.
I guess I didn't phrase that especially well, lol. I meant that it has been very easy for me to incorporate new savory foods into my diet as I got older and started to explore global culinary traditions. I particularly enjoy the spice heavy, vegetable and pulse centered diet of India. But the desserts originating outside of Canada have not made their way into my heart the same way, and it isn't for lack of trying.Were dishes originating from an Indian cuisine typical at your family table, HeirloomGal?
Or, do I misunderstand?
Some very tasty food has that origin
Steve
I made a couple of sourdough starters and enjoyed fresh homemade bread a while back. Then we cut back on carbs so I quit the habit. I love homemade sourdough fresh out of the oven with some butter or for making a deli sandwich!Christmas baking is underway. One of the more interesting adventures has been my attempt at creating a sourdough starter for my parents, who love sourdough bread. As it is they are paying an exorbitant amount per loaf, nearly 10 dollars, and are having to drive quite a ways to pick it up too. I know they don't want to go through the hassle of the 10 days of nurturing the starter so I'm hoping that if I get it to the finished stage then they can keep it in the fridge, feed it once or twice and week and use as needed.
A nice perk to this bread I'm learning is it requires no kneading. I love that it develops entirely without adding yeast or movement. The bad news is that it is a lengthy process to make. It's not a fast food bread that's for sure. But the quality is there, and I remember in my bread making days how much more delicious no yeast slow process bread was in both texture and flavor. So many people in my life seem crazy for sourdough right now, I figure this is a great skill to develop since I can make surprise loaves for people who can't/won't make the starter or bread for themselves.
I didn't realize until tonight however I need a Dutch oven, so that was an unpleasant surprise. And you kinda need one. The oven has to be hot as Hades to start too, (some say 500 degrees!) another odd quirk. But I'm this far in now so if I have to buy a Dutch oven so be it. I have 3 starters in the making, one rye base, one whole wheat and one unbleached white. All my feedings to the starters are unbleached white flour so the rye and whole wheat will be undetectable unless I add it to the actual bread recipe. I notice that the whole wheat & rye are developing more quickly as the recipes all indicated they would due to the presence of natural yeasts in the less processed kernels.
I feel like as I follow along with this process, it's ancient. Everything about it seems appropriate for long ago, from the letting it sit around for weeks, to needing a fire-pit level hot cooking oven, to no added ingredients. Salt, spring water and flour. The unique and lengthy process is what sets it apart, something that would have been suitable for a time where ingredients were very limited and variation wasn't created by different additions but ways of doing it. Sugar really has a similar history with how it's been manipulated into so many variations using only technique.
I hope that I get this right.
