Garlic and Cilantro Naan

Have any of you gotten your wisdom teeth pulled? I just got all 4 of mines out. They had to put me under sedation/anesthesia because one of my teeth was sitting right on top of my nerve. They even had to go as far as leave a bit of the tooth in there so that my nerve could be protected.

I kinda wanna know what nerve it was. Trigeminal, Facial, or Glossopharyngeal....ahhhh I'm just going to believe it's the facial nerve for now. Haha, curse me for forgetting my basic anatomy! I wonder when I can brush my teeth...

So this naan...I made awhile ago. I would be crazy to make it now since I can't chew a bit! If you don't already know, naan is a type of Indian bread that is normally cooked in a tandoor oven. This is why sometimes you find packages of it labeled tandoori naan! Versions vary drastically and I'm the type of person that likes things plain, so this was a bit of a leap for me.

I would recommend adding more garlic depending on the type of flavor you want. Stronger = more! I added red onions to the recipe because I had some on hand.

Garlic and Cilantro Naan:
Makes around 3 large Naan breads

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp oil
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tbsp yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Proof the yeast: Mix the lukewarm warm, yeast and sugar together until combined in a bowl. Set it aside until it turn frothy.
2. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients flour and salt together. Add in the yogurt and oil, and then the yeast mixture. Mix until combined. Turn the dough into working table and knead until elastic and smooth.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and set it aside to proof until double its size.
4. In the meantime mix the butter, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro together. Set it aside.
5. Line a baking sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (I like the latter). Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place your baking sheet in the oven.
6. Divide the dough to 3 large portions. Roll the dough out to an oval shape. (Instead of rolling I just used my hand.)
7. Put some olive oil on your pan to prevent sticking if using foil. Put the roll out dough onto the sheet and brush it with the garlic and cilantro mixture. Bake in the oven until golden brown.

Sweet Cornbread

Sweet Cornbread

Hello! This weekend, my cousins and I took a road trip to Sequoia National Park. We first stopped at Solvang, which is a little Danish town located in Santa Barbara county.

If you have never been to Europe, this town is definitely something you should see! It has the feeling of being in a small town, despite the numerous tourists roaming around. As for the architecture, it's just amazing. Everything is built in traditional Danish style, with different colors all around. It kind of reminded me of far far away land from Shrek. One thing that most people try when they go there are Aebleskivers, which are small pancake balls that are covered in jam and sugar. 

After we went to Sequoia! I'm not much of a tree and nature person, so I wasn't that amazed. They had gigantic trees (width)...but no matter how big the tree is, it's just a tree to me. Sorry! :( 

But it was still fun! I really enjoyed the scenery, I just didn't like the heat! 

So let's talk cornbread! I love cornbread! Especially the ones with corn in them! So that's what I did! I've never made cornbread from scratch before so this was new to me.

Pretty good though if I say so myself. I substituted brown sugar in place of the white sugar, which made a darker hue. Original recipe adapted from here.

Sweet Cornbread:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup corn flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

District 4 Bread - The Hunger Games - Attempt #2

District 4 Seaweed Bread

So I tried to make the District 4 Seaweed Bread again. (find the recipe HERE) This time, it came out perfect! Everything I read in the book came true! It resembles the book's bread almost to par...it's actually tinted green with seaweed! I'm so happy with it. It tastes a lot like seaweed and they're so soft and amazing.

Make sure to boil the seaweed until it is soft. This is so it will blend together well. Make sure that you make a paste with the seaweed. You should use all of the 1/2 cup. I also used the water that I boiled the seaweed in to proof my yeast. I think it gave it somewhat of a stronger seaweed flavor. If you like seaweed, this step is a must.

It really does turn out amazing!

District 4 seaweed bread before putting it in the oven

They actually look like fish this time!

District 4 Seaweed Bread Fully Baked!

Enjoy! :D

Hamburger Buns

The bread just keeps coming!

Since I was making hamburgers today, I also decided to make my own hamburger buns. It was work, but it was worth it to save the extra money that I would have spent buying buns. Yeah, I'm kinda cheap. If I ever got the chance, I would totally work if I got free good food. This is why I always volunteer at food events! Free food!!!

