Ann_T

I wasn't expecting the swirls either. Raisins fall into the same category as carrots for me, BUT Moe would love your bread. @PatrickT, great looking focaccia and wonderful toppings. I love this photo.

@Smithy, @rotuts, @Norm Matthews, @Okanagancook Thank you for your Anniversary greetings. I finally got around to grilling burgers on the new grill. I had offered to make homemade fries but Moe said he would be happy with potato chips. Made for an even easier worknight dinner. Tomatoes from Matt's tomato garden.

Moe and I celebrated our 44th Anniversary today, although we have actually been together for 50 years. I worked today but planned dinner so it was something simple, but worthy of a celebration dinner. One of Moe's favourite dishes from Centro Restaurant in Toronto was Fettuccine Natasha. A vodka tomato cream sauce with smoked salmon. I made it tonight using linguine. We had a small wedding with about 25 guests at the home of our very good friends Patty and Michael. We served Champagne so it has been our tradition to have Champagne on our Anniversary.

Spatchcocked a large roasting chicken this morning and seasoned with with garlic, dried oregano from our own garden, lemon zest, salt, pepper and olive oil. Moe took it out of the fridge for me, an hour before I got home. I added the juice of a lemon and let it sit another 15 minutes while the grill heated. Grilled over indirect heat. Made roasted Greek potatoes in a cast iron skillet also on the grill. Place the pan on the double wide top shelf. Served with rice, Greek salad and the Greek lemon potatoes and grilled lemon.

Thank you @rotuts.

Finally cooled down enough to use the oven. Roast beef dinner. Stirling Silver top sirloin roast. Presalted Sunday. Roasted on high heat. Served with our traditional sides, including Yorkshire Pudding. This dinner always reminds us of the roast beef dinner at Honest Ed's Warehouse restaurant in Toronto back in the early 70's. Also baked an apple pie early in the day. Moe and I shared a piece for dessert.

I had a 1000g batch of dough in the fridge since Friday morning. Taken out last night and left on the counter until 4:00 AM this morning. Ralph Nieboer from the amazing Facebook bread group Breadworks, recently shared photos of little loaves baked in loaf pans. So I decided to copy him this morning and used my baguette dough to bake mini loaves. Aren't they cute? Matt sliced one horizontally, while still warm. Even the crumb isn't bad.

Dinner tonight was a pork belly and cabbage stir fry. Served with rice.

@PatrickT you are really turning out some very beautiful loaves. Great colour on your crusts.

Last night's dinner. Same day pizza dough. Made Friday morning before I left for work. Left out on the counter until 5:30 PM. Italian Sausage and Kalamata Olive pizza with a fresh tomato sauce.

@KennethT, what a beautiful fish dish. I got out of work late and didn't get home until 5:40. I had a presalted 17oz Sterling Silver NY Strip ready to go on the new grill. Turned the grill on to heat. Got the potatoes peeled and cut into wedges, cut a sweet potato using a potato crinkle cutter, broke the stem end off of fresh local green beans, and cut up a red pepper. Tossed the vegetables with fresh garlic and olive oil, salt and pepper. Got the potatoes going on the grill along with the sweet potatoes. The green beans and the peppers went into the preheated vegetable grill pan which I moved to the upper rack. Moved the sweet potatoes to the grill pan. This rack folds out to add a lot more square inches of cooking space and also folds back and drops down to rest against the back of the grill if it isn't needed. When the vegetables were just about done, the steak went on and was grilled over the sear zone. We were eating by 6:20. Shared platter for two. I think I like the new Weber.

Too hot to turn on the oven yesterday so baked a small loaf of rye in the new grill. We sampled the smoke chicken breast on rye last night and Moe wanted it again for breakfast this morning.

