Heavenly Recipes

Heavenly Recipes

Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Jon Paul bakes bread

Jon Paul Olivier, a native of Franklin and resident of Houma, shares his recipe for rosemary bread. It is a recipe that he found on the Internet and modified slightly. It is supposed to be a copycat recipe that Macaroni Grill serves.

Jon Paul has been working as the technical and system support specialist for the diocesan Office of Technology Services for the past 10 months.

Jon Paul is married to Susan and they have two adult children. Susan is a teacher at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School in Houma. Jon Paul enjoys cooking, but says his wife is much better. “I like baking breads and desserts. I make homemade cheese. I started making pizza with the box type pizzas and now I make homemade pizzas. My mother is also a great cook. She won the Times Picayune cooking contest years ago in the early 1970s for the recipe “forty cloves of garlic,’’ which contained chicken, rosemary and garlic.”

Jon Paul has always worked in IT. “I have a degree in computer science and business from Nicholls.” He says that it has been a wonderful experience working at the Pastoral Center. “Everyone gets along so well. Everyone appreciates everyone so much. We get the opportunity to celebrate Mass here. It is great. Getting to know the priests on a personal level is great. Getting to know the bishop personally and knowing that he is as gentle and compassionate here as he is in public has been a great experience.”

Jon Paul is an avid runner. “My son and I go mountain climbing. We just got back from a trip where we finished section hiking on the Appalachian Trail through the Smoky Mountains. We have been working on that for the past nine years. We started in 2012; we do a little each year when life doesn’t get in the way. It generally takes a week. After a oneday warm-up climb, it’s three long days on a

Heavenly Recipes

Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. yeast 1 tbsp. sugar 1 cup warm water (not over 120 degrees) 2-1/2 cups bread flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tbsps. rosemary 2 tbsps. butter

Directions:

The bread can be made in a bread machine or by hand. When making the bread in a bread machine, the bread may fall. To alleviate this problem, make these small adjustments: Reduce yeast, increase flour and increase salt.

To make in a bread machine, add water and butter first, then sprinkle flour on top, and finally add other dry ingredients in separate corners with the yeast in the center. When the bread comes out of the bread machine, brush with remaining butter and kosher salt, then sprinkle remaining rosemary on all sides.

To make the bread by hand, place yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.

Mix in 1 tbsp. butter and salt, and 2 cups of flour. Add 1 tbsp. of the fresh chopped rosemary. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Place a little oil in a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled. Punch down dough and divide in half. Let dough rest about 5 minutes. Spray baking pan or cookie sheet lain with cooking spray. Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp. rosemary and 1 tbsp. salt over the loaves and press lightly into surface. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Carefully remove from oven; brush with remaining butter and kosher salt. the trail afterwards … no matter the weather. We had snow this time, we have had it all, driving snow storms, ice storms. You are dropped off at a remote place and your vehicle is three days away. You have no choice but to keep on going.”

He says it’s an opportunity for him and his son to connect, talk and reflect on life.

Jon Paul hopes to one day get his pilot’s license. “I have completed ground school, and passed the written test. Actually flying is next. I have to perfect my landing, cross county flying, night flying and some navigation. My father was a pilot. It is something that I always wanted to do some day. My father was a pilot during WWII. There is some inspiration to why I want to do it.”

Jon Paul says his job gives him the opportunity to help people to better use technology. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people to use technology in their lives both personally and professionally. I now have the opportunity to do this for the mission of the church. I have been given the opportunity to help people better themselves to fulfill their own purposes.”

He is also an author who has written a number of books. “My stories are about travels. People would say you ought to write a book. The stories are not just about coming of age, but about ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary circumstances.” BC