Daring Baker's Challenge: Povitica

The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

I'm disappointed that my Povitica did not come out as beautiful as I would of liked =( The loaf pan I used for the traditional walnut filling was  too big and therefore the design wasn't right plus you can't see the contrast between the dough and the filling. At least it tastes good.

I made a half batch, which yielded 2 loafs. One I filled with the traditional walnut filling and the second I filled with a frangipane-esque type filling. It was based on regular frangipane paste plus I added some cocoa (in hopes to get the contrast) and some milk to thin it out. The second loaf I baked in a smaller pan and thankfully it came out a lot better!

I've enjoyed the Daring Baker's challenges I've done so far. It has been fun learning about new recipes, especially ones like Povitica, which I would never have known existed. Maybe I'll try making Povitica again because some of the other Daring Baker's had such great results.

Povitica with Chocolate "Frangipane" Filling

Weekend Cooking Part 2: Clam Chowder

Last weekend, I also made clam chowder. I was hoping to put it in bread bowls, but the Safeway near me doesn't have a bakery and is therefore very lacking in the fresh bread department. Instead, I served it with a sourdough baguette and it was almost as delicious.

My clam chowder was loosely based on this recipe, but I used 3 cans of minced clams plus a small bottle of clam juice. Instead of milk and cream I mixed in half & half for the creaminess.

Yummy Bowl of Clam Chowder!

Weekend Cooking Part 1: Tacos

Over the weekend, I made steak tacos and clam chowder for Ryan and myself. Both recipes came out well, and I would make them again. 

First, the tacos were based on a recipe from Tyler Florence. I used his recipe for mojo as a base and tweaked it a little bit to my preferences and what I had on hand. I wish I had skirt steak instead of flank, but I was happy with the final product. Next time, I will add more chipotles because, while the marinade had good flavor I want it to have a little more of a kick.

Ryan's Plate of Tacos with Side of Mexican Rice

Mojo Steak Tacos

adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 lb skirt or flank steak

Marinade:

5 garlic cloves

1 chipotle in adobo plus some adobo sauce

1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 limes, juiced

1 orange, juiced

2 tbs red wine vinegar

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

For Tacos:

Corn or flour tortillas

Guacamole

Tomatoes

Salsa

Shredded lettuce

Sour cream

Cheese

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a food processor and pulse together until it forms a paste.
2. Place the steak into a resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
3. Take the steak out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Cook on a grill or cast iron pan to desired doneness.
5. Serve on tortillas with any toppings you like. I think that guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream make the perfect taco!