Everyone has a favourite bread.
I've had many favourites over the years, ever since my family's bread was delivered in the early '60s by Mr Goodwin, the baker's man, driving a Morris van up the street, and before that, a horse and cart. I barely remember the horse, but apparently it used to eat the foliage on the tree at the front gate while Mr Goodwin was patiently waiting for mum to make her selection from the basket - pipe loaf, unsliced high tin, brown or white sandwich loaf or dinner rolls with poppy seeds, all fresh from the bakery.
Then I grew up and someone opened a French bakery somewhere and we discovered French bread, chewy but light, with an amazing depth of flavour. To this day, I believe soft, runny cheeses taste best on a hunk of genuine fresh baguette.
After that, I went through a rye bread stage, smearing it with creamy butter and dipping it in chicken broth.
Parathas, naan, chapatis, those toasted Greek bread rings with nutty sesame they sell in the deli, bagels, pumpernickel, damper on a stick, crumpets, I've tried them all.
Now I can't make up my mind which is my favourite bread. On Sunday, I bought a pack of Lebanese pita from A1 bakery, one of the best middle eastern bakeries in the Sydney Road food strip, although they're all pretty good. A1's version is particularly light and has a delicious chewiness. Children adore this bread, especially when you roll it up with cheese or mortadella. Even butter and vegemite. Even nothing at all. It's that good.
Chicken with lemon and garlic in pita bread:
Slice some chicken thigh fillets into one inch pieces and place in a very generous marinade of lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Don't hold back on the lemon juice or the garlic. Leave overnight.
Barbecue or grill the chicken over high heat. You can skewer them but it's not necessary. Cook quickly to almost char on the outside while retaining moistness inside. I use a very heavy iron pan which I heat first and then drop the chicken pieces on, along with most of the marinade which evaporates, allowing the chicken to remain moist.
Drop a round of pita bread over the cooking chicken for about ten seconds. In that time it will soften further and take up some of the barbecue flavours. Any longer and it will start to dry out.
Now quickly assemble - a generous scrape of hommous or babaganoosh on the bread, add the chicken, add slices of tomato and onion, some parsley or tabouleh, chili or garlic sauce (or both), a dollop of yogurt, a further squirt of lemon juice, salt, pepper. Roll up carefully, slice, place halves side by side on plate.
Delicious.
So today, that's my favourite bread. But tomorrow, who knows?
I've had many favourites over the years, ever since my family's bread was delivered in the early '60s by Mr Goodwin, the baker's man, driving a Morris van up the street, and before that, a horse and cart. I barely remember the horse, but apparently it used to eat the foliage on the tree at the front gate while Mr Goodwin was patiently waiting for mum to make her selection from the basket - pipe loaf, unsliced high tin, brown or white sandwich loaf or dinner rolls with poppy seeds, all fresh from the bakery.
Then I grew up and someone opened a French bakery somewhere and we discovered French bread, chewy but light, with an amazing depth of flavour. To this day, I believe soft, runny cheeses taste best on a hunk of genuine fresh baguette.
After that, I went through a rye bread stage, smearing it with creamy butter and dipping it in chicken broth.
Parathas, naan, chapatis, those toasted Greek bread rings with nutty sesame they sell in the deli, bagels, pumpernickel, damper on a stick, crumpets, I've tried them all.
Now I can't make up my mind which is my favourite bread. On Sunday, I bought a pack of Lebanese pita from A1 bakery, one of the best middle eastern bakeries in the Sydney Road food strip, although they're all pretty good. A1's version is particularly light and has a delicious chewiness. Children adore this bread, especially when you roll it up with cheese or mortadella. Even butter and vegemite. Even nothing at all. It's that good.
Chicken with lemon and garlic in pita bread:
Slice some chicken thigh fillets into one inch pieces and place in a very generous marinade of lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Don't hold back on the lemon juice or the garlic. Leave overnight.
Barbecue or grill the chicken over high heat. You can skewer them but it's not necessary. Cook quickly to almost char on the outside while retaining moistness inside. I use a very heavy iron pan which I heat first and then drop the chicken pieces on, along with most of the marinade which evaporates, allowing the chicken to remain moist.
Drop a round of pita bread over the cooking chicken for about ten seconds. In that time it will soften further and take up some of the barbecue flavours. Any longer and it will start to dry out.
Now quickly assemble - a generous scrape of hommous or babaganoosh on the bread, add the chicken, add slices of tomato and onion, some parsley or tabouleh, chili or garlic sauce (or both), a dollop of yogurt, a further squirt of lemon juice, salt, pepper. Roll up carefully, slice, place halves side by side on plate.
Delicious.
So today, that's my favourite bread. But tomorrow, who knows?
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