Pulled Jackfruit, Baked Oats, Mongetes, Roasted Cauli w/ Tahini & Pomegranate

Pulled Jackfruit
We really like having bags of ready-to-use jackfruit in the freezer, and not buying the commercial stuff.  It gives you all the textures of pulled pork, but is really a fruit.  

Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich

You want to buy a "green" or unripe jackfruit for turning into meat-substitute.  The ripe fruit tastes like Juicy Fruit gum!  Even slicing one open smells like the inside of your Mom's purse!  Processing an entire jackfruit can take awhile -- they can get up to 150 lbs! -- but the process is well worth the effort.  I got this 20.1 lb jackfruit from the Co-op and "recovered" almost 15 pounds of useable meat.  The skin went into our compost bin.

Processing Jackfruit
You'll want a big sharp knife or two and a saw (trust me on this).  Oil the blades well while using,  as jackfruit sap is very sticky!  You'll also need a large stockpot to par-cook the jack, zip-top bags, and a painter's drop cloth is handy for gathering up the mess at the end!

1.  Saw/cut the jackfruit into 1" thick slices and halve them. Remove the seeds and the coarse skins in the seeds pockets.  The yellow bits around the seeds are the sweetest part of the fruit.  The seeds can be salted and roasted like chickpeas.

                            

2.  Once you get a couple slices cut, add water to your stockpot, fire up the big burner on your stove, and start stacking the pieces in to boil.

3.  You need to boil the slices for about an hour after you add the last slice to the pot.  Transfer the cooked fruit to a collander and let it drain -- the longer the better -- and cool.

4.  When the boiled fruit is cool enough to handle, it's time to start "disassembling" things.  Use a sharp knife to cut the spikey skin away first.    You'll see there are 3 "textures" of the meat -- just like there is in a pork roast.  There's the firm center and up against the skin, the stringy outer meat where the seeds are, and the slippery bright yellow bits from around the seeds. 
                                   

This cutting board of jackfruit is only partially chopped/pulled

Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the center and other firm parts.  Pull and chop the stringy bits, and chop the soft yellow parts.  You want to get the pieces down to about 1/2" long or thereabouts.  I like to toss the processed meat back into colanders and let it drain again before packaging in zip-top bags and freezing. 

There's a LOT of liquid in jackfruit that you really don't need when it comes time to cook with it.  Some recipes call for you to bake the pulled jack for an hour or so at 200F to 300F to cook off even more liquid.  Not a bad idea.  Or set it out in the hot sun for a day, covered with cheesecloth to keep the bugs off.

Making Pulled Jackfruit 
I package my chopped Jack in about 1.5# quart bags.  That makes a lot of whatever you want -- pulled Jack, Jack Tacos or Tamales, casserole additions, etc.  Here you'll need buns (I like the ciabatta rolls I get from Publix), and your favorite BBQ sauce.  I also like to counter the richness of pulled Jack or pulled pork with a nice tart dill pickle.
                                           
Put the thawed Jack in your barely oiled skillet and start to saute it; mainly to reduce the liquid.  Then, as you see above, just add you favorite Q sauce and toss to combine and heat it through.  You can also use taco or enchilada seasoning packets to flavor the Jack.    Mound it high on your bun and dig in -- you earned this!

BluBlack Baked Oats
Breakfast?  Or Dessert?   Your choice.  Either way this crusty, tasty combination of steel cut oats, fruit, milk and egg is a wonderful thing!  You can make this "overnight", or "same day".  I opted for overnight.    

3/4 cup Steel Cut Oats
1/2 cup sliced Almonds
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Fruit -- I used a mix of blackberries and blueberries
2 cups Whole Milk
1/8 - 1/4  cup "Syrup" -- Honey, Cane Syrup, Maple Syrup, or Golden Syrup
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tbsp melted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In one bowl, stir to combine the liquids.  In a larger bowl combine the dry ingredients (minus the berries).  Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir well to combine.  If you're doing the overnight version, put this mix in the fridge for 6-8 hours so the oats absorb the liquid.  For "same day" let the mixture stand on the counter for at least an hour before proceeding.

