It was on a day, not too far ago, that I fell down one of those infamous Internet rabbit holes. Through a series of twists and turns, I found myself looking at a defense of kneading bread. Having tried no-knead bread making with so-so success, I was curious as to how different a kneaded bread could be. I printed the recipe, ensured I had the needed ingredients (more on that in a sentence) and got started.
A challenge immediately presented itself - I did not have enough whole wheat flour. Hmm. Covering the remaining balance of whole wheat flour with all-purpose would not make that much of a difference, would it? In confidence, I mixed my flours, melted my butter and honey mixture and got to kneading for the requisite 10 minutes. Problems immediately arose. The dough was stuck to the counter and, more importantly, to my hands. I feared the dough was sentient and I would slowly be subsumed into the yeast borg or something. A lot of "dustings" of flour later (read: 1-2 cups more), the dough was mostly contained and had that elastic, non-Blob look to it. Rise time! (Note: photo below shows about 1/5 the amount of dough that was stuck on hand prior to cleaning.)
And boy how it rose. The dough's sentience was once again considered. I quickly squashed that idea by punching down the dough and placing it into the loaf pan to rise again. One hour later and I think my dough was about to have little loaf babies. It was huge. I named it mega-bread. I probably should have split the dough in two, but why have two loaves when you can have one loaf of mega-bread, right?
Thankfully, the baking solidified the ever-expanding bread and we ate. Very good, if a little dry. I wonder why...
Cut to this week. Honey Wheat Bread, attempt #2. This time with the proper amount of whole wheat flour, and a quick prayer that Aaron would not find a dough wife when he returned home. I began to smile when I started kneading. No dough hands! I could move it on the counter and, you know, knead! I love kneading when my hands are free from the yeast borg! Kneading was this great intuitive moment when I had to use my senses to figure out if and when my dough was ready - when tacky turns to sticky and I need flour, when elasticity is perfect and I should step away from the dough.
A rest, a punch down, and another rest, and the dough was luxuriating in the oven, transforming into bread. I found every ounce of self control in my body and did not tear into the loaf the moment it came out of the oven. I may have snagged a slice and buttered it, though. This time yielded a normal-sized loaf, better crumb, less dense, and a recipe Aaron demands be made weekly.
In April, Aaron's friends and their wives converged in Atlanta for the Group Stupid 2013 trip. Yes, that is the name of the group. I believe the reasoning is something like this: all these guys are smart, but it seems the more of them there are in a room, the dumber they get. One of the guys lives in Florida and enjoys hiking, so we (Aaron and I) figured it would be easy enough to meet up with him on a weekend for a day hike. Cut to a month later, and my super jealousy.
Has someone ever introduced you to something - a movie, musician, restaurant - and you are so impressed that you are a little jealous you did not find it first to show them? That is how it was for the hiking site Aaron's friend found for us. Providence Canyon is located in southern Georgia and boasts the well-deserved nickname "The Little Grand Canyon." The canyon was formed due to farmers' poor irrigation practices. Their disaster was our incredible fortune on a rainy Saturday in May.
When we arrived, it was pouring rain. We scurried along with our lunches to a picnic shelter in hopes of waiting out the storm. After eating some sandwiches and enjoying some great conversation, the rain had let up and we were off on our hike. The trail is such that you can walk through the middle of the canyon and then loop around the top, or follow the little streams to the edges of the canyon walls for some spectacular geology. I am not sure how long we roamed around the streams and canyon walls, but it was time well spent. Very well spent.
After getting our fill (almost) of the neat geology from the ground, it was time to hit the trail again and see it from the top of the canyon. Better panoramas of the canyon, but not as amazing as being up close to the different layers and colors of the walls. The loop did, however, have some old cars from 1950s and 1960s, we guessed. There was not a sign indicating how the cars got there, so we made up stories of moonshiners, squatters, and gypsies. All too soon, sadly, our time at the canyon was at a close. We said our "see you later"s and we hit the road back home. In the car, Aaron and I talked about when would be the next time we visit this cool gem in Georgia.
No, I have not abandoned this place or dropped off the face of the earth. In all honesty, I am not sure why I have not spoken in this space for some time. I thought of posts, but nothing went from thought to typing action. Whatever the reasons may have been, I am here now writing, so here it goes!
People, I read Les Miserables, and I am pretty proud I finished it. I went into the book having never seen any of the movie or musical adaptations, so I had a pretty clean palate aside from the multitudinous Les Miserables movie previews from earlier this year. It has a great storyline that Victor Hugo weaves exceptionally well during the mid-1800s. However, somehow all my history education seems to have skipped this key moment in French history - never learned about Napoleon, and the only things I know about the French Revolution I learned from A Tale of Two Cities. Hugo does take asides throughout the book to explain the history around what is occurring or has occurred that concerns his characters, but they were so tedious to read! It was like watching Die Hard only to have a 30-minute aside on the history of the LAPD, then 20 minutes later an aside on Russian terrorism, then 45 minutes later one on the history of firearms. I skimmed/skipped over some of it -I know, sacrilege! The political commentary Hugo provided seemed incredible, but I had nothing to base what he was saying off of. However, the story compelled me to keep reading, and I am glad I did. Fantastic imagery, phenomenal characters, and morals and truths that are universal. So, read this book, but it is okay if you read an abridged version. All the plot is there, just not all the "history of..." Also, I would suggest taking a break midway and reading something easier over a weekend. I personally read Amsterdam by Ian McEwan.
In keeping with a history theme, another book I read since last we met was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Fortunately for me, I am quite well-versed in Henry VIII and English happenings during this time period. I sort of accidentally majored in it, both the history and English literature side of it. Most of what I know of this time is from the perspective of Henry VIII and his various wives. Wolf Hall, however, takes the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, who served as chief minister to Henry VIII and strongly advocated English Reformation. Cromwell knows how tenuous a position with the king is, and knows to keep it he has to be a step ahead of everyone, or at least know enough dirt about key players to "encourage" them to agree with him, if need be. There are plenty of underhanded dealings, betrayals, and sacrifices throughout the book to keep one interested. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series, Bring Up the Bodies, which picks up the story as Anne Boleyn falls from the king's grace.
Now, to take a sharp left turn to baseball! The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a book I all but devoured. The story follows Henry Skrimshander, a college freshman and shortstop wunderkind, who had never missed a throw...until he does. His life, and the lives of those around him, are thrown into disorder in part due to this missed throw. If this is sounding too sports-centric for you, do not worry, this is not a book about baseball. Well, at least not solely about baseball. The Art of Fielding is about growing up, following your passion, and learning to be okay with who you are. How good is this novel? When I finished the last page, I was ready to start again at page one.
A second book I may have actually devoured a little was Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. Oh my goodness, what can I say about this book?! This book is extremely twisty and shocking, so do not go spoiling it for yourself by reading too many synopses or reviews. You will be sorry. What can I tell you about the book? It is the story of Christine who, due to an accident years ago, cannot form new memories. She awakes every day wondering where she is, who is in the bed beside her, how she was injured, and can she get her memory back. The novel is set up as her diary, something a doctor interested in her case told her to keep. Each day, as she reads what she wrote previously, she begins to learn more about her lost life. Or does she? Is what she is writing truth, or is it a fiction she made for herself? From one entry to the next, I had a new theory on who the "big bad" was, what happened to her, and what the conspiracy could be; but when the reveal came, I was shocked! After I read it, mouth agape half the time, Aaron read it while on a business trip. He stayed up until about 3 am finishing it. It is that awesome.
