The Dazzle of Paul Hollywood

Yes, it's that time of year when all home bakers go into a frenzy about what to make for the holidays.ABC knows this and rolls out their annual baking show, The Great Holiday Baking Show, based on the UK's The Great British Baking Show. It even has that main attraction Paul Hollywood, he of the piercing blue eyes and stinging criticiques.

The show is on ABC every Thursday night , with two back to back hour long episodes starting at 9PM. Fans of the original will love this and it features bake loving Yanks from all corners of the country. There was even a priest, Father Kyle, who was sadly booted off Episode Two.Like the original every episode features a signature bake, a cake or cookie they might make for family and friends, a technical bake that features a challenging recipe from the judges and the final - a show stopper, something that would bring gasps if if were made at home. The judges in the past were Mary Berry and Johnny Iuzzini who returns this year with Hollywood. Paul Hollywood 's background is that of being the son of a baker who eventually owned a chain of bakeries in England. Paul, himself, became a baker, working at several five star hotels in the UK and on Cyprus. Iuzzini is also a pastry chef , from the Catskills region in New York State where he learned how to cook and bake as a child. He also attended the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park where he specialized in Baking and Pastry Arts. The hosts are chef Ayesha Curry who has written several cookbooks and forer football player and media personality Anthony Adams,

The show lacks the wit and sparkle that the British version had under Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Ayesha and Anthony are likeable enough,  especially Anthony when 'he's cadging candied cherries off contestant Cindy Maliniak. They do add to the show especially when they interact with the bakers and are a nice foil to Paul's snark. Yesterdays episodes featured making naked cakes. which are layers cakes with just fillings and iced top layers.These  were pretty in their own messy ways,but I feel that British bakers would have handled the challenge better. The second hour featured everything yeasty. This is where the bakers got truly creative , especially with the first one which featured doughnuts . They reflected the contestants backgrounds. The episode's show stopper was a sweet bread with different fillings and decorations. Again the bakers became truly creative with flavors reflecting  Hector De Haro's Mexican heritage and Vallery Lomas' Louisiana's influenced King Cake, Hopefully upcoming episodes will feature more Christmassy  challenges like mince pies and cookies. They did have to recreate a log but it was more of a sponge cake.

Will the American holiday version  stand up to the British? Hopefully it will .It is entertaining and inspiring to home bakers , longing for a challenge

One Meal One Pan

Nothing beats a hot meal with all the trimmings on these frigid days. Yet cooking a full meal can be daunting. There's so many pots and pans to deal with  along with trying to have all the dishes ready at the same time. Not to worry. There's a great new cookbook centering on sheet pan meals.It's an easy way to make the main dish and sides without fuss or worry.

Dr. Camilla V Saulsbury  gives us "200 Best Sheet Pan Meals" (Robert Rose Press 2016) and it's a great Valentine's Day gift for any home chef.  It's a wonderful recipe full book of simple and fun meals anyone can make. For those who have qualms about this type of cooking,not to worry. The books starts out with a guide on what type of pans to use, along with the technique's history ( it comes from the British where the meals are known as tray bakes, simple yet filling dinners and desserts that require little prep and little clean up afterwards. Dr Saulsbury , who has a PhD in  Sociology  with a specialization in food studies from the University of Indiana, also explains the different types of ingredients as well as dealing with the  different cooking times of meats and vegetables.Beginners will love her chapter on easy sheet pan meals such as  broccoli cheddar no crust quiche along with yummy desserts like coconut macaroons and frozen chocolate bananas. The book is then divided into different chapters revolving around  brunch and breakfast meatless meals, for vegetarians  along with  recipes for various meats,.There's an extensive chapter on all sorts of desserts, that would be great for bake sales and parties.

The recipes are amazing. I love the wide variety of different dishes and how they encompass all tastes.There's a tasty sunnyside up pizza, perfect for a family brunch .It's an easy bake with the crust being frozen pizza dough layered with ricotta, olive oil and eggs.Non meat eaters will love roasted broccoli rabe with gorgonzola or a vegetable paella , ripe with saffron, artichoke hearts and onions.Those meat and veg lovers will gobble up such filling meals as roasted chicken with butternut squash and apples and the thyme and pork tenderloin with charred corn salad. There are plenty of beef and fish recipes too, such as  roast beef with potatoes, green beans and blue cheese mayo and garlic salmon and green beans. Kids will love the .meatball, burger and breakfast roll recipes that would be perfect at birthdays or pajama parties.The dessert recipes are fun and varied too,, under the cute Sheet Sweets title. A great cake for a dinner party would be the scratch  chocolate ganache cake or decadent carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. There's even a cheesecake recipe, one without all that fuss and some tasty variations such as chocolate chip , lemon and brown sugar. The cookie bar and even candy recipes would be excellent at any bake sale or kid's party.

"200 Best Sheet Pan Meals+ is a great book for those who want a hearty meal or elegant dessert without the fuss.There are so many different recipes, each tasty and easy to bake. This is the must have cookbook for any home chef!

Cooking In Humid Weather

Cooking and baking in hot weather is never great. Add humidity and it gets even worse. Yet, we all want a hot meal or make a cake or cookies for a graduation or shower. There are ways to work with the weather. The end result will be dishes and treats not affected by a steamy, tropical day.

What is humidity? It's the amount of moisture in the air. Warm air, like what we're experiencing now, is capable of holding more moisture than cool air.There's a certain amount of it when we cook meats like chicken and it's important in cooking any kind of meat.It insures a moist , juicy middle and a dry crispy exterior. This principle doesn't; work for a barbecue. First of all , never leave meats out for a long period of time . Humidity is a great breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria. Keep any meat, whether hot dogs or ribs in the fridge until they're ready to be cooked. The dampness may also make it hard for coal or wood chips to ignite as well. Any home griller should stick with charcoal lumps, eggs or briquettes. These don't soak up as much water as wood chips which absorb a lot of humidity. Store charcoal in air tight plastic containers so they're not affected by the atmosphere. Sides, especially those having a lot of mayo in them, can also be affected by humidity. Keep salads and slaw in the fridge until they're ready to be served. As soon as the meal is over , put the leftovers back in the fridge. Thoroughly wash everything, from plates to pans in warm soapy water to eliminate any chance of leftover bacteria.

Humidity is the enemy of both baking and candy making. It is important in bread making,The dampness softens the dough an makes it expand more . Humidity gives loaves a lighter , airier texture than cool dry air. If there's too much humidity, the bread may take longer to rise and bake. if that's the case, add an egg. Home bakers living in hot  , humid climates swear by it . Another help is switching to finely ground wheat bran instead of wheat flour.Cakes are another matter. For a better crumb, reduce liquids by 1/4 . If the batter does look too dry then add a small amount of whatever is called for, whether milk or water. This will ensure a perfect cake. Candy is super tricky to make during a tropical heat wave.The finished product is usually too soft thanks to it reabsorbing moisture from the atmosphere.It also will not set properly and be more like sauce.. Also just regular sugar will absorb the humidity , resulting in damp sticky clumps. Keep the air conditioner on high in the kitchen and also store the sugar in plastic air tight containers with a desiccant such as sodium chloride.. This will maintain the consistency and keep the granules from adhering to each other. This should ensure for a thicker consistency and less gumminess.

Don't let this tropical heat wave deter you from cooking and baking. You still grill cook and bake your faves when the weather gets hot and sticky. It's just a matter of readjusting recipes and keeping ingredients dry.