Category Archives: Uncategorized

2014 A note to myself

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2013 shall be gone forever

like a lot of things during that year.
Loss is a necessary ingredient for gain.

Fortunately the sea retreats with an
Outgoing tide, only to bring in a new one.
In our case, a much better one.

The last two years have harvested new and lasting friendships.
Never have I been closer to my family and friends.
A new year, a new start for all of us, and what will that bring?

For my two hands will be a further,
Stretching and outreaching every potential talent
The good Lord has invoked in me.
To use my borrowed talents to their fullest
in an honest attempt to aid the greater good.

A new year, a blessed opportunity to contribute more.
Divine dissatisfaction, my mantra. I always can do better.
Not utilizing our God given talents to their fullest does not please our maker.
For this reason, I will do more. All I can.

Grateful for the blessings and many miracles that I have been
fortunate to receive, and receive them daily with every breath.
2014 will bring more directions, challenges, opportunities and life changing events.

Grateful am I for all.

Throughout their lifetime, the love and support of my two children I hold dearly.
My better half Ms Donna, has shown me the powerful combination of love, commitment, integrity, and Christianity. I look forward to what is in store on our path.

2014,
A New Year.

Jim B.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Get HOOKED for Christmas!

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ORDER HERE

A Bridge Over Troubled Waters-****UPDATE! Bonner Reopens!!!

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UPDATE! The waters may still be troubled but the Bonner Bridge has been repaired and is back for safe OBX travel as of Dec 15th 2013 just in time for the Holidays!

By

Jim Baugh & Donna Bozza

“Sail on Silver Girl, Sail On By.”

Yes, it is true. Even Simon and Garfunkel would have a serious problem crossing the now determined-not-to-be-safe closed Bonner Bridge. The North Carolina, Outer Banks span that connects Bodie Island to Pea Island over the ever-changing, treacherous waters of Oregon Inlet. If the singing duo were heading south from Nags Head and wanted to gig some Nights in Rodanthe, then like the rest of us they had better find safe passage to Stumpy Point, NC.

playing-on-ferry

Of course, structural bridge disasters are no laughing matter as history proves.

  • Point Pleasant, West Virginia, December 16, 1967 the SilverBridge, 46 people killed.
  • Vancouver, June 17, 1958 the Second Narrows Bridge, 19 souls lost.
  • Melbourne, Oct 15, 1970 the West Gate Bridge, 35 people perished.
  • Kansas City, July 17, 1981 the Hyatt Regency Footbridge, 114 people died.
  • Tennessee, April 1, 1989 the Hatchie River Bridge, 8 people killed.
  •  Minneapolis, August 1, 2007 the I-35 Bridge, 13 people died and 145 were injured. 

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Would you have wanted to be on one of these bridges at the time of their demise?

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Citing safety concerns NCDOT recently closed the Bonner Bridge, the lifeline to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks that resulted in Dare County declaring a state of emergency for the island.

A huge thanks to the authorities for making the difficult decision to shut off land access to the lower Outer Banks rather than risk lives. Thanks also to the authorities who immediately set up the new, toll-free ferry routes from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe, NC. As much as I love traversing Oregon Inlet for the fishing grounds, under these circumstances I rather do it by ferry. Being another bridge disaster stat is not on my Bucket List.

bonnerbridgeCLOSEDgraphic

The 50-year-old Bonner Bridge was only designed to be a 30-year bridge. The constant change in the sandy bottom has made maintenance on the bridge a continuous challenge since the inlet shifts south on average a 100 feet per year. To illustrate the change consider the Bodie Island Lighthouse that once stood at the margin of the inlet. It is now some three miles north.

bonnersmall

Pretty dramatic –much like the creation of the inlet itself in 1846 when a massive hurricane swept through the area creating a gash in the sand between Pea Island and Bodie Island. Drama is a big part of the Outer Banks’ appeal, the excitement of untamed nature –what wild beauty will she create next out of wind and water? It’s why so many of us love to visit.

Of course, practical considerations must be made for those who call the Outer Banks home, along with tourists. The Bonner Bridge being 20 years past its prime begs the question, why isn’t there a new bridge in place or at least underway?

The answer lies between two camps, each with a different solution for the aging bridge –and these camps are at war.

Much like the allied forces trying to stop the bridges in Germany during World War ll, a similar war is happening between Dare County officials and the Southern Environmental Law Center.

 

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Camp 1: Dare County, NCDOT, and the people of Hatteras Island.

This camp strongly believes the Bonner Bridge should be replaced with a new Bonner Bridge adjacent to the current site. The people of Dare County have good reasons for wanting this as the location provides a direct, continuous lifeline to Hatteras Island. It also cost substantially less than the longer proposed bridge traversing the Pamlico Sound.

Lawsuits have plagued the progress of replacing the Bonner Bridge. The legal cost for fighting the opposition is not only delaying construction but could possibly be impacting the funds used for current bridge maintenance.

“The additional stall tactics of the SELC continue to put a strain on taxpayer money and our ability to keep this vital lifeline open for the people of eastern North Carolina and the millions of visitors who travel to the area each year,” said NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata. “As the federal judge’s ruling confirmed last month, NCDOT cares about the economy, the environmental impact, and the people in all that we do.”

In a nutshell, Camp 1 wants environmental lawsuits dropped to green light the second incarnation of the Bonner Bridge.

dredging

Camp 2: Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and other environmentalist and conservation groups.

This camp does not believe that a replacement Bonner Bridge in basically the same location is a wise move. They are in favor of the more expensive construction goal of building a much longer bridge that would span the Pamlico Sound. [It would be roughly the size of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel that connects the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area to Virginia’s Eastern Shore and points north.] This plan is promoted as being a safer, long-term option with less environmental impact. Their stand directly from the SELC website:

“In violation of law, the Federal Highway Administration and N.C. Department of Transportation’s planned replacement fails to include how they will maintain Highway 12 through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, an exposed oceanfront stretch of road that is expected to become increasingly eroded over coming years. The illegal plan is unsafe and unreliable for residents, travelers, and businesses with undisclosed costs and impacts, not only to taxpayers, but also to those residents, businesses, and coastal environment. By ignoring the inherent flaw in their plan, the agencies trap the state and its residents into hidden costs and environmental damage of continually trying to maintain the road and proposed additional bridges through the refuge against the persistent power of the ocean. The costs will likely be much higher, and incurred much sooner, than estimated.”

