How to Proof Yeast

If you are a seasoned baker, you know that yeast is a "living" ingredient. As it digests sugar, it releasing alcohol and carbon dioxide that causes your bread to rise. If your yeast is dead, your bread will not rise. "Proofing" the yeast is how you determine whether your yeast is alive or dead.

To proof yeast, combine 1/2 cup of hot water (about 100 degrees), and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Stir your sugar and water until the sugar is completely disolved. Add a package of yeast. After five or ten mintues, the yeast should begin to form a creamy foam on the surface of the water. If the yeast is dead, there will be no foam in the bowl and you should start over with a new packet of yeast.

California Sushi Rolls

I had a sushi craving last night...so after our appointment at Edward Jones, we stopped by Safeway and bought some terrible, stale sushi. It was awful, but it was also motivation to pull out the old recipes and make some sushi at home.

I'll be honest, making sushi rolls isn't a piece of cake. It takes time...and practice...but even when they look a little lopsided, they taste pretty wonderful. I'll try to keep this entry pretty simple (and I took lots of pictures).

You have a lot of options when it comes to what goes in your sushi. Here is a short list, but my recommendation is to pick only three otherwise your sushi becomes difficult to roll.

avacado
cucumber, seeded
red or yellow pepper
carrot
imitation crab

Before you get started assembling the sushi, slice the vegetables and crab into long slices.

You'll also need:

a bamboo rolling mat(called a makisu)
sushi rice (see earlier blog entry)
seaweed wraps (also called nori)
roasted sesame seeds
pickled ginger* (also called Gari)
wasbabi sauce*
soy sauce*

*these ingredients are optional



When making sushi, it is a good idea to wrap the bamboo rolling mat in plastic wrap. This makes clean up so much easier because you won't have to pick the rice out from between the pieces of bamboo.




Cut the Nori in half and spread the rice on one side of the Nori.




Flip your Nori over (rice side down) and lay your vegetables down the center of your Nori. I used red pepper, avacado, and cucumber.




Roll your sushi. See that little bit? I am going to add a little rice to cover up the seam.




Roll your sushi again. Now sprinkle with sesame seeds.




Transfer the sushi roll to a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap.




Cut the sushi roll carefully with a sharp knife. Cut the roll in half first, then quarter, then eights. This helps the sushi maintain it's shape.




Transfer to a plate and serve with Gari, Wasabi and Soy Sauce. Here's what the they look like. I found these ingredients in the Asian aisle at our commissary.

Sushi Rice

The first time I introduced my husband and children to Sushi we were in Paris, France. There was a sushi shop next to our hotel so I picked some up and brought it back to the hotel for dinner. Kaitlyn LOVED it. She gobbled it right up. Roger liked it more after he'd had a piece or two. Maura was a little suspicious at first, but I think she's coming around. I love eating Sushi, but I have to admit it's pretty expensive to buy...so I scoured the internet and various cookbooks for a good Sushi recipe...this is what I found.

First you have to start with a good sushi rice....meaning short grain or medium grain. Some packages of rice are marketed as "Sushi" rice, but really any short or medium grain rice will do. You want to rinse the rice until the water runs totally clear (about five or six times). Cook the rice in a rice cooker. The general rule of thumb is a cup of water in the rice cooker for every cup of rice. If you put a little too much in, no worries, the extra water will boil off.

Next you make your Sushi "Su" to mix with the rice. You'll mix 1 part of Su for every 4 parts of cooked rice. The recipe below is enough for about 3 1/2 cups of rice.

1/2 cup rice vinegar*
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup mirin

*I think this recipe is a tad too sweet so I splash a bit more vinegar into the su.

1. Heat vinegar, sugar, and sake or mirin in a saucepan just to dissolve and combine. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Cook rice according to rice cooker directions. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
3. Pour su (vinegar mixture) over the rice, gently folding to incorporate.
4. Let rice stand for 10 minutes, then fold again.

Found These on My Camera

I found these when I was downloading pictures from my camera. Kaitlyn (age 3) has covertly been borrowing the camera and taking pictures of her meals...just like mommy.

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

This is a pretty easy recipe to make. I acquired this recipe when Roger and I were first married. It came in the monthly newsletter that our apartment complex distributed...along with safety tips and a reminder that it was, in fact, illegal to sell drugs out of your apartment. Ahhh the memories of being newlywed and broke...

1 stick butter or margarine (Crisco is a good substitute, too)
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to bowl. Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Sweet Potato Casserole

My daughter had a writing assignment. The question was, "What is your favorite season and why?" I'm sure that my third grade teacher posed the same question to my class. I have no idea how I answered it in the third grade, but if Ms. Martz asked me that question today I'd say that my favorite season was fall. I love fall. Have I ever mentioned that? I love watching the leaves turn colors. I like the crunchy sound that fall makes when you are walking in the leaves. I used to bring the leaves home and decorate my desk with all the oranges, reds, and yellows. I love my cloth pumpkins made with their Halloween and autumn fabrics that decorate my mantle. I love the smell of baking in the fall...Sweet Potatos, Pumpkin, Cinnamon...it's the most homey, comforting, safe smell. Here is a dish that is perfect for celebrating autumn and it's tasty, too. I like this recipe because the sweet potatos aren't smothered in marshmellows...not that marshmellows are bad...I think I've just outgrown them.

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatos
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
1/4 c pecans, coarsly chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce sweet potatos a couple times with a fork. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Set aside to cool. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F. Peel skin off the potatos and slice into about one inch chunks. Put into a med bowl and mash. Add eggs, butter, brown sugar, and spices. Mix until smooth. PAM a 8X8 casserole dish. Add mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Baked Beans

Can we all just agree that there are very few things in this world that don't taste better after you add bacon? My husband loves pork and beans. He hates anything else that contains beans. Go figure. When I first made this recipe for the man of my dreams...well, lets just say that some accusations were made. We'd been married for five or six years and he was of the opinion that I was holding out on him. I'm of the opinion that I've got a secret weapon to wheedle my way back into his good graces the next time I'm in the doghouse.

3 cans (15 oz) pork and beans
1/3 c ketchup
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 med onion
3 tsp mustard
1 lb bacon

Fry bacon and cut into small pieces. Combine all ingredients into a 5 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.