the rest of the time. We didn't let it rest for 2.5 hrs, nor did we follow the gravy recipe. The turkey was good enough.

Sugar + Water + 6-year-old = ?

Thirsty? Try a nice cool refresher. Um yum! Want a sip? What?! Your straw is broken?

April fools!

This year, my sister and I made a ’secret drink’ for dinner, made of ‘sugar and water‘ she explained, as she tried so hard to keep it secret. I even considered making blue or clear jigglers for ice cubes, but decided it wasn't worth the effort this time around.

Want the recipe?  Check the back of the gelatin box. Then add straw. Or dress it up with a strawberry on the rim.

(Helpful hint: Try not to shake the tray too much as you serve. It kind of gives it away.)

Next experiment: Lupini

My favorite Italian co-worker introduced me to these a few years ago. They were slightly crunchy, salty, and yummy to snack on. The knowledgeable (and infallible) internet shows that lupini is often prepared for celebrations, such as Easter, often served with beer. Here, I am breaking tradition, with no major celebration and no beer in sight. Until a few weeks ago, I had never seen these little beans, but when they jumped off the shelf of a local market, it was time.

Lupini is a good source of protein, so the internet says, but the beans contain lots of nasty toxins too, which is why they must soak and soak and soak, until the bitterness is gone. This could be up to two weeks. My co-worked gave me a basic recipe, but, 4 years later, I have no idea where it is. I do remember a lot of boiling, rinsing, and salting. Again, after consulting the web, I decided my method:

• Soak for 24 hours. Rinse.
• Boil in salted water for 90 mins. Rinse.
• Cover in salty water (1 T/quart) and refrigerate.
• Rinse and recover with salty water 1-2 times a day until they 'don't bite back.'
• The end product was yellow and plump.

Ready for the ride?

Eet smakelijk!

My husband and I like to experiment on people. Not on the person, actually, but more using people as guinea pigs. We would never actually do this to a guinea pig, and no animals were harmed, let alone in the area, during the making of this dish. It's this odd habit we have of generally making dinner we have never tried before and feeding it to guests. Granted, we experiment with food all the time when it's just us, but guests are not spared with an old standby. After that lengthy introduction, we had the missionaries over time to eat with us, and we made an excellent dish. I would do it again, and again, and again, until I started to wonder what all the cream and bacon was doing to my cardiovascular system. But that's another topic. Here is the recipe. It's good. Try it.

What did I change? I used chicken thighs, bone in, no skin. It worked fine, but make sure the juices run clear. Also, I used bacon in place of the pancetta. And I have no idea what Charlotte potatoes are. Red potatoes worked great. Tasty!

Curling and Cake

This post has nothing to do with hair. We're talking the sport of curling, with the rocks, brooms, and lots of ice. Last weekend two of my favorite people got married. (They made it!) The groom is Canadian, thus in honor of the traditions of the Great White North, the bride readily agreed to my idea of making a grooms cake resembling a curling rock. (The technical term is rock, not stone. I like being technical.)

This cake gave me an opportunity to learn what not to do in many, many aspects of cake making. You can learn them too, if you like.

I started by trying various cake recipes, and I landed on this one, thanks to my sister. I did decrease the sugar by a third, 2 cups instead of 3 cups, but I like less sweetness. I tried it out as cupcakes first and it worked perfectly. When I finally baked the cake, in three 9 inch pans, as the recipe suggests, the cake hardly rose at all and barely touched the sides of the pan. Something didn't work. Undaunted, or maybe a little daunted, I tried again, this time using a little more batter in the pan. It helped, but still didn't get as much lift as I wanted. Maybe 8 inch would work better.

For the filling, I wanted something non-fruit and non-whipped cream, something new, so I decided pastry filling, like what is used in Boston Cream Pie. My friend earned her master's degree in Boston, so I found it fitting. It's a recipe in the Joy of Cooking:

• Beat together until thick and pale yellow 1/3 c sugar, 2 T flour, 2 T cornstarch, and 4 large egg yolks.
• Slowly heat 1 1/3 c milk until simmering, stirring almost constantly.
• Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture, stirring quickly to temper the eggs without cooking them. Then add it all back in the pan, and stirring constantly and scraping the sides, heat on medium low until the mixture is thick.
• Pour into a new bowl and add 3/4 t vanilla. Cover with a layer of plastic or wax paper directly on the mixture. This prevents a non-yummy film from hardening on top of the cream. Cool a bit, then refrigerate for up to 4 days.

