Tag culinary

It’s baking day, and in light of the upcoming festival of Brigid I thought I would share my favorite recipe for Pulla. Traditionally a Finnish sweet bread, there are tons of variations on texture and spice blend. This one happens to be my grandmother’s. Technically, you can prep Pulla into any shape, but I was taught by braiding and I’ve always kind of stuck to that. Since Brigid is frequently associated with Braids and crosses, I somehow always associate the two.

This particular loaf is delicious with coffee, or a bit of honey or butter; not that that is particular shocking since it is traditionally eaten with coffee. It is soft and chewy with an aromatic blend of spices that will always warm my heart.

The Not So Secret of Making Pulla

In my humble opinion, what really makes your pulla next level is the quality/ type of your spices. In this case- spring for green cardamom, especially if you can get whole pods. Black cardamom will work- but green is in its own class. It take only the work of minutes to grind fresh pods into the most amazing flavor you’ve ever tasted. Bread takes hours too make correctly anyways- its worth the 3 minutes with a mortar and pestle/ molcajete. Some grocery stores now sell pods, additionally I know world market sells it and you can also get it online and from some smaller specialty stores.

But enough chat. On to the bread!

Mis en Place (Get Your Shit and Get it Together):

• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp Yeast
• ¾ Cups granulated sugar
• ¼ Cup water
• 2 whole eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 Tbsp cardamom, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 7-7 ½ Cups All Purpose flour or bread flour
• ½ Cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten separately for egg wash
• Baking sheet or stone wear (I am partial to stone wear as it leads to better crust).

Pulla Prodecure:

1. Begin by Scalding your milk in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. You can scald milk in any saucepan- but its easier if its double bottomed as there is less chance of burning. You want small bubbles to be forming around the edge of the pan but not boiling. It will sometimes develop a small film on top- this is okay. Remove milk from heat. Add half of your cardamom to the milk and let it steep as it cools (this step is not necessary but definitely helps increase the flavor). Milk will need to cool to just above room temperature. Warm is okay- but hot will kill your yeast.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or a large bowl if you plan on mixing by hand) combine yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar. Add the warm water and let sit 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP.
3. Add milk, remaining sugar, remaining cardamom, eggs, and salt.
4. Begin adding flour, one cup at a time until you reach 5 cups. Let mix 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth. It is important that the dough have a few minutes to mix and develop gluten strands before you proceed to the next step, butter impedes the formation of gluten so if you add the butter to soon you will end up with tough, dense bread.
5. With the mixer still mixing, slowly pour in melted butter and continue to mix until dough is smooth and shiny. Once butter is completely absorbed, add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until smooth again.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let sit in a warm, humid place until doubled in size (roughly 45 minutes).
7. Gently deflate and empty out onto a lightly floured surface. Break dough into 3 equal chunks.
8. Working with one third at a time, split each third into either halves or thirds again and braid in a 3 or 4 strand braid (2 chunk= 4 strand braid; 3 chunks= traditional braid).
9. Gently move braided loves to baking pans and let rise again 20 minutes.
10. Brush with egg wash.
11. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool Fully before eating. Do not skip the cooling step. I know that it can be tempting to cut into a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, and you CAN eat it still warm, but it needs to be 90% cool. This is where gluten cells solidify, air cells set, and most of your crust development occurs. Cutting bread early can leave you with collapsed, structureless, and gummy bread.

Feel Free to play with spice blends and amounts. Some people will top their Pulla with sliced almonds or include raisins or dried berries. If you’re looking for more bread tips and tricks, check out the rest of our bread 101 series here!

Have fun and go make a mess!

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

Calling my resident foodies! This one is for you. Whether you are classically trained, self-taught, or grandma taught. Hell, even if you have no idea what you are doing at all. If food excites you and you want what you eat to always be an adventure. If you are looking for a new way to be creative, and food is not your forte but you want to try, then this is definitely for you. Today I’m going to introduce you to the Flavor Bible with the promise that your life will never be the same.  

A relic of history: 

Much to my general dismay, cookbooks are becoming a thing of the past, even though every celebrity on the planet at some point makes one. With the advent of smart phones and the magic that is Pinterest at your fingertips; who needs to go buy a whole cookbook for one recipe when there is some variation of it for free online? We won’t hate on Pinterest. I fucking love pinterest, it’s a problem. 

