5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
2½cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
Vegetable oil, for the bowl
To cook:
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, with a splash of water
Coarse sea salt
Optional toppings: poppy or sesame seeds
To prepare the dough:
Measure the yeast, brown sugar, and warm water.
Combine them in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Let sit for approximately 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over low heat.
Add the butter to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
Measure salt and add it to the bowl. Measure the all-purpose flour, and add it to the bowl.
Use a dough hook on your mixer (or a wooden spoon) to slowly stir the ingredients together until combined. Once the flour is incorporated, you can add the whole wheat flour, ½ cup at a time, until it is mixed into the mixture.
Now you can turn up the speed of your mixer and continue stirring until the dough clumps together, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Remove the dough from the bowl, and massage it with your hands into the shape of a ball.
Pour some vegetable oil on a clean cloth and rub the insides of a medium-sized bowl. Put the dough ball inside the bowl, and turn to coat it lightly in the oil.
Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for up to an hour. It should rise to approximately double in size.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Measure 10 cups water and pour it into a large pot.
Bring the water to a boil. Measure the baking soda and add it to the boiling water.
Spray two or three baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or wipe them with a towel coated in oil.
Remove the dough from the bowl.
Divide it into 8 equally sized pieces.
Roll each piece into a rope, approximately 12–18″ long.
Using a dinner knife or dough scraper, cut the rope of dough into little pieces, each approximately 1″ long.
Using a slotted spoon, add approximately 15–20 pretzel pillows to the boiling water at a time.
Boil briefly, approximately 30 seconds. They will rise to the surface, which makes it easier to scoop them out with the slotted spoon.
Gently transfer the pieces to the prepared trays, making sure that they aren't touching. Repeat until you have used up all of the dough.
Get out two small bowls and crack an egg over one bowl.
Empty the egg into someone's clean hands. Open the fingers slightly, allowing the white to drip through into the bowl below. (Store the white in a covered container in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow.) The yolk should remain in the hand.
Put the yolk in the second bowl and add a splash of water.
Stir with a fork to combine.
Using a pastry brush, paint each of the pretzel pillows with the egg-yolk mixture.
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and seeds, if desired.
Bake on the center rack of your oven, checking after 10 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown (10–16 minutes).
Allow the pretzels to cool completely before storing at room temperature in an airtight container.
Chapter 4
What's for Dinner?
Chicken Piccata with Linguine
Serves 4-6
This recipe is one of my family's favorites. It's fresh and light, and it has components that each of our family members enjoys, which helps to keep the peace during dinnertime! Don't forget to read through the steps before you begin. I promise it will save you time and make the recipe a cinch to prepare.
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from one lemon)
8 ounces linguine, preferably whole grain
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ pounds chicken tenderloin (tenders)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup wine, white and dry
2 tablespoons capers
Wash the spinach in a colander inside the sink.
Tear the leaves into small pieces and set aside.
Cut the lemon in half.
Juice the lemon. You can use a juicer, a reamer, or just squeeze it by hand. Be sure to pick out any stray seeds (or pips, as they say in England!). Reserve the juice.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until it is still just barely firm in the center (according to package instructions).
Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and add spinach to the pot of pasta, making sure that all of the leaves get submerged in the water.
Drain pasta and spinach and return to pot.
Toss with 1 tablespoon of the butter; season with salt and pepper.
Add some reserved pasta water if necessary to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Cover to keep warm.
Place flour in a shallow bowl.
Sprinkle each chicken tender with salt and pepper and then dip each piece into the flour, flipping over to coat on both sides. Gently shake each tender over the bowl so that the excess flour comes off.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add half the chicken to the skillet; cook until lightly browned and opaque throughout, 1–2 minutes per side.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
Add wine and lemon juice to the same skillet that you used for the chicken. Cook the liquid over medium-high heat, stirring to loosen browned bits. Keep cooking until the liquid has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4–5 minutes.
Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until it melts.
Scoop out the capers from the jar, put them into a colander, rinse with water, and let them drain.
Add capers to the sauce, and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Put the chicken pieces into the skillet with the sauce, so that it heats through and gets coated with sauce.
Serve the chicken and sauce on top of the linguine and spinach.
