Don't be intimidated by yeast bread

For a new baker or a baker who has never attempted it, making simple and delicious homemade bread can be intimidating. In this day and age when you can buy an electric bread maker that will take most of the worry out of baking homemade bread, it is a shame to deny yourself the treat of not only eating a slice of bread warm from the oven (or bread maker), but of enjoying the aroma of bread baking in your home.

The trickiest part about making homemade bread is preparing the yeast. There are some very simple forms of yeast these days, and there is no real mystery to using it. The yeast packets you purchase at your local grocer include directions for activating the yeast, and it usually involves warm water.

It is really very simple, and some of the yeast that is made especially for the bread machines does not even need to be dissolved in water. You then add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix.

Kneading is another intimidating process. How to do it and how much to do it is the most confusing. Frankly, if you use a bread maker you will lose out on this very therapeutic task. Nothing helps work out frustration better than kneading bread.

After a few times, you will feel the difference in the elasticity of the dough and know when it has been kneaded enough. If you're a beginner, follow the directions to the letter in the recipe. Write yourself a note in the cookbook about how it worked for you so you will know if you need to make any adjustments in the future.

Bread machines do all the kneading for you. You basically put all the ingredients into the machine and turn it on. While this produces a nice warm load of bread, it is not quite a fulfilling as bread that you mix and knead yourself.

After kneading the bread, place it back in the bowl and cover and allow it to double in size. Try to find a warm place away from drafts, the inside of your oven is not a bad place. When it is raised, punch it down and allow it to rise again.

When it rises again it is time to place it into a baking pan and pop it into the oven. Watch the loaf closely the first time to be sure your oven temperature is correct and it doesn’t overcook.

When it has a golden brown crust and makes a hollow sound when you thump it, it is done. A thump is a tap or flick with your finger, do it quickly because you don’t want to get burned.

Allow baked bread to cool before slicing. It really is that simple. My favorite recipe is in the Betty Crocker Cookbook for a simple white bread, but there are so many others you can try after you have mastered the basic technique. You will notice that the Betty Crocker recipe does not call for the second rising of the dough, though many others do and you can choose to do it or not.

Websites for great pasta recipes

When you want to cook a pasta dish that you have never cooked before or maybe you want to duplicate a dish you ate in a restaurant you will need to look for websites for pasta recipes. Many great websites are available that can help you to find just the recipe you're looking for.

Barilla.com

Barilla markets itself as the official pasta of Italy and the company's website offers some great recipes to use their brand or whatever your personal favorite happens to be. Whether you are looking for appetizers, main courses or salads, this site has lots of choices. You can search by meal course, recipe difficulty and also by ingredients. It really does make finding a great recipe very easy.

Ronzoni.com

Ronzoni is another company that sells pasta, but they have an interesting Quick Cook variety that can cook in just three minutes. For today’s busy cooks, that is a major advantage. The website offers a large selection of recipes that can be searched by main ingredient, type of pasta and number of servings.

The Cooking Channel

The Cooking Channel features an entire section on pasta dishes. You can search for anything from Italian pasta to Asian noodle recipes. There is an Italian Cooking section and within that one for Perfect Pastas. Recipes are featured from Tyler Florence and Giada De Laurentis just to name two. Plenty of dishes are offered that feature meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. Pictures of the dishes are included.

The Food Network

The Food Network is where fans go to watch their favorite celebrity chef whip up pasta dishes. The site offers more than 3,500 recipes. Chances are, you will find at least a few that will become family favorites. They run the gamut from Paula’s Italian Pasta Salad to Melissa d’Arabian’s Lemony Shrimp Scampi Pasta and everything in between.

Jamie Oliver.com

For fans of the celebrity British chef, this website offers 53 of his best pasta recipes for you to duplicate in your home kitchen. Recipes such as Rigatoni with roasted tomatoes & ricotta salata and Southend-style pappardelle are among the ones you will be tempting your family and friends with.

Nigella.com

I personally am a huge fan of Nigella Lawson. Her website offers some fabulous pasta recipes including Pasta with ham, peas and cream and Sesame peanut noodles. Along with her own recipes, many visitors have offered their own suggestions for pasta dishes.

These are just a few of the many websites for pasta recipes. All you need to do is search the type of pasta dish you want to make and see all the choices that pop up.

Richard's Place Ocala Florida

I have been wanting to try Richard's Place for the last four years. It comes up near the top of any search for the best breakfast in Ocala.  That alone made it irresistible to me. What has stopped me from going there is that it is more than 10 miles away up in the NE section of Ocala. 

Last week we had an appointment at 10 am with an attorney very close to Richard's Place. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them a try. It is very much a local place and a bit of a hole in the wall. Take my advice and park in the back not on the side. I was almost taken out by a crazy driver as I tried to pull out of the side parking area, live, and learn. 

#richhardsplaceocala

At 10:30 on a Tuesday the place was hopping and we got the last booth, who would have guessed? The special was corned beef hash. I asked if it was homemade and was told the corned beef was canned but that it was one of their most popular dishes. They brought me a sample to try. They were right, it was very good, that is what I ordered. Al opted for the steak and eggs. 

#richardsplaceocala

It was a very tasty and tender steak served with two eggs and homefries. I did not leave even one morsel of my corned beef on my plate, yup I will be coming back for more. The prices are very reasonable and the service was very friendly. I now know why Richards Place is one of the most popular places to get breakfast I just wish I lived a little closer. 

Best brunch in Quebec City

When people are discussing the best brunch in Quebec City the one name that comes up most often is Le Cafe du Monde.Tucked along the St Lawrence River at the very end of Rue Dalhousie the Le Cafe Du Monde may be a little hard to find if you don't know the area. Go looking for it anyway, you won't be disappointed. They are quite famous for their Sunday Brunch. 

It is recommended that you have a reservation for this very popular meal but if that isn't possible then go ahead and try a walk in, it will necessitate a wait but it is well worth it. You need to be able to climb stairs to dine here since the dining room is on the second floor. We just walked in and we got seated quite quickly. 

The restaurant has great views from all the windows but the most coveted seats are those along the riverside. Not matter which ones you get it will be light and bright and it is hard not to have at least a partial view of the St Lawrence River. The kitchen here is open and the chefs are a real bunch of hams and will mug for you if you want to take pictures, the hostess encourages it and they all get in the act.

The wait staff is very professional which can come across as a bit stiff and cold. Try speaking a little French to them and watch the thaw set in.

The brunch menu offers traditional brunch items as well as lunch items. Steak and fries are offered alongside breakfast items named after locations in France. Poached Eggs Lyonnaise pairs two poached eggs with duck confit, leeks, shallots, onions and white wine; The Provencal pairs two poached eggs with red and green peppers, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, and basil. If that isn't enticing enough try a healthy choice they offer yogurt, cranberry bread, muesli and a bowl of fresh berries. Pancakes are also offered as well as omelets and scrambled eggs.

There is no such thing as bad French bread and Le Cafe du Monde is no exception. A basket of wonderfully crisp rolls will appear on your table to keep your appetite under control while you wait for your main course.

Entree sizes are generous and the portions of the French fries quite huge. The ham sandwich is a magnificent creation of oozing cheese, sliced ham and mustard, very French and very delicious. 

A full bar is available if you would like to enjoy a cocktail.

Le Cafe du Monde serves lunch and dinner Mon-Sat and brunch on Sunday morning.