Next day, spread the fruit out in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and pour the chilled mixture over them.

Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for 50-60 minutes until you get a nice crust.   

Try to let it cool before you dive in!!!
                              


Roasted Cauli with Tahini Sauce & Pomegranate Glaze
Had a nice head of Co-op cauliflower and wanted something different to do it justice. 
                             
This recipe did the trick.  I actually broke down and bought a big can of tahini for once.  Expensive but tasty.

1 head Cauliflower cut into large florets
EVOO to coat
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika
Pomegranate Glaze or Molasses, homemade or from a jar.

For the Tahini Sauce:
1 clove Garlic finely mashed
3 Tbsp Tahini
juice of half a Lemon
2 Tbsp Skyr or Greek Yogurt
Salt & pepper to taste
water to adjust thickness

For the Pomegranate Glaze:
1 cup Pomegranate Juice, unsweetened
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Spray or toss the cauliflower with the EVOO, then spread it on a baking sheet and dust with the spices.  Roast at 425F for 45 minutes, remove to serving bowl and let it cool a bit.

While the cauli is roasting, make the Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate Glaze
                                 

For the Sauce:
Put the garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.  Make sure the tahini is well mixed with its oil as it tends to separate during storage.  Add the tahini, spice and the yogurt, and stir.  You want it just a bit thinner than yogurt, so add a tablespoon or two of water as needed.  Reserve.

For the Glaze:
Bring the juice to a simmer in a small pan.  Whisk in the sugar.  Keep whisking while the liquid reduces by about a third.  Remove from the heat and reserve.

To serve:
Ladle the sauce on the cooked florets and drizzle on the pomegranate glaze. 
                                  
Serve the sauce and glaze at the table so diners can add more if they choose, along with wedges of the other half of the lemon, for squeezing.
                                  

Mongetes
I was reminded recently of  this great Spanish tapas/side dish recipe and made a batch to go along with the Roasted Cauliflower dish above.  There are a milli0on recipes, I keep mine simple.

Cooked White Beans
Chopped Garlic
Diced Onion
Lemon Juice to taste

Saute the onion and garlic until it's getting soft.  Add the cooked beans (no liquid) and keep cooking until they are heated through.  Plate and add a splash of lemon juice.

Cream of Watermelon!, Moqueca, Camarones a la Mexicana, Romesco Amarillo, Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

 Moqueca
I don't make this classic Brazilian fish stew often enough.  "Moe-keck-a"  has great Latin/Caribbean flavor but very little heat.  Pretty simple to make too.

1-1/2  to 2 lbs White Fish -- I use Cod, but any firm white fish works well too.
1 large Red Onion, sliced
1 Red and 1 Yellow Bell Peppers, sliced
1 Poblano Chili, sliced, with or without seeds and veins for heat (or other green chilis to taste).
1-2 cups diced Tomato
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
3-4 cloves minded Garlic
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1 can unsweetened Coconut Milk
Cilantro to taste

Saute the sliced onion in a splash of oil, add the garlic, chili and bell peppers.  Cook until the onion is going translucent.   Now add the tomatoes, green onion and spices simmer for a couple minutes. 

Remove about half of the veg from the skillet and spread the rest around to make a bed for the fish.  Lay the fish filets or pieces on the veg, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and cover with the removed vegetables.   Pour the coconut milk and lime juice over all.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Adjust seasonings, and plate with plain white rice or Aroz Amarillo (mis-named Spanish Rice) as shown at the top.  

Camarones a la Mexicana
Shrimp, veggies and Mexican flavors.  My version of Camarones a la Mexicana uses a packet of taco seasoning as a simple way to give you a lot of flavor.

Shrimp
Red Bell Pepper
Yellow Bell Pepper
Poblano Chili
1 can White Hominy with liquid
Diced Sweet White Onion
Taco Seasoning packet

Dust the peeled shrimp with a bit of taco seasoning, then saute them in a minute or two in a hot skillet.  Remove the shrimp, then saute the veggies with more seasoning and some water. 

