The Times They Are A Changing…

I’ve posted this short video before but recently came upon it and it seems as fresh as when I first saw it, so thought I’d re-post (for those who may not have seen it initially). I originally came across it at the excellent Toronto based blog, The Urban Country. It’s only a minute long and worth your time. And if you are…um…well…of a certain age group (like me) you’ll likely find this funny.

Urban Simplicity.

Broccoli and Bean Curd

Broccoliand Bean Curd with Ginger, Garlic, and Hot Peppers
Yield:4 servings
4tablespoons soy sauce
1tablespoon cider vinegar
1tablespoon sugar
2tablespoons cornstarch
4heads broccoli, cut into florets
12ounces firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1cup vegetable oil (for frying)
1small onion, sliced
1red bell pepper, julienned
2cloves garlic, minced
1tablespoon minced ginger
1teaspoon crushed hot pepper
1-1/2cups chicken broth

In asmall bowl combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. Mixto dissolve the cornstarch and set aside. Par-cook the broccoliboiling water, then drain it and cool it under cold running water.

Heat theoil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Carefully add the tofuand cook it on both sides until golden brown. Remove the tofu andtransfer to absorbent paper. Carefully pour most of the oil into aseparate pan (or other safe container), leaving just enough oil tostir fry in. Heat the pan and add the onion and bell pepper. Sautéthe vegetables until they begin to caramelize. Add the garlic,ginger, and hot peppers. Sauté for another minute or two.

Stir inthe chicken broth; bring it to a boil, than stir in thesoy-cornstarch mixture. Bring it to a simmer, then add the broccoliand bean curd. Stir and toss it to evenly coat it with sauce.Continue to heat the pan just until the broccoli is heatedthroughout.
 

Consider the Wing

(The following recipes and portions of the text have previously appeared in both Buffalo Spree and Artvoice).
In the same way that New York Stylepizza is known simply as pizza in Manhattan and French fries arecalled fried potatoes (pommes frites) in France, chicken wings inWestern New York are of course simply wings, not “Buffalo-Wings.”
By now most people in this hemisphere know the origin of the humble chicken wing (cooked Buffalo-Style), but I truly cannot recall eating chickenwings until I was a teenager. This is partly because money was tightand we rarely ate out (pizza was rare treat), but this is probablyalso true because at that time “Buffalo-style” chicken wings werenot that well known…when I was a child they were still in their infancy and a local treat.
The first time that I actually realized theywere a regional delicacy was in a music store in Nashville in themid-1980’s. I was buying a cassette and mentioned to the clerk thatI was from Buffalo. His eyes lit up and he asked me two things: if Iwas familiar with the band The 10,000 Maniacs and if I liked Buffalowings. Before this I had never heard of them referred to as “Buffalowings.” Shortly there after while in the student center at theCulinary Institute of America (of all places) a classmate asked me ifI wanted to order Buffalo wings. Up until this time it still hadn’toccurred to me that chicken wings—as a fried food—were unique toour region. I just assumed everyone ate them, like fries, or hot dogsand hamburgers.
A couple years later I landed a job ascook at a French restaurant in the Garden District of New Orleans.One day the house butcher brought me a bowl of raw wings. Normallythey went into the chicken stock but this day he had saved them uponthe sous-chef’s request. The sous-chef, who I feared more than thechef (primarily because the chef never spoke to me, or screamed at melike the sous chef), wanted me to make the staff wings forlunch. Most of the kitchen crew were Cajun and loved the greasyspiciness of the sauce.
“Take some to the chef, he’s in hisoffice,” suggested one of the cooks. Terrified, and with handsshaking, I walked into the office and set down a plate of steamingwings, complete with celery, carrot, and made-from-scratch bluecheese dressing. I rarely had the opportunity to talk to the chef letalone feed him. “Qu’est-ce c’est?” he inquired. Thesous-chef told him in his native French that I was from Buffalo andthat these were our delicacy. He also said they were tréspiquant. Speaking in English (a language, I was told, hedetested and spoke only in necessity) the chef told me he’d been toNiagara Falls, then picked up a drumstick and bit in. About 10seconds passed before he pushed the plate away, and in what seemedlike desperation, chugged the remainder of his ever-present glass ofwine. Panting, he questioned “Shit, why so #!&¢!# hot.”
Hey, I thought, he was warned they weretrés piquant, and I only made them medium.
The phrase “Buffalo style” has ofcourse taken on a life of its own when referring to recipes. In thesame way Paul Prudomme’s blackened foods scarcely resemble the foodhe likely ate as a child, “Buffalo style” is of course nolonger simply for wings. A simple Google search yields more than 7million hits. The resulting recipes offer everything from frogs legs(Buffalo legs) to vegan tofu. There was even a mention of “BuffaloStyle ice cream,” with pieces of sugared blue cheese. Buffalo Style has finallyjumped the shark.
Chicken wings of course are not onlysuited to be fried and tossed in butter and hot sauce; nearly anyflavor combination or cooking technique works for these delectablepoultry morsels. They are also not solely destined as a snack food.Chicken wings are a viable protein that can be utilized in a myriadof recipes. This was illustrated to me some years ago while trainingunder an Italian chef, who learning I was from Buffalo, told me thatfrying wings was only one way to cook them, and that his favorite wasto stew them in rice. He made the dish for staff lunch and it wasdelicious.
I made roasted honey-soy wings for my son tonight for dinner (those pictured). I coated them in honey, soy, ginger, garlic, and a sprinkling of cornstarch. They were delicious (I had a few, too). But I couldn’t help but wonder, seeing that I am a born and bred Buffalonian, and I made these in Buffalo…are these Buffalo Style.

