Prerow On The Darss Peninsula

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Prerow Beach by Meeta Albrecht


Snow-white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water and lush green forests. This was our vacation in the wonderful town of Prerow on the Darss Peninsula. The Darss lies in the Baltic Sea and partly overlooks Denmark. The beach here belongs to Germany's most beautiful beaches and has been awarded the "eco-label" for cleanest waters with the Blue Flag.

I'd like to congratulate Cinnamon for getting it right on, in my guessing game. So, Cinnamon time for you to browse through my pictures on my Flickr Photostream and email me telling me which one should head out to you in India.


It was a perfect vacation in every way, the weather was great, - we were lucky as the rest of Germany was grey and wet - the place was sensational, the food was incredible and all three of us harmonized so well with each other. That last comment should not be taken for granted - normally the first 2 days of our vacation start off with bickering and bitching at each other. It's the shock of being together 24 hours. Normally in our daily routine we all really are "together" for 4-5 real hours. Otherwise one is in Kindergarten the other is at the university and the third is at work - in the evening we all come together and it more or less works. On a vacation though it takes getting used to being with each other throughout the day. So, our previous vacations normally started with the unusual situation of having to deal with all three personalities at once - trust me we all have strong personalities!

Prerowstrom by Meeta Albrecht


However, this vacation, it started fantastically and carried out throughout the week so wonderfully relaxed.

Prerow is a charming town with cafés, restaurants and shops leading to the 400 meter long pier. This bathing resort offers something for all kinds of tourists. The climatic zones of the Baltic sea, the Darss forest, the Bodden bay and the meadow landscapes give it a spa-like character. The flat expansive landscape surrounded with a thick forest give Prerow an unmistakable look.

Prerow is surrounded by a national park - Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft - which was exciting and adventurous to discover with our bicycles. Soeren had received his birthday present - a brand new bicycle - earlier especially for this purpose. Through the thick earthy forest we made our way to the Darss lighthouse.

Prerow Lighthouse by Meeta Albrecht


Climbing to the top we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the wild and rugged Weststrand - the west beach and a hazy coastline of Denmark in the far horizon.

Prerow Weststrand by Meeta Albrecht


We spend a few days lazying on the clean sandy beaches. Although the water was about 16 degrees C, my two boys had a fantastic time splashing about in the Baltic Sea.

Prerow Beach Days by Meeta Albrecht


I chose to relax on the beach with a good book in a very comfortable beach basket - Strandkorb.

Prerow Beach Baskets by Meeta Albrecht


Otherwise we went for long bike rides along the Prerowstrom - the river that flows almost parallel to the sea and into the Bodden bay, covering 25 to 30 kms in a day!

Prerowstrom (02) by Meeta Albrecht


Or we rented a boat and enjoyed the spectacular scenes from the water.

Prerowstrom Boats (02) by Meeta Albrecht


Prerowstrom Boats 01 by Meeta Albrecht


We spent a day in Marlow enjoying the bird-life from around the world up close.

Prerow Loris and Lighthouse by Meeta Albrecht


Prerow Bird Park by Meeta Albrecht


Before we knew it it was time to pack up and head home again. This was my first time in this region of Germany and I was amazed at the beauty of it. Rugged, elegant, earthy all in one place. Surely the first of many future visits.


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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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Fruity Apricot and Nutty Pistachio Ice Cream

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Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream 05


Lovely fruity apricots in their full summer glory have got to be one of the many treasures found at a Farmer's Market. I just love them. They are right on top of my list with peaches, mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Can't you tell I am a summer girl right to the bottom of my tummy? I go into a frenzy every time I visit the Farmer's Market and see all these lovely fruits piled high just waiting to be used in something creative and scrumptious.



So, imagine the ecstasy I was in when I found golden apricots tinted with a wonderful rosey shade. I went and bought several of them thinking that I could use it in a few desserts and of course savoring them pure.





Apricots 01


It was just a week or so before I was due to leave on vacation and I really had to use them all up and after we got through most of the delicious juicy apricots I still had a few leftover. I was certainly not going to waste them. Paging through David Lebovitz' ice-cream Bible The Perfect Scoop I was not surprised that there was a flavor that perfectly matched my current apricot craving.

Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream 04


I won't go into how fantastic I find this book, because I have raved on about it here and here. But the truth is I find myself turning to it every time I think ice-cream.

With this particular ice-cream apricots are paired with crunchy pistachios - giving it an unmistakable elegant note. I was in luck because I had just received my food packet from my mum in Dubai and as always she packed bags of fresh nuts, including fresh Iranian pistachios.

Although David uses dried apricots in his recipe I chose to use fresh ones and instead of using white wine I used white grape juice as I have my 5 year old who is forever ready to try out my ice-cream creations.

So, I found myself making a delicious combination for my ice-cream mingle, the roundup you will find here.



Reminder!

