North Americans weren’t the first to grind peanuts—the Inca beat us to it by a few hundred years—but peanut butter reappeared in the modern world because of an American, the doctor, nutritionist and cereal pioneer John Harvey Kellogg, who filed a patent for a proto-peanut butter in 1895. Kellogg’s “food compound” involved boiling nuts and grinding them into an easily digestible paste for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a spa for all kinds of ailments. The original patent didn’t specify what type of nut to use, and Kellogg experimented with almonds as well as peanuts, which had the virtue of being cheaper. While modern peanut butter enthusiasts would likely find Kellogg’s compound bland, Kellogg called it “the most delicious nut butter you ever tasted in your life.”
A bread bowl is a round loaf of bread which has had the top cut off and a large portion of the middle hollowed out to create an edible bowl. They are typically larger than a roll but smaller than a full sized loaf of bread.
The first writing of the Italian Bowls made of bread was in 1427 an Irish noble attempting to impress a British Duke. The Duke was so impressed that he gave the Irishman money to open a Bread Bowl shop in what is today known as Dublin.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500°. Punch dough down. Divide and shape into 6 balls. Place 3 in. apart on 2 baking sheets that have been generously sprinkled with cornmeal or greased. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes. Spray loaves with water; if desired, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, score surface with shallow cuts in an X pattern. Bake 2 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 425°. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°-200°. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
Cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out bottom portion of loaf, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Discard removed bread or save for another use, such as croutons.
Notes
To approximate that crackling crust you find on fancy artisanal breads, get steamy. A quick spritz of water into the oven or a light mist sprayed directly on the loaf right before baking should do the trick.
Scoring the exterior of bread creates weak points that help prevent it from bursting and directs expansion to shape the loaf. And, hey, it looks really pretty to boot!
Pizza dates back thousands of years, believe it or not, tracing its roots back to the flatbreads with toppings that were popular with ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. But modern pizza, the flatbreads with tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings, was born along the western coast of Italy, in the city of Naples.
Mix flour and Greek yogurt together in a bowl; transfer to a work surface floured with self-rising flour. Knead dough, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from being too sticky, for 8 to 10 minutes.
Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray and spread dough to edges of pan.
Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.
Notes
Double recipe if using a 16-inch pizza pan.
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
Banana bread is thought to have originated in the United States in the early 1900s. What is this? One theory is that it was created by enterprising housewives who were looking for ways to use up overripe bananas before they went bad.
Another theory suggests that it was created by companies that were looking for ways to promote the sale of their newly developed baking powder.
Whatever its origins, there’s no denying that it is a delicious part of American culinary history.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
A deep-fried or baked ball of cornmeal batter and spices, usually served as a side dish. They are believed to have originated in the southern United States, where they are a traditional dish.
