This round for Cook the Books was Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Thanks to Rachel from The Crispy Cook for choosing this work. This book is special to us at Eliot’s Eats. If you have read “How We Started,” you know just how special.
I was first introduced to Barbara Kingsolver with her novel Animal Dreams. Way back in 1990 one of my best friends from college sent it to me in a Christmas care package. I devoured it.
One of the many things I was taken with in this novel was the depiction of Día de Muertos. I had never heard of this holiday and I could not imagine families picnicking upon their ancestors’ graves, eating, drinking and having a merry old time. Creepy, huh.
As I have learned more about this holiday, I continue to be fascinated. (For last year’s Día de Muertos post, click here.) Maybe it is because I am more knowledgeable or maybe it is because I am older, but I find this to be a joyous holiday and one that everyone should recognize if not celebrate.
Animal Dreams prompted me to pick up Kingsolver’s other novels: The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer and Lacuna.
When I learned that she had written Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I added it to my list. It was actually The Hubs who brought this book to my attention. Facing a long trip to visit relatives in Colorado, we needed something to keep us occupied across the barrenness of Kansas and I-70. I checked out the audio book from the library. We were hooked.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle actually became the catalyst behind this blog and a new way of living for us. Yes, we might have strayed a lot from our initial plan, but we still grow a lot of food in our gardens and buy from local farmers as much as possible. Barbara, we are your converts.
As I reread this book for this post, I was drawn to the November/December chapter and I decided to post my Cook the Books post on Día de Muertos.
Frida Kahlo’s Pan de Muerto slightly adapted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Note: I tried to document how I used local and/or organic when at all possible below.
2 1/4 t. dry yeast 2 1/2 T. warm milk (organic and/or local if possible. I am lucky enough to be able to get Memory Lane in glass bottles at our local grocery store.) 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (fine ground) (Use a flour from a family farm if possible like Wheat Montana or Stone Stack Mill.) 2-3 c. white flour (I can always buy Shawnee Mills flour, an old Oklahoma company, at our local grocery store.) 10 T. butter (I made my own butter using these directions.) 3/4 c. local honey 6 eggs, at room temperature (Obviously farm fresh is best. We are blessed with a great vendor, Blakely Family Farms, at our local FM. We buy our meat from them too.) 1 t. cinnamon (I used a Vietnamese cinnamon here—nothing local about it.) 1 t. vanilla extract (I did use my homemade version.) Zest of one orange (OK—nothing local here. I do have small citrus trees in the green house but the oranges are too small to zest and the lemons aren’t ready yet.)
Dissolve yeast in the warm milk and set aside.
Put flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and cut in butter using the whisk attachment.
In a separate mixing bowl, hand whisk together the honey, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk in yeast mixture.
Add the dough hook to the stand mixer and make a well in the flour/butter mixture. Add the liquid ingredients and knead with the dough hook until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (You may have to add more flour to get a dough that is not too soft.)
Shape dough into a ball. Kingsolver’s directions state to “grease and flour it lightly, and let stand in warm place for 2 ½ hours, until doubled. Refrigerate overnight.” I placed my dough in an oiled dough rising bowl and let it double in size. I then punched it down and refrigerated it for almost 24 hours until I was able to bake.
The honey I used was really dark. Pairing that with the whole wheat flour that was used, this was a darker dough.
After the dough has set overnight, punch down dough and shape the chilled dough . Shape the dough into loaves or make rolls.
I was pretty proud of my skull. (As always, please don’t judge me on the looks of my silpats.)But, I think my bone took on a more phallic shape. 🙂
Place on prepared baking sheets and let rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.
Then they rose into blobs. My skull now looks like the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.
Shaping traditional Pan de Muerto requires some talent. Kingsolver’s recipe states to “shape or decorate them in any way that makes you think of your deceased ancestors.” Most other recipes say to decorate with bones or shape into skulls, animals and angels.
I obviously need more practice.
Now it looks like Mr. Bill after a major disaster with Sluggo.
Luckily, I made some simple rolls (and attempted to mold some ear and eyeball butter pats).
The ear and eyeball didn’t turn out much better.
I was totally impressed by Jessie Oleson at Cakespy’s talents though. Check out her Frida Kahlo shaped Pan de Muerto here.
Thanks again to Rachel from The Crispy Cook for choosing this book. And thanks to the other great CTB hosts:
Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard I thought I was going to wake Dennis up. Watching the formed dough, which was pretty impressive, turn into the final product (um…wow) was just too much for me. I laughed for like a whole minute once I saw the skull baked! Poor bread of the dead! But it really does look like something dead and rotting so I guess you must have done something right. BWAH!! I think it’s pretty cool that you made it – I’ve never attempted anything artistic with bread dough. I’m lucky if it turns out edible, let alone attractive. Anyway, I also listened to Animal, Vegetable, Mineral on audio and really enjoyed it! It didn’t change my life but I do try to buy local when possible. Maybe some day I’ll grow my own food – that would be awesome.
If it made awesome French toast then what else could be better?! I haven’t finished the book yet and hope to before the deadline. I mean, I will read it either way but may not be able to join in.
Very cool bread!!!
Thanks, Tina. The bread really is really good, especially hot from the oven with butter. And, you are correct…if it made awesome French toast, what more could I ask? Hope you get it read and can post for this round.
teaandscones
Read that book for a book club ages ago. Still have it and love it. Love the bread.
I’m with Veronica, you had me hooting at your results. A for effort though. BTW I read The Baker’s Daughter and loved it, they also mention day of the dead. It seems like such a better way to celebrate! Much more positive. I’m ordering this book also thanks for inspiring me…oh speaking of inspiring, your butter ear and eye, haha, great stuff!
