Hobbies

Here in Quebec there is a concept known as "terroir". This is similar to the French concept of terroir which is used mostly when speaking of wine and is meant to refer to the geographic area where the wine was produced. Each terroir has certain innate qualities associated with it, which are thought to influence the resulting wine.

However, in Quebec the term is used a little more generally and with a lot more pride. "Les produits des terroirs" can describe anything that is produced locally and with local ingredients. There are "vins du terroir" (native wines), "bieres du terroir" (local micro or artisan brews), "fromages du terroir" (native cheeses) and even a genre of literature: "romans du terroir". Because many in Quebec see themselves as belonging to a distinct culture (and in some cases, a distinct country), such products are celebrated with a good deal of pride as they represent something uniquely quebecois.

It goes even further than that though, because "terroir" not only implies where something is produced, it can also be used to describe how it is produced. In many ways Quebec still sees itself as a land of humble farmers who live off the land and so "terroir" can also imply a sort of folky, home-made quality.

Which leads me to the subject of hobbies. Apparently, L. and I have both been inspired by the spirit of the land as we are both pursuing hobbies involving handcrafted food/drink stuffs. See, being that I am still mostly unemployed I have a lot of free time during the day, and being that we are pinching pennies, I have decided to start making my own bread. L., on the other hand, is taking inspiration from his friend Alain and is going to experiment with brewing his own beer.

So, because I've been meaning to bring my love of food to this blog for a while I have included my own recipe for Honey Wheat and Flax Bread:
1 Cup Soymilk (unsweetened)
1/2 Cup water
1 Heaping tablespoon active dry yeast (or 2 packets)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon honey (the darker the better)
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup Brown Flax Seeds
3 Cups Organic Whole Wheat Bread Flour + aprx 1/2 cup more

1. In a glass measuring cup, heat water & soymilk in the microwave for about 40 seconds until it is a little warmer than lukewarm. Be careful, if it is too hot it will kill the yeast.
2. Pour the liquid into a large mixing bowl and add the honey, olive oil, salt and yeast. Stir gently to combine everything and then let the bowl sit for about 10-20 minutes in a nice warm place (I like the top of the stove, especially if the oven is pre-heating).
3. Take the flax seeds and give them a quick whir in a blender. Reserve.
4. When the liquid in the bowl is covered by a think layer of yummy foam, give it a stir with a fork and add the flax seeds, then start adding flour, one cup at a time.
5. When the dough is too tough to stir with the fork, get your hands in there and keep adding flour by the handful until it will no longer stick to a clean finger.
6. Form the dough into a ball in the bowl, then cover the bowl with a hot, damp tea-towel and leave it somewhere warm. (Again, I like the stove).
7. After about an hour, the dough should be about double the size it was when you left it. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it a couple of times on a lightly floured surface. Then, take a sharp knife and cut the dough into two equal portions.
8. Form both dough lumps into loaves by tucking everything under.
9. Lightly oil two bread pans, pop one loaf into each pan and let them sit on top of the stove for another 15 - 20 minutes.
10. toss the loaf pans in the oven for about 35-45 minutes.
11. The bread is ready when you can knock on the bottom of the loaf and you hear a hollow sound. Take the loaves out of the pans and cool them on a wire rack.
12. Enjoy with a liberal dollop of homemade jam.