Lets make some bread

I've been working on this for a couple days and the first try was embarrassing, the second was a lesson and the third was decent but needs a lot of improvement. Talking while making attempts would have been like a certain woman in Melaque telling everyone she was quitting smoking and then she couldn't quit. Better just work on quitting and talk about it later. So I made some bread and quit smoking ;)

So the first one didn't rise and I have no idea. The second was way too wet and didn't rise much but it did make a couple of bricks. The third try was a lot drier, rose a lot and resembled a loaf of bread. What I found was parchment paper is heat resistant but not moisture resistant. The paper tears easily when damp and it stuck to the bottom of the loafs. So I'm thinking it's almost a moisture guide for the dough. Maybe an oiled pan but the paper makes it easy to transfer to the oven. Also think my old oven's temperature does not match the dial. A little hotter next time.

It's hard finding the right utensils and materials to work with in Melaque. I'm sure Manzanillo would offer more choices but I'll make do for now. I bought some plastic wrap and it was thinner than thin and totally stuck to itself. I had to throw it out and use a plastic bag. Can't find a good rubber/plastic spatula. No heavy all metal cookware. Pyrex like glass ware are all the wrong shape and size. My local small store had that bread knife and I think she sold it to me for 20 pesos because she'd had it for years and couldn't get rid of it.

Time to take a break for a couple days, maybe look for a few more things in Cihuatlan and try for a drier dough soon. Also need to find some yeast or levadura. I didn't bring a lot down from Seattle. Does corn meal exist here .... we'll see.

My bricks

Just mixed

Rise after 2 hours

Very edible with olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Been a rough week

With the death of Shoe, friends and family have been in a turmoil for the last week. It's what happens with no death planning and a bit of a culture clash. Family from up north know nothing about Mexico, Spanish, culture or the rules. Most gringo friends here speak little Spanish and know only a little about the culture. Even my reasonable Spanish was often misunderstood on critical issues.

Special rules apply to cremation. The executor, his ex-wife, had papers that were 8 years old (too old here). Needed his son to send notarized permission to the Guadalajara Consulate and the Consulate then contact the funeral home in Manzanillo. Shoe also left no clear instructions on what to do upon his death ... either with his body or his possessions. If you are going to stay in Mexico it's not that difficult to do the paper work and save friends and family the hassle.

So we're almost past the "who's paying, where's his stuff go and what's to be done with the ashes" stages. Just that there was some real hard feelings and much confusion which I believe was mostly a clash of culture.

So last night we took the kids to the beach on the night of the largest moon in 20 years (I guess that means it's closer). Sorry but I don't do time exposures which is required for that kind of light. Had to put the moon and the reflection on the bay in two different fotos. The ocean and moon rises are often calming on the right day