Different Kinds Of Bakers

 There's no doubt that this is baking season. There are many sorts of home bakers out there. The traditional, the health conscious and the vegan. The question is what kind are you.

A traditional baker will use  traditional ingredients. They're not going to worry about gluten, fat or aninal products. They're full on going to use  refined flours and sugar along with a rich amount of butter and eggs to make the best cakes and cookies. If your;'e this kind of baker then think of fun cupcakes. Start with a basic cake recipe and then go from there. Tint a buttercream icing green and pipe it into triangles on top of each cupcake for a Christmas tree. Add mini M&M's and holiday sprinkles. You can also try fruitcake in the form of cupcakes. This is riff on the tradtional recipe.It's made with basically the same ingredients, especially the different spices , rum and fruits. Theicing is an almond marzipan one. Keep in mind this is a boozy treat reserved for only adults. As for cookies traditonal bakers go for one loaded with sugar. The prettiest ones are the spritzes , made with a cookie gun. The recipe is a whole cup of butter which gives them that shortbread taste and feel.  They can be decorated with everything from sanding sugar to sprinkles. Of course chocolate chip cookies are on the must bake list. Make them even more lush with giant chocolate chips.

What happens if you want to be a healthy baker? This is where healthy and vegan intercept. The two sorts won't use real dairy. This is where plant butters like Melt come in. This tastes like the real thing and is great for cookies. Melt is good for baking only and not for creating fluffy frostings.. It can come off as runny, with the icing slipping off the cake's surface. Use Miyokos Plant Butter or Earth Balance for a stiffer , firmer topping instead.Many home bakers are flummoxed when it comes to omitting eggs. Not to worry.Many vegan home bakers incorporate Just Egg in their cooking and baking. This egg substitute is primarily made from mung beans and canola oil. Three tablespoons equal one egg and can easily be subbed in. You can also use the powdered Vegg egg substitute. This also works OK in baking. Other egg replacements are applesauce and flaxseed. Nut milks are usd too, to replace dairy . Almond milk works the best because it has the best consistency. what about that all important ingredient sugar? Stevia and agave syrup work just as well as the refined white stuff. Also try maple syrup or honey too. Both give  a warm earthy flavor  to baked goods.

You cna create tasty treats whether your a traditional, healthy ot vegan baker. There are all sorts of recipes out there. Use them for a fun holiday table full of delicious cookies and cakes.

10 Years Of Foodie Pantry!!

2018 marks the ten year anniversary of Foodie Pantry! I can't believe it,because it doesn't feel like a decade has elapsed. It started  from  two little  paragraphs  and grew into pictorials about cooking polenta and icing cakes. There have been interviews with famous chefs , and cookbook reviews , analyzing Times Food section  articles and delving into the history of our favorite foods. Unfortunately I have lost my greatest adviser ,my Mom, on the long trip to this point.I will miss asking her for advice or how she made a certain recipe.

The upcoming year will reflect what this poor writer has been writing about  - trends, eating healthy , and recipes. There will be posts or my new favorite  - the pommelo - the granddaddy of the orange. along with forays into crockpot cooking and turns with Mexican and Indian cuisine. The fun thing about writing this blog is that I get to explore different cuisines from around the world along with tasting  new trends and traditional dishes.

I'm grateful for all you readers and promise that  this anniversary year will be a palatable one.

Special thanks to Pete Burley and Mitch Rappel fr for letting me create this blog for their Fyxx Caffeinated Water in the spring of 2008.

A Tasty Holiday Issue

The New York Times has given us some great holiday recipes and today is yet another issue of yummy Christmas and Hannukah dishes. It's a wide variety of different flavors and textures. along with a vast array of diverse ingredients. Best of all any of these can be a holiday tradition made year after year.

One of the best articles is by Food regular , Julia Moskin, She wrote about that rich , eggy dense pudding - flan. Her recipe is the perfect recipe.It is a smooth textured one  with the zing of lemon added. Cinnamon can be subbed in for the lemon, for a Northern Spanish twist. One of the most disconcerting aspects of the dessert is the caramel topping. This is usually a burnt sugar ,made with just sugar melted in a heavy saucepan. Home chefs attempting this should try a "wet" caramel, with water mixed in with the sugar.It will finish off the flan with that burnt umber syrup.What can go before the flan is Dave Tanis of A City Kitchen 's column.It is a classic French dish that also has bouquet garni and carrots.Horseradish can be slathered on them for a sharp contrast.

Hannukah is also celebrated, thanks to Melissa Clark's olive oil challah recipe. along with Joan Nathan's article on latkes..The first celebrates the miracle of the oil thanks to the addition of this classic ingredient.It is a braided bread that can also be repurposed for French toast and bread puddings. Challah dough is one of the easiest doughs to work with for home chefs. If you want the most traditional dish, then think latkes.Joan Nathan wrote about them in her article. These are not exactly the classic ones, thanks to Chef Daniel Rose.They're made with clarified butter along with being transformed into one big , crispy pancake as opposed to a slew of tiny little pancakes.Onions are also added for an earthy sweetness.It's fried in grapeseed oil and served with creme fraiche and an apple compote instead of the usual sour cream and apple sauce.It can also be used a a based for Eggs Benedict too.

These recipes will make Christmas and Hannukah more memorable. They're classics updated for a better , more enhanced taste. Make anyone part of the holiday cooking tradition.

Christmas Eve And Sauce

Right now I'm in the middle of making a vegan Bolognese sauce. you read right. a vegan one with soy meat crumbles. I t will go with the already made ravioli and fennel salad. this is what I love about Christmas Eve, the fact that most of the world celebrates with centuries old family recipes. it laso means celebrating with special foods and sweets, usually deemed too special for everyday fare.It could be thirteen fishes in honor of Apostles or a prime rib to set off family gathering.All in in it's a time to celebrate one's faith and family .Food is the best way of doing this. Have a good holiday.Enjoy the joy as well as the foods of the season.Remember why we rejoice for our Lord's Birth. As for me, it's time to get back to the sauce.It's really a special meal for a special night.