Can salt and sugar be interchanged? Good question. Sugar is used primarily in dessert and baking, Salt and other savories are used in meat and vegetable courses. Change it up a bit. Both tastes unexpectedly used can create a new and exciting spin on ordinary dishes.
Salt has been primarily used in savory dishes for millennia. Maybe a pinch of it was used in baking recipes to bring out a cake or pie's flavor.. Things started to change with the invention of Crackerjack and tin roof sundaes.The first was invented in 1896 and married the flavor of salted popcorn with a caramel coating. People love the rash pairing of two distinct flavors. It was around this time that a savory sweet concoction hit ice cream parlors first in the Chicago area then around the country. The creation was the tin roof sundae, a layer of salty peanuts on top of chocolate sauce, and ice cream and topped by a cloud of sweet whipped cream. Of course there's salted caramel, the best flavor sensation since - well salted caramel. It was sheer genius to combine flaky sea salt with the sometimes over sweet caramel.It's everywhere now, from cookies to ice cream to ice cream topping.It does make sense because the flavors are exact opposites of each other and together they balance each other out.Another good marriage is sea salt with dark chocolate Imagine a rich dark bark highlighted with nuts and crunchy nuggets of fleur du sel.
Just as salt enhances sweet, sweetness can add to savory dishes.The mark of a good tomato sauce is its' balance of sweet and salty. Generations of chefs, both here and in Italy have added grated carrot to their sauces. Its' sweetness takes away the acidic tang of the tomatoes. Some here in the States had refined white sugar. I've tried this and was not happy with the candylike taste of the sauce. Instead I used dark wildflower honey which gives a sweet, earthy mellowness to the blend,Usually a teaspoon does the trick. The darker the honey the better.It has more nutrients and minerals than the light golden type. A teaspoon of this also helps balances out chili too, eliminating the tartness of store bought tomato sauce.For years chefs , both restaurant and home, have gilded varieties of roast foul with all sorts of sweet glazes.Honey glazed chicken and Cornish hen have pleased palates for generations.It's usually mixed with both orange zest and juice to overcome the sugary taste. Fruits have always been used with different roasts, namely pork, ham and chicken. The Germans have been marrying apples and pork roast for centuries, The apple's taste is enhances as well as tones down the meat's intensity.
Go ahead. Mix it up by giving savory dishes a touch of sweet and sugary dishes a jolt of saltiness. It's a great way of enhancing opposite flavors and making them stand out and memorable.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
Diabetic Cooking - A Healthy Variety
One of the worst scourges of our time is diabetes. It can have terrible, life threatening consequences if not regulated and the diet not monitored.Luckily the American Diabetes Association has come out with a cookbook full of delicious and tasty recipes. Even the dessert and snack ones are flavorful and fun.
A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a compilation of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The opening chapters deal with what can I eat, making healthy food choices and how to use the cookbook to your best advantage. The what I can eat section is crucial to a well balanced lifestyle.It lists the diabetic super foods such as beans, nuts,berries and fish to name a few The healthy food choices are also vital to better eating They give the best choices for fruits and veggies along with grains. Starchy vegetables are allowed and again the cookbook gives the best options. There is an excellent section on proteins, encouraging readers to try the "fake" or soy meats such as chicken , burgers and sausage.There's also a section on dairy as well as general tips about what to buy. The American Diabetes Association or ADA also parses out bad fats and what they are. Varieties of fish are divided into best, and good choices and choices to avoid. There's also sections on alcohol and what everyday beverages are good to drink.Home chefs will appreciate the pages discussing the amount of calories needed a day.It also shows how to regulate carbs as well.
