Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Five (Guest Chronicler Diana S.)

Well, folks, I have officially crossed over into another plain.  Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I have learned new vocabulary words these days as we try to figure out how to transport our GLORIOUS Spelt Right bagels to faraway lands.  First word: LOGISTICS - sounds complicated and it is, but in simple terms means "how in the hell do we get this bagel from here to there without flipping over trucks, thawing out product, or breaking the bank?"  The second word is "REEFER".  Now, when I was in college and someone said reefer, it evoked images of smoke and dreadlocks, and perhaps songs by Jimmy Cliff.   In my NEW WORLD, REEFER is another term for a truck with a cooling unit in it a/k/a a truck that will keep our product safe from thawing out.   And, the third word of the day is "SLEEPER", which in my other world meant a boring professor or a slow movie or some lecturer who was pontificating about this or that.  In my NEW WORLD, SLEEPER means the cab of a truck, perhaps a REEFER with a cozy compartment in it for truckers to sleep in.   I also learned that SLEEPER means that the truck is configured in such a way that it simply can't negotiate the windy driveway at the beautiful SPARHAWK MILL, which in turn keeps me SLEEPLESS.....and still trying to figure out LOGISTICS.   

So with all of this energy spent on logistics, reefers, and sleepers, I simply have not had time to cook.  My kids are getting a lot more 'away from home' meals these days.   Good thing we have good food choices in Portland Maine.   Also good thing that I have good friends, some new, some aged-well, who are providing wonderful incarnations with Spelt Right pizza dough and bagels to post on the Spelt Right Lunch Box Chronicles.   Tonight I will post two such recipes, one from Diana (a friend from high school with whom I reconnected on FaceBook) and the other Steff Deschenes (a friend made this year with whom I have connected on FaceBook).  Both are very neat woman.

Here's Diana's recipe:

Grilled Spelt Right pizza: fresh veggies & sheep cheese!  

Now, I can't tell you exactly how Diana made this, but I am going to guess that she let the Spelt Right Pizza Dough rise to double its size inside the bag, and then GENTLY shaped the dough into some free form shape (who says pizzas always have to be circular?) on a pizza peel dusted with corn meal.   Topped with grilled veggies of her choice and SHEEPS MILK CHEESE.   She then gently schooched the pizza on a grill which was about 400 F......What can I say, my mouth is watering!   We have been saying that Diana needs to come up to visit.  Perhaps, the time is now.  I am HUNGRY.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Four (Flayir bil-Flayfli - The Universal Language of Food)

I am so attached to food and eating and feeding anyone who crosses my path.   Food is the one link to my ancestoral past.  Imagine escaping your home, leaving all behind, and having family members scatter.  The images are lost, there are no papers, just memories.  But, when the memories fade, the languages are forgotten, and the generation who braved the escape is gone, those born into new generations have lost the links.  We are orphans longing for that connection.  But out of the gardens and bowls and ovens arise certain textures, aromas, and tastes that are like the spirits of our grandparents.  They linger; they evoke emotion and bring about comfort.

So it is.  My grandparents immigrated to the US around 1912 from the Middle East, leaving all behind, venturing into a new land.   Their children were taught to be "American" and to look whiter and dress cleaner, to lose the accent, and forget the language.   Their grandchildren so blended in the New World that there was barely a vestige of the past, except, that is for the flavors.

And, it is with these flavors, and the careful hand making of food that I channel my grandparents, thanking them for making the hard journey, for leaving their families, and for holding out hope for generations to come.   And, it is with these flavors that I feel so at home, so grounded and so connected to that lost world that I may never see and the language I will never learn.  And, it is with these flavors that I will pass on family history with tastes that no one will forget.

And, here I offer one of my situ's favorite recipes - yes, I know that I have posted this before, but good history should repeat itself.

And thanks to my cousin Donna who I saw at the Shogry Family reunion, I have found out the Arabic Name for these!!! Flayir bil-Flayfli

Two Spelt Right Pizza Doughs, fully thawed, double in size (we'll give you a picture this time)
Two cups walnuts (measure and then chop finely)
Two medium red peppers
One onion finely chopped
Juice from two whole lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients (except dough) in medium bowl
Cut 12-16 even dough balls (from two doughs)
Stretch or roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick (more or less) rounds, place on oiled baking sheet
Place about 2 TBL of pepper, walnut mixture on rounds
Bake at 40-450 for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

These are great hot or cold for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, or after dinner. Yum, yum, and yum. Always a two thumbs up.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Three (PEACE of Pizza)

The humidity is putting a damper on home cooked meals.   No oven for me these days.  Thank goodness we have a grill.