Currently Camp 2 is appealing a judge’s decision that was in favor of NCDOT and plans for the replacement Bonner Bridge. While Camp 1 Dare County is screaming, “Let it go! Stop this! Drop the lawsuits!”

BOTH camps have valid arguments; neither in my opinion is 100% wrong or right. Both parties believe they are fighting for what is best for the public and environment and respectfully so.

Meanwhile…

While the lawsuits are being battled the people who are the most affected, in many ways stranded, are the fine folks on Hatteras Island. Tourists who are vital to the area’s economy are also in a quandary. They love visiting and spending their money on the island that always delivers an excellent Outer Bank experience.

Fortunately, the new ferry route is in place and working. OBX transportation folks are experts in floating people and their vehicles. And the ferries launch the charm of an island adventure!

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Some travelers have had long waits while others none at all, a lot can depend on what time you take the ferry. Since this is a new operation and things are changing almost daily, I would suggest contacting the ferry and asking for the off-peak hours of its Stumpy Point route and plan accordingly. 

What can we do to help the folks on Hatteras Island now?

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Believe it or not, December- March is one of my favorite times to go to Hatteras Village. We have filmed some great Tuna fishing over the years there and I always love going to Hatteras during the off-season. The privacy is so peaceful and the beauty is not limited to any one season.

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I talked to tourism director Lee Nettles in Manteo and he agreed. The next few months are a wonderful time to head down and support Hatteras Island. It’s the perfect excuse to plan a Coastal Couples Getaway and enjoy the serenity.

manteo

Manteo is a great layover stop on the way down for a romantic evening with your sweetheart. The next morning head out early to Stumpy Point and enjoy the new ferry ride to Rodanthe. When you get to Rodanthe, you can see where the famous “Nights in Rodanthe” house was, and is now further south down the road. Yes, they moved the famous movie home to a new location, refurbished and all.nightsinrodanthe

When I stay in Hatteras Village, I do a great deal of cooking. They have wonderful kitchens with everything you need to fix up some coastal cuisine delights. Bring a cooler on your way down and buy some local fresh seafood. Maybe whip up a fresh seafood linguine in your condo at Hatteras Village. Man, I wish I were there now! Love the place!

The fact is that the good folks of Hatteras Island need your support and tourism dollars –and after the holiday madness, we all deserve some restful solitude. Be a little patient with the new ferry ride if need be. Hey relax you’re on island time.

village

Here is another nice bonus! There are businesses like hotels and restaurants that are offering discounts due to the temporary rerouting from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe. For more and current information just call the tourism office in Manteo. 877-629-4386.

I am planning our trip back to Hatteras right after the holidays. Starting the New Year off with some mirth and surf is a good way to go. Maybe we will see you there!

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Ferry schedule below Stumpy Point/Rodanthe

Departing from Stumpy Point: 3:30a.m., 5, 6:30, 8, 9:30, 11, 12:30p.m., 2, 3:30, 5, 9:30, and 11.

Departing from Rodanthe: 1:30a.m., 6, 7:30, 9, 10:30, noon, 1:30p.m, 3, 4:30, 6, 7:30, and midnight.

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Chow, tight lines, and good reads!

Jim Baugh & Donna Bozza

Jim Baugh Outdoors 25th Anniversary

Photo Credits: Harvey Eugene Smith, Jim Baugh, Donna Bozza, Creative Commons, JE Levine, NCDOT, Mike Nichols/Lawrence Turman .

Tourism office in Manteo NC. 877-629-4386.

NCDOT Ferry Routes http://www.ncdot.gov/travel/ferryroutes/

HOOKED Weekend Beach and Fishing Holiday Sweepstakes Giveaway

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Promotion Exclusive to Amazon Customers Only

Weekend beach fishing getaway includes two nights stay and 1\2 day charter out of Virginia BeachVA. Prize dates must be booked before June 1st. 2014 or Between Sept.1st –December 31st 2014. Enter to win by simply ordering HOOKED in either paperback, ebook, or audio book all available at Amazon.com. Orders must be placed  by Jan 1st 2014.  Prize is based on 10,000 orders and a winner will be picked by random drawing on Jan 30th 2014 and will be announced on the HOOKED web site.

Once you order HOOKED Amazon will email you a receipt, simply forward the receipt to jim.baugh@ymail.com. This is for internal tracking use only and not distributed to any third party. It’s that simple!

Here are the direct order links on Amazon.com for HOOKED

Click Here for HOOKED Audio Book $17.99

Click Here for HOOKED EBook $2.99

Click Here for Paperback $19.99

Good Luck and Good Reads, Good Eats and TIght Lines!!!

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup! JBO TV Fav’s

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Here are some of our all time favorite recipe’s we have featured over the years. These are five must try recipe’s to make over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Enjoy! Jim B

Applewood Smoked Salmon and Scallops 

This is an amazing dish to go along with your smoked bird. An awesome surf and turf!!

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Ingredients:

*You need fresh Salmon and Scallops.

*Fresh Lemon and Orange slices and wedges

*Butter

*HickorySea Salt

*Elephant Garlic

*Fresh Herbs

*Beer, wine, and water for steam in smoker.

SALMON1

This is a pretty easy recipe that is hard to screw up. Take some Salmon and Scallops and do a light marinade with them. I use a little butter and lemon juice with some crushed elephant garlic. For seasoning us some hickory sea salt, cracked pepper and some lemon pepper. Lay sliced lemon ad orange over top of the filet. That is about it.