What about the recipes? They're divided into breakfast lunch and dinner cards along with sections
on them and on desserts located at the end of the book. All the recipes are tasty and based on regular classic ones. A Spanish omelet is modified to just use egg whites instead of the whole egg.There is baked fried chicken which is a great comfort or even party food. The lunch section tends to lean towards soups and salads. These, too, are tasty with such as cauliflower rice and chicken soup, loaded with veggies and flavor. A chicken and spinach salad is not only perfect for lunch but could also be made for a Saturday or Sunday night supper Vegans will appreciate the recipe for bean burger, made colorful and flavorful with kidney beans and ketchup (!) Kids will love the veggie pizza and the English muffin pizza melt. made with fat free mozzarella. The dinner recipes are simple but elegant Home chefs can try the chicken with sun dried tomatoes made special with a dash of white wine along with veal Italiano. People are curious about the desserts. There are many such as a healthier spin on the famed Sally Lunn cake and rice pudding Young and old alike will enjoy the sweet potato raisin cookies and graham pudding sandwiches. Drinks are also in here. Low sugar punches and shakes are the perfect thirst quenchers for those with insulin problems.
A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a must have for any diabetic home chef. The meals and treats are tasty withou being bad for you. This is the way to cook and to eat.
A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a compilation of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The opening chapters deal with what can I eat, making healthy food choices and how to use the cookbook to your best advantage. The what I can eat section is crucial to a well balanced lifestyle.It lists the diabetic super foods such as beans, nuts,berries and fish to name a few The healthy food choices are also vital to better eating They give the best choices for fruits and veggies along with grains. Starchy vegetables are allowed and again the cookbook gives the best options. There is an excellent section on proteins, encouraging readers to try the "fake" or soy meats such as chicken , burgers and sausage.There's also a section on dairy as well as general tips about what to buy. The American Diabetes Association or ADA also parses out bad fats and what they are. Varieties of fish are divided into best, and good choices and choices to avoid. There's also sections on alcohol and what everyday beverages are good to drink.Home chefs will appreciate the pages discussing the amount of calories needed a day.It also shows how to regulate carbs as well.
What about the recipes? They're divided into breakfast lunch and dinner cards along with sections
on them and on desserts located at the end of the book. All the recipes are tasty and based on regular classic ones. A Spanish omelet is modified to just use egg whites instead of the whole egg.There is baked fried chicken which is a great comfort or even party food. The lunch section tends to lean towards soups and salads. These, too, are tasty with such as cauliflower rice and chicken soup, loaded with veggies and flavor. A chicken and spinach salad is not only perfect for lunch but could also be made for a Saturday or Sunday night supper Vegans will appreciate the recipe for bean burger, made colorful and flavorful with kidney beans and ketchup (!) Kids will love the veggie pizza and the English muffin pizza melt. made with fat free mozzarella. The dinner recipes are simple but elegant Home chefs can try the chicken with sun dried tomatoes made special with a dash of white wine along with veal Italiano. People are curious about the desserts. There are many such as a healthier spin on the famed Sally Lunn cake and rice pudding Young and old alike will enjoy the sweet potato raisin cookies and graham pudding sandwiches. Drinks are also in here. Low sugar punches and shakes are the perfect thirst quenchers for those with insulin problems.
A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a must have for any diabetic home chef. The meals and treats are tasty withou being bad for you. This is the way to cook and to eat.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
The All Powerful Banana
Bananas have been a staple in kitchens for over one hundred years. It's usually the first treat we eat and one of the first fruits we use as an ingredients It's the snack we carry to school or the office.Bananas also are packed with nutrients - the perfect fruit. It even has its' own carrying case.
Surprisingly a banana is a berry growing from a large herbaceous plant.Since the plant body is large and thick, banana plants are often mistaken for trees. The leaves are comprised of a stalk and a blade. There are the dessert or Cavendish kind which are bright yellow or the plaintain. The last is usually grilled, baked or fried, usually sliced wafer thin and deep fried until they resemble potato chips. Bananas are one of the world's oldest fruit, going back to 8000 BCE. The seeds traveled westward, across the Indian Ocean to Africa, where the Wolof tribe named it banaana. The Portuguese took it to western Africa and New World where banana plantations sprang up in Brazil. The plant also thrived in Jamaica where most banana plantations began.There is the myth that bananas are high in potassium which is not true. They are packed with nutrients that aid in heart health, thanks to being high in pectin, a much needed fiber. Americans eat mostly the deep yellow Cavendish variety, named for William Cavendish, the sixth duke of Devonshire. He introduced them to England in 1834, when only the aristocracy could afford them. Now they're in every one's kitchens, Shoppers can buy them green and let them ripen in a paper bag with either a tomato or an apple.
