It's Easter time.... and again time for cooking

Sunday, April 04, 2010

It's Easter time.... and again time for cooking

I am not sure why I put this much pressure on myself to cook well... Honestly I get by.
I live in a Mennonite rich community and here at Easter time there is a bread that is traditionally made by the mennonite families, growing up with mennonite friends I have been fortunate enough to partake in this delicious bread on more than one occasion... now here I am on my own... not a mennonite to be seen and I am attempting to make it.
It is a wonderful golden yellow sweet bread that in true menno form is smothered in icing and sprinkles...called Paska

I first had to find a recipe for said bread so I turned to the internet.... oh what would this cooking challenged girl do without the internet and of course my cooking friend who is pretty much on speed dial and had gotten strange phone calls as I attempt to cook but that is another story all in itself!

I stumbled on a blog that lists traditional mennonite recipes as well as non traditional recipes, when I first clicked on the "mennonite recipe" button I half expected to be faced with a series of trivia questions followed by a secret handshake and a "who are you related to" series of pictures and then and only then if I answered correctly I would be allowed to access the recipes that if I was a true mennonite I should know already.... but I clicked on it and nothing happened... no Menno Simons or Hildibrandt for pope rally or anything.. just a beautiful picture of these yellow loaves of citrussy goodness

I followed the recipe literally sweating bullets, why does it stress me out so much? honestly cooking and baking is one of those things people do to relax.. oh no I get everything out on the counter, line it all up make sure I have each chemical in the formula that I need 'cause after all isn't baking just a branch of chemistry? Perhaps this is the source of my stress and distress... it is a branch of Chemistry.... I am a biologist....not a chemist... too bad the biology in me cannot survive without the chemistry... shoot.

Well I had my blender blending whizzing up the rind of a whole lemon and a whole orange along with the juicy pulpy meat of both fruits whizzing merrily as my heart was racing measuring out the eggs and salt and sugar melting butter in the warmed milk all adding to the blender which by the way did most of the work.. then checking and rechecking the most important part the yeast mixture... it was getting poofy as the recipe said it would churning up in foamy bubbles as the yeast multiplied eating up the sugar in the water bubbling and growing heating and churning...
the true test of courage combining the two... the blender full off buttery yellow tart smelling liquid and the bubbly earthy smelling yeast.....they mixed--the bubbles swirling gently like the foam on the top of a hot steamy latte... a little heat rose off the bowl of heated milk, butter, sugar yeast, eggs and fruit... now to add the flour...
I was sad at this next stage.... there was no measurement... it was "add no more than 7 and 1/2 cups" oh dear
I started slowly.... but realized it would take all day so I got liberal with the flour cup after cup kneading and stirring until I had a bowl full of sticky smooth yellow dough I tucked it all in a ball and set it under the towel to rise...once kneading it into a small ball...twice forming it into golden yellow loaves of promise and finally once the loaves had risen slightly popped them into the oven... pacing I peeked every 3 or 4 minutes checking to make sure something that held so much promise was in fact turning out...

well I have 2 traditional loaves and a hearth loaf (round no loaf pan) cooling on the rack in the kitchen... the oven is turned off, my house smells of sweetness and citrus... I can relax... until someone has to taste it.
So as my friend told me today I am adventurous in my cooking challenges but why not? you cannot fly if at first you don't take that first leap.
Well my friends there is no ground beneath my feet at this point I feel the wind on my face rushing through my hair... I am just waiting for the updraft to carry me on before I hit the ground
Happy cooking!