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Friday, November 28, 2008

What to make after you get sick of turkey - Part I: Behold the [Pita] Bread
Posted by Jill | 10:30 AM
I'm taking a page from the Minstrel Boy today and sharing step-by-step instructions for the Greek-inspired Thanksgiving dinner we had at Casa la Brilliant yesterday. I realize that for most Americans, not having turkey, cranberries and assorted carbohydrates is exactly the kind of thing that Sarah Palin warned us about, but a turkey dinner is always better with lots of people bringing lots of dishes, resulting in a kind of American Traditional Tapas Bar. So while Matt Yglesias is being shunned in some quarters for his temerity in making a case against the Big Bird on lefty bloggers' favorite American holiday, I prefer a quieter approach to dashing tradition on the rocks of contemporary reality.

Today I know you'll be chowing down on leftover turkey sandwiches smeared with cranberries (though I think the idea posted in the comments at Minstrel Boy's cranberry post of leftover homemade cranberry sauce on a bagel with cream cheese sounds intriguing). But tomorrow you'll be sick of the Big Bird and you'll want something different. Here in the New York area, it's supposed to be colder tomorrow and raining by Sunday night, so you might want some nice comfort food in a casserole. So here you go, with accompaniments -- Authentic Greek Mother-in-Law (not mine, that of a former co-worker from many years ago) Pastitso with whole wheat pita and chopped salad.

First the pita. Bring your bread machine up from the basement and wipe down the dusty exterior. Then put into the loaf pan:

1-1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbs. shortening or butter
3/4 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups bread flour
2-1/3 tsp. yeast

Set it for the dough cycle and let it go. When the cycle is done, clear the cycle, then set it for dough again and let it go for 60 seconds. Then hold down the stop button to clear the cycle. You should have a nice ball of dough that holds together well. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven and preheat the oven and stone to 500 degrees. Yes, 500.

Then cut the ball in half, and then each half into 4-6 equally-sized pieces. This recipe will make 12 4" pitas or 8 6" pitas. Lightly dust a board with flour, setting some aside to keep your rolling pin dusted. Roll each piece into a round about 1/4" thick:

pita rolled out before baking


Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, if desired. Bake on the pizza stone for five minutes (yes, five minutes). Take out, cool slightly, and the put in a ziploc bag so that the breads un-puff, flatten, and stay soft. This is what you end up with:

pita ready to serve


Next up: The Salad

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3 Comments:
Blogger Jennifer said...
"exactly the kind of thing that Sarah Palin warned us about"
*snort*

I've never thought of making my own pita bread. You make it sound so easy, I'll have to give it a try.
11/28/08, 1:44 PM  
Blogger Bob said...
Turkey is always disappointing; any meat that's unappetizing unless drenched in gravy. But I love turkey soup with leftover stuffing cooked into it, & lots of noodles.
11/28/08, 6:22 PM  
Blogger Batocchio said...
Neat!

I made a Thai chicken stir-fry this year. It's very tasty.
11/29/08, 3:43 PM  
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