French Bread: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

I will admit that I was a bit dubious about this recipe. I have made quite a few baguettes in my day, and have even posted a recipe. So how much better could Reinhart's recipe be? The answer: so much better! As with most of his recipes, a little extra time makes for an amazing loaf of bread. The key to this French bread is pate fermente, a dough made the day before and kept in the fridge until needed. This pre-ferment and the final dough is a mix of bread and all purpose flour which makes for a tender loaf with a crispy and crackly crust.

I don't have any notes for this recipe, vegan or otherwise.

Chow Noodles

One of my favourite blogs is Chow Vegan, a site with great recipes and beautiful pictures. The other night I really wanted to make the Cantonese Style Chow Mein but did not have all the ingredients. So, I tweaked here and there and dubbed the dish Chow Noodles. The thing that really makes this dish is Chow's baked and crispy noodles. Delicious. Actually, you're probably just better off making the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
The amount of each ingredient is up to you, depending on how many you are serving
- chow mein noodles, baked as per this recipe
- dried shitake mushrooms
- boiling water
- oil
- crushed garlic and ginger
- water chestnuts
- edamame
- sliced romaine lettuce leave (or some other green)
- soy sauce
- splash of sesame oil

METHOD
1. While noodles are baking, soak mushrooms for about 20 mins, until soft. Drain and reserve water, then slice mushrooms.
2. Heat oil in a wok, the briefly fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add water chesnuts and edamame and fry for a few mins. Add greens and fry until soft but still vibrant.
3. Add noodles to the pan along with as much of the reserved mushroom soaking water as you want to make a sauce. Season to taste with soy sauce, then stir in the sesame oil. Serve.

Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary

Maya Gottfried, author of Our Farm, was kind enough to send me a copy of her latest book. Beautifully illustrated, the book is a collection of poems, each one capturing the personality of some of the animals at Farm Sanctuary. Other than a note in the back to parents, the book does not get into why the animals are at the sanctuary but instead celebrates animals as unique individuals. As such, the book allows parents to discuss animal rights on their own terms, or just enjoy a book that respects animals with their kids.

Focaccia: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

Google informs me that I have reached my viewing limit of The Bread Baker's Apprentice. That means I can't post links to the rest of the recipes in the book. But, you might be able to see the recipes, so check the link above. I will not be posting the recipes here for obvious legal reasons and out of respect for all the work Reinhart has done for his cookbooks. What I hope to do here is inspire you to bake, and guide you through the veganizing.

I have made this focaccia recipe twice now, both times when we had guests. Everyone loved it. But, I suppose that this is because focaccia is pretty heavy on the oil. This recipe makes a wonderfully tender bread with a crispy crust and a honeycomb crumb.

GENERAL NOTES
1. I use scant 1/3 of oil total, so I don't bother making the 2 cups of herbed oil Reinhart call for.
2. I have used fresh and dried herbs for the oil. Fresh really is better, but dried isn't too shabby either.
3. I baked this in a stoneware baking sheet since it is the biggest baking sheet I own. I was worried the bottom would not brown enough, but it turns out just fine.

VEGAN NOTES
-none

Crispy Cajun Tofu Sticks

My approach to tofu these days is to coat it in some kind of spice mixture before doing anything else. This is a great way to add lots of flavour to the otherwise neutral bean curd. After coating with spices you can fry it, grill it, coat it with sauce . . . whatever suits your fancy. This tofu is dipped in soymilk and coated with bread crumbs (cereal, actually) to provide some crispy crunch. I think these would have been even better with some kind of dipping sauce, so I am open to suggestions.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into sticks
- 3/4 cup soymilk
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- bread crumbs, or crushed cereal

Spice Mix
- 2 tsp (smoked) paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Mix together ingredients for spice mixture in a large bowl. Add in tofu sticks and gently toss to coat.
2. Mix together soy milk and vinegar. Dip a tofu stick in mixture, then toss in bread crumbs or crushed cereal to coat. Repeat with remaining sticks.
3. From here you have two options: 1. Fry in 350 degree oil; or 2. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 mins, turning half way through.