When the veggies are nearly done, return the shrimp to the pan to warm through.  Serve with Aroz Amarillo or white rice.

Romesco Amarillo!
Romesco is a nut and bell-pepper sauce that originated in Tarragona, Spain.  Created by local fishermen to serve with a variety of fish, it's also excellent on eggs, or with vegetables or as a cracker/chip/veggie dip.  Ordinarily romesco uses roasted red bell peppers, but I had these big beautiful yellow bells, and I thought "Why Not?"   I give you Romesco Amarillo (Yellow Romesco). 

3/4 cup Sliced Almonds
3 large Yellow Bell Peppers, roasted till soft but not totally blackened
2 Tbsp Malt Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp minced Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked Black Pepper
6-8 largish Basil Leaves
1-2 peeled Garlic cloves

Throw it all in your blender and take it for a whirrrr for 1 minute or more until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You can also adjust the liquidity of the sauce with a bit of added water.  I like mine a bit 'drier' so I can thin it out as needed.

Here I've topped a black bean rissole with a dollop of Romesco Amarillo.

Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Sally wanted something with Indian spiced lentils, and I wanted to experiment with making a Pomegranate Glaze.  This was the result. 

The lentils were simple cooked with 3 measures of water to 1 measure of dried lentils, a bit of fine diced onion and red bell pepper, and  Arhar Dal, the classic Indian spice blend for lentil dishes.  I used a half teaspoon of spice fore 1/3 cup of dried lentils and 1 cup of water.

for the Glaze:
Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup of sugar until reduced by 1/4.  Stir in 1/8 cup Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp butter or Oliviotm and stir until smooth. The glaze (sometimes called Pomegranate Molasses) thickens significantly as it cools. 

I broiled the salmon meat-side-down for 8 minutes @400F, Then flipped it over and added a dollop of the thick pomegranate glaze -- which immediately melted and ran.  So I brushed it all over, and then broiled things meat-side up for another 7 minutes.  Just before serving I added another dollop of the glaze to each filet.

Cream of Watermelon Dessert Soup
A refreshingly different way to serve that iconic summer melon!  Serves 4.  This one's a keeper, kids!

2 cups seedless Watermelon cubes or a bit more 
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 to 1/4 cup Sugar to taste
1-2 cups Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr
24-30 Red or Green Grapes, halved
Fresh Mint to garnish

Spin the watermelon and vanilla in a blender until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt to dissolve.  Toss in the grapes and stir a little more.  Place in freezer until "slushy" cold.  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint.

Lamb Shashlik, Eggplant Stuffed Peppers, Pesto Pasta with Tuna, Tortilla Soup

Lamb Shashlik
Shashlik is a Turko-Russian word related to shish -- as in shish kebab (which are ground, molded meatballs on sticks)  Basically shashlik is pieces of marinated meat, and occasionally vegetables, grilled on skewers and served in various ways. Shashlik are ubiquitous throughout Central Asia and the Middle East all along the ancient Silk Road caravan route.

Holly learned to like them when she was on a student-work program in Kazakhstan several years ago.    She came home to help celebrate her Grandma's birthday. the other day, and I made shashlik for her as her first night back dinner.  

Shashlik is all about the marinade -- different places, different ingredients.  At the Kyz-Zhibek restaurant in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan that means:

1/2 Onion, sliced and sautéd
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
1/2 cup Pomegranate Juice
Olive oil for brushing
pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

Meat for the skewers.  I used 4 nice lamb loin chops since I was only making a couple skewers. 

I trimmed the fat from the chops and cut the meat away from the bone into "bite sized" pieces.  I added the meat, diced shallot, minced garlic and spices to a glass container and then poured over all the pomegranate juice to cover; put the lid on and shook it to combine and coat everything.  Set it in the fridge overnight to marinate -- 8-12 hrs.

