Althouse: "This looks good," I said...

August 30, 2010

"This looks good," I said...

... and iChatted Meade this link... and it's for dinner tonight!

ADDED:

AND:

37 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Do we Twitter the order to the kitchen device now?; 8/30/10, 8:14 PM
hat said...: ooh make me some!; 8/30/10, 8:43 PM
Anonymous said...: It seems like a quasi-religious night at Meadehouse: the selection of the bread, the communication of it via iChat and via blog, the mindful preparation as is apparent from the picture...

You planning to be crucified soon, Althouse?; 8/30/10, 8:48 PM
traditionalguy said...: Kneading the dough can be a very loving act. Then let it rise before inserting it into the oven.; 8/30/10, 8:56 PM
Becky Jo said...: Relish every moment! Just a couple years ago I was emailing recipes to my own DH. Now he can't remember how to buy bread much less make it.; 8/30/10, 9:01 PM
traditionalguy said...: I have developed a craving for french bread baguettes. But if not all eaten the first day or two the remainder becomes hard as a rock.; 8/30/10, 9:07 PM
Unknown said...: Nothin' says lovin' like buns in the oven.

Or something.

Dead Julius said...

It seems like a quasi-religious night at Meadehouse: the selection of the bread, the communication of it via iChat and via blog, the mindful preparation as is apparent from the picture...

You planning to be crucified soon, Althouse?

Be careful what you wish for. She may rise on the third day and smite her tormentors.; 8/30/10, 9:10 PM
HT said...: Oops, NYT.

I'm just sitting here watching Revival on the Mall. Praise be to God!

Oops, He called it the Washington memorial.; 8/30/10, 9:40 PM
traditionalguy said...: Edutcher... Now if Meade's loaf feeds five thousand Althouse will make the NYT and really irritate Bob Wright.; 8/30/10, 10:07 PM
Sprezzatura said...: I realize that those counters are probably not supper old, and that material is sanitary. But, IT SUCKS!!1!

This is at least the third time we've seen pictures of that awful counter. Over the years we've seen pictures that indicate Althouse (and, now, Meade) lives in an older home w/ character. Why disgrace such a home with those hideous counters?

Don't they have design consultants in Madison? Even a really good one is relatively inexpensive, and they're worth every penny because a good one can save you from making big mistakes.

At least you didn't use granite. And, from what I've seen on the blog, you've avoided laying bamboo over your existing white oak, w/ some quarter sawn, planks.

Please stop posting pictures of that counter.

P.S. Maybe you should consult a professional before you coat the place in that red paint.; 8/30/10, 10:16 PM
Meade said...: NO GRILLED FLATBREAD FOR 1jpb!!!; 8/30/10, 10:24 PM
Beth said...: traditionalguy - when a baguette's a day past crispy outside, soft inside, that's what's pain perdu is for.; 8/30/10, 10:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Yum. I had <a href="http://lyssalovelyredhead.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/nice-weather-for-grilling-some-pizza/> grilled pizza </a> tonight. Pretty much the same type of flatbread on the grill. We topped it with a mix of mozzarella and some fancy smoked cheese, bacon, and arugula. It was fab.

- Lyssa; 8/30/10, 10:33 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Why is this night at MeadeHouse different from all other nights?; 8/30/10, 11:01 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat bread, but on this night we eat matza?; 8/30/10, 11:02 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Oh wait, wrong season. Hopefully Meade is making flat bread next spring.; 8/30/10, 11:04 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat bread, but on this night we eat matza?"

It's leavened with yeast.; 8/30/10, 11:09 PM
Julie C said...: We've become devotees of the grilled pizza at our house. And sometimes we just grill the dough, sprinkle with sea salt, drizzle with a bit of excellent olive oil, and serve with chopped tomatoes and basil.

My kids clamor for the grilled pizzas now. Luckily we have good weather in California (that's all we've got!) and a gas-grill. The grill acts more like a real pizza oven and the results are outstanding.

Your countertops are fine, BTW.; 8/30/10, 11:14 PM
traditionalguy said...: Corian counter tops are much better to use and to clean than marble ones. The latest fad's bragging rights is not always an improvement.; 8/30/10, 11:21 PM
Dr. Alice said...: You've got a guy who bakes (OK, grills) bread?! Dang. Can I borrow him?; 8/31/10, 12:02 AM
BJM said...: Mmmmm...grilled flat bread.

Didja know that you can make real naan with a Kamado?

We chucked the Weber and bought a Grill Dome a few years ago and it is the best grill/smoker eveh.; 8/31/10, 12:32 AM
jamboree said...: You guys always burn your bread. And proudly. :-); 8/31/10, 1:36 AM
DaveW said...: Grilling flatbread? Wow I'm impressed. I wouldn't trust the grill for it myself but my grill has hot spots.

