Ladies of Hive Contest 68
Question
Feeling under the weather? A bowl of hot Chicken Soup does it for me, maybe sprinkled with bacon bits. What food makes you feel better when you are feeling sick?
The Perfume of Anticipation
I’m a bit strange (yes, I know! A “lot” strange. Haha) and I tend to do weird things when I’m feeling upside down. I bake! I baked a few carrot cakes the first day I heard we were going into lockdown in the first week of the pandemic. I baked cheese muffins once when my kitchen was nearly flooded; I stood on dry patches, I didn’t clean up, I baked.
I adore the aroma of bread baking (or almost anything baking)(I love to bake homemade pizza, muffins, crusty pies. 😋 )in the kitchen, there’s nothing quite like it; it’s warm and homely, but there’s an edge to the scent, I call it the “perfume of anticipation” - the invitation on the air, the thought of sweet or savory delights rolling over the tongue. Bliss!
Sometimes, I bake just for the perfume, you know, just to fire my imagination. I like to put on a spread. Set out a table in the garden, call everyone from their individual pursuits and sit down with my family and break bread. Sometimes, I don’t even eat it, I’ve baked it for the ritual, the “anticipation”, the feeling of accomplishment, the joy of making those I love happy. 💕
If I’ve got the flu, I make soup. After pastries and bread, I adore soup - almost any kind of soup will do. (As long as it’s vegetarian). I’ve got a long list of favorites and there’s alway a pot of soup bubbling on the stove in my house; winter or summer - hot or cold. The ultimate pick-me-up is butternut soup with garlic, chili and cream. It makes a tangy bowl of goodness that stings a little as it soothes. Sublime!
So, yes, a bowl of soup, cheese rolls and a book (if no one wants to talk, that is. Oh, that's a lie, there’s alway a book on my virtual shelf, bookmarked and ready.)
So without further ado, let me give you a few recipes for the “perfume of anticipation.” (It makes me feel brand new, perhaps it can do the same for you?)
Easy bread rolls
This is fail proof (promise)
3,5 cups of bread flour (you can use ½ white, ½ whole-wheat if you like)
½ teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (you can use olive oil for an interesting taste if you like)
Packet of instant yeast
3 tablespoons of brown sugar (honey is also good)
A cup and ½ of warm water
1 egg, beaten
Use a deep stainless steel bowl to mix and prove your dough, it makes life so much easier.
Add the warm water to the bowl and dissolve the sugar in it. Sprinkle the yeast over the water (it must be blood temperature, not too hot since you’ll kill the yeast or too cool as it won’t bloom). Spoon the oil over and stir gently. Allow the mixture to stand until it froths (about 5 minutes).
When the mixture is ready, sprinkle the flour over it. Add the salt on top and gently mix it into the flour before you begin to combine the mix. Stir the flour into the water with a wooden spoon. When combined, use your hands to bring the dough together. If your combination is correct the sides of the bowl should be clean and the dough elastic, without being too wet. (Add flour or a teaspoon of warm water at a time if you need to).
Knead the dough for five minutes. Cover with a clean tea towel and set it in a warm spot to prove. Leave it for about 30 - 40 minutes. Once it’s doubled in volume, divide the dough and shape into rolls. (Should make 12 small rolls). Brush with beaten egg and cover to allow them to prove. (I always use the baking tray I’m going to bake them on to complete this step, just be sure to brush(or spray) your pan with oil first).
Once the rolls have risen again (20-30 minutes), bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 12 - 15 minutes. (Should sound hollow when tapped with the back of a knife)
Enjoy. (Add fresh herbs, sesame seeds, coarse salt or grated cheese to the top of the rolls before baking for a change of flavor)
Butternut chili soup
1 large or 2 small butternuts
2 fresh chilies or 1 tablespoon of chili flakes
4 whole cloves of garlic with skin on
Salt and coarse black pepper to taste
Stock cube, powder or fresh stock (I use a veggie stock cube)
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red or white onion, diced
1 rib of celery, de-ribbed and diced
2 liters of water
Fresh cream for serving
Halve the butternuts, de-seed, rub with olive oil. Add a ½ teaspoon of oil to the hollow, add the whole garlic to the hollow. Sprinkle with crushed chili(or add whole chili to the hollow. Bake in a medium oven for about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
Meanwhile, sauté onions and celery in a little oil until onion is transparent. Add the carrot. When the butternut is tender, scoop out flesh, pop garlic from its skin and add to the pot. Add water, stock and seasoning. Cook until the carrot is tender (15 min). Blend.
Serve with a swirl of cream and a dash of Italian parsley.
