Jadrool

Bloody brilliant it is. Thank you very much.

I’m making broa for this Sunday and the recipes I’ve seen use a regular sponge method with what seems to me to be a lot of yeast. Having recently had my eyes opened to the word of pre-ferments and cold fermentations, I'm wondering if it desirable to take the broa recipe I want to use (most likely from Jane Anderson's Food of Portugal) and attempt to convert it to one using a slower, cooler initial fermentation period. If so, are there rules of thumb about converting recipes?

Thanks, Ore. What a fantastic thread! Absolutely wonderful.

You are correct and most observant, Mrbigjas. It is based on one of her magazine recipes of several years ago. I should have given her the credit she deserves. Since reading your reply, I have found what I believe to be the one from the magazine on her website. I guess I could have saved quite a bit a typing by looking it up and cutting and pasting this link: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...true&resultNo=1 It differs from the Food Network recipe insofar as it contains Worcestershire sauce, which I'm a huge fan of. All hail Caesar, Jadrool

Hollis, This is my version. Hope you like it. First make the croutons: The key is to get a good bread from a bakery, not the supermarket. Get a dense country bread, or a ciabatta, or whatever artisinal type bread you like. Cut off the crust (a little left on is OK) and cut in about 1 inch cubes. Precision is not important. Each person won't have more than 4 or 5 croutons, so you won't use the whole loaf. Melt a pat or two of butter and place in an oven dish with some extra virgin olive oil. I've never measured, but I think it's about two tablespoon of butter and two tablespoons of oil for every 20 croutons or so. You want enough just to lightly coat the croutons, so it's best to start with less and add more if you like. I like my croutons spicy, so I add some Italian crushed red peppers (a pinch should do; cayenne also works) to the olive oil and butter mix. And a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Once that's mixed together, throw in the croutons and toss them to coat. Put the pan in a 450 degree oven and cook them until they are golden brown and sizzling (10-15 minutes?). Turn them over (with some tongs) if you like and put them in a few minutes more, until the other side is toasty and sizzling. Take them out an let them cool in the pan until you're ready to use them. Not only should you use good bakery (or homemade) bread, but also a good European (or European style) butter. It’s more expensive but well worth it for flavor. There are a few kinds readily available, which I think are better than the standard organic. Taste them and use the one you like. The same is true for the sea salt and the extra virgin olive oil. You may be new to the kitchen, but great pantry ingredients will do wonders to set you apart from the rest. For the dressing, here's my recipe for two or three people. It's easily doubled or tripled. In your salad bowl toss in one egg yolk (others have provided warnings so I won’t, anyway I don’t heed them). Make sure it's fresh and organic, or from a local farm. To that add one or two finely minced anchovy fillets, one minced garlic clove a pinch of sea salt, a few dashes (a teaspoon?) of Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard, a squeeze of about an eigth to a quarter of a lemon, and a few grinds of black pepper. Whisk these together and (while continuing to whisk) slowly stream in some good extra virgin olive oil until you've got a mayonnaisey thing going on. It should only take a 10 seconds or so. Add some grated Parmigiano Reggiano (a quarter cup?) then add a head (or less) of cleaned, well dried and torn up romaine and toss it all together, adding more grated (or shaved) Parmigiano to your liking, probably up to another quarter cup. Taste a piece of lettuce to see if you need more cheese, salt or pepper. If it's good to go, throw the croutons on top and, if you feel like it, shave (with a carrot/potato peeler) or grate some more parm on top. Serve immediately and don't toss in the croutons or they'll get soggy. Again, use the best ingredients: Only real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano will do. Grate it yourself when you are ready to use it. If you can, get some that's been aged two or three years and see how you like that. Try using salt-packed anchovies (you have to rinse and debone them first) or really good oil-packed ones from Agostino Recca. I think there are some good Spanish ones out there too. Find the ones you like. Same goes for the mustard, olive oil, salt and even the pepper. I haven’t given precise measurements, because I don’t use them. When you have the mayonnaisey mixture in your bowl, taste a tiny dab. You might want more Worcestershire, or anchovies. Or if you’re not big on raw garlic, just use half a clove. After all, it’s your Caesar salad now, so make it how you like it.

I've had good luck just heating them up in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. No need to use any oil. Get the pan nice and hot first and have a pair of tongs or wooden spatula handy. (Tongs or spatula in one hand, pot holder on the other--the cast iron pan gets hot hot hot.) Toss in the papadam in the pan and cook on one side. Little bubbles will start to appear and the bread (wafer?) will turn whitish and lift up off the skillet. Then at just the right moment (all white, not stuck to the skillet, but not burnt either), flip it over with the tongs or wooden spatula and cook the other side for a few seconds. You may have to waste a couple figuring out the right temperature for the pan, but once you get it down it a great way to go.

Hello All, My wife and I are spending about a week in Naples and would love to hear your restaurant suggestions. Thanks

Not exactly the what you guys were talking about, but, Varmint, I’m just curious as to what restaurants you might recommend in the area. We often visit friends in Cary and have continuously been disappointed by the restaurants there. Any suggestions? Thanks

A fantastic place to stay and eat in Umbria is the Villa Roncalli in Foligno. They have several simple rooms and a good size swimming pool, but the best part by far–and the reason to go–is dinner, which is exquisitely prepared Umbrian fare. Don’t eat much during the day, though, because after this four-hour, multi-course meal you’ll wonder if you can even make it up the stairs to your room. My wife and I have eaten there a few times, but only on the first did we order off the menu. Best to let chef owner Maria Luisa chose for you and your guaranteed one of the best meals of your life. If you staying there, be sure to make a reservation for both the room and dinner and to confirm it. The last time we went they had our room reservations but had neglected to tell us that they were having a wedding that night. But no matter, after some discussion we were told to come back after nine and then, sitting with the other hotel guests by the pool (and away from the ceremony), were treated to each and every delicious course of the wedding feast. By the way, Spoleto, which is only a few towns over, is a beautiful little ville with some very nice food and wine stores in the town center. There’s also an tiny Enoteca (the name of which I can’t remember, but you’ll know it when you see it–it’s tucked into a corner under an archway), with communal tables and a Scottish-educated man serving fine wine and his mother’s home cooking (really, she’s in the back slaving away while her son is out front smoozing). And if you like hiking (or feel you need to work up an appetite for the Villa), Spoleto’s got some great uncrowded trails where you can take a lazy stroll to a picnic table with a bel vista or a strenuous climb to the mountain top. Have fun.