TraditionalWings

Preheat enough vegetable oil to 375degrees Fahrenheit to fry as many wings as you see fit. While thewings are frying melt a good sized piece of whole butter in a largebowl and swirl in Frank’s Hot Sauce. When the wings float and arecrispy and cooked throughout, remove from the hot fat. Drain them andtoss with the butter and hot sauce.
Baked Wings with Honeyand Cajun Seasonings
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup honey
24 wings
Combine the spices and honey togetherin a large bowl and mix together. Add the wings and toss to coat themthoroughly. Refrigerate the wings to marinate for 1 hour. Preheat anoven to 325F. Stir the wings then arrange them on a wire rack over abaking sheet (if you do not have a wire rack parchment paper may beused). Bake the wings for about 25 minutes, turning them after 15minutes. The wings are done when they are deep golden brown, no pinkremains around the bone when cut open, and their juices run clear. 
JamaicanJerk Wings
4 green onions
5-7 jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
24 chicken wings
Combine all the ingredients except thewings in a food processor and purée until smooth. Toss the chickenwings with the marinade and refrigerate 1 hour or over night. Roastor grill the wings 30 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
PuertoRican Wings Adobo

 

6 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon ground oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
24 chicken wings
Combine all the ingredients except thewings in a food processor and purée until smooth. Toss the chickenwings with the marinade and refrigerate 1 hour or over night. Roastor grill the wings 30 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
LebaneseLemon-Garlic Wings

6 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil
24 chicken wings
Combine all the ingredients except thewings in a food processor and purée until smooth. Toss the chickenwings with the marinade and refrigerate 1 hour or over night. Roastor grill the wings 30 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
TandooriWings

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup plain yogurt
4 garliccloves
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 smallonion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
24 chickenwings
Combine all the ingredients except thewings in a food processor and purée until smooth. Toss the chickenwings with the marinade and refrigerate 1 hour or over night. Roastor grill the wings 30 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Five Photos of Snow and Cold

As mentioned in a previous post, we got a good taste of winter last night and today…frigid temperatures and a fair amount of snow. I wasn’t out a great deal–just enough to enjoy it–but I did snap a few photos. Even though the above photo was the last I took I chose to place it at top because it is my favorite. I was already home and sitting at my desk when I glanced out the window and saw that sky…the purple and pink were amazing. I went out on my porch, took a couple photos, sat back down and looked out the window again…and it was gone. It lasted like five minutes; I’m glad I had a chance to see it. The next three are various things I saw on my very cold bike ride today. And the bottom one is another favorite…it’s actually a duplicate of another photo (click here) separated by a couple weeks….the earlier version shows the same scene without snow. As usual, click any photo for a larger view. Thanks for visiting.