The latest Monthly Mingle is one close to my own heart. Earth Food is all about helping to raise awareness for the steps and actions we can take to save our beautiful blue planet. Hope you will find it in your hearts to party with me.
Deadline is August 6th!






Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream 03


Apricot-Pistachio Ice Cream
Adapted from David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients
150g fresh apricots - quartered and then cut into chunks
180ml white grape juice
70g shelled unsalted pistachio nuts - coarsely chopped
130g sugar
250ml cream
250ml milk
Few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice.




Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream 01


Method

Pour the grape juice in a small saucepan and warm the apricots pieces in the liquid. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover and then remove from heat. Allow this to steep for 1 hour.

Purée the apricots in a blender with the sugar, milk, cream and lemon juice. David recommends to do this until smooth but as I preferred to have bits of apricots in my ice-cream I coarsely puréed the mixture.

Chill the mixture thoroughly - preferably overnight. Freeze it in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the chopped pistachio nuts.

You will find more useful tips about ice-creams here.



Apricot Pistachio Ice Cream 06


Verdict

This is a dreamy combination. Fruity, nutty and smooth. I just loved every spoonful - a crunchy pistachio here and a soft juicy apricot there. It's just amazing how the three of us are being transformed from choco addicts to discovering the truly heavenly flavors of fruit and nuts. Thanks to David!


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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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I Scream For Ice Cream - A Cool Roundup!

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Well I am back from my vacation and was totally overwhelmed by my bursting mailbox! Mostly all your incredible entries to this mingle.

If you are thinking that this is going to be a roundup for 10 different chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ice-creams, I am telling you that my guests are far more creative than that. It was a great pleasure seeing so many fantastic flavors and once again I am recommending you all to bookmark this page.

To all my guests I would like to thank you for bringing your ice-creams to the mingle and apologize for not visiting your posts personally. Now that I am back I will be checking out all your mouth-watering creations and will leave my comments. I do so appreciate you all taking part.


Before we get into the roundup. let me first announce the theme to our next Mingle



August Monhtly Mingle Theme
How many of you watched Live Earth this weekend? Musicians got together all around the world to raise awareness for what is happening to our planet. To raise awareness for a cause started by Al Gore but actually ends with us. Sure there are many critics for this cause, however the fact remains that our Earth is sending us SOS signals and we all need to do something about it.

Please bear with me before you click away, rolling your eyeballs, thinking "How can I individually save the planet?" You see we can. Each individual just needs to play the smallest role and we will be doing so much good towards helping make our planet a great place. Look around you - isn't it a gorgeous planet? Don't we want to keep it looking so beautiful for our children?

With the upcoming mingle, I am really hoping you all will join me to raise awareness for how our Earth is dying and what we can do to help it heal. I leave it to your imagination and inspiration of what you want to create as Earth Food. However, there is one question I would really like you to answer in your posts - what action are you taking that helps the earth? It does not have to be anything spectacular or a list of 100 things - just the one small action that you consciously do that reduces the impact.

For example, I consciously buy recycled toilet paper, writing and printing paper for us at home. I changed my old habit by simply making a choice to grab for another product at the supermarket shelf.

Critics said that the concerts this weekend were only to push the music business, they said that they polluted the Earth more and they also said it is all political. Here is what I say "Stop criticizing and take action!" The fact still remains - if we do not the only place we can ever call home is going to disappear. I hope my fellow Food Bloggers will join me this month at our own foodie party and I am also looking forward to learning much more about how I can reduce my impact from you. Let's party with - Earth Food.

Here's how it works:
  1. Create a dish that fits this theme. Blog about it anytime from now till August 6th, 2007.
  2. Email your entry with
    • your name
    • the name of your blog
    • name of dish
    • your permalink
    by August 6th, 2007.
  3. In your post please include a link to this post and/or the MM logo, so your readers get a chance to mingle with us.
  4. Please send only one entry per blog. If you do not have a blog, simply email your entry, with a picture (if you would like me to add a picture) to blogmeeta@gmail.com.
  5. Although it's great to get entries from all over the world I have to insist that they be in English. If you have a Blog in another language I would kindly like to request you to post your entries in English as well.


I'd like to remind those taking part to please check these guideline carefully and when you send your emails to make sure all the required details are included. Also please check the permalinks you are sending and take a note of the deadline. You will find a comprehensive guideline and event etiquettes for event participation here.


Now, let's scream!



Update 1:
Akshayapaatram - Purple Passion
My roomie and I then went through the ice cream aisle hunting for inspiration :) And just as casually as ever she suggested a blueberry ice cream, hmmm



Update 2:
Egg and Soldier - Rosemary Olive Oil Ice Cream
I’m obsessed with ice cream; I can’t stop making it. It’s because I’ve had ice-cream-maker envy my whole life, and now I’ve finally got one




R Khooks - Green Tea & Raspberry Ice Cream
Fluffy (whisked egg whites), melt in your mouth with a wonderful subtle green tea flavour. This ice cream goes perfectly with the tartness of the raspberry wafers.