These buns were pretty good. It went perfectly with my burgers! Yum. I was going to put sesame seeds but then I realized we didn't have anymore. I also just microwaved the milk and water. Enjoy!

This recipe is from LemonLush.

Belle's Hamburger Buns:

Yields 12 buns

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

Peeta's Raisin and Nut Bread - The Hunger Games

My sleep schedule has been way off lately! This is why I do like having classes during summer. When I have nothing to do, I tend to sleep late catching up on lost TV and movie time. Yesterday, I actually caught up on Love in the Wild and Smash! I love reality shows and shows that pertain to talent and broadway. *Ahem, Glee*! I guess you could say I've been on a late night baker's schedule? I sleep at around 6am and wake up way too late. But there are upsides to it! Like this bread that I made!

When anyone thinks of food from The Hunger Games, it's usually either the Katniss' favorite lamb stew from the Capitol or some kind of bread.  Bread it is! Haha! I'll try to make the lamb stew some time in the future! 

[via]

This bread that I made today was the raisin and nut bread that Peeta burned and tossed at Katniss that eventually saved her life. This act of kindness that Peeta showed towards Katniss gave her the sense of hope and the willingness to continue living and make her life better. 

The version I made of his bread was a bit dense...i'm still thinking about what it was from, possibly the oatmeal I added. Maybe it was because I cheated on the rising time? (*most likely) Ahh, the curses of being an amateur baker; you don't know what you're doing wrong! I used half white flour and half whole wheat flour. I didn't have any raisins on hand so I used dried cranberries and dates instead. Additionally, I added a bit of orange zest for an extra zing. It's not exactly like the book describes it, but I wanted to make something that my whole family would eat! This is definitely a hearty bread! It's full of protein and fiber! It actually tasted great! The dates and cranberries added a lot of sweetness.

The next time I make this, I will try to make it a more slender loaf. I'll also try to let the dough rise a lot longer, maybe 5-8 hours. I've been too impatient lately, but I'll make sacrifices to make good bread!

Peeta's Raisin and Nut Bread

Peeta's Nut and Raisin Bread:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked oats

1 cup water

1 tsp white sugar

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup raisins, or dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal until done, about 3 minutes.
2. Proof the yeast: Dissolve sugar in warmed water. Add yeast to mixture. You know your yeast is active if it forms bubbles. 
3. Mix cooked oats, vegetable oil, honey, salt, dates, raisins, and walnuts into the yeast mixture.
4. Sift together whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
5. Combine flour and yeast mixture until well incorporated.
6. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
7. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely. Set in a warm place and let rise for around 2 hours.
8. Punch dough down and divide into 2.
9. Form long loaves and dust with flour. Place on a dusted cookie sheet. Cover loosely and let rise for another 2 hours. 
10. Preheat oven to 400F
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until loaves are a nice brown color.

Peeta's Raisin and Nut Bread Slices!

District 11 Bread - The Hunger Games

District 11 Bread

Hello! So as promised, I made District 11 bread! Their main industry is agriculture and you can tell because of the descriptions of the fields of crops, orchards, and dairy cattle that are in the book. They produce all the crops that go to the capitol. District 11's bread is described as a crescent-shaped roll made from a dark ration grain that's sprinkled with seeds. Naturally, I thought of sunflower seeds since there are fields of wildflowers spread throughout the district. District 11's bread plays a huge significance in the first book, although it's not prevalent in the movie adaptation.

For the bread, I used part rye flour and part whole wheat flour to give the bread a characteristic dark shade.  I incorporated seeds on both the inside and the outside of the bread. The bread was very sticky, so I had to add a lot of extra flour when kneading. It will take a bit longer to rise because rye flour has a very low gluten content, hence me adding whole wheat flour along with it. I also used agave nectar instead of the honey. While making the bread, I kept thinking about nutrition since most of my family members are trying to eat healthier. Therefore, I tried to make it as healthy as I could. It's a huge list of ingredients, but the end results are amazing! They were a little dense, but they were still good! Would be a great dinner roll, especially since it's such a hearty loaf! I adapted this recipe from Pippis in the Kitchen Again.

