Friday, January 09, 2009

What is happening to me???

Something crazy has happened to me since I moved to the North (and I use that term loosely because I don't feel like where we are is "north"). I'm turning into someone who makes really good food. Not that I couldn't cook before, but living in an area where take out and "convenience food" is not available forces you to becoming creative in cooking. Last weekend I made "east coast donairs" for the 2nd time since moving up here, and they were such a big hit I've had multiple requests to make more. I also successfully pulled off christmas jiggs dinner, complete with salt beef and cabbage and all. That was the first time I've cooked with salt meat since Rob and I have been together. I can made a mean stir fry, and am no longer turning to pre made sauces.

The preschool I work at has a parents night every month, where parents are invited to come for a meal and "something else". Once time it was making scrapbooks, another was a traditional christmas Metis pudding, another was how to cook meat loaf.. well, you get the idea. Everything you need is supplied at no cost, and supper is always cooked before hand. They had one planned for today for "bread making". I am now realizing that not a lot of people in this community make their own bread. Well, unfortunately since today's event was planned for the morning instead of the normal evening time, no one but me showed up. Now, I know how to make bread. I grew up watching my mother make it. She tried numerous times to teach me this skill, but I stubbornly refused. I have tried it since I have moved home a few times, but lack of patience prevented me from turning out a good batch of bread. Anyways, we got chatting this morning and I mentioned to the ladies there that I know how to make bread, and somehow ended up volunteering myself to teach them how to do it one day this week at work. I also tried to explain toutons to them, and now they all want to try them. ( If you know what a touton is, your mouth is probably watering right now thinking of that warm butter and molasses, and if you have a puzzled look right now, well you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out). So, I called mom tonight and asked her the ingredients for her bread. In true Newfoundland fashion she said:

"Well, every batch is different since I don't use a recipe but you just need" ...... (sorry, the rest is top secret)

So tomorrow I'm going to try to make bread. I can't very well go in there and teach them how to make it without first making it myself. Check back late tomorrow night for either a picture of a beautiful loaf of bread and toutons, or a burnt pan and a pissed off self portrait.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loves toutons!

Anonymous said...

Tina I know it will turn out great,remember your ,your mothers daughter. We are stubborn,theres no such think as can't. Like me you will keep on trying until it comes out right and your Mom has faith in you. See you should have listened to your mommy and made it with her,but no you are stubborn like the (POWERS) not like your Mom .I don't have a stubborn bone in my body. Well good luck with the bread making, Can't wait to see the results. Mom

OHN said...

Oh my gawd...I think I can smell it baking right now! Warm bread with gobs of butter dripping off....I am so sick of my healthy eating kick! I WANT TINA'S WARM BREAD. (eww, that sounded kinda icky didn't it?)

Demeter said...

Now that is a cook! Someone who can really bake bread. That is one thing I would not attempt to do. It always fails when I try.

jen said...

As Indigo once said "I wish computers had smellatorium" then I could smell your delicious creations! And I'm one of those unaware that has no idea what a touton is... I'm assuming it's an east coast thing?

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of when I asked my Mom to give me the recipe for the flat bread she always made... I got the recipoe all right, and was OK regarding the ingredients - until I came to the line "Use enough flour to make a springy dough."
???
I have since learned to make that kind of bread

Anonymous said...

*recipe*

Unknown said...

When D first came north with me and we lived in Iqaluit he decided to learn to make bread. I gave him the easiest and most fail proof recipe I had with very clear instructions. He also had the added benefit of a Kitchen Aid to do all the kneading for him so.........When I came home we had four lovely door stops. That evening "we" made bread and I have a really great photo somewhere of him holding his small hard loaves with "our" lovely lofty golden brown loaves beside. Oh, he said, that's how you do it!

After that he even taught himself to make tortiere and surprised me with it on Valentine's Day and it was as good as any made in Quebec.