I ended up with a bag of vital wheat gluten. It says on the bag: "Added to bread dough, it helps retain the gas and steam from baking and gives more volume to the baked bread. It can be especially helpful for baking breads made with coarse, whole grain flours." So I decided to use it to make an entirely whole wheat no-knead bread, which is currently doing it's long rise on the top of my refrigerator. I used the tips from Cook's Illustrated No-Knead Bread 2.0, and here is the recipe I'm using:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour (I used Stone-Buhr).
• 1/4 teaspoon instant (aka Rapid Rise, QuickRise, Instant Active Dry, Perfect Rise, or Bread Machine Yeast) yeast
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten (a recipe on the bag called for 2 T. for a loaf using 4 1/2 C flour so I guessed on my amount)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons beer (an American style lager is best, say Bud Light, though all I could find was Fosters at our local market)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add wet ingredients and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. (I needed to add a teeny bit more water.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. I put it on top of my fridge, today it's supposed to be in the 80s here so I'll probably move it to the landing on the stairs.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Put down a square of parchment paper and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. I lift it into a mixing bowl, cover with a cotton towel or plastic wrap again and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 4 to 6 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. I put in the lid as well, but next to the pot instead of on the pot. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Lift the parchment with the dough on it from the mixing bowl into the hot pot, be careful. Shake pot once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 [10 or 15] minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I had the chance to spend a delightful afternoon at Curio Confections with a friend, sipping cool wine on a warm afternoon and eating as much yumminess as I could handle. Everything here was so good I kept wishing I hadn't eaten lunch. I chatted a bit with one of the owners who told me that the place is still a work in progress but I found everything about it to be charming already. They are set in an old house and have seating in the front as well as in a back room with lots of windows that felt like a bright porch in the afternoon light. Curio Confections has only been open since the 23rd, and until next week they can only accept cash so come prepared.

Curio Confections
5509 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(Near Pizza Pi and the Historic University Theater)
206-420-8493

In the mornings they have coffee, and in the evenings they offer beer and wine. On Sundays they offer a brunch menu. When we were there they had pastries as well as pot pies, a quiche and a delicious looking baked potato casserole, so stopping in for dinner would be well worth it.

They offer a bunch of charmingly packaged confections to go:

This Nougat de Montelimar bar is the one that DeLaurenti sells, along with a selection of the caramels:

We split the adorable lemon meringue you see above and this incredibly tasty combination of raspberries and nectarines (I think) topped with tender lemon shortbread:

I had a glass of the Moscato, which was crisp and cool and had all those summer fruit flavors you want on a sunny afternoon.

I also tried the Pates de Fruit, the darker one was blackberry and Maggi declared it tasted just like summer:

This was just amazing, this is a Brie Caramel and I really wish I had bought every last one before I left. It was infused with the sort of deliciousness that is hard to describe and I tend to just want to insist that you go, now, and try one yourself:

I bet the Goats Milk Caramels, pictured above, are equally as delicious.

I wish we could have stayed long enough to become hungry again and eat dinner, here is a shot of a pot pie in the pastry case:

They also have an amazing range of gift boxes and tags, which I was told are all made by one of the owners:

Let's look at the adorable lemon meringue again, shall we?

See also: write up in Daily Candy. And thank go to Curio Confections for allowing me to take pictures!

Pimm's explained by a real British person, in this case our beloved Paola of mirrormirror. At Shelterrific.

Benedictine Caviar and Cherry Heering Caviar recipes for the Singapore Slingshot, at Spirits and Cocktails. I think cocktails might be the thing to finally get me to learn to use that sodium alginate stuff.

Classic Cocktails? at Ask Metafilter.

The best wine importers, at Slate.

Two salads from Smitten Kitchen endive and celery salad with fennel vinaigrette and broccoli slaw.

What is your favourite curry house on Brick Lane? at Ask Metafilter. Friends who live in the UK were telling me about Brick Lane and I'm determined to visit it myself someday.

Why doesn't Hazelnut/Almond flavoring taste like their namesakes? at Ask Metafilter.

New tricks for your coffee at Brownie Points.

Pizza Porn at Splatgirl Creates.

Table Salt Cones at Instructables.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes at Joy the Baker.

Pasta? Cake? Pastacake at Edible Crafts.

I'd like to somehow caffeinate the cookies I bake. at Ask Metafilter.

The May 2nd Splendid Table included a segment on the history of Stadium Mustard in Cleveland, including explaining why there are two kinds, Stadium and Ballpark, and why one is sold at football games and the other at baseball games. I grew up knowing this as what mustard was, all that yellow stuff seemed strange to me when I first encountered it later in life.

Me? I fall firmly on the side of Authentic Stadium Mustard, and it seems half of Cleveland agrees with me. More about the mustard at All Things Cleveland, and at Chowhound. (Image from allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com.)

Crystalized orange, yum, at Brownie Points.

Understanding health risks and rewards in what you eat and drink, at Rebecca Blood. This article explains a nice bit.

Tasty crops for a gin garden? at Ask Metafilter

Space Invaders Cutting Boards at ThinkGeek

Prosciutto Dijon and Gruyere Puffs, gah, yum, ahh. At Joy the Baker.

