Alma Mater, mother tongues, verbose posters and other breads


I've been recently asked why I do not write my blog in portuguese, seeing that I am portuguese, and the fact that I am not writing this in my mother tongue would probably deter me from getting certain opportunities within the portuguese blogging community to come my way. I did not have to think hard about it, actually. There was a moment, right at the start of this blog, where I considered writing it in portuguese or in both english and portuguese. I immediately discarded the second option, as I am such a verbose person it would either force me to really cut down on my writing or risk having such big posts no one would want to read them. As it is, I really believe very few people read the whole of it!!


As for the hypothesis of reverting  to writing only in portuguese, it took only one look at my statistics to realize the amount of visitors I have from my own country pales in comparison to the number of visits I receive from the U.S.A. for instance, or Russia. Adding numbers up, my visitors are not mainly from portuguese speaking countries. But they do understand english. So making that kind of option was really easy. In a world where food blogs abound, I am only one in the midst of it all, and if the few people who care to give me their time of day are not my fellow country people, I believe I should catter to those who really visit the blog, whatever nationality they're from, and despite my own nationality. So I write in english. And probably get fewer portuguese visitors for it.


Food is universal. And images are universal. Both have a language of their own, and care not for mother tongues. They are their own mother tongue. A dish will be enticing both in my country and in yours, depending on how it looks, and if it does look good, it shouldn't deter anyone from visiting a blog only because it is not written in their personal mother tongue. I follow blogs from all over the world, written in languages as alien to me as swedish - and how I would love to learn that one! - russian, german. It does not scare me, and I rely on google's translator to read the posts, even though I realize part of it will not make any sense. But one gets the gyst of it. And when it comes to the images, and the food, well, there's no translation needed for those.


And maybe, just maybe, I do want to reach a bigger audience than just my own country. Maybe, just maybe, I want to interact with people from all over the world, all walks of life. Writing this blog in english seems to me that it will make it easier, to interact with everyone. And frankly, I do love the english language. But I am aware that using it here does kill any possibility I could have ever had of achieving anything locally. I do realize that it shuts many doors in my own country. So it is a thought of decision. Universality tends to overtake local applause, at least to me.


I think that's why I love bread so much. It is universal, it is that one language everyone will understand, wether they choose to partake of it or not. I will always sing praises for good breads, and there will always be a place of election for bread at my table, despite any fads and trends that come around. I just don't do the fad and trend bandwagon, sorry to say.


I think there's many people who look at bread as something that will either enlarge them or bloat them. Because of the carbs. But the human body needs carbs, and bread is a great way of getting them. Many people substitute the eating of bread with other forms of eating cereals and oats, in an illusion of weight loss, but guess what, the carbs are still there. Either it's in the form of porridge or in the form of bread. And when I talk bread I don't mean sweet buns, sugary concoctions like donuts or muffins or scones, I mean real bread, peasant's bread, the stuff that will infuse your body with good, nourishing energies that will sustain you through the morning. And I am in no way suggesting one should eat a whole loaf at one sitting by one's self...


I honestly cannot fathom my life without my bread. There is no way I can start a busy week day better than with a slice of bread that has been enriched with oats, and cereal, and fruits, with different types of flour and bran, a bread that is so filling it will leave you sated for hours, while it slowly releases its good energy into your body. Of all the breads we bake around this household, this must be my favourite.


And for it you will need:
  • 2 tbsps oil
  • 275 gr wheat flour
  • 75 gr rye flour
  • 15 gr bran
  • 200 ml lukewarm water
  • 8 gr baker's yeast (the fresh one, not the desiccated type)
  • 60 gr mixed cereals and fruits
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
Start by mixing the water with the oil and the salt. Place the flours in a bowl, sieve the baking powder into them, and dig a hole in the middle. Around the edges of that hole, scatter the yeast. Inside the hole place the water, oil and salt mix. With the help of a fork start mixing flour and water together. As soon as it's all mixed in, take the dough off the bowl and start kneading by hand over a surface scattered with flour. Bare in mind that due to the added bran and rye flour the mix will not be very elastic. After kneading it for sometime, add in the mix of cereals and fruits, and knead some more, untill they are thouroughly mixed into the dough. Form into a sort of ball, cover with flour that you scatter by hand over all the dough, and let it proof inside the bowl four a few hours - 1 to 2 if you're pressed for time should be the minimum required, but it does make for a much better bread if you leave it for at least 6 to 8 hours. Once it has proofed, get the dough off the bowl with the aid of a spatula onto a floured surface and mold it into the shape you want. I've gone for the loaf form on this one, but I happen to go crazy with the forms, last weekend I tried braiding and forming into a circle, and the result is yummy. But do take the loaf tin out, line it with baking parchment and make a loaf bread, it will be great. Once you put your dough into the baking tin let it rest for at least 15 minutes, but 30 minutes would be the best. Then you just bake it in a previously heated oven at 200º, for 20 to 30 minutes, untill it has reached the baking level you want.  Let it cool on a wrack, and do try it while it's still fairly warm, slathered with butter or jam. It's a treat, and it will make your morning rituals so complete!


Comments

  1. As a portuguese who reads your blog I fully support you decision to wrtite it in english. I understand your goals and the "portuguese audience" who might or not read your posts it they wrre written in portuguese are the ones at fault, everyone who completed High School has no excuse in comprehending, at least, some english. You know you have my support! Have a nice weekend (Written in bad english so your foreign reader can understand!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mas o teu inglês é muito bom, pá. ;)

      Delete
    2. Depois de submeter é que vi os erros que dei, hehe!

      Delete
  2. eu todos os dias como pão, é impossível passar sem ele. E se eu tivesse um pão assim cá em casa ainda mais comia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. este pão é simples de fazer, e ainda mais com uma máquina de fazer pão - já não temos, mas é um investimento excelente, acredita.

      Delete
  3. pois, eu antigamente escrevia PT e inglês mas depois fiquei preguiçosa e a prioridade foi para o inglês, por tornar a audiência mais abrangente... se fiz mal ou bem, isso já não sei.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ai este pão, mulher! abre lá a padaria gourmet...please!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol, quando ganhar o euromilhões e puder investir no que quer que seja, pode ser que sim!!

      Delete
  5. Eu como pão 3x por dia p aí. Acho que pão com manteiga é das coisas que mais gosto de comer.
    Pronto e agora estou a cantar a a alma mater dos moonspell!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tento só comer pão uma x por dia, fora os fins de semana, em que uso e abuso do pãozinhooooooo ehe. canta moonspell, canta!!

      Delete
  6. Portuguesa e leitora assídua me confesso. Mas percebo a opção e acho-a perfeitamente válida, principalmente porque dominas a língua muito bem ( infelizmente vê-se por aí muita desgraça seja em português ou inglês).
    E quanto ao pão é uma perdição e felizmente não tenho que ter muitas preocupações com restrições pois não sei como seria.
    Tenho uma maquina de pão que raramente uso infelizmente. Talvez seja boa altura :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devias apostar em usar mais a máquina, além do dinheiro que poupas - acredita que poupa-se mesmo!! - o que pões no pão é ao teu agrado!!

      Delete
    2. Bem verdade. Costumava experimentar imenso quando a comprei. Quando mudei de casa deixei de a usar tanto mas tenho saudades

      Delete

Post a Comment