Wednesday Fun #133 - Which Cookbook?

Ok, y'all. I'm challenging you to make something NEW out of your favorite cookbook during May. Now, I know that it can be a daunting prospect, but you gotta start small. How 'bout this? Just pick your cookbook! So, today's Wednesday Fun question is...

Out of which cookbook are YOU picking your new recipe?

Me? Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2002. I think I've even chosen one!

Wednesday Fun #31 - The one with all the spatters...

A while back we had a cookbook call-out for WF, and it looks like folks have a LOT of cookbooks... but if you're anything like me, there are one or two you just keep going back to over, and over, and over again.

So today I ask...

Which cookbook do you use the most?

And why do you keep coming back to that one?

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

When Sewing Bee (aka Turtle, aka Pumpkin's godmother) was out visiting us, I was telling her all about (and feeding them bread from) this great cookbook my MIL gave me at Christmas, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. She was very enthused, so we baked some up and mixed up a new batch for the frig so she got to see the whole procedure. I'd told her I meant to post it, but just hadn't gotten around to it, but lo and behold if I didn't find an email from her in my inbox today with it all typed up, including a YouTube link about it. So without further ado, here is:

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

In 5 qt. lidded plastic container: (Ice cream pail works great.)

Mix together – leave lidded on counter for 2 hours or up to 5 hours then refrigerate.

3 cups warm water
1 ½ Tbl. yeast
1 ½ Tbls coarse salt (1 generous Tbls fine salt)
6 ½ cups flour

Leave in the fridge for up to two weeks. Bake when you need bread or the night before it serves great the next day. Recipe says it can make 4 loaves. We tend to make 3 loaves per batch. [MHH - I agree. I only ever get three loaves, too.]

To Bake: Break off about 1/3 of dough with floured hands. Turn it to cloak it. (Turn it under at the sides all the way around to make a round loaf.) Sprinkle pizza peel (or flat [rimless] cookie sheet) with corn meal and lay bread on that area. Leave for 20 minutes then turn oven to 450 degrees and put a broiler pan and pizza stone in the oven. (Broiler pan or jelly roll works great.) [MHH - pizza stone on lowest possible rack.] Set timer for 20 more minutes while oven heats up and bread keeps rising.

Before you put it in the oven dust with flour and slash with a knife. When timer goes off slide bread in the oven off the peel and pour 1-1 ½ cups water into the hot broiler pan. Bake 35 minutes.

MHH - There are a ton of variations for this recipe in the cookbook, including foccacia (which I made today, but with grape tomatoes instead of onions). It really is super easy and convenient and the bread is FABULOUS with olive oil and vinegar.

Here's the YouTube video; it's an appearance by the authors on a MN morning show. It shows how easy it is to mix up and how to "cloak" the dough when making a loaf.

Wednesday Fun #25 - Cookbook Call-out

Since this is apparently a good month for lists, your Wednesday Fun challenge for today is to name at least 3 of your cookbooks without looking at/for them. I figure we'll hear some of your most used ones, or most memorable ones, plus you'll give your brain a bit of a stretch trying to remember them.

List (at least) 3 of your cookbooks!

And a big thank you shout out to AllKnowingJen and The Dude for today's Wednesday Fun poll idea about egg dyeing! Brilliant!

P.S. Yeah, by the way, you don't have to be an official Recipeeps contributor to play these Wednesday Funs or do the polls, you know, so all you lurkers out there, join in!

Cookbook Suggestion

I have a suggestion on a cookbook for those of you with only 2 in the house. It's Better Homes and Gardens "Great Cooking for Two". It's nice to have very nice, simple meals that are appropriately sized. Everything I've tried from it is yummy and easy.