Prepare your smoker with a mix of apple and cherry wood. Smoke for two hours but make sure there is plenty of fluid in the basting pan in the smoker. I use also some wine and fresh herbs in the water as well. Gives a great flavor and aroma.

Smarinade

Next grill up some asparagus and some fresh mixed veggies. I did the veggies in a cast iron skillet and they were fantastic. Just pan sear them with a little olive oil garlic and cracked pepper.

This is just a fantastic dish that is easy to do and makes for one great summer meal. Try it! You for sure are gonna like this one!

SALMON2fin

*****

Brined Turkey

Brined, Cajun Injected, Beer Butt Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey

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If you like a LOT of flavor in your Turkey and also one that is super moist, this is one of my recipes you have got to try. This combines all of my favorite cooking tricks including: Brining, Injecting, Smoking, and steaming aromatics.

First off you need to do JB’s brineing method which is simple and healthier than traditional brineing. Start with water, enough to cover your bird in a pot. Take out the bird and add to the water 1\2 cup of salt and 1\2 cup of sugar. This recipe uses about half the amount of salt in typical brineing. This will reduce the sodium content some of which for a lot of us is a good thing. Also add two cups of Cajun Creole sauce and three large elephant garlic cloves, some fresh cracked peppercorns, chives and some crushed red pepper. The last ingredient is one cup of apple cider vinegar.

Before you put the bird back in the brineing pot, inject the Turkey with some Cajun Creole Butter sauce. Then, place bird in pot to get ready for the fridge.

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Place the Turkey back in the pot and refrigerate over night. Usually I like to brine just fresh Turkey breast, not the entire bird. This is just easier all the way around. This Turkey is also a bird that I will serve on the side for dinner. A lot of people only like tradition, dry, flavorless, white bird for their Thanksgiving. So, to be safe, I usually always will cook several birds. One smoked or deep fried. A traditional in the oven, and then this recipe which is my favorite.

After a good 24 hour soak, dump the brine and wash the Turkey. Next, get your beer butt holders ready with beer and your favorite spices. I like garlic, franks red hot sauce, vinegar and chives. Put it all in the beer can with some beer and stuff it up the Turkey cavity. When cooking with beer cans stuffed in either Chicken or Turkey, take some chef scissors and cut the top off. Don’t just open the beer can, “Pop Top”. You really want to remove the top part of the can. This allows much better flow of aroma and moisture going into the bird. This also makes it real easy to add aromatics.

Before going to the grill, use your favorite rub and give the bird a good spice rub down. My favorite is Caribbean Jerk seasoning.

Now, prep your smoker by adding water and beer into the moisture pail, or drip pan. Also add some fresh herbs. More elephant garlic, peppercorns, etc.

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Put you bird on the smoker and smoke the Turkey with Apple and Cherry wood chunks until done.

After the Turkey is cooked place it back in a container with aluminum foil with a good tight seal to it. Let sit for one more hour. This REALLY allows the juice to re absorb into the meat. The turkey will still be very warm even after an hour sit at room temp. Also, leave the skin on during the resting period. Do not take the skin off until ready to slice.

To serve, I like to cut the entire breast out in one piece per side. The

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n slice down the back side of the breast. This makes for a real nice cut of meat and it is easy to control.

I don’t know of a bird that has more flavor than this recipe. My next favorite would be deep fried with different injections. With out a doubt, this tops them all and your guest will be in for a real treat. There is also nothing at all difficult about this recipe, although it does require a good smoker. If you have not gotten a smoker yet, This Thanksgiving give yourself, your friends and family a real treat- go buy a smoker. They are only around $70 bucks or so and last for years.

Try it!!!

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Baugh’s Baguette’s

(Made with Jim’s own Wild Chesapeake Bay Starter by the Sea!) 

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Baguette, French loaf, Italian, which ever you prefer, here is my full proof recipe for Baugh’s Baguette’s that will sure make a dinner party something to remember. This recipe will give you the rise, color, crisp crust and flavor that you will want.Bstarterwild

This a great recipe that is fun to make and actually uses four different types of flour. The combination of flour makes for delicious nutritious bread with lots of rise and a nice slightly chewy moist texture. The perfect, “OMG-That’s Awesome Bread!!!!”. You will hear that a lot if you try making this.

This recipe will make three baguette’s and one loaf, 4 total

Here are the things you will need.

Bbraided

*Stand Mixer

*Baguette cooking loaf tray (Williams Sonoma-Chicago Metalic)

*Mixing bowl (Large)

*Starter, wild sourdough proofed (I also use KAF)

*A spray bottle full of spring water

For the mix.

*Two-cup white whole wheat Flour- King Arthur (K.A.F.) (most grocery stores)

*Two-cups bread flour- K.A.F. (most grocery stores)

*Two-cup Sir Lancelot High Gluten K.A.F (available online)

*One-cup AP (used in sourdough proof)

*One-cup Fiji water (or your fav filtered water. I LOVE Fiji)

*Two teaspoons sea salt

*Three tbls good olive oil

*Two teaspoons of instant yeast

*One egg for wash

*Poolish (it will be around two+ cups with around 100% hydration)

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To Start- Day 1

First, get your wild starter out of the fridge and proof it by taking one cup of starter and add one-cup flour and 1 cup of water mix and set aside. You can let it sit overnight if you like. Mine usually sets for about four hours and it is bubbly and ready to go. (Poolish)

Day-2

Mix your Flours in a mixer bowl and mix with one cup of warm water and stir until everything is mixed, maybe just a couple minutes.. Be sure to add your poolish as well. After mixing, take off the mixer and set aside for 45-60 minutes to rest. This is the Autolyse step. (Lots of folks let rest for 30 min. I get better results with a longer rest)

*****See note at bottom of page about extending Autolyse for better flavor!!!!!

After Autolyse, put back on mixer and start mixing on low. Do this knead for about 10 minutes, while adding your olive oil, sugar and instant yeast. Continue to mix until the consistency is that not quite of a ball, but close. You do want to be able to pour the dough out of the bowl. This final knead in the mixer is when you add your salt to the dough.