District 11 Crescent Rolls:
Yields approx 17 rolls

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup milk

2 1/3 cup warm water
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 tbsp white sugar
3 tbsp honey, or agave nectar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups rye flour
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seed

1 egg (egg wash)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds

Directions:

1. Cook the oatmeal in the boiling water for about 3 minutes. Let cool. Mix in milk.
2. Proof the yeast: Dissolve sugar in warmed water. Add yeast to mixture. You know your yeast is active if it forms bubbles.
3. Mix in cooled oatmeal, honey, vegetable oil, and salt once the yeast is proofed.
4. In a separate dish, add whole wheat flour, rye flour, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and ground flax seeds. Mix together until well combined.
5. Mix in flour mixture to yeast mixture 1 cup at a time until all the flour mixture is well incorporated.
6. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. This might take a bit more flour than anticipated.
7. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely. Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled, around 1 1/2 hours.
8. Punch dough down and let rise for another 30 min.
9. Preheat oven to 375F.
10. Punch dough down again and divide into even pieces. Form each piece into a triangle and roll into a crescent shape. Start from the wide end and roll towards the tip.
11. Cover loosely and let rise for another 15 min.
12. Brush egg wash onto each roll and cover with a combination of sunflower, poppy, and flax seeds.
13. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown, rotate half way through.
14. Remove and let cool for 5 min, then transfer to a cooling rack.

District 11 Bread, sprinkled with seeds!

District 4 Bread - The Hunger Games

District 4 Bread

**EDIT: I made this bread again and it came out perfect - Click HERE for the results**

Hey all! So recently I've been overly obsessed with The Hunger Games! I read the trilogy in only two days because I couldn't put the books down! They're amazing! I see myself constantly checking pages again and again! I even had to read the ending around five times! I was so surprised I was able to get through them, especially since I haven't picked up a book willingly for around 9 years! (I know, so sad!) These books have definitely inspired me to read more! TEAM PEETA x1000000gazillioninfinitybeyondforever!

I was actually one of those people that haven't read the book before watching the movie! But lemme tell you, they're both equally amazing...even though I have yet to watch the first half of the movie (due to an incident with my friends and I)! I was just sad that the movie didn't have a lot of aspects that were in the book! But I'm just judging on the part that I did watch. (Don't worry, no spoilers)

So anyways, one of the main themes in the book is bread! Each district has a specific bread they make based on their industry. The bread that I liked reading about the most was from the fishing district, District 4. In the book, District 4's bread is described as a salty, fish-shaped loaf that's tinted green with seaweed. I loved the seaweed!

I used fresh seaweed that came from my family in the bay area. If you don't have that on hand, other recipes use re-hydrated dried wakame which you can find at any local Asian market. Unfortunately, my loaves did not look enough like fish and I did not get enough seaweed flavor for my tastes! I was also unable to get the green tinge that I wanted (probably because I used fresh seaweed), but I'll definitely attempt this recipe again; it was a hit with my family and friends.

Recipe adapted from The Magic Kitchen.

District 4 Seaweed Bread:
Yields approx 15 rolls

Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp instant yeast 
• 2 tbsp sugar 
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh boiled seaweed, or 1/2 cup dried wakame
• Water to brush on dough
• Coarse Sea salt

Directions:

1. Boil the seaweed. Drain and cool. Once cool, put in a blender or food processor until it has the consistency of paste.
2. Proof the yeast: Dissolve sugar in warmed water. Add yeast to mixture. You know your yeast is active if it forms bubbles.
3. After the yeast is proofed, mix in oil and salt.
4. Mix in seaweed until well combined.
5. Mix in flour and knead until smooth. Add flour one tbsp at a time as needed.
6. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely. Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled, around 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 400F.
8. Punch down dough and let rise again for another 1/2 hour.
9. Punch down dough and shape dough into a fish and let rise for another 15 min. Score the top of the bread with a sharp knife.
10. Brush each fish with water and sprinkle the sea salt.
11. Bake in oven for 20 min or until golden brown, rotate half way through.
12. Remove and let cool for 5 min, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Best served warm!

