Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

 The beginning of our trip to France had the potential of being a little rocky because of the French air traffic controllers’ strike and the railway personnel who followed suit.  Our flight was delayed in the US, but it was because of storms there and not because of anything going on in France. We arrived safely and experienced no delays at the airport or at the train station for our trip to Tours.  The above picture was taken after a day of rest at Carol and Laurent’s home as we prepared for the first day of our “Ride in Tours” motorcycle adventure.  Laurent is on the right.  Our friends Tulin and Dave are in the middle.

Before leaving Carol, Tulin and I enjoyed a day of shopping in old downtown Tours.

Carol made delicious meals for us.  There is something about French fruits and vegetables that sets them apart.  The above stuffed peppers and tomatoes were delicious.

Our first stop on the trip was at Camembert.  You would think that a village with the reputation of making such a fine cheese would be large, but after wandering down narrow lanes we found the tiny community nestled in the hills.  Although camembert had its origins here where it was made from unpasteurized cows milk, it is now made with pasteurized milk and is produced in several different places.  We bought a wheel of cheese to enjoy with our evening bottle of wine.

 Our first stop for the evening was in the coastal harbor of Honfleur.  The Normandy architecture was evident along the narrow streets.

The harbor of Honfleur is a popular summer destination for Parisians because it is only an hour and a half away.  Historically it had military significance  as it protected the entrance of the Seine river from any enemies interested in attacking Paris.  Aesthetically, it drew artists to its wonderful light and beautiful surroundings.

I could have spent days here wandering the streets and shopping in the small boutiques and brocantes.  Maybe another time.

The visit to the American Cemetery on Omaha Beach was the highlight of our next day’s ride.  The magnitude of the experience is hard to describe.  Over 9,000 graves of our fallen soldiers line the ground overlooking the sea.

 Laurent brought an American flag with him on his bike so that we could pose at the memorial with it.  A European tourist said Thank You to us as he passed by.  To this day, Americans are respected in Normandy.  That is all for now.

There is nothing better than a basket of warm homemade scones for Mother’s Day.  That is exactly what I treated myself to today.  I am spending Mother’s Day on my own because David is on a motorcycle trip to Texas and the kids are away doing other things.  Sometimes it is OK to be alone on a holiday.  As far as I’m concerned, Mother’s Day is every day of the year.   I get all of the love I need from my family on a regular basis all year.  So I chose to celebrate this day as a day of rest, indulgence (the scones) and remembrance of my Mother.

My Mother  was everything that I always hope to be;  Good, talented, funny, forgiving and kind.     Her influence on her devoted children, grandchildren and  great-grandchildren was stupendous.  She was a talented artist and a naturally good cook.  Two of her granddaughters inherited her cooking and artistic genes.  At least one of her great-granddaughters (My Rachel) is a talented artist.  The art part passed me by, but you can’t say I don’t love to cook.

When we were in Nantucket, Mary Anne made the most delicious Currant Scones one morning for breakfast.  She said they were from a Martha Stewart recipe in her Baking Essentials book.  I never did find that specific recipe, but this one came from the Martha Stewart Cookbook.  There were no dried currants in my supermarket so I substituted dried cranberries and plumped them with orange juice. The recipe was easy.  Why haven’t I made scones before?

What I love about Mary Anne’s scones is that they are mealy and flaky like pie crust.  There are no eggs in them and that may be the difference from other scones that I have tried.  I love that flaky consistency.

I lounged in bed this morning with my coffee and scones, read my mystery du jour, encouraged the dog to wait until 10:00 AM for her walk and just chilled.  What could be better?

Tonight I am having my favorite grilled hamburger and a salad.  Easy and delicious.  Simple pleasures for a solitary, contemplative and peaceful weekend.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

I halved the recipe
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup dried currants, soaked overnight in 3 tablespoons brandy (I used dried cranberries soaked in Orange Juice)
1 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup light cream

Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry lender or two kitchen knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  (This can also be done in a food processor, using half the flour mixture, and adding the processed mixture to the remaining flour before adding the currants and cream.)  Stir in the drained currants.

Mixing lightly with your fingers, add just enough heavy cream to hold the mixture togeher.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill approximately 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the dough 1/2-inch thick, and, using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into various shapes.  I rolled the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick and cut the dough into 8 wedges (For half of the recipe.  If you use the whole recipe you would make two circles).  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, brush the tops lightly with egg wash, and bake until golden brown and puffed, 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

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I have been trying to buy the majority of my meat and poultry from The Chop Shop in Asheville.  All of their inventory comes from local Western North Carolina farmers. I just feel better about supporting local farmers and avoiding chemically altered meat.  Last week I bought some ground chuck that came from Apple Brandy Farms.  It is a third generation family farm in the foothills of Western North Carolina.  All of their beef is corn fed and raised naturally.  I planned on using the ground chuck to make hamburgers, but on the way home I remembered that I didn’t have any hamburger buns.  Since I was feeling so virtuous about the quality of my hamburgers, I decided that  plain ol’ store-bought hamburger buns wouldn’t do.  I would make them from scratch.

I found a recipe on theKitchn website.  These hamburger buns couldn’t be easier.  After mixing and kneading the dough in a stand mixer, it is left to rest and rise in a bowl for an hour.

The buns are rolled and left to rise again.  They are then baked.

This was so easy, that I see no reason not to do it on a regular basis.  I might just experiment with different flours and toppings like sesame seeds or chia seeds in the future.

I have to say that both the hamburgers and the buns were delicious.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS

1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead at low speed, or by hand for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes.

Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Additional Notes:

• For Whole Wheat Buns – Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the buns will be a bit more dense, but still very delicious and burger-worthy.

• Doubling the Recipe – Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast. To make even more buns, it’s best to prepare separate batches as the dough becomes too cumbersome to work with easily.

• Freeze Buns for Later – Wrap the buns in aluminum foil and then store in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in their packaging overnight on the counter. Foil-wrapped buns can also be thawed more quickly or re-warmed in a 300°F oven for about 10-15 minutes.

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I love rummaging through antique stores.  You never know what you will find; what stories will be revealed.  I was not on a quest for a cookbook, but that is what I came away with.  I found a pristine copy of Country Baking by Ken Haedrich.  There was a convenient love seat nearby so I sat for a while and read through the recipes.  The very first one was for these muffins.  I had eaten a very uninspiring breakfast that morning, so the thought of these cornmeal muffins appealed to me in a big way.  Wholesome cornmeal, whole wheat flour and just a touch of sweetness from the molasses sounded like my kind of quick breakfast.  There was more; lots of recipes for quick breads, yeast breads, pies, cakes, crackers and savory dishes like Deep Dish Sausage and Shrimp Pie.  I knew I needed this cookbook.

I found out something else when I got home.  Ken Haedrich is one of the country’s foremost baking authorities.  He has an online website called The Pie Academy.   It is dedicated to the idea that anyone can learn to make great pies from scratch.  I contacted him by email and he has graciously agreed to do a guest post on my blog in the near future.  Country Baking is now out of print.  He wrote it over 20 years ago.  There are still some books available on Amazon.  But Ken told me that he has three copies left in his supply if you are interested.  It has a different cover but the same content.  They would be $17.00 including postage.  You can contact him at ken@thepieacademy.com  to order your copy.  It is still a relevant baking book and according to Ken, one of his favorites from all of his publications.

I know I was glad that I found this book and had the opportunity to learn more about Ken Haedrich and The Pie Academy.  I look forward to having him share some of his knowledge with us on this blog.  I am also happy to share this great recipe with you.  A muffin and cup of coffee have been my breakfast of choice for the last few days.

CORNMEAL MOLASSES CRUMB MUFFINS

Muffin Batter:
1 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flavorless vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

Crumb Topping:
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and butter 12 muffin cups.  To make the muffin batter, stir the unbleached flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly, then whisk in the milk, oil, and molasses.  Set aside.

Make the crumb topping by combining the crumb ingredients in a mixing bowl and then rubbing them between your fingers until you have large, damp crumbs.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the liquids, and stir with a few deft strokes, just to blend.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle some of the crumb topping on each muffin and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.  When the muffins are done, the topping should be browned lightly and the muffins themselves slightly springy to the touch.  Cool the muffins on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes, after which they should lift right out.  Serve them hot, storing leftovers in a sealed plastic bag for up to 2 days.  To reheat, wrap in foil and place in a hot oven for 5 minutes.

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I made this bread for a very special reason.  It is to celebrate the publication of my childhood friend, Lyla’s new book.  Lyla taught English for over twenty years.  She taught students from first grade, to high school and college.  She has always been a writer with publications in national magazines like Newsweek, Forbes, and Parents.  A children’s novel that she wrote won a Writer’s Digest Honorable Mention.  She has been working on a mystery for several years now.  You see, she and I grew up reading Nancy Drew and loved the adventures of the intrepid sleuth.  Her new novel, Snoop (A small town gossip mystery), is similar to that genre but with grown up characters.  There are also similarities to our own small town in the book.  It has been a joy for me to read it.

Lyla loves to cook as much as I do so there are numerous references to food in Snoop, although the main character Sam is not much of a cook.  But she knows all of the best take-out places and loves the oatmeal bread that elderly Elli makes and sells to the local restaurant.  When Elli is found brutally murdered, Sam cannot curb her snooping.   After all, Snooping is the name of her column in the local newspaper. This is a great whodunit with a surprise ending.

Lyla and I got together a few years ago in our hometown.  We had not seen each other since junior high school.  She even sent me an 80th Anniversary Limited Edition copy of Nancy Drew’s The Secret of the Old Clock to commemorate our childhood love of reading the mysteries.  That is why I am so proud of her for following her dreams and writing a mystery of her own.  There will be more in the series too.  If you would like to get a copy of her book you can order it from Amazon here.

Lyla told me that Elli’s famous oatmeal bread recipe was actually a James Beard recipe.  This comes out in book #2 called Deadly Snooping.  She sent me the recipe and I made it yesterday.  It was one of the easiest yeast bread recipes I have ever made because there is limited kneading.  I made David a sandwich with it today and he loved it.  I was happy with the texture and the delightful flavor.  I will be making this bread often.  Thank you Lyla.  Both the bread and the book are delightful.

OATMEAL BREAD

2 packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/3 cup molasses
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose-flour

Dissolve dry active yeast and sugar in 1 cup lukewarm water.  Let stand 10 minutes, then stir very well.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; add boiling water, and stir until completely melted.  Add oats, molasses and salt.  Blend thoroughly and cool to lukewarm.  Add egg and beat well.  Add yeast, then fold in flour.

Put the dough in a buttered mixing bowl, turning it so that it is well greased on all sides, then refrigerate for at least two hours – you can leave it for three to four hours.  Turn out the chilled dough on a floured work surface and shape into two loaves.  Place in well-buttered 9 x 5-inch loaf pas, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until double in bulk, about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake bread for approximately one hour or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when you rap them.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

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