Baldur

mention +ed =mentioned
Je -J +H =He

Baldur

2900 comments already, who could have envisioned this?

solosater

Hey all, I'm betting some loyal listener here has a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread they'd like to share with solo (and the very precise directions for making it too).

Do I win?

I love the idea of baking and have done some in my time but for the most part I do things that don't require precision (soups, sauces, legumes, casseroles, and the like). Precision in the kitchen is rather more stress than I can handle.

You can so easily ruin a dessert by leaving it to cook for an extra five minutes; it takes hours to ruin a soup and it could likely still be ok. It's not a good idea to add a little of this or leave out that when baking unless you know the rules. I don't know the rules; I'm pretty sure baking requires magic. And elves too.

Cooking to me is an art and there shouldn't be rules in art! I think I must run toward the abstract in my kitchen arts, perhaps that is why I don't feel the need to draw or paint in the abstract...

solosater

I lived for a year in Vermont and upstate New York but missed the peak foliage the first fall and it came about a week after I left the second fall so I've never seen it in real life but the photos are amazing, I imagine seeing it for real is an experience not to be missed (even though I did twice;-).

I liked you're point on the winter garden, we don't really have that issue here so much but you really should plant things that will still be attractive and interesting in all seasons. I love bare trees dripping with icicles and draped in snow but I imagine there are some plants that just look dead at that point.

I recently was on a job with a dog that would go outside at night an bark at the wall. I knew it was making the neighbors crazy but if I tried to bring him in it just got worse as he didn't see well and didn't recognize me in the dark. I decided to go next door and explain that I would try to quiet him but to please bear with us and his owners would be back soon. She was very nice about the whole thing and while I was there I had to ask about the gorgeous tree on her patio.

It was a Crepe Myrtle. I've heard the name before but as I'm really not a gardener of any sort was not familiar with the look of the tree. It is very sculptural and small enough to be planted quite near the house (though I believe they can get rather large too, perhaps you have to train it?). The bark is almost flesh like in appearance and is actually pinkish. There were some small flower like leaves on it that apparently stay on all year. I don't know if it would do well in colder climates but I would love to see it in the snow.

marius

solosater, I saw my first ever Crepe Myrtles in South Carolina. They are very common there, and lovely. Got the impression they are plants of southern climates, but don't really know. Haven't ever seen any here.
Sorry you missed peak foliage when you lived in N. England. Funny how that works.

Baldur, we've lived in this home five years and I've just begun to think about winter gardening, and actually never had a "term" for it - so thanks! Mercifully, some neighbors have lived here 35+ years and their winter gardening compliments our yard. We now have holly in the front, some evergreens in the back corner ... so there is a start. Spouse got me a great bird feeding station for my Bday so we can sit at the kitchen table and enjoy the feathered ones each morning - although they are also part of the summer garden, get fed year round.

About your spider warts ... mine bloom all summer. True, I thin them by putting them in vases and they don't bloom as prolifically in the heat of summer. But, if the fall is an "Indian Summer" then spidey warts bloom almost like it's spring. Right now they are wilted from the cold last night.

Also ... what specifically is this memorial statue or sculpture that is going in the site you re-worked? You may have said, but can't recall. Sounds like it will be very nice whatever it is.

Qsilv

(smiles) 'k, I'm sitting around today catching up on TD wonderfulness, feet up, coughing, sniffling... bleah, you get the picture, but you guys are every bit as soothing (with interesting bites) as my mug of hot tea with ginger here.

Solo, trust me on this one-- altho' some cooking is tricky, most baking is far from that. It's not about rules, just about principles. You can almost do no wrong... altho ..er... you might often come out with something a little different than originally planned! But, see, it's not "wrong"... it's just a different item! *twinkly grin*

So, here are two principles for you--

1. The more you pull at wet flour, the more you activate the gluten that makes it springy. (This can be A Good Thing, when you want it to rise and STAY risen like in regular bread, vs collapsing like a cooling souffle'... or undesirable, when you want it to be more delicate like in a tempura batter.)