The icing is chocolate chips melted in a double boiler, or a non-melting bowl in a pot of simmering water, with a splash of water, and some butter added at the end to make it smooth. This can stay out of the fridge and is really yummy. The red chips were treated the same way, except they were red.

As you can see, the handle is rice crispies treat. My kitchen timer made a useful form to keep the handle up for long enough that it would set.

The set up of the cake was by far the most difficult part. Little did I know that this semi-solid pastry cream would easily melt into a not very pretty mess, leaving a very flat cake behind. Next time, use whipped cream or butter cream icing to make a well for the cream to sit it. I tried this on a second attempt, though my camera had died by then, only to revive later and die again, so I have no pictures of it. It's probably the best part of the story to skip anyway.

I had already tried to dip the handle in the red chocolate, but it wasn't very smooth, so my husband and I decided to try using a blow dryer to heat it enough to smooth it out. It worked beautifully once I decided to stop being so careful and just crank the thing. I hope I didn't scare the semi deaf dog in the process.

For the cake, I dumped a bunch of the warmed chocolate (warmed in a pot of hot water, not with the blow dryer) over the cake which was on a rack, and allowed the chocolate to run all over. It's best to work quickly so the chocolate doesn't harden in the wrong spot or too early. If it does, dip a metal knife or spatula in hot water, dry it, and use the heat from the knife to smooth it out.

With some left overs, I made little curling stones, just for some extra flare. I used straws for the handles. Even they had problems with oozing filling, so the take home is make a well, or maybe just a little hole in the little ones, to keep in the filling!!!

Best part: the gasp of delight bringing it out and the pleasure on the faces of those that enjoyed it. Cake done!

Close enough Tikka Masala

Looking at this picture, you may not think, 'Oh boy! Let me try some of that.' (You may actually wonder if this is a pre-chewed meal.) But, appearances can be deceiving, because last night was the Best Dinner Ever!!!

Not to brag, since I do it all the time, but it was amazing! I probably stared at my plate for a full minute thinking 'Did I make that?!' Who knew that I could cook something more than fairly good?! No, this was epic.

Naturally I didn't follow the recipe, because my kitchen didn't have everything it called for, but substitution makes things interesting. Before you get tired of reading, here's a warning that this post is very long and the recipe seems complicated, but it is absolutely worth any work, even if the picture doesn't look it. Ready to dive in? Here goes:

Close Enough Murgh Tikka Masala (Grilled Chicken in a Spicy Sauce) (It's Indian Food) (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken
• half a chopped onion
• dash of cayenne pepper
• few mint leaves
• few Tbls of plain yogurt
• drop of sesame oil or butter
• salt
• canola oil

• dash of
  garlic
• powdered ginger

• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 c cilantro
• 1 T ground coriander
• ground cumin
• dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 t paprika
• garam masala
• salt
• 1 c water
• 1/2 c cream
• rice, to serve

Marinate the chicken

Cut about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken into 1-2 inch chunks, evenly sized.

Marinate for 6-24 hours in Marinade:

• In food processor or blender, blend to a paste half a chopped onion, a dash of cayenne pepper, a few mint leaves, some garlic, a few Tbls of plain yogurt, a dash of garam masala, and a bit of salt.

(What is Garam Masala? It's a spice used in lots, if not all, Indian dishes. It comes pre-mixed in the spice section of many grocery stores, or you can mix your own. To find spices for a good price, check whole foods stores for bulk spices. That way you don't have to pay for the fancy packaging.)

If you don't have yogurt, try sour cream. I wouldn't do it all the time, but it worked out this time.

Cook the chicken

After marinating, heat a grill, fry pan, or grill pan and cook the chicken completely. Use any extra marinade to baste, but beware that the marinade burns faster than the chicken turns brown if the pan is too hot. Oops. Transfer to a new bowl.

