the daily spoon

One Cake - Three Ways

2012-01-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, so a little late to the party, but I'm back!
I have some big news to break - but that's another post for another day.

The first birthday cake of the year snuck up on me and I only had a few days to pull it together. I have always wanted to make a confetti cake, which is basically a plain white cake flecked with sprinkles! How delightful! I've seen them in boxed cake form and I thought I would take a stab at it. Why not ring in the first 2012 birthday cake with a festive confetti cake?

I cobbled together a cake (no recipe, ma!) and dumped in a jar of sprinkles.

Here's the thing. I think there is a trick to confetti cake because the sprinkles essentially melted and instead of flecks of colour in the cake...I got blobs. It was pretty... "festive" looking. Delicious, but certainly not what I had expected. I poured the batter into a tube pan (ring-shaped pan) and after it was done I carved out a tunnel from the underside. I then filled the 'cake trench' with whipped cream that had been flavoured with some homemade strawberry jam. I took a thin layer of cake that I had carved out and patched up the trench, so essentially there was a tunnel of strawberry cream inside the cake. I then made a ganache and poured it on top and let it dribble down the sides.

That was the 'first' permutation of the cake.

Using the scraps of the cake, I built a small cup-sized trifle. I had a date coming over a few days later and wanted to serve this as a dessert. I layered the cream, cake, toasted hazelnuts, and ganache in a whiskey tumbler and added some slivered almonds as a garnish.

That was the 'second' permutation of the cake.

And for the third?

The rest of the scraps (plus some ganache added later) that I devoured after cleaning up!

Goes to show that one cake, can certainly go a long way.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I know. Very bad blogger, Spoon!

The end of 2011 was a lot hairier than I expected. I wrapped up some big projects at work, had a typically busy end-of-year social life, did a whack of home renos and...to top it all of - a raging sinus infection that had me at my couch's mercy for the last two weeks of the year. So you'll have to excuse me for being extremely negligent in blogging.

I did manage to push out another cookbook - not the same concept I had started with, but I'm proud to show off some of the great work I did last year.

So what about 2012?

I set five resolutions for the year and two of them are food related. The first one was to blog at least every two weeks and discuss whatever it is that has caught my food interest. So this could be to document something I have made, but I'm hoping I will write more about food observations and memories. The second is to eat vegetarian for an entire month. I think I may make small allowances for seafood, especially if I am eating out but it will be pretty limited. My target is for April or May, as I do like to reserve my meat eating for BBQ season!

I'm thinking both of these goals can be accomplished. For the writing, it's about making time and really committing to it. For the vegetarian month, I was a veggie for a few years so I'm thinking it won't be that difficult. My goal there is to be as creative as I can with vegetarian eating, and I'll definitely be documenting it all here!

Occupy Kitchen!

2011-11-27T23:39:00.000-08:00

So yes, I haven't blogged in a while. It doesn't mean that I'm not busy! I'm still cranking things out of the kitchen, but a lot of what I was making was for my Christmas project. Ironically, today, I decided to scrap the original idea and go with a more generic focus. My idea was to do a Chinese-food themed cookbook, but I realized that trying to make presentable dishes every weekend, whether or not I wanted to eat them or not, was turning into a very ambitious project. And I was losing my passion for it very quickly. I think it will be something I will put together later, but I think I need to spend more time perfecting my recipes and figuring out better lighting schemes in the darker months.

But aside from Chinese food, I am still baking away! Two big birthdays came and went - which meant two cakes were made along with some other treats cranked out from my oven.

Have you ever heard of Domo-Kun? He's this Japanese...err..."character" who is actually a mascot for a TV station. It's all a bit weird, but he's very cute and adorable and can be seen adorning many people's cell phones, key chains and other typical swag areas. A friend LOVES Domo - so why not make her a Domo cake for her big day? I've seen it done many times before (online) and as I was not going to do extremities (gah, I don't think I can find a box big enough for arms and legs) - it was a simple square chocolate cake.

I present to you... Domo-cake!

Cake: Dark Chocolate Cake (classic standby recipe, it never fails to shock me how much sugar it contains)
Filling: White Chocolate Mousse (next time will use gelatin or a proper egg-white stabilizer)
Frosting: Chocolate Buttercream
Details: Eyes - Girl Guide Chocolate Mint Thins, Mouth - White Candy Melts, red colouring

Yes, it does look like a Deep 'n Delicious cake! :P I used a fat star tip to pipe the buttercream. The cake was received very well, and was as delicious as it was cute!

10 Minute Dinner

2011-10-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

I don't usually post about my day-to-day eating. It's usually fast, tasty and not so pretty looking. I'm all about the end product, heck, I've been known to eat things straight out of the pan! That's why I generally post about my baked goods. You eat one or two (or a dozen) and then get to work photographing the rest. I can take my time angling my cookies or slices of cake 'just so'. But with dinner? No, no, no, no - I gotta eat. Now.

But I was struck by the beauty and simplicity of my dinner tonight and was inspired to capture it for all to see.
I present to you my 10 minute dinner (which proves the point that good, healthy and fast food can be had):

Creamy polenta topped with sauteed kale and a couple of fried eggs!

I started the polenta first: 1/2 cup cornmeal + 1 cup water + 1 cup milk. Bring to a boil over medium and keep stirring until thickened - this takes about 5-8 minutes or so. Add in salt, pepper and grated cheese to taste. At around the halfway point, throw your eggs on one side of a frying pan and a couple of handfuls of kale on the other side. Throw the lid on for a couple of minutes. All of it should come together around the same time.

And for economy's sake, let's do a price breakdown for tonight's dinner:
Polenta: 40 cents
Eggs: 92 cents
Kale: 50 cents

Total for dinner: $1.82 (let's round up to $2 incl extra ingredients)

Seriously! A $2 dinner!

Mmmm...warm apple pie.

2011-10-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Nothing like it. Even Koi seems to think so.

I spent a weekend in the Okanagan cheering on some friends as they completed their first half-marathon! Woot! One of the things I really wanted to do while in the area was get some local fruit. We stopped by a local market and picked up a few pounds of apples and some other regional specialties (which also included three bottles of fruit liqueur!). I couldn't wait to use the fruit when I got home and prepared some small pies (top crust only) with pate brisee and a mix of McIntosh and Ambrosia apples. It's super easy - add sugar, spices and some starch (cornstarch, tapioca) and ta da! You've got pie!

Neapolitan Marshmallows

2011-09-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

I forget what inspired me to make tri-flavoured marshmallows. It was something on Tastespotting I think, but it got me thinking about combining different flavours...but I'm not sure how I settled on neapolitan marshmallows. The base itself is easy to make and is flavoured with vanilla, and I have seen many variations of these fluffy treats, so why not combine it all?

So the method was simple enough: make the generic marshmallow base and then divide into three portions and flavour with strawberry and chocolate. For the strawberry I used some homemade jam and pink food colouring. For the chocolate I used cocoa and espresso powder. I placed a piping bag in a tall cup and folded over the edges for easy filling. I filled the bag in thirds (from the top, around the edge) with the three flavours and held my breath. I had no idea how the flavours would settle, but they turned out pretty tasty! It's pretty neat how the colours marbled, I piped them into two shapes: long logs to cut up later and "kiss" shapes to top cookies.

Yes, that's right! Cookies! You thought I was done at the marshmallow, right? Nope!

I made a basic sugar cookie dough, cut out small rounds, topped each round with a dark chocolate or white chocolate callet and then plopped a marshmallow kiss on top. And the results? Simply divine.
This recipe is definitely labour intensive and it's something I probably won't make very often, but I was really excited to execute this vision and was glad that it worked out well.

Urban Harvesting

2011-08-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

As much as I am a city girl, I do love being out in the "country". For me the real appeal lies in the necessity and ability to plan, plant, tend and harvest your own food. I have been accused of taking this concept a touch too far in my own personal life. In an upcoming post I'll go into more detail - but I made strawberry marshmallows. From scratch of course. And the strawberry flavouring? From the jam that I made from the strawberries that I painstakingly picked from the farm. A true full circle moment that Martha Stewart would be proud of - not that she would admit it. She would probably smile, put her hand on my shoulder and tell me that I should have strained the jam before stirring it in. Anyway, I didn't have an opportunity to pick blackberries this year. The trip out to the farm is pretty long and I couldn't justify going solo just to pick a couple pounds of fruit. I was lucky that the local grocery store had a special on and I managed to get my blackberry fix.

