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!
Onion Patties – While everyone has heard of onion rings before, my favorite friend onion was always the patty. Onion patties as a side for meatloaf…yum.
History. A British recipe from 1802 calls for cutting onions into slices, dipping them into a batter including Parmesan cheese, and deep frying them in lard. It suggests serving them with a sauce of melted butter and mustard. Many recipes for deep-fried onion slices or rings are found starting in the early 20th century …
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients, then add milk and stir. This will give you a thick batter.
Add onions and mix until well blended.
Heat 1/2 inch oil in skillet over medium high heat. Drop batter by tablespoons into the hot oil.
Flatten with the back of a spatula, then brown on both sides until crispy, golden brown.
Drain on paper towel, sprinkle salt to taste.
Notes
You can make these even more craveworthy by adding 1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon to the batter before cooking. Other tasty add ins include: 1/4 cup green pepper, 1/4 cup cooked mushroom, or sprinkle cheddar on top after you’ve finished cooking.
Where did the baking potato originate from? It is believed that baked potatoes originate from South America, or more specifically, Peru. The Inca Indians in Peru were said to be the first to originally cultivate potatoes and when the Spanish conquistadors conquered Peru, they brought the potato to Europe.
This easy recipe for Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges will blow you away with its simplicity and fantastic flavor! These make a great side dish or appetizer for parties!
Legend has it, that around 900 years ago, Benedictine monks, living in the Parma-Reggio region of Italy, created this cheese when they needed to find a way to extend the shelf-life of the large quantity of milk they were producing.
This easy recipe for Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges will blow you away with its simplicity and fantastic flavor! These make a great side dish or appetizer for parties!
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.
Place potato wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. In a small bowl whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle potato wedges with the shredded cheese, tossing to coat, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
Place potato wedges on prepared baking sheet in a single layer with skin-sides-down. Bake for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and dressing for dipping.
As you probably would have guessed, like most chain-restaurant, Americanized versions of Chinese dishes, PF Chang’s wraps aren’t totally authentic or traditional. However, they’re not as far off as you might think, and a lettuce wrap actually are believed to be Chinese in origin.
While wraps originated in China, they’ve since migrated throughout Southeast Asia, and they’re especially popular in Laos and Thailand. Which brings us to Larb, an uber-popular meat salad from Laos and Thailand, and my personal favorite variety of wrap filler.
PF Chang Lettuce Wrap (NOLOW)
The chicken lettuce wraps! The perfectly seasoned chicken – those crunchy water chestnuts are a game changer!
Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned on all sides. 5-7 minutes.
Drain fat, then add onions and cook until translucent. 4-5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add garlic and ginger and cook for another 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, giving flavors a chance to blend.
Mix in diced water chestnuts and green onions, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Serve with butter lettuce, scooping chicken mixture into lettuce “bowls.” Enjoy!
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Crisps – These crispy little bites are a perfect snack, appetizer or side dish as well as a wonderful way to get fussy eaters to eat their vegetables. No one will ever guess that they’re baked!
Zucchini are part of the gourd family. They are native to Central America and Mexico. Zucchini are grown throughout the United States during the warm, frost free season.
These crispy little bites are a perfect snack, appetizer or side dish as well as a wonderful way to get fussy eaters to eat their vegetables. No one will ever guess that they’re baked!
Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper and grease with olive oil.
Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
Prepare three bowls for dredging the zucchini. Place flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl and in the third bowl mix together the breading ingredients (breadcrumbs through garlic).
Dredge the zucchini rounds in the flour, shaking off the excess, next dip into the beaten eggs. Lastly, coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Continue with remaining zucchini.
Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil over the zucchini. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Yellow zucchini may also be substituted for regular green zucchini.
The zucchini rounds may be coated with the breadcrumb mixture ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to be baked.
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Crisps do not require flipping while baking in order to ensure a crisp texture on both sides.
Serve hot immediately out of the oven as they lose their crisp texture once they cool.