2. You can get the stuff to do that rising any of 3 ways: a-- beating air into it, b-- mixing baking soda with an acid like buttermilk, c-- getting yeast to grow and give off tiny gas bubbles all throughout the dough.

And here's a remarkably good-natured article on soda-bread--
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/stpatricks/sodabread

solosater

I know it isn't as stringent as I make it seem; I just can't pay attention for long enough to succeed. Purely my own fault!

I say the same thing about metal smithing and glass work, I can do the artistic bit but I don't know how hot the piece has to be to set up right or for just how long it has to be fired to not crack when cooled. I just don't learn well unless I'm doing and it's rather pointless to do unless you know how.

That's rather more of the chronic fatigue speaking than me but it's still true.

The basic white soda bread and brown soda bread recipes linked to that article were just what I was looking for, thanks Qsilv!

solosater

And thanks too for the short and sweet tutorial on baking. Very concise and easy to understand. I had a light bulb moment with the talk of kneading and gluten, that makes perfect sense to me.

Baldur

Here we go, Baldur just returned from a dinner/meeting.
Here's my recipe contribution:

BALDUR'S VERY IRISH SODA BREAD

in a small bowl combine:
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon whiskey
Toss to combine and allow to sit until the whiskey is absorbed by the raisins, you may do this the day before if you know ahead of time.
put raisin mixture aside

preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit
butter a 9" cast iron skillet or a similar sized cake pan

combine in a bowl:
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
With your fingers work into the above:
4 tablespoons soft butter
Work them together until the mixture resembles crumbs

in a separate bowl combine:
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk (Baldur has never yet bought buttermilk to make this recipe with, acidify regular milk to get the same effect. into a measuring cup place 2 tablespoons of vinegar, pour in milk to make 2 cups. It will most likely curdle but that's fine)

Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture, add the raisins and knead very briefly on a well floured surface. This dough will be very sticky, knead it only briefly so as to not add a lot of flour into it.
Forn into a round loaf and place in the buttered skillet. (it should look very dusty on top from flour).
With a sharp knife cut a cross 1/2" deep into the top of the loaf to ward off demons.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes
Remove from the skillet when done and cool on a wire rack.

Baldur

Actually the recipe is 'Faux Irish' since Baldur made it up and there is not a dram of Irish in me.
Baldur did have an evil Irish mother-in-law. We were not enamored of each other at all.
She was quite loud in her defense of true Irish Soda Bread, always said it was the most authentic version around. What made it authentic apparently was it's lack of sugar.
She tried to educate Baldur to change his evil ways about adding sugar to the dough.
She actually did inspire me to double the amount I previously used.
(Baldur absolutely cannot believe they asked me to be a pallbearer at her funeral, but that's another story)
Chickie (indeed they called her Chickie) repeatedly told me how people praised her bread's authenticty. It did not bode well for our relationship when I told her that praising it's authenticity was a far cry from thinking it delicious or to even be willing to choke down a piece.
In the end I thought it better to make a bread people enjoyed.

Baldur was quite good about remembering to bring her a bread each St Patrick's Day.

Baldur

Forn -n +m =Form

Baldur

Let me rebuild a sentence from the Chickie story:

She was quite loud in her defense of true Irish Soda Bread, always said it was the most authentic version around.

Should be modified as:

She was quite loud in defense of her recipe for true Irish Soda Bread, always said her recipe was the most authentic version around.

marius

Have always wanted to make Irish Soda Bread. Thanks solo for asking, Qsilv and Baldur for replying!

Qsilv - get well soon. Had my bout with flu, sinus etc. a month ago ... not at all fun. If I can think of any entertaining stories, I'll add them to "Missouri Moments." (Wonder if Sir Baldur has read program notes for his radio station? Am sure I saw something about Missouri Moments.)