Bananas are a baker's delight. The most common treat is banana bread. Many novice bakers usually try a banana bread as their first effort. It is an easy bake, with a tasty mix of ripe bananas, brown sugar and walnuts mixed with butter, flour , baking soda and eggs. The batter is poured into a greased loaf pan and baked for about an hour. It's the perfect brunch bread, sliced and slathered with cream cheese,For those in a hurry there are the instant mixes that only require eggs, vegetable oil and water., The flavor won't be as genuine because there's dried banana instead of fresh,. They can also be turned into tasty muffins and cakes too.Melissa Clark gave a decadent banana cake recipe in the Wednesday New York Times Food section. Hers is a rich , lush one made with roasted(!) in their skin fruit.Lime juice and coconut are also added for a tropical flavor along with sour cream for richness.It's frosted with a coconut cream cream cheese frosting. and sprinkled with a generous amount of toasted coconut flakes. Of course bananas can be turned into healthy and tasty smoothies. Try one with yogurt along with skin milk for a refreshing sip after a walk or afternoon drink to wash down veggies and dip, Honey and wheat germ give it more of a good for you boost. You can also add some strawberries and swap out the honey for chocolate syrup.Try a coffee banana one sweetened with agave nectar. Greek yogurt gives it its' creaminess
Bananas are the perfect ingredient or snack. They fun to eat as well as being a great ingredient that add rich flavor to anything from cakes to breads and muffins to smoothies.Always have this versatile fruit in the kitchen.
Surprisingly a banana is a berry growing from a large herbaceous plant.Since the plant body is large and thick, banana plants are often mistaken for trees. The leaves are comprised of a stalk and a blade. There are the dessert or Cavendish kind which are bright yellow or the plaintain. The last is usually grilled, baked or fried, usually sliced wafer thin and deep fried until they resemble potato chips. Bananas are one of the world's oldest fruit, going back to 8000 BCE. The seeds traveled westward, across the Indian Ocean to Africa, where the Wolof tribe named it banaana. The Portuguese took it to western Africa and New World where banana plantations sprang up in Brazil. The plant also thrived in Jamaica where most banana plantations began.There is the myth that bananas are high in potassium which is not true. They are packed with nutrients that aid in heart health, thanks to being high in pectin, a much needed fiber. Americans eat mostly the deep yellow Cavendish variety, named for William Cavendish, the sixth duke of Devonshire. He introduced them to England in 1834, when only the aristocracy could afford them. Now they're in every one's kitchens, Shoppers can buy them green and let them ripen in a paper bag with either a tomato or an apple.
Bananas are a baker's delight. The most common treat is banana bread. Many novice bakers usually try a banana bread as their first effort. It is an easy bake, with a tasty mix of ripe bananas, brown sugar and walnuts mixed with butter, flour , baking soda and eggs. The batter is poured into a greased loaf pan and baked for about an hour. It's the perfect brunch bread, sliced and slathered with cream cheese,For those in a hurry there are the instant mixes that only require eggs, vegetable oil and water., The flavor won't be as genuine because there's dried banana instead of fresh,. They can also be turned into tasty muffins and cakes too.Melissa Clark gave a decadent banana cake recipe in the Wednesday New York Times Food section. Hers is a rich , lush one made with roasted(!) in their skin fruit.Lime juice and coconut are also added for a tropical flavor along with sour cream for richness.It's frosted with a coconut cream cream cheese frosting. and sprinkled with a generous amount of toasted coconut flakes. Of course bananas can be turned into healthy and tasty smoothies. Try one with yogurt along with skin milk for a refreshing sip after a walk or afternoon drink to wash down veggies and dip, Honey and wheat germ give it more of a good for you boost. You can also add some strawberries and swap out the honey for chocolate syrup.Try a coffee banana one sweetened with agave nectar. Greek yogurt gives it its' creaminess
Bananas are the perfect ingredient or snack. They fun to eat as well as being a great ingredient that add rich flavor to anything from cakes to breads and muffins to smoothies.Always have this versatile fruit in the kitchen.
