First, apologies for missing my post last week. I went on a little trip - a PA-staycation - with my parents last weekend to Lake Erie. Before coming back I got to go onto the re-creation of the U.S.S. Brig Niagara, the warship that won the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. It was interesting and . . . cold, because there was a blizzard while we were there. We got our own private tour of the ship after looking through the museum because we were the only ones in the museum . . . because there was a blizzard. I'll be glad to go on it again this summer when it sails - if my parents let me. This picture (by Lance Woodworth) is a little different from our tour because when we were there, the sails were not up, the skies were not blue, the water was frozen, and the ship was tied to the dock, but it was still AWESOME.But today's topic is really my favorite breads because it has been a kind of bread-y weekend . . . (at least it wasn't a pork-y weekend, as my mom says).
Almost every Saturday, my dad and I (and sometimes my mom) go to the farmer's market by Home Depot in East Liberty. The market is awesome, we buy all of our meat there (except for fish), many of our vegetables, fresh eggs, apples, apple cider, Amish goat cheese, olive oil, and my parents get coffee. And there is also a baker lady who's name is Rebecca (I used to call her "the baker lady" before I knew her name). She always has a nice selection of pies and breads and pizzas. My daddy was talking tonight about how her table at the market reminds him of bakery windows in Europe. She sometimes has brownies and also usually has some turnover-like pies that are filled with sweet potatoes, or regular potatoes, with chives or the ones with carmelized onion only - these are my favorite of her turnover pies! I also like her ricotta tarts but get tired of them if I have them too often - and I have had them too often sometimes (blame my parents).
I also LOVE her zucchini bread! Daddy now buys two of her bigger loaves so I can have it for breakfast and also in my lunch each week - her big loaves are not as big as the loaves of bread in the store and they last just the right amount of time. I think that I remember her saying that her zucchini bread recipe is her grandmother's recipe. I'm not really a fan of zucchini AT ALL, especially if it is overcooked and mushy, and I don't know what Rebecca does with the bread, but it just doesn't taste like zucchini - which is a good thing! (Mom likes her ginger molasses bread.)
Next up, my friend Lily's dad makes THE BEST wheat bread. I had a play date with Lily on Saturday while my parent's worked. We went to the Natural History Museum, had a snack, and went back to Lily's house to play. Her dad had been painting the bathroom while we were gone and also baking bread - I think he bakes it every week for their bread for the whole family. I like it much better than my Whole Foods bread and I like that his bread doesn't taste like store-bought bread. It is soft, it has a good crust without being crunchy, and it tastes like BREAD - it doesn't taste sweet or full of preservatives. (Mom just asked me how I know what preservatives taste like, and I told her it was because at my old school my teacher would give me Kool-Aid.)
And then, Mommy's famous COFFEE CAKE! She made a BIG batch this morning because she wanted to take some to school with her both today and tomorrow and still leave enough for us for a few days. It is okay cold but is the BEST when it is warm and out of the oven - when it is soft, not crusty. Mom's coffee cake is sweet enough - without dripping in frosting - with a perfect cinnamon sugar crumb top. Next time I promise to take a picture!
That's all for now, see you next weekend where I'll be reporting from New Jersey!
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