Oh wait ... here's one now ...
Last week I ate dinner at the Bass Pro Shop with my friend Evalyn. [For those unfamiliar with these stores, they are like zoo plus museum, mainly selling sporting goods. Think shopping for hunting and fishing gear amid gigantic aquariums with gigantic fish, live rainbow trout swimming in inside creeks, everything decorated to the nth degree with outdoors, themes, and a plethora of taxi-dermied specimens.] Back to the story ... Evalyn had just turned 80 and that's the restaurant she picked for her Bday dinner. The food was good and the view was lovely - we sat by the windows which look out over a lake with ducks, geese, waterfall, etc.

After dinner we wandered around. I salivated over kayaks but they are not in current budget, however, I saw some things I knew spouse would like so bought him a gift certificate for his birthday. Yes, his Bday was in June, but this is how we do it: you buy the gift IF and when it strikes you. So I got home, presented him with said gift and he said, "Why would I want a gift certificate to Bass Pro, of all places?"

I just kind of stood there stupidly because it's not like Robert to be so blunt. Not like him at all! We kind of blinked at each other and I'm thinking, "Wow, he's never done anything like this before. You think you know someone, but you don't." Finally I said in a light chiding kind of way, "Where are your manners? When someone gives you a gift you are supposed to act happy and say thanks!"

To astound me even more, he did not look the least bit sheepish or embarrassed and asked, "Seriously, I don't hunt or fish - what on earth were you thinking?" Then he looked at me as if I had just stepped off the most recent ship from mars. More blinking (or whatever people do when they are confused and embarrassed) ensued. He wasn't being unkind or angry, it was more like he was in shock that I'd buy him such a stupid and worthless gift.

Finally I said, "You like clothes. This place has clothes that are just your style. Flannel shirts, vests, socks, whatever you want. The prices are good and hey, it's a much more appealing shopping experience that you will ever hope to find at Walmart." Robert was not convinced. The whole past week we have joked about this gift, bantering back and forth about what I was "thinking" and finally today, we ventured out to see if indeed, there was clothing he would want.

First thing we did was walk around and look at all the things he didn't want: rods, reels, john boats, camouflage clothing, spotting scopes (although I'd like one of those), seat cushions, deer stands, thermal this and that, coolers, various floatation devices for snow or water, assortments of paddles, ammunition for guns although I saw no guns, and chocolate fudge. Finally we got to the clothing section and spouse tried really hard to resist what he saw, but, as Dragon would say .... hehe ....! He found two shirts he really likes and as we were driving home, he said, "Okay, that was a good present afterall. Sorry I doubted you. Guess you're going to pick on me about this the rest of my life." Yep.

The moral of this story: be careful what you teach your spouse or partner! He was never this outspoken or verbal before, whereas, I have always spoken my mind. Apparently my habit has worn off on dear Robert. We talked about it over dinner tonight and he said, "So, it IS your fault I said what I said." (Um, it probably is.)

PS I rather like this new Robert although I'm fearing tis a dangerous animal that has emerged! : )

Baldur

Baldur always thought a great slogan for the Missouri Tourism bureau would be 'Missouri Loves Company'

Baldur

Our musical interlude this evening will be a timely Missouri moment.

Here are the 'Missouiri Mute Maestros' with their version of a classic song by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. Best remembered for Judy Garland's classic rendition:


When Louis came home to the flat
He hung up his coat and his hat
He gazed all around but no wifey he found
So he said "where can Flossy be at?"

A note on the table he spied
He read it just once then he cried.
It read "louis dear it's too slow for me here
So I think I will go for a ride."

Meet me in Saint Louis, Louis
Meet me at the fair.
Don't tell me the lights are shining
Any place but there.
We will dance the hoochie koochie,
I will be your tootsie wootsie.

If you will meet me in Saint Louis, Louis
Meet me at the fair.

(Chorus) Meet me in Saint Louis, Louis
Meet me at the fair,
Don't tell me the lights are shining any place but there,
We will dance the Hoochie Koochie
I will be your tootsie wootsie
If you will meet me in Saint Louis, Louis
Meet me at the fair.

