So this time I made pretzels. I actually made a batch last night, but I didn't get any photos. Mostly traditional, though those two in the foreground are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar instead of salt.
2-3 cups flour, depending on how well it absorbs everything
1 tablespoon malt powder OR brown sugar (I used sugar because I don't have any malt powder)
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1. Mix it all together until it forms a dough that starts to pull away from the bowl.
2. Knead it on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes until you have a smooth dough ball.
3. I've been putting it back in a greased bowl and letting it rise for an hour at this point but there's some debate as to how necessary that is.
4. Punch the dough down if you let it rise, then divide it into around six pieces.
5. Roll those pieces into long, thin ropes.
6. Shape them how you want. Mine were supposed to be traditional pretzel shaped but some of them separated a little during the boiling.
7. Boil them briefly in a mixture of water and baking soda. Traditionally they're boiled in water and food grade lye but I'm using baking soda as a more convenient (though less effective) substitute. I'm still playing with boiling time and the exact amount of baking soda, but somewhere around 4 tablespoons of baking soda and a minute or so of boiling will get you pretzels like mine.
8. Place the pretzels on a greased or lined baking sheet, liberally season, then bake in the oven at 425ยบ for around 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Cool and eat.
Just a quiky here. And it is almost THEME related. I'll call it queso picante.
1 lb (16 oz) Velveeta or similar cheese
1 can Ro-Tel tomato and jalapeno.
Mix together and heat in microwave until is is yummy. I know this isn't gourmet or really authentic, but it is a post.
During the first Vittles and Mangia superevent, I was struck with an idea to try some watermelon salsa. The little pile that I made there tasted really good. The two flavors did not clash. They actually created a really nice balance between the salty spice of the salsa and the sweet coolness of the watermelon.
The other day, I made up a whole bowl by combining:
1 parts diced watermelon
and
1 parts Pace picante medium salsa
I saved some to test how fresh it stayed over time. Unlike many sauces, this one does not need time to sit and let the flavors blend. This one is best fresh but starts to get a bit of a dry/dirty tastes after a day or two. I recommend you experiment with types of salsa. I used the chunky picante simply because that is what I had around. I think I would like to try a fresh pico de gallo next.
Tortilla chips
1 avocado
1 avocado
Salsa
Monterrey jack, shredded
Cilantro, chopped
Cover a plate with a layer of chips. Scoop out small bits of an avocado and drop evenly over chips. Drop salsa all over. Spread cheese out, making sure to get some cheese on each chip. Microwave for 60 seconds or until cheese is has melted. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and eat.