I finally got to make a recipe that has been sitting in my book for a couple of years now; waiting for that day when I would come home with a few buckets of freshly picked blackberries. So maybe not this year, but there is always next.

I made Martha's blackberry shortbread squares - and they were so good. The dough incorporates ground almonds and orange and as I pressed it into the pan, I inhaled the scent, an intoxicating melange of almond, butter and sugar. Even the ground almond meal gave off that very distinct smell that only seems to come out when the nut has been pulverized, allowing the oils to release. It's a pretty basic dough that you pat in the pan and then sprinkle 4 cups of blackberries on top (whole). A cup of dough is reserved to sprinkle on top. Even though it came out great, I think it could've used another 8 minutes in the oven just to really crisp up the middle. It came out a touch soft (no matter when served on a plate with ice cream) but I think a few hours in the fridge should solve this nicely for tomorrow's distribution.

As you can see, I had a terrific time taking pictures of these beauties. When the light is good and the product is fresh, it's effortless, the best models you can get.

The Vibrant Summer Colours

2011-08-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

Strawberry season on the West Coast is short.

But very sweet.

I made a vow a few years ago that I would not eat strawberries outside of June, and for the most part, I have stuck to that promise. Sounds drastic, right? But once you've tasted a local strawberry - you'll understand why the 10.5 month wait is worth it. Many of the strawberries available year round are enormous and lack the true panache of flavour a strawberry in June has. First of all - it's not even red on the inside! And the flavour is so watered down...I feel bloated after eating a handful and only barely tasting 'strawberry'. But a local strawberry is small and so, so, so red. On the outside and the inside. These little jewels are only available at their peak for about 6 weeks (max) and during those precious 42 days I eat as many as I can - usually burning out by the end from tasting too much fruit!

This year I did my annual pick in the local fields and came back with 10lbs. And a plan = jam, sorbet, bake, freeze and eat. All in that order too. I should note that I understand why strawberries can be expensive - they are extremely difficult to pick! Unlike blueberries which grow on very comfortable waist-to-shoulder high bushes, strawberries are grown on small shrubs really, I mean they're more like leafy hedges actually - but you have to squat to get them. Yes, squat. Low. In the sun. For hours. And then paw your way through the dirt, through the leaves and vines to get those precious berry gems. I've learned to carry a small paring knife to pick the berry by the stem and not crush the fruit off the stem with my fingers. My friends laughed at my when they saw my "set up" - a big plastic box lined with a tea towel for end-of-row storage and a smaller cardboard carry-along for my picking. Every 15 minutes or so I'd empty my cardboard box into the bigger one to be weighed at the end. The tea towel cushions the berries and provides a barrier from the hard and hot plastic. Once you get them home - you must "deal" with them right away. 5 lbs were gently rinsed and put in a large pot for jam. Another 2lbs were also rinsed and put in a smaller saucepan to make my sorbet reduction. The remaining fruit was distributed between baked good, the freezer and my tummy :)

(1 3/4 cups juice, 3/4 cup syrup)

I decided this year to reduce the strawberries over heat to really extract as much pure flavour as I could. Normally I would blitz them in a blender and then strain it - but I really wanted a more complex and bold strawberry flavour. It took a while, but it was worth it - let the berries cook and release their juice. Their ripeness was perfect and in no time I had a saucepan of red juice. I strained it and let it cool.

I mentioned before that you need a sugar syrup for the sorbet - so I used the leftover ginger-infused syrup and the combination was simply divine. Really very refreshing and bold - exactly what I needed to keep me motivated to wait those next 10.5 months.

June 2012 can't come soon enough!!

Cake & Ice Cream

2011-08-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's a classic combination, isn't it?
I recently celebrated a friend's birthday and after a terrific dinner at a local izakaya joint, we went back to mine for cake & ice cream. The cake was a multilayered fruit&cream&ganache tower, finished off with a scoop of butter caramel ice cream swirled with dark chocolate. Although the cake was awesome, I was really excited to see my friends' faces when they sank their tongues into the ice cream.
I can't tell you how happy I was to see that they enjoyed it as much as I did. Butter Caramel Ice Cream (from David Lebovitz) - it's a winner!

