This winter recess from work had been most welcome and enjoyed by all in our household. I wallowed in our couch like a pig to his mud poring over recipe books and feasting my eyes on beautiful food photography. On the side, I also read Julia Child's (As Always, Julia) ---her correspondence with Avis Devotto and marvelled at their friendship via airmail. Zachary had been most amiable and understanding in sometimes letting me alone to while my time lazing around. He kept himself busy with his pretend plays and  hotwheels. When he felt like reading books, he'd ask me to do the honors and I'd oblige.

I finally gathered the courage to bake my first bread. Following Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread recipe I never expected to get such a beauty as the boule that came out of my oven. I was ecstatic! Seeing that it looked very Roman and wonderfully rustic, I immediately whipped up an entree to go with it---a chacouka (as the Morrocans call it)---Shakshuka, for Israelis. A tomato-based piece of  heaven with eggs and spinach. I did not have spinach, but I had napa cabbage which I layered at the bottom  of the pan, 3 eggs and embellished it with three pieces of plump cod fish fillets. I baked it with the bread which I thought would give the oven a little steam and  benefit the bread and boy! did my two darlings happily devour both items to my delight.

Chacouka

I let one day pass before I succcumbed to another itch of making more bread. This time aiming for not only a boule but also a pugliese. My inspired motivation comes from the fact that my husband really likes the bread and its crackly exterior and soft and chewy interior. It's  simply perfect for sopping creamy soups. This time,I made a blackbean-lentil soup with sausages. Again, it was an eye-rolling, deep-breathing, mmmmmmmING heaven of a dinner. (And if Zachary eats it and licks  his bowl clean---it must really be sooo darn GOOD!) 

Just waiting to get to the oven. A boule and pugliese in the making.

 This bad boy  came out real handsome and hearty!

He can't wait to get his hands on anything that comes out of the oven.

Crackly exterior, soft and yummy interior.  This is simply scrumptuous!

The perfect marriage ---soup and bread.

My boule and  pugliese---the beginning of my breadmaking life...