Recipe Thursday - The Ace Bakery Cookbook by Linda Haynes

I have been buying bread from Ace Bakery, in Toronto, Ontario, at my local grocery store for several years.  They make the most awesome Black Olive Fougasse.  When I spied this copy at my library I had to bring it home to read.  It is filled with recipes for an assortment of breads as well as dishes that are best served with hearty slices of bread sitting along side.  This week I tried a few recipes.

This cookbook and it's followup are both still available directly from the bakery or your local bookshop.

The first dish I choose to make was the "Roasted Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Apple-Shallot Garnish".  Click the title for the recipe.  This soup was amazing.  Well worth the extra bit of effort.  You have to roast the vegetables in the oven first, and then add the broth and puree.  I served it with the "Jalapeno Cornbread" which was okay, but it didn't seem any different to me than any other cornbread.

The next day I ventured to try the "Greek Salad Sandwich".  Click on the name for the recipe.  If I only ever get to eat one type of sandwich in the future, this is the one.  I didn't use the tapenade recipe called for, rather bought a jar at Vincenzo's, a local specialty food shop.  Tapenade is a chopped and spiced, black-olive spread.

The sandwich is made on a foccacia.  The picture was taken prior to putting the top on.  I would recommend using the best quality ingredients you can afford.  The feta cheese that I used was too creamy and not tangy enough for my tastes nor my expectations.  That's what can be bought late at night in a rural area.

 
Both recipes can easily be adapted for vegetarian diets. 
 
This cookbook is definately on my wish list even if I never make any of the bread recipes. 
 
ps,  I still have to try the "Cinnamon Banana French Toast with Sauteed Apples" 

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