My mother-in-law has cupboards that are often overlooked for decades. (Maybe all parents do?) I drink and go searching some nights. I’ll admit I’m nosy. And I might be drunk enough that I don’t always remember that I went through the cupboard last year. So it’s always a new treasure hunt!
One night I found a box of the Culinaria Collection by Corning. It contains tubes that you cook bread in. Yes, tubes. From the time of savory jell-o. So…voila! We have another experiment with Bob the starter. Maybe everyone is doing sourdough during Covid, but who can say they’re doing test-tube-sourdough? Anyone? Anyone?!
The best way to describe this experience is with pictures.
I made my standard sourdough loaf and followed the directions on the tube bread insert. The directions came on a poster, so you know they’re legit.
Given the recipes that come with the bread (on the poster) I’m not sure sourdough is the best type bread for this. I should have tried the recipe for French bread. Also, my hands are too big to shove the bread far enough into the tubes. (“That’s what she said?”) I will have to get my kids to help next time since I think they are the only ones with small enough hands. I’m always looking for challenges to child labor practices. And how funny would it be to see kids with their hands/arms stuck in glass tubes?
The bread wasn’t the best looking. It didn’t hold it’s form and leaked/dribbled out of the ends of the tubes. It tasted fine but looked flaccid. My husband’s cousin’s spouse really liked it and took the leftovers. Whatever, I’ll try again…especially since I swiped the tubes (I asked first) and now am driving the damn thing across the country. So help me god if it breaks.
Other things found (this year!) in the cupboard above the fridge:
3 rusty cheese graters
1 small cast iron egg poaching pan.
Several berry containers that went in the trash. The plastic kind. I now know she uses them for when her wild blackberries go berserk, but who has time to pick these days? Even my kids got tired of picking them (or else picked up on my get-them-out-of-the-house trick).
A nativity cookie set. Who doesn’t want to eat the body of Christ when it’s a gingerbread Savior?
A broken wooden hanger that also went in the trash. Yes there was a hanger in the kitchen cupboards. Also Mother-In-Law found it in the trash (I thought it a safe toss, I was wrong). I then got snide comments about people throwing things away and how she needs to be aware of all if it.
A couple of cute tins that you would use to gift cookies in. But they aren’t getting used since they are out of reach for the average, sober person who doesn’t randomly drag chairs around looking in cupboards.
A couple of broken crystal goblets from my in-laws wedding set – Update: ventured into potential hot water and asked Mother-In-Law about them. Turns out these are not from the wedding set, they just look a lot like them. Still doesn’t explain the location but I (usually) know how to pick my fights.
