Flour Power
My spouse has a problem.
It took me a while to realize, since everything started so innocently. I mean, as a single person, I myself always kept all-purpose flour around, so it wasn’t strange when my spouse bought an extra-large-mouthed container to house it in. The excuse? It was difficult to measure out the flour in a smaller container. “OK,” I thought. “That makes sense.” And, I admit, it is easier to use than some of our other containers.
When whole-wheat flour showed up on the shelf that, too, made sense—a little more hearty and wholesome to counteract the bleached-enriched thing.
Then came the bread flour and I began to wonder. Again, the excuses: “It’s finer than regular flours. Better for baking….” I raised an eyebrow. I like to bake, but, since it’s labor intensive and we’re mere working-stiff mortals, it doesn’t happen that often…for either of us. That one loaf of bread was good, though….
Next, a small bag of chickpea flour made its way into the house. Chickpea flour?! I didn’t even know such a thing existed. We used it once to make something called “chickpea fries” for a dinner party. I admit, they were tasty (if a bit crumbly for something likening themselves to french fries). But, again, we’ve used the flour ONCE.
I have no idea when the rice flour and tapioca flour showed up to join the free-for-all, or what their particular talents are, but there they are on the shelf. That makes half a dozen flours!
I guess it’s time for some flour-induced creativity in the kitchen.
In the meantime, somebody really should tell my spouse: “It’s not flours. It’s flowers. You should bring your love flowers.”
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January 22nd, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
All right, I know I need to bring flowers more often, but I think I have legitimate reasons for the various flours:
1. I’m fairly certain we’ve used all of the whole wheat flour, which went into making many things including multiple instances of home made pasta and a couple of breads.
2. We (the dinner group) bought the chickpea flour not me. (And I prefer to follow a recipe I’ve never made and am not familiar with as closely to the letter as possible the 1st time, after that I’ll adjust/modify/wing it).
3. Bread flower, according to Beth Hensberger in “The Bread Bible,” creates “a more elastic dough and light-textured bread.” And you’ve had its rewards in more than just the one loaf of bread (which would have been two if a certain someone with grubby paws hadn’t made one entire loaf disappear without a trace)–cinnamon rolls, for example.
4. Almost every time I make Dim Sum I’ve used the tapioca flour to make the “wrapper.” You’ve got to admit, those three-mushroom dumplings are yummy!
5. Rice flour? We have rice flour? You’re just making that up….. aren’t you?
Anyway, hopefully your readers realize I could have much worse habits than buying multiple types of flours. Hey doesn’t a local bakery use sesame flour in one of their breads I wonder what that tastes like…..
January 23rd, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Hey Mister Passion Ate Rations! Bring your wife some damned flowers
p.s. Glad to hear you’re feeling better.
January 25th, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
If The Spouse can’t bring Flowers, then he should get in the kitchen and get bakin’. Obviously you need more cupcakes and homemade bread in your life.
January 26th, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
He comes by not bringing flowers naturally. Would you like to have my whole rye bread receipe? You boil whole rye kernels in molasses syrup water and the result after all this work is heavenly, not the white sponge stuff you buy in the store.Fresh out of the oven with good butter on it, heavenly.
January 27th, 2007 @ 9:52 am
D’oh! I just realized that I have three or four different kinds of rice in my cabinet. I’m suffering the same illness with a different dry good.
I’ve got Jasmine rice, Hoshizaki short grain, brown basmati, brown long-grain, and a bit of arborio too.