Blue Sky

NAAN

1 cup hot tap water
2 tbs honey
2 1/4 tsp yeast
Mix the hot water and the honey together until the honey dissolves. Add in the yeast, dissolve that, and let sit for 5 minutes. 

1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3 1/2 cup all purpose flower
Get to mixing! Take that fragment yeast mixture you made and add the above, usually takes about 3 minutes to get it good and mixed. Kneed it until it feels a little elastic, then let set for about 1 hour. 
Cut the dough into softball sized balls and let set for about 1/2 an hour.
Roll each ball into relatively thin discs.

3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup of melted butter
Mix your garlic and butter together and then butter both sides of dough

Heat a skillet to med. high, then cook one min on one side and 30 seconds on the other.
You'll know when to flip the first side when you see giant bubbles forming. 

FRENCH BREAD

1/2 cup of hot tap water
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tbs yeast
Combine the above and let it sit for 5 minutes

2 cups of water
1 1/2 tbs oil
2 1/2 tbs salt
6 cups of flour
Add the above to your yeast mixture. I like to add the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. 

Knead the dough for five minutes, then again every 10 minutes for the next 40 minutes. (if two trains leave the station going west ...) 
Let rest for 20 minutes in a greased bowl, then form into 4 loaves of bread. Think about why you started this process, try not to give up, or go out and buy bread while you wait for your bread.
Cut diagonal lines into the loaves and brush with egg whites.
Let rest again for 30 minutes. Rest with it ... but don't fall asleep. 
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. THEN turn down the oven to 375 and bake until golden brown. Cry as you pull your delicious gluten, filled loaves out of the oven and bury your face in it. 
 

White Cake

APPLE PIE

I like to to make both the filling and the crust. Personal opinion, but for me, the crust makes the pie. 

For the crust: 

2 cups all purpose flour
10 tablespoons butter ( 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons), cubed
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons water
Pastry cutter or fork- by hand

I put all the ingredients together and I use a pastry cutter and my hands (like a savage) to cut the butter into the dough. Once you have the water in, it really starts to look like a proper dough. After that, it's all about rolling it out, throwing it in a pie dish, and making sure you have enough extra to make the criss-cross topping. 

For the innards:

6-8 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and if cut to a size the you find you like
1 stick of butter, melted
3 tbs flour
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (or a little more if you are me)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

First of all, melt that butter, then mix in your flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and just a little bit of the water you have. Take your apples and toss them in that delicious goodness. Then pour all those buttery apples into your pie dish. Now, here is the secret to a really nice, moist (dirty), not soggy bottom (shout out to the British Baking Show), apple pie - pour the rest of your water evenly over the top of your pie mixture. 

Once you have that done, roll out and cut strips out of the rest of your home-made crust. Take a little butter, melt it, and wash the top of your pie (that makes it golden). And then ... add just the tiniest bit of sea salt to the top. Telling you .. you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven! Bake at 425 until golden brown.

Crumb Topping Alternate

If you are like me, a crumb topping can beat a nice criss-cross, almost any day. It's so easy ... 

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Melt that butter, mix the other ingredients until you have a crumble. Take that delicious crumble and sprinkle that all over your pie and bake! 

GARDEN RICE

1 cup finely chopped onion
4 2/3 c. chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups brown rice, uncooked
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 t. salt
1/4 cup melted butter or marg.
1/4 t. white pepper
1 c. finely chopped carrots

Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in butter in a Dutch oven; add broth and next 3 ingredients.  Cover and cook over low heat 40 minutes. Stir in carrots, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Yield 12 servings.