Kuechenlatein - Marzipan Ice Cream
Meeta screams for ice cream and I bought an ice cream maker and prepared Marzipan Ice Cream to stop her screaming.



Homemades - Pineapple Sorbet
Rain is only the beginning, frost will come next and snow will whiten all the hills and mountains. Yet, I'm here, dared myself to make pineapple sorbet. Is it weird?



Steamy Kitchen - Orange Chilli Ricotta Frozen Yogurt
My version, not so elegant, is like a teenage girl discovering miniskirt, push-up bra and hot pink lipstick for the first time.



Yambalya - Safari Sorbet
To my huge sadness they stopped having lemon sorbet. The lady behind the counter couldn't accept that I would not have anything else. So she invited me to taste all the sorbets they had. And right she was. I fell head over heels in love with the Purple passion fruit sorbet.


Live To Eat Orange Blueberry Granita with a Hint of Ginger
Isn't it great when you set out to make one dish and it gets messed up, but you realize that your mess can be called something else? That is what happened to me last night. I intended to make a sorbet, but it never quite became one, the texture was too coarse, and looked very much like granita.



Escapades - Roasted Banana Ice Cream
I made my own version of roasted banana ice cream after looking for recipes that called for the stuff I had on hand…its really quite simple and very very satisfying.



Superspark - Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Ice Cream
The combination of strawberry and rhubarb is so classic and so delicious that I’m willing to eat it in just about any guise. Crumble? Yes, please! Pie? How about seconds? Cupcakes? Why not? But for all of the delicious strawberry-rhubarb desserts out there, there’s not much in the way of ice cream.



Chez Denise et Laudalino - Mascarpone Cheese Ice Cream with fresh Blueberries.
... we had a great time trying out some new flavors! Came up with this one using bits and pieces of a bunch of different recipes & my own touch as well! It was Delicious!!



TriniGourmet - Coco-Mango Smoothie
I gotta tell ya. I’m feeling really left out of the foodie blogsphere right about now. It seems all everyone is talking about is summer salads, strawberries, blueberries, peaches light dinners and OMG it’s so hot they can’t eat ‘real food’ … and I’m sitting here in my tropical yard where it’s the same high temperatures the year round trying to figure out how I am able to eat ‘real food’ the year round and what I should showcase as a result



Spicy Chilly - Mango Ice Cream
... this is definitely an untried venture as no one might have tried making fresh ice creams with Imampasanth, yet.The recipe is totally self made with a touch of creativity and the result; a humble success!



Milk & Cookies - Banana Date ice Cream Cake
I’ve only ever seen the ice cream cake come out for two types of birthday parties- they are usually reserved for children’s birthdays and for those over the age of 60. Is it because we revert back to that child-like state when we get older and thus requires the presence of an ice cream cake?



Anali's First Amendment - Nancy Pelosi Chocolate Ice Cream
I've been thinking about a new chocolate ice cream flavor since watching Jay Leno interview House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a few months ago. I'm a night owl, so I often tune in to The Tonight Show.



Tartelette - Georgia Peach Ice cream
When I got to the farmer's market this morning and found a bounty of gloriously fragrant and yellow Georgia peaches, I knew some would end up in a cake, some cut up on my salad and some would turn out into an ice cream.



Jugalbandi - Ridiculously Easy Ice Cream
We made three varieties of icecream today. We have neither an icecream machine, nor a hand mixer.
Our formula:
Frozen Stuff + Food Processor = Instant Gratification




A Cracking Good Egg - Coca Cola Marshmallow Ice Cream
You are not mistaken. Yes, I have used coca cola and marshmallows to make ice cream. Now before you start gagging or click away thinking I am mad, I just want to say 1) it's actually quite nice and 2) it wasn't my idea.



Malabar Ruchi - Tri Flavored Tri Colored Pudding




Kitchen Delights - Gingered Semi Freddo Cupcakes
This Italian ice cream is like the original soft scoop ice cream. It is made with a boiled sugar syrup and doesn't have the traditional custard base, it is speckled with chopped stem ginger and will stay soft when frozen.



For The love Of Food - Blueberry Agave Ice Cream
The ice cream is good (to me), but since I don’t get to eat sweets, anything that is remotely sweet is like a piece of heaven to me!



Homesick Texan - Cafe de olla ice cream with my mom's hot fudge
But dad’s homemade ice cream topped with my mom’s hot fudge was always the highlight of the day—a smooth, rich treat that set off fireworks in my mouth.



Pastry Princess - Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
NYC is hot. It’s humid. It’s sticky. It’s sweaty. Cold and creamy ice cream is the perfect way to beat the heat. Some may call summer ice cream season, but, in my opinion, every season is ice cream season.