Oh and I love your counters. I have Corian too and I love the stuff. Mine is dark gray and has a matte finish. Wears like iron, you can scrub the crap out of it and get it good and clean. Ours still look new after 5 years of hard use.; 8/31/10, 6:49 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Grilling flatbread? Wow I'm impressed. I wouldn't trust the grill for it myself but my grill has hot spots."

Meade was cooking with charcoal on a Weber grill -- outside.

"Oh and I love your counters. I have Corian too and I love the stuff. Mine is dark gray and has a matte finish. Wears like iron, you can scrub the crap out of it and get it good and clean. Ours still look new after 5 years of hard use."

The counter you see in the photos is 20 years old.; 8/31/10, 7:37 AM
Beth said...: I grill flatbread pizzas on my charcoal grill. I buy cheap ($1.99) unfinished flagstones at Home Depot and use them as pizza stones, but I've done it right on the rack as well. It's fun, and a nice dinner for guests; prepare some toppings and let them dress their own pizza.; 8/31/10, 7:58 AM
MadisonMan said...: Beth, that's a good idea. I may try it, because I love making pizza dough, and sometimes it's too hot in the house to bake pizza, but it's never too hot to grill outside.

I also like the MeadeHouse counters.; 8/31/10, 8:56 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Oh...I'm SO gonna have to try this!

Beth's idea is killer too.

It is supposed to be over 100 degrees later this week and we have a super abundance of tomatoes from the garden. The Dumbplumber has been clamoring for a Mexican Pizza and I haven't wanted to heat up the house.

Yum!; 8/31/10, 10:02 AM
DaveW said...: Madison Man, share your pizza dough recipe please? I have a stone and a decent oven and we've been doing it a while now but I'm not satisfied with the dough.

Pizza stone on the grill. Wow now there's an idea. That would give me a 600-700 degree oven.; 8/31/10, 10:22 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: For pizza dough, allow me to recommend 20% semolina flour and aging the dough overnight. You'll be impressed with the difference that makes.; 8/31/10, 10:53 AM
CyndiF said...: Once you make your own flatbread, store-bought pita becomes inedible. I highly recommend "Flatbreads and Flavor" by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (as well as every other cookbook they have written).; 8/31/10, 11:27 AM
Ralph L said...: It's a wonderful thing not to have a lip around the sink.; 8/31/10, 11:28 AM
Julie C said...: We use a recipe for pizza dough from the Cook's Illustrated Grilling and BBQ cookbook. It calls for sauteeing finely chopped garlic and fresh herbs (your choice) in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes. Adding that to the basic flour, yeast and water makes a more flavorful dough that stands up to the grill. Also the olive oil (maybe 2 tablespoons) provides a nice crispnesss to the finished product. If you make the pizzas/flatbreads small enough they are pretty easy to lay out directly on the grill. You remove them after a few minutes, put the toppings on the grilled side, and then put back on the grill with the uncooked side down. We've never had the dough stick to the grill although I know that's what people are always worried about. And the grill marks are so cool looking!; 8/31/10, 12:44 PM
Beth said...: Julie C - good recommendation. I get the stone really hot, oil it slightly, put the dough on for about a minute, flip it, then top it. Then another minute or two to heat up the toppings, with the lid closed.; 8/31/10, 4:34 PM
Unknown said...: Ann, that looks delicious. And, I’m glad that you, traditionalguy, and DaveW all love Corian(r) countertops. Yours look like new and I’m so impressed that they’re actually 20 years old! You all must have some great tips on how to keep them looking like new. If you’re interested in sharing, you can post them to our Corian® Home Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/corianhome - I’m sure that the rest of the community would love to hear them. Christine from DuPont; 9/1/10, 9:02 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "You all must have some great tips on how to keep them looking like new."

I haven't done anything but wipe them off -- mostly with a sponge and a liquid scouring cleanser.; 9/1/10, 4:01 PM
Ann Althouse said...: You know, man-made materials are great when they work right. This preference for something "natural" like real stone is a kind of old-fashioned snobbery that comes, I think, from insecurity.

And doesn't stone give off radiation? How much of that do you want in your house?; 9/1/10, 4:04 PM
DaveW said...: I haven't done anything but wipe them off -- mostly with a sponge and a liquid scouring cleanser.

Yeah that's the thing right there. I went over and looked at their facebook page and nobody else has posted anything in that thread either. I've never done anything but scrub it down with Clorox spray or scouring powder and a sponge. Since it has never taken a mark despite all the abuse a teenager and 2 adults can throw at it I haven't had to figure out how to polish out a scratch or anything.

Hot pots put on it, the girls cut stuff right on it, you name it. I bet you if we had marble or anything like that it would look awful now, scratched up, burn spots, knife marks and chips.

I do wish I had your sink professor. I decided not to spring for one and instead got a surface mounted stainless steel. Big mistake.; 9/1/10, 6:38 PM