We made some grilled pizzas yesterday.  The grill was bit too hot (500) so burned the bottoms.  Next time, the grill should be lower 400 with the center burner off to create convention but not direct heat in the center.   Here's a picture of our creations:   Spelt Right Pizza Dough, Anjon's Pizza Sauce, Hannaford Mozzarella, sauteed mushrooms and garlic, chopped onions.   As you will see, I prefer a thick crust on the grill so the goodies on top don't seep through.

Notice the Peace Sign?

Yum.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Two (Happy Birthday Spelt Lime Cake)

Yesterday Spencer turned 13.  I cried at strange times, talking on the phone with my sister, meeting with the sales rep from Sunrise Guide.  Perhaps, it was the complete lack of sleep last night, or perhaps, the fact that the little three year old who was once screaming out for help is now the thirteen year old who reaches out to help.  Or, maybe it was just the relentless humidity?  Not quite sure, but it was just a day for crying. 

Tim and Spencer made a great tofu stir fry while I was on the computer sending Emma and Sophie directions for their three days of demos in Connecticut.  I give these girls a lot of credit.  It's not easy out there convincing people to try a product that you have thrown your heart and soul into.  Yet, it is gratifying, especially when the customers' mouths are too full to talk, but they signal you with the universal sign of approval - a thumbs up.

I asked Spencer what kind of cake he would like.  "Just, something really, really special,"  he said.  I threw together a typical yellow cake recipe, but modified it to make it quite tasty (and special), but a bit solidly gooey.

Fresh Lime Spelt Cake with Fresh Lemon Drizzle
3/4 cup butter - softened in a bowl
1 3/4 cups organic cane sugar or organic evaporated cane juice (same stuff as far as I can tell)
2-3 eggs (depending upon size)
1 1/2 cups Vita Organic Spelt Flour
1 cup Vita Organic Whole Spelt Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla (which I did not put in)
Juice from one fresh lime
1 1/4 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 375.   In a bowl blend the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, keep blending.  Mix together the flour and baking powder in another bowl.  Alternately pour milk and flour into butter mix.  Squeeze in a full lime, alternately add in with milk, flour, etc.   Butter to round cake pans, pour in batter.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done.

WARNING!!!  DO NOT PUT THIS IN A BUNDT PAN like I did (to make it very very special), because it will leak through and SMOKE up the entire house.   We tell you this from experience.

We then made a lemon glaze, recipe is a little of this and that, but take about 2 TBL butter, melt, add some milk, add some confectioner's sugar, add some fresh lemon juice, mix until glazey.    Pour over top of cakes after cooled.   You can stack these cakes.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.  Spencer garnished with slices of fresh lemon and lime.  YUMM!!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-One (Grilled Dough with garlic and olive oil)

It has been blazin' hot in Maine and the thought of turning on an oven is just too much.  We really appreciate our grills at times like these. 
Perfect night for grilled veggies and grilled dough, and grilled veggies on dough.

Spelt Right Pizza Dough is so awesome.  This stuff needs to be in more places.  Hey, NYC!!!  We are ready for you!   Please start ordering, you will be so happy you did. (PS - Check out this plug we received from Toni on NY http://www.tonionny.com/spelt-pizza-horray

Menu:
Ratatouie - thank you Tim for making this.  It was wonderful, but the recipe is too complicated for tonight.
Grilled zucchini stuffed with chevre, finely minced mint, pepper, and minced garlic (thank you Olivia for picking the mint and to Spencer for preparing the Zucchini)
Grilled zucchini with olive oil and garlic
Spelt Right flat breads - grilled

Instructions for the flatbreads:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen).  Divide into 6-8 balls, shape rounds (not too thin) on cornmeal dusted pizza board.  Brush with EVOO and mashed garlic with salt (we do this with a mortar and pestle).  Also, can use other toppings.  Place on Hot Grill.  Check in about 3 minutes.  You will know when they are done.  Enjoy!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy (Homemade Pesto on Spelt Dough)