Finish the chicken

To the finished chicken, add 1 Tbls vegetable oil and a drop of sesame oil or butter. Sprinkle with dried fenugreek leaves, a little salt, and cumin. Keep the chicken warm.

(We're getting close to the finish, I promise.)

The Sauce:

Fried Onion paste

Thinly slice 1/2 onion. Heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a pan and fry the onion until browned. Put into the food processor, or blender, and add a dash of garlic, powdered ginger, and enough plain yogurt to make it smooth.

The rest of the sauce

Puree 2 large tomatoes, or about 16 oz canned tomato, with 1/2 c cilantro. Add the puree to the remaining oil in the pan from the onion paste and cook to remove the juices (5-10 minutes) stirring regularly.

Add spices (1 T ground coriander, 1 t ground cumin, 2 t dried fenugreek leaves, 1 t paprika, 1 t garam masala, 1 t salt, or to taste). Cook 1 min.

Add 1 c water and the chicken. Simmer for 5 mins. Add 1/2 c cream. Cook 5 mins more. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over rice. I like jasmine rice, myself.

Go forth! Try it!

(And here is the book with the original recipe, just to give credit)

Parmesan chicken

• Dinner was really yummy last night, but since I never follow a recipe exactly, I have to record my changes. But that's why I blog; it's my digital notebook. The inspirational recipe comes from Food Network's Tyler Florence and here's how I did it differently:

Parmesan Chicken

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup olives, pitted
• Basil (I used dried since my fresh plants keep dying.)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• Pinch sugar
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken thighs (about 3/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs and/or cornmeal
• A bit of cheddar, grated
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked

Saute onion and garlic in hot oil. Taste the onion for doneness before adding basil, to taste, crushed olives and tomatoes. Cook on low, occasionally stirring, for a long time while you clean, shower, or complete other tasks. Once the sauce is thickened, add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. If the tomato tastes too acidic, add 1 T of butter at a time until the flavors balance.

If the chicken is thick, pound it between layers of plastic to 1/2 inch. Set out 3 shallow bowls or rimmed plates for the flour, egg, and bread crumbs. Season the flour and crumbs with salt and pepper. Beat the water and egg until well mixed. Heat oil on the stove for frying. Coat each piece of chicken thoroughly with flour, shaking off excess (using a fork or spoon to coat and transfer between coatings makes this less messy), then dip in eggs, allowing the excess to drip off. Finally, cover in bread crumbs, again shaking excess, and fry for a few minutes on each side.

Heat oven to 450 F. Once the coating is crispy, place chicken in oven proof dish and cover with the sauce, then cheese. Bake until cheese is melty, bubbly, or crisp, however you like it, and serve over spaghetti. It was good.

Serves 3-4

What I learned:

• Check the onion to make sure it is soft before adding anything. Fragrance does not equal done.
• Add butter to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Forks make this process a lot easier for coating chicken.
• Cornmeal works in place of bread crumbs, but the aesthetics are different.
• Thigh meat doesn't dry out as easily as breast meat. I tend to over cook chicken, thus drying it out, but this was excellent.

Butternut stew

Yum.

Pumpkin and I get along in pies and cookies, but never in soups or stews. Butternut squash is very similar in flavor and in uses, so I hesitated in trying this recipe, even though the squash has graced our counter since Christmas. That was only 6 months ago... but this was worth the wait.

The original recipe is here, but naturally, my non-conformist cook had to change it. Plus, I never go to the store for two ingredients when substitutes are available.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 9 ounces fresh Andouille sausage, but any sausage might work
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces potatoes, large dice
• 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 5 ounces spinach, fresh or frozen

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When it shimmers, add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned all over, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 10 minutes. Add squash and potatoes and cook until potatoes are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in caraway and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes (with juices) and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are fork tender, about 2-3 hours. Slice reserved sausage into 1/2-inch rounds and add to the pan along with spinach. Cook until sausage is heated through and spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Are you sick of recipes yet? There are more coming, don't worry.

Tuna cheesy goodness

Tonight I tried something new for dinner and it was tasty enough to write. Please forgive from those who like exact recipes. Here goes:

A few slices of bread (I made 3 sandwiches with one can, but loaf was a bit short.)

