Good with a cup of tea...

Ah, yes.. today was a good day to bake some bread and what better bread to bake than some good ol' Massa Savada.. or for you non-Portuguese folk - Sweet Bread. I can't figure out why exactly it's Portuguese Sweet Bread.. because I imagine that the recipe is so simple that many ethnicities are baking something identical to it.. but I came to the conclusion that it's Portuguese because I MADE IT! :)

When my cook came to me and asked, "Sir, if you make it in front of me I will learn and make it all the time.." My response to that was, "No". Ha-ha In all reality, I just don't think I want to share my family Massa recipe with my 'friendly' Indian cook because then it wouldn't be as special. I'm not sure if I'll share the recipe with ANYONE.. want to talk about some ethnocentrism... look at me, I won't share a bread recipe with people who aren't Portuguese. I'm only kidding, I'm not sharing it because I know she wouldn't do it just right.. like I remember doing it growing up as a little man in my Mom's kitchen, coating my hands with a thick layer of melted margarine, my 9-year-old arms buckling under the stress of kneading that man-eating dough.. phew.. I'm getting tired just writing about it! :)

Now.. nearing 23, I've mastered the Massa after three attempts.. I say attempts, but they were.. umm... edible.. ha-ha. This last one though, that I let rise all night long after kneading feverishly was PERFECT! I almost died eating the first warm, chewy piece this morning.. tears streaming down my cheeks.. it was Mom's Massa.. but, even more exciting.. it was Greg's Massa! I have my own Massa now, how cool is that? ;) So when I can afford 5 lbs of flour and all that and have enough time to sit there and watch bread rise, I'll make some. Can I sell bread on e-bay? Ha-ha (Side thought.. I didn't really cry, that was just some dramatic flare)

Other than that.. today has been a pretty smooth day.. how rough could it have been if I was baking, right? Before I sign off I want to give credit to "Deb" who provided a picture of her massa and if you want to read her massa making adventure, click here.