Thursday, August 11, 2011

Elevator Memories



I live very close to train tracks and a friend commented recently that she really likes the grafitti that's prominent on the train cars.  I've never paid much attention to them, quite honestly, but I've gained a new appreciation for some of them.  Usually I'm irritated by the constant rumbling of the trains, or the loud wail of the whistle as it approaches crossings.  I think I might miss it if they stopped coming through our little town.  The trains pass by what's left of an elevator, which now is Yellowstone Bean.  It's where the pinto beans are brought every autumn for cleaning.  It's quite a noisy and dusty affair during harvest time.  They've long since torn down the actual elevator and left the bins.  I was sad to see the elevator taken down, although I can now see out into the badlands; but it always reminded me of the elevator my dad worked at for many years.  Sometimes my sister and I were allowed to go spend the morning with Dad at work.  I can barely remember the office area where we were allowed to play.  There was a yellow linoleum couch in the sitting area and a board with all the grain futures written on it.  If we were good, Dad would buy us a bottled Squirt or 7-Up from the machine.  An extra special treat would be an icy Orange Crush.  I don't remember what we did all morning, but he would admonish us to stay in that area and not to come into the loading dock where the trucks were pulling up.  I can remember the acrid, dusty smell of the elevator and recall looking up, up, up to the top. There were many times when we could not resist peeking into the loading area and watching as the trucks of grain pulled in.  I also remember being on the lookout for mice.  We were content to play all morning long in the office until the whistle blew at noon.  Then we would scramble into the old pickup and make our way home for lunch.  We would giggle as we bounced across the rail road tracks and headed toward 9th street.  I'm not sure why he took us to work with him every once in awhile, but it was fun to spend the morning with him and see what he did while he was there.  I do know that every job he did, he took very seriously and taught us all good work ethics.   Here comes another train...  and I must say, the grafitti is kind of cool...

We didn't have hamburgers often, but Mom made homemade buns for sandwiches often.  This recipe sounds like one I would like to try.

Whole-Wheat Burger Buns

From EatingWell:  Summer 2002
No store-bought bun can compare with rustic, wheaty, homemade burger buns like these.
8 buns | Active Time: 1 1/4 hours | Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1/3 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil
  • 1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
  • 1 3/4 cups (approximately) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool to body temperature, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, pour water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water, stir, then let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve.
  3. Add egg to the milk; whisk well. Whisk in sugar, salt, oil and the yeast. Stir in whole-wheat flour. Using a heavy wooden spoon, beat vigorously by hand for 100 strokes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  4. Start adding all-purpose flour to the dough, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough is somewhat firm and no longer too sticky to handle, turn it out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough for 7 to 8 minutes, using additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  5. When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Using a dough cutter or chef's knife, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray and dust it with cornmeal. Shape the dough into tight balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Coat a large sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it over the buns, sprayed side down.
  7. Set the buns in a warm, draft-free spot until they have risen by about half, 25 to 30 minutes. Gently press down on the buns, pressing right on the plastic, to flatten them a little. Let them rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  8. Bake the buns on the center rack until golden and crusty, about 25 minutes. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition

Per bun : 232 Calories; 3 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 28 mg Cholesterol; 41 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 318 mg Sodium; 164 mg Potassium
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch

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