Zucchini Bread

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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

About this time of year, gardens everywhere begin to overflow with ripe tomatoes, peas on the vine, fresh cucumbers, and... the dreaded zucchini. Now don't get me wrong, I like zucchini. We're real good friends when he's fried in butter with onions and potatoes. But there's only so much zucchini a person can take. Even a couple zucchini plants in the garden can produce a monstrous number of zucchini children.

And oh do those children grow up fast...

Zucchini Bread

In my neighborhood, zucchini is rampant. We've become so infested with the green vegetable, we'd certainly be doomed if they ever gained sentience and turned on us (zucchini apocalypse, anyone?). I'm not only faced with the problem of having about 10 zucchini too many, but so is everyone else. It's reached the point where we can't even give zucchini away.

Just a few days ago, someone left a bag of zucchini under the mailbox. The poor zucchini sat there for a long time, begging to be picked up, to be loved, to be eaten. It was a couple days before someone took pity on the poor souls and brought them home. You know the infestation is bad when people turn away from garden ripe vegetables.

Zucchini Bread Zucchini Bread

My parents have a running joke with friends that around this time of year you need to keep the car doors locked and the windows up because someone might just leave a zucchini in your car if you aren't careful. They've even taken it a step further and stashed zucchini in their friend's cars when they weren't looking. I have a hard time imagining my father as a zucchini fairy, but too many vegetables can mess with your mind.

If you happen to have this very same green vegetable problem, zucchini bread is a great (and delicious!) way to use up a few of your vegetables. But, if you still find you have one too many of these vegetables after baking up a storm, you could always find an open car window...

Zucchini Bread

This Zucchini Bread is moist, dense, and lightly sweetened. The bread has hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and is made with brown sugar, which gives a hint of molasses to the finished product. The best part of this bread is that you can customize each loaf with an extra touch. I made one loaf with chocolate chips and the other with walnuts (though I imagine a loaf of zucchini bread stuffed full of raisins would be a dream). Topped with a thick spread of butter or jam, this bread is perfect for using up all the extra garden zucchini.

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Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

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Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

I once made the driest pancake in the world.

I can see you sitting at home, staring at your computer screen, and scoffing at my bold statement. Driest pancake in the world? Yeah, right. How would you even know? But this is the truth, my friends. I really did make the driest pancake in the world.

Let me share my story with you.

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

A few years back, I made chocolate chip pancakes. The process to create them was normal and they tasted all right. They weren't bad and they weren't good; I ate them in peace. There were a few leftovers so I stashed them in the refrigerator for breakfast the next day.

Quickly flash to the next morning. It's 6 am. I was tired. I had to get to class early and barely had enough brain power to microwave the leftover pancakes from the day before. I don't know about you, but my brain doesn't begin to work properly until at least 8 am. After a minute on high, I took them out and proceeded to take a bite. The texture seemed off and they were ice cold, as if the microwave hadn't heated them at all. I put them back in for another minute. I was too sleepy to question this strange occurrence; it was 6 am, no high school student can be expected to reason at this obscene hour of the day. After the minute was up, I pulled them back out.

Still cold.

Confusion.

Was the microwave broken? I warmed up a piece of bread to test my theory. In 20 seconds, the bread was piping hot. Why wasn't my pancake?

I got angry, as one will when they want food and want it now. I stuck them back in the microwave for 5 minutes. I remember feeling very clever—I was going to beat the pancake at its own game.

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

When I took it out, the pancake was slightly less cool. Not warm, not hot, and definitely not enough heat to burn my mouth. In fact, it was probably only warmer because it had been out of the fridge for 10 minutes. What was wrong with this pancake? Did it develop magical superpowers overnight? I trashed the pancake and ate the warm slice of plain bread while running out the door.

It took me a few hours to realize what had happened. Microwaves work by hitting food with, well, microwaves; the energy from the waves are then absorbed by water or fats in the food. This process heats up the food quickly, making microwaves a quick way to cook or warm up food.

It only stands to reason that my pancake was so utterly dry that there wasn't enough water in it to be absorbed by the microwaves. I've seen plastics with a higher water content!

Thus, the world's driest pancake was born.

And to think I took a bite...

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

Luckily, this Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread is definitely not dry. The loaf is made of small pieces of dough rolled in a garlic herb butter and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese before heading to the oven to bake. When it emerges, the bread is so soft, tender, and packed with flavor. The bread pulls apart effortlessly, turning a solid loaf of bread into bite-sized pieces. This bread is best served with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.

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Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers

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Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers

Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers

There is something very visceral about baking a homemade loaf of bread. Instead of buying a loaf of bread at the store or letting a bread maker do it for me, I'm taking the time out of my day and using my own hands to create something out of a few simple ingredients.

Standing in the kitchen and kneading dough in silence has a great therapeutic effect for me. I feel as if I am somehow more connected to the earth (or maybe I just feel more connected with myself). It's my release for anger, for frustration, or for built-up emotion. Whatever my emotions are going in, the result is always the same—a sense of calm and tranquility.

Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers

I have 8 minutes to myself. To think. To feel the muscles in my arms work. To sense the changing of the dough's elasticity beneath my fingertips. To smell the yeast in the air. To feel awe for the simplicity and elegance involved in creating a loaf of bread. This is the way bread has been made for thousands of years. The basic steps are always the same—they always have been and they always will be. I find comfort in the process. It is rustic, true, but it is sophisticated at the same time.

Instead of another bread recipe, this week I thought I'd share something that's new to me and maybe new to you too—homemade crackers. I have never made crackers before and, without knowing the process in which make them, it seemed daunting. Much to my surprise, the recipe was incredibly easy and quick, involving only a few minutes of hands on time (and a few extra to allow the dough to rest). The dough was very easy to work with and rolled out like a dream. If you have never made crackers before, I urge you to give it a try. You might just be amazed at how simple and delicious it can be.

Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers

These Cornmeal Parmesan and Poppy Seed Crackers are flaky, light, and addictive. These crackers feature crunchy cornmeal and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. They are then sprinkled with poppy seeds and flaked sea salt for extra flavor and a touch of decorative flair. The crackers can easily stand alone but are neutral enough to serve with cheese. This recipe is simple enough that I believe anyone can make them and make them well.

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