Sweet Tooth Haven

Growing Magnolia Trees

*Disclaimer* This is by no means meant as a scientific article.  I am not a botanist, nor do I have much of a green thumb. I have no idea if my little trees will survive this winter let alone grow into blooming magnolia trees.  But at least something grew from the seeds.

This summer the magnolia trees near my neighborhood pool smelled so fabulous I decided I wanted to plant some.  A little research on the trusty old internet lead me to this Magnolia Seed Pod site by Linda Nix.  Encouraged by her easy to follow steps I waited for the seed pods to ripen.

Here's my method (remember the disclaimer - YMMV). 

1.  Obtain ripened seed pod.  The bright red seeds should be bursting out.

2.  Remove the seeds and soak them overnight in some water to soften the tough outer skin.

3.  Remove the outer red seed coat.  Some seeds will pop out when squeezed at one end.  Inside there is a slimy tan seed that reminded me of a pine nut.  Sorry I forgot to photograph this step.

4.  Wash the seeds to remove the oily coating.  I figure this part must be done by the digestive tracts of animals that eat the seeds.

5.  I planted my seeds in reconstituted individual peat pellets like these:

Then placed them in my makeshift growing container (a glass baking dish covered with plastic wrap).

6.  It had been several MONTHS and I was about to throw the whole experiment out when I saw a little plant emerging.  A few days later the leaves popped out..

7.  At the first sign of leaves, I removed the plant from the makeshift grower and planted it in a pot in some soil.  It's now sitting by a window and has since been joined by another pot with another seedling.  I see two more emerging and a few more have roots.  I have know idea what I'll do with them once they grow too big for pots.  I don't have much of a yard.

Any takers?

Remove the Stems from Spinach

If you are using fresh spinach in a recipe like lasagna or spanakopita, you need to remove the stems.  Here's a way to make the job quick and easy.

Before you start, wash the spinach and wash it again to be sure all the dirt and grit is gone.  You'll be working one leaf at a a time (don't worry, it goes faster than you would think!).  Have a place to discard the stems and a bowl for the leaves.

• Hold the leaf so the veins are on top. 
• Fold the sides of the leaf down and hold them with your fingers. 
• Use your other hand to carefully pull the stem up and toward the tip of the leaf. 
• Move your fingers along the leaf as you pull the stem toward the end.
• Save the leaf, discard the stem.

You can do this on a flat surface as well.

Phyllo Dough Tips

In the United States, you usually find phyllo  (fillo) in the frozen section near desserts and pie.  This thin dough can be bought in sheets or ready to fill pastry cups.  If you want to make spanakopita or baklava this is the dough to use.  Because it is so thin, phyllo tears easily and has a reputation of being difficult to work with. 

Some things to remember when working with phyllo:

• Make sure it is completely thawed.  Frozen sheets will be brittle and tear more easily.  Leave the package in the refrigerator at least overnight.
• Do not let the dough dry out while you work with it.  Cover it with plastic wrap and a damp towel.
• Brush it liberally with butter (or oil).
• Be gentle
• Work quickly
• If you get a tear, don't fret.  It will likely be covered with another layer.  Just close up the slit and brush it with butter.

To set up a work area before making spanakopita: First, spread a layer of plastic wrap on the bottom.  Unwrap the phyllo and spread it on the plastic.  Quickly cover the dough with plastic wrap.  Layer a damp towel on top.

Fold back the towel and plastic wrap to brush each sheet with butter before using.  Quickly recover the remaining sheets.

No Knead Bread - Part II

This is the second part of my first try making No Knead Bread.  Read Part I.

Even though the dough was puffy and bubbly when I woke up, I waited a full 18 hours before pouring the dough out of the bowl.  See the difference?

The dough was very wet and I used a lot of flour on the surface and on my hands when I folded it.  After 15 minutes I flipped it onto liberally floured towel (I didn't have any wheat bran or cornmeal) and let it sit, covered, for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, I plopped it into my preheated pot and set it in the 450-degree oven for 30 minutes.  The lid came off and when I checked it after 15 minutes, it was nice and brown so I took it out.