GOING GREEN
All Cooped Up
Package labels can make a person crazy. It's no wonder that people get confused at the grocery store when confronted with a refrigerated wall filled with egg cartons. “Free-range” chickens have access to a door leading outside, but are often so overcrowded inside the hen house that they never find their way out the door. “Cage-free” chickens aren't in cages, which might imply that they have ample leg room. Sadly, this usually just means that they are crammed into a hen house without dividers.
Pastured poultry spend their days outside — digging, rolling in the dirt, looking for insects, and eating grasses and other plants in their environment. Because of predators, they are often kept underneath a bottomless structure or are put inside a coop at night. They have no need for medications or hormones, since they are not overcrowded and eat a balanced diet that allows them to grow normally. Their eggs are often brighter in color and much more flavorful than their industrialized cousins. If your grocery store doesn't carry pastured chicken eggs, see if they will order some. If not, try your farmer's market, community garden … or maybe even your neighbor.
Minestrone with White Beans and Kale
Serves 6
This hearty soup is just what the doctor ordered at the end of a cold winter day. Not only is it easy to prepare, it is also filled with seasonal ingredients and packed with vitamins, calcium, and fiber. Serve with a loaf of fresh whole grain bread.
2 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
2 bunches kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to tas
te
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked dry white beans)
1 (14.5-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes, in juice
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Peel the paper skin from the garlic and the onion.
Press the garlic.
Chop the onion into very small pieces.
Rinse and dry the kale.
Holding the thickest part of the kale stem in one hand, rub the fingers from the other hand along the stem to zip off the leaves.
Tear the leaves into pieces and save the stems for your compost or backyard chickens.
In a large saucepan or pot, heat oil over medium. Add the onion to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, 5–6 minutes.
Add the garlic to the skillet.
Measure the tomato paste. (See the note.)
Add the tomato paste to the onions. Stir until it is mixed in, coating the onions.
Add the kale to the pot.
Measure the thyme and red pepper flakes, if using.
Add them to the pot and stir until the kale begins to wilt. This should take about 2–3 minutes.
Open the cans of beans or measure your cooked beans.
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander in the kitchen sink. Scoop out about 1 cup of beans and pour them into a medium-sized bowl. Mash them with a potato masher, the back of a spoon, or with clean hands. (The beans help to thicken the soup.)
Add all of the beans to the pot.
Open the can of tomatoes and pour the tomatoes and their juice into the pot.
Use the tomato can to measure 2½ cans of water.
Add the cans of water to the pot. Stir all of the soup ingredients together and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat, put the cover on the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Before serving, check to be sure that the kale is tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with grated Parmesan, if desired.
Note: You can purchase tomato paste in a tube, just like a tube of toothpaste. Squeeze out what you need and then store the rest. If you can't find tomato paste in a tube, you can buy it in a can. Simply use what you need, and then scoop the rest onto a cookie sheet in 1-tablespoon blobs. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer, and once the blobs have frozen, remove them from the tray and store them in a freezer-safe bag or storage container.
RECIPE FOR ACTION
Helping the Homeless
Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference in someone's day. Other times, though, it takes a collaborative effort. SOUP: The Bowl That Keeps Feeding, was such an endeavor. Studio 4 Art, an art studio for children, partnered with What's Cooking, my cooking school for children, to raise money for the emergency family shelter in our community. Kebby McInroy patiently taught children to throw and glaze soup bowls, while I worked with local schoolchildren to prepare several varieties of soup. At our culminating event, guests paid for lunch, which included a bowl of their choice, filled with soup. Everyone was able to take home their empty soup bowl as a reminder of the chidren in our community who don't always have enough to eat. All proceeds of our event were donated to Homeward Bound of Marin to help local families in crisis.
Pork Ribs with Asian BBQ Sauce
Serves 6
Unfortunately this isn't a recipe that you can throw together at the last minute due to the long marinating time. But believe me, it's worth it! Prepare this recipe when you and your kids have a few spare minutes, and then enjoy it for dinner the following night. The good news is that you now have a fantastic make-ahead dish in your arsenal!
4 pounds baby back pork ribs, organic and grass fed, if possible
2 teaspoons onion powder, divided use
2 teaspoons five-spice powder, divided use
½ cup ketchup (select a brand that does not use high-fructose corn syrup)
1 cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup sherry or mirin
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1–2 teaspoons ground ginger (adjust to your taste)
2 teaspoons salt
Spicy Asian chili sauce, optional, to taste (1 teaspoon to start)
Before you start, get the equipment you need: Use either a roasting pan that you can cover with foil OR use a large food storage container with a lid. If you don't like to do dishes (who does?), you might want to just use the roasting pan that you will cook the ribs in.