I managed to take some blurry photos of the actual making of the ice cream, I'll share them later this week.

Ice Cream as an Art Form

2011-07-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

In an issue of Gastronomica, there's an article on whether food can be considered art. I wholeheartedly agree with this notion, but I understand if others do not. After all, food, for all intents and purposes, is sustenance for our bodies. It's fuel - plain and simple. But I do believe that food is also pleasure - and when done well can be just as or more affecting than art. I don't know if I've ever been moved to tears by food - but there have been bites that have been life-changing. Sometimes it has been a "perfect" bite - the ultimate blend of the senses, others have been the realization and product of superior technique and pure ingredients. And sometimes, it's just damned good. I don't need to explain that food is beautiful - I mean, go check out any issue of Bon Appetit or back issue of Gourmet or even food blogs out there - you will see pictures and food styled and crafted so well, it is hard to fathom that it actually exists in real life and is edible!!

Anyway, I went into this long introductory story to set up another story of a conversation I had with the Mothership. I was lamenting the lack of freezer space due to some overzealous ice cream making and she said, "well, why don't you just stop making ice cream?"

I froze (not literally, hahaha). I was also shocked and hurt. The Mothership is an artist, if anyone were to understand my need to create, invent, and experiment with desserts of the frozen variety - it would be her! I coolly asked her, "well then, you should stop painting. Goodness knows you have enough artwork around the house? Why do you need more? Why do you do it?"

"Ice cream is MY art. It may be unconventional, but it's what I do to express myself and be creative."

It's Been a While!

2011-07-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, I know - it's been too long! I can guarantee you that I haven't been idle in the kitchen - I've actually been really busy cooking away! I'm doing a lot less baking as the weather is slowly getting warmer and I've been doing a lot more cooking - but not a lot of it particularly blog-worthy. Yet.

As the season is getting warmer, it's time to bring out the ice cream maker again. Wheeee! Not that it has stopped me in the winter - but now I have opportunities to bring a pint or two over to friends to enjoy.

There are a few times in the year when ataulfo mangoes are ripe - it's a short season but I try and take advantage of it by eating as many mangoes as I can. This year I decided to make a mango sorbet. This dairy-free treat can be just as amazing as their more creamy cousins, but the trick is to get really ripe fruit. Again, consider that the flavour must concentrate, so anything less than taste perfection is unacceptable. A local market was selling "ripe" mangoes for 99cents/lb (vs the more firm less ripe ones for double the price) - I promptly picked up 5. Martha Stewart (of course) has a fantastic recipe for sorbet - which is essentially 2 cups of fruit puree to 1 cup of sugar syrup. For the mango sorbet recipe - it was 2 cups puree + 1/4 cup water + 1 1/4 cups simple syrup. I sliced up some fresh ginger and infused it into the simple syrup to give the sorbet a bit of a kick - and yes, it was delicious!

Mmmmm...cookie. Shiba approved (not tested).

2011-05-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

No Shibas consumed any chocolate in the making of this post! Only some intent sniffing.
Long weekend = extra time to bake = blog-stravaganza! :)

First Memories

2011-05-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

As a child, I loved to read. When my family made trips to the mall, they would leave me unattended in the bookstore for hours while they did their shopping. I'd bury my head in the tales of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, Nancy Drew, Anastasia, and Tintin. But these days the books I read are more of the culinary variety or...also whatever catches my eye. One of the very first recipes I ever made (with the assistance of the Mothership) was Pee Wee cookies - a recipe from the Pee Wee Scouts series (a literary equivalent to the Girl Scouts if you will). For a long, long time, it was the only recipe my family ever made. Part of it had to do with the fact that the Mothership really liked these cookies and another part of it was that it was really one of the only cookie recipes we had in hand. And that it's darned easy to make.

In honour of Mother's Day, I whipped up a batch of Pee Wee cookies for the Mothership and presented it to her, along with a Sudoku book and some Belcolade chocolates.