The next day I threaded the meat on metal skewers and broiled/roasted them for about 15e minutes to get them cooked to perfection as you can see above.  I also skewered assorted veggies (peppers, onion, zucchini) and grilled them as well...

Spicy Eggplant Stuffed Bell Peppers
This is a really good vegetarian take on a hamburger-and-rice classic.

1 Eggplant
1 can no-salt-added diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Italian Seasoning – We like Everything Italiantm from Olde Thompson Spices
1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped Onion
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 Bell Peppers (and color, but we like red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the eggplant 3/4” thick and lay out on a baking sheet. Broil about 10 minutes per side until cooked but firm. Cool until easy to handle.

Turn oven to Bake at 375°F.

Meanwhile, put all of liquid and half of the canned tomatoes into bottom of a 3-qt baking dish and stir in 2 tsp tsp of seasoning, and mix well. Put the rest of the tomatoes in a bowl.

Peel and coarsely chop the eggplant. Add the eggplant, chickpeas, onion, and garlic to the bowl with tomatoes. Stir in the remaining seasoning.

Cut the tops off the peppers and set aside; remove the seeds and membranes. Spoon the eggplant mixture into peppers. Place peppers in the baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes. Place tops on peppers; bake 30 minutes more or until peppers are tender and tops start to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with pan sauce on the side:

Pesto Pasta with Tuna
Tuna with pasta?   Yep, those wacky Italians will try anything, and they do love their fish!  Surprisingly, this does not taste of tuna or fishy at all.  I asked Sally to tell me what was in the dish and all she could identify was mushrooms and pesto.  Winner, winner, pasta dinner!

Long Pasta for two 
12 thick Mushroom slices
Onion, sliced thin
Italian Seasoning to taste
1 can Albacore Tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup Pesto
Pine Nuts - toasted in a dry skillet
Parmesan to taste

Cook the pasta al dente.   I used Pasta Partner's brand Butternut Squash Linquine. 

Very nice texture and taste, although it takes longer to cook than the package suggests.

While that's going on... In a skillet, saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion goes translucent.  Add the flaked tuna and seasoning, and cook together another couple minutes.  Add the pesto and turn the heat off.  Toss to combine. 

Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with everything else and fold to combine.  Plate and serve with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan to taste.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
I asked Holly if there was a dish she'd been craving which I could make for her, and she replied "Tortilla Soup".  And here it is/was!  There are a dozen or more recipes for Chicken  Tortilla Soup.  What I liked about this one is that the chicken was easily cooked apart from the rest of the soup, making the liquid a vegetarian dish, and the chicken a "topping" along with cheese, tortilla strips and other goodies.

1 Onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced Garlic
1 Ancho Chili diced
6 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth (I used Vegetable Base powder and water)
1 can fire-roasted diced Tomatoes
1 can White Hominy including the liquid
1-2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1-2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning – from a packet
3 Limes – 2 juiced, and 1 cut into wedges for garnish
1 cup chopped Cilantro (optional)
2 8-inch White Corn Tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey cheese

In your soup pot heat a splash of vegetable oil, add the onion and cook a minute or so until soft. Add the garlic and diced chili pepper, and cook for another minute.

Pour in the broth, tomatoes and hominy and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the chicken. (If making this for a 'mixed' family of vegetarians and carnivores, simmer or microwave the chicken separately. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.

"Fry"  the tortillas in a hot, dry, skillet a few seconds until they start to brown and bubble.  Flip and repeat.  Cut into 1/4" wide strips and reserve.

Once chicken is cooked remove and cool enough to shred it and set it aside.

Add lime juice and cilantro (if using) to the pot.   To serve, ladle the broth into bowls and garnish with lime wedges, tortilla strips, cheese, chicken, even avocado if you choose.

Starfruit x 2, Mulled Plums, Applesauce substitute for Egg

Applesauce Dredge
On Fridays Sally and I usually have one of her favorite dishes -- my cornmeal-crusted Cod with our favorite roasted Brussels Sprouts dusted with Cavender's Seasoningtm and Everglades Seasoningtm. 

