The doldrums, people. I have them. Everyone I know gets them, usually in those long, cold or dreary winter months. I can count on Matthias to have them in December, my parents get theirs in January, my sister Abbie's arrive a little earlier during March, but mine commence shortly after. March, April, and May you are going to be the death of me.
East coasters, am I wrong? Does it not feel like forever since you felt the sun on your face for more than two hours at a time on two consecutive days? Last year when I came to New York at the beginning of May from perpetually foggy, damp, and drizzly Vancouver, I cannot remember wearing anything but sundresses and cardigans, and learning quickly about the evils of iced coffee. Now, I am sitting at my desk typing with one hand to keep my other warm with my third cup of tea.
We have tried several cures for this unbreakable spell of gray doom that has settled on my mind and my heart. (One involved wayyyy too much bourbon in the form of mint juleps; fun, but not exactly responsible). But, only two have really worked. On Saturday we braved the Union Square Greenmarket and were rewarded with ramps, wild asparagus, French radishes, the freshest of eggs, and bacon. We wanted to have the vegetable feast on Sunday, but we accidentally got too full on french toast for breakfast. Monday came, windy and fickle, and by dinner we ditched ramps and asparagus with crusty bread for a much warmer chana masala. Yesterday, not to be deterred any longer by my doldrums, we forced our plates into spring. We made mushrooms, and ramps, and shallots, and it was glorious.
And tonight, rain showers be damned, I shook my fist at the slate-colored skies and said, 'I have been dreaming of that Georgian cheese bread from May's Gourmet and it is high time we indulged in it.' Also, about that asparagus, we decided to roast instead of steam and dress with a vinaigrette, because everyone knows that roasting is what you do to food in the winter, and what you do as a person in the summer. Since it was clearly closer to the former outside, we extracted the fullest, richest flavor from that beautiful wild asparagus and subsequently stuck our tongues out at the raindrops. Because, at this point, maturity is futile. I am one raindrop away from a fed-up-with-'spring'-tantrum.
Seriously, I love green vegetables, but the bread helped more. It is squishy and its chewiness makes your teeth feel so very useful, and its perfectly salty cheese, rich with egg and yeast makes your tongue feel jubilant and at the end your tummy will feel all warm.
Cross my heart and kiss my elbow.
Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
Gourmet, May 2008
(Adapted from Natia Gigani, Caucasus Travel Ltd., Republic Of Georgia)
This is the silkiest, loveliest dough to 'punch down' every hour of the rise. It seems a shame to use such violent words on such a smooth, innocent ball, but words will fail you too after you have eaten it. Just be sure to squeeze as hard as you can to get the water out of that ball of cheeses, as both are quite moist.
Ingredients
2.25 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-oz package)
7 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
1.6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
.25 lb Havarti cheese, coarsely grated.
25 lb salted mozzarella, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)
Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Serve cut into wedges.
or you could just drink these:
