Lil' Cheezers Restaurant: Cheesy in a good way!

Lil' Cheezers is officially open for permanence on Baxter Avenue right in the middle of what I call the Celtic Quarter (the block where Molly's, Flannagan's, and O'Shea's are). I have loved this place ever since I found their delightful food truck a couple years back after a long night out. It was a beacon of light in the Highlands night, promising serendipitous melty goodness. There were so many scrumptious choices that it took me quite a while to decide, and I still remember what I ordered after so long: a special (because I usually go for those anyway when I can't make a decision) of Dubliner Cheddar with caramelized onions on wheatberry toast. Yes, simple I agree, yet so satisfying that Lil' Cheezers' name was etched in my Hall of Fame for years to come. My friends probably remember my groans of ecstasy at swimming in warm cheddar, which extended until the end of my sandwich--as a result everyone else bought one too, so I guess it was good for them!

We actually planned on going for the soft opening this past week, but we were caught up in our current move. If you are wondering why I am going to be posting on so many restaurants, it is because our stove/oven is not hooked up yet *grits teeth*--but, never fear, I will be fresh and ready for new kitchen creations once the right hoses are connected! Patience is quickly learned when you have to make French press coffee from "hot" tap water...hmm. Good news? We get to indulge in new and wonderful food all around our fair city! Lil' Cheezers is definitely on my list, and now you get to hear about my experience.

While waiting on the movers to arrive, the rumble of hunger started calling furiously and we had to answer quickly in order to keep grumpiness at bay. This is very important while moving your life from one apartment to another. Thus, the obvious answer was pure comfort food and Lil' Cheezers had the fine anecdote.

We walked right in to the welcoming restaurant, aptly decorated with the Louisville Fleur de Lis and warm coloring that conveniently reminds one of gooey cheese. We dined in the front room, but I also noted that there was additional seating in a back room, so no worries about not getting a seat. There is a very inviting patio too, but the afternoon was a bit balmy in the direct sunlight, so we elected to stay inside. The employees were very pleasant and they all got along well, so whatever conversation we happened to overhear being seated right next to the sandwich bar was just fine--plus I was in cheese-induced euphoria, so nothing could have brought me down at that moment.

Mmm Fancy Pants: Elegance in Grilled Cheese

Let me tell you what I ordered...you will cry tears of joy just like I did. I had what was called the Fancy Pants, and boy was it fancy. This sandwich is a glorious collaboration between brie cheese, grilled onions, walnuts, and crisp green apples. Oh the explosion of happiness in my mouth was just wonderful. The brie had great flavor, not like that bland noise you unfortunately find on most menus-THANK YOU! The walnuts were soft, so they added the glory of fresh nuts, which completed the texture quadrangle alongside the crisp bite of the apple and the soft surrender of the brie and grilled onions. Pure beauty. The accompanying sweet potato fries were punctuated by the incredible curry ketchup that they serve on the side. I promise you, I haven't seen curry ketchup since my days living in Austria, and it brought me back to very happy days--ultimate comfort food experience for me!

See that pepperoni peaking out? Legendary!

My roommate, equally panged by the hunger that lifting heavy objects induces, ordered the Legalize Marinara. Cute name, fantastic product. This was an Italian explosion of pepperoni, mozzarella, tomatoes, and garlic. In the bite that I managed to get before the whole thing was demolished by my dear roommate (totally understandable), I noted that the pepperoni was what really made this sandwich.  The pepperoni had a fantastic spice, unlike many that I have had on this side of the pond--I wonder where it's from...

Also on the menu are great dessert choices (which we couldn't handle on that visit, but is definitely on the docket for the next time I pass) including the Elvis, the Smore, the PB&J, and of course the cupcakes from Jamie's 14K Cupcakes. I really love that they kept the cupcakes on the menu, because the building used to be that same cupcake bakery. It's a nice sign of keeping it in the neighborhood, and also keeping a little bit of a tradition for the building--good karma. In addition, the fountain drinks included root beer and orange Fanta, as well as Rooibee Red Tea--choices you don't see in every place. I would recommend adding Ale-8 (a late one) just to complete the locality of the whole thing--plus Ale-8 with grilled cheese is amazing.

Lil' Cheezers has made a great place out of a principal comfort food. I know that they will be successful just from what I have heard from people enjoying their food truck experiences. Now that they are in one place, I can promise that I will become a regular, and I will be equally as delighted when I find them rolling about around town. This restaurant is made of great food, locally minded products, and very down-to-earth people. I look forward to great things from them, and I can't wait to come back for more!

Lil' Cheezers
938 Baxter Ave.
Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: 502.409.7424
Email: matt@lilcheezers.com (owner) manny@lilcheezers.com (general manager)
Check out their website for the food truck schedule as well as a complete menu. You can also rent the truck for special events and request the truck's majestic presence on their website.

http://www.lilcheezers.com/

Migas Spanish-Style

This is yet another recipe to do with day-old bread. The first time I visited my boyfriend's family in Extremadura, Spain, I was introduced to the deliciousness of Migas. It is a traditional dish of that region, and also shows up in different variations all across Spain. I remember eating it for the first time at an awesome café in Badajoz called El Venero. Venero doesn't mean anything, but to everyone who has been there, it means incredible breakfasting! I promise you that you have never had real orange juice until you have had zumo de naranja in Spain....I don't care if you have seen a Florida orange squeezed to death into a glass, it just isn't the same. Sunshine in a glass. Also, instead of coffee many Spaniards indulge in a Cola Cao, or hot chocolate (best hot chocolate I've ever had come from a powder). The Handsome Spaniard makes a special rendition of Migas by dipping it in his Cola Cao--I could never get over the mixture of garlic and chocolate, but he swears by it. Yeah, we all have our own tastes I guess.

Anyways, the second time I had migas was homemade by his mother. It is a really difficult dish to master, and I'm well on my way, but I had some good instruction while I was there. I guess what makes it difficult is preparing the hard bread by sprinkling water on it and letting it sit overnight until you're ready to make it. You could probably let it sit for just a couple of hours and you would get a good result as well, however this is the technique I learned in good ol' Badajoz, so that's what I'm sticking with. I had the Handsome Spaniard give me a refresher course on preparation so that I didn't leave anything out. Sometimes when you learn recipes in another language, some important details are left out...haha, imagine that!

Migas are so fluffy and so wonderful as breakfast or an afternoon snack (Merienda). They are robust and filling even though they only have three ingredients. That is my favorite part of traditional Spanish food, they can pack so much flavor into very little complication, most of which has to do with the powerhouse that is their olive oil. So. Much. Flavor!!! I remember going to olive oil tastings and seriously just sipping the olive oil out of little cups like tasting fine wine. Honestly, they had more flavor and complexity than many wines I have tried--so gorgeous they don't even need to be bothered with the pieces of bread they have set out. I went to a similar olive oil tasting at the farmer's market today, and it just wasn't the same, so I went sulking away until I found a delicious booth with candy onions and beautiful zucchini five seconds later (it doesn't take much to cheer me up at a farmer's market!).

If you happen to have some staled bread, or bread you just need to get rid of, cube it up and dry it out first (in the oven if you're pressed on time). I actually used some of the bread from the french bread recipe that I made last week! Great choice. So pick your favorite bread, prepare it and then you can go to work on these Migas!

Traditional Migas (Extremadura-style)

Hard cubed bread 

(I'd say a loaf would make a good batch, more if you want it to last the week)

Olive oil

Salt (optional)

Garlic (3-4 cloves will do), smashed with skin-on or roughly sliced

Water

The first thing you need to do is choose a pan to cook the migas in. It should be a deep pan with enough room to stir around the bread cubes without them flying out everywhere--I know, it gets a little exciting. Transfer all of your bread into a large bowl and set up a little rice bowl next to you filled with about a cup of water. Dip your hand in the bowl and then sprinkle water all over the bread, as evenly as possible. You should flip around the bread every so often to make sure that the bottom bread cubes are also getting their share. They definitely shouldn't be soaking wet and soggy, that's why you do the sprinkling action, but they should be notably moistened. When you have reached that point, cover them with plastic wrap or a lid and let them sit for 3-4 hours or overnight. I'm just guessing on the 3-4 hours, but I imagine that the bread would soak in all the moisture by then.