Place the ribs in your container and then wash your hands.
Measure 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon five-spice powder and mix them together in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the meat.
Wash your hands!
In a separate bowl, add the ketchup, hoisin sauce, sherry or mirin, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
Measure 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, ginger, and salt, and add to the sauce.
If using, add the spicy Asian chili sauce.
Mix the sauce ingredients together.
Pour the sauce over the ribs, turning them to coat completely. Turn the ribs over, and store them with the meat side down.
Cover the container holding the ribs and put into the refrigerator.
Marinate for anywhere between 4–24 hours. You can start them in the morning for dinner that night, or you can leave them in the refrigerator overnight.
On the day that you cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator about ½ hour before you want to start cooking.
At the same time, preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the center.
Transfer the ribs to a roasting pan, if they are stored in another container, and discard the marinade.
Cover the pan with foil and roast (meat side down) for 30 minutes.
Turn the ribs over, so they have the meat side up.
Roast for an additional 30–35 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan sauces.
When they are finished cooking, allow to cool for a few minutes.
Cut the meat between the bones (with a sharp knife or kitchen shears) to separate the ribs.
GOING GREEN
Sustainable Farms
Our nation is filled with farms of all types. Some have gardens and a few chickens running around the back yard. Other farms have thousands of animals, living so close together that they are flank-to-flank. I try to follow my heart and support the farms that consider the health and well-being of their animals, workers, and the physical environment.
Sustainable farms treat their animals humanely. Their animals get lots of fresh air, have the opportunity to graze and socialize, and generally act like animals. These farms care for their workers, paying them a fair wage and making sure that they aren't exposed to hazardous chemicals. They don't spray chemicals on their plants or give their animals medication when they aren't sick. Sustainable farms recycle and compost. Seems like a no-brainer to me. They get your support every time you vote with my fork!
Grandma's Spaghetti Gravy
Serves 6–8
I always felt loved when my grandma fed me. After I left the nest, she would often fill my freezer with matzoh ball soup and this special spaghetti gravy. When she passed away, I asked to be the custodian of her avocado-green recipe box. As I was writing this book, I crossed my fingers and hoped that I might find this recipe tucked away inside. I thought I'd share it with you because it is just too good to keep to myself. When you make it, I bet you'll love the taste too.
1 pound ground turkey or grass-fed beef
½ cup boiling water
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 large onions
2 stalks celery
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup parsley (or a big handful from the garden)
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
<
br /> 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained, organic if possible
3 (14-ounce) cans tomato sauce
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Brown the meat over medium-high heat on the stove.
Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl. Allow the mushrooms to soften for several minutes.
Set a colander over a bowl and pour the meat into it to drain off the fat. When the fat cools, dump it into the trash. Set the meat aside.
Peel the paper skin from the onions.
Dice the onions and celery and sauté them in vegetable oil.
Pick the parsley leaves from the stem.
Peel the paper skin from the garlic.
Finely chop the carrots, parsley, and garlic, and add them to the onions when they have turned golden brown.
Remove the softened mushrooms from the water, making sure to save the flavored water. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the cooking vegetable mixture.
Pour the reserved mushroom water (being careful not to add the dirt bits at the bottom), canned chopped tomatoes (with their liquid), tomato sauce, and two cans of water into a large roasting pan.
Add the cooked meat and vegetables to the roasting pan.
Stir all of the sauce ingredients so that they are mixed together.
Cover the roasting pan and cook for 2 hours.
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven, uncover, and simmer on the stovetop for another hour to thicken the gravy.
Serve over pasta.
RECIPE FOR ACTION
Providing Comfort with a Warm Meal
When we hear about a friend having a baby, we often take a meal to the new family. While doing this usually is an excuse to see their new addition, it nourishes the parents and allows them to spend time bonding with the baby instead of cooking. It's especially wonderful when we can cook for families who are blessed with good news, but it might be even more meaningful to cook for a family in crisis. When a family member is ill or in the hospital, people are unlikely thinking about what to make for dinner. Recruit the kids, plan a delicious meal, and deliver some edible love to your friends.
The Whole Family Cookbook Page 6
