Project Food Blog? Yeah, I entered
At first it sounded really awesome.
Like, “wow, imagine if I made it passed the first round?” and then i set up my profile and realized I’d actually have to DO stuff to make people think I would make a great contestant.
In truth, I am but a little fish in a big pond… And there are so many bloggers, AKA the big fish, out there that I LOVE and know they will survive several rounds in this contest… but I think I have my own special little things that set me apart from others and will at least get me passed the first round.
(its a long shot but what have i got to lose?)
I’m an every day cook.

I’ve had a passion for cooking ever since I was little.

Hell, I remember setting up my teddy bears at the dining table and teaching them how to make a Turkey sandwich at the age of 7 after spending a day with grannie watching Julia Child on tv.

And I remember the first batch of pancakes I ever made when I was 9. They couldn’t just be regular pancakes either. They had to be banana pancakes. Hideous, still runny and MESSY banana pancakes that my father ate (and lived to tell the tale). The passion has always been there.

I’ve always made the every day stuff and one day I just felt like challenging myself to do something different.

Making bread.

I didnt start my bread making projects until about 2 years ago, when i started this blog. My bread making?…Never a strong point in my cooking. EVER.

But I love a challenge!

I would always make a loaf, hate it and say I was done with it… then hate myself more for almost giving up and would get back in there and try it all over again.

I stared at the Focaccia recipe.

I read it over several times. Psyching myself up for this momentous task.

“I can do this. i can DO this!”

I have a bread maker… that might be cheating.

But i’ve ruined plenty of doughs in the bread maker before…so there is SOME skill required i’m sure.

I manned up.

And I prepped that dough cycle.

3 cups of flour, 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar.

Set it and prayed for the best.

While my dough was being kneaded I prepped the topping.

1 onion thinly sliced, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 cup of sliced black olives, 1.5 tbsp dried oregano, and a sprinkle of sea salt (i nixed the feta cheese it called for…but it TOTALLY didn’t need it)

Paper thin, sliced onions. Or as close to paper thin as I could slice…i am quite clumsy- cant risk losing my digits!

Caramelize the onions in the olive oil. When they are done, set them aside.

In a greased 9 x 13 baking pan, arrange your dough and make dimples in it with your fingers. Cover the dough with a tea towel and place somewhere warm to rise for 30 mins or until its doubled in size.

I used my microwave…i like to think its a quicker method- but one must never rush rising dough…

Preheat the oven to 400*.

When its done rising, spread your onions (and oniony oil), olives, oregano and salt over the fluffy dough and re-dimple the surface with your fingers.

Bake for 20-25 mins or until edges are golden brown.

How about that for the average cook?

For the cook that always messes up bread.

This focaccia smelled DIVINE.

It looked fantastic.

and when it cooled for a few minutes, i impatiently served myself a slice. Took a bite…

and cried.

It was the best thing I have ever made in the bread category to date.

Persistence is key.

Sometimes you gotta make a few mistakes to get it right… And after 4 slices of this bread on a rainy sunday, i packed up the leftovers and promised them to someone – because left on my own with this bread – it would have ended ugly.

So this is my hopeful entry. The entry that shows what kind of blogger I am and what sets me apart from the others…
THE POLLS ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN! CAST YOUR VOTES HERE
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