Pork loin, porchetta-style, from "A Platter of Figs" by David Tanis, page 134
Spinach sauteed in olive oil with shallots, seasoned with sesame oil and shichi-mi tōgarashi
There was also a first course of grape and caramelized onion focaccia which we served with prosciutto and ricotta salata.
1/2 cup warm water, 1 tbsp. yeast, 3 tbsp. AP flour
Mix together. Set aside -- let mixture become bubbly, about 5 minutes.
1 cup warm water, 3 cups AP flour, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil
Add the remaining flour, the water, salt and olive oil. Mix until you obtain a rough sticky mass of dough.
Nearly there.
Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead a bit.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or preferably overnight. I was supposed to have started this last night but I fell asleep watching Gilda. Oops.
Dough after 8 hours. Place onto a well-greased cookie or baking sheet.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
Meanwhile, make your caramelized onions.
One onion, thinly sliced and cooked with 4 tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. If someone tells you they can make caramelized onions in 5 minutes, they're full of horse puckey....or they don't know what they're talking about. This Slate article describes my feelings exactly: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/scocca/2012/05/how_to_cook_onions_why_recipe_writers_lie_and_lie_about_how_long_they_take_to_caramelize_.html
I usually make mine with the addition of a very small amount of salt, like less than 1/4 tsp. per 1-2 onions, but this time I decided to do without.
Salt hastens the process...and really, there's no right or wrong way, as long as you're satisfied with the results in the end.
But caramelized onions in 5 minutes is something I have difficulty believing.
Low and slow is the way to go.
When the dough has risen after its 2nd rise, remove the wax paper. Top with grapes and caramelized onions. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt.
Bake in a pre-heated 400 F oven for 30 minutes.
Grape and caramelized onion focaccia from "Heart of the Artichoke" by David Tanis, page 167-168.
Things that went wrong today...
The dough was way too moist which suggests that either I added way too much liquid or not enough flour or both.
It didn't rise properly -- and that was after I had thrown out the first batch of water, flour and yeast because it didn't bubble properly after 10 minutes waiting.
I wrapped the dough with wax paper for its second rise, and when I lifted the paper off, a third of dough went with it.
The oven was too hot or the onions browned too much, so when the focaccia was done, half the onions were burnt.
B said "this was good", but I was going over the things that went wrong in my mind for next time. I am a little bit of a perfectionist sometimes. He also mentioned that "you're brave for trying to bake" this morning, to which I replied "Well, we have the kitchen for it, so I might as well try things I've never attempted before".