NOTE:

A) I use the instant yeast to give the dough a good kick, helps to fluff up the sourdough. Not necessary, but works good.

B) Usually I will add about a cup more flour during the final mix to get the consistancy of the dough where I want it. Dont over work the dough, it should be a fairly wet dough. This dough should be somewhere arond 75%, hydration or a little  higher. The longer the Autolyse the easier it is to work with wet \ slack dough.

Next, pour onto a floured work surface and hand knead \ Fold. This dough is really one that needs folding. No slamming down on the counter, throwing in the air. Simple folds working the dough gently. Knead for about five minutes or so. It may be a bit sticky because it is a wet dough, just use some bench flour. Then set in a large greased bowl (just a little olive oil) and let rise 3+ hours.

After the rise, work back on to a floured surface Kneading \ folding the dough for a few minutes then cut in four balls. Simply shape by hand and gently stretch the dough to proper length, about two inchs shy of each end of the Baguette tray.

Place each long loaf into the Baguette loaf pan with a sprinkling of flour on top. Spray top of loaf with some water from a spray bottle. Set aside in warm place and let rise for another hour and a half. You can use the warm oven trick to speed up the rise if you would like. Sometimes I do depending on my room temp.

Prep the oven and dough

After this final proof, pre heat your oven to 475 and place a water tray in the bottom of your oven. Don’t miss this step! This water tray is what will help crisp your bread and give it a nice color.  While the oven is heating,–

1) then egg wash the top of the loaves,

2) then dust lightly with flour,

3) then either add sesame seeds on top, or not

4) then spray lightly with the spring water

5) lastly, score them with a Lame, (Score just before going in oven)

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NOTE on scoring:

You can use a razor blade attached to a wood coffee stir. I use a razor blade carpenters tool that is a VERY long blade making it easier to score. This helps a lot. I also run some cold water on the blade and try to make quick movements. I am not master at scoring at all, but it works. I usually work with multi grain sourdough, at 75% hydration, scoring is not always easy.Also, score at an angle, not straight down into your dough.

MOST IMPORTANT-Don’t score your bread until seconds before you put it in the oven.

Score-Multigrain Baguette, Flour used-Whole Wheat, White Whole Wheat, High Gluten, Bread, and AP

Put the dough in 500-degree oven for two minutes then cut oven temp back to 425. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The water should be boiling in the bottom of the oven when you put in the bread.

Spray the bread during cooking, every 10 min. (Or two or three times during baking–Note, the more the oven door is open, the more heat is let out. Try to do two quick sprays of water and dont do the first one until after 10 min. of baking)

Once done, Thump the bread, if it sounds hollow, it is done.

Starting off with a hotter oven AND scoring the bread will help the rise a LOT! Don’t forget it!

*****Be careful when opening the oven with a steam bath, you can burn yourself really bad!! Use oven mittens and stand back to let the steam escape before you go to spray the bread with water. I also drape a cloth over my arm to protect from the steam. I learned this the hard way.

ALWAYS cool the bread on a wire bread rack uncovered for 1\2 hour. Then store or serve.

Cool on racks for at least 30 min before serving or storage.

I usually will let set for 45-50 min.

Day 3–ENJOY!!!

I highly suggest to try a meatball sub using this bread. Also use a round small cast iron skillet to make round Italian bread for sandwiches, just awesome. Nothing impresses company more than a couple of large Baguette’s sitting on the dinner table on wire racks with a red checkered cloth draped around the base. Some red wine, and you are well on your way for one awesome dinner party! Enjoy!

NOTES:

* Sometimes I will add honey into the flour mix and adds a nice flavor and a touch of sweetness. Also you can use all white flour if you like. Adding the whole wheat is better nutrition and flavor, in my opinion.

* You can simply put your dough ready to bake on a cooking pan with some cornmeal and bake. If you do get the Baguette cooking trays, you will like them a lot. They help form the bread however help in the cooking as well. The trays have holes throughout the pan allowing moisture from the water pan to really help crisp the bottom and sides of the loaf. They also make a nice slightly perforated pattern on the bottom of the bread. Real nice! (We got ours at Williams-Sonoma)

* Always have everything at room temp, even the yeast and eggs for the wash. I will usually even heat my mixer bowl by running hot water in it then wiping it out before I start mixing. The sponge should be at room temp as well, of course. Pre heat your oven just for a few minutes to knock off the chill, then use your oven to rise the dough. There will be no drafts and a good warm place to let the yeast do it’s work.

* EXTENDED AUTOLYSE. For better structure and a lot better flavor in your bread, try an extended Autolyse and a longer overnight cool rise. This will also make the wet dough easier to work with. The developed Gluten strands help the structure and flavor a lot. Here is what you do.

A) Make your poolish from your mother jar and set in a large bowl.

B) Add the flour to the bowl and mix just a minute. You want it to be a very wet batter, so you may need to add 1\2 cup of water or so.

C) Once the quick mix is done, set aside for four hours.

D) Then put back on the mixer and add salt, yeast, sugar and mix only for about five minutes. Once done, roll out and knead on the counter. Just a few folds should be necessary.

E) Put the dough in a large bowl and put in fridge overnight. (let rise at least an hour first)

F) In the morning, take out the dough, get to room temp., fold the dough on counter few times.

G) Then, shape the loafs as you would like, using whatever pans you would like.

H) Now, let rest for another 90min.

Follow the rest of the recipe- score, egg wash, dusting flour, seeds, bake in spiked oven for two minutes, then bring temp back down to 425.

Extended Autolyse is something I do if I have time the afternoon or evening the night before prior to baking. Works great and does make a difference. The flavor is quite unreal.

Here are a couple of pics of an extended Autolyse. Wild Sourdough whole wheat Baguette:

Four hour Autolyse

Ovenight rise

Warm rise next day another four hours

Formed loafs, raised another 2 hours.

Then baked.

Some of the best tasting ones I have made yet!

