Coronavirus - Why I am staying home

(...to those who come here for fun recipes, please allow me to take over this space for one entry that is on my mind and I need to share. I promise we'll return to yummy food very soon! Thanks!)



​I've heard comments that, "this coronavirus thing is all overblown" and, "we're healthy and can handle this". I've heard, "you don't have enough faith that God will protect you​."​ I’ve also heard implications of selfishness, faithlessness, and aloofness. So let me get this out there in the most succinct and unambiguous way I can: Bullshit

I am a Christian, a believer. I am also a self-identified Introvert. Nonetheless here’s where my ​God-given, science-educated mind is at:

• Don't be foolish.
  I was young once and took lots of crazy chances. I was physically strong but often stupidly foolish. And I thought I had a long life ahead. Now it’s 30-40 years later and fortunately I'm still stronger than some but my health isn't as good as it used to be. I have several of the listed coronavirus risk conditions that make me more vulnerable. I’ve had pneumonia a few times. I’ve spent lots of long, fevered nights fighting for breath. So I have and will continue to choose to remain isolated. From a public health perspective, I can do the math. I know if I get sick in the midst of the epidemic (and IT IS an epidemic based on the rate of spread) while case loads are rising sharply, I will likely have to wait for a chance to get treatment should hospitalization become necessary. The longer I -- and I should insist WE, the public can defer infection, the better chance I and other at-risk populations like me have of getting care with the added benefit of a better chance of researchers finding more effective treatment strategies (like chloroquine or other hopeful medicinal interventions.) And before you say it -- we already know an effective vaccine is a long way off and won’t materially change the trajectory of the current crisis.
  
• Be charitable.
  While I am totally committed to absolute isolation from communal gatherings (>3-4 people) for my own AND community health, if someone I know (family, friends, neighbors) needs my help, I will do what I can like make food, shop (leveraging online order/pickup where possible to minimize contact), watch a pet, fix some necessary household item, etc.
  
• Make good use of my time at home.
  Some of that is doing my day job which thankfully is something I can do 100% online. But also, household maintenance, cooking (we gotta eat and it’s a great time to try that experimental recipe…), talking to my wife, catching up on movies, reading.
  
• Slowing down the rush of life in general.
  Now’s the time to gain a good gauge on how hectic a pace we put ourselves in sometimes. Funny how all those “things we HAVE TO DO” don’t need to be done. Maybe we never HAD TO DO them in the first place? I’m taking a machete to a lot of that crap to let the good stuff have room.

Multigrain bread

This bread uses a whole grain mix (you can either use ground flour from any or all of these or grind your own in a food processor or sturdy blender). For this recipe you'll need a total of 3 cups (flour form) of any combination of these:
Corn
Flax seed
Buckwheat
Rice
Garbanzo beans
Sorghum
Oats
Quinoa
Millet

Ingredients
3 cups of your multigrain flour mix
5 1/2 cups boiling water
8 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more to grease the loaf pans
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons instant yeast (see instructions below if using active dry yeast)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
4 large eggs
9 cups all-purpose flour (I used 50/50 mix of whole wheat and white flour)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oats, for topping

Directions

This will take some time, so set aside most of a day. It makes four nice loaves (some for you, some to share!)

Have a large bowl for rising handy. Coat the inside of the bowl with melted butter. Set aside. Also butter four 8x4 loaf pans. Set aside.

• In your stand mixer bowl, add the multigrain flour mixture and boiling water. Stir until it forms a thick paste. Let it cool completely (about 20 minutes). I used a thermometer to ensure the temp was about 105 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a microwave. Heat just until the honey is liquid and most of the butter is melted. Add to the mixer and knead into the grain mixture.
• Next blend in the yeast and the vital wheat gluten. Use the mixer to knead well. Let sit for 20 minutes. (if you have active dry yeast, dissolve in 1/2 c warm water first).
• Now blend in the four eggs. You should notice the mixture has risen. Let sit again for about 20 minutes.
• Now start adding the flour alternating white and wheat, one cup at a time, and knead until smooth, about 10-15 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so sprinkle over some flour to make it easy to handle. Form the dough into a ball, pulling it into a smooth ball. Roll the ball in the buttered large bowl to coat the outside then flip over. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• After that hour, cut the dough in half, , then half again to form four pieces. Roll each piece into a loaf shape, and place into the greased pans. Sprinkle with the oats and press them lightly into the dough. Cover and allow to rise for the another hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaves for 35 minutes or so, until golden brown. Your house will smell amazing (is there any better smell than fresh bread baking?). Take the loaves out of the pans and let them cool on a rack. Usually, a few slices get eaten well before they’re cooled. Who can resist fresh baked bread with butter? Good thing you made two.
  
  

  

Crusty Herbed Peasant Loaf

Dry ingredients:

3 c flour

1/4 c vital wheat gluten

1 t salt

1 T dry basil

1 T dry oregano

1 t onion powder

1/2T granulated garlic

Wet ingredients:

1 c warm water

1 T sugar

1 T yeast

2 T olive oil

1 lg egg

Instructions

Blend Dry Ingredients in a mixer bowl fitted with a.fough hook.

In a separate container mix water sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy. Add oil and egg. Whisk until well blended.

Add to mixer with dry ingredients. Mix well scraping often. Continue kneading in the mixer. If dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour and mix just until the dough pulls away from the bowl.

Coat the bottom of a large bowl with olive oil. Remove the dough from the mixer to a lightly floured surface to knead by hand briefly and form into a ball, stretching the top rolling the dough under and into the center of the ball. Roll the ball in the oil in the bowl then flip. Cover and let ride until doubled. Dump out dough on the floured surface again and knead briefly reforming a ball.

Place dough on a square sheet of parchment, place both in a round Dutch oven (parchment on the bottom). Cover and allow to double again.

With a sharp knife make one 1/2" deep slice across the dough. Cover and bake in a COLD OVEN set to 450° F for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking for 20-30 additional minutes until internal temperature reached at least 160°F. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing.