Piñata Bread

This recipe was brought to me by Andy and Esteban, since they found this recipe they've been making bread almost everyday with unimaginable toppings and fillers.

I called mine piñata bread because I added so much seeds and cramberries, that every time I sliced a piece they come out like a piñata.

The recipe is by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, extremely easy it is just a perfect recipe.

It's addictive. I ended up eating the whole bread myself without even realizing. And because it's so easy to make you will want to make bread dough for every meal.

Makes about 4 loaves of bread; can be halved or doubled easily

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water

1.5 tablespoon yeast (or two packets)

1.5 tablespoon kosher salt

6.5 cups unsifted, unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation:

Mix the water, yeast, and salt together. Then add all the flour at once, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once all incorporated, let your dough rise on the counter for at least 2 hours, but as many as 5 is fine. Refrigerate your dough until you are ready to make your bread. The dough will last 2 weeks in the fridge.

When you are ready to bake the bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and pull off a portion of dough the size of a grapefruit. Shape the dough into a smooth ball by pulling the top of the dough over itself and tucking it into the bottom. Let rest 20 minutes (longer if you added a bunch of nuts). Then put your pan in the oven with a boiler pan under it and heat up the oven to 450*. Wait another 20 minutes. Score the top of your bread, put it in the oven, and pour a cup of water into the broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes and until the crust is perfectly golden. The only way to mess it up at this point is to under cook it, so be brave. Let the bread cool before slicing into it, or don't wait and enjoy the warm, warm bread.

Additional:I added mine, cranberries, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and pinoli. And on top olive oil with sugar.

A lazy sunday stress free bread!

Crete

We arrived to Aghios Nikolaos and walked around the charming village, until lunch time. I had two names of places where to eat, having in mind I am always looking for where the locals eat fresh and without any tourist pretentiousness. I decided to go Stavrakakis taverna so I got a taxi and drove about 4 miles to Exo Lakonia a little village. We arrived to the place up the hill, a small house with a beautiful bongaville facade and few tables at the front and the inside. At the front door was a wall menu all in Greek. So we just asked to bring all the vegetarian dishes to try them all.
     

Fishing boats arrive daily with fresh fish at the village.

With local people from the neighborhood at Stavrakakis taverna in Exo Lakonia, Panagia. I wanted to take a picture of them and they asked me to be in the picture too. 

The art of making the authentic Greek coffee by the real Manolis Stavrakakis.

Organic home produced family tavern, we had all vegetarian meal, everything super fresh and with a home made taste.

Zucchini blossoms stuffed with rice, this dolmades were beautifully made and very delicious. This something I have to do  at home.
The wine ring you see next to it was something you couldn't stop eating. 

For dessert we had figs and kumquats in syrup with a homemade liqueur serve from that green bottle, I didn't know what it was but it was like a kind of Ouzo, Tsikoudia or Raki. A perfect and digestive after the meal.

A home made meal, that was exactly what I wanted. Just to fell I was eating at a someone else's home. Totally local food.

An now at home nostalgic for the fabulous Greek trip, I have been eating inspired in all my greek memories.

I bought these two wonderful books which now I adore, "Vefa's Kitchen" by Vefa Alexiadou an authority on Greek food, called the bible of authentic Greek cooking and "Food from Many Greek kitchen" by Tessa Kiros, a beautiful book with inspiring pictures: a celebration of colors and capturing moments.

And from Tessa Kiros comes this recipe of wine rings made with wine and olive oil.

This is the third time I made them, they are addictive like the ones I tried in crete. Once you try it you can't stop eating them.

Love having it with a strong coffee!

Krassokouloura

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I used all spice instead)

Salt

6 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup white wine (I added 2 more spoons)

Additional ( I added 1 spoon of fennel seeds) next time I will try adding sesame seeds instead.

Preparation:

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl stir with a wooden spoon, add the wine and olive oil and combine.

Continue mixing with your hands until you get a soft an uniform dough.

Knead well for few minutes and divide the dough into oval balls (makes about 20).

Let it rest uncovered for about 5 minutes .

By hand roll each out into a rope about 10 inches long, join the ends and pat one end over the other to close.

On a lined baking sheet, bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Quick & easy to make! keep them in a tin to last.  

Upside down little puddings

New Year came along and I wish you all the best a happy, healthy, prosperous and well savour life to live.

I made these little puddings the last day of the year thinking we may have to have a bite of something sweet with a glass of Champagne for the transition to the new year.....

I spent the night in a Greek tavern, eating fresh mediterranean food, dancing on the table and drinking Retsina, surrounded by very happy people and great music.

Back to the little puddings, the recipe came from the British magazine Delicious.

(I don't know why but they remind me of Downton Abbey)

For the topping:

30g soft butter

30g soft  brown sugar

24 shelled pecan halves

100g cranberries (fresh or frozen)

For the sponge:

100g soft butter

100g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 eggs, beaten

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking power

50g ground almonds

For the crème anglaise:

150ml whole milk

50ml  double cream

2 large egg yolks

25g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

For the topping mix the butter and sugar together, spread the mixture over the base of the little baking cups. Arrange pecans and cranberries on top.

To make the sponge cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat the in the orange zest. Gradually beat in the egg, adding a small spoonful of flour with the last addition.

Sift over the remaining flour and baking power, and gently fold into the mixture along with the ground almonds.

Divide the sponge mixture between the baking cups, put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the center of the pudding comes out clean.

For the crème anglaise bring the milk and cream to the boil, briefly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then whisk in the cornflour and orange zest. 

Whisk the hot creamy milk into the yolk and sugar mixture, then return it to the pan and stir over a medium low heat for a few minutes until the mixture thicken. Do not let mixture boil.

Turn out onto serving plates and serve with the hot crème anglaise. They are great without the cream too, their flavour and texture are delicate and soft. Comforting and easy to make.

Serves 8 (mini baking cups) 

I must start the year thanking all my blogging food communities and blogger friends for encouragement, support, sharing your precious moments and treasures. 

I respect  your courage, commitment, determination, and perseverance.

My great admiration to all of you!!!  all the best  

Lola, xoxo

The first shot

The breakfast before breakfast: this is what I decided to have today as my first shot a bowl with berries and nuts, a cup of coffee and a toast. A simple fruit salad becomes a special delight just by adding the mixture of nuts and dried fruits. I like the flavor of the dried coconut over the fresh  fruits, I usually add pistachio too. 

And on the top dried (unsulphered) diced pineapple, papaya, coconut and nuts: walnuts, pecans and almonds. I added a scoop of natural Greek yogurt.