Hot N' Sweet Bowl - Ice Cream Sandwich
Cookies are one of my favorite baked goodies. There are many types and variates of cookies. In the same way ice cream ......mmmmmmm they also come in many variates and for me cookies and ice cream......Like heaven in my mouth......I love them so much. So I combined the both in one dessert.



Ms Adventures in Italy - Fresh Fig Sorbet
Tomorrow is the 4th of July in the U.S., which will pass quite unnoticed here, but I have so many years of fond memories of barbecuing and visiting with friends and family in the hot sun, that I thought a cool sorbet would be a great virtual contribution.



Jumbo Empanadas - Coconut Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
This Coconut Dulce de Leche ice cream was almost missing the dulce de leche as I ate a quarter of it before it could be added to the ice cream machine. That’s right, I just ate it with a spoon.



Always Room For Dessert - Summer Duo
Actually, ever since I found out what the theme was I started thinking about the endless possibilities...so much ice cream (and sherberts and sorbets) so little time (and freezer space).



Vanille & Chocolat - Ice Cream Sandwiches - Coconut Sorbet with Ginger & Lemongrass Cookies and Coconut Meringues
... I’m not one to sit moping around being grumpy about the weather, and so, by lack of a decent summer outside, I thought I could at least try to create a hot and tropical summer inside.



Tastes Like Home - Soursop Ice Cream
Here in the Caribbean, we have a delicious fruit that’s flavorful with an intoxicating aroma that we call soursop, in Spanish guanabana and other South American countries, graviola.



An Italian in the US - Barchette Gelato
I was inspired by the traditional 'banana split', but instead of using full size bananas, I took the small bananas from Ecuador.



Married ...with Dinner - Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
Our second trial, though, helped me understand what all the swooning reviews were about. A perfect coconut ice cream doesn’t just toss a cup of shreds into a vanilla custard and freeze them up. Instead, it starts by infusing warm dairy with freshly-roasted coconut, steeping to extract subtle flavors.



Nook & Pantry - Green Tea Ice Cream
I finally settled on green tea ice cream (and whatdoya know David has a recipe for it!) with the intention of wrapping them in mochi ...



Tasty Palettes - Honey Semifreddo
It was sinfully delicious and its hard to believe that an easy recipe like this would yield something that is beyond words.



Aarti's Corner - Mango Mastani
Mango Mastani is thick Mango milk shake topped with Mango Ice-cream.



Puu's Cookbook - Honey Ice Cream with Pomegranate Molasses
is that good enough to share with the mingle, meeta?
please say it is.




What's For Lunch, Honey? - My own creation, what you saw here was a delicious Apricot and Pistachio Ice Cream.



So, I hope you all enjoyed all these ice-cream flavors to suit every palate. If I did forget to post your entry please send me a reminder and believe me when I say I am mortified. For all those late comers - add your link to your own favorite flavor in the comments section of this post.




All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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Gone Fishing...

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Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting




... well not quite yet and not quite fishing. But as of tomorrow I'll be taking a short vacation. I am so looking forward to this as we all (my little family) need the break. We are planning on enjoying every single day on the beach, in the sea, going on long bike rides, picnicking and just getting as much of each other as possible. Which during the usual routine of the week falls short.

What you see above is my entry to this month's Monthly Mingle. As I won't be around next week thought I'd show you all that I did actually make my ice-cream creation for the event. The recipe however, will be shared when I return.



If you want to take part then send me your entries by July 4th. You can read all about the details here.
I won't be taking my notebook nor do I plan to check mails - as a matter of fact both Tom and I have promised each other to leave all this behind. Even the photos I take will be first reviewed when I get back. So, I won't be able to answer your mails. But when I return I hope to see some of the most gorgeous ice-creams ever. I can tell you the entries I've already got are incredible!

In the meantime you are all welcome to take a guess at what fruit I used in this ice-cream. Those are the lovely orange-yellow bits you see. No you do not win anything for that.

But you will, if you can guess where I am going to on vacation. That's right take a look at the satellite shot below and give your guesses in the comments section of this post. The first one to leave the correct answer can choose their very own favorite picture taken by me. Pick out any photo you particularly like on my blog here or on my Flickr Phototstream and I will send you a small/medium sized poster (depending on the crop of the photo) of the original picture (without the frames, titles and copyright). You are welcome to leave multiple answers, but I'll pick the first one from the list ;-)!


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photo courtesy Google Maps


You do not have to give the exact name of the city/town, but I would like the region/area and the country. So, say if you think I am going to Italy then I need the area or region - Tuscany, Italy. Of course, if you are sure then you are welcome to leave the name of the city/town too - Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Got it?

There are a few close blogger buddies I have already told where I am headed. You lot should not leave a comment - you can of course help me and mislead the rest of the folks LOL!

I am quite happy that the last time I did this the gorgeous Pille won. She already chose her fave picture and I will be sending it out to her as soon as I get back.

