By A quiet week of bread and family. The subscription deliveries went out on Saturday. The Anapra bakery reported another good month. The numbers are steady. The steady is the success. The bread is the truth.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
The small Panadería Rosa in the small downtown El Paso continues to be the small business. The small bakery operates from four AM to six PM six days a week. The small pan dulce, the small empanadas, the small bolillos, the small conchas are the small daily-product. The small bakery is the small Maria Elena and Luis Gutierrez inheritance from Maria Elena’s parents.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small twelve-grandchildren are the small joy-of-the-small-final-third-of-life. The small grandkids cycle through the small Sunday-bakery-and-Maria-Elena-house from morning to evening. The small intergenerational kitchen runs on the small Sunday.
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
Luis (the small husband) operates the small bakery’s production side while Maria Elena runs the small front-of-house and the small recipe-development. The small forty-year-relationship (married against both small families’ wishes) has been the small life-partnership. The small Javier-loss in 1993 had been the small permanent wound the small family carries. The small marriage-survived.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
The small Sunday-publishing-rhythm of the recipe blog continues to be the small organizing-spine of the small week. The small Sunday-cooking happens in the small late-morning-to-early-afternoon window. The small photographing of the finished dish happens at the small three-PM kitchen-light-window. The small writing-up of the recipe happens at the small four-PM workspace at the kitchen-counter. The small final-edit happens at the small five-PM. The small post publishes at seven PM. The small ritual has been running for years.
The small recipe-development-philosophy continues to be the small small-batch-test-then-publish approach. The small first cook of a small new recipe happens on the small Saturday afternoon. The small adjustments are noted in the small kitchen-notebook. The small second cook happens Sunday with the small adjustments incorporated. The small Sunday-cook is the small version that gets photographed and published. The small two-test process catches the small recipe-flaws before they reach the small reader.
The small kitchen-equipment-inventory has the small key-pieces that show up in nearly every recipe. The small heavy-bottomed Dutch oven for the small braises. The small twelve-inch cast-iron skillet for the small sears and the small pan-roasts. The small half-sheet baking-pans for the small roasted vegetables and the small cookies. The small wooden-spoon-collection in the small ceramic-pitcher on the counter. The small chef’s-knife and the small paring-knife and the small bread-knife that are the small daily-tools.
The small grocery-shopping rhythm runs through the small Tuesday-evening trip and the small Saturday-morning top-off. The small Tuesday-trip is the small weekly-stock-up for the small staples and the small produce and the small protein. The small Saturday-trip is the small quick-fill for whatever the small Sunday-recipe requires that is not already in the small pantry. The small two-trip-per-week pattern keeps the small grocery-bill manageable and the small food-waste low.
The small meal-planning happens on the small Sunday-evening for the small week-ahead. The small dinners are mapped out across the small Monday-through-Saturday. The small repeating-meals are slotted in (the small pasta-Monday, the small taco-Tuesday or similar pattern). The small new-recipes are slotted for the small Wednesday-or-Thursday for the small variety. The small planning ahead reduces the small daily what-are-we-making-for-dinner stress.
The small weekday-cooking is the small efficient-and-fast mode. The small Sunday-cooking is the small slow-and-careful mode. The small two-modes serve the small two-different-needs. The small weekday-cooking has to be on the small table within forty-five minutes of getting home from the small work-or-school-pickup. The small Sunday-cooking can take three hours and benefit from every minute of that time.
The small recipe-archive on the small blog has grown to many hundreds of recipes over the years. The small archive is the small searchable-resource for the small weekday-meal-planning. The small reader-feedback in the small comments-section helps refine the small recipes over time. The small note-from-a-reader who tried a small substitution that worked better than the small original gets incorporated into the small recipe-revision.
The small Sunday-cooking-and-writing rhythm is the small thing that has held across years of life-changes and family-events and small ordinary-weekday-disruptions. The small constant is the small Sunday. The small constant is the small recipe. The small constant is the small posting-at-seven-PM ritual. The small constant is the small reader on the other end of the small post who is going to read the small recipe and try the small recipe in the small reader’s own kitchen.
The grandchildren start arriving Sunday mornings before the kitchen is even properly awake, and there is always something that needs to be ready for small hands before the serious cooking begins. These doughnut holes are that thing — quick enough to fry in the first light of the morning, simple enough to roll in sugar with a four-year-old beside you at the counter. In a week that ran on steady numbers and subscription schedules and the ordinary rhythm of the bakery, this is the small sweetness that closes the loop: flour, heat, sugar, and whoever happens to be standing in the kitchen with you.
Sugared Doughnut Holes
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6 (about 24 doughnut holes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, for the rolling sugar)
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- Form the dough. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. Do not overwork it. Let the dough rest 5 minutes.
- Prepare the rolling sugar. In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar with cinnamon if using. Set aside near the stove.
- Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium to 350°F. A small piece of dough dropped in should sizzle steadily and rise to the surface within a few seconds.
- Portion and fry. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop rounded tablespoon-sized portions of dough into the hot oil, working in batches of 5 or 6. Do not crowd the pot. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown all around.
- Drain and roll. Remove doughnut holes with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate for 30 seconds. While still warm, roll each one in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
- Serve immediately. Arrange on a plate and serve warm. They are best within the first 20 minutes, before the sugar absorbs into the crust.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg