Gourmet Culinaire and Cuisine

A fabulous garlic bread is every bit as complimentary to a great bowl of pasta as a great icing is to a cake. If the icing is only fair, it is hard for the cake to really stand out. Lets say you go to a restaurant. They bring out an incredible bowl of steaming hot pasta and the first thing you try is the garlic bread. If the garlic bread is only mediocre, the pasta will have a really hard time selling itself. If after the first bite you grab the whole bread basket claiming it as your own, even a fair pasta will at least have a chance!There are a few components to making great garlic bread. Chief among these is a good bread. I like using a good sourdough from a specialty store. These stores have sprung up all over and carry all kinds of organic products from .. more»

Proofing yeast is a way to make certain that the yeast will work in a recipe before you actually add it to the other ingredients. To understand proofing we need to first understand what yeast is.Yeast is a living organism and by proofing the yeast we are trying to make sure that it is still alive before we use it. If the yeast is not able to be activated, then it won't work in your bread machine recipe. We are counting on the fact that yeast will release gas during the process of rising dough in order to make bread.People have used yeast for a very long time to make bread. Before the modern methods of commercial yeast production and storage were all figured out, variability in the production of yeast and its storage would affect the end product. If the yeast was dry, but exposed to high temperatures it .. more»

If you were a child before 1990 or 2000, you probably grew up eating white bread. Now, you're being told that white bread isn't as good for you as whole wheat bread. Why should you change now? Whole wheat isn't really that much better for you than white bread...is it?So, why IS wheat bread better than white bread? Here are a few reasons:1. Whole wheat bread is healthier because of the fiber that it contains. Fiber is necessary for a healthy digestive system. It also absorbs some of the cholesterol and fat so that your body doesn't retain them.2. You feel "full" faster with wheat bread. You will be more satisfied with an open-faced sandwich made with whole wheat than a two-slice sandwich of white. This can really help you with weight loss goals.3. Studies have shown that there's an increased risk of children developing diabetes if they eat refined .. more»

This German rye bread recipe makes 2 loaves of hearty, dense rye bread. The bread is very good by itself, or serve it with the German bread dip recipe for a special presentation. If you are planning to serve the bread with the dip, prepare the dip recipe first and let it chill while making the bread recipe.German Dip1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped fine 1 teaspoon dill seed 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1/2 teaspoon seasoned saltMix well until all herbs are mixed throughout. Place in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.Rye BreadIngredients:2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 1/3 cups warm milk 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons white sugar 1/2 cup sorghum molasses 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 3 1/3 cups rye flour 2 1/2 cups white bread flour 2 tablespoons caraway .. more»