If you still need things to keep you busy in my absence I'd like to direct you to the brilliant The Daily Tiffin. I say brilliant because if you have not been regularly reading the blog you might have missed a few fantastic articles written by the DT team, some of the lovely ladies you might just recognize from their own awesome blogs. A few recent posts you might enjoy:I wish those who celebrate it - Happy July 4th. To all of you I'm missing you all already!

Hugs!




All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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Real Honest Jewish Purist's Bagels

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Daring Bakers June Challenge

Bagels01

It's almost the end of the month and that usually can only mean one thing - it's time to join the Daring Bakers and our adventures in baking. This month it was the lovely Quellia of All Things Edible who was supposed to choose our challenge. As always we waited impatiently for the June's challenge to be posted on the Daring Baker's blog. After May's challenge I admit I was feeling invincible and was on such a high as I had conquered and tamed a few tough processes in every pastry chef's career. Then the hammer fell!

Quellia spilled the beans ... or should I say the bagels! She had chosen pure, honest, Jewish bagels, just as they are supposed to be made, as our challenge. My first thought: "UGH!! Yeast - all that kneading and rising!!" I am not a bread/dough maker - avoid it whenever I can and with the exception of pizza dough never wanted anything to do with yeast. But I am a Daring Baker, so I rolled up my sleeves and decided to take the challenge on.

I decided to do this early on in the month as I had the perfect occasion - my birthday! There would be many guinea pigs around for me to try this challenge on!

As with each challenge, we have to stick to the exact recipe given by the host and are allowed only a few modifications. The allowed modifications for the bagels were:
  • Topping of our choice, savory recommended, for the outside of the bagels only. No added ingredients or flavours inside the bagels.
  • Filling or spread of ou choice for the outside of the bagel. (i.e. flavoured cream cheese or peanut butter)
  • Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient is not available or cost prohibitive in our region.
So, what are real, honest, Jewish bagels? Most of us know that bagels came to the US from the Jewish shtetls of Eastern Europe, however the exact origin of this roll with a hole in the middle cannot be pinpointed.

Legend has it that the first bagel was created in 1683 when a baker in Vienna wanted to pay tribute the Polish King Jan III Sobieski for saving the people of Austria from Turkish invaders. Since the king was known to have a passion for riding, the baker made rolls in the shape of a stirrup, known in German as beugel. The roll soon became a hit throughout Eastern Europe.

Bagels02


In the 1880s as hundreds of immigrants of Eastern European Jews came to New York, they brought the bagel with them. They were widely sold throughout the city, with the vendors threading the hole-shaped bread onto dowels and hawked them on street corners. Then in 1907 the International Bagel Bakers Union was founded in New York City. The members of this group fiercely safeguarded the recipe for bagels. These were usually boiled or "kettled" in vats of boiling hot water before baking. Traditionally the bagel bakers worked in teams of four, two men making the dough and shaping the bagels, one boiling them and the fourth baking them.

After World War I, Meyer Thompson, the son of a bagel baker in Winnipeg, Canada experimented with several bagel baking machines in his workshop above the family bakery. None of the models he invented actually made it as they all had major flaws. However, in the 1960s his son, Daniel, picked up where his father left off and finally invented the Thompson Bagel Machine. This machine was capable of making 200 to 400 bagels an hour, causing the bagel to enter mainstream America with such popularity that within a few years bagel consumption in the US skyrocketed. Unfortunately the tradition of hand formed bagels virtually vanished as did the purity and simplicity of the roll. Bagels are now available with all kinds of flavors added to the dough and are frozen in large packs available in supermarkets around the world.

This probably makes the old members of the Bagel Bakers Union shudder in their graves. But here we are, a group of Daring Bakers who have decided to take bagel baking back to it's old tradition. No added flavors, no machines and 100% hand made.

More interesting resources:
Wikipedia: Bagel



Basic Bagel Recipe

Bagels03


Ingredients

600-800g (6-8 cups) bread (high-gluten) flour
30g (4 tablespoons) dry baking yeast
130g (6 tablespoons) light honey - you can also use granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups hot water
vegetable oil
water to boil the bagel in
3-5 tablespoons malt syrup or sugar - I used the sugar as I was unable to get malt syrup
a couple handfuls of cornmeal

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl
Wire whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Wooden mixing spoon
Butter knife or baker's dough blade
Clean, dry surface for kneading
3 clean, dry kitchen towels
Warm, but not hot, place to set dough to rise
Large stockpot
Slotted spoon
2 baking sheets




Bagels04


Method

Step 1- Proof Yeast:
Pour three cups of hot water into the mixing bowl. The water should be hot, but not so hot that you can't bear to put your fingers in it for several seconds at a time. Add the sugar or honey and stir it with your fingers or with a wire whisk to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water, and stir to dissolve.

