I want another enameled cast iron pot - part 2

A similar KitchenAid pot similar to the one mentioned in this post was on sale at CanadianTire again. Except this time it was 70% off (so cheap you almost wonder if people ever pay full price). For CD$30 we almost got nothing to lose; worst comes worst I can use it as a planter.

This KitchenAid cast iron pot is 3.5 qt (smaller than the 5qt Staub pot we have), in dark red. The handle is silicon/stainless steel so the whole pot can go in the oven. Although it has the glossy interior (like Le Creuset) and the self-basting dips (like Staub), the finish is not comparable to either. But hey! it's only 10-15% $ of the "real thing".

Comments after the initial use:

• TripleQ used it to make no-knead bread. It does produce thinner crust than with regular baking mold.
• I braised pork shoulder in it. The steam came out from the edge and over-flew. This never happens with our other pot.

(TripleQ) "What's the point of putting silicon on handle if I still need an oven mitt to lift the pot?"

KitchenAid cast iron pot

Brioche

After couple more batches of brioche, I finally figure out the formula we enjoy the most. So here it is:

Ingredients:

• flour, 3 cups
• sugar, 6 tbsp
• salt, 2 tsp
• butter, 10 tbsp
• eggs (medium-large), 5
• warm milk, 0.5 cup (or 60mL)
• dry yeast, 1 package (8g)

Process:

• Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir gently with a spatula
• Mix with a dough hook in the lowest speed until it's well-blended (about 2 minutes).
• Increase the speed and mix for 5 minutes. Stop and scrape the side. Repeat 3 times (basically you make the mixer do the kneading for you)
• Cover the dough and let it sit for about 4 hours (at around 25 C)
• Divide the dough into 12 muffin cups. Let it sit for 1 hour. (The dough will continue to puff up)
• Bake for 15 minutes at 375 F in a convection oven. Turn off the heat and let brioche stay in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Lessons learned:

• Just for the record, I did try to follow the original recipe and store the dough in the fridge over night. The dough was hard enough that we could roll it into small balls (Baby Martini enjoyed doing it tremendously). If you go with this recipe, the dough will be too sticky and too soft to roll.
• For the dough stored in the fridge, the brioche turned out to be pretty dense (more like bread). But brioche from this recipe has the texture between croissant and bread.
• I added a handful of lavender bloom in this batch. It was subtle, like biting off lavender-scented clouds. I might get braver and start to incorporate more flavors in brioche.

Final verdict:

• Stick to this recipe! Some people might snarl at how simplified the steps are and claim the end result is not brioche. Fine, buttery bun it is. But this is the recipe the Martinis will go by.

Backyard garden plan 2010 June update

TripleQ has been working slowly but steadily to remove the lawn in the marked area.

Before the weather gets unbearably hot, I managed to salvage as many plants as I can from the triangular patch behind the house.

• Bleeding hearts have been moved to next to the compost.
• Geranium has not done well after being transplanted.
• A loner hydrangea (which came as a gift with foil wrap and ribbons and miraculously survives after being planted in the ground) is moved to the spot next to Iris. It is finally free from weeds, for a while.
• Moved 1 spirea to a pot temporarily

It has been the quintessential "survivor-the-fittest" in the triangular patch. It was so full (of weed) and lively but TripleQ is so fed up with the messiness. Being so close to the house, I have to agree that we should start with a clean slate. The current game plan is to transplant or remove all the plants in the area. Extend the gravel coverage (from under the deck). Planting will only happen within the circle made by wedge bricks. TripleQ has done an impressive job on clearing up the area. He even put in bricks to mock up the planting area. Now there are only one spirea and one boxwood on site. We'll move them when it's cooler.

More about the simple plan for the backyard:
Simple plan
Simple plan-revised
Victoria Day long weekend update