Homemade Bread and Pot Roast

El Paso seems to have suddenly developed what most other cities have always had: weather/seasons. We’ve gone through years of not being able to distinguish the different seasons based on weather and temperatures. This year has been different. I believe we have gotten more snow than we have in the last 10 years. There is snow on our beautiful Franklins Mountains again this morning.


To keep myself warm and keep the dreaded arthritis aches at bay, I decided to bake a couple of bread loaves and make some pot roast. The house smelled delicious and the kitchen, where I settled in for most of the day, was cozy warm.

I believe the temperature regions are changing. We had a flood a few years ago that resulted in some people actually using small row boats to get across the interstate. We’ve also had about 3 “freak” hail storms that caused a great number of households to have their roofs replaced, car damage that had insurance companies setting up command centers and cars lined up for inspection and settlement. Bob’s car was luckier than most. The Tucson was dimpled all over like a gold ball. Others had their windshields and windows blown out and were determined (by the insurance companies) as being “totaled”.

But, such is life. I’m grateful that these uncommon occurrences can be remedied, unlike the devastation in Haiti. Our prayers go out to them and especially to all the children who find themselves orphans because of the earthquake. Please keep your positive vibes and energy going to our friends and family in the Haitian Islands.

Post Roast is pot roast. You take a delicious piece of chuck roast or rump roast cooked in a slow cooker on low with a variety of vegetables for about 12 to 14 hours and you have a wonderful dinner. Couple that with an amazing fresh loaf of homemade bread and your dinner is complete.

That scowl Bob had on his face when he came home from work soon disappeared after he sat down at the dinner table. His beautiful smile returned telling me he was glad to be home and out of that horrific weather with 65 mile an hour winds and rain. Then of course he ate the rest of the chocolate chip cookies. Guess I’ll make some more. Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Honey White Bread
(Barefoot Contessa at Home)

½ cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 extra large egg yolk
5 to 6 cups flour (I used bread flour)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the yeast and sugar; stir and allow to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add milk, butter and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes. With mixer still on low, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about a minute until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a large bowl with butter and put the dough in the bowl, turning it over so that the top is also lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow the dough rise for about an hour until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9 x 5 –inch loaf pans with butter. Punch the dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into a loaf and place in prepared pans. Cover the pans again with a damp towel and allow to rise one more time for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the dough has risen, brush the tops with some egg white. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn the bread out of the pans and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Pachuco

Pachuco’s have always fascinated me. Their rise came around the late 1930’s, early 1940’s. I was born in ’49 so, as an impressionable child born and raised in El Segundo Barrio in El Paso (El Chuco), I was surrounded by the romantic mystique that the uniqueness of Pachuquinismo affected my people.

Pachucos were basically Latino youths who suffered racial discrimination by the Americans (a lot of which included servicemen) who believed that Mexicans should be deported in order to ease the job competition and available resources during a time when these things were scarce.
Answers(dot)com says:
“The Pachuco style originated in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez Mexico and moved westward, following the line of migration of Mexican railroad workers ("traqueros") into Los Angeles, where it developed further. The word "pachuco" originated, probably early in the 20th century, in a Mexican Spanish slang term for a resident of the cities of El Paso and Juarez. Even today, El Paso and Juarez are the "El Chuco Town" or "El Pasiente" by some.”

Latino’s, being segregated into deplorable, poverty stricken areas of the city of Los Angeles (this is where the Zoot Suit Riots took place), developed an emerging sense of culture through their clothing, music and even in their language: Calo.


Here is a short (very short) list of some of the Calo slang spoken by Pachucos.
Glossary of Pachuquismos

Ay Te Watcho:  Saying goodbye or see you later
Ay Te Miro:  (same as above)
Al Rato:  See you soon
Barrio:  Neighborhood, the “hood”
Cali:  California
Calo:  Slang spoken by Pachucos (or cholos)
Chalé:  Used to indicate disagreement with something said
Chingon: Bad Ass
Chisme:  Gossip
Chismoso:  Someone who engages in gossip
Cholo:  Raza on the street (possibly a modern day Pachuco)
Chones:  Underwear
Corazon:  Heart
C/S:  Con Safo: don’t mess with me
Drape:  A Zoot Suit jacket
El Chuco:  El Paso, Texas
Esé:  Used instead of homeboy or “dude”
Fería:  Money
Firme:  To say something is “cool”
Ganas:  Guts, drive, motivation, to the “balls” to do something
Guero:  Light skinned individual or someone from the Caucasian persuasion
Guey:  (pronounced “way”) loosely translated to mean idiot
Lana:  Money
Mero:  The tops as in “the top dog”; el mero perro
Mierda: Shit
Onda:  Often used in asking “What’s up?”: Que onda?
Oralé:  Used to indicate agreement such as “All right!”
Orgullo:  Pride
Pachuco: Chicano term for Zooters
Pelon:  Bald, going bald
Perro:  Dog
Pinche:  F__king this or F__king that
Reina:  Queen
Pespeto:  Respect
Ramfla:  “bad-ass” fixed up car, usually a Chevy
Ruca:  A fine looking woman with a lot of orgullo
Simón:  Used to signify agreement
Tablitas (also known as Spectators): Brand of distinctive patent leather wing-tip shoes worn by Pachucos
Tando:  Broad Brimmed Hat
Tecato:  Junkie
Traje:  Suit
Trapos:  Clothes or outfit
Trucha:  Watch yourself or watchout
Vato:  Used instead of homeboy, like “ese” above
Vavoso:  Dumb ass
Veterano:  Used to indicate an elder in the community (veteran)
Vieja/Viejo:  Old man or woman; wife or husband
Watcha:  Watch yourself
Y Que?:  And what; so what
Zoot Suiter or Zooter:  Someone who wears a Zoot suit or simply a cool bato