Wait about ten minutes for the yeast to begin to revive and grow. Skipping this step could result in making bagels with dead yeast, which will result in hard and potentially dangerous bagels. The yeast is good if it begins to foam and exude a sweetish, slightly beery smell.

Step 2- Make Dough:
At this point, add about three cups of flour as well as the 2 tsp of salt to the water and yeast and begin mixing it in. Use your hands for this as you really get the perfect feel for the consistency of the dough. If you are not keen on using your hands then a wooden spoon will also work.
When you have incorporated the first three cups of flour, the dough should begin to become thickish. Add more flour, a half-cup or so at a time, and mix each addition thoroughly before adding more flour. As the dough gets thicker, add less and less flour at a time.

Bagels05


Step 3- Knead Dough:
Knead the dough in a big and shallow bowl or on a clean, dry, flat counter top. Sprinkle your work surface or bowl with a handful of flour, put your dough on top, and start kneading. Add bits of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands, to the bowl or counter top. Keep kneading until the dough is nice and stiff. This may take 8 to 10 minutes. It will be quite elastic, but heavy and stiffer than a normal bread dough. It should not be too dry, however, it should still give and stretch easily without tearing.

Step 4- Let Dough Rise:
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a clean and damp kitchen towel. Swish the dough around in the bowl to coat the whole ball of dough with a very thin film of oil. This will keep it from drying out.

Place the bowl with the dough in it in a dry, warm (but not hot) place, free from drafts. Allow it to rise until doubled in volume. Some people try to accelerate rising by putting the dough in the oven, where the pilot lights keeps the temperature slightly elevated. If you choose to do this, remember to leave the oven door open or it may become too hot and begin to kill the yeast and cook the dough. An ambient temperature of about 25 degrees C (80F) is ideal for rising dough.

Step 5- Prepare Water for Bagels:
While the dough is rising, fill the stockpot with water and set it on the heat to boil. When it reaches a rolling boil, add the sugar (or malt syrup) and reduce the heat so that the water just barely simmers; the surface of the water should hardly move.

Step 6- Form Bagels:
Once the dough has risen, turn it onto the work surface, punch it down, and divide immediately into as many chunks as you want to make bagels. With this recipe, I got 12 bagels. Begin forming the bagels. There are two schools of thought on this. One method of bagel formation involves shaping the dough into a rough sphere, then poking a hole through the middle with a finger and then pulling at the dough around the hole to make the bagel.

This is the hole-centric method. I used this method, as the dough is so easy to work with and allows you to shape and punch holes into the balls very easily. What I did was punch my thumb through the center of each roll and then rotated the dough, working it so that the bagel is as even in width as possible.

The dough-centric method involves making a long cylindrical "snake" of dough and wrapping it around your hand into a loop and mashing the ends together. This method seems to be a little trickier as care must be taken that the ends do not come undone when boiling the rolls so, that you have bagel loafs instead of rolls.

Remember not to give in to the temptation of using a doughnut or cookie cutter to shape the bagels. This will push them out of the realm of Jewish Bagel Authenticity.

Do not worry if the bagels are not perfectly shaped or symmetrical. This is normal. The diversity adds to the rustic look of the bagels and each bagel is unique.

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Step 7- Pre-heat Oven:
Begin to preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400F).

Step 8- Half Proof and Boil Bagels:
Once the bagels are formed, let them rest for about 10 minutes. They will begin to rise slightly. Ideally, they will rise by about one-fourth volume. This technique is called "half-proofing" the dough. At the end of the half-proofing, drop two or three bagels into the simmering water, making sure not to overcrowd them in the pot.

The bagels should sink first, then gracefully float to the top of the simmering water. Mine did not sink very much, they floated. But it did not bother me at all as I was so happy I had managed to get so far without blowing it. Apparently if they are "floaters", the texture is more bready rather than bagely.

Let the bagel simmer for about three minutes, then turn them over with a skimmer or a slotted spoon. Simmer another three minutes, and then lift the bagels out of the water and set them on a clean kitchen towel that has been spread on the counter top for this purpose. The bagels should be pretty and shiny, thanks to the malt syrup or sugar in the boiling water.

Step 9- Bake Bagels:
Once all the bagels have been boiled, prepare the baking sheets by sprinkling them with cornmeal. Then arrange the bagels on the prepared baking sheets and put them in the oven. Let them bake for about 25 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn them over and put them back in the oven to finish baking for about ten minutes more. This will help to prevent flat-bottomed bagels. Something I forgot to do!

Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks. Do not attempt to cut them until they are cool. Hot bagels slice abominably and you'll end up with a wadded mass of bagel pulp. Don't do it.

My Bagel Toppings

Bagels can be topped with anything you like. Just remember that bagels are essentially a savory baked good, not a sweet one, and so things like fruit and sweet spices are really rather out of place. I made my bagels with two types of toppings. I used my muesli mix and some hazelnut slivers.

