Thursday, May 15, 2008

Ciabatta: Take 2

So I tried my hand again today at ciabatta. Pretty good results this time. More airy and tender than Take One, but still not exactly what I was looking for. The crust was delicate and crisp, the bread had good chew, but the loaf itself was still not as airy as I would have liked. I have to admit, the only place I have had ciabatta is at Whole Foods (so maybe I am dreaming the impossible dream thinking I can recreate it at home). You'll have to excuse the lame photo (taken a few years ago on a cheap-o camera), but here is a pic of a grilled tempeh sandwich made with their ciabatta. Their loaf is thin and fairly flat, but oh-so-airy with a delightful crackly-crisp crust! Actually, now that I think about it, this photo came from my pre-blog: a vegan newsletter. After I graduated I picked up some work at a research institute where some of the staff decided to do a Biggest Loser-type competition. I did not have any weight to lose but I volunteered to put together a (somewhat) weekly vegan food newsletter with recipe and general healthy eating advice. I called it "Food For Losers." It ran for 12 glorious editions before I took a job elsewhere. Anyway, back to the present! The bread is still good and I enjoyed this sandwich for lunch.