Filipino Bread Pudding

Ohh how I love bread pudding, the wonderful balanced aroma that it emits, the ooey-gooey-ness that comes from soaked bread, the top layer that supplies that crunch that pretty much balances out the whole dessert. In my opinion, bread pudding is the absolute best dessert or sweet dish type of thing that I've ever had...except for this amazing rice pudding, but that's another story.

Surprisingly, I don't remember much about the first bread pudding I've had. I just know it was banana flavor and that I fell in love with the somewhat gooey texture it has.  I'm almost certain that's why I love this dish, but its also the simpleness that it presents. You just throw all wet ingredients into the bowl, then the bread, let it soak, and bam! Put it in the oven and you're all set.

So I am a Filipino. I was born in California and have been there ever since. Honestly, the knowledge I have of my culture is amazingly limited.  I can't speak anything but English and I've never even been to the Philippines! I don't know how to make Filipino food and I can barely name any of the dishes. I don't even know any traditions. What I do know are famous Filipinos, like Manny Pacquiao, Jessica Sanchez (because I've been watching Idol recently), Charice, Shay Mitchell...well I guess my knowledge of that is limited too! Haha. Sure, my family has huge parties with food and dancing, but I'm not the one who's much of an active participator. But I've made a good effort to learn some things about my culture over the years, so that's a good thing.

I guess I'm over-exaggerating a bit, but I think it's kind of funny how everyone speaks of moving to the United States and the greatness that encompasses it that they don't realize how much of their own culture they're going to lose by coming here. It's very difficult to keep your culture, especially since there's such a mix of them here. I guess we have some culture communities, so it's really not as bad as I say.

Anyways, back to the bread pudding. I got the idea of making a Filipino bread pudding after tasting it at a night market near my place. Once I got home, I googled it up like any crazed foodie would do! I was amazed at this bread pudding! Two things that encompass who I am into one sweet dish! My beloved bread pudding has met my culture! Yum! Unfortunately, the people selling the dish made it overly sweet, but it was still worth a try! I call it Filipino because it has 2 main ingredients that we use in a dish called Turon, which is a deep fried egg roll that contains plantains and jackfruit, and Pan de Sal, which is a type of Filipino bread/roll. I also adapted a sauce that is usually found on another Filipino dessert, which has condensed and coconut milk, since my version contained no sugar.

This is a version of bread pudding that I adapted from Jun Belen's blog. You may add 1/3 cup sugar if you want, but it really is not necessary.The version I made I did not cook the plantains first and they were not as soft as I hoped they would be. I recommend cooking them first or omitting them entirely. It might take a lot longer than anticipated for the dish to be fully cooked! I made up this sauce so I've only made it once...so don't get mad at me if it doesn't come out right!

Filipino Bread Pudding:

• 4 cups milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup sliced cooked ripened plantains
• 1 cup preserved jackfruit, homemade or store bought, sliced into thin strips
• 6 to 8 pieces day-old pan de sal or white bread, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole or 8-by-8 baking dish with butter.

Whisk the milk, eggs, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and butter in a large bowl.  Add plantains, jackfruit, and bread, and mix well.  Let the bread soak for thirty minutes.

Pour the mixture into the dish and set it in a bigger baking or roasting pan.  Add warm water to an inch from the top of the dish. Bake for 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve hot or warm!

Coconut-Jackfruit Sauce:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can condensed milk
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Jackfruit puree
• Cheese cloth
• Jar or cup
• Rubber band

On low heat, combine coconut milk, condensed milk, and cinnamon in a sauce pan.  Stir constantly.

Cut the cheese cloth around 2 inches larger than the jar. Place the middle of the cloth into the jar, enough to hold some of the puree.  Rubber band the cloth to the jar so that the middle will not collapse. Pour jackfruit puree into the clothed jar.  Juice droplets should be coming out from under the cloth.  Do this until you have gone through all the puree. Pour the juice into the milk mixture.  It should be ready in 30 minutes or less. Drizzle over bread pudding.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of making the sauce, a nice dulce de leche sauce made with the condensed milk will be fine!