Monday, January 11, 2010

My Next Read...'Food Rules'


For the past year I've completely dedicated my reading list to food books. Before then I'd read books on food as well but I decided to completely immerse myself in them last year and learn as much as I possibly could. A great writer my Dad turned me on to is Michael Pollan. He's been a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, an executive editor for Harper's Magazine as well as having written books including 'In Defense of Food' and 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'. Pollan has recently released a new book which I plan on putting on my reading list called 'Food Rules: An Eater's Manual'. Check out this New York Times article about him and his new book...

4 comments:

Laurie said...

Nice...I'm obsessed with cook books and anything about food, also. I recently found out there's a bookstore close to my house where they have EXCLUSIVELY cook books. I'm in trouble... ;-)
I just finished reading Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" for the second time...it's hilarious, especially for someone who worked in the resto biz, i cracked up laughing almost in tears at least 5 times...
Happy New Year and all that...!
Laurie :)

Bootz said...

Here it is garrett, let me know how it turns out...
Challah a la Bootz
2 PKS YEAST, BOAT LOADS OF FLOUR
LOADS OF HONey or AGAVE MELTED LIKE WATER, SOME VANILLA
A LITTLE SALT, 8 EGGS, SOME OLIVE OIL
LOADS OF WATER ABOUT 115 DEGREES F
OVEN, LITE TOWEL, COOKIE SHEETS, HUMAN HANDS
2 MIXING BOWLS, WIRE WISK, BAKING THERMOMETER
SOME CINNAMON, ANDS STEVIA BUNCH-O-BUTTER

1) Put a bed of flour in a mixing bowl using the human hands(all carrying, mixing, kneading and rolling will be done with the human hands)
2)In the other bowl, mix the 2 pks of yeast to about 1 tbls honey or Agave and
1 cup water @ about 110-120 degrees. Mix until all yeast is dissolved.
3)In the flour of the 1st bowl, make a hole. Pour the mixture from the 2nd bowl, into the hole, in the 1st bowl, to fill the hole.
4) Cover the yeast mixture with more flour until you cannot see the yeast mixture. Cover the bowl with the lite towel and put in a warm place. Maybe in the oven, maybe a high place... i have faith, you’ll figure it out.
5) In the now empty 2nd bowl, put in:
5 or 6 eggs... preferably without the shells.
1/2cup or so of Olive Oil,
1 cup or so of melted honey, or Agave
2 cupsish of 115 degree water,
2 tbls ish of vanilla.
2TBLS Cinnamon
2tsp stevia
Pinch and a little of salt.
6) Mix it all together. this process should be about 10 to 15 minutes since the yeast mixture went into the 1st bowl. Now put the new mixture in the 2nd bowl into the 1st bowl.
7) Use the wisk to mix in more flour. Add a cup at a time until the mixture is gooky and sticky and can be taken out of the bowl and one schmooky sticky mess of glop. Plop the ball of goop on a lightly floured table.
8) Knead and add flour until the ball looses its stickiness. Put it into a ball and place it in one of the bowls. Cover with the lite towel and place in a warm place. Let it rise to about double(2hrsish).
9) Punch the dough down and knead some more. Braid or make whatever shape expresses your mood with the dough. Oil the cookie sheets and put your creation onto the oiled cookie sheets. Let it rise again(2hrsish). It won’t rise a lot due to the honey. Agave isn't as heavy so it will rise more.
10) Pre-heat oven to 325ish depending on the oven.
11) While pre-heating the oven, mix 3 eggs in a bowl. Use the human hands to lightly spread the egg over the bread creations and makesure not to miss any crevass. Cook for 10-15 min or when it is very lightly brown. Take it out and spread on another coating of egg or a honey or cinnimon glaze.
12) Cook for maybe another 5-10minutes until the rather trite, “golden brown” Dip into the honey cinnimon glaze. serve however you want but the bread must be ripped not cut or god will not like you:)

HONEY CINNIMON GLAZE

mix together a few tsp of cinnimon, melted honey, and a stick of butter. Once melted and mixed together put in refridge just enough to coagulate a little but still be warm. Dip the bread and enjoy

Whitney said...

This book sounds great, Garrett. I'm adding it to my list as well. You may be interested in "Spice: The History of a Temptation". It's all about the history of spices, their uses, cultural importance, etc. The author has a nice writing style. You may want to check it out.

Garrett said...

Wow a book store solely on cookbooks...sounds great!

Bootz thanks a lot for that recipe...It would be helpful to have some more precise proportions though. Baking is a science and we need some guidelines for it please.

I've seen that book on Spice...let me know how it is if you decide to get it. Thanks


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