(Judy) Meet me in St Louis, Louis
Meet me at the fair.

marius

Baldur - that is brilliant, "Missouri Loves Company." Missourians tend to be quite friendly. One time I took a transplant from NYC walking in one of our state parks. After a while she says, "You don't even KNOW these people do you?" I was confused. What she meant is that generally, when we walk and pass by someone going the opposite direction, we great each other with something innocuous, like "hello" or "nice day" or "pretty dog you've got there." Apparently this was very shocking to the gal from NYC.

Also, have never liked being called the "show me" state. It leaves too much room for ... okay, you already know. And I do own three pairs of thongs and, again, they are worn on the feet!!!

And did you really tell Chickie that "praising (the bread's) authenticity was a far cry from thinking it delicious or to even be willing to choke down a piece?"

And thank you for the Missouri moment musical selection. Although, secretly no one in our neck of the woods believes St. Louis is a part of Missouri. The people from that city are VERY different. They say "soda" instead of "pop" for soft drinks. Yes, I know, it's shocking. But, it lets you know who you can and cannot trust. People who say soda are suspect. Hence ... the show me state.

Dragon

Ooo, I had so much catching up to do. It's Thanksgiving weekend here plus I had a staggette party to go to this weekend and it's been a terribly busy weekend for Dragon. I am thouroughly looking forward to sleeping in on Monday and having a day where I don't gorge myself on either liqour or food (or both).
I had to enjoy marius saying she knows summer is over because the flowers in the garden are done. We know summer's over here in Alberta because it's been snowing off and on for several days and we are all wishing we had the winter tires on our cars as we go sliding through intersections. We pretty much missed the spectacular colours of fall this year as a lot of the trees were still mostly green when we got a combination of very cold days mixed with extreme wind. Most of the trees are sadly bare now. We usually get at least a few days of wonderful oranges, yellows and reds but it's not in the cards this year.

marius, I enjoyed your story of the New Yorker who never imagined people might actually greet each other. I've lived in a couple of big cities (nothing like NYC of course) and one small one. My fella and I go for walks often, we have a wonderful park system in Red Deer and we live very close to one of the most beautiful parts of it, we regularliy greet and are greeted by all types of folks. In Calgary we had a similar park system (though it's larger and a provincial park to boot) and I recall greeting people when I'd go there with my family when I was young. Vancouver seemed a little more standoffish but I think this was only because I spent most of my time downtown and in my experience you're best off not making too much contact in big city downtown environs. Perhaps that seems horrible but you come across a lot of weirdos downtown (Vancouver had some real peaches in that dept.) and it's usually best not to encourage them or they won't leave you alone. I once saw an argument between a street preacher and a pedestrian woman, he was quite calmly preaching how Jesus is Lord and she was SCREAMING at him. From what I could tell of her side was that she also believed that Jesus is Lord and somehow thought he was telling it wrong. Kudos to him for remaining calm in the face of screeching insanity.

Robindcr8l

Robin wouldn't be caught dead dancing the hootchie kootchie, and would REFUSE to be referred to as ANYONE's tootsie wootsie! (just for the record!)

solosater

Baldur my very first thought when you said she defended her bread's authenticity was that authentic doesn't necessarily mean good.

Blood pudding is authentic Irish food (not for anything!). Haggis is authentic Scottish food (OMG! Why?). Chittlins is an authentic soul food (taste rather like very soft, fatty bacon but the smell is rather off putting).

I do like bland foods like "traditional" soda bread but I certainly wouldn't put tradition before taste and anyone who does probably can't taste anyway.

Login

Solo and Baldur, I'm with you there. I don't like genuine Irish soda bread, probably because it is so different from the bread I was reared on. I don't like 'black pudding', can't stand haggis and have no idea what chittlins are.

Now, Irish barmbrack is another matter ... basically a fruit loaf ... very delicious. Irish stew is a favourite, as is porridge but not with salt as the Scotts serve it ... I prefer it with a light sprinkling of sugar.