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1 egg white
3 tablespoons water
Mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, soya kernels and pine nuts - this mix is what I usually make every weekend to add to my muesli/cornflakes during the week.
Finely sliced hazelnut slivers

After boiling but before baking, brush the bagels with a wash made of 1 egg white and 3 tablespoons ice water beaten together. Sprinkle the bagels with the toppings and then bake in the oven.

Useful tips:
Allrecipes - Forming Bagels




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Verdict
This was the easiest dough to make and to work with. I never thought it would be so simple. It rose beautifully and fast.

I was expecting it all to be more complicated and also expecting a few things to go wrong along the way. I was worried about the yeast and then about forming them, then about boiling them. But it all went smoothly. Even the fact that the bagels did not sink when placed in the simmering water did not bother me too much. For this first time I was working for results. The next time I make these I will be working for perfection.

In the taste department they were not that bready as I expected them to be due to the floating issue. They tasted great. As I said, I made these on the Saturday of my birthday. We had a few sleep over guests and on Sunday I served them for breakfast. I toasted a few in the toaster and re-warmed others in the oven. They were brilliant and my guests loved being pampered with fresh baked goods for breakfast. They were eaten with jams and honey, however I made a great filling for the bagels which was devoured to the very last bite. That will be revealed in a separate post!


Would I make these again?
Yes, I would. I would not change anything here maybe cut the recipe in half for the three of us. Otherwise, this recipe is one that will be made often in my kitchen. Nothing like fresh homemade bagels. You know what? I will also be kneading with my hands the next time round too. No machine. There was something so therapeutical about kneading the dough. I was able to punch my frustration out. The bagels did not mind they still tasted fantastic. What I will do next time is to take more care by making sure I really get as much air out of the dough as possible to get them to really sink. Let's see how it work.

What did I learn from this challenge?
I do not need to be frightened of yeast. Nor do I need to dread kneading. This challenge provided an easy and workable method, taking my fears of yeast away. As I mentioned earlier, the results was a wonderful dough that rose beautifully and was always easy to work with. Now, I am dying to try several recipes I put aside and feel confident enough to master a few.

Am I still feeling invincible?
Yes!!

I thank Quellia for this brilliant challenge. For all those who want to see the results of the rest of the group head on over to Quellia's or to co-host, Freya's for a roundup of this months challenge. Alternatively, you can simply click your way through my Daring Bakers blogroll.

Hope you all enjoyed making bagels with us and I look forward to seeing you next month with a new challenge.

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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Sweet Strawberry Sin - Mille Feuille

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StrawberryMilleFeuille02

Well, my variation of the Mille Feuille.

There are certainly many pastries and desserts I love and regular readers of this blog will know that I do have a very sweet tooth. However, I would say I have a kind of top 5 (ummm ... top 10, 15, 20!) and if I was ever to kick the bucket and had one last wish, I think I would definitely wish to have all my top 5 (10, 15, 20) spread out in front of me so I could indulge my sweet tooth one last time. Without a guilty conscious, no repents and no calorie counting.

One of the items on the table would be the Mille Feuille. I just love this flaky cream filled pastry. Layer upon layer of delicious bites. As I spent a larger part of my younger life growing up in some grand hotels with excellent cuisine, I also was lucky enough to be able to savor some great desserts. The Swiss pastry chef at the Sheraton in Doha was an ace! He made the most tempting Mille Fueille ever. It was his chocolate Mille Fueille that had me go into a frenzy every time. One of the best moments of my life was when he surprised me on my 16th birthday with a Mille Fueille cake. It was incredible.

So, when The Domestic Goddess told us to make The Sweetest Thing to satisfy our craving for this round of Sugar High Friday, which actually is back home with its creator, I kind of already had a good idea of what I would be doing - a chocolate Mille Fueille.

OK, so you all are probably looking at the picture and thinking "Where did she hide that chocolate?" Right? Well don't bother looking - because there is no chocolate there.

I decided to play around a little. I thought I can do chocolate anytime, but it would be such a shame not to use the bounties of summer. Fresh fruit and berries were literally shouting at me to be creative with them. The puff pastry was covered thanks to this recipe. I had plenty left over in the freezer. With a rough idea in my mind I set of to the Farmers Market.

I returned with a huge crate of fresh juicy self-picked strawberries and with a perfect idea of how my Mille Fueille was going to look.


Strawberries

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Strawberries scream summer to me. Nothing compares to popping a juicy strawberry that has been ripened to perfection in the early summer sun. Strawberries, however, are a lot more than satisfying that berry sweet tooth. They are filled with tons of health benefits, making it a nutritious fruit for the mind and the body.

Strawberries contain several nutrients, with vitamin C heading the group. In fact, one cup of fresh strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of ascorbic acid, which more than meets the Recommended Daily Dietary allowance of 45 milligrams for the average adult. Vitamin C is well retained when the strawberries are handled carefully. Capping, injuring, cutting, or juicing, however, will reduce the vitamin content.