Friday, January 26, 2018
The Fun Side Of Fermentation
Probiotics is the new buzzword in home cooking these days. Home chefs are discovering that fermenting has a variety of pluses for the body as well as giving a unique flavors to food and drink. Now fermenting is simple to do , thanks to a brand new cookbook that shows how easy it is.
Kombucha, Kefir And Beyond (Far Winds Press 2018) is a fun and informative book written by Alex Lewin and Raquel Guajardo.. Mr/Lewin is graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and The Institute For Integrative Nutrition, He teaches fermentation classes and workshops while Ms. Guajardo, also a graduate of second school runs a cooking school in Monterey , Mexico, with a specialization in fermentation.She started her own brand of kombucha and fermented vegetables which can be found in stores in several Mexican cities. The book begins with a full description of fermentation and why we need it. The authors delve into the history of it , and how it came about - from our earliest days as "drunken monkeys." They also provide the history of fermentation and its' many benefits and how it can improve your life and your health. A huge plus of the book is the guide to the tools needed for fermentation. They go into great detail about what bottles and jars are needed for storage (luckily cider and beer bottles and their caps can be repurposed for this).There is a special page explaining kombucha supplies along with detailed pages regarding safety and sanitation.They also tell what kind of soap to buy - namely low residue , unscented dish soap.There are also pages devoted to fermentations most basic ingredients water and sugar.
The recipes are exciting to try. Mr. Lewin and Ms. Guajardo start off with easy recipes that novice fermenters can test out. There's the Indian lassi that can be made savory , sweet or just plain. There's the salty fermented lemonade that can also be made with lime for a refreshing and all natural sports drink. Home fermenters will love a recipe for the cute sounding ginger bug that is responsible for ginger ale and ginger beer.Raw ginger provides an excellent substrate for the growth of lactic aid bacteria. Yogurt lovers will enjoy the recipes for kefir and yogurt.The chapters become more advanced with kombucha and its' honey based cousin, jun.A really interesting chapter is vegetable drinks. There's a beet kvass made from the brine of fermented beets. Best of all it can easily be made in a Mason jar. There is also a radish brine , a fascinating mix of cabbages , radishes and such spices as cinnamon , and peppercorns with a dash of oak leaves.For those who love soda, there are recipes for the all natural ones that have the same amount of fizz and flavor without the health risks. Some are reflective of Ms. Guajardo indigenous Mexican roots. There is hibiscus soda made with just dried hibiscus flowers, sugar and filtered water and a homemade grape soda. There is also a chapter dedicated to pre-Spanish recipes such as pulche , a precursor of beer and the pineapple based drink tepache.Home brewers will get a kick and a buzz out of the beer wine and even hooch recipes along with ones for fermented cocktails!
Kombucha , Kefir And Beyond is a fascinating trip into the world of fermentation. It's also an easy guide into creating tasty and nutritious drinks that are a plus to any diet. Buy the book, try the recipes and get ready for the benefits of probiotics.
Kombucha, Kefir And Beyond (Far Winds Press 2018) is a fun and informative book written by Alex Lewin and Raquel Guajardo.. Mr/Lewin is graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and The Institute For Integrative Nutrition, He teaches fermentation classes and workshops while Ms. Guajardo, also a graduate of second school runs a cooking school in Monterey , Mexico, with a specialization in fermentation.She started her own brand of kombucha and fermented vegetables which can be found in stores in several Mexican cities. The book begins with a full description of fermentation and why we need it. The authors delve into the history of it , and how it came about - from our earliest days as "drunken monkeys." They also provide the history of fermentation and its' many benefits and how it can improve your life and your health. A huge plus of the book is the guide to the tools needed for fermentation. They go into great detail about what bottles and jars are needed for storage (luckily cider and beer bottles and their caps can be repurposed for this).There is a special page explaining kombucha supplies along with detailed pages regarding safety and sanitation.They also tell what kind of soap to buy - namely low residue , unscented dish soap.There are also pages devoted to fermentations most basic ingredients water and sugar.
The recipes are exciting to try. Mr. Lewin and Ms. Guajardo start off with easy recipes that novice fermenters can test out. There's the Indian lassi that can be made savory , sweet or just plain. There's the salty fermented lemonade that can also be made with lime for a refreshing and all natural sports drink. Home fermenters will love a recipe for the cute sounding ginger bug that is responsible for ginger ale and ginger beer.Raw ginger provides an excellent substrate for the growth of lactic aid bacteria. Yogurt lovers will enjoy the recipes for kefir and yogurt.The chapters become more advanced with kombucha and its' honey based cousin, jun.A really interesting chapter is vegetable drinks. There's a beet kvass made from the brine of fermented beets. Best of all it can easily be made in a Mason jar. There is also a radish brine , a fascinating mix of cabbages , radishes and such spices as cinnamon , and peppercorns with a dash of oak leaves.For those who love soda, there are recipes for the all natural ones that have the same amount of fizz and flavor without the health risks. Some are reflective of Ms. Guajardo indigenous Mexican roots. There is hibiscus soda made with just dried hibiscus flowers, sugar and filtered water and a homemade grape soda. There is also a chapter dedicated to pre-Spanish recipes such as pulche , a precursor of beer and the pineapple based drink tepache.Home brewers will get a kick and a buzz out of the beer wine and even hooch recipes along with ones for fermented cocktails!
Kombucha , Kefir And Beyond is a fascinating trip into the world of fermentation. It's also an easy guide into creating tasty and nutritious drinks that are a plus to any diet. Buy the book, try the recipes and get ready for the benefits of probiotics.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Will Restaurants Survive The MeToo Movement?
It's in our news everyday. It was common for over a century in the movie industry, Even our olympic teams were not safe. Now the restaurant and food industry are also offering up their sex offenders and predators. Will it affect the way we eat? Will this powerful movement bring down the culture of celebrity chef?
Kim Severson posed this questoin as she also interviewed the chefs in an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section. One of the most famous offenders was Mario Batali, he of the trendy restaurants and TV shows like "The Chew." Sadly his partner, Joe Bastianich also has suffer, having to rise though the ashes of bad publicity. He had to get rid of Chef Batali, is elevating his mother, the famed chef, Lidia Bastianich to a much more involved role.. To be honest , Chef Bastianich has more experience and a more realistic and down to earth approach of managing both the business and employees. She can easily lead her son and offer sager advice when to comes to opening another restaurant or hiring a new chef.There will be another problem when the two partners split.Mr. Bastianich likens it to a divorce with who getting what. Then there are the customers. Do they want to go back to Babbo or Da Posto, despite the excellent food? It is the same dilemma with another trendy Manhattan eatery, The Spotted Pig. One of the owners, Ken Friedman sexually harassed his workers which got him into a Connecticut rehabilitation center. His chef and partner, April Bloomfeld is now running the eatery on her own.
New York City isn't the only town where restaurants are having their MeToo era. Famed eateries in New Orleans and Oakland, California. are also in the news thanks to predatory cooks and owners. The famed John Besh of New Orleans is still in charge, despite the twenty-five charges against him from former and current employees. He also maintains the final say on major business decisions however that's where his power ends. Mr. Besh had ceded it over somewhat to Shannon White who started as a server with his company that includes seven restaurants.She persuaded him and his partner Octavio Manilla to put her in charge. Her argument was that this was a women's problem and a woman has to take the lead. Men would not understand it.She set up a hotline, revised training procedures and updated the employee handbook, adding a code of conduct and a morals and ethics cause. The trendy neighborhood of Oakland California is not immune either.Chef Charles Hallowell, who got his start at the famed Chez Panisse was accused of propositioning employees as well as having a language of sexual innuendo in his restaurants which include Pizzaiolo, Boot and Shoe Service and Penrose..He has stepped aside as an investigation is now being conducted. However he is arrogant enough to think this will all blow over. As one accuser, Molly Surbridge has stated, he needs to feel the real consequences such as a jail sentence for the severity and enormity of it to sink in.
Sexual harassment has to be stopped, especially in the restaurant industry. It may close some,It may ruin business partnerships. Yet it has to be brought ot light and stopped. It has gone on too long. A new era has to begin.
