preserving under duress

From detling — Blog by Katherine Deumling

November 2, 2009

I intended to write this post nearly six weeks ago--on the day of the action but so it goes. My kitchen was under construction from mid-August until late October which meant that I had only limited access to my stove and a temporary sink (thanks to my dear brother who was also the contractor and did everything in his power to make this construction period manageable for someone who likes to cook three meals a day and has a toddler who eats constantly). This time period coincided with much of the season’s bounty and my preserving abilities were severely limited. One day, however, a friend emailed with news of cheap, end-of-the-season roma tomatoes and I couldn’t resist and instantly replied with an “order” for 20lbs! I did not think about how i was going to manage very ripe tomatoes in this quantity in my state of disarray--plaster and sheet rock dust, access to the basement only by rickety ladder, etc.

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Whole Wheat Hearth Bread

From detling — Blog by Katherine Deumling

March 4, 2009

I continue to work on Peter Reinhart’s whole grain breads. I’ve made the High Extraction Flour Miche, the Transitional Whole Grain Hearth, the Whole Wheat Hearth, the Cinnamon Raisin Bread and i think that’s it. I’m following the instructions/formulas very, very closely and agonizing over the “window pane test”. The breads are getting better but still denser than I think they should be. I’m going to try to post some photos of my most recent loaf-- the Whole Wheat Hearth Bread. Anyone have thoughts about my results? James?