Thursday, February 24, 2011

More Granola

An unoriginal way to pose granola
I started this post nearly a year ago - it took me that long to work a few things out in the recipe. I was trying to evoke the bar that my favorite restaurant makes; it's really chewy and I love the texture.  Its just too sweet for my palate (yes, I said something was too sweet for me. It happens, not often, but it happens). 

The process of making granola requires a judicious mind.  My tendency is to get carried away and toss in everything but the kitchen sink. When the results come in, I have to say, I'm not a fan of that approach. When I plan it out and stick to something more unified I'm always happier.  

This time, I began with my favorite dried fruit (because of course everyone ranks their favorites, right? My rankings: tart cherries, cranberries, golden raisins. Favorite foods to add to other foods? Whether the dish is savory or sweet, mine are: jam, hot peppers, cheese). I expanded from there: what would be good with dried tart cherries? Another stone fruit: apricots. Then I decided almonds would complement those two, and added sesame seeds (including black ones for visual interest), a few sunflower seeds, and oats. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Seven Grain Bread


I wrote a while back about the most amazing place I've ever been. There have been times, I confess, at the end of a vacation, when I'm ready to be home.  I want to sleep in my own bed and wash my clothes. I need to cook something where I know the ingredients. I want to wear a pair of shoes that is not one of the four I brought (C Fierce note: J Fierce is lying if she thinks anyone will believe she only brought four pairs of shoes on vacation).  Last week, I wasn't. I'm not. Sharing a studio with two other boys (in addition to The Boy) and two kittens who played with my toes while I slept? None of it phased me. Here I am, and I'm still dreaming about San Francisco.

I hadn't been in a kitchen in a week. I didn't want to settle back in - I began to purge everything for the "well if I lived in a studio in San Francisco I wouldn't take this with me" mentality. Failing all else, I made bread.