Yes, I got mine off Amazon then the next day saw it at the Indian grocery store off Josey and Trinity mills.
https://g.co/kgs/RYhJrr
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We did roasted brussel sprouts. Tried to keep it within stuff thats close to what would be served in ancient Rome. I’d avoid anything that would soak up the sauce. I think it would be overpowering in a large amount.
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Hm. That dovetails into the cilantro convo in a remotely interesting way…
tl:dr - some people taste the bitter & liked yesteryear’s brussel sprouts much less than people who don’t taste the bitter. Today’s sprouts have less of the bitter-tasting compound, enhancing the enjoyment by those with the receptors and spiking the demand.
I really should try them again…it’s been…a few decades, I think, since I tried one, but like all harrowing experiences of formative years, logic doesn’t override that negative memory so easily…
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Find a highly rated recipe for pan roasted maple bacon Brussels sprouts and you might be surprised. I’ll choke them down because they’re good for me but once they’re turned halfway into dessert they also taste good.
I’ve had some fantastic versions of this at restaurants here in DFW but I’m afraid I don’t remember where.
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And, there are people who actually like bitter, and like brussels sprouts for just that reason. Coffee is bitter, dark chocolate is bitter.
Campari is a bitter. I’d read somewhere (decades ago) that Campari and soda was a thing. When I inherited a big bottle from my dad, I mixed a drink as if it were just liquor. OMG!!! Super bitter! I think I made 5-6 drinks from that first drink. It was supposed to be soda with a splash of Campari, not a shot.
Back to brussel sprouts – some people who don’t like bitter very much say that roasting the brussel sprouts reduces the bitterness. Thus the restaurant trend to serve roasted brussel sprouts.
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They absorb bacon fat nicely (also Tallow, which I highly recommend). 
Are you going to bring bread for the Committee Meeting???
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I got mine yesterday too
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I made Majoon, a Persian date, banana, and nut/seed smoothie. It is extremely calorie dense (the glass is over 1000 calories), so eat it as a meal replacement. It has a very complex flavor profile, from the rich sweetness of the dates, honey, and bananas, balanced out by the earthiness/robustness of the nuts/seeds, to the floral flavor of the rosewater that brings a fresh element to it. You can toast the nuts/seeds for some extra depth of flavor too. I’d recommend watering down the final smoothie with some more milk since it is extremely thick, but this is to personal preference
Ingredients:
4 Large Medjool Dates
1/4 cup Whole Milk
1 Frozen Banana
1/2 Tbsp Rosewater
Salt (to taste)
1/2 cup Full fat plain yogurt (can use greek if you’d want. Desi yogurt is probably the closest)
1 Tbsp Honey
17 grams of Walnuts
21 grams of Pistachios
18 grams of Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
Full recipe is in Sofreh by Nasim Alikhani
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I revived my starter this weekend. It is now growing in size as I add more flour and water to it. I followed these instructions to start it:
http://carlsfriends.net/revive.html
I also put in a little sugar after the first 24 hrs. I turned the oven light on and put the starter on the bottom shelf. The temp in the oven is 86 degrees F. It started to bubble really well after 48 hours. Now, I’m going to create a big ole batch of starter and make some bread.
This will probably be my first loaves.
http://carlsfriends.net/ronpics/ronsfsd.html
I’ll let you know how it all goes. I still need to at least double the amount of starter I have.
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So finally, after almost 2 months of out-of-town / back out of town a second time / scrambling to recoup money from being out of town the second time, I finally had some time to make something at home.
Of course, I elected for pizza, lol!
Mid-west tavern cut has, and will always be my favorite cut for thin crust.
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Well, I got my http://carlsfriends.net/ starter active and made my first loaf with it. It was based upon a recipe from this book:
Here’s the actual recipe from the book:
And here’s what the bread looks like:
Next time I’ll do a couple of things differently: 1) I’ll use new bread flour. What I had was not new. 2) I’ll use more starter. My first batch I couldn’t really use the entire cup that is called for without completely depleting my starter. I’ve since fed it again and it will easily provide a cup next time. 3) I’ll put some slashes across the top. The bread took all day to make with all of the rising, punching down and rising again. It is a labor of love to make sourdough, but it was fun to do, too.
Still, the loaf was genuine sourdough and quite delicious with butter on it right out of the oven.
BTW: The starter takes about a week to really get going. I kept mine warm in the over with just the oven light on. It was about 85 degrees there. Once it gets going though it grows pretty quickly.
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This book is 1/2 history of cowboys on the range and 1/2 rustic recipes. I gave it to my father for Christmas in 1997. He passed away and I inherited it back again. There are stories of how the cooks on the wagon trail used to keep the starter warm in their bed rolls at night when it was cold outside. They used it almost every day to make everything from bread, to biscuits, to pancakes to orange spice raisin rolls, cinnamon rolls,and dinner rolls. Some of these recipes are in the book.
It was a staple in early American wagon trains when they headed west to California and the Gold Rush.
The bread really became famous as California Gold Miners loved it so.
It is definitely a fun bread to make and I encourage you to give it a try.
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I bet it was delicious!
I learned a heck of a lot in a short amount of time via YouTube University. There’s a channel called ‘The Sourdough Journey’. I HIGHLY recommend it, if you want to take your sourdough to the next level.
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Thanks a bunch. I’m looking forward to some good bread
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At this temp the yeast will do well, but the lactobacillus bacteria which make the “sour” in sourdough will suffer. Better to keep it cool and spend a little longer getting started, IMHO.
I keep my starter in the fridge, and the night before I want bread I put 50g each of starter, water, and AP flour in a large bowl, stir well, cover, and leave on the countertop overnight.
In the morning the yeast will be active and starter will be bubbly.
I combine the starter, 1-1/4 cup water (maybe slightly less), 1lb AP flour, and 1 tsp salt.
I let it rise for several hours, “pulling” it 2-3 times at 1 hour intervals then leaving it be.
It’s usually doubled in size and ready to bake by 3 or 4 pm - just in time for dinner.
Bake at 450 in a hot, lidded 10” or 12” Dutch oven for 30 mins, then remove lid and bake an extra 15-20 mins.
I usually bake 2-3 loaves on a given day and gift the extras to neighbors.
You can also split the dough into 16 balls and place in a 12” cast iron skillet. Bake uncovered at 375 for 35-40 mins or until browned. Baste with melted butter.
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My first loaf was the perfect sourness according to my wife, but I plan to keep some starter in the fridge, too.
I just tried your recipe. I like how simple it is. We’ll see how it turns out. Have you ever added extras to the dough such as cinnamon, cumin, ginger or even jalapenos? Have you ever made biscuits, pancakes or other baked goods? (I like the rolls idea a lot.)
Thanks for the tips. I’ve read that keeping it in the fridge definitely increases the sourness.
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Yeah, the key to a good rise is feeding and some wake-up time for the yeast well before baking. That’s why I start the night before.
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