FAVORITE RECIPES:

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
3 cups whole-wheat flour
3 cups white flour

Heat the milk, brown sugar, butter and salt together in a saucepan.  Stir constantly and remove from heat when butter melts completely.  Cool until lukewarm.  Mix the water and sugar.  Sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir once and then let stand 7-10 minutes.

Mix in the warm milk.  Stir together the whole-wheat and white flours.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture.  Work the flour into the yeast, a little at a time.  Beat well, turn out on a lightly floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic–at least 5 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, over an hour.  Turn out on a board and knead again for 1-2 minutes. Divide in half, and shape into loaves.  Place in greased bread pans, 9×5×3 inches.  Cover and let rise again until center of dough is slightly higher than the edge of the pan, about 45 minutes.  Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.  The top should be brown and the bread should sound hollow when tapped lightly with the fingers.  Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

DODI’S FOCACCIA —EASY AND FORGIVING

1 1/2 cups regular flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 cups of water
1 package of yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup of olive and vegetable oils, mixed — 1/4 cup each

Let yeast activate on top of warm water for about 10 minutes.  Add all ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Let rise for 1 1/2 hours covered with a cloth. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour dough onto parchment, patting down with wet had.  Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh rosemary.  You can chop it.  I don’t because I end up being too lazy or in too much of a hurry. Cook at 425 for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 400 and cook for another 20 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil after removing from oven.  Serve immediately.   If you have leftovers, it’s so good for breakfast dipped in warm milk.

ELISABETH’S ALMOND CAKE

Recipe currently on loan to More Magazine

LUCA’S SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz thinly sliced pancetta, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 lb Mahogany clams or New Zealand cockles, scrubbed
1 cup bottled clam juice
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 small dried hot chiles (1-inch) or 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
14 oz dried thin spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté pancetta, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds.

Stir in clams, clam juice, wine, and chiles and boil, covered, until clams open, about 4 to 5 minutes (discard any clams that do not open after 6 minutes). If using whole chiles, remove with a slotted spoon and discard.

While clams are cooking, cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain in a colander, then add to clams and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.

Toss pasta with parsley and drizzle with remaining 5 tablespoons oil.

Serve with lots of crusty bread for dipping.

JANA’S CREAM SCONES

Recipe currently on loan to More Magazine