The Most Perfect Bread

I love making bread. The whole process really appeals to me- from the kneading to the way it makes the house smell as it cozily bakes in the oven. Truth be told though, my favorite part is the kneading. I think most people who've kneaded their own bread know what I mean when I say that this is one of the best ways to get rid of one's frustrations. The more you slap and punch that dough, the better it feels!

Perhaps that's why I have been hesitatnt about trying the very famous 'no- knead bread'. 'There goes my fun', I thought. But let me tell you, the cruel enjoyment I gave up by sacrificing the kneading was more than compensated by the ultimate enjoyment of sinking my teeth into what truly is the most perfect bread. Just look at that crust! Need I say more?

Here's the recipe (again)

No-Knead Bread
Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

This House is Now a Home

I never thought we were going to make it- but we did. We survived our move and now own the cutest house on the block! On Monday evening we sat in our new living room fireplace lit, chicken roasting in the oven and Aznavour records playing in the background. Hans and I kept looking at each other in awe- it was just so beautiful (even with the pile of boxes behind us in the corner)!

Our house has a lot I love. First of all, it has country appeal and a bit of 'Frenchness' which makes me feel as though I'm permanently on vacation. I adore my cozy kitchen with its cafe au lait colored walls, cream colored tiles and rounded brass cabinet knobs. We still have a lot of work to do though. The blue colored cabinets (actually they're kind of 'Nigella blue' )are going to be removed and traded for baskets. We'll also need some lamps of course and a hanging pan rack which will hold a collection of copper Mauviel pans (yipee!).

The living room is half done. We only completed the seating area (which faces a gorgeous garden with, among other things, a huge lavender bush, roses and hortensias).We decided to keep it simple but with a country feel. Therefore no huge cd towers, leather couches or vintage waiting room chairs anymore. The seating area is completely built around the fireplace and our favorite painting. And best of all- we are having a dining room table especially made for us (it'll be delivered in April and I really can't wait!).

Our bedroom has the coolest walls- French lillies everywhere! That's another room we still need to work on though (we'll be needing new side tables and lamps, for example).

Kirstie's room is a pale purple paradise, the bathroom is cozy and has a wonderful bath and we even have a huge walk in closet and plan on turning the attic into a sitting room/ library! This girl is happy!

To celebrate, I baked my first old- fashioned chocolate cake yesterday and decorated it with the pink sugar flowers I bought in France during our last vacation.

It's official- this house is now a home!

Food Snob

I am not ashamed to admit that I am one of the world's biggest food snobs. Let me put it simply- life is to short to eat bad food, and to me 'bad food' doesn't mean chips or chocolate. To me, 'bad food' is food loaded with E- numbers or food that is unethically produced. Sure, a piece of organic meat is more expensive than a piece of meat from the bio industry. But here's the thing- why not eat 'good' meat once or twice a week and leave the bad stuff (which is full of nasties such as antibiotics and growth hormones) for what it is?? Fruits and veggies are tastier when they're in season and when they're organic. So yes, call me a food snob, because I am a food snob! And as a self- proclaimed food snob, let me tell you about my latest discovery- Marqt!

Marqt is a brilliant food market which recently opened in Amsterdam and Haarlem. I can sort of describe Marqt as a cross between Dean & Deluca and Whole Foods. They sell everything from bread to fish to produce- everything delicious and everything produced with respect for nature. I've been there three times already and I love it! The bread is fantastic, the cheeses exceptional and the fish to die for! Hans is diligently getting up every Saturday morning to drive us there because let me tell you, like me, my dear husband is also a food snob!

If you're living in The Netherlands, this is definitely a place you'll want to visit again and again. You palate (and nature) will be very pleased!