Urban Simplicity.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This is by far one of my favorite seafood/tomato sauce recipes. It’s easy to make and really delicious…and it has an interesting history also. To read more about it’s origins, the reason certain ingredients are included, or to see photos of it being prepared, click here. (And no, to some of the squeamish readers who may be afraid of anchovies, you don’t taste them in the sauce…they are more of a nuance–I personally love them and ate a few straight from the can–and yes, to the same group of readers, you can omit them from the recipe…but it’s not quite the same.)

ShrimpFra Diavolo 
Makes 4 portions
6tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2small onion, diced
2cloves garlic, minced
2anchovy filets
1teaspoon crushed red pepper
2teaspoons minced parsley
1/2teaspoon basil
1/2teaspoon salt
2/3cup red wine
2cups tomato purée
1/2pound linguine
1/2pound large shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Heat3 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepot. Add the onion andgarlic; sauté until translucent but not browned. Add the anchoviesand hot pepper; sauté for 1 minute, mashing the anchovies with awooden spoon. Stir in the parsley, basil, salt, and red wine. Simmerthe wine for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato puree. Simmerthe sauce slowly fore about 20 minutes. If the sauce becomes toothick thin it with a little water. While the sauce is simmering boilthe pasta until aldente,rinse it and set aside.

Heatthe remaining 3 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Patthe shrimp dry and carefully add them to the skillet. Stir and tossthe shrimp in the hot oil for a minute or two, then add the sauce.Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the shrimp for just a coupleminutes. Make sure the pasta is drained well and add it to the sauce.Cook just long enough to reheat the pasta.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#398)…and a few comments on my city-boy quadrathlon

Things on the bike (below photo)…$69.32 of groceries.

A few comments…The photos are in chronological order of my ride today and the day itself.

Last night the temperature plummeted to sub-freezing and we’ve also gotten a significant amount of snow…only the second time this winter. This is usually the norm for this part of the world for most of the winter, but because it has been so mild I really felt unprepared for both the snow and the cold. But I felt like riding–and was determined to–rather than take the truck, so I did…and what a ride it was. And I’d be fibbing if I said it was an easy ride, thus I’ve dubbed it my city-boy quadrathlon…it went something like this.

When I left in early afternoon it was still snowing big fluffy flakes (visible in the above photo)…and geeze was it cold, so I bundled up. The streets were not plowed or salted yet so there was a lot of loose snow on them, and one of the things I do for better traction is to let a little air out of the tires. I did have really good traction, but the combination of riding an old bike in the snow with low tire pressure and wearing a heavy Carhartt jacked while pedaling into a strong headwind really gave me a workout…I was sweating and huffing and puffing by the time I arrived at my destination. Ironically, my destination was a health club…having completed this first leg of the quadrathlon I was already tired. After sitting in the steam room for a bit I swam 3/4 of a mile then returned for more steam. On the ride home I stopped for some groceries (seen below) and the wind was at my back so it made riding easier. But the temperature had dropped so much that the inside of my glasses actually became iced so I had to take them off (I sometimes wear simple safety glasses to keep the snow out of my eyes). Having completed the first three sections of my quadrathlon (bike-swim-bike)–and after putting the groceries away–I’m embarking on the most arduous portion yet…drinking wine while warming next to the wood stove and typing these words…(smile).

It felt good today to be out in the elements–to feel the cold and snow against my face–and to feel my body get winded as I pedaled into the wind. It makes me feel alive. And that, I believe, is the main reason I ride a bike whenever I can.

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#397)

A canvas bag containing a camera, cell phone, and a book. Five boxes (one is a box-within-a-box); one of which contains two hand-cranked pasta machines (on the front rack), and the other four are empty (need them for some things around the house). Urban Simplicity.

