Brown Bread

Sometimes I get a craving for brown bread with cream cheese that I just can't shake. If the only kind you've ever had is from a can, or if you've never had it all, it may not beckon you. But once you've had a good one, you may agree, and want it at odd times.

It is a steamed bread, so you "bake" it on the stove top wrapped up inside a pot of simmering water for a long time, which makes it excellent to make on a cold, dry winter day.

When it emerges from its lengthy steam bath, you are presented with a dense, pleasantly mealy, subtly sweet cakelike bread that goes well with butter, cream cheese, ham, preserves, or any of a number of other toppings. It is traditionally served with baked beans, as another option.