Rise to the challenge - Easy Peasy Focaccia Bread

If there's one thing that disappears almost as fast as the milk in this house, it's the bread.  What is it with males and bread?!  So when I put the chicken casserole in the oven to cook for a few hours, I thought I would be safe to leave it, bring it out just before tea time to cool a bit, and serve it with the trusty bread.  I should have known my darling Mr 4 year old would make himself a late afternoon snack, and demolish the bread that was left, while I was, oh I dunno, cleaning the toilet, or comforting the sick baby, or writing emails, or updating my Facebook status.

When I realised at 4:30pm that there was no bread, and none in the freezer, I turned to my recipe book shelf. "HELP ME!" I screamed.  And out jumped Annabel Langbein.  Focaccia bread.  Looks easy enough I thought.  I mean, how hard could it be, how could I possibly fail at making FLAT BREAD????  Surely you can't get any flatter than flat.  I'll give it a go.

You must do this people!  It's the easiest bread ever to make (I've made a few in my life), and as you can see from the results - it was a success! I give myself an A+ and a chocolate (or two) for that.

  
Here's the recipe, courtesy of Annabel Langbein's "The Free Range Cook"

FOCACCIA BREAD
(I actually halved this recipe shown below and made one bread, not two)

1 ½ cups warm (not hot) water
1 ½ tsp dry yeast granules
1 packed cup cooked mashed potato
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 ½ cups high grade flour (very important you use high grade for bread), plus extra for kneading
2 tsp salt

Topping
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
½ tsp sea salt

Place warm water in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle yeast over the water and allow to stand for 2 minutes (I was in a hurry so I used the instant dry yeast from the packet, makes the dough prove faster).  
Mix in the mashed potato (leftover from the hangi yesterday!)  and the ¼ cup olive oil. 
Stir in the flour and salt and mix until the dough just starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and using lightly oiled hands knead about 30 times (that's the part I like - only 30 kneads!  I can deal with that!) 
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with muslin or a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours or until it has doubled in bulk (but if you used instant dry yeast like me, and halved the recipe, it only took half an hour in the oven warmer drawer). You can also leave it in the fridge, covered, to rise slowly overnight.

When you’re ready to cook your bread, place a baking stone on the centre shelf of the oven and preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius (I don’t have a stone so just used a solid baking tray and it worked well). 
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured bench, divide in half and shape each half into a ball.  
Roughly flatten one ball onto a tray lined with baking paper, pressing the dough out to an oval shape about 25 x 20 cm. Use your fingertips to press dimples into the top of the loaf, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and salt.

Slide the baking paper with the dough on it off the tray onto the preheated baking stone/tray. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden. When cooked the bread will sound hollow when you tap it. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking stone for a few minutes. Then transfer to a rack to cool.

Phew!  Bread to go with our casserole - crisis over!

Delish I tell you.  Apparently the stickier/wetter the mixture the better, so don't be tempted to add in more flour.

Give it a go, I'd love to know how you get on.  Of course, you can use whatever topping you like!

Enjoy 
Christall x

A 1940s Vintage Love Affair

I couldn't go past this beautiful 1940s vintage inspired photo shoot all the way from Lina at A Stunning Affair in Los Angeles!  I first saw this shoot featured on Hostess with the Mostess and I was thrilled when the lovely Lina herself was flattered that I wanted to feature it here.  I'm sure you will agree with me - it is just stunning, and I LOVE all the pretty details.  From the wood type blocks, to the pale blue enamel pitcher.  This is a wedding shoot, but my goodness, I can see this kind of setting created for any number of occasions - garden tea party, baby shower, engagement party, 40th Birthday....any excuse really to recreate this style!  

Are you loving the vintage typewriter, calligraphy, woodcut type & vintage camera like I am?!!!

Preserving jars & vintage lace.  A bit of rustic, whimsy and elegance - works perfectly

Look at the pretty table setting!  Love that old ten pin!

"Sweet love"

I LOVE the old enamel pitcher, actually I love everything about this 'soda station'

Incredible detailing on this cake!

