As much as I enjoy the cooking and baking, I get that much pleasure and more from the eating.  Here are a few highlights with my sourdough bread and remaining octopus.

This particular bread has been a thrill, the best I’ve made yet in 9 years.  It was baked only two days ago, and the two of us have already eaten almost all of the 884 g in the finished boule.  In spite of the fact it could have benefited from a little longer in the oven during the browning phase, the taste and texture are great, especially when toasted.  Last night for dinner, I ate three pieces, just toasted and drizzled with a little olive oil, alongside an octopus salad, containing grilled tentacles, celery, red onion, leftover potatoes, salt-packed capers, cannellini beans, arugula, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

You already know I often make bruschetta, one of my favorite meals or snacks.  This bread was perfectly suited to both old and new versions — hence, “new”schetta (my apologies).  Since I had just made the bread yesterday, I soaked Ranch Gordo’s Marcella cannellini beans, so they could be cooked today.  The goal was to make a coarse white bean purée to serve with grilled bread.  We had a little leftover Swiss Chard from Small Farm, which was wilted and chopped, ready to go atop the purée.  That consumed three more thick slices and made a fine lunch.

In the meantime Barbara had gone shopping and found our favorite goat Brie cheese at Trader Joe’s, so the end of that meal was goat Brie on grilled bread.  Superb.

The good news is that we have a second loaf available for the next few days.  And “no”, I don’t gain weight on my own bread — ever.