tortoisegirl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tortoisegirl) wrote2010-06-06 04:43 pm
tortoisegirl) wrote2010-06-06 04:43 pm
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Gotta do the cooking by the book (except when you don't)
I did a lot of cooking this weekend, and since I remembered to document it with pictures this time I though I'd share some recipes.
First up was No-Knead Bread
I'd been seeing stuff about recipes like this for a while, touting that it's super easy, that it's cheaper than buying bread, that the dough can be stored and used whenever. And since I have a bunch of yeast to use up, I decided to try it.
I used this recipe, which I won't copy here because I pretty much followed it exactly. The only difference was that I don't have a pizza stone or parchment paper, so I baked the bread on a regular room temp baking sheet and it turned out fine. Didn't stick to the sheet or anything.
The recipe made three loaves for me. The only gripe I have about the taste is that it's too salty. I'd halve the salt next time.
Then something cold, since it's humid as hell here: Cantaloupe Sorbet with Honey and Cilantro
Adapted from this, though I changed it a bit so I'm gonna post my version here.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves
1 ripe Cantaloupe - I bought a big cantaloupe and used just over half of it, and ended up with 4-5 cups of sorbet.
Heat up the water, honey, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and they honey has melted into a water-like consistency. Chop up the cantaloupe and puree it in a blender or food processor (my food processor is small, so I had to do this in batches). Chop the cilantro and blend that in too. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the honey water.
At this point the recipe says to use an ice cream maker, but I don't have one. I googled around for alternatives since I figured just freezing would result in frozen fruit juice, not sorbet. One recommendation was to freeze it in ice cube trays then put the frozen ice cubes through a blender again and refreeze the resulting slush. Another said to freeze it all in a bowl but go in and stir it every 30 minutes. I did an experimental combination of these- but it in the freezer in a big bowl and stirred it a few times, then when it was frozen to a thick slush put it through the food processor again, then let it freeze completely.
This morning I had to let it thaw out for a good 20 minutes before I could scoop some up. It's probably chunkier and more ice crystal-y than had I used an ice cream maker, but it still tastes good.
And damn does this stuff taste good! Cantaloupe + frozen is automatically a perfect summertime food, but then the honey adds a nice sweetness and the cilantro an interesting extra flavor. Soooo good.
First up was No-Knead Bread
I'd been seeing stuff about recipes like this for a while, touting that it's super easy, that it's cheaper than buying bread, that the dough can be stored and used whenever. And since I have a bunch of yeast to use up, I decided to try it.
I used this recipe, which I won't copy here because I pretty much followed it exactly. The only difference was that I don't have a pizza stone or parchment paper, so I baked the bread on a regular room temp baking sheet and it turned out fine. Didn't stick to the sheet or anything.
The recipe made three loaves for me. The only gripe I have about the taste is that it's too salty. I'd halve the salt next time.
Then something cold, since it's humid as hell here: Cantaloupe Sorbet with Honey and Cilantro
Adapted from this, though I changed it a bit so I'm gonna post my version here.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves
1 ripe Cantaloupe - I bought a big cantaloupe and used just over half of it, and ended up with 4-5 cups of sorbet.
Heat up the water, honey, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and they honey has melted into a water-like consistency. Chop up the cantaloupe and puree it in a blender or food processor (my food processor is small, so I had to do this in batches). Chop the cilantro and blend that in too. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the honey water.
At this point the recipe says to use an ice cream maker, but I don't have one. I googled around for alternatives since I figured just freezing would result in frozen fruit juice, not sorbet. One recommendation was to freeze it in ice cube trays then put the frozen ice cubes through a blender again and refreeze the resulting slush. Another said to freeze it all in a bowl but go in and stir it every 30 minutes. I did an experimental combination of these- but it in the freezer in a big bowl and stirred it a few times, then when it was frozen to a thick slush put it through the food processor again, then let it freeze completely.
This morning I had to let it thaw out for a good 20 minutes before I could scoop some up. It's probably chunkier and more ice crystal-y than had I used an ice cream maker, but it still tastes good.
And damn does this stuff taste good! Cantaloupe + frozen is automatically a perfect summertime food, but then the honey adds a nice sweetness and the cilantro an interesting extra flavor. Soooo good.