Multigrain Baguette-Whole Wheat Flour, White Wheat Flour, Sir Lancealot, Bread and AP

Garlic Bread Version of Baugh Baguette’s

Here is our Baugh Baguette recipe for Garlic bread! Very good and easy. Same recipe as above however do the following.

* Set aside three tbls of dried roasted garlic and hydrate with a little water for 10 minutes then drain. Next add some olive oil to keep the garlic moist.

* During your last fold on the final proof, insert garlic slices in the middle of the bread. Also add a little garlic powder and parsley flakes throughout the center.

*Fold the dough over to complete the Baguette.

*Let rise again for 1 1\2 hour then bake.

I like to top the Garlic bread with Poppy and toasted Sesame Seeds. This makes for a fantastic Baguette that goes wonderful with any Italian dish.

Baugh Garlic Baguette. You can see the roasted garlic in the center of Baguette.

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Try a sandwich with one of these and you will never go back!

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Turkey Pizza, Grilled – Deep fried with Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce .

I am not sure if this has been done before, but it sure was a new one for us! This Thanksgiving I was in charge of Saturday night Pizza night and made some traditional pies, however came up with one pie that was a good way to use some delicious Leftovers. Deep Fried grilled Turkey Pizza!

Purkeypiecloseup3

First up, you need some good deep fried Turkey. We deep fried two birds and had plenty for leftovers. The birds were rubbed down with a Cajun spice and fried for 45 minutes. We sliced the turkey for the Pizza very thin and made sure there was no bone or gristle, fat, etc. Just pure lean white meat from the breast.

Sauce- for the sauce I decided on a nice brown mushroom gravy, this was a good choice for sure. Certainly worked well with the Turkey and Oyster Stuffing.

Dough- I made my standard King Arthur Neo-NY Pizza dough that did take three days to make. I used KAF High Gluten, Bread, and Whole Wheat Flour. It is a slack dough, high moisture content that has a long fermentation and is made with our wild sour dough starter.Pgravey

Oyster Stuffing and Bacon

For toppings I used some fresh oyster stuffing balls \ chunks from our Turkey Dinner and also cooked up some bacon and cut up in small pieces. We then took a bunch of spring onions chopped them up and used them to put on top of our cheese, which was mostly fresh shredded Asiago and Parm. (No Motz)

At the last minute we came up with the idea since this pie did not have a lot of “Zing” was to add Chipotle Peppers that were packed in a Adobo sauce. This was a great idea and tasted good, however it did spice up the pie probably more than we intended. The peppers were the last to go on so for those that did not want the spice, it was easy to take off.Pturkeypiecloseup2

Ppeppers

We grilled up the pie on our Pizza stone and the finished Turkey Pie was really pretty good. Next time I will probably tone down the pepper spice a little bit by pre cooking them. But all in all, a good tasting pie that was a lot of fun and everybody enjoyed it.

Good Turkey Pie!

****

Three cheese mac & cheese

This is a fav of my daughters, it is pretty simple but just don’t be trying to count calories while enjoying this dish. You will need:

MCHHESE

Stick of butter

Flour

Onion

Milk and whipping cream

Egg noodles

Parm cheese, white cheddar and extra sharp cheddar

Salt and pepper

Make a roux with the butter flour and onion. Then add one cup of two cps of milk and ½ cup whipping cream. Bring to a boil. Add cheese and stir until melted.

After adding pre cooked al dente elbow or shell noodles, pour the mixture into a high sided casserole dish and back for 3 min at 350.

The last 15 minutes cover top of dish with an additional layer of sharp cheddar cheese and sprinkle parm on top as well.

When finished, serve hot alongside smoked turkey with oyster stuffing and gravy.

Start your diet the next day.

NOTE: you can really kick up the mac and cheese fun by adding either lobster or backfin crabmeat into the mix. If you happen to have these I abundance and can get cheap locally, do it. Do not use a heavy flavor like oysters, etc, but lobster and backfin crabmeat does work really well in making a seafood version of mac and cheese.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy!!

Jim Baughbbbb

HOOKED on Cast Iron!

Jim Baugh Outdoors 25th year anniversary and celebrating 30 years of cooking with cast iron!

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As you can see Clint knows how to pack some iron. Cast iron goes back hundreds of years and America was founded by pioneers who kept their kitchenware on their backs, horses, and wagons. Back then if you were traveling two things were for sure in your arsenal, Starter or some sort of leavening, and cast iron cookware most

notably skillets and dutch ovens. couwboys

There are many reasons why cast iron was so popular back then and why it is so popular today. Here are just a few of my personal favorites:

  • Even dispersment of heat that last longer while cooking
  • Non stick seasoned surface that really works
  • A go green cooking application, no need for dishwasher or dish detergent
  • Heavy and durable, next to impossible to damage.
  • Versatility in cooking, can be used in a diversity of culinary applications
  • Works on stove top or oven
  • Best tool to brown and caramelize foods
  • Can be used in outside open flame pit fires as well as conventional electric
  • Will not warp at all, providing more contact with heat element and more even cooking
  • Inexpensive
  • No Teflon surface to flake off
  • Health benefits of Iron versus other possible dangerous cooking materials
  • Last many lifetimes       cpans                                                                                                                                 

In my book there are no negatives about using cast iron cookware, plus the fact everything taste better cooked in them. If you have ever had southern fried chicken done properly in a cast iron skillet, you would never fix it any other way again. It is a great tool.

There are some things to consider about cast iron. They are heavy, but then again they heat better and last for ever. A little bit of a trade off but not much. The other is the pan needs to be seasoned and maintained which is extremely simple to do. There are some things that can ruin your pan quickly however as long as you know what they are and abide by a few simple rules you will never have a problem.

Here are my cast iron tips from years of experience cooking with cast iron. I love cooking with cast iron because I learn just a little something more about cooking with cast iron every time I use it. The applications for cast iron skillets just seem to be endless basically because of their extreme diversity.

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Here we go. How to season a pan and maintain it.

A well seasoned and maintained cast iron skillet will provide a great non stick surface and take no effort to clean up. Here is how it works for me.