But when I cracked my last duck egg to make the avgolemono (egg and lemon) liquid part of my dredge, I discovered that it had gone "off" (phew!)....   Oh no!  What to do!     All I can say is Thank Murphy for the Internet. 

 Before the oil in the skillet could get hot, I had found a substitute for an egg when making a two-stage dredge -- unsweetened applesauce!  

Luckily I keep some shelf-stable small containers in the cupboard, so it was easy to pull the lid and get out my kitchen brush. Applesauce is too thick to dip the filets in, so I brushed it on both surfaces before pressing it into the dish of panko.

I gotta say -- I actually like this better as a crust-maker.   Give it a try the next time you're making crusted fish!!

Starfruit Salad Dressing
I must admit, starfruit isn't very pretty  once you chop it and cook it, but the flavor is certainly interesting!

I got this idea from the Blue Osa Yoga Retreat & Spa in Costa Rica.  They of course, have starfruit trees growing on their property like many of us here in Florida.  Unlike many of us, they have created some interesting things to do with starfruit other than just put star-shaped pieces on a salad or a dish of ice cream!

3 Starfruit --  points just turning dark
2+ Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4+ tsp Salt
1+ Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1+ tsp Honey

All those + signs mean you can adjust the amounts to suit your own starfruit harvest -- some fruit are sweeter than others at any stage.  The numbers here worked great for 3 average size fruit that were barely ripe.

Trim the ends of the fruit and chop into pieces.  Put them in your blender as you build the rest of the recipe right in the carafe.  Take everything for a nice long spin so that the oil and acids emulsify.  Makes about a cup of dressing.

Starfruit "Butter" 
Like apple butter, but with starfruit!   Again, not particularly pretty, but excellent flavor. 

Chop and puree the fruit to a coarse texture.  Cook low and slow to reduce 25-50% of the liquid and thicken things.  Adjust the sweetness level with some brown sugar,  and add cinnamon and clove to give it a nice flavor palate.   

You can see the difference in texture here, between the thin salad dressing and the starfruit butter.  Great on toast, spooned on salmon filets, or as a coulis for any occasion.

Mulled Plums
Based on a recipe from the BBC.  This past week I got a ton of different kinds of plums in our produce boxes from SWFL Produce, and there were more than enough for something besides just 'out of hand' eating.  This is an old British dessert recipe. 

4-6 Plums halved or quartered and pitted
Water to cover
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp ground Cardamon
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

Bring water to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar and blend the spices.  Add the plums and continue cooking 20 minutes or so until they are tender but not falling apart.

Serve warm, topped with a big dollop of custard -- Bird's Custardtm or made from scratch. 

You can find Bird's Custard powder in the British part of the International food section of Publix or World Market --  red/yellow/blue short, round container.     Great for all sorts of dessert applications!

Mango Nicecream, Boiled Veggie Supper, Purple Latkes, BEST Focaccia EVER!

Mango Nicecream
Four cups of mango pureed with 1 large chopped banana.  A dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamon if you like.  Freeze at least 4 hours.  Then puree a second time to make things even smoother.   Refreeze again or eat immediately as "soft-serve".   Simple.  Yum.

Boiled Veggie Supper
A classic Southern boiled vegetable side dish elevated to a vegetarian main dish.   Classically the boiled veggies -- cauliflower, green beans and new potatoes -- would be served as a side for a slice of ham or fried chicken.  As a pescatarian I could have served it alongside salmon or another seafood, but I chose to serve it simply on it's own.  

Spicing is the key to making this dish palatable rather than bland.  I used chopped garlic and diced onion in the 'pot likker' for the cauliflower/green bean mixture; and thyme and marjoram in the purple potato pot likker.  The other trick is to not overcook any of the veggies -- another reason (beside the color leeching issue) to cook the potatoes separate from the other veg.  Purple potatoes want a bit more cooking time than white potatoes, else they can be mealy and dry in the mouth, but don't over cook them.