Kibbeh (Lebanese Meatballs)

Kibbeh is a Lebanese recipe that comes in many shapes and forms, but if you’ve ever discussed food with a Lebanese person you know that the discussion always comes back to kibbeh. I’ve mentioned before that I myself am Lebanese-American (half, actually, on my dad’s side) and grew up eating this dish. It is basically a Middle Eastern meatloaf mix that is usually made with lamb and instead of breadcrumbs the meat is “stretched” by adding bulgur wheat. There are also vegetarian versions, such as pumpkin kibbeh or potato kibbeh, which are commonly eaten during lent. Today I made meatballs for staff lunch but served them as mini kofta kebobs at a small appetizer party this evening. When I was growing up, though, we didn’t eat any of the fore-said versions, our family ate it two ways (that I recall)…baked and stuffed, sort of like a flat meatloaf, or raw, which is called kibbeh nayyeh. Yup raw. Sounds gross to some but my mouth salivates now as I recall it (think of a lamb version of steak tartar). But sadly, in the age in which we live, I haven’t had raw kibbeh in years and I’m not sure I would eat some if it were offered to me. Below is a basic recipe, as is a recipe on how to cook it into rice to make a complete meal. But of course I deviated form the recipe when I made this today (don’t I always). Today, in addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe (for kibbeh) I also added a bit of cumin, cinnamon, cooked and chopped spinach, and a handful of crumbled feta, simply because I had it on hand. Once the basic recipe is made you can use it for meatballs, skewers, burgers, or add it to sauces, soups, or rice…you get the picture. Anyhow, if you like simple-to-make but super-delicious foods, then try this recipe. ….you won’t be sorry, and likely hooked on first bite.
To read more about Lebanese cuisine click here (it’s an article I wrote for Sally’s Place some years ago…you can tell it’s dated by the picture; my son was a toddler and I had a full head of hair).

KibbehMeatballs
1/2 cup medium bulgurwheat
3/4 pound boneless lamb,diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon groundallspice
1/2 small bunch mint, minced
Place the bulgur in abowl, cover with warm water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drainand squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place the bulgur alongwith the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and process for20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process foranother 20 or 30 seconds, or until a smooth paste. (You can also use ground lamb and mix the ingredients together for a courser texture.) Stir in the mint, remove the meatfrom the bowl, shape into small balls and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Bake, fry, saute, or poach the kibbeh and serve with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt-CucumberSauce
1-1/2 cups
1 cup yogurt
1 small cucumber, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch mint, minced
 1/4 small onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all of the ingredients in asmall glass or ceramic bowl, cover securely and refrigerate for 1hour. 
Lebanese-StyleRice with Vermicelli and Kibbeh Meatballs
Yield: 4servings
3 tablespoons oliveoil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 ounces vermicelli,broken into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic,minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups long grain rice
3 cups hot chickenbroth
1 recipe kibbeh(recipe follows)
1/4 cup minced parsley
Yogurt sauce forgarnish

In a heavy skillet combinethe olive oil, onion, and vermicelli. Place the pan over medium heatand cook, while stirring, until the onion and vermicelli begin tobrown. Add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and salt; cookanother minute, taking care not to burn the pasta or garlic. Stir inthe rice, coating it with the oil and spices, then the chicken broth.Add the kibbeh, submerging them in the liquid. Bring to a boil, thenlower to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes, thenremove from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in theparsley just before serving, and garnish with yogurt.

Urban Simplicity.

Five Quotes from Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass    February 1818 – February 20, 1895

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”

“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.”

“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.”

To read more in the Five Quotes series, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

Beauty in the Mundane: Five Photos of Vegetables, Ground, and Sky

The above photo, “Five Baby Carrots,” is an image of a few of the carrots I’ll be serving as part of a crudité tomorrow…carrots come in a lot of amazing colors (beautiful aren’t they). The next three photos are things I saw on the ground while walking: “Lone Acorn in the Evening Sun,” “Bent Grate” (I’m still trying to figure out how that could have possibly become bent like that), and “Pavement: Old and New.” The bottom photo, “Cold Dusk,” was an image I took this evening. It hasn’t been very cold lately but it is tonight (and because it’s been such a mild winter I feel unprepared). Anyhow, it really represents the weather tonight…windless, cold, and blue.

Urban Simplicity.