Now it is time for the fun! Turn on the heat to medium-high. Pick a really good olive oil, your favorite, and pour a few tablespoons in the pan--I just poured enough olive oil to make the shape of a normal-sized pancake and waited until the oil was hot enough to shimmer. Then, you distribute the bread evenly in the pan and keep them moving with a wooden spoon so they are all fairly covered in olive oil. Add the garlic and turn the heat down to medium-low. 

You should keep moving the bread and mashing it down with the spoon to make a "polvo" which means dust in English--so you want little crumbs out of your cubes. I like a mixture of cubes and polvo, but you can turn it all to dust if you feel like it. The crumbs and smaller pieces make the migas even more fluffy, so the more polvo, the fluffier it will be. You should keep stirring and mashing for about 20-30 minutes. It takes patience, but is totally worth it.

The end result should be golden Migas that are fluffy and full of deliciousness. Because it is just bread and garlic, you need to add some fruit, protein, or vegetables to balance the meal, or you can just eat them on your own if you are into that--like most people do with Rice Krispies. You can crumble up some bacon and throw it in there, have it as a side with eggs, eat it like you would oatmeal, and you can save it for the whole week (it won't last that long), just remember to put a lid on it. If you happen to have Cola Cao it makes a nice accompaniment, but hot chocolate of any sort, orange juice, coffee, and tea also work well. Start the day of Spanish-style!

YUM!

¡Que aproveches!

Cake Flour: A Sweet Dusting of Good Sense

When Cake Flour opened at the gateway of the up and coming NuLu Art District neighborhood, I couldn't have been more delighted. I regard a good bakery as an indispensable part of a happy lifestyle, and I doubt I'm alone! This particular bakery doesn't just have your basic pastries and cakes, oh no no no, it is a veritable kaleidoscope of delectable goodness, from the sweet and savory categories. Their mission is to deliver quality-made products out of organic and all-natural ingredients, and in my opinion they do so with great passion and talent. Everything I have ever chosen has been absolutely phenomenal and I float closer to nirvana with every bite of those Opera bars...seriously.

Today's story begins at the County Clerk's office--so it is logical that we ended up using chocolate therapy to recover from our unnecessarily long visit to renew the car tags. Goodness. It is as hot as can be (I recommend a good friend's blog post on August to get an idea), insufferable, and I had to go out to the parking meter three times to assist our public workers in their processing. By the time everything was ready set to go, my roommate and I were in need of either a brewski or mainline chocolate. Cake Flour had the perfect remedy on the way home.

Every time you walk into Cake Flour, you will meet a friendly face, I promise. I feel like I am at home, except there are far more baked goods than a home kitchen can churn out (or at least more than we have attempted...challenge accepted!). Anyways, you go in there and are met by a welcoming glass display case with many many choices ahead of you. The gentle hum of the bakery's fans calm you and you enter a zen moment where the only important choices you have to make are between lavender, vanilla, and chocolate (and more, but you get the idea). If you can't make the choice, you can take them all--I know, it is a beautiful thing. 

We ended up filling a box and then scarfing down a flourless chocolate cake, which was truly decadent indulgence. Today's choices included the ladybugs, opera bars, and two chocolate cupcakes with earl grey lavender frosting--WIN. 

Cake Flour also features daily specials, which you can see everyday if you are a Facebook friend. I would call that moment of my day the culinary wake-up call, and I love it! I unfortunately can't go everyday to try the specials, but I would if I could. The savory scones always make me feel warm and fuzzy, the quiche is flawless, and their flavor combinations based on seasonal ingredients are always inspired. In addition to daily specials, they also accept special orders for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, basically any occasion that deserves a cake. I ordered a cake last year for my roommate and I was so happy to see the choices, I could choose the cake flavor, the filling flavor, the frosting and decoration and I couldn't have been more pleased.

This Louisville Lady Gourmet gives Cake Flour a big thank you for making gorgeous sweets that keeps Louisville a little more sane. Bravo! So go get some pure, all natural, organic bakery in your life for breakfast, lunch, or dinner--you will return on many occasions thereafter!