It comes with the territory, but I love cookbooks. I love trying new recipes, and different cultural cuisines. They make great inspiration even if I end up changing the recipe eventually. It used to really tick Taylor off because I’d sit in the living room and read them out loud when I got a new one. As if everybody cared as much as I did about “Sausage stuffed Onions!!!!” or “Oh my GOD crème brule crusted cheesecake?!”

But I get it, I do. Despite my own love of cookbooks and my own extensive collection of them, I still find myself frequently turning to Pinterest for a quick recipe dopamine hit. It is much faster to type in exactly what I’m looking for than it is to flip through pages and pages and try to remember. “Is it in the Betty Crocker Better Homes and Gardens or am I thinking of Alice Water’s Green Kitchen Cookbook?” 

I will never tell you that regular cookbooks are obsolete. They have their uses as well as a special place in my heart. However, some are better than others. Most cookbooks are good if you know what you want to cook already and just need to know the how part.  

A different kind of Cookbook: 

The Flavor Bible is a different kind of cookbook. A true bible. Your guide to the divine flavors of the world. This book is the Codex of Cooking, a veritable grimoire for culinary magic. You see, unlike a regular cookbook, which may have a theme or common author but is essentially a collection of recipes to be followed and exprimented from. The Flavor Bible has not one recipe in it. Not one. 

Instead, you’ll find color theory for food. I do not mean the whole ‘eat your color wheel’ food pyramid schpiel. This book is the Rosetta stone of taste buds. It seeks to teach flavor affinities. The Flavor Bible is intended to help creatives getting creating with a tool already in their belt. Three hundred and ninety-two pages of mad science and sheer genius.  

Can you tell this is my favorite cookbook? 

For those of us that have one thing in the kitchen that we know we want to use, but don’t know what to do with it. Or the guy that found the strange new fruit at the farmers market so duh you bought it… but you have no idea what it tastes like or what to use it in. This book is for you.

For the mixologist that has a flavor profile for a new cocktail in her head, and now needs to inspire a dish that compliments it without over powering it. Even for the baker that isn’t sure if that savory is weird to use with that sweet because can you put cardamom in that? 

The Flavor Bible can not only teach you about using and balancing the four basics tastes (salty, sour, bitter, and sweet). But, it can also teach you to brighten flavors by using acids and add nuance to dishes by layering flavors and harmonizing contrasting flavors.  

Confession time:  

And it’s Easy to use. Easy as pie. That’s the make or break for me when I’m recommending something to someone. Confession time: I hate culinary jargon. I love the industry. I love the grit, problem solving and creativity that the food service industry demands. But I hate jargon and I dislike people who give themselves airs over food.

Food is first and foremost sustenance. And yes, it is art. But two things I don’t think should be gatekept are food and art. I believe in teaching people things in simple laymans terms and not over complicating things that don’t need to be complicated.  

You could know absolutely nothing about flavor or cooking, pick up The Flavor Bible and use it. The majority of it pages are alphabetized lists. It starts at A and goes all the way to Z listing off hundreds of ingredients. From when they are in season, and what main profile it fits in to. Down to the cuisine they are most common in, and even sometimes alcohol compatibility.  

Know your ABC’s: 

As an example, let’s say you have pears in your kitchen that you need to use. But you really don’t know what you want to do with them. It’s been a long week, and your creative juices are running low. You flip to the section with all the P’s. Then go alphabetically until you hit “Pear” and you pick the right species of pear (yes, if gets that specific). Underneath pear is a list of all the flavor affinities that compliment pears. Everything from sweet to savory along with a few suggestions of typical dishes, when the best pears are in season, and where they’re from. There’s even a brief list of flavors that do not mix well to save you from making any obscure but terribly unpalatable mistakes.  

Pears not your thing? Or maybe you need to do a little reverse engineering and start with the minor details to pick your main course. You have this Turmeric you’re trying to use, just go to T, find turmeric and work your way through the list of forty-three different things that are complimentary to Turmeric.  

Trouble Shooting

Maybe you’ve already got a complex dish, but something is missing and you’re really trying to elevate it. This book is still your best friend. I can’t tell you how useful it is to be able to cross reference between pages covering the major components of a dish and have a eureka moment because I either found a flavor that complements all six things I’m trying to balance and all of a sudden baby cherubs are singing. Or, I realize that the reason my flavor is a little off is because I missed a major flavor profile, and the dish is out of balance. Suddenly, it’s fixed, and life is good. 

