Category Archives: Morning Break

OK, so technically, I’m not from Puerto Rico. It was my grandparents who sailed to the mainland in the early 1900s landing in Manhattan and Pennsylvania (not sure of the city). They carved lives, worked jobs and built families. Me – I’m a Newyorican transplanted to the Upper Midwest in the early 1970s.

I’m just back from visiting my Mom (now in assisted living in New Jersey) and my younger sister and brother. I never laugh as much as when I’m with them. It’s absolutely raucous. Always is. Cathy’s a great cook, brother Chris is a CIA-degreed chef. Both are married to great cooks and gourmands, so it was no surprise that they chose an over-the-top restaurant for our Saturday night out. Reyla, a modern Middle Eastern restaurant in Asbury Park, NJ exceeded expectations. Mutliple dishes dotted the table, each rooted in Mediterranean cuisine: Greek, Israeli, North African. The ingredients were fresh. The sauces distinct, layered and deeply flavored. The Italian wine proved a perfect complement. Joined by yet another family couple, the conversation was easy, the laughter frequent, and the joy evident. An evening to remember.

And now, I’m home. Ahh. The sun’s bright on the fields, and the cows are reclined on a south hill out of the wind. Soon I’ll switch on the tractor’s engine block heater and prepare to move a 1,000-pound bale of hay out to the herd. Then I guess it’ll be paper work for this coming season’s Bull Brook Keep beef sales, sourdough bread-baking classes, and the next Cowgirl High Tea.

Siggy

I’ll get to it in a few minutes. Right now, things are quiet. Dave is reading. Each of our three dogs has found his own shaft of sunlight, and I’m finishing up a cup of tea.

I’ll make my brunch, and then get a move on.

Today’s morning break: Blackeyed peas in a hoppin’John stew flavored with organic pork hocks, organic brown rice, Italian roasted red peppers, and a forkful of spicy kimchi. (Sorry, no photo. It just disappeared too quickly!)

Tomorrow: Israeli hummus and shakshuka.

Sylvia

Stale bread is great bread. Think – pudding!

I love baking bread – French sourdoughs, millet, polenta and sunflower, oatmeal with sesame seeds, pumpkin and poppy seed, you name it. I usually make two to four loaves a week, if not more. I know, it’s a bit of an obsession, but I just can’t keep my nose away from the yeasty dough rising on the kitchen counter. And the aroma of hot, crusty loaves will draw my husband from the furthest corner of the garage.
It’s no surprise then, that partial loaves grow a bit stale, even as new loaves bake. What to do?
Well, I try to stay ahead of cycle by gifting fresh loaves to friends. As some loaves begin to dry, I’ll cut thick slices and soak them in a thin mix of eggs, milk and vanilla. Then into a buttered pan they go for French toast. Yum.
And if I find myself with an extra half loaf, well, that’s when I heat up the oven for bread pudding. Here’s how:
Ingredients:
– 3.5 c bread in 3/4″ cubes. Nearly all breads, except for strong rye, will work.
– 3 eggs
– 2 c whole milk
– 2/3 c sugar
– 2 tsp vanilla vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp almond extract
– Some gratings of nutmeg
– 2 T cold unsalted butter, diced
– Optional: 1/4 c raw sunflower seeds, or raw pumpkn seeds, or sliced almonds, or a mixture
– Optional: 1/4 c golden raisins, or dried sour cherries, or snipped dried apricots, or a mix
Prep
– Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
– Butter an 8″x8″ glass or nonstick baking pan
– Have medium-sized saucepan at the ready
– If using dried fruit, microwave with 2T brandy or water 15-20 seconds, then cool 15 minutes.
Directions
1. Spread the bread cubes on a cookie sheet and toast until a lightly browned. This will take 10-15 minutes. Check periodically to make sure they’re not burning.
2. Let the cubes cool, then transfer them to a deep mixing bowl.
3. Scald the milk over medium heat and pour over the cubes. Let this sit for 15 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the eggs and sugar until light. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
5. Pour the egg-sugar mixture, the fruit and seeds (if using), into the milk-bread mixture. Stir gently and briefly, then pour into your buttered baking dish. Be sure to scrape all that lovely goodness into the bake.
6. Dot the top with the butter.
7. Butter one side of a sheet of aluminum foil to fit over the baking pan.
8. Bake about 40 minutes. The pudding will look a bit undone. Don’t worry – it’s done.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Top it, if you’d like, with whatever you want: ice cream, half-and-half, yogurt, fresh berries.

PS – You know, it’s funny. It was about two years ago that I began searching for a good bread pudding recipe. I went through all my cookbooks, searched magazines online, and googled for more. Turns out I adapted this recipe from Beth Hensperger’s Bread Machine Cookbook. I highly recommend the book to anyone with a bread machine.

Morning break after a three-dog night

It hit -28 last night at Bull Brook Keep, and that’s without taking windchill into account.
After pulling on my flap-earred hat, long-johns and heavy jacket, I fed and watered the chickens and fully expected to find frozen eggs in the nest boxes. Today’s harvest was small and cold, but not frozen. I’ll check the coop several times this morning to gather up any new contributions before they freeze and crack.

Hot and spicy break after a three-dog night

Hot and spicy break after a three-dog night


Chilly morning chores prompt substantial morning breaks. Today’s includes toasted French sourdough fortified with pastured butter and homemade jalapeño jelly, extra sharp Cheddar, a fresh pear and piping hot organic Welsh Morning tea with plenty of organic half-and-half and vanilla-spiked organic sugar. Thank you God.