Cake Flour: A Natural Baking Company

900 E. Market St. Suite 100

Louisville, KY 

Phone: 502.719.0173 info@cakeflouronmarket.com www.cakeflouronmarket.com

The Evolution of the Croissant: French Toast Croissants

I have done quite a few slightly crazy things in my life, but it all seems to come out alright in the end. One of those off-the-wall decisions happened to be a move to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for the summer before my study abroad. I worked a couple of jobs adding up to way too many hours a week. Luckily, I had one job I liked, and that was working at the Doctor's House Bed and Breakfast in Vineyard Haven. I was kind of the jack of all trades there, working on the grounds, housekeeping, some catering work, tutoring, and best of all serving and making breakfast.

My lovely boss had lived a very full life as well, being a traveler and chef herself. However, she felt a little burnt out on the whole cooking thing (something I can't even imagine...yet), so she had a proposition for me during the summer. I could cook anything I wanted and she would foot the bill, just as long as she could enjoy it as well. I was more than psyched! This was the summer where all this foodie business got started. I learned techniques in the kitchen, I had access to resources like I never had before, and I had a guide to give me great feedback. I learned a wealth of skills in just a few months, and I was happy to do the work. On top of all that, I built a great relationship with my boss, whom I am still in contact with--a relationship that was created through food, laughter, and great conversation.

I honestly think that food can make everything okay. If you are sad, whip up a batch of brownies and tell me you don't feel better. If you are out with a group of your good friends, you are usually around a table or at the bar sharing a meal. Even business knows that food makes transactions a little easier. Finally, the university knows that in order to get the students to do anything, you need to give free food (now whether it's good or not is debatable, but the average college palate is generally not that concerned with flavor).

Sharing food could quite possibly solve our world's problems, if we would only be willing to share with those we traditionally would not. I call this gastronomic diplomacy--it's going to be a thing. Traveling teaches you that sharing food with the natives is the best way to gain entrée into the society and their true culture. I could go on a diatribe about how cuisine represents the soul of people through its nourishment, but I digress (because that would take us into a near-thesis discussion).

The true purpose of this post brings me back to the Vineyard, where a delicious breakfast menu welcomes every sunny morning. My favorite and most delightful surprise was the French Toast Croissant. Yes, the evolution of a classic, turned into a fluffy cloud of eggy goodness is pure genius. This was one of my most important epiphanies in my gastronomic career--eventually leading me to a deep respect for experimentation in the kitchen. Nowadays, I feel like I only experiment, and I love having that ability. I love opening the fridge to see nearly nothing and I can still make a meal out of it--if that isn't a mark of good training, I don't know what is!

Let's stop all this chit-chat and get on to the recipe. I hope the Doctor's House won't kill me for this one :) Some notes before we start:
You can buy croissants in bulk and freeze them, this not only allows you to have french toast croissants for a whole month, it also makes for easy cutting. It is important to keep the croissant's shape and not to deflate it--so either take out a really awesome bread knife and nimble movements, or freeze and not worry about it.
Also, you can top the croissants with maple syrup or honey, both are equally delightful. I'm sure they would be lovely with preserves and fresh fruit or whipped cream. Today, I present them with the traditional maple syrup and powdered sugar.

French Toast Croissant

Recipe originally adapted from the Doctor's House on Martha's Vineyard

Croissant 

(they are cut in half, so one croissant makes two slices)

Egg

Milk or cream 

(depending on the decadence)

Vanilla

Cinnamon

A touch of sugar

Butter

First you need to cut the croissant in half (see note above), making sure not to deflate it's flaky beauty. When your croissants are halved, set aside. Start heating a pan on the stove with butter, but don't let the butter brown, just let it get foamy. I like to use my cast iron skillet (as if I really use anything else nowadays) because the heat distribution is even and it holds heat well, so I don't have to use the fire as much.

