happy easter

Resurrection Buns

Combine:

• 2 Tbsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water

Let mixture rise. (indeed)

Combine in large mixing bowl:

• 3 cups warm water
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar

Add the yeast mixture and then add 10 cups of white flour and mix together until no longer sticky. You will probably need to add more flour as you adjust the texture. Kneed until smooth and elastic. (Approx. 8-10 minutes) Let rise in a greased bowl until double.

To form buns, cut off egg size pieces from the dough and pop a large marshmallow into the centre of your dough piece and pinch securely around the marshmallow. Roll on the the table to smooth the ball of dough into a nice bun shape. Dip top of ball into melted butter and roll in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise for 90 minutes. Bake at 390 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Makes 40-50 buns.

hope floats

Speaking of GROANING...

I got invited to do the swim portion of the Morden Triathlon last year and fared quite well, but had an interesting experience, which lead me to believe that I'm perhaps not invincible.
The race organizer announced in the pre-race meeting that the water temperature fell within the range to allow wetsuits, to every one's relief. I, on the other hand, had never practiced swimming with mine, although I came equipped with it. Many people like the suits because of the warmth and the added buoyancy.

The race began and we all politely made our way into the water without fighting for positions. I was swimming along...swim...swim...swim...when suddenly I felt the long large zipper at the back of my suit open, and my suit begin to fill with cold, cold lake water. I began to panic. What happens when a suit gets completely filled? Will I sink? Should I call out for help and get pulled from the water and therefore disqualify myself? What would my relay team members think?
The suit didn't continue to fill and so some of the panic left me. I managed to redo the zipper and compose myself. Just a moment or so later I was back into active stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe mode. After the 2 kilometers of self speak, I came out of the water ahead of perhaps 50% of the pack, and feeling quite pleased with myself for pressing on when panic came, and for finishing well.

It wasn't until some time alone during the 90 minute drive home that I suddenly began to feel fragile. I remembered the feelings of panic I had in the water when I thought I was going to go down. The feelings were foreign. I felt out of control. I thought of my wife and kids. I thought that perhaps my recent decision to rethink my concept of God was ill-timed. I remembered someone once telling me that dying by drowning is a horrible thing but that the moment just before death, there is an experience of euphoria or ecstasy, or some crazy thing like that. Then I thought, well, if that's true, how do they know that's true? Who's the guy they get to do the experiment?

This year I heard rumblings that I will be asked again, which would suit me fine. I just hope that I can remain bouyant after losing all of this winter baggage. Hopefully the day will be another cold one and we can use the wet suits once again.

you say fah-ZHWAY-dah, I say fay-ZHWA-dah

Moosewood Vegetarian Feijoada

tapas

I've had tapas on the brain lately. So I made some...again...and will continue to do so every other Friday until my restaurant opens. If I get around to it, I'll eventually invite everyone who is interested in joining the crew who have passed through my Friday back door. Be prepared for much more than great tapas, but you'll have to be here to find out what you're missing.