The Big Bakery Conspiracy

A conspiracy of Big Bakeries has turned whole wheat bread into white bread. Anyone notice?

I heard about plans to do this - make ww bread w/ the consistency of white bread about a yr ago on NPR or MPR. It has happened.

The new whole wheat bread lacks bite( texture) and the depth of flavor you get when you chew food. It has the feel of white bread in your mouth - soft glop.

New England Brown Bread is one of the few over the counter real breads remaining - grainy texture, great chew - flavor becoming deeper, nuttier and more complex as you chew. Even tho' it is technically not whole wheat.

Some of the artisanal breads are excellent and I appreciate that trend, but some have crusts that are difficult to chew. And some are not cheap.

Jumbo Wild Raspberries

Not a great photo, but it does show the size of the wild berries that I have been waxing on about in the past few posts.

It Just Keeps on Getting Better

And of course put the wild raspberries on your breakfast cereal, french toast and pancakes.

Do yourself and your family a favor by using whole grain cereals and grains. Make pancakes w/1 c whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tblsp sugar(or honey or real maple syrup) 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cup milk( skim), 1 egg , 1 tblsp oil. They taste similar to buckwheat cakes, have substance, depth of flavor, nutritional value, and a great nutty taste.

Eat the cakes w/ real butter, and real maple syrup , top w/ berries. It's all about balancing taste and nutrition. I guarantee you that once you eat whole wheat pancakes you will not go back to the empty flavor and calories of white pancakes. If you are eating mostly good stuff, it is ok to eat the butter and syrup.

A Toast to the Wild Berry

Gotta love summer - fresh caught fish pan fried and finished off w/ white wine, parsley,tarragon and butter - the French way. Wild raspberries for dessert, alone, or w/ vanilla yoghurt, or cream, or ice cream. Or as my favorite - the galette - an open faced rustic tart or pie.

When you eat them alone, they are not alone - they are in company with their own sweet/tart nuance of flavor, aroma, and their history of rain, sun,extremes of heat and near frost, the birds and the bees and bears, too. A passing fox, deer, a coyote, grouse, wild turkeys and more. And finally me. Lucky me.

I raise my glass.

Berry Patch Blues

Attacked by mosquitos in the wild raspberry patch this morning. I got one stuck in my throat like a tiny fishbone and couldn't stop coughing.

My young mama lab - currently nursing 7 little ones - came with me - and competed with me for the low growing berries. She picks faster than I can. She also likes cantaloupe and watermelon, including the rind.

Marinade for venison:
1 c red wine
3/4 c soy sauce
1 c vegetable oil
1/3 c lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp black pepper
2 lg bay leaf
4 cloves garlic
4 sprigs parsley( 2 tsp dried)

Use a food processor or jar w/ a lid to make an emulsion. Marinade roast ( 2 or 3 lb) for a day or more in the fridge of course.