Boards and Recipies

With my new job has come research. This makes me sooo happy, I can't even tell you. Right now I have two very interesting items of research sitting on my desk.

The first, By-laws of Not-for-Profit Corporation Form. Yes, I'm learning much about institutional board structure, not only in not-for-profits, but in university performing arts. YAY! (I know you are DYING with enthusiasm. I actually enjoy this stuff. Yes, I'm not kidding.)

The second very interesting thing I learned today was in preparation for an after concert reception for the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I find it interesting that US American's don't have a holiday where the celebrate the spirits of those who have passed. We have Halloween, but we're not really celebrating anything, we just use it as an excuse to carve pumpkins, dress up skankily, and drink. (Also fun, but you get my drift.)

It isn't often you can interest me with cuisine (especially baking), but in conjunction with Dia de los Muertos, there is a Mexican pastry which is baked, eaten in celebration, and left on graves to feed those who have left this earth: Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead. I love it when languages just tell you like it is. This also is something that US American English is not very good at. Look, this bread is for dead people! There is nothing wrong with calling it what it is! It also looks pretty yummy and easy to make.

Pan de Muerto, "Bread of the Dead"In celebration of Mexico's Day of the Dead, this bread is often shaped into skulls or round loaves with strips of dough rolled out and attached to resemble bones.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
5 to 5-1/2 cups flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole anise seed
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs

In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.
Meanwhile, measure out 1-1/2 cups flour and set the rest aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with "bones" placed ornamentally around the top. Let these loaves rise for 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.

Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then apply to bread with a pastry brush.
If desired, sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still damp.