As the pan is heating, get a mixing bowl out and combine the egg, milk or cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. You need to beat this mixture, with a whisk if possible, in order to attain the fluffiness that you really want. The mixture should be homogenous except for the flecks of cinnamon and sugar. Then, you need to soak the croissants long enough for them to sop up the egg mixture in all the small nooks and crannies of the bread--flip and soak the outside too. I would say a rule of thumb would be an egg for every croissant, but you can stretch that with milk, or even more with cream, but I wouldn't go too far.

Because your pan is already heated to the right temperature (medium high), you can just throw the croissant halves in when you have finished sopping up the mixture. Make sure that you keep your bowl close to the stove in order to stave off catastrophe. Use a spatula to flip the croissants. Don't flip until they have reached their fluffy potential, but make sure they don't burn at the same time. If you are using an iron skillet, you don't need to keep the temperature that high, in fact you can turn it off when you're on your last piece if you want. This also goes for decent pans that hold heat, you know it if you have them.

Now the only thing you have to do is plate the beauties. You can garnish with fresh fruit, like a fanned strawberry, or you can just let them take up the whole plate and drown them in powdered sugar and syrup. Honestly, they can be eaten piping hot straight out of the pan without any dressings, but you should restrain yourself because if you are making a french toast croissant, chances are you're trying to be fancy. I made a full breakfast with a glass of orange juice, a cup of tea, a bowl of watermelon, and the super french toast croissants.

Bon appétit mes amis!

The Irish Rover: Louisville's Irish Staple

Guinness imported direct from Dublin

In an effort to network some more in the Arts sphere of Louisville, I joined the Actors Theatre Generation One Board. It is a great group of people who work on projects from social events to fundraising benefits for the theatre. I'm pretty excited about it, and my friend and I had a great time touring backstage and meeting the behind the scenes masterminds. I look forward to getting further involved in their work. After years of work volunteering, it is nice to be back in the Arts field, and I'm glad Actors has this outlet for me to take advantage of!

After our evening at Actors, we were still a little hungry (no surprise there) and we decided to hit up Frankfort Avenue to see what was going on. The Irish Rover beckoned us in and we took shelter from a surprise thunderstorm. I feel like a pub is the perfect place to take refuge, especially with the image of the typical pub in some rainy countryside in Ireland. We nestled into a booth; my friend ordered the staple Guinness and I the Magner's cider, then my roommate joined us with her cider and we were all set to go!

We wanted to make it a kind of pub grub meal, Irish tapas if you will, so we picked four dishes to share between us all. The Beef and Blue, the Bubble and Squeak, the Smoked Salmon Pâté, and the Blue Cheesecake. Normally, I come to the Irish Rover with a raging appetite, so I hadn't yet had the chance to try the pub grub--I mean, when you have the promise of really great fish and chips, I don't know why you would try something less majestic. This was a new experience, and I was pleasantly surprised for the most part.

The Blue Cheesecake: Check out that tomato garnish!

For me, the most impressive dish was the Blue Cheesecake. It was something I had never seen done before, and I think the Rover executed it well. The crust for the Blue Cheesecake is walnut, but for some reason it reminded me of the breading on their scotch eggs. The filling was a creamy blue cheese that was baked into the crust to resemble a slice of traditional cheesecake. I loved the presentation, and it was absolutely divine spread on the accompanying brown soda bread. The garnish spinach salad and bright red summer tomatoes were absolutely beautiful as well.

Smoked Salmon Pâté

Next on my list was the Smoked Salmon Pâté. It was a phenomenal house-made pâté that took me straight back to Europe, where pâté is a food fit for humans, not just cats. It was beautiful, fluffy, full of actual smoked salmon, and the bowl seemed bottomless. Also with the brown soda bread, I was very happy.

The Bubble and Squeak did not come out very hot, but it is always a delight to eat--probably because the name is so adorable. It is a smooth potato-based griddle cake with vegetables and onion. Simple and delicious, perfect for the rainy day.

Bubble and Squeak!

Beef and Blue: I preferred the latter over the former

My least favorite was unfortunately the Beef and Blue. It was horribly spiced and not well cooked either. The beef tenderloin was tough and it tasted like a fistful of the forest floor--very heavy on the sage and black pepper. If you're into that, I guess that's cool, but I was expecting something a little more decadent. The blue cheese that accompanied it was a fabulous cheese, I was just sad that the beef was executed so poorly.

