Esalen Cookbook (6 page)
Authors: Charlie Cascio
Irish Soda Bread
This is an authentic recipe that was brought into our kitchen by Liam McDermott, an Irish American chef. He got it from his Irish grandmother, who brought it over with her from the Emerald Isle and adapted it for the Esalen kitchen. This loaf has a dense, scone-like texture and a rough, crunchy crust.
Makes 1 loaf
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons Sucanat (evaporated cane
juice) or brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup plain yogurt
¾ cup buttermilk
In a 2-quart mixing bowl, sift and then mix the flours, oats, baking soda, Sucanat or brown sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
Make sure the butter is cold and chop it into small pieces. Drop them into the mixing bowl and, with a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the mix until it will hold together when you squeeze a bit of flour in your hand.
Whisk the yogurt and buttermilk together and add to the mix. Mix until all the dry ingredients are absorbed and you have a biscuit-looking dough that is not sticky. If it is sticky, add a little more unbleached flour; if the dough is too dry and the flour is not being completely absorbed into the dough, add a small amount of water to pull it together.
Oil and flour a sheet pan, bread pan, or pie pan. You can shape the bread to accommodate the shape of the pan you want to use. Shape the dough into a round loaf if you are using the sheet or pie pan. Cut two cross slits in the bread and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the bread comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool.
VARIATIONSYou can add nuts and dried fruit (such as raisins, apricots, or dried cranberries) to make a Fruit and Nut Soda Bread. Chocolate chips and coconut can also be added for a variation of this soda bread.
BANANA COCONUT BREADThis is one of the sweet breads that comes out of our bakery and never lasts long on our bread bar. It is full of banana flavor and has a chewy coconut crumb texture. What a delight for those lucky guests who are lingering in the dining lodge when a baker brings out a hot loaf of this bread, filling the room with a banana-coconut aroma! This recipe was brought to Esalen by a cook who had a unique trait of singing her own style of opera in our walk-in freezer. Her voice was so powerful that it penetrated the thick freezer walls and could be heard all over the kitchen and dining lodge.
Makes 1 loaf
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)
or brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana
⅓ cup buttermilk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
In a food processor or a mixing bowl, cream the butter and Sucanat or brown sugar until it’s a smooth paste. Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes more; then add the mashed banana and buttermilk, beating for 1 minute more.
Sift the flours, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients to this mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Pour into a greased and floured bread pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the bread comes out clean. Take out of pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
COMPANY’S COMING SCONESThis is another recipe brought to the Esalen kitchen by Bill Herr. He wrote, “These delicately textured scones are made without butter. (That hardly makes them low-cal, however, since they’re made with cream instead!) Thirty scones may sound like a lot, but you can’t eat just one, and besides, company’s coming.”
Makes 30 scones
2 cups raisins (or other dried fruit such as
currants, dried cranberries, apricots, or figs)*
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 cups whipping cream
Milk for brushing tops
Coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
#If the dried fruit you’ve chosen is larger than raisins, cut to approximately that size.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then add the fruit. Add cream and mix just until combined. Divide dough into three equal parts, and then with a rolling pin or by hand, shape each portion into an 8-inch circle. Cut each circle into 10 wedges, like a pie. Brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet with about an inch of space between each scone. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
DARK RUSSIAN RYE BREADReuben sandwiches have been a popular lunch item at Esalen for many years. This Dark Russian Rye is the bread that we serve our Reubens on, and many people have asked for the recipe over the years. This is the basis for making a great Reuben sandwich.
Makes 2 loaves
3 cups warm water
4½ teaspoons dry active baking yeast
9½ cups rye flour
½ cup molasses
½ cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 teaspoons toasted caraway seeds
1½ tablespoons sea salt
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Place the warm water in a mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast until it is completely dissolved. Place in a draft-free place until it “blooms.” Blooming has taken place when the mixture forms a thick foam on the surface. Stir in the rye flour, stirring at least 50 strokes, then cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1/2 hour.
Stir in the molasses, cocoa powder, butter, caraway seeds, and sea salt and blend well. Stir in half of the unbleached flour and incorporate it into the dough. Place the remaining half of the unbleached flour on a kneading surface and drop the dough onto the surface. Knead, the dough until it is firm, smooth, and elastic. This can be done by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of one hand, and then folding it back over and toward you with the other hand. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat the process. This will take about 10 minutes, and most of the flour on the kneading surface will be incorporated into the dough.
Divide dough in half. Place each half into an oiled bread pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and put in a draft-free, warm spot to raise for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
TRUSTEE MUFFINThis muffin was served for many years as a breakfast special. It got its name by being the breakfast special that was served when Esalen’s board of trustees would come down to the property for their monthly meeting.
Makes 15 muffins
⅔ cup raisins
¾ cup walnuts
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar or Sucanat
(dehydrated cane juice)
½ teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup grated carrots
2 eggs
1 cup milk
⅓ cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Soak the raisins for 15 minutes in a bowl with warm water until soft, then drain well. Chop the walnuts into small chunks. Sift the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the carrots, raisins, and walnuts and mix well with the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, thoroughly mix the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just enough to blend everything well. Don’t overmix. Oil and flour a muffin pan; then fill each muffin cup half full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Muffins are done when a knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Turn muffins out of pan and place on a cooling rack.
SOURDOUGH RYE BREADThis hardy loaf is an authentic Old European bread, having a dense, moist texture and a sour rye taste. It’s loaded with sunflower seeds and cooked rye berries. Rye berries are made from whole grain rye that has been cooked until soft. This is an excellent bread for those who are intolerant to wheat. This bread will keep easily for a week.
Makes 2 loaves
2 cups rye berries
4½ cups water, divided
1½ cups rye flakes
2 cups sunflower seeds
9 cups rye flour
2 tablespoons salt
1½ cups sourdough starter (see page 23)
Place the rye berries in a saucepan with 4 cups water; bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 35 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the berries are soft. Drain off any liquid and set aside to cool.
Combine the rye flakes and sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, 1/2 cup water, sourdough starter, and soft rye berries. Stir until well blended. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and leave at room temperature for 12 hours. The dough should get spongy and will raise about another quarter in size. Divide the dough and place into two oiled bread pans. Smooth the top of the dough with a spatula. This is a sticky dough to the touch.
Cover and place in a draft-free, warm spot to raise for another hour. Bake in an oven preheated to 275 degrees F for 2 to 2½ hours or until the internal temperature of the dough measures 210 degrees F. Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack.
This bread is best after it has matured, or set for 12 hours after it is baked. It will keep for days. It should be sliced thin when served.
Sourdough Rye Bread
Spelt is an ancient grain that migrated from the Middle East into Central Europe, where it was widely cultivated until it was replaced by wheat. True spelt has a very low gluten content. The spelt found in the United States is a hybrid cross between true spelt and wheat. This cross was done to increase the yield per acre because the main drawback with true spelt is its low yield per acre. There has been a small but strong resurgence to cultivate true spelt in Europe. True spelt has a small kernel, resembling short-grain brown rice, with a brown honey color. The marrying of the sourness of the bread and the sweetness of the raisins in this recipe makes a tasty contrast that many people love.
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