No-knead Sourdough

A few weeks ago, my boss made French baguettes, and after seeing the process and tasting the final product, I was determined to try it on my own. For those of you that don’t know, I’m a full-time nanny to the sweetest and absolute cutest little boy. His mom has been working from home due to COVID-19, so during the week of Spring Break when she was off work, she spent a good amount of time in the kitchen. I digress. She sent me home with a bag of yeast and the recipe, and that weekend I made my first baguettes. They. Were. So. Good! There was something so incredibly satisfying about eating bread I had made, especially paired with some of my favorite cheeses. I figured if I could make French baguettes, I could make other types of bread! The following weekend I made a no-knead rustic style loaf and it also turned out really well.

I figured, why stop there, and decided to make sourdough this past weekend. I didn’t have a starter for it so I did some research and came across a recipe from Half Baked Harvest that uses greek yogurt instead. At some point I’d like to make the starter and use it for another loaf of sourdough, but honestly the one I made with greek yogurt is so tasty that I’ll probably continue to do it that way. The only change I’ll make next time is to let it rise overnight in the fridge so it has even more of the sourdough flavor I love. I’m curious to try it with gluten free flour as well. If I do and it ends up being yummy, I'll share the experience with you all.

My favorite thing about bread, besides being so darn delicious, is that there are many ways to use it! I’m thinking a grilled cheese sandwich needs to happen with the sourdough I just made! I love using Red Dragon, which is a mustard seed cheese, and either gruyere or a sharp cheddar. Today for lunch, I used it to make simple avocado toast with a little sprinkle of salt and pepper—and now I'm thinking it needs to become a staple item to make every weekend so I can have avocado toast every day! The options are endless and the best part about cooking and baking is getting to be creative and experimenting! Let me know if you make this recipe for sourdough and if you end up using it for anything fun!

Tradition

There’s something so nostalgic about biting into a perfectly baked piece of Mandelbrot. Every year, a few weeks before the holidays, my Grandma would meticulously start prepping all of the ingredients she would use to bake hundreds of cookies. Chopping walnuts, almonds, pecans; sifting flour; dividing sugar, baking power, chocolate... perfectly measuring out every amount she would need for each recipe. Her attention to detail and patience through the process was a true labor of love, as with everything she did. Family and friends excitedly awaited their plates of perfectly plated sweets.

I tried my hand at her Mandelbrot recipe last weekend and with every chop, scoop, sift and stir, I could feel my Gram right there with me. I think she would be proud with how mine turned out and I can’t wait to make them again around the holidays, just like she would have done. Tradition runs deep in our family; this one I hope to perfect and pass on.

While I’m not going to share her recipe, this one is similar . They are simple to make and will fill your house with a heavenly aroma as they bake. If you do make them, leave a comment or tag me in your post, I’d love to know how they turn out!

Welcome to Cinnamon’s Table!

When I think about the reasons behind wanting to start this new venture, I’m continually drawn to a place of understanding my need for creative, artistic expression and how deeply embedded it is within me. 

I’ve been a dancer my entire life. Articulating feelings and emotions through my body and into motion is natural to me. Styling and composition of visuals through my own photography and/or art directing the person behind that magical camera also comes naturally--it is where my mind’s eye is brought to life, yet interestingly, has the ability to remain still as a snapshot in time.

FOOD...beautiful, colorful, delicious, inspiring, textural, comforting…a dialogue. The kitchen and kitchen table are the essence of my life--comfort, that downy place to fall into and feel unending hugs.

The kitchen has always been a place of comfort for my spirit. I grew up watching my Mama cook and she’s literally the best cook in the world Yes, I’m biased. But anyone will tell you the same thing as they beg for seconds and thirds of her meals. 

My European background and exposure to many cultures as a child and adult continues today. It influences the way I combine ingredients and experiment with not only the flavors of the food, but also in how I present it to others. I want it to entice your palate but to also invite the other senses to partake--the smells and memories food evoke, the sounds food make during preparation, the combined textures that create a magical alchemy inside your mouth, and finally, the visual display, which creates the springboard from which to “dive in” and let the magic of the moment create new memories.

For me, recipes for the family pasta dish that my Mama has passed down to me, one of my Grandma’s desserts or Jewish holiday meals, or simply the love for the huge assortment of French cheeses and wine that my Grandpapa introduced me to as a child continues to this day in my preparation of charcuterie boards.

Cooking is truly a beautiful, soulful art that can and should spark the imagination and should be relished and deeply appreciated.

I’d love to spark in you what my Mama, Grandma and Grandpapa have sparked in me!