Ode to Gluten

Passover was rough this year. Fortunately we pulled through and now I love bread more than ever. After a wildly productive week, I decided the best way to spend the final days of my April staycation was definitely baking. And faced with another two months of inpatient rotations, kicking it off with a week of nights, I decided I'd better bake something hearty. And portable.

Now normally I wouldn't gravitate towards a recipe from The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, but this one is so simple and delicious. And chock-full of whole wheat, fruit, and nuts, it fits right into my ever-expanding repertoire of healthy breakfast baked goods. Its popularity is fast spreading throughout my whole family, and after an impromptu cocktails-and-bread night last night, my friends as well. The recipe is so huge it makes two loaves, and I find the second makes a perfect housewarming or thank-you gift.

This time around I decided to get fancy, creating a cinnamon-raisin swirl instead of just kneading them into the dough. The result was a bit messier, but once the sugar had cooled and set, it promotes the bread from everyday loaf to special weekend breakfast. Or late-night snack, if you ask my friends.

Whole Wheat Raisin-Nut Bread

1 package (5 tsp) yeast

1/2 c. warm (110-degree) water

1 1/2 c. warm (110-degree) milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
1/3 c. honey

2 eggs

3 c. whole wheat flour

3 1/2 c. white flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 c. raisins, soaked in warm water

1 c. chopped walnuts

extra cinnamon and sugar, for the swirl
egg white and water, for the glaze

1. Combine yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand. A layer of foam should appear on top; this means the yeast is alive and excited about the sugar, which it is starting to ferment. The fermentation process is what will produce all those wonderful carbon dioxide bubbles and make the bread rise.

2. Combine flour and rest of dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

3. Attach a dough hook to your mixer. Combine yeast/water, butter, and eggs (I saved a tiny bit of egg white to use for glaze later). Add dry ingredients. As I mentioned, this is a HUGE recipe so add flour slowly unless you want a mini blizzard in your kitchen (as you can see from the picture, I did not add it slowly enough).

If you don't have a stand mixer, or just want a real hands-on breadmaking experience, just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead away.

4. Lightly oil a large bowl (or use cooking spray). Drop the ball of dough, and turn once to coat. Cover with a moist towel and let sit in a warm place for 1-2 hours.

5. Divide dough in half. Turn onto a clean workspace. I love this Tupperware mat. If you're not into the fancy swirl, skip this step and just knead the nuts and raisins in.

6. Flatten each ball into a rectangle (-ish) with your hands. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar, then nuts, then raisins (I used golden and regular in the photos shown here).

7. Roll into a loaf, tucking the raisins and nuts inside. Pinch the ends closed and tuck under so the contents don't fall out. (See pictures at end for example). The sugar gets very syrupy and sticky as it heats up, and if there are open ends it will spill out of the bread. Which could be delicious. But messy.

8. Beat egg white with a little cold water to make a glaze, and brush the top of each loaf. Place in lightly oiled loaf pans.

9. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. You'll know the bread is done when you knock on the top and it sounds hollow. If you like a crispier crust you can remove from the pan and put straight on the oven rack or on a baking sheet for another 5-10 minutes.
10. Let cool. Slice, butter, and devour. Give the other one to a friend.

Step 7: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar, raisins and nuts on dough, then jelly-roll and pinch ends to prevent liquid sugar from leaking out.

Zuppa di Lenticchie

Spring is in the air, if you're lucky enough to catch it. Basking in the afternoon sun, I fantasize about grilling until dinnertime comes around and I realize I'm wearing a coat and scarf and no longer wish to spend time outdoors. When the other night brought more wind and rain (but no snow this time!) I found myself turning to this recipe. Adapted from the irreproachable Marcella Hazan (and among her simpler recipes), this soup is a longtime favorite in our home. It's  hearty enough to fill the soul, but virtuous enough to feel good about when summer clothes season looms ahead. And a big plus (you may be sensing a theme here), it requires minimal shopping! I was way behind on my groceries so I picked up some pancetta for this one, but I've found it works just as well with bacon, ham, sausage, or anything smoky-flavored you have on hand. My mother has been known to make it with *gasp* no meat at all, but I don't think it would be the same. For your semi-veg friends, you can use turkey bacon and chicken broth and it comes out just as nice.

Zuppa di lenticchie (from Marcella Hazan)

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot (or handful of baby carrots), chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped, with leaves saved for garnish

1 tsp dried marjoram (or 2 Tbsp fresh)

4 oz pancetta (or other smoky meat)

1 1/2 c. dried lentils (I used green here, which take a little longer to cook; brown works best I think)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

4-5. c. beef broth (I use bullion)

parmesan cheese and celery leaves to taste

1. Saute onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and marjoram in olive oil and butter until onions slightly translucent.

2. Add pancetta, saute until cook through and fat rendered out.

3. Add lentils, saute 1-2 minutes (I can't explain why but this seems to help them maintain their form and avoid becoming overly mushy after the water is added. It's like rice in risotto?)

4. Add diced tomatoes, saute until warmed through.

5. Add beef broth, bring to a boil and cover.

6. Cook 30+ minutes, until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. You can add more water to taste - we tend to prefer a stewier texture, but there's enough flavor to stretch the broth into a proper soup.

7. Serve with Parmesan cheese to taste, garnished with celery leaves, and alongside a nice dry red and some crusty bread. Bring it, April showers.