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

This is by far one of my favorite soups. It’s simple to make, delicious, nutritious, and the variations are seemingly endless. Listed below is the basic recipe but you can add any number of your favorite ingredients to make it a meal-in-itself. The recipe below, for example, is vegetarian but this is equally delicious with the addition of lamb, chicken, or even shrimp. I made this for staff lunch today (leftovers for tomorrow…yum) and I kept it vegetarian but I did veer from the recipe somewhat. A couple things I did differently were that I slowly cooked whole garlic cloves and chilies in olive oil prior to adding the vegetables and spices, and I also added slices of lemon, not just the juice…when the soup cooks the garlic and lemon disintegrate into the broth becoming part of the soup itself. I also added extra vegetables not included in the recipe…cabbage, rutabaga, green beans, and spinach. For the most part I kept the seasonings the same, but I did add a little smoked paprika and turmeric (turmeric not only colors and seasons food, it is extremely good for you). All-in-all, while this is sort of a stone soup version of this recipe, it’s not too far off the original path. Anyhow, if you enjoy soup–flavorful and healthy soup–I encourage you to try this recipe, and experiment with your own version…you’ll be glad you did. And the simmering spices will make the house smell good, too.

MiddleEastern Style Lentil Soup
  Makes about 2quarts
3tablespoon olive oil
1/2cup diced onion
1/2cup diced carrots
1/2cup diced celery
1/2cup diced bell pepper (red or green)
1tablespoon minced garlic
1tablespoon chili powder
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoon ground allspice
1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
2teaspoons salt
2teaspoons ground black pepper
2cups tomatoes, seeded and diced
2cups dried lentils
6-8cups chicken or vegetable broth
2tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1bay leaf

Heatthe olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion, car­rots,celery, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté over medium heat for 5minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayennepepper, salt and black pepper; sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add thetomatoes, lentils, broth, lemon juice and bay leaf; bring to a boilthen lower it to a simmer. Allow the soup to cook for 60-90 minutes or untilthe soup thickens and the lentils become very soft.

Four More Photos and a Few Words About Them

The sky tonight is/was incredible…or more specifically, the full moon in a crystal clear sky was incredible. And as I gazed at it I couldn’t help think of all the people in the northern hemisphere that could see this very same orb in the sky just as I did. Anyhow, the picture above shows the moon hanging low over the neighborhood in which I live.

The photo immediately below is of a mini bronze Buddha statue I purchased at Namaste Bookshop on my most recent trip to NYC.

The next photo below (in the middle) is a cropped image I took of a napkin at a chain coffee shop yesterday (you know which one, no need to give it free advertisement). The napkin said “Real Food; Simply Delicious.” Their food looked neither real (what I would call made-from-scratch), nor did it look delicious. Sorry to be a snob but I dislike the marketing machine that convinces many of us what good food should be. Anyhow, it made me think (as if I need something else to make me think), and I’ll pose the question to you–the reader of this blog–and it’s what I was thinking about at the time…What is real?

The bottom photo is one I took this evening just as dusk was changing to night. The sky seemed to glow and there were crows in all the barren treetops as I rode my bike silently into the wind…it was incredible. I was on my Yuba Mundo and had a camera and mini tripod in a bag in the back so I pulled into an empty parking lot to snap a few photos. I was there for a few minutes crouched next to the bike and behind the camera when I heard someone say, “Can I help you sir?” Well first of all I don’t like it when people call me sir, it makes me feel too responsible, and secondly, I was so engrossed at what I was seeing that I didn’t even hear him coming…sort of startled me. It turns out he was the security guard to the building whose parking lot I was in…he was concerned that I was taking pictures of the building (even though I was facing in the opposite direction). I told him I was just taking pictures of the birds in the trees (all the trees surrounding the parking lot were filled with them…it was quite impressive). He looked up to see them and as he did he dropped his key ring, making a loud clang on the pavement….many of the birds scattered, flying in all directions, circling low overhead and then returning to the trees. “It’s sort of like being in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds, isn’t it,” I said to him. “Wellll,” he replied in an almost hushed whisper, “I hope it don’t get to that…but it sure is beautiful…sometimes I just forget to look up.” And with that, he bid me a good night, still looking at the sky as he walked away.

For as much as I talk about being able to take good photos with an inexpensive camera I am also fully aware of their limitations…capturing the birds in motion was one of them. But if you look closely you can see some of them represented as streaky blurs in the sky. In person, though, I have to agree with the security guard…it sure was beautiful. I just hope I keep remembering to look up. Click any photo for a lager view.