Kim Severson posed this questoin as she also interviewed the chefs in an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section. One of the most famous offenders was Mario Batali, he of the trendy restaurants and TV shows like "The Chew." Sadly his partner, Joe Bastianich also has suffer, having to rise though the ashes of bad publicity. He had to get rid of Chef Batali, is elevating his mother, the famed chef, Lidia Bastianich to a much more involved role.. To be honest , Chef Bastianich has more experience and a more realistic and down to earth approach of managing both the business and employees. She can easily lead her son and offer sager advice when to comes to opening another restaurant or hiring a new chef.There will be another problem when the two partners split.Mr. Bastianich likens it to a divorce with who getting what. Then there are the customers. Do they want to go back to Babbo or Da Posto, despite the excellent food? It is the same dilemma with another trendy Manhattan eatery, The Spotted Pig. One of the owners, Ken Friedman sexually harassed his workers which got him into a Connecticut rehabilitation center. His chef and partner, April Bloomfeld is now running the eatery on her own.
New York City isn't the only town where restaurants are having their MeToo era. Famed eateries in New Orleans and Oakland, California. are also in the news thanks to predatory cooks and owners. The famed John Besh of New Orleans is still in charge, despite the twenty-five charges against him from former and current employees. He also maintains the final say on major business decisions however that's where his power ends. Mr. Besh had ceded it over somewhat to Shannon White who started as a server with his company that includes seven restaurants.She persuaded him and his partner Octavio Manilla to put her in charge. Her argument was that this was a women's problem and a woman has to take the lead. Men would not understand it.She set up a hotline, revised training procedures and updated the employee handbook, adding a code of conduct and a morals and ethics cause. The trendy neighborhood of Oakland California is not immune either.Chef Charles Hallowell, who got his start at the famed Chez Panisse was accused of propositioning employees as well as having a language of sexual innuendo in his restaurants which include Pizzaiolo, Boot and Shoe Service and Penrose..He has stepped aside as an investigation is now being conducted. However he is arrogant enough to think this will all blow over. As one accuser, Molly Surbridge has stated, he needs to feel the real consequences such as a jail sentence for the severity and enormity of it to sink in.
Sexual harassment has to be stopped, especially in the restaurant industry. It may close some,It may ruin business partnerships. Yet it has to be brought ot light and stopped. It has gone on too long. A new era has to begin.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
The Architecture Of Pastry
Imagine a dessert that has sleek lines and innovative design ideas.It's happening around the world and especiacally in New York, thanks to former architects now becoming pastry chefs. They are creating mind bending and thought provoking afters using the simple elements of baking. Yet their creations are far from simple.
It was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Food section. Written by Priya Krishna, the author of Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks, a cookbook that relies on college dining hall ingredients.interviewed several pastry chefs, who started out with blue prints instead of blueberries. The idea of applying architectural ideas to pastry is nothing new. Over two hundred years ago, in 1805 renowned French chef, the famed Marie-Antoine Careme wrote "Le patissier Royal" a treatise that codified how architectural principles like drawing and planning could be applied in pastry making. chefs have long played and experimented with the structural possibilities of sugar, egg whites, flour and other ingredients.Now pastry teachers are also using those ideas to teach . At the International Culinary Center in New York and Los Angeles the second half of the school's six month pastry course has incorporated lessons on sketching, making timelines and project planning. There's also a chapter they have to study about elements of design. Thy learn about architectural principles such as dynamism and scale in relation to desserts.
The designs are incredible. Ukranian born pastry chef,, Dinara Kasko has created a cake that looks like two layers of cherries along with one that has three D chocolate sculpture floating atop a tart. Baruch Elsworth 's signature dessert has a large chocolate spiral sitting on what looks like light chocolate ganache spikes.In the hands of a architect come pastry chef, a lime tart becomes a tube as in pastry chef's Jennifer Yee's case. It's the shape of a bone and it's filled with a tangy lime curd. Toasted meringue is piped around it , not just for more texture and flavor but to anchor the tart in place. Pomegranate seeds are then scattered around it for color and bite. However not everyone is impressed. Stella Parks, a senior editor at Serious Eats and creator of Bravetart feels that the culinary element may be forgotten. She compares them to a trip to a modern art museum.it's fine there but ot at home. People would rather have a memorable slice of cake or cookie.Agatha Kulaga, a self taught baker and found of Ovenly, a Manhattan bakery has stated thus. Also diners are more willing to eat something that reminds them of their usual dessert as opposed to a puff of this or a tube of honeyed that.