They also contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which fight free radicals. These antioxidant properties are believed to be linked to what makes the strawberry bright red. Free radicals are elements that can damage cells, and they are thought to contribute to the formation of many kinds of cancer.

In addition to vitamin C, strawberries also provide an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Strawberries are low in calories with one cup of unsweetened strawberries having only 55 calories.

The first thing that generally comes to the mind when strawberries are mentioned is strawberry and cream. However, strawberries are so versatile they can be used in baked goods, salads, beverages, dipped, but they taste best when eaten plain.

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Unfortunately, strawberries are quite perishable. So it is advisable to purchase fresh strawberries only a few days before they are to be eaten. When strawberries are in season locally this is rarely a problem. But at other times of the year, it may be necessary to make due with frozen strawberries, which lose much if not all of their nutrition.

Choose strawberries that are plump, firm, free of mold and have a deep red color. Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not continue to ripen after they are picked, so choose the ripest and reddest strawberries. These will provide the best taste and offer the highest nutrient density. Often medium sized strawberries are sweeter and more flavorful than larger ones. When buying pre-packaged strawberries, make sure that the berries have not been packed too tightly. This could cause them to be crushed or otherwise damaged.

Before using or storing, sort through the strawberries and separate the soft ones from the firm, fully ripe berries. Discard any mushy or spoiled berries. The best way to store them is in a colander in the refrigerator. This will allow the cold air to circulate around them. Do not cover them. Remove caps from strawberries only after washing.

Prepare strawberries for serving by rinsing with caps still attached under a gentle spray of cool water; pat dry with a paper towel. Removing the caps before washing will cause the water to break down the texture and flavor inside the berries. Wash the berries just before you plan to use them.

Puff pastry, strawberries - check, check. For the cream I thought I would do something similar the the cream I used in this dessert. With all this in my head I set out to make my own Mille Feuille creation.



Reminder!


Send me your ice cream creation for July's MM - Scream For Ice Cream over to me soon.
Deadline is July 4th!








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Ingredients

450g homemade Puff pastry - you can also use store bought
A small handful flour
3 tablespoons icing sugar
250g mascarpone
250g Quark
1 vanilla bean - insides scraped
100g icing sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime
200g fresh strawberries - coarsely chopped




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Method

Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees C. Prepare a baking tray, by lining it with a sheet of baking paper. Keep your second baking tray nearby.

To make the puff pastry circles spread the dough on a floured counter top and roll into a large enough rectangular form. Using a cookie cutter, small tart form or a glass, cut approx. 10 to 12 circular forms. Place each circle on the baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with another sheet of baking paper. Using the second tray, place this on top of the tray with the pastry circles to weigh them down. Bake the circles for 8-10 minutes. Take out, remove the tray and the baking paper from the pastry, which should be golden and crispy.

Sprinkle each circle with some icing sugar. Using the grill function of your oven allow the sugar to caramelize on the puffy pastry circles. This normally takes just a couple of minutes so make sure you keep a close watch, otherwise they'll burn quickly. Take out of the oven, flip over, sprinkle this side with icing sugar and once again caramelize under the grill. Take out and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the mascarpone, quark, vanilla, lime zest and juice into a smooth cream. Gently fold in the strawberries. Do not mix too vigorously or else the strawberries will get mushy.

To assemble your treat, spread a nice helping of the cream and strawberries on one of the caramelized puff pastry circles. Cover with a second circle and ever so gently press it down to fix together.
Serve immediately and fresh.

Et voila!
My take on the Mille Feuille.




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Verdict

Yes, this satisfies all my cravings for a sweet flaky pastry with a creamy filling and fruity berries. How awesome is that? Both Tom and Soeren just loved these little weekend treats. The recipe makes a perfect amount of 5 or 6 and unbelievably they disappeared really fast. I was lucky I could get a few shots of these. To really enjoy the crispy flaky texture of the puff pastry, they must be eaten on the same day otherwise, the pastry turns soggy.

Hope you enjoy them!

More strawberry sensations:
Refreshing: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Strawberry Kisses - Strawberry Almond Muffins
Fruity - Strawberry Mango Jam
A dessert with a twist - Strawberry Asparagus Salad with Orange Filets


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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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Poppy Passion

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Poppy Passion

Last week I went on a bike trip with Soeren and found a gorgeous Poppy field. Red and pink almost as far as the eye could see. It was an amazing sight. Luckily I had remembered to bring my camera with me.

Soeren picked a few to make a lovely bouquet for his teacher and I started shooting with my camera. A few men headed our way with mowers and tractors looked at me strangely, then they started their machines and began to cut the poppy field down.

It was a real shame but I still got a few nice shots. Thought I'd share one with you. Isn't summer just great?

Have a great Sunday!




All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
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