I love Barbara Kingsolver! I haven’t read Animal, Vegetable and MIracle but we have it because my husband has read. Now it’s my turn. Nice try on the bread, but….:) I bet it still taste good.
This is one of my favorite holidays (as is Halloween for different reasons). My dad was born and raised in New Mexico closely to the Mexican culture and I clearly remember when the U.S. culture began exploiting a really great day my dad and I spent every year talking about relatives I would never meet because they passed on before me. I love this post you know – your food always comes out perfect and this reminds me that even YOU have cock-eyed presentations sometimes! 🙂
Such a fun post! I am such a baby about making bread that I am impressed with your efforts. (I think it might actually look like some second cousins of mine! Hah!) 😉 This was a great book to re-read. Like you, I was drawn to the recipes this time around and I really loved the essays Camille prefaced them with.
When things don’t turn out quite as planned, the important thing is maintain one’s sense of humor: you certainly did it. I love the captions to the photos.
P.S. I make butter often as well 🙂
You were quite daring to take on the pan de muertos! I had to laugh with you because I’ve had so many loaves that just didn’t turn out how I envisioned. And it’s interesting about the color of your local honey. My favorite local honey source varies in color throughout the summer. Their dark honey is fantastic.
[…] Día de los Muertos finds Frida at her mother’s grave. She has adorned it with a large sugar skull, a platter of rice, tortillas, and pan de muerto. […]
Comments & Replies
31 responses to ““Bread for the Dead” on Día de Muertos”
Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard I thought I was going to wake Dennis up. Watching the formed dough, which was pretty impressive, turn into the final product (um…wow) was just too much for me. I laughed for like a whole minute once I saw the skull baked! Poor bread of the dead! But it really does look like something dead and rotting so I guess you must have done something right. BWAH!! I think it’s pretty cool that you made it – I’ve never attempted anything artistic with bread dough. I’m lucky if it turns out edible, let alone attractive. Anyway, I also listened to Animal, Vegetable, Mineral on audio and really enjoyed it! It didn’t change my life but I do try to buy local when possible. Maybe some day I’ll grow my own food – that would be awesome.
I almost wanted to dump the bread and simply find another inspiration to post for CTB. But, we sometimes have to celebrate our mistakes. 🙂
*miracle not mineral lol
Yeah, I knew what you meant!
The bread might not have turned out what you had shaped….at least it tastes good and you had some fun doing it.
It made awesome French toast.
So funny, I think I’d be more frightened of meeting the baked version in a dark alley than the dough version 🙂 So you must have done something right@
HAHAHA! It would be scary to see this coming at you!
If it made awesome French toast then what else could be better?! I haven’t finished the book yet and hope to before the deadline. I mean, I will read it either way but may not be able to join in.
Very cool bread!!!
Thanks, Tina. The bread really is really good, especially hot from the oven with butter. And, you are correct…if it made awesome French toast, what more could I ask? Hope you get it read and can post for this round.
Read that book for a book club ages ago. Still have it and love it. Love the bread.
It is definitely still pertinent. I was more struck with the recipes as I reread it for CTB.
Ah it looked so great before you baked it!! Still turned out good & tasted great I’m sure!!
Definitely tasted better than it looked.
I’m with Veronica, you had me hooting at your results. A for effort though. BTW I read The Baker’s Daughter and loved it, they also mention day of the dead. It seems like such a better way to celebrate! Much more positive. I’m ordering this book also thanks for inspiring me…oh speaking of inspiring, your butter ear and eye, haha, great stuff!
Glad you liked The Baker’s Daughter. Think you will like this too. Glad Mr. Bill mad you laugh.
I love Barbara Kingsolver! I haven’t read Animal, Vegetable and MIracle but we have it because my husband has read. Now it’s my turn. Nice try on the bread, but….:) I bet it still taste good.
Thanks. Lol.
This is one of my favorite holidays (as is Halloween for different reasons). My dad was born and raised in New Mexico closely to the Mexican culture and I clearly remember when the U.S. culture began exploiting a really great day my dad and I spent every year talking about relatives I would never meet because they passed on before me. I love this post you know – your food always comes out perfect and this reminds me that even YOU have cock-eyed presentations sometimes! 🙂
Definitely not the perfect cook. I’ve posted mistakes before, just nothing this spectacular, LOL
I do not judge you on the appearance of your Silpats! Love the humorous post and how much you love our featured book.
Thank YOU, Rachel, for choosing this book. (Caveat: Do not broil nachos on a silpat!) 🙂
We LOVE Dia de los Muertos, too. Here’s my post from this year, including pumpkin enchiladas. http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2013/11/dia-de-los-muertos.html
Thanks, Camilla. I will check it out.
Such a fun post! I am such a baby about making bread that I am impressed with your efforts. (I think it might actually look like some second cousins of mine! Hah!) 😉 This was a great book to re-read. Like you, I was drawn to the recipes this time around and I really loved the essays Camille prefaced them with.
I too focused more on the recipes this time. So, you have the evil twin to my loaf, eh? 🙂
When things don’t turn out quite as planned, the important thing is maintain one’s sense of humor: you certainly did it. I love the captions to the photos.
P.S. I make butter often as well 🙂
Ya gotta keep a sense of humor when baking.
You were quite daring to take on the pan de muertos! I had to laugh with you because I’ve had so many loaves that just didn’t turn out how I envisioned. And it’s interesting about the color of your local honey. My favorite local honey source varies in color throughout the summer. Their dark honey is fantastic.
I have not given up the quest and I will certainly try it again next year. Thanks for dropping by, Andrea.
[…] Día de los Muertos finds Frida at her mother’s grave. She has adorned it with a large sugar skull, a platter of rice, tortillas, and pan de muerto. […]