Here's a clip of James Edward Olmos in the movie, ZOOT SUIT.   You'll get the idea of what I'm talking about.


To read more about the ZOOT SUIT RIOTS, take a moment to click on these links.  Anyone with an interest in anthropological studies will find these quite fascinating.

Riots

Zoot Suit Riots

Sleepy Lagoon Murder (A timeline leading up to the riots)

Suavecito: Zoot Suits Store

To leave you on an upbeat note, here are the Cherry Poppin Daddies with:
ZOOT SUIT RIOT

Homemade Hamburger/Sandwich Buns

I thought about naming this post” Check out My Buns”, but I’d rather you check out Elvis’ buns. Did you ever see him in leather pants?




By now you’re wondering what my hamburger buns and Elvis have in common. Well, last Friday would have been Elvis’ 75th birthday. Everyone who knew about Elvis knew he loved to eat. One of his favorite meals was a cheeseburger and home fried potatoes. Bob and I decided that is what we would have for dinner. It was going well until I realized I didn’t have any hamburger buns. So, I made some. No, I didn’t take pictures of my cheeseburgers or potatoes. You’ll just have to use your imagination for that. But I did want to share “my buns” with you. Bob’s been using them for sandwiches for his lunch. They really are very good.

I wonder what Elvis would like in leather pants at 75?

Enjoy!


Homemade Hamburger Bun Recipe

http://breads-muffins.suite101.com/article.cfm/homemade_hamburger_bun_recipe



Ingredients for the Dough:

4 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons butter, soft or melted
1 tablespoon yeast (dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water)
1 1/4 cup warm milk

Additional Ingredients:

Flour for kneading
Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl and baking pan.
Egg wash made from one egg and one tablespoon milk (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter, for brushing on the hamburger buns

To Make the Dough:

Blend the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, yeast mixture and milk, and mix by hand to form dough. Knead five minutes with an electric mixer with dough hook, or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for seven to nine minutes by hand.

As the dough kneads, add small amounts of additional flour or warm water as necessary to achieve a dough that is light and slightly sticky.

When the dough has been kneaded until smooth, transfer it to a greased bowl and turn over the dough once to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a towel, and leave the hamburger roll dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about one to one-and-a-half hours.


Shape and Bake the Hamburger Buns:

Turn the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 12 portions. Shape each portion into a smooth ball and place the dough on a greased baking sheet. Lightly pat the tops of the balls of dough to flatten them slightly.

Cover the tray with a towel, and leave the dough to rise again for another hour to hour-and-a-half.

Preheat an oven to 425° F (220° C). If garnishing the hamburger buns with sesame seeds, brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake the hamburger rolls until rich golden brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately upon removing the rolls from the oven, brush their tops lightly with melted butter or vegetable oil.

Transfer the sandwich rolls to a rack and cover them loosely with a towel to trap steam and keep the crust soft as they cool. Store thoroughly cooled rolls in a plastic container or plastic Ziploc bag. Freeze any rolls which won't be used within a day

Rum Cake for the Epiphany

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you all are having a wonderful "Epiphany".  While the tradition for today is to make a "Rosca", I thought I'd do something a little different.  I made a Rum Cake.  I'd been wanting one for a while now, but just hadn't gotten around to making it, not with all the other baking I did during the holidays.  Speaking of which, I had a lovely time with my children visiting here from Dallas.  I hope you understand why I didn't get around to blogging.  My heart was soaring and filled with so much love and excitement that quite honestly, posting was the last thing on my mind.

The kids gave me a beautiful collage of pictures as a Christmas present.  Photography was courtesy of my daughter-in-law Jennifer.  Now I can see their lovely faces every morning everyday.
 

Look at this gorgeous Rum Cake.  I can hardly wait until Bob gets home so that he can try it out.  Of course I've already had a piece, just wanted to make sure it tasted OK. :)

It's topped off with chopped. roasted pecans and is drenched in the most heavenly rum glaze you ever tasted.

You can see the glaze seeping into the warm bundt cake.  Have a lovely week everyone.  This is going to be a great year.  Can't get any worse than last year, so things must be looking up!♥

Bacardi Rum Cake

---Cake---

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix

1-3.4 ounce (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

---Glaze---

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.