If I never convince you of anything else in your life, I hope I convince you to go get yourself a copy of The Flavor Bible. This is what I would have been burned at the stake for in the 1700’s. Because I will preach this until the day I die.

If ever there was a magic book full of witchcraft and spells- it’s this one. Bible is a fair and accurate term. You want to make potions that don’t taste like Polyjuice? This is your baby. If you’ve ever wanted to be an alchemist- this is the closest to alchemical genius, you will ever get, if only because it is worth its weight in gold in my opinion.  

Now go get Creative! 

Mikaela 

I’m so excited for today’s post because I get to merge two of my favorite subjects: Kitchens and Sustainability. Quite frankly this post is long overdue. But I’m not going to lie- between the move, starting a new and wonderful job adventure that is putting us farther on the path to success, and wedding planning I have simply not had enough hours in the day to give this topic the amount of space that I think it deserves. I think sustainability and being environmentally minded is one of those topics that everybody should be discussing and the kitchen is frequently a stressful area for families between day to day chaos and the rising cost of groceries; but it’s also ironically one of those places that is easiest to trim things from- metaphorically speaking, if you know what to do.  

So come, my little ducklings, and let me share my knowledge- because Mother knows best! (Insert catchy Disney song here). I am a believer that the little things are what give you big returns, so let’s talk littles in the kitchen! Some of these I think will surprise you with how innocuous of a change they are; but it’s the trivial things we do mindlessly that make the biggest difference. 

1. Scraps!

This is my number one “Big” little. Taylor touched a bit on this in her ComPosting (ha! see what I did there?) If you missed that post- check, it out {here} there’s a ton of valuable info in it. But I want to elaborate a tidbit on it. whilst many of your kitchen scraps CAN get composted, there are a select few things that have BETTER uses than compost. Uses that go right back into your kitchen to save you money while being environmentally friendly. These scraps include carrots, celery, onions, parsley, and any form of bones- beef, poultry, even shrimp casings and clam shells. These, I store in a small tub in my fridge for the veggies and the freezer for the meat bones/ scraps. When I have enough, I throw it all into a large stock pot with water and boil it into the best stock you’ll ever have, then it can be used for anything you’d use stock for. I also do this anytime we have a turkey (at the holidays) or a rotisserie chicken, you just boil the whole carcass with the veggie waste from your stuffing and go. If you’re short on space, you can even cook it down really far until it’s concentrated and then freeze it. If you want a super basic stock recipe that anybody can do, click HERE. 

2. Grow your own veggies from scraps.

This can take a bit more space and planning obviously. BUT it can hugely cut down on your carbon footprint and in theory, can make a large impact over time in “single crop farm” system; which has been proven to be very detrimental to the environment and the nitrogen cycle. some of the easiest to learn to regrow are lettuce, onions, peppers of all varieties, and cucumbers. We’ll be going more over that in future posts- so keep your eyes peeled. It will also save you money on your grocery bill after the initial investment. 

3. Mindfulness with your kitchen utensils.

This one is a bit more abstract- but hear me out. Kitchen upgrades, small wares, the age of plastic, and a serious case of FOMO combined with the human need to have the “latest and greatest” of whatever is on the market has led to a “disposable culture” that is altogether blatantly wasteful with little to no regard for the consequences. I have even seen people forget Tupperware’s in their fridge and not feel like cleaning out the goo inside, so they’ll throw away an entire, perfectly fine Tupperware. “It’s just one.” you say. but when you have 55,000 people (and I’m being incredibly conservative here) do that- that’s a lot of plastic. So, when I talk about Mindfulness in your kitchen utensils, I’m meaning think about the longevity of the tools you’re using. I’d rather have one or two things that cost me more money but will last forever than have to replace 30 of something else because it doesn’t last as long even if it’s cheaper. Now this doesn’t mean go out and swap everything in your kitchen- that’s just as wasteful. and it doesn’t mean live beyond your means- that’s a slippery slope. But it does mean be mindful of what you’re choosing as things wear out and you need to replace them; start to be more intentional and more informed as a consumer. here are some of my favorite “eco-friendly” kitchen tools (some might surprise you). 

