My Saturday of nothing

Okay, the bread recipe was just okay. I mean, it tasted good and all, but it wasn't what I expected. A little dry. Not too much texture. I'm going to try a few things differently next time (probably when I'm back in Denver because now I have so much bread to eat!). Changes include:

Dates instead of raisins.
Whole wheat flour and 7-grain mix instead of white flour.

...

Just got back into D.C. from Baltimore. Baltimore is cool! Why didn't anyone ever tell me that before? It's weird to think how my grandparents grew up there, my mom grew up there for awhile and went to college there. Even with such a strong family connection, I've only been there twice in my life, and both times were this summer.

There's something real about Baltimore. Everyone's got their own style thing going on. People wear what they want to wear, not the style that's shown in the window. I talked for an hour with a Baltimore native on the train from D.C. after I commented on his beautiful flowers. He was bringing them to his fiance. He was a huge black guy, probably about my age, who worked as a policeman and was beyond excited to tell me about how he had proposed to his girlfriend of four years last weekend. I was touched by how much it seemed like he loved her.

In Baltimore, people set up tables and with handmade signs on the steps outside their homes to make a quick buck: "Mini Chicken Box $1.99" or "Ice cold water $2." There are flashing blue lights to indicate bad drug corners and broken bottles on the sidewalks. There are stunning old buildings that have been renovated. There are stunning old buildings that have been left to their demise. I saw a bumper sticker in the window that said, "B-more against war." I loved that. It's a pun-y, bold statement and shows people care. There are farmers markets abound. Some streets sparkle from the broken blue and green glass that has been melted into the pavement and smoothed down over the years. Baltimore's gritty and lots of work needs to be done. But people seem to love the city even more for it. I'm pretty impressed.

I was visiting a friend who, incidentally, was house sitting a beautiful house with a pool and ridiculous kitchen. We hit up Artscape. Artscape is America's largest free arts festival. Lots of crafts, graphic tee-shirts, art, music, bad-for-you-but-tastes-good food. It was really nice vibe there (buena onda, como se dice) but so, so very hot. I bought a pretty mug. It's big, has a nice handle, lots of blues and greens in the glaze and a nice non-smooth texture to the touch. It looks just like the one in the middle of the first picture on the artists' website. I've been looking for a new perfect-coffee-mug for months now, so I hope this one lives up to the potential I saw in it.

I'm pooped. It's not dark yet and it's only 8:00 p.m., but I'm in bed. I plan to do some work on my paper and then crash. Hard.

Cardamom Raisin Bread

I used to buy this Honey Date Walnut bread at Whole Foods in Denver that was just delicious. Really, it was the reason I got out of bed in the morning all winter long. But, apparently it was just a seasonal bread and they stopped making it. Since then, I've been on the quest for the perfect bread for my morning toast --

WANTED: Bread. A little sweet, but not too sweet. A little spice, but not enough that you can tell what's in there. Lots of texture and grains. Must go well with butter, honey, nut butters, and jam. Inquire within.

I've given up trying to find a loaf like this, especially for cheap, and now I've moved on to finding recipes to bake my own bread. Or, perhaps better said, I've taken to manipulating recipes I've found. My newest stab at the perfect morning bread. It's baking now. Review will be posted soon.

Cardamom Raisin Bread

1 Tablespoon dry activated yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup + 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup skim milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 t salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of ground cloves
smidge of ginger powder

4 1/2 cup flour (or whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup raisins

Mix yeast, warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar until yeast dissolves. Set aside. Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear along the edges. Cool slightly. Add beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cardamom, and 3 cups flour. Beat well. Add butter, beat well. Add yeast mixture. Add remaining flour in three additions. Add raisins. Mix well. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (~10 min). Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let double (~1 hour). Punch down and let rise again until doubled (~45 min). Divide the dough in half. From each half, roll three ropes 12-18 inches. Braid the ropes into two loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise until doubled (~1 hour). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.