This my second post today.   This morning we joined the Scarborough Farmer's Market for some Fourth of July marketing.  The market had a steady flow of customers, but not quite as busy as we would have liked.  Our focaccia was a big hit.  Sold out and know what to bring more of next time.  After the market, I crashed for an early afternoon nap, only to be awaken by the VERY LOUD "MOM!!!!, When are we going to Aquaboggan!?!?"  Thank you Olivia for waking me from my deep sleep....I dreamed my way out of my dream and into reality knowing that I could not break the promise of an Aquaboggan Day.   So, along came Grandma, Spencer, Tim and Olivia and made our way into aquatic heaven.   Arriving after 3pm is always a treat with discounted prices and less crowds. 

We made our way back home around 6:30pm to sort through all of the wonderful finds from the Scarborough Farmer's Market - lettuces of all varieties, more lettuce, more lettuce, beets, mesclum greens, and some other unknown greens.   The night before, we bought some basil from Olivia's Garden (not to be confused with Olivia the 8 yr old).  We set to work, chopping and preparing.

MENU: Spelt Right Pizzettes with homemade pesto (some topped with mozzarella and fresh tomatoes), salad, beets, and beet greens.

HOMEMADE PESTO (adapted from The Treasury of Creative Cooking):
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBL pine nuts
1 bunch of Olivia's Garden basil (or any other variety you can find)
2 medium garlic cloves (peeled)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, but I used already grated)

Step One: saute pine nuts in 1 TBL of EVOO until golden - be careful not to burn
Step Two: Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a food process.  Blend until finely chopped.
Step Three: Transfer basil mixture into bowl, fold in cheese.
Set Aside

Preheat oven to 450F.  Take one fully thawed and risen Spelt Right dough.   Cut into 6-8 balls.  Shape into pizzettes on to lightly oiled baking pan.  Top with Pesto.  Add mozzarella and sliced tomatoes if desired.   Bake until edges are golden brown.   Serve with salad, beets, beet greens or whatever else you may find at a Farmer's Market.  Enjoy!  Two Thumbs Up

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Nine (Spelt Right Bagels with Lobsta!)

I am posting twice today because the Fourth has been an awesome day with family and I'm a bit delinquent on the posts.  The first "recipe" is a Spelt Right Everything Bagel with some of the best lobster salad I have ever had. 

The other day I received an email from Phil of Derosier's Brewtopia Trading Co. in Freeport, Maine asking to sample Spelt Right Pizza dough for possibly including it on their menu.   After delivering bagels, breads, and dough to Royal River Natural Foods and Bow Street Market in Freeport, I made a quick stop at Derosier's.  I was expecting a large fancy glitzy place to fit the glitziness that has become Freeport (what happen to the campiness of Bean Boots?).  Instead, I found a small family owned mom and pop grocery/pizzeria/scoop shop with pictures on the wall dating back to 1905 when the Derosier family started the business.   Phil proudly shared that DeRosier's is one of the few family businesses remaining on Main Street in Freeport and that it has been in his family for five generations.  It was either his "great great" or his "great" grandfather who started the business.  Seeing the pictures on the wall reminded me of George's Market in Adams, MA, the market founded by my father's father in 1915, but now, long gone.

Having become enamored with the Deroiser story, I ended up giving Phil two pizza doughs, a sample bag of Sesame Mucho bagels, and a few stray Everything Emmas.  I then asked him if he could make me a lobster sandwich on an Everything Emma.  He kindly offered it as a fair trade. What a treat!  Truly the best tasting lobster salad I have had, ever!  Now, I was only going to take a bite, but it was way too good to save, so I took a pic with my Blackberry - slightly blurry and half way eaten, but the best I could do.

I'm not sure if Derosier's will pick up Spelt Right as a dough.  It may or may not be the perfect addition to their shop, but one thing I know for sure, I will be visiting Derosier's again for a Lobster Roll, but because I am such a spelt fan, it will likely be BYOB, bring your own bagel.   As for my readers, if you are in Freeport, and are looking for a great quick lunch, stop by Derosier's on Main St.