• Wooden spoons and spatulas vs plastic: I own 1 plastic spatula, because there are some specific things (like candy making) that you can’t use wood for. but otherwise, I prefer wooden. BUT here’s the caveat: Bamboo is porous and can absorb flavors and odors and wears down faster- though it is fast to regrow, and therefore marketed as a ‘sustainable’ material; but not all sustainable things are created equal. Personally- I prefer Teak. Teak is a hardwood that is non-absorptive, won’t get little wooden fuzzies on them, and will last you FOREVER. next time you go to replace your tools- take a look. 
• Stainless steel over plastic: this is just due to breakage. They will last longer, you don’t even have to consider BPA and contaminates, the material is recyclable at the end of its life, and easier to keep clean. 
• Knives: This one is hard, because knives can be pricey. But if you invest in the right set of knives- they will serve you for the rest of your life. cheap ones are prone to breakage and chipping and the need for repairs. as an example, when my grandfather was a meat cutter, he bought himself a VERY nice set of carving knives and French knives. They got prodigious use for probably 30 years before he retired and then continued using them for personal use for another 30 years; and whilst I do have my knives from culinary school- I’ll be honest, they’re in storage for when my grandpa’s knives eventually die. My grandfather passed away in 2017, I inherited his knives and they’re still kicking.  
• Cutting boards: Again- Plastic or Mylar may be ‘sturdy’ but they have a higher carbon footprint and eventually will land in a landfill. HARDWOOD cutting boards- again, I prefer teak. These require a bit more upkeep; but they look nicer, they last longer and they’re better for the environment.  
• Analog vs digital: Sounds wacky. What do I mean by digital vs analog? When it comes to your smaller electric/mechanical kitchen appliances (blenders, crock pots, rice cookers, pressure cookers, toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers etc.). Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean not using them. They’re useful things, especially for those of use that are short on time; it means being smart about how we use them and what we purchase. Prior to the advent of everything “instant” a lot of these products existed but in more mechanical or “analog” forms. Here’s the biggest clincher with digital appliances and screens: They wear down faster. Which means you have to replace them faster because ‘repairs’ are not always practical or possible. things with “push buttons” and smart cookers etc.- if the digital wiring components malfunction or wear down, fixing them is almost impossible or so expensive that cost wise you may as well buy a new one. but the older mechanical ones can usually be easily repaired, or parts replaced. It’s almost like dealing with a mechanic for a car: the mechanical bits are easy to fix, if it’s a problem with your wiring harness- you’re both going to be swearing. I still use a push lever toaster; I prefer crock pots to quick cookers 90% of the time. My toaster oven is electric but it’s not digital (don’t confuse the two) same with my blender. Just think twice before you go buy your latest and greatest. 
• Nonstick pans: Not all non-stick is equal. If you’re a kitchen nerd, then I am sure you know that sometimes you buy non-stick only to discover it was a cheap coating and it peels within months and you’re angry and annoyed. If you want non-stick, invest in some Hex-Clad pans and learn to take care of them. Alternately- copper is great and will last forever and they heat evenly and quickly because copper is a great conductor. For everything else I use cast-iron, which WILL last you forever.  

4. Change the framework of your diet.

This is where I lose some people. Please take a deep breath and open your mind for a few moments. If you are reading this, I am hoping it’s because you are either passionate about sustainability or interested in the subject as well as passionate about food. If you’ve tuned into the blog previously then you’ll know that those are two of my favorite topics. You’ll also have heard me cite Michael Polan’s Masterclass on food. The modern food chain has become incredibly automated, overproduced, and over processed. in addition to that; food ethics plays a huge role in the food chain as well. I will be doing future posts more in depth on the food chain, and ethics in the near future starting with the ‘dirty dozen’ so I’ll be brief here- but in summary: changing the framework of your diet does not mean going ON a diet. It means changing the core structure of your diet and being a mindful consumer.  

Many Americans in particular eat far too much meat and a heavily processed diet. whilst there is a growing wave of plant-based movement, the overwhelming majority is still a meat and potatoes culture. This is where I tell you to take deep breaths. I’m not telling you to go vegetarian. I’m certainly not telling you that you have to go vegan. I am an omnivore- genetically and morally. BUT everything in moderation. And most people do not eat a moderate amount of meat, they eat A LOT of meat. Again, I cannot urge you enough to take Michael Polan’s master class on food and I am excited to expand on some of those topics coming up but in the meantime- the bones of the rules are: reduce your animal protein intake, increase your plant intake, be aware of who is growing your food and how, and if you can’t pronounce it- don’t eat it (this means the processed foods, the box dinners etc.). 