Urban Simplicity.

Five Quotes from Bob Marley

6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.None but ourselves can free our minds.” 

“Wake up and live” 

“I don’t stand for black man’s side, I don’t stand for white man’s side, I stand for God’s side.” 

“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?” 

“Who are you to judge the life I live?I know I’m not perfect-and I don’t live to be-but before you start pointing fingers…make sure you hands are clean!” 

OK…one more.

“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively”

To read five quote from others I find inspiring, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#396)…and a quick comment

Things on the bike (above)…A gym bag full of wet clothes, a 4lb bag of dog food, and 3L of red wine.

Below is a self-portrait of sorts…I took it yesterday as I coasted past a particularly reflective stretch of windows in an office building downtown. I wasn’t going to post it (never really cared for seeing photos of myself) but as I was going through photos today and saw it, it made me think. Of all the things that I carry on bikes sometimes I forget. Often it’s when pedaling uphill or into a strong headwind, but still I forget, or maybe I just take it for granted. What I’m talking about is the efficiency of a bicycle as a transportation machine. Sometimes I forget that the bicycle is the most efficient means of transport there is…and that the most precious cargo any bike can carry is the rider themselves.

Urban Simplicity.

Back to the Basics: Ezekiel Bread

“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself.”
—Ezekiel 4:9 (NIV)

Regular visitors to this blog know that I like to make my own 100% whole wheat bread, but also that Ezekiel Bread is my favorite (and though I don’t currently have data to back this up, I am convinced this is the most nutritious bread there is). I haven’t posted the recipe in a while so thought I would for a couple reasons. The first, simply, is that I like it. And the second is that when talking to people (or if they taste the bread) they tell me the bread looks or tastes really good but the recipe seems complicated. Well I’m here to let you in on a little secret…it’s not. The only difference between this bread (or any other bread that contains whole boiled grain) is that the beans and grain are boiled before being added to the recipe. Anyhow, this is how I made Ezekiel bread today (pictured above) without letting it interrupt my life…rather, I controlled it so that the various stages worked around my time today (the recipe is at the bottom of this post).

This morning, shortly after lighting a fire in the wood-burning stove, I boiled some beans and grains. I don’t often use the wood-burning stove to cook on that often–in fact I haven’t used it as often as usual for heat because of the mild winter–but today I did, and the boiling grain made the house smell great (my two pugs loved it…that’s them below sleeping next to the stove). And over the years my view of this recipe–or more specifically, my  view of the beans and grains involved–are on the same line with my view of theology…extremely liberal (to read more about my liberal views of this bread, click here). Today, for example, I didn’t have millet or bulgur but did have brown rice and chick peas so I used them instead…nearly any bean or grain will do (but not to worry, the recipe listed below is tried and tested…and it works). Anyhow, while I had my coffee, checked emails, Facebook, and updated this blog…the beans and grains boiled. When they were done I placed them outside on a rear porch railing to cool (it was only 32F/0C…why tax my fridge). And while it cooled I went and did a few errands on my bike, stopped at a coffee shop, and took a few photos.

 

When I returned the beans and liquid were cool, so I mixed the two separate bowls (see recipe below) and went for a walk and to a health club for a quick swim. When I returned I mixed the dough, had dinner, then “went to my inner room” for a few minutes of meditation.

After the dough rose I went to a local tavern for a couple beers, but before I did I shaped the loaves and put them in their loaf pans. And just before I left the house I turned on my oven to preheat it (my 20-year-old oven takes a long time to heat). When I returned home the bread was risen and oven hot so, after spraying both the bread and oven with water, I placed it in the oven. While the bread baked I wrote the previous post, pet my dogs, and had a glass of wine. And now, as I type these words, the rear of the house is warm–because the oven was on–the entire house has the awesome aroma of freshly baked bread, and I have two loaves of really good Ezekiel bread that cost pennies to make (compared to dollars at the local co-op for a sometimes mediocre loaf). I’ll freeze one loaf and slice into the other for toast in the morning…but actually, I think I’ll go grab a slice right now with butter on it while it’s still fresh and warm.