When I first got my skillet over 30 years ago I decided to smoke a turkey on the grill. I had just purchased the pan and it needed seasoning so I used it as a drip pan for the turkey. For eight hours that bird coated that pan like you would not believe. Once finished I just wiped the pan down, then put it in the oven at 350 with a little addition oil. After 30 minutes the pan cooled and rested, I wiped it down with an oiled cloth and put it away.

A good storage trick is to dampen a couple paper towels with oil and lay them inside the pan unfolded. This is what I would do when I was stacking smaller multiple cast iron pans. Do you need to have a smoked turkey drip in your pan for eight hours? No you don’t. Just wipe the pan down good with oil and bake. But if you happen to be doing a turkey anyway… go for it.

Once I start cooking with the skillet I would always finish it off with a coating of oil before storage. And sometimes if I have a little bacon grease I would use that to, especially before I would be cooking. This is not different than what is done at a diner. They throw the bacon on the grill before you get there and coat the grill with grease, then start cooking. That little stainless steel pan at the back of the diner grill is actually bacon grease that is used to coat the grill throughout the day.

So keeping your pan seasoned is important, but extremely easy to do and the more it is seasoned the better it is for flavor and ease of cooking. Now lets move on to clean up. sesonedduck

Ease of clean up depends on how well the pan is seasoned

Do not use steel, metal, or even a scrub brush on your pan. Anything abrasive will take off your seasoning and it usually is not necessary. If you super season your pan you should be able to simply wipe off the pan with a paper towel. If there is anything stuck to the bottom simply place some hot water in the pan and let rest for only a few minutes, then wash with a dish rag, it will come right up. (If what is sticking to the pan is flour based use cold water.) Always dry your pan with a paper towel and then wipe entire skillet with an oiled towel. It is that simple. Things to not do are use dish soap, or put the skillet in the dishwasher. Keeping your pan dry and oiled is a big key to low maintenance ease of use cast iron cookware.

I probably over season my cast iron, but that only makes for a pure non stick surface. Under seasoning is worse than over seasoning. Sometimes if I am not using my skillet (which I always leave on the stove) and walk past it, I will just give it a little love of oil wipe down. Never hurts and I always have a super non stick surface.

cclinthorseunforgivin

Why I love my cast iron skillet so much? Diversity! 

If I only had one piece of cookware to use it without a doubt would be my skillet. Cast Iron skillets are sort of the one stop shop of cookware, you really don’t need much or anything else. Below are just a few of the dishes we have cooked using cast iron skillets most of which recipes are found on Jim’s Galley Blog or Jim’s Coastal Cuisine.

A picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few we love.

Enjoy!!

Jim Baugh

JBSKILLETrecipe

displayreadytocook

Americana Found…… at a Hardware Store.

andy

Americana Found…… at a Hardware Store.

By

Jim Baugh 

I am not sure what struck me about my first exposure to Watsons Hardware Store. Probably strolling by one late salty mist afternoon in the historic Chesapeake bayside town of Cape Charles and seeing about ten or twelve folks all gathered around on the sidewalk rocking comfortably in their favorite rocking chair auspiciously and proudly holding the finest in ice chilled double insulated tumblers. 3chairWhile they were wetting whistles and spinning yarn I noticed that some of the rocking chairs had engraved name plates on them. chipchairThis sidewalk social has enough brain power, muscle, southern charm, and determination to get a president elected, but, only if they wanted to. This hallowed communal community ground is a true American sidewalk. A walk that lands at rest as the afternoon sun dips westward below the burnt orange horizon of the Chesapeake Bay.

This store front sidewalk social group is one of legend with regulars and select invited guest to harbor the celebration of days end. These gentlemen are truly the afternoon protectors of an American tradition and heritage of a bygone era that we only see splinters of today in our modern society. To look through the aged beveled glass windows that stand behind the purveyors of sidewalk Americana was a wonder. To walk through the doors was a journey through a passage of time. A time when political correctness was not even in the English language and the words family, honor, dignity, integrity, and “we are closed on Sundays”, actually meant something.

stovechairs

Welcome, to Watsons Hardware. Americana found. 

Location: The Town of Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. 

Departing northward from the Elliot’s Creek area by automobile and getting to Cape Charles is a lovely start to this sneak peak in Americana hardware bliss because,

……..This is the Eastern Shore.

Driving at only 25mph in a 40mph posted limit is not because I am wishing to drive like my sweet dearly departed Grandmother affectionately known as “Nanna Baugh”. Even cruising the highway, Nanna never broke 20mph. This gave her time to appreciate the flowers in the median. Something I too learned to appreciate in my later years.granny

My speed reduction while navigating the back roads of the Eastern Shore is for simple reasons like lower speeds make it easier to dodge the bucolic deer that seem to be in endless supply. They are only second in popularity to the wild red and grey foxes, raccoon, geese, and of course the antler hunters who come out in four wheel drive droves to try and find and conquer their catch.

If they only looked by my mailbox, there is 10 of them!

Hunting for Deer on the Eastern Shore should not be called hunting, rather it should be called, “Checking your mail” when you see one at the mailbox, talk nice to it and it will follow you home. Once off the back roads and on 13, I felt a little more comfortable picking the speed up to 55 and getting into Cape Charles without antlers in my windshield. Nanna would be proud.deer

This area is an outdoor enthusiast dream! Kiptopeake State Park, Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge, Barrier Islands galore, migratory flight paths of Zen like nature. But………..

I need a Pizza Pan.

This is what led me eventually to the tribune “esk” ritual of Watsons Hardware in Cape Charles. Yes, it is Friday and Jim is making pizza for pizza night and his lovely Donna does not have a pan that I MUST have in order to do my diligent kitchen duty. No problem, I will just run up to the store and get one. Well, after a brief visit to the “Food Dilemma” grocery store chain where I had about as much luck finding a pizza pan as a match.com profile finding a current photograph, I decided to move on to the next store in the parking lot. Enter, the Dollar General.