Do you rinse off your chicken before cooking? at Ask Metafilter.

Edamame Hummus at Pink of Perfection

Porcelain #4 Size Coffee Cone Filter Holder with only one hole!. This search was inspired by this post over at Super Eggplant. Granted, we use our over-the-cup drip maker for single cups and a #4 may be way too large. Maybe using #2 filters in the #4 cone will work out?

We're having a "tiny food" party / BBQ, and I need menu suggestions. at Ask Metafilter. I will never tire of tiny foods.

This is yummy, easy to make and well worth the leftovers since it tastes even better after a day in the fridge. I first had it as part of a frozen foods swap (like a soup swap but with dinners) and have been meaning to make it ever since. The recipe is from The Silver Palate Cookbook. You cook it in a little white wine, leaving you with the rest of the bottle to sip while it's in the oven. I think I need to make a collection of recipes that involve a bit of leftover wine and a good long cooking time.

Chicken Marbella

This was the first main-course dish to be offered at The Silver Palate shop, and the distinctive colors and flavors of the prunes, olives, and capers have kept it a favorite for years. It's good hot or at room temperature. When prepared with small drumsticks and wings, it makes a delicious appetizer.

The overnight marination is essential to the moistness of the finished product: The chicken keeps and even improves over several days of refrigeration; it travels well and makes excellent picnic fare.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely puréed
1/4 cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each), quartered
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.

4. Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice when pricked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

5. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley or cilantro. Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

16 pieces, 10 or more portions

Note: To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in the cooking juices before transferring the pieces to a serving platter. If the chicken has been covered and refrigerated, reheat it in the juices, then allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the chicken.

(From The Silver Palate Cookbook. Prettier picture and oh so much more at Simply Recipes.)

Cakespy has up our story about taking a trip to Freed's Bakery in Las Vegas to get slices of wedding cake. It was a fun adventure and I was really happy to be able to be a Cakespy for Jessie.

Oh my gosh, I must own this. A personal mini donut maker. All just for you. I mean me. All for me.

Think of the Sunday morning possibilities. Just you, your paper, you coffee and delicious hot fresh donuts.

(This image is from ThinkGeek, where it's also sold.)

I absolutely love this, a creme brulee branding iron that is heated in the fireplace of Savoy, where it's served. According to the owner: “It adds a nice ‘fireplace flavor’ to the dessert".

(Quote taken from the story in New York Magazine, photo credit Melissa Hom, and via Brandon of Delancey, which I'm anticipating opening soon.)

This pasta is my go to dinner for nights when I'm feeling lazy but I still sort of want to cook but I can't really decide just what I want and what's the point anyhow. I first got the recipe from Shelterrific, pasta with broccoli rabe, and have made just a few changes to make it have a bit less fat in it (I know, I know, but it's still good, promise).

I had a week where the idea of using a little pasta water slapped me upside the head. I read How Much Water Does Pasta Really Need? in the New York Times where Harold McGee talks about the extra starchy water created after boiling pasta in a smaller amount of water. (He reminded me of the description of restaurant pasta water in Bill Buford's book Heat.) That same week I listened to the February 7th episode of Splendid Table where the tables are turned and Lynne Rossetto Kasper talks about the importance of adding pasta water. And then Shelterrific took Harold McGee's recipe into their test kitchen.

cranky night pasta with kale

Boil some water, a bit less than you think you'll need. Figure out if you have some blanched kale in the freezer, if not chop some fresh kale. (Sigh deeply at how much work this is.) Mince a few cloves of garlic. (A garlic press is totally acceptable here.) Dig the crushed red pepper flakes out of your mess of a spice drawer.

Put the pasta in the boiling water and set a timer. Get out a large frying pan and pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil in the center. When the pasta has about four minutes left dump the kale into the pot (two minutes if you're using frozen). Turn on the heat under the olive oil. Just about when the pasta is going to be ready to come out add the garlic to the olive oil pan and cook until it's just, barely, almost starting to turn golden.

Use a large strainer or slotted spoon or something to move the pasta and kale over from the pot of water into the frying pan. Add a little ladle of the pasta water. Move around so the garlic is mixed in well. Add salt and pepper and, just before moving it to bowls, a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Ta da!

If we're really hungry I also make this chicken breast recipe (technique?) that I first found at The Kitchen.

surprisingly moist boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat a bit of butter and olive oil in a pan. Dredge some chicken breasts through salted and peppered flour (add chopped herbs if you have any). Put the chicken in the pan and just cook it so that each side is turning golden. Put a heavy lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and set the timer for 10 minutes. Walk away and don't lift the lid. After ten minutes take the pan off the heat, lid still on!, and let it sit for another ten minutes. You're done.

Our upcoming nuptials mean we've been popping champagne corks more than usual. The last time we visited the lovely Kay she showed off this little champagne stopper that had little arms that grab underneath the rim on the neck of the bottle (where the twisted bit of wire grabs). So far, it's worked great. We've even managed to keep the champagne bottle cold using our Vacu Vin ice pack, though at this rate we'll have to invest in an attractive champagne bucket soon.

I found this champagne stopper at the grocery store in the wine aisle, but you can find them on Amazon, along with a few that are more expensive but have a bit of a nicer design: WMF Clever and Blomus.