This is the Place – for Fast Food

Happy Pioneer Day!

Pioneer Day is a holiday where my fellow Utahans and I celebrate the coming of the Mormon Pioneers to the Salt Lake valley. We celebrate with parades, fireworks and, of course, food! I'm going to be busy with my kids (they'll be marching in a local children's parade) and work (no day off for me, I'm afraid), so I probably won't pull my grill out until tomorrow.

That's okay. I've got plenty of may favorite sausages thawing in my refrigerator, getting ready to go. I think I may try grilling tofu this year, too. I know, the Utah Pioneers didn't have tofu on the march from Illinois, but not all Mormon immigrants came from Europe, either. There are plenty that have come from Japan and other parts of Asia.

See? When it comes to food, I can justify anything.

Today is also National Drive-Through Day. Why the US Census felt we needed a day to celebrate fast-food drive-though service, is beyond me. Still, it has become an American institution. Goodness knows I've driven through enough of them in my lifetime. As much I'm trying to limit my fast-food exposure, it's not something I see myself stopping entirely in the near future.

Maybe after I'm dead. Which may happen sooner than later if I keep eating fast-food.

In any case, the combination of the two holidays has given new meaning to Brigham Young's words when the Pioneers first crossed the mountains into the Salt Lake Valley, “This is the place. Drive on.”

Summer Cookouts and Burn Offerings

I don't know why I've not done as much blogging about grilling this summer. It's not like I haven't fired up my grill a time or two this year. We had a great time celebrating Independence day with grilled sausages and American potato salad. Pioneer Day, Utah's birthday, is coming up this weekend so I'll probably pull it out for that holiday, as well.

So why haven't I done it more? Or blogged about it? You got me.

It's my second year moving to charcoal. I have to admit it's been a lot of fun cooking with fire. Part of my likes cooking with charcoal more than propane. I like the smokey char it delivers. I'm pretty convinced it's not as good for the environment, though. Which side of me will win? The inner arsonist or the tree hugger? The jury's still out. I suspect that if I continue grilling as much as I am, that I'll end up getting bigger grills and using them both. Why decide if I don't have to?

I really like grilling in the summer. Even though there are moments when I have to pay attention, most of the time I get to set up a reclining deck chair on the patio, grab a soda, and let the smoke waft around me. I get to relax, something in short supply these days, waiting for the food to cook.

If I'm working on something that's going to take more time, I may grab a book to read while enjoying the sun and shade. At times like this, my girls will sometimes join me in their own patio chairs for a “sit and chat with ol' Dad.” What doting father could ask for more?

What can I say? Some days it's good to be the cook.

There's something primal about cooking with fire. Maybe that's why Steve Raichlen calls his newest show Primal Grill. It appeals to the primitive in us. Something deep in our DNA connects with the basics of fire and food. If you think about it, the sparks coming off that fire may be the very sparks of the first human civilization. Being able to cook food was a big step in our evolution as humans.

Food and fire played a big part in early sacrifice, as well. Adam built an altar for such things, and the Israelites observed the practice of the burning a sacrificial lamb, looking forward to the Messiah.

Of course, I don't think we should confuse their sacred burnt offerings, with the typical “burnt offerings” many of us will be taking off our grills this weekend. Especially if I fall asleep in the reclining deck chair.

Sweetie? Go grab Daddy another soda, will you?

French Country-Style Sourdough Bread

Otherwise known as “Pain de Campagne,” this classic French, country-style loaf is a perfect example of what a rustic, sourdough bread should be. It's tangy flavor, dense and springy texture and chewy crust make it a great accompaniment to almost any meal. I think it's great all by itself, with a glass of milk or herbal tea. The addition of rye flour gives it an extra boost to the flavor, although you can substitute whole wheat flour, if you'd like.

The French traditionally proof this dough in a basket to help the dough retain it's shape before they bake it. I don't have a basket so I proof mine in a large mixing bowl, about 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Either way, line the basket/bowl with a dish cloth, dusted with flour before you put the dough in.

Equipment Needed
Mixing bowls
Wooden spoon (plastic is fine)
8" basket for proofing (optional)
2 dish towels
Baking sheet
Cooling rack

Ingredients
1 cup simple sourdough starter
1 teaspoon dry yeast
3/4 cups water
1/3 cup rye flour
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra flour for dusting

Directions
Make sure you have enough sourdough starter on hand. If you refrigerate it, like I do, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, while you read the rest of the ingredients.
Remove 1 cup of starter for this recipe. Don't forget to replenish your remaining starter.

Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then stir to dissolve. Mix the rye flour, one cup of the unbleached flour, and the salt in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the center.

Pour the sourdough starter and dissolved yeast into to the flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour from the sides of the well. Add the remaining flour, a little bit at a time, until you form a soft sticky dough. You may not need all the flour.

Lightly flour a clean counter top or other flat work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead until smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes.

Put the dough into a clean, lightly oiled, mixing bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Prepare a basket or clean mixing bowl by lining it with lightly floured dished towel. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place in the bowl for proofing. Cover with a clean dish towel and let it rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

If you want to, you can proof the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet. It will spread out a little more than if you were to proof it in a basket, but it's perfectly acceptable. Doing this will avoid the extra step of getting the dough out of the basket.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius)

Remove the top dish towel and dust the top of the loaf with additional flour. Place a baking sheet, upside down, over the basket, centering it over the dough. Gently invert the whole thing. Remove the basket and floured dish towel, revealing the loaf. Dust with additional flour if desired, although you probably won't need to. Cut three or four parallel slashes, approximately 1/4 inch deep, across the dough and three or four at right angles to create a crosshatch pattern in the dough.

Place the dough and pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour, until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

I like this bread broken apart instead of sliced, served with soups or fruit jam.