Immediately the crust began crackling and it smelled wonderful.  I knew that if it tasted as good as it looked and smelled I had a winner.

When it was cool I cut it open.

 

The verdict:  Delicious!  The crust was crisp, the inside soft and chewy, the flavor as good as any bakery loaf I have had.

I will be making this many more times and will be trying variations.  To start with, I think next time I'll use a bit of white whole wheat.

The negative:  My house was blazing after having the oven on 450-degrees for more than an hour, and the outside temperature was only around 80.  I can't see making this in the summer unless it's done in the early, early morning or at night.  It will be nice in the winter to  have the whole house toasty and smelling like fresh bread.

No Knead Bread - Part I

This bread recipe has been a phenomenon spreading like wildfire since Mark Bittman wrote about it in 2006.  Word first got to me through an interview on Good Food (check out the vegan twinkies)with Evan Kleiman and knew I had to try it.  I have been slow on the uptake, but if it comes out nearly as good as everyone and their mother says it does, I'll make up for it in quantity.

Besides being so wonderfully tasty, this bread is rumored to be so simple a four year old can make it.  In fact, over at Steamy Kitchen she has proof!

Tonight I mixed the dough using this recipe:

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup water

I mixed the dry ingredients, then stirred in the water until I had the requisite shaggy mass seen below.

I covered it up and put it to bed for about 18 hours.  I hope it sleeps well and is ready for the oven tomorrow.  Look for Part II to see how it comes out!

In the meantime, here's Mr. Bittman with a demonstration from the bakery with the recipe.

The Great Asparagus Experiment

Today is the day I start the Great Asparagus Experiment.  Why is it an experiment?  Because I am not an avid, or even a good, gardener.  In fact both my houseplants just died.  One even started growing bright yellow mushrooms. Anyway, while grocery shopping today I was browsing in the garden department (because I do like to pretend I have a green thumb) and I saw a bag of asparagus roots.  Of course I decided to give it a try.  After all, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle made it sound so easy.  In the book Barbara Kingsolver explains that asparagus is a permanent crop.  You can harvest it every year after letting it establish the first year.  What could be better than fresh asparagus from your own yard every spring?  Since I won't actually get to eat any asparagus from my efforts until next year, I decided to let you know how the planting and growing goes.  Maybe I'll inspire you!

Here's what one of the roots look like.  Mine already have some white shoots sprouting from them.  There were 8 in the bag.  I fit 3 in my tiny side yard and saved some for my mom.

With nothing else to go by, I followed the directions on the label.

• Dig a trench 12 inches deep. (Well, close enough)
• Place plants on bottom of trench and spread roots out flat.

• Space 20 inches apart (mine are a bit closer)
• Cover with 3 inches of soil.

• As the stalks begin to grow, gradually cover with soil until level with surrounding ground.
• Water freely during spring and summer.

I'll keep you updated as the stalks begin to grow (keep fingers crossed).

Updates:

July 13, 2008

How To Toast Coconut

Fantastic topped on vanilla ice cream, sprinkled on cake, or mixed into cookies, toasted coconut just adds that little something extra.  Coconut emerges from the oven a different breed;  its former self pales in comparison.  Seriously.  While I can't stand Mounds, Almond Joy, or any coconut candy,  some toasted coconut on a brownie is heaven. 

The bonus:  it's super simple.  Here's my method:

What you need:
Bag of shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Baking sheet
Oven
Spoon

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 375-degrees.
• Pour the coconut on the baking sheet and spread it out.  Use as much or as little as you need.
• Put it in the preheated oven.  Remove and stir every 2 minutes until you reached desired toastiness.  It takes me less than 10 minutes for a whole bag.  Less coconut will need less time because it can be spread out thinner.