The weather in west Torrance is lovely at this time of year, if somewhat varied and unpredictable. Spring rains are abating rapidly, but gusty coastal winds and bouts of cloud cover can result in unseasonably cool temperatures (especially indoors, with all the breeze and none of the sun). Gradually, however, the days are warming. Temperatures aren’t likely to peak until the month of August, but they are expected to rise into the high 70s or low 80s by July. So Tyler and I are finishing the end of Spring cuisine with a warm, hearty meal—the likes of which we’ll probably not revisit again until the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

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My thoughts were drawn to my grandmother the other day. I never knew her very well beyond the self-interested childhood sphere of age eight, when she died quite unexpectedly just after her 50th anniversary. But there was one fact I could grip with stark clarity: she was the wife of a missionary. She married my grandfather fairly young and traveled with him extensively, going so far as to raise her own children in another country thousands of miles away from her friends (and possibly any family, not that I understood her to have any happy connections). It was baffling to me for many years. I was a progressive liberal and a budding feminist with a strong streak of individualism. What could possibly motivate a woman to up, marry, travel hell-knows-where at the whim of a man who is now practically the epitome of far-right religious Midwest values, and then have three children? And how could this person possibly be related to me? It seemed impossible that we shared the same genes.

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Having obtained a fabulous baking stone from Fibrament in August, I’ve subjected the stone to a rigorous baking schedule—boules, batards, and sandwich loaves at least twice a week. I was quite pleased with the performance, but as of last weekend the final test had yet to be performed: pizza. Years prior, I’d experimented with several hand-made whole wheat pizza crusts on cheap sheet metal; the results were o.k., but nothing worth preserving in the annals of Jenn kitchen-history. However, this time ‘round I was armed not only with the proper equipment, but also a baker’s formula from Peter Reinhart. The stage set, Fall arrived just in time to crank my oven up to 525°F.

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This recipe was a tasty deviation from regular, old basil pesto and was a wonderful contrast to the cioppino. I particularly liked the tarragon, the fennel, the Kasseri cheese, and the almonds. What was disappointing was the lack of anchovy flavor! Then again, yours truly has never before bought whole fresh anchovies and gutted them by hand, so I had no idea what to expect; I’m more used to the stuff they sell you in a can, which is pungent indeed. Next time I’ll be a little more careful and pair the anchovies with ingredients that complement rather than override.

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Wow. I’m in shock; I can’t believe I got these almost entirely right on the second try. (Mess around with 100% whole wheat baking and you will understand the magnitude of my disbelief.) My suggested modifications for the cinnamon rolls as per my last post were bang-on. This batch was very tender all over, from the outermost coil to the delicious innards. Even the cream cheese came out creamier and smoother. Best of all, I didn’t feel like I was eating air—a sensation common when consuming cinnamon rolls made from all purpose flour. I’ve seen the light, and I’m never turning back.

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One of the joys of cooking is the opportunity to work hands-on with new or unfamiliar ingredients.  This week  I wanted a mild side-dish to accompany the leg of lamb; I also knew I wanted Greek flavors, mushrooms, and a carbohydrate in risotto-style or something very similar.  Off I went to the farmer’s market, which coincidentally has a booth selling exotic foods imported from Greece.  There I sampled and bought a wonderful 6 oz hunk of Kasseri, a type of cheese which I had never tasted before.  From Whole Foods I also bought whole wheat orzo and (on a whim) truffle oil, the latter of which is also foreign to my pantry.  Thus began my grand experiment!

The dish came together like this:

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The initial test was very promising.  The roll, especially in the inner coils, was sweet, soft, and tender.  As with all 100% whole grain recipes, however, this one will require further experimentation to bring out the full potential of the dough and the cream cheese glaze.  Here are my remarks and suggestions:

1. Peter Reinhart says to bake the rolls one inch apart on a baking sheet.  Personally, I think I prefer baking them in a casserole dish and letting them rise up against each other.  The outer edges of the rolls dried out a bit using PR's method.
2. Make the cream cheese frosting well in advance, then chill in the fridge.  Also, when initially mixing the ingredients, you may want to whip the cream cheese first to smooth out the texture, then stir in the honey.  When they are combined, add the vanilla extract and only as much milk as necessary to reach the desired consistency.

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The inspiration for this dish came from the popular Greek savory pastry spanakopita and it’s lesser known cousin the kreatopita.  Instead of lamb or spinach, however, poultry is the main star in this recipe; I also went with leeks over onions for a more subtle flavor and added feta cheese for extra richness.  Google tells me the result is appropriately referred to as “kotopita.”  As I’m not fluent in Greek, however, I can’t verify.

3 lbs ground chicken
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 small boxes, reduced fat crumbled feta cheese
1 bag spinach, washed
1 large leek
2 cloves garlic, minced
rosemary, chopped
white pepper, ground
salt
phyllo sheets, thawed

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Sticky, sweet, yeasty, and delicious. There’s really not much more to say about these cinnamon rolls. I did have some problem removing them from the pan once they cooled; the brown sugar hardened cement-like after about 10-20 minutes out on the counter. However, this minor issue could easily be resolved with a more generous application of butter to the bottom of the pan.

My one major complaint about this recipe is more a matter of personal health than grounds for eviction from the culinary circle. Yes, I can appreciate the empty calories of all purpose flour in baked goods. Yes, all purpose flour does produce a tender texture and light-airiness not usually seen in whole grains. But will I eat baked goods without whole grains? Generally, no.

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Normally I prefer the pure ungarnished taste of a good artisan bread, but today I was in the mood for something with a bit more verve. So I whipped up this spread from my pantry:

¹/₄-¹/₈ red onion, finely diced
¹/₂ fresh heirloom tomato, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves only, chopped fine
1 clove of peeled garlic, through the garlic press
1-2 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped
capers
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

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