Homemade Bagels

I made my first batch of bagels for brunch this morning. I used a recipe from the internet that used my bread machine to make the dough, then I boiled them on my stove and baked them in the oven. They were markedly better than any bagel I have ever purchased in the Washington DC metro area. That didn't surprise me, because the half-life of a fresh bagel is about 30 minutes. What did surprise me is that they are now, 8 hours later, still significantly better than any bagel I have ever purchased in the Washington DC metro area. What gives? Why can nobody here make a decent bagel? Or am I looking in the wrong place?

In case you were curious, the recipe:

BREAD MACHINE BAGELS

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 cups bread flour
1 package active dry yeast
large pot of boiling water
cornmeal
egg white

Directions
1. Place water, salt, sugar, flour and yeast in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select "Bagel Dough" setting.
2. When cycle is complete, let dough rest on a lightly floured surface. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten balls. Poke a hole in the middle of each with your thumb. Twirl the dough on your finger or thumb to enlarge the hole, and to even out the dough around the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle an ungreased baking sheet with cornmeal. Carefully transfer bagels to boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes, turning half way through. Drain briefly on clean towel. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. Glaze tops with egg white, and sprinkle with your choice of toppings.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until well browned.

Topping
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon kosher salt

This recipe is foolproof. I know this, because I am a fool.

Original Post: http://donrockwell.com/index.php?showtopic=5376&st=50&gopid=180140&#entry180140

Christmas Eve 2010

When my parents first moved to Arlington, it was Christmas Eve and their pots and pans were all in boxes. Faced with the daunting task of unpacking and then cooking, they decided instead to go out for dinner. They lived in the Lyon Village neighborhood, and the only thing open that night was a Chinese place called Wah Ying's. It was in the Lyon Village Shopping Center, where the Italian Store is now. And every Christmas Eve since then, my family has had Chinese food. This year, I decided to cook it for us. I made a number of great things, most from Fushia Dulop's cookbooks. But I came up with one on my own, which was based on a recipe from the Internet:

VEGETABLE LO MEIN

Ingredients
1 lb fresh lo mein noodles
5 green onions, sliced into 2” pieces
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup pea pods
1/2 cup shredded Chinese cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup mushrooms
3 tablespoons peanut oil

Sauce:
5 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:
Cut noodles to manageable length and boil noodles as directed; rinse under cold water and drain. Make sauce by combining soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, salt, and cornstarch. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add ginger and garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Stir in vegetables and sauce. Stir fry for 1 or 2 minutes, until mostly cooked. Add noodles and stir fry until finished.

Thanksgiving 2010

After I graduated from law school in 2001, I moved back to the area and decided that I wanted to cook Thankgiving dinner for my family. It went so well that, ever since then, I have hosted Thanksgiving. I made a number of recipes, most of which were from Emeril, including "The Perfect Bird," the single best roasted turkey recipe imaginable. One easy recipe from Emeril that I have adapted as my own is his recipe for pumkpin bread pudding. The recipe follows:

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups canned pumpkin purée (unseasoned)
6 cups cubed day-old bread

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a large (3 quart) casserole or (10 x 14 inch) baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, brown sugar, cream and milk. Stir in vanilla, spices, pumpkin purée, and bread, blending thoroughly. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pour into casserole or baking dish. Bake until just firm, 1 hour. Cool pudding in dish on a baking rack and serve.