Our service was very good. The waiter was friendly and helpful, and was even patient with my cider-picking madness. The restaurant itself is super comfortable. I have been going there since I was a wee one, so I really do feel at home. It is an important part of the neighborhood and an equally important part of Louisville, a city that has a very proud Irish population (is there such a thing as Irish without pride?). The Reidys, the owners, are always involved in the community, and they have donated on multiple occasions to some of the fundraisers that I have personally organized. They are the perfect example of what a local Louisville restaurant is, and in turn they are a part of our hearts.

I will be going back soon, with a full appetite this time, in order to take advantage of those fish and chips I hold so dear!

Sláinte!

There are two locations for your gastronomic pleasure:

The Irish Rover
2319 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: 502.899.3544

The Irish Rover Too
117 East Main Street
LaGrange, KY 40031
Phone: 502.222.2286

Mastering the Art of Patience (French Bread) with Julia

I know things have been blowing up all over the interwebs about Julia Child's centennial. The woman deserves all the standing ovations she receives. After conquering this recipe, I can attest to her uncanny ability to write a literal step-by-step recipe, which will lead you to some level of success no matter what.  The way I write recipes is not so calculated, because I never calculate myself when cooking--however, baking is another story and measurements are necessary for the science to work. I have worked well in the past with brioches and other sweeter breads (I think whenever you add sugar, you're going to have an easier time), but I have always been intimidated by the time-consuming effort of making french bread at home.

Portuguese Bread Soup: Lisbon. Look how beautiful it is!

I spent a few weeks in France with a dear friend of mine, whose mom made fresh bread everyday. She was a marvel. The beautiful round boules would sometimes come studded with dried fruits, but the plain loaf is what changed my life. I couldn't believe that fresh bread was an attainable part of everyday life--but it was, and I am adamant on getting that recipe one day or another. Then you add on the baguettes I got at the bakeries in France and basically any bread at the bakeries in Europe (Barcelona has a very large amount per capita of very accomplished bakers), and I can seriously scratch off the bucket list that I have had a fair amount of spectacular bread in my life already--as if that was an option.

I seriously have dreams about that bread. I go to a bakery and pick up a loaf, thump it on the bottom and hear that hollow reverberation sink into the soft inners of the hearty bread. I smell that incredible richness that can only come from the fabulous four: flour, yeast, salt, and water, and I gently squeeze that loaf of euphoria until it crackles its own song in my ear. Yes, this happens in real life, not just my dreams. I didn't exactly accomplish the crackly crust, but it was a decent crust that yielded to an extremely soft inside that was so satisfying I ate the whole bâtard between dinner and breakfast this morning. The remaining two I put in the freezer (Shh, don't tell the frenchies!).

My favorite part of this entire process, besides kneading, was the sound of the bread coming out of the oven. It was wonderful! I took the loaves out, transferred them to a cooling rack, and they started to crackle as if they were stretching after a long nap. What a beautiful sigh it was, relief from the super hot oven. After their 2-3 hour rest, it was time to enjoy their hard work, and it was worth every second. The bread was rich, as the yeast had its time to do its work. It was not too salty and it was far from bland. The bread was the best bread I have made, and on my first try I felt like a superhero. All thanks to Julia.

Follow this link to Epicurious to see Julia's step-by-step instructions. I won't copy and paste them, but I'll walk you through my experience.

It is a time-consuming process, so you will need a full day's dedication. There is an option to lengthen the process by refrigerating or freezing the dough at certain steps, but I'm not sure if the integrity of the bread will remain fully intact if you try to play with nature's process. I did it all in one day, and it took about 9 hours from the start to a piece of bread in my mouth. To be honest, it doesn't take too much active time, but a lot of patience and waiting.

The first action is to dissolve the yeast in warm water and then mix all of the ingredients together. They combine easily if you keep mixing at a good rate. Then you fold it out onto a floured board and let the slapping begin. I slapped and folded, slapped and folded until I reached a soft dough, which I continued to knead. The kneading probably took me 5-7 minutes until I reached what I thought was a decent bread dough: soft and smooth and it returns to its shape if you squish it down a little. At that time, it was ready for the first rest (3 hours). I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and a folded towel. Then I set it on a cushioned chair in the middle of my kitchen, where the air conditioning vents wouldn't reach it (no drafts!).