I promise, I will help you break this down in the coming months- it sounds complicated and like a lot but it’s not.  

5. What foods are you buying?

Are they sustainable? Are their ingredients sustainably sourced? This one is fairly straightforward, and it does overlap a bit with changing the STRUCUTRE of your diet. However, this is where we’re really looking at not only who grew it but also what was used to grow it as far as fertilizers, pesticides, what the animals were fed with, what the carbon footprint is, what the farming practices are. This is where you get up close and personal with the underbelly of the food industry. Things will surprise you (both negatively AND positively.)  

I hope this gives you some generic building block knowledge and sparks some new questions and thoughts for you. I’m so excited to continue this topic with you in the future as these are things that we plan to integrate into the fundamentals of our brick-and-mortar location and our company culture as we grow.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

I know in my previous post about Ostara I had mentioned a recipe for some sourdough rosemary rolls…. 

Today is the day. Rosemary, to me, is one of the best herbs in the world, I think everybody should have some in their garden. It smells amazing, is relatively hardy (you can even grow it in the arid zone that is the Arizona I grew up in). It has a laundry list of medicinal benefits that I will get to at a different time because I could wax poetic about Rosemary and all its uses for a while, and I will, trust me. But for today we will stick to just the culinary aspect and some of its symbolism in Ostara celebrations.  

Baking bread is also one the more traditional ways to celebrate Ostara, and in my personal opinion almost everything is better with cheese…. therefore: Bread + Rosemary + Cheese = Mozzarella Stuffed Rosemary Sourdough Pretzel Rolls! I know it looks like there are a lot of steps, but I broke it into tiny bite sized pieces for ease of reading and doing. It’s not hard, I promise.  

You can either buy a sourdough starter online (I know you can find decent ones on Esty), or you can make your own with a little advance prep, it’s much easier than it sounds. Check out our post on how to make sourdough starter Here. 

Now let’s get to it!  

Instructions: 

1. Combine warm water, sugar and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or regular large bowl if doing by hand). let sit 3-4 minutes until starter has had a chance to breathe.  
2. Add approximately 4 cups of flour and salt and mix on medium speed for approximately 10 minutes. If by hand approximately 15 minutes. mixing is extremely important because this is where your gluten develops. dough should be smooth and satiny to the touch, moist but not sticky; and definitely not dry. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl gently. If your dough is too sticky, continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time, allowing a minute or two of mixing between each addition. Dough should pass the window test. For bread basics and tips click Here. 
3. Once your bread has gotten close to this ideal texture, add your rosemary and butter and knead an added 3-4 minutes until butter has been fully absorbed (butter inhibits gluten production so you do not want to add it too early). 
4. Tip dough into a clean, oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a warm area of your house and let rest until dough has doubled in size (roughly 1- 1.5 hours)  
5. Place your shredded mozz in the freezer (If you are using fresh mozz you will want to tear it into relatively small pieces first). 
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; and set aside. 
7.  Add water and baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil. 
8. Divide dough into 8 equal rounds. 
9. Roll each round out into a 16″ rope. 
10. Roll each rope out so it’s 4 inches wide. 
11. Remove cheese from freezer. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese filling evenly along the rope. 
12. Tightly roll the dough back into rope being careful to pinch the edges together. 
13. Make a U shape with each rope of dough, holding the ends. 
14. Cross the ends over each other, pinching ends onto the bottom of the dough. you now have a pretzel!  
15. Place pretzels – one at a time – into the boiling cooking liquid. Cook for 30 seconds each. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drip back into the pot before transferring to prepared baking sheet. It is important to not crowd your pot- take your time with this step. calm and clean are your friends. 
16. Once all pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops of each with egg wash. 
17. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. 
18. In a small bowl combine the rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Brush the top of each pretzel with melted butter, then sprinkle on topping. Eat at once! 

Now go make a mess! Have fun! Change the toppings, switch out the cheese if you want, take pictures, share them with friends.  

All the best,  

Mikaela