To read more about Ezekiel Bread and with more explicit photos, click here or here (but please use the below recipe as it is the revised version).

Whole Wheat EzekielBread
Makes 2 or 3 loaves
12cups water
2 tablespoons white beans
2 tablespoons redbeans
2tablespoons spelt berries
2 tablespoons lentils
2tablespoons barley
2 tablespoons millet
2 tablespoonsbulgur wheat
___________________
cookedbeans and grains
½cup cooking water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoonsinstant yeast
___________________

4 cups whole wheatflour

3tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2cups cooking liquid
___________________
1/4cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher
3teaspoons instant yeast

Boil the grains in the water inlogical succession according to cooking times: first the white andred beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, speltberries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add themillet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after eachaddition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all ofthe grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercookedgrains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as thegrains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because thecooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of therecipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). Afterthe grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to roomtemperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooleddrain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon,reserving the cooking liquid.

Placetwo bowls side-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the otherautolyse. In one bowl combine the cooked and drained grains with ½cup of the cooking liquid, 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 2 teaspoonsinstant yeast. Stir it just until combined then cover it with plasticwrap. In the other bowl combine 4 cups whole wheat flour, 3tablespoons vital wheat gluten, and 2 cups cooking liquid; stir itjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
Afteran hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowlof an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, oliveoil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt onopposite sides of the bowl. Knead the dough on medium speed for about8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface andcut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightlyoiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow toferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gentlytouched with a fingertip an indentation remains.

Bake thebreads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times(either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breadsevery ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown andsound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans andallow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes beforeslicing.

A Few Things I Saw Today

I’ve used this comparison before but have to mention it again…you see a lot more when on a bike than in a car but you see ten times that when you walk. Because, like a car, when you ride a bike you have to stay in control–or at  least keep the bike in control lest you fall. But when walking, especially in a neighborhood that is familiar to you, you can walk somewhat aimlessly and take it all in…and that’s just what I did today. I have a couple things laying heavy on me–concerns and decisions to make–and one of the best things to help level my thoughts (besides prayer and meditation) is a good contemplative walk. I really believe that there is art and beauty all around us–even in the middle of a city–and that all one has to do is look. Anyhow, these are just a few of the things I saw today on my short walk (a mile each way) to the health club.
I saw the above squirrel–rather, he saw me first–as I approached it at the corner of  Delaware and Summer Street. It darted from in front of me, forgetting the chestnut it was chewing, then came back–looking at me the entire time–to retrieve it before scurrying onto the fence to finish it’s consumption. He was, I’m guessing 30ft/9m from me–truly taxing the zoom on my little point-and-shoot camera–but I’m sure he was watching me out of the corner of his eye. I watched him for a moment and wondered if he ever worried about money or paying bills or about anything for that  matter. Likely not. His concerns are honed to where his next chestnut is, how secure his shelter, or if there are any predators about.
The photo directly below is the shadow of a fence very near where the squirrel was sitting; the light seemed just right at the moment I was standing there.
The next photo below, and in the middle, is of a flower I’m sure I saw while in full bloom (I walk/ride this route often). In the height of season it was I’m sure, white, fluffy, and full of life. But now, brown and withered, it still stood defiant of it’s decay. T
And the most bottom photo (and this is my favorite) is a little hidden gem in the city. I’ve photographed this path before and in all seasons though not this close up (meaning I walked down it a bit). It’s a private path (a rear entrance to someone’s home) but to me it looks like it could be somewhere in rural Europe. What’s interesting is that it is located on Summer Street in the city of Buffalo.
Walking is good for your physical health but also good for your mental/emotional health, at least for me it is. So the next time you feel anxious or need to work something out internally, go for a walk, you’ll be amazed at what you see in your own neighborhood…but don’t forget to bring a camera.

Urban Simplicity.

Five Photos of Wood

I took these while splitting logs for a fire tonight…funny thing is, I never got around to lighting the wood stove. Nonetheless, interesting patterns (I think). Beauty in the mundane…this, I’m beginning to realize, is what’s really important to me. Or, at the very least, it’s what keeps me focused on the present moment (which, for me, is really difficult).

Urban Simplicity.