*chomp*

Want to make a batch yourself?
Mix cream 1 cup butter + 3/4 cup brown sugar + 3/4 cup white sugar.
Add in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 eggs.
Carefully mix in 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt.
Add 1 cup of oats, 8oz chocolate chips, 2 cups of cereal, and 1/2 cup of nuts.
(Mothership's cereal of choice for this cookie - Cap'n Crunch - a far cry from her usual granola & bran buds)
Drop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350F oven.
Thanks to the Pee Wee Scouts for making my childhood that much sweeter!

A Very Non-Royal Cake

2011-05-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest - when the "official" wedding photos were released by The British Monarchy Flickr site, I gasped with excitement when I finally laid my eyes on...the McVities Chocolate Biscuit Cake. Yes, I loved the pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge's dress, but I am a cake nerd at heart, and I was anxiously waiting to hear and see more about this Chocolate Biscuit Cake.

My Royal Knockoff

Prince William/Duke of Cambridge specifically requested this as his groom's cake - which is really an excuse to have two cakes at your wedding! I don't blame him at all, when the "official" cake was a fruitcake monstrosity (tasty, I'm sure, but not what I would've liked at my wedding) - so why not have something a bit more decadent to nibble on? Immediately I set about trying to replicate this cake - and when I found some recipes, I was surprised and a bit disappointed that it was not more...complex. Yet I give him kudos for picking a cake that is a favourite of his and not at all traditional 'elegant' choice. The North American version would be an icebox cake - cookies layered with icing and then chilled, both to solidify the sugary mass but to soften up the cookies as to give a more cake-like texture. When I was explaining the process to my coworkers, I describe the cake as being "a chocolate brick" - and indeed it was, a heavy, dense, and rich chocolate treat.

Basically - the recipe is to prepare a chocolate ganache and then pour it over crumbled up cookies and then press it into a mold. Chill overnight and then cover with chocolate. Seriously - that's it! No baking required. Heck, only one bowl required really. The recipe for the ganache differs from source to source, but basically it is chocolate + cream + extra additives (incl butter, honey, coffee, liqueur, eggs, vanilla).

All the ingredients you need!

1 pkg McVities Rich Tea cookies

A whole lotta chocolate

The occasion for me replicating the cake was for the birthday of a coworker, and I knew he would appreciate the special history of this cake. I amped it up of course - I couldn't bear to serve such a simple cake, so I added a layer of berry jam and Grand Marnier under the chocolate coating and then dotted it with white icing. I think an added twist would be to do a more whipped ganache frosting and add toasted slivered almonds on the sides. In the 'official' McVities video, the batter is MUCH more whipped and soft looking. My theory is that they might have done a 40/60 split on crumbs and bigger cookie pieces (vs 100% big cookie pieces) and perhaps folded in some whipped cream, or beat the ganache for a lighter texture (think mousse-like).

The brick goes into the pan

Return to Maida Heatter

2011-04-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

What a great name, right? "Maida Heatter" - a name fitting for such a big personality!

I answered a cute pre-date questionnaire once (sent by the bachelor on his own accord) that asked if I preferred regular or mini cupcakes. Unfortunately, our opposite responses were indicative of the relationship which was short-lived. I responded that I was more into "regular" cupcakes as, to be quite honest, I love cake! (I'm pretty sure I've declared this many times before!) Sometimes I find the mountain of icing to be distracting from what should be the true star of the dessert - the cake. Icing is comprised of ingredients that are all delicious on their own - butter, sugar, flavouring, and if you're lucky - maybe a touch of meringue. But cake is a whole different story - it takes some skill and chemistry to create something special. Too much of one ingredient and you're stuck with a cake that's either too wet, alkaline, dry, the list goes on.