We got close! There was a pan, only five bucks, but I wanted round not square so I ventured off to Cape Charles. It was only later I found out that the Eastern Shore in Crisfield was having rash of dollar general robberies. This I could not figure out? If your going to rob a store, would you not rob one that advertised more than a dollar?hattsbt

Finally I arrive in rustic Cape Charles and enter Americana nirvana, Watsons Hardware. Now THIS was a throwback in time.

The cool thing about this old store is not only is it over 100 years old, but the place has just about anything you would need. If they don’t exactly have what you are looking for, they will have something close. Sure enough they had a pot and pan section with plenty of crab steamers. They did not have an array of pizza pans, but they had one. I bought it and was very pleased with the product, price, and the attentive service.

bike

This old store truly, at least in concept, reminded me of what an old trading store use to be like. Think back to the movie “The Outlaw Josie Whales”. Clint rides up to the provision store and the grocery list is pretty interesting. Buckshot, yeast, sulfur, flour, feed, chew, beans, lard, and of course, beef jerky.

A hardware store sells hardware. Watson’s sells what you may need to get threw life, including the wood stove.

I have not been to many hardware places that have a fairly complete bicycle and fishing section. This does make sense considering Cape Charles is located on the Chesapeake Bay and everyone rides bikes everywhere in town. The nearby bike trails and scenery around the marinas is something to see. Sure enough, if your gonna need that wiggle worm or maybe an inner tube, you can conveniently find it in one place. Watson’sfishingsoppluies

Is that a Walmart Cart?

negotiatedoor

Traversing back towards the center of the store I noticed an opening in the wall of Americana Nirvana. Two open doors that let to a cavernous pickers dream. This area was a cross between a store, yard sale, antique shop, and junk yard. 

A true pickers dream. 

organ

Browsing around I saw just about everything. A 19th century reed pump harmonium with wood pedals that actually worked. Then there was the plastic boat for two and the infamous round malleable blue swimming pool hovering over a stack of chairs.

Then I glanced over and I saw it, a bit confused I had to ask myself,

“Is that a Walmart Cart or a Walnut Cart?

Sure enough there awaits in front of me an entire shopping cart filled with walnuts. Sold by the pound or the cart!

nuts

Heading out of pickerland, I went to a different section of this memorable store. How about this for an end cap. Here in one small section is:

Water skis, an axe, a duck decoy, tennis racket, hard hat, minnow bucket and deer antlers. Now THAT is a selection.

Before I left with my prized shimmering Teflon glazed Watsons Hardware Pizza Pan, I had a nice chat with the fellow who was behind the counter. He came out from behind, greeted me in a warm Southern Virginia style and said,

“Hello, my name is Bill Watson, can I help you?”

Certainly out of respect I immediately introduce myself and told Bill I was thinking about writing a little story about his historic family store. Certainly this place was even worthy of Nanna Baugh driving 20mph to get to. I was just so intrigued with the place I wanted him to know that this store had certainly peaked my curiosity.

skisstuff

“That is fine Jim, you know the New York Times once did a piece on this old place and so did Coastal Living! You go right a head and over here is a little bit of history about the building.”

oldoutsde

The hardware store and building have been a family business since going way back to the early 1900’s, 1906 I believe. It is fascinating to think of the changes that have occurred during that time. Many changes, yet some things still remain the same. There are countless pictures hanging in the store of customers, family gatherings, and of course the “who caught the biggest fish” picture. All a welcome sight as you pass through the isles of days gone by. boots

There are not a lot of places left like Watson’s Hardware store and it is a true slice of Americana. If you are traveling along Rt. 13 on the Eastern Shore you may want to make a special trip to Cape Charles and check on the monochrome auld lang syne world of yesteryear at Watsons. If you’re coming across the Chesapeake on the Bay Bridge Tunnel or planning a trip to Bay Creek by water, do take the time to plan an excursion to Watsons Hardware. I am sure you will need to pick up something while you are there anyway.

…….Just don’t go on a Sunday.

Gather all yee friends and neighbors!

cigs

“Say honey! Hey baby since you are going out this afternoon going shopping and getting your hair done, and seein how I have completed all my chores this morning, I think I’ll gather up the boys for a little yarn spinnin. Catch up on some fishin stories. Think I am gonna call the buds, stop by the libation store, and fetch a bag of clams to steam up on the wood stove. I know Cletus will bring us all some real fat stogies to smoke. So I will catch up with you later dahlin, if you need us we will all be a sittin around the hot stoked burnin stove at the…………….. Home Depot, Isle 11.

Americana Found….

gr2

Watsons Hardware, Cape Charles Virginia

barrrn

Outer Banks Avon Pier Fights to Stay Open, NPS Shuts them down.

Posted on

Popular private Outer Banks Avon fishing pier fights to stay open, NPS shuts them down today.

By

Jim Baugh

clintavon

Recently I read where the fine folks at Avon fishing pier were going to open their business regardless of the Government Shutdown. I certainly thought this to be a pretty brave and spirited thing to do and wanted to find out more about the situation.

Today I spoke with Christian Matthews of the Avon fishing pier and got the lowdown. She said that the pier is privately owned and opened to the public as a business. However it is on federal land. So there is no real way for people to access the pier because they would have to cross federal land to get to a public locality. This same exact issue is happening at other locations around the country. On the Eastern Shore of VA, the wildlife refuge has a very popular public boat ramp and marina heavily utilized by watermen who make their living fishing these waters. However it is located on federal property. So, anyone can see the huge problem that this causes.

Not only are the fine folks who are furloughed not getting a pay check, but the private businesses are getting no business at all. The worst of it is the government may reimburse furloughed employees, but there is no way to pay back the private businesses that lost 100% revenue.

One thing that fuels this fire for the anglers and commercial fisherman is that this time of year is one of the busiest times, especially the fall season on the Outer Banks. As it stands now, this revenue that is lost will not be repaid by our government.