It tripled in volume by the end of the three hours and it was time for the deflation and subsequent second rising. I flattened the dough, and I didn't have many big bubbles, but I pinched a couple out, then I folded it into a little globe and returned it to the bowl. Also, I didn't oil the bowl like some people mentioned doing--it really isn't necessary, and I feel like that would do something to the dough when you incorporate it. I don't know--I guess these techniques work differently for everyone. My kitchen mantra: do what makes you feel good, and your food will be gracious in return. This second rise was 1.5 hours until doubled.

Then it was time to act fast and form the loaves. I cut the dough in three and let it rest 5 minutes so the gluten could get its groove on. Then I formed them into the bâtard loaves which involved flattening into an oval and folding it twice lengthwise (with the same oval-flattening between the folds). They rested on a baking sheet covered in kitchen towels prepped with flour. I covered them with another floured towel and plastic over top of it all. They then rested until three times their size (1.5 more hours)--I put empty paper towel rolls in between the to impede touching in the rising process and I had no problem.

The only tricky part came when Julia was describing how to flip the loaves onto the lightly buttered baking sheet. She suggested covering strong cardboard or a piece of plywood in cornmeal or pulverized pasta. I generally act out the actions in my head for techniques that I read before I try them, and in my mind the kitchen was covered in cornmeal from flipping all over the place. My solution? I sprinkled some cornmeal on the loaves and then I took my prepared baking pan and inverted it on top of the resting loaves. Gently, as to not destroy the 6 hours of rising yeast-action, I flipped the loaves over on the pan and didn't have to suffer a cleaning catastrophe. I guess this is from my training flipping Spanish Tortilla de Patata... I did get lazy with the slashing though, so I'll work on that--I just took some scissors and clipped the top, but to make it pretty you really need a sharp knife or a razor. Next time...

Finally, it was time to put the loaves in the oven. The oven needs to be preheated a half hour before you put the loaves in to ensure that the temperature reaches 450º--this is crucial because the bread needs a hot oven to create that luscious crust and soft inside.

After 25 minutes, it is time to transfer to a cooling rack and wait until completely cool. Yeah, this is super tempting, so I recommend leaving the house and coming back later. The result is majestic. Those lowly four ingredients turn into slices of heaven, seriously. You could enjoy with butter, oil, or just plain because they are so flavorful. I definitely challenge you to try this recipe--it is very rewarding.

To Julia--our great guide to French cuisine, curiosity in kitchen, and a true passion for all that tastes good in this world. Cheers!

Snack Attack! Heirloom Tomato and Watermelons?!

Today's Snack Attack is a quick little snippet from my day's experiments. I had two wonderful ingredients from this weekend's Farmer's Market: Heirloom Tomatoes and Watermelon.

I just had a feeling that the natural sweetness of the heirlooms we bought would lend themselves perfectly to the watermelon. Of course I was the only one in the house who would try this out, but I secretly knew that it would work. This recipe is inspired by the now closed restaurant 732 Social (RIP), where they served up a yellow heirloom tomato and watermelon salad with red onions and Gorgonzola cheese. If you ever had the chance to indulge in their $5.00 counter tapas and cocktail tastes, you were one of the lucky ones. So, in honor of one of the past greats, I bring you my first Snack Attack!

Just let the symphony of flavors wash over you, go ahead...

Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Heirloom Tomato (yellow, red, purple, rainbow, starburst, whatever!!!), cubed

Watermelon, cubed

Mint

Orange fleur de sel

Olive oil

This is a very simple and refreshing salad. It is a perfect way to celebrate the bounty of our summer season. Simply combine the heirloom tomato and watermelon cubes and toss them in some olive oil. Then tear some mint leaves over it all, season with orange fleur de sel (if you don't have orange, any kind of fleur de sel would work), and enjoy your masterpiece. Quick, elegant, and full of summer exuberance!

Enjoy your healthy afternoon snack!