Hanging jars with bunches of loose flowers is super dooper pretty

Gorgeousness in a drawer

Who loved this as much as I did?!  To be honest, I was drooling a little.  I hope someone wants me to create something like this for them oneday. Come on, I know you're out there somewhere.  Surely there's a good reason to put on a party like this!  Call me!

Christall x

– Photographer: Krista Mason Photography
– Event Planner: A Stunning Affair
– Floral Designer: Peony & Plum Floral Design
– Hair Stylist: Kutting Room
– Invitation Designer: Shannon Vetere
– Dress Designer: Winnie Couture
– Cake Designer: Fantasy Frostings
– Linens and Coverings: Premiere Party Rents
– Equipment Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals
– Calligrapher: Calligraphy Katrina and Maison du Papier
– Makeup Artist: GraceMakesPrettyFace
– Personal Stylist: Nunn Better Design

Tea for three with Nana Bubby

A visit to my Great Nana Bubby's when I was a child always excited me. Not just because she always had a box of Griffin's samplers to give us, or Mallowpuffs in the old wooden cabinet she called a pantry. But also because her ways, and her house and everything that was part of it, intrigued me. The old coal range, the 'food safe' where she stored her milk and things that we would've had in the fridge, the tiny kitchen with tongue and groove walls, grey lino and a little electric cooker. The outside toilet that had an actual chain - as the chain, and the scent of sunlight soap as you walked through the wash house to get to it. How I wish I could go back there.

This installment as part of my recent exhibition was conjured up from memories of those days. "Tea for three with Nana Bubby" was always a pleasure. My Irish Great Grandmother, a colourful, adventurous character, who wore bright coloured lipstick - quite striking against her porcelain complexion, blue eyes and jet black hair. Always with a tea brewing on the stove or coal range, and always with some exciting story to tell.

Cup of tea, anyone? x

Did you know that according to legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese Emperor,
Shan Nong, in 2737 B.C? We've been drinking tea for over 4,500 years!

LISTEN TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER

It all started at my Grandparents house. Lots of significant things in life seem to start there. Perhaps it's the rooms full of hoarded memorabilia, old dolls prams and "stuff", or the peeling bright blue paint of the tongue and groove, or the red guard's van (yes that's a real life train caboose) in the backyard, that trigger an explosion of ideas. Or perhaps it's that this early 1900s bungalow, formerly my great Grandmothers house, is "home". It is an eclectic treasure trove of family memories, always with a hearty meal at the ready, a cup of tea and a good yarn.

Anyway anyway, that's another story for another time. So, what started at my Grandparent's house then? Not only my first creative venture when I was 8, and my life changing venture at the age of 20, Hapene Flax NZ Ltd. But the beginnings of Maisy & Grace, and the exhibition that came forth from what I would call a journey of self discovery - when rummaging around at the family 'home' I found things belonging to my Grandmothers, and great Grandmothers, and I was drawn to rediscover life as these women had lived.

What I found out about them inspired me. Their stories were real. Their living was simple. Times were tough and they were tougher! All completely different women, of completely different origins - yet their blood runs through my very veins, and in some respects, has made me the person I am today.

"Whakarongo ki to Kuia - Listen to your Grandmother" pays homage to four incredible women who have gone before me, who have influenced me in ways they could never know, and who I live to make proud.

Finding all these darling artifacts of old gives me goosebumps (not in a spooky way!) - my mouth literally waters, and my heart does flip flops - it's like I've been whipped back to the early 1900s and I can smell the kerosene and the lavender and the mothballs and the rose scented pillows.

Anyway, enough rambling, on with the show. It takes you back to washing by hand in the bath tub, making bread, high tea, preserves, simple food and long summer days in the garden. It's romantic but honest. My love affair with the things of old has begun. And long may it continue.....

(Well, this has been my very first blog post, and I'm having a little trouble with the images - I wish Blogger had a bigger 'window' to work with! Maybe Blogger does and I just haven't worked it out yet. So, I will publish this as my first blog EVER, and will share the actual exhibition with you in my next post. But here is a little sneak peek - I managed to get these images on the page in the right place yahoo!)

"Tartan Harakeke" - Homage to Nana Rata, of a Maori mother & Scottish father

Until next time, keep warm and happy (lots of cups of tea help)

Christall x

Exhibition photography by Ange Jordan-Earle Portraiture