The National Park Service got wind that Avon Pier was going to reopen and as of 5 a.m. this morning they showed up at the pier and made sure it was shut down. They said that if the pier attempts to reopen the fines will start immediately. Hats off to the NPS for not fining them for reopening and instead giving them an initial warning.

Ms Matthews said they are working hard to rectify the situation -however it does not look like anything much can be done.

Certainly this is a huge mess and the entire country is up in arms. Hopefully out of this there could be some legislation written so that in the future if a public business can only be accessed by federal land the business can remain open, or the government can pay back these private businesses for the revenue they lost.

For the moment I hope that all sportsman will very much support these businesses like the Avon pier once things re-open. Helping and supporting them could help make up for lost revenues.

Here is what maybe should happen to all federal politians to help wake them up.

CLICK HERE

Tight Lines,

Jim Baugh

JBO TV

Author of HOOKED

HOOKED

 

 

 

Other recent Outer Banks Story travel & entertainment CLICK HERE

Leap of Faith Quit Your Job and Live On A Boat \ Book Review by Jim Baugh

“Leap of Faith” Quit your job and live on a boat

Ed Robinson

Book Review

By

Jim Baugh

 leapfaith2

Coming in at 128 pages this work could be considered a novella or a novel but best characterized as a memoir. With so much more subject matter to write about I can only hope Author Ed Robinson treats us with a second book!

This is a true story and one that I can relate to very well. In Ed’s world, he and his lovely wife decided on their dream, sell it all, save, save, save, buy a boat and live on it, and do so in beautiful blue waters. Not a bad idea at all. Ed lays out their financial plan on how to get out of dept and live the freedom life of no worries, except how to keep the boat afloat.

Now, we all have certain expectations of a book before we read it. I figured this memoir would be chocked full of hilarious stories of giant sea faring characters that would keep you in stitches for the entire read. I am happy to say, that this is not one of those reads. It is much more!

To be honest, Ed it the nail on the head so hard in chapter 7, “Dept Free Equals Freedom” and chapter 8, “Save, Save, Save”. I recommend everyone in the USA to buy this book and read it if for nothing else, these two chapters. If you follow Ed’s brilliant advice, your life will be forever changed and all for the better. I can relate to this life strategy because I recently have done similar to what Ed has done. Rid myself of all dept, and not get back into the rat race of keeping up with the Jones. The book clearly lays out how ANYONE can get out of dept and live with forever freedom. This was a great read and think it is awesome that this couple changed their lives so positively by doing just some simple adjustments in how they live their life.

To be honest not everyone’s life dream is to live on a boat. I did it on and off for 10 years. Five of those 10 years I lived aboard full time on a 36 foot Trojan. Living on a boat one certainly does meet a lot of interesting characters, many of which I wrote about in my novel HOOKED. It is an exciting life and yes, one will have a new found appreciation for weather, and a weather radio while living on your floating palace. The truth is that this story is of course interesting however readers should know that if you have no interest in the water at all, you still will find some very valuable lessons from reading these pages.

The underlying theme is about relationships and living dept free. In this case Ed and his wife Kim set a good example of how couples should behave towards each other regarding respect, love, communication and friendship.

I give Ed and Kim five stars for setting out a financial plan that works, working and living together in such a positive way, and faring seas that certainly can rock the boat.

There are some laughs in the book. My favorite was when Ed Realized that in real life, those boats that he was looking at on Yachtworld, don’t look like they do in the pictures. WOW did that one hit home. Photoshop can make over any boat, just like new!

“Leap of Faith” is a memoir that will inspire and educate the reader, even if your life dream is to live in Kansas growing corn.

Available on Amazon.

Tight lines, Fair Seas,

Godspeed.

Jim Baugh

Jim Baugh Outdoors TV

Author of HOOKED

HOOKED

HOOKED latest on film option

HOOKEDHi fellow authors! Here is a film option update about HOOKED. Passing on this info for other authors that are interested in optioning their work. First up, my initial thought was to have HOOKED optioned, then have a possible shot at the screenplay. I have made some breakthroughs on the west coast, one was Alexendar Paynes group. I actually got HOOKED threw the door, signed the non-solicit waiver and they took a look at it for possible film project. They do very few films but good ones, (Sideways, etc) we did not exactly fit their target so they ended up passing. Since then I have been pounding the pavement and as the big eye in the sky would have it, I had a pretty good breakthrough yesterday. Here is the deal.

I managed to get a director on the phone, major, major, major studio, one of the top three. (not mentioning names-but we all know this guy!) I am not sure why he even took my call. Maybe he was in the bathroom bored and somehow they patched me through to his cell phone by mistake.

This director got so interested in HOOKED he got online and was reading reviews while I was pitching him. The bottom line was this, he said this does sound unique and something that is gonna make a great film, and wanted to look at the screenplay.

But….. I don’t have a screenplay. He told me to write one, and send to him when done.

So I decided to write the screenplay starting next week and give it a shot. Now! While I am typing this I get a call from a large literary agent asking for more info on HOOKED because they may want to option it for film.

Ok! So now what do I do! Simple, write the screenplay regardless. Having both the play and novel puts the author in a much better bargaining position. So I will work with this Lit agent and see what happens, but do so while writing the screenplay.

Here are the facts, an Amazon best seller like mine is only going to bring low end dollars up front in an option deal, lets say anywhere from a few bucks to a few thousand dollars. A sold screenplay even by union standards starts at 50k and usually brings 90k to 100k. Established screenplay writers can get a million, or millions, and never even have the movie made.

So with the different directions that are available for HOOKED, the best route is to write the screenplay regardless. This will be my first screenplay but have a lot of support to get threw this writing. My short form writing skills due to my years in television is probably better than my long form anyway. So we will see. Most novelist make lousy screenplay writers, but my background is in television. One thing is for sure, this screenplay will be hilarious!! I get to put in even more funny!!!

Anyway, that’s where the film option buiz stands. It’s out there, but we as authors and producers may sell ourselves short by not having screenplay in hand.

At least that is what has been instructed to me thus far.

Stay Tuned!!