A can of tuna, in water

About 1/4 c. Ricotta cheese

Some green onion, chopped

A bit red onion, very thinly sliced

Enough mayonnaise to make it wet

Cheddar cheese

Olive oil

Cayenne pepper

Salt

Black pepper

Drain the tuna and mix in the onions, to taste, the Ricotta, and the mayo. Drizzle oil on each of the slices of bread. Grate some cheddar on each slice. Mound the tuna on half the slices. Add more grated cheddar. Top the sandwich with another slice of bread and drizzle more oil on outside of the bread. Cook until the cheese melts on a griddle or in a sandwich maker. I used a George Foreman grill. Broiled in the over might work too.

Here's another plug for comments: do you have an amazing sandwich?

Bread Recipes

The River Cottage Bread Handbook is my new favorite bread book. It happens to be the only one I own, but it has lots of recipes for all different kinds of breads. It also explains the details of how the dough should look and feel, as well as why he does things a certain way. His recipes build off of a basic bread recipe, which is fairly simple, and then he gives some ideas on how to create new things. Rather than loading the whole book, which would be nice, this is a recipe I adapted from his basic recipe. I haven't done it the same way twice, so there is always room for new ideas. (It might need a new title, too.)

Mostly whole wheat, potato bread recipe

Day 1:

6 cups (~750 g) whole wheat flour

2 cups warmish water

2 Tablespoons plain active yogurt

Mix the ingredients thoroughly and cover tightly with plastic or a lid to prevent evaporation. Allow this is rest for 12-24 hours.

Day 2:

1 Tablespoon yeast

1/2 cup warm liquid

Optional:

1 cup warm mashed potato, mashed smooth

I usually use water or occasionally dry milk in the water, but avoid fresh milk. It will kill the yeast. You can scald the milk first, but if it is too hot, that also kills the yeast. Picky, picky. Mix those and let them sit for 5-20 minutes, or until you remember that it is still waiting for you. The potato, from the one time I tried it, makes the bread stay moist longer.

2 cup non-bleached all-purpose flour

2-4 teaspoons salt, if you like salty, go for 4

Optional:

1 Tablespoon of fat (he calls for 'a good slug') (e.g. butter, meat drippings, oil, etc.)

1-2 teaspoons of honey

2 handfuls of 'extras' like oats or small seeds

Mix all the ingredients and knead for 10 minutes by hand or in a heavy mixer. To know when it is mixed, hold the dough up and stretch it thin. If you feel the dough won't stretch any more, it's ready. Over-kneading is possible, especially with a mixer, and the dough breaks down into a lifeless lump. I haven't had it happen, but checking the stetchability should prevent it. White flour bread should go to a fairly thin sheet, so says the book, enough to see light through it. The higher wheat content gets thin-ish and may tear rather than forming a sheet.

Form the dough to a round ball and cover it in a warm place for 1.5 hour, or until it is double. Some days this happens quickly, and others not so much. Punch the dough again. Now you have a choice: let it rise up to 3 more times, and subsequently punch it again, or divide it into loaves. This amount makes 2 large loaves, or a few smaller ones.

Again, cover and allow the dough to rise in the pan, or on a baking stone, or cookie sheet. My parents still make bread in an old metal juice can like tomato juice comes it. Kids would always comment on my 'round bread' at school. Once the bread has doubled, bake it! There have been too many times where I let it rise too long and it comes out flat. If you want, slash the tops diagonally, about 1/2 inch deep in order to allow it to rise further in the oven. Shallow slashes look wimpy. Deep slashes look like you are knife happy.

The book recommends a high heat for the first 10 minutes, like 500 F high. I'm finding that I don't like that as much, as the crust is really thick and is pseudo-burnt. So I've tried about 400 F for 40-50 minutes for big loaves and about 10 minutes less for smaller ones. Put it in and don't check it for at least 10 minutes. Letting the hot air escape means it doesn't rise as well. If the top is too brown, cover it with foil after the 10 minutes. Once it's done, pull it out of the pans and drool while it cools. Cutting it too soon will squish it, but if you are tearing off hunks anyway, dig in!

Long enough post? Please add all you want!