Poetry

I couldn't let National Poetry Month pass without a poem or two on the literary form. If I connect with a poem, I see beauty, truth, and empathy in its simplest, purest form. Or, put another way, here is what poetry is to me:

Some People Think

James Laughlin

poetry should be a-

dorned or complicated I'm

not so sure I think I'll

take the simple statement

in plain speech compress-

ed to brevity I think that

will do all I want to do.

Poetry Is

Poetry is written in a conversation between the heart and the mind, when the

Work of the dual authorship pours forth like a river spilling over its banks,

Breaking the damn of intuition with each breath, each beat, each impulse until

A part of you is covered in the mud of experiences, emotions, ideas and

Flooded with sparse wording on the pathway to eternity, the topography of truth.

*****

Certainly, one could say brioche is the poetry of food. Not only does the word, French in origin, roll off the tongue but these rolls will melt in your mouth. They are rich and decadent due to the eggs and butter. You may prepare these rolls in their traditional form (with a small ball of dough on top) or in their simplest shape to suit you.

Brioche Rolls

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

½ cup lukewarm (90-to-110-degrees F) water

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 eggs

¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten

Coarse sea salt, if desired

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together yeast and water. Set aside until yeast becomes active and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
3. Combine flours, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Add yeast mixture and stir well to combine. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add butter and knead until all ingredients well combined.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with the heels of your hands until dough comes together to be smooth and soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Set in a warm place to rise until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece firmly into a smooth, well-formed ball and place on the prepared pan, spaced equally apart. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Brush tops of rolls with egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
8. Bake at 375°F until rolls are a deep golden brown color, about 20 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen rolls

Cathedral

A season left to itself will always move, however slowly, 
under its own patience, power and volition. (57) 
Consolations by David Whyte

Spring beckons from the window in the arches above my head in the library. Yes, we forgive her tardy arrival for she enshrines the true cathedral of our soul, nature and all her simple joys and full glory.

The first flowers of the year are popping up despite the fact that I haven't cleaned the beds. They work their way through the remaining leaves from last fall's drop to surprise and delight.

Hope multiplies and faith returns. Faith such as this could never be written in a book or found in any structure no matter how ornate. Nothing could be more spiritual than a walk amongst such sacred blooms.

Before you head outdoors today and tomorrow, you can get these rolls started to enjoy for dinner. I continue to immerse myself in making rolls and have a handful of recipes still to come before my culinary interests choose a new path. Join me as the journey continues.

Honey Spelt Rolls

½ cup warm (110º F) water

⅓ cup honey

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

¼ cup 2% or whole milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2+ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups spelt flour

¼ cup dry buttermilk powder

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1. In a small bowl, combine water, ⅓ cup honey, and yeast. Set aside until mixture becomes frothy, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, combine 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, spelt flour, buttermilk powder, and salt. Fold in yeast and egg mixtures.
4. Knead with the mixer, using the dough hook, on medium-low speed, about 5 to 8 minutes. If dough is sticky, add up to an additional ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading after each addition until dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Place dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
6. Butter two 9-inch pie plates. Divide dough into 16 equal-size pieces. On a cutting board, cup your hand over 1 dough piece; roll firmly against the board to form a smooth ball. Place one ball in center of each pie plate. Roll and evenly arrange another 7 balls around each center ball, evenly spacing them. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until balls touch and fill pie plate, about 45 to 60 minutes.
7. Whisk together 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Lightly brush mixture over top of rolls.
8. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Let cool slightly in pie plates for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and break apart for serving.

Yield: 16 rolls

Spring

Linda Pastan

Just as we lose hope
she ambles in,
a late guest
dragging her hem
of wildflowers,
her torn
veil of mist,
of light rain,
blowing
her dandelion
breath
in our ears;
and we forgive her,
turning from
chilly winter
ways,
we throw off
our faithful
sweaters
and open
our arms.