Smoked two small chickens, started early this morning. Moe had two legs for lunch and for dinner we had thinly sliced smoked chicken breast on homemade rye. (no pics)

Moe and I shared a platter of wings done on my new grill. Ordered a new gas grill and is was delivered yesterday. Had planned to grill last night but postponed until this morning. No sides.

love the idea of potatoes in your tacos. Moe asked for a loaded omelette for breakfast this morning. A loaded omelette varies depending what I have on hand. This mornings omelette was loaded with onions, mushrooms, Italian sausage, red peppers, potatoes, salt, pepper and fresh oregano. Served with Black Russian tomatoes from Matt's garden, and toasted sourdough bread. I'm working today so this should keep him going almost until dinner.

@Duvel, beautiful setting. Very similar to what you see here on the west Coast of Canada. Easy dinner last night. Made hard shell tacos. And a pitcher of Sangria.

I love green peppercorns in different sauces. You can buy them brined or dried. I only use the dried ones because I don't like the flavour that the brine adds to a dish. I usually just soak the dried ones in chicken or beef broth, or wine to soften them a little before adding to a sauce.

@PatrickT, there is nothing lame about any of your loaves. I like the idea of the smoked salmon and cream cheese with the dill bread. I started a sourdough Levain Thursday morning and made the dough Thursday night. It remained in the fridge until yesterday morning, when Matt took it out to make a couple of pizzas. He divided the dough in half and put the other half back into the fridge. I took it out this morning, not sure if the dough still had some life, but decided that I had nothing to lose, so I made some breadsticks. Rolled out the dough, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled half with fresh rosemary and parmesan and the other half with black pepper and parmesan. After twisting, sprinkled with a little sea salt and let sit covered for 40 minutes. I forgot what a PITA making breadsticks is so I stopped after a bit and then just shaped the remaining dough into three tiny boules.

Green Peppercorn Steak for dinner tonight. Steak was a Sterling Silver NY York Strip that weight just over 17 oz. Big enough for Moe and I to share. Served with Parisienne potatoes, sautéed cremini mushrooms and steamed carrots and asparagus. Steak is always an easy worknight dinner.

I've never heard of "Fish in Crazy Water" so I looked it up. I think I will have to make it this way the next time we have halibut. Made an Italian sausage and mushroom pizza for dinner tonight. Same day pizza dough. Made the dough this morning and left it on the counter for 8 hours.

Moe's breakfast - Meatball Sandwich on homemade baguette.

Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner last night.

I mix everything together and then cover and leave it to rest (autolyze) for at least 30 minutes up to an hour. Depending on what I'm doing. Then I start the stretch and folds, cover and leave the dough to rest again for 20 to 30 minutes. I do at least four of these autolyze, stretch and folds, until the dough feels right. The autolyze, stretch and folds is in place of kneading. I use this same method whether the dough is at 63% hydration or over 80%. It is the rests and the stretch and folds that develop the gluten. At one time I use to hold off adding the yeast and the salt until after the first mix and autolyze, but I have found that adding the yeast and salt at the beginning of the process does not effect the dough at all. I have another Pictorial showing the different stages and how the dough develops between the rests and stretch and folds. There is also a Hydration Chart at the end of the post. Artisan Bread – Step By Step Pictorial (thibeaultstable.com)

@Deephaven, this boule is perfection. I use the same Autolyze Stretch and Fold method for every bake. But I do vary the hydration from 63 to 68 and occasionally higher. I recently started to make a Levain, as the preferment. Both a sourdough levain or one made with just a gram of yeast. I also do same day bakes with just a tiny bit of yeast, like my last post. I've had my blog since 2009 and there are many bread posts. Since 2014 I've used the Stretch and Fold method. I did a blog post this morning on a recent baguette bake using a sourdough levain. There is also a link on the post on how I shape my baguettes. This methods works for me, but there are also a number of videos on You tube with shaping techniques by professional bakers.

One baguette - two breakfasts. Moe had a bowl of blueberries with toasted baguette and I had toasted baguette with tomatoes. Tomato was a Black Prince from Matt's garden.