Garlic Bread

Tonight Eric came home with the groceries and there was not enough pasta in the package to feed 3. I think I have mentioned that my little brother now lives with us. We had some leftover french loaf from last night (used to make croutons for Cesear salad) so I decided to make garlic bread. I have never made garlic bread. Here is what I did:

1. Blanched a lot of garlic cloves in boiling water for about a minute. (Got this idea from an Italian cookbook on instructions of how to make garlic butter).
2. After blanching, used a masher to mash.
3. Mashed up a stick of butter with the garlic and then melted.
4. Sliced up the French Loaf and Toasted one Side under the broiler.
5. Added some Mexican Oregano, Thyme and Salt to butter mixture.
6. When Bread was toasted, removed and dunked the "untoasted" side in the butter. (That bread soaked up a lot of butter).
7. Grated a little Parmesan on each slice and placed back under the broiler until toasty brown.

Serve HOT. The garlic bread was unfortunately delicious.

Buttermilk Cornbread

This cornbread totally satisfies. I have yet to meet someone that does not like it.
Recipe from Susan Spicer. Food and Wine, December 2000.

1 Stick unsalted Butter melted, plus 2 Tbl
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups yellow cornmeal (fine or coarse works depending on your taste)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbl + 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1.5 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat Oven to 400. Put the 2 Tbl of butter in an 8 inch square baking dish and put in oven. (This helps create a crispy firm crust and seal in the moisture)

2. In a Big Bowl, mix the dry ingredients: cornflour, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder.

3. In a Small bowl, mix the buttermilk and eggs.

4. Add the Wet ingredients to the Dry ingredients along with the melted butter and stir to combine.

5. Remove the hot dish from the oven and tilt to spread the butter around the dish. Scrape batter into dish and bake for about 25 minutes or until the toothpick or fork tool inserted in the middle comes out clean. (I usually check it at 20 minutes). Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack or serve from dish.

Quick Chard Bruschetta

I came home late from teaching and wanted something yummy to go with a glass of red wine.

1. Thinly slice up some Russian Kale
2. Heat too much olive oil in a pan.
3. When hot, add kale and stir. Once it looks kinda fried and bright green (i think about 5 minutes), add some Fire Raisins and continue to cook until raisins plump up. Squeeze some lemon on the greens and remove from pan and put in a bowl. Grate Parmesan into warm greens and stir.
4. Add some more olive oil to the pan and "pan toast" up 2 slices of Pane Rustica Bread till desired toastiness is achieved.
6. Rub Toast with a cut piece of garlic.
7. Place toast on a plate and pile greens on top. Good Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper.

Eat with a knife and fork. Goes well with Bill Moses's Casa Barranca 2006 Pinot Noir.

Kale Bruschetta

1. Thinly slice that beautiful dark kale from Farmer and the Cook and Wash.
2. Mince up some garlic
3. Heat too much olive oil and when hot, throw in Kale and stir, adding garlic a few minutes later. Fry until the kale feels sort of dry, about 15 minutes. Add enough water to almost cover and cook partially covered for about 30 minutes until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Meanwhile, slice some country style wheat bread into shy 1/3 inch slices.
5. When ready to assemble, use broiler to toast one side of bread, flip over, brush with olive oil and toast other. Rub with sliced garlic, spread green mixture on top and cover with shaved Romano.

Note: The next day I toasted some bread with left over Romano cheese and left over sliced almonds. Then i put the greens on top. This was also yummy.