Floating layers of pastry? Squares of cake that look like cherries. Is it art ?Or just dessert. Thar's up to the eater to decide
It was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Food section. Written by Priya Krishna, the author of Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks, a cookbook that relies on college dining hall ingredients.interviewed several pastry chefs, who started out with blue prints instead of blueberries. The idea of applying architectural ideas to pastry is nothing new. Over two hundred years ago, in 1805 renowned French chef, the famed Marie-Antoine Careme wrote "Le patissier Royal" a treatise that codified how architectural principles like drawing and planning could be applied in pastry making. chefs have long played and experimented with the structural possibilities of sugar, egg whites, flour and other ingredients.Now pastry teachers are also using those ideas to teach . At the International Culinary Center in New York and Los Angeles the second half of the school's six month pastry course has incorporated lessons on sketching, making timelines and project planning. There's also a chapter they have to study about elements of design. Thy learn about architectural principles such as dynamism and scale in relation to desserts.
The designs are incredible. Ukranian born pastry chef,, Dinara Kasko has created a cake that looks like two layers of cherries along with one that has three D chocolate sculpture floating atop a tart. Baruch Elsworth 's signature dessert has a large chocolate spiral sitting on what looks like light chocolate ganache spikes.In the hands of a architect come pastry chef, a lime tart becomes a tube as in pastry chef's Jennifer Yee's case. It's the shape of a bone and it's filled with a tangy lime curd. Toasted meringue is piped around it , not just for more texture and flavor but to anchor the tart in place. Pomegranate seeds are then scattered around it for color and bite. However not everyone is impressed. Stella Parks, a senior editor at Serious Eats and creator of Bravetart feels that the culinary element may be forgotten. She compares them to a trip to a modern art museum.it's fine there but ot at home. People would rather have a memorable slice of cake or cookie.Agatha Kulaga, a self taught baker and found of Ovenly, a Manhattan bakery has stated thus. Also diners are more willing to eat something that reminds them of their usual dessert as opposed to a puff of this or a tube of honeyed that.
Floating layers of pastry? Squares of cake that look like cherries. Is it art ?Or just dessert. Thar's up to the eater to decide
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Happy Birthday Disaster
I had such high hopes for the cake I was going to bake for my friend's birthday.It started out good.Unfortunately I can't even upload the pictures regarding this. It's like the whole project is against me!!!!!
It is blurry but you can see it's the Duncan Hines butter cake, along with sprinkles and butter. I did everything according to the instructions (well except for the sprinkles) I added half a cup which I thought would be fine. It wasn't.
The butter part was fine. I diced it to make for easier blending. This is the batter
It is blurry but you can see it's the Duncan Hines butter cake, along with sprinkles and butter. I did everything according to the instructions (well except for the sprinkles) I added half a cup which I thought would be fine. It wasn't.
The batter looks fine. It was fine as I poured it into the two inch eight inch round cake tins The problem was that the batter super rose and got all over the oven floor. Could it be that I whipped too much air into the batter, thanks to my new Proctor-Silex beater? Maybe? The batter didn't set on one layer. That went directly to the birds when cooled.
I made a traditional butter cream for the remaining layer,
As you can see the cake is in the pan and is too soft to be lifted out of it. Just a plain icing graces it, hiding the mistakes in the upper right side. I used Wilton's Sparkle Gel icing to write happy birthday. If it had come out OK, , it would have been a blue and green ombre, but alas it wasn't.
Will I use Duncan Hines again? Maybe. Maybe not. Will I bake butter cake again? Probably not but never say never. This has been an eye opener in a usually idyllic and problem free baking season. I will try again - but not so soon. I think I need to get the bad taste of a flop out of my mouth.
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