made by Rachel

I have been wanting to make my owns buns...hamburger buns that is...for some time now but I am usually pretty intimidated by breads.  However, after making a successful pizza dough I thought I would give it a try and they turned out great!  
This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  Instead of all white I used some whole wheat flour and I used less sugar because my super talented brother in law said that's what he did - and I pretty much listen to anything he says when it comes to cooking!

For 8 good sized buns, you will need:
3 Tbs milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups white bread flour1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Handful of sesame seeds

To make:
Combine 1 cup warm water with the milk, yeast and sugar and set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat one of the eggs.In yet another bowl, mix your flours and salt.  Melt the butter and mix into flour with your fingers, creating crumbs.  Next pour in the yeast/water mixture and the beaten egg into the flour mixture until a sticky dough forms.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and kneed until tight and elastic - about 10 minutes - hang in there, your arms mayyyy be sore!
Form a tight ball and place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours.  

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and divide dough into 8 equal cuts.  Role each piece into a ball and arrange on the baking sheet. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and lightly cover and let the dough rise for 2 more hours.

Fill a baking pan with water and place on the bottom rack in the oven.  Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Beat that other egg and brush on the buns then sprinkle with sesame seeds.  
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Depending on your oven you may need to rotate the pan of halfway during baking so they all cook evenly.

Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool and enjoy with your favorite burger or sandwich! 
 

By Emily

Having some family from the South, my husband grew up accustomed to a southern favorite which is real "southern style" pork barbeque.  Here's a recipe that I came up with that most resembles the pulled pork we've had on our trips down south.  It's a very vinegar-y slow cooked pulled pork, which you smother in yellow mustard or your favorite BBQ sauce if you need it less tart, and load onto good rolls.  This is a one of my easy "guy" recipes... great for Sunday football or a day when you don't feel like slaving in the kitchen all day.  And you can even freeze pints of this for a quick meal for 2 later.
You'll need:
2 onions, chopped in quarters, so you can pick it out at the end
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 4-6 lb pork butt or shoulder
1 Tbs dry mustard (or 3 T. of whatever mustard you have in the fridge)
2 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, mashed slightly so you can pick it out at the end
2 cups of vinegar (cider or white or combo of both)
1/2 cup Worcester sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Optional: 1 cup of water (if all the liquid does not cover the pork, I added approx a cup of water to cover the meat)

To make:
Sprinkle all dry ingredients on the meat, put meat in the slow cooker and cover with liquid and everything else in no particular order.  Set slow cooker to HIGH for about 7+ hrs.  The longer the better!

Break apart meat toward the end of the cooking with forks, and let cook for about another 30-60 minutes at least to let juices absorb again.  Serve with soft rolls, or fresh bread (you can pull out the middle of the bread if too thick), and don't forget to dress your buns with yellow mustard or you can use mayo, BBQ sauce, etc.  Tastes great with a side of coleslaw too!
 

By Rachel

I made these delicious little treats to dip in our Butternut Squash Soup.  I combined good quality sharp chedder, white cheddar and parmesan to get a salty, strong flavor to go with the somewhat sweet soup.  I grilled them on this awesome cheddar semolina loaf of bread which turned out to be the perfect consistency for grilled cheese - it was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside - perfect!  I am a sucker for great grilled cheese...
What you'll need:
Parmesan cheese (fresh block, NOT pre-grated stuff)
Extra Sharp yellow cheddar cheese
White cheddar cheese
Butter
Good quality bread, I used semolina, sliced about 3/4 of an inch thick

Directions:

Slice your bread about 3/4 inch thick, slicing enough for however many sandwiches you are making.  Thinly slice enough of the two cheddar cheeses to make a single layer covering one side of the bread slices.  Thinly slice the parmesan and put a couple crumbled pieces on the all ready sliced pieces of cheese.  Put the other slice of bread on top and heat your griddle to medium.  Melt a good amount of butter on the griddle and place your sandwich on.  Cook for a few minutes on each side (adding butter to the griddle the first time you flip it over) until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Enjoy alone or dipped in your favorite soup - or my Butternut Squash Soup!