I'm Back!
Sep 04, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
I’m back—well rested and well fed and ready to begin the new year!
Thank you all for responding to each other and I’ll try to catch up with the questions that have remained unanswered as soon as possible.
Here are some Hope highlights from our lovely vacation (for me vacation means getting to cook and bake special things as well as rest).
The hornet's (paper wasp's) nest is just outside our back door but high enough above to keep them and us safe from each other. I can almost forgive them their sting when i observe the splendid home they built for themselves!
Be sure to try the Primo Focaccia which has been posted on the blog many months ago. I think it is my top favorite bread. Since I couldn't bear to throw out any of the fed starter i used all 160 grams and increased everything else by 1.185 times.
The surprise of our vacation extravaganzas was this 11 year old cherry pie! i found cherries in the back of the top shelf of my freezer that were dated 1996. Because I had frozen them with 50 grams of sugar in a ball canning jar, they were still amazingly red and turgid as opposed to flat and withered.
I made the full amount of flaky cream cheese pastry designed for a two crust pie so that i could roll the bottom crust (400 grams/14 ounces) to 15 inches and have this beautiful substantial border. I added any trimming scraps to the remaining 224 grams/about 8 ounces and rolled it into a 13 inch long rectangle for the strips. i was able to cut 14 strips.I used a foil ring right from the beginning of baking which is responsible for the even browning of the edges and lattice.
As you can see from the photo, the crust was perfectly browned and flaky--you'll have to take my word for it that it was also marvelously tender and flavorful. And the cherries tasted wonderful! Note I'm not recommending freezing anything for this long a time. My freezer is close to 0 degrees F. and since we are usually here just on weekends doesn't get opened as often as it would if I were here every day. All this contributed to the cherries' survival! I'm just reporting this as a fascinating factoid!
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Barbara A.
06/01/2008 12:04 PM
Vickie, there's a search box on this site, up at upper left of page. Type in "focaccia" and you'll find it, the article is actually called "Fantastic Focaccia (Primo Rustic Bread)."
Or here's the link:
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/01/fantastic_focaccia.html
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Vickie
06/01/2008 07:44 AM
Where is the recipe for Prima Foccacia. Looks delicious, and I want to try it!
Thanks
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judy
02/17/2008 09:17 AM
Pecolia, the recipe for dimpled sugar cake is devine. it's in carole walters great coffee cakes book.
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Rose
01/08/2008 11:17 AM
just fyi,i tested a recipe for this when i was working on the bread book and didn't like the pockets of sugar--it was too sweet. the white chocolate bread i posted on the blog gives the same effect but more to my liking. you might want to try it.
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Janina Kropka
01/07/2008 08:13 PM
Hi,
There is a recipe for dimpled sugar cake in the book-Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter.
I haven't tried the recipe.
The book is available at amazon.com. You might also try a google search.
I hope this helps.
Janina
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Pecolia
01/07/2008 06:59 PM
Hi Rose, i am looking for Dimpled Sugar Cake, i think it is a sweet Focaccia bread. if you could help me find a recipe i certainly appreciate. i have one of your books and it is not in there.
Again thanks.
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Andi*
09/09/2007 07:13 PM
Glad you had a nice summer.....and soooo glad u r back....
Ribs and cherry pie to die for.yumm
The wasp nest OUCH(*)?(*).....we use to live in west Palm Beach,but now moved on the Vegas......we get humongus spiders,but without the humidity*,we haven't seen the nests this large...so far..but NO TOADS to fall on my back from the auto garage door anymore.yea!...
I miss Florida,and New York,and living in California....
still wish you and E lived next door to us.
What great friends we would be.....
regards tom your dad....
Virtual reality sucks......lol*
smiles,
Andi*
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Jeannette
09/09/2007 04:48 AM
Just to let you know, Rose, I made your cream cheese pastry a couple of days ago and it turned out beautifully! I was apprehensive making it because the proportions of fat to flour seemed unusual to me and I thought it would be very difficult to roll out, but I was wrong to be doubtful, it rolled out and lined the large flan tin without any breaks and tastes so good when baked, very light and flaky, jut as pastry should be, in my opinion. i must say it was very easy to make as well, just seconds in the processor, i will now use your Cake Bible with much more confidence!
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Rose
09/06/2007 05:14 PM
when an emergency comes up i put the rising dough in the frig. if it's already risen too much as you report was the case it's best to deflate it as it may not be able to support itself in the oven.
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Ray
09/06/2007 04:46 PM
Hi Rose, You are some cool chick, I thought I was the only one with stuff in our freezer to decades. Just when I think we can defrost the old boy, he's filled up again. Well maybe defrosting be my husband's retirement project. Love your work, Ray
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Barbara
09/06/2007 01:14 PM
Rose, have you ever thru poor planning or failure of the yeast and ingredients to cooperate or an emergency had to leave your bread dough when it was in the process of rising and returned to find it more than doubled or 1.5 times in the case of the epiphany whole wheat. What do you do? besides stick the dough in the refrigerator and pray? Punch down again and let rise a third time? It's happening to me today and I'm wondering what to do.
