Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I tried planning

I tried to plan my meals this week. I really did. I wrote them out, made a list of ingredients, and compiled all the recipes. 
Then I realized it would all be too predictable
So far I have made:
-potatoes and bbq tofu instead of polenta and tempe (both not that great)
-herbed pasta instead of roasted tofu/veggies with peanut sauce
-coconut curry and rice instead of falafel (which have been moved to tommorow)
-danish kringle instead of quinoa salad
-bread. but a new recipe

I also modified all the recipes. What can I say? IM A CREATIVE GENIUS. I need my freedom. 
Also, this week I am using food as a friend. My other friend has gone crazy:

I began a quest to recreate those danish kringles my mom would get from Jewel. This forum has good leads, but I started with a recipe for Danish Pastry Dough from a Williams-Sonoma Cookbook (Recipe posted here). I'm new to pastry types but danish pastry dough is a sweet, yeast laminated dough said to have been brought to Scandinavia by Austrian strike breakers. Lamented means that butter is folded into the dough several times creating separated layers. It turned out too fluffy to match my memory, but was of course delicious (a cup of butter). Next I'm trying what may be THE recipe.

package of butter! folded into the dough in 4 increments. 

the finished dough. note the literal chunks of butter. its almost too much of a guarantee 
*Thanks for all the great tips Anne Brasher! I use the knives you bought us for our wedding EVERY DAY. I love them, really. 

3 comments:

MomCan said...

Wait...wait is this coming from the creative Genius that I recently had a conversation with about being spontaneous??? Dr. J. and Mr. H. pray tell? I agree though you have to "feel" the food for the day. It changes with the moods. Good thing you don't get stuck in ruts. Easy to do. Wish I had some of your Kringle.

MomCan said...

P.S. You know how I feel about modifying...make every recipe your own. I love how you feel you can divert from the recipe. You are developing a great skill there. Sense what you can and shouldn't do...I wholeheartedly love that. Makes for good,interesting food YOU like.

Emy said...

James? Are you alright? I want to see the sourdough bread. I was reading some homesteading short stories and the midwife before she left on a call made sure to bring her sourdough starter from the warming plate above her oven b/c it is always so nice to have some hot food after the baby is born. She made sourdough pancakes.