Purple Latkes
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are an old German/Eastern European tradition.  I made these with purple potatoes for extra healthy eating!

4 Purple Potatoes (about 1lb) 
1/2 cup Red Onion, finely diced
1/4 cup AP Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp  Garlic & Herb Spice Blend

Grate the potatoes on the large side of your box grater.  Wrap the mass in a non-pretty tea towel (one you don't care about staining) or several layers of strong paper towel, gather it up and squeeze like a mad-man to get as much liquid out as you can.

I got nearly half a cup!  This lets the latkes fry up crisper.  Then let them drain for an hour or so before making up the batter and frying.

Mix together the potato shreds, diced onion, flour, spice, and beaten eggs.  Drop golf-ball sized spoonfuls of batter in a lightly oiled hot skillet, and pat them flat with the back of a spoon.  Fry for a few minutes until the bottom is brown, then flip carefully and repeat. 

Remove finished latkes to a paper towel covered plate and keep warm until the batch is done. 

Best Focaccia EVER!
I picked up a $2.99  e-book of Suzanne Dunaway's No Need To Need:  Handmade Artisan Breads  the other day, and if you like to bake breads I suggest you do too! 

What a revelation!  Simple, basic ingredients:  flour, water, yeast, salt.  A little olive oil and fresh herbs for brushing and topping.  Simple tools.  No kneading, just stir things into a shaggy dough, proof, pan, proof again and bake a short time.

One of the things that she wrote which I appreciate is that (of course) bread tastes best the day it is baked  -- so bake bread often.  Most recipes however have you making enough bread for 4-6 people for one day.  By the time the two of us get to the end of a bake it's just not as good as the first day.  So I took her basic Focaccia recipe and halved it, figuring that would be plenty of bread for two for one day. 

Following the halved recipe below, I made two beautiful 6" diameter x 1" thick rounds of thin crispy crusted, airy mouth-watering perfection.  Absolutely the best bread I have ever made! 

1 cup warm Water
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast (better than rapid rise) -- half a packet.
2 cups Unbleached AP Flour
1 tsp Salt
2-3 tsp EVOO for brushing
3 Tbsp fine chopped Rosemary for topping
2, 6" round baking tins
Baking Spray or butter for prepping the tins

Put the water in a largish bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the surface and with a large spoon stir to dissolve.    Now stir in half the flour and the salt, and stir for about 2 minutes.  Lastly stir in the remaining  flour and stir for another couple minutes until the dough just pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Cover and let it rise in a warm place (it's Florida -- I put it outside in the shade on our lanai) for 30-45 minutes.

Prep two 6" diameter baking tins (or one 9-10" tin) with baking spray or butter, then "pour" the dough into each tin carefully (so as not to squeeze out any air).  Brush with the EVOO and let it rise, covered, another 15-20 minutes on the counter.  Bake at a pre-heated 400F for 30-40 minutes until nicely browned and it sounds hollow when thumped (190F internal temp if you're measuring).   Let it cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the tins.

Here's a full-sized loaf made with whole wheat bread.

One of the few marginally specialized tools the author recommends is a Risotto Spoon -- a mixing spoon with a large hole in the center.  When stirring risotto it lets you mixing things more gently, without breaking up  lot of the rice grains.  With the doughs, the spoon lets in a bit more air and likewise makes the mixing more thorough and gentle.   Risotto spoons are hard to find, as the author mentions.  I didn't want to buy one, but I have an electric drill, a 1" diameter Forstner bit to drill clean-edged holes, and a spare wooden spoon.  Five minutes of set-up and drilling and another few minutes fine sanding things, and voilà -- Bread Spoon (not to be confused with Spoon Bread (which is one of the more than 80 bread recipes for all occasions in the book).  I don't know if it helped, but it was fun to turn an ordinary spoon into a Risotto Spoon.

For my WW readers, half of one 6" loaf is 7 points, and is the perfect size for a chicken or turkey sandwich, or for mopping up the dregs of a home-made Zero Point Soup (lots of recipes for those here...).