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Rose
09/05/2007 09:49 PM
it's really easy. the night before i sprinkle the ribs with freshly squeezed lime juice and olive oil and then rub them with whatever spice rub i have around.
i use a weber charcoal grill and indirect heat. i also have one of those wire stands that support the ribs standing up. i sometimes use a few handfuls of soaked mesquite chips for a smokey flavor. and i usually grill them (covered) for about 40 minutes. i don't like falling off the bone meat. the real secret is not to apply the barbecue sauce until the last 10 minutes. so after 40 minutes, i remove the ribs from the standup rack and lay them bone side up--still indirect (over the foil pan)and brush them well with the sauce. grill 5 minutes to set the sauce, turn over and coat the other side and let grill another 5 minutes.
one of my favorite barbecue sauces is from american spoon food--the cherry one. by the way, if you live in texas, cousins has my favorite restaurant barbecue sauce and you can buy it from them.
and next summer grilling season i'm going to post an incredible coffee and banana ketchup barbecue sauce. it's labor intensive but lasts forever so well worth the effort!
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Wm. Flake Joiner
09/05/2007 08:26 PM
Rose,
Everything that you cook seems nothing short of spectacular.
Please share the recipe for the Baby Back Ribs.
Thanks,
WmFJ
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Rose
09/05/2007 01:08 PM
jeannette i don't think any stores carry the pie plate in the UK but it can be ordered on line. also the recipe is on the blog. and yes--the bottom crust browns beautifully--cutting doesn't harm the porcelain as porcelain is very hard and the first slice of any pie is always the hardest to get out so i always offer it to the person with the biggest appetite as a larger slice makes it easier.
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Rose
09/05/2007 12:42 PM
i don't know if any stores carry it in toronto but i'm sure that the places i listed on line ship to canada! unfortuantely most no longer have the model with the decal on it but it's still beautiful without.
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Rozanne
09/05/2007 10:18 AM
Rose, I can't believe your cherries were 11 yrs old. That's amazing! The ribs look soooo good. My husband saw them and wanted to know if the marinade was a "Rose concoction". Those were his exact words.
By the way do you know if your pie plate is available in Toronto? I have tried looking for it but haven't found it so far.
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Elicia
09/04/2007 09:49 PM
Oh Rose, the pie looks simply ravishing!
Have to try the cream cheese pastry now! Have just made the cheddar pastry for a 'meat-free' quiche and it was really good.
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Rose
09/04/2007 09:10 PM
how gratifying hector. yours looks just like mine.
patti, do a search for primo focaccia or price--it's there.
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Patti
09/04/2007 09:05 PM
Help! I can't find the recipe for the focaccia.
Patti
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Christine
09/04/2007 07:34 PM
Rose, it looks like you had a delicious holiday! All my favourite foods in one post--I'm regretting reading this, now I'm hungry!
Hector, you're a champion, I like to think that I'm a prolific and decdicated baker, but you put me to shame! Your foccacia looks delicious!
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nushera
09/04/2007 05:12 PM
S-U-B-L-I-M-E!!!
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Hector
09/04/2007 03:15 PM
Here is the focaccia. I like to eat it at room temperature of slightly warm, but not hot. Placing it on my 'turned on' ceramic/copper fondue pot kept the temperature right through the party. Enjoy.
http://www.hectorwong.com/roselevy/FocacciaRusticoPrimo.htm
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Hector
09/04/2007 02:52 PM
Rose!!!!!!! Loooooove the way you trimmed the baby back ribs, all the pointy bones at both ends make a statement for this entree.
Wouldn't know how to serve the wasp's nest, believe me I would try! But the "P"rimo "F"ocaccia is lovely. Thanks for sharing your recipe, I immediately made 4 of them! The taste and holes with the active liquid started is 'blank-blank' (no words can explain the goodness), plus the caramelized onions ohhh mine. It must be your favorite bread because I've noticed you did capitalize the words!
What a clever way to apply a lattice to your wonderful pie plate. I am inspired again, and will need to pie away soon.
Jeannette, recipe is here: http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/10/roses_favorite_flaky_tender_pi.html
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Jeannette
09/04/2007 02:16 PM
Your cherry pie looks lovely, I presume the dish is the one I've seen on this site, will it be available in the U.K? How easy is it to cut into for the first slice and does the bottom pastry layer cook well? Also, if you don't mind answering all these questions, is the recipe for your cream cheese pastry on the site, I have your Cake Bible but not your Pastry bible yet. Thanks in advance, Jeannete.
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Cathy
09/04/2007 12:53 PM
Okay, my mouth is positively watering. This looks unbelievable. Thanks for sharing your fun time with us.
May we live and eat vicariously through you!
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