Morningstar Farms, What did you do?

I don't normally write product reviews for the blog, but after buying two new products, I just had to.


Whenever new phony meat products debut in the stores, I feel the need to quickly buy and sample. I like having these convenience foods on hand for the nights that I have crazy schedules. I haven't had too many awful experiences. Until now.


I was recently at Shoprite, when I saw Morningstar Farm's answer to the ubiquitous McRibs sandwich and then their take on some sort of Jimmy Deanesque maple flavored sausage. Aside from the kosher aspect, I now know why I have never eaten the treifed up versions. These stuff is awful. Upon pulling the "ribz" out of the box and microwaving as per the instructions, I was struck by the whole goop factor. I still gave it the benefit of the doubt. J and I sat down with a tortilla and "rib" and got to work. After one bite we had enough.

Now on to the maple flavored sausages patties. Never again. Even my younger daughter who eats everything she can chew - she wouldn't touch these sausage patties. The smell alone...it smelled like I had spilled a bottle of fake maple syrup product all over my kitchen floor. I am forever disappointed that Morningstar Farms has decided to venture to the dark side. They should have left well alone with the Grillers and nuggets, but damn that adventurous streak of theirs.

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BBA Challenge #3: Bagels

I was debating whether or not to post this challenge. I already made bagels a while ago for the blog. These bagels didn't come out as planned, so I was a bit embarassed to post them. Alas, this is the Bread Baker's challenge. Not all recipes will come out as intended. The challenge is to create and share. As far as the flop, I know where I flopped. I overproofed and underglutenized the dough. This flop should not happen again. The bagels didn't taste bad - they just weren't right.

This bagel recipe is quite different and a bit more complex than what I posted a month or so ago. This bagel is intended to be a two-day adventure. You start the process in the early evening hours, and finish up in time for breakfast the next morning.

You start with a sponge made up of high gluten flour, yeast, and water. The sponge will grow and grow, and keep growing until it's ready to be used.







You then mix up the rest of the ingredients, including the special barley malt syrup. This dough should get stiff.





You must knead the dough well. Helps the dough and helps you get a good workout at the same time.

Divide the dough into 4oz. balls of dough for the bagels and let them rest a bit.





Poke the holes in the bagels and let them rest a bit, but not too long, so as not to overproof.




Do a "float test" on the bagel. You are checking to see if the bagels are ready to go to sleep in the fridge for the night. If they float, you cover the formed raw bagels and stick them in the fridge. Clean up a bit and go to sleep.




In the morning, you are ready to get going again. Get your oven preheated, and the pot of water with malt syrup and/or baking soda added, ready to boil your bagels. While you wait on the oven and the water, have some coffee.



Boil the bagels for 1-2 minutes per side, then add your toppings, and then in to the oven they go for 10 minutes.


Let them rest for a bit to cool down. Enjoy!







Stay tuned for BBA#4 - Project Brioche

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