Oh yeah, cake. Maida Heatter. Anyway - I had a craving for cake! Good, dense, cake. The only thing that could cure my itch was a cool slab of pound cake. Mmmmmm, maybe with a touch of lemon and sugary glaze. And the only one who could write me a prescription for what ails me was her, Maida Heatter. So out came the cookbook and the page was opened to a recipe for a "Sand Torte". The name for "traditional" pound cake is derived from the ingredients needed - a pound of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour! That's four pounds of ingredients right there! This dense and fine-crumbed cake is usually served with tea but I've always enjoyed it warmed up a bit with some fruit and ice cream. This Sand Torte called for a similar amount of ingredients, but luckily not quite all four pounds! Instead of a full portion of flour, it was divided between flour and cornstarch, which created a lighter and tighter crumb which contributed to the "sand" texture (fine grain) of the cake, which to be honest, tended to the dry side. My Sand Torte came out a bit dry, I'm not sure if that is the standard, but I think next time I may try it with a touch of flavoured syrup.

Another reason it is called Sand Torte is that it calls for the pan to be dusted with breadcrumbs! I didn't have any on hand, so I used panko instead (haha, Japanese honey-ed breadcrumbs) but I didn't find that it made a difference. Either the batter swallowed up the crumbs or the panko didn't 'show up' enough.

I finished the cake (which came out BEAUTIFULLY golden brown) with a quick strawberry jam-based glaze. It looked like a giant donut - but just a bit more decadent.

Freestyling on Feeling

2011-03-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

I commented to a friend today that I'm slowly regressing into my Chinese culinary roots. To which she retorted, "you're turning into your mother!" Which, in all honesty, wouldn't be such a terrible thing. However that would mean that I had only a arsenal of 6 dishes to make. Awww, sorry Mothership, but we all know it's true. I'm a lot more adventurous in the kitchen, and she's acknowledged that - and I think my attitude around food has rubbed off on her quite a bit. If she likes something I've made, she'll ask me how I did it, what did I change from that last rendition, or if I added something new. I would like to think I've expanded her palate a bit, but one of my favourite "mom" quotes is, "I don't eat the couscous!" (in response to anything cooked, granular, and remotely resembling couscous)

Anyway, getting back to this post. I had a craving for dumplings...homemade dumplings. I have noticed that I don't have any food in my freezer that's quick to prepare and nutritious. Don't get me wrong, I do have a lot of nutritious food in my freezer...in about four different parts or frozen solid! And a spoon can only eat so much oatmeal and yogurt. So I decided to make some dumplings - which take about 10 minutes to cook and served piping hot. I didn't have a recipe in mind, but there were a few things I wanted to integrate - such as sweet potatoes and yams. I was definitely looking for a vegetarian-themed filling and went with:

-sweet potatoes
-yams
-garlic chives
-cabbage
-tofu
-carrots
-green onions
-ginger & garlic
-pork (only for half)

I mashed all of these fillings in a couple of large bowls (one vegetarian, one meat) and added to each:
-1/2 egg
-1 tablespoons cornstarch
-1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon oyster sauce
-1/2 tablespoon sugar
-1 teaspoon sesame oil
-pepper

Mix well and let chill.

So there's really nothing I can say about dumpling pleating. To be quite honest, my first attempt a couple of years ago failed spectacularly, so I didn't really have very high expectations. Here's the thing - it will always be about the fillings - so who cares how fancy you fold or pleat your dumplings? Fold them over in a triangle for all I care! Do it ravioli style or just mush up the ends into a big ol' knot. To each their own. I did a more traditional pleat (4 for veggie, 3 for meat) and I have to say - they turned out really well! I used the generic round dumpling wrappers (premade) and used water to seal. It doesn't take too long - and if you have some nice background music on, you can easily sit there and wrap dozens! Which is exactly what I did - but now I have two giant freezer bags full of dumplings ready to go! Nutritious snack/meal success!

To fry it "steam-fry" style:
Heat up a shallow pan/saute pan with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil on medium high.
Lay about 8-10 dumplings in the pan. Let cook and sizzle for about a minute.
Pour in 1/3 of a cup of water, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium LOW.
Let cook for about 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
Once the water has evaporated, the dumplings should start sizzling and crackling - once that side has browned nicely, flip over and lightly brown another side (if you like - feel free to take them off the heat before flipping and eat) if you like for another minute or two.
Serve with dipping sauce (equal amounts light soy and rice vinegar, 1 green onion chopped) and hot sauce.

What a Difference a Few Ingredients Make

2011-03-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely gift today - a partially filled ice cube tray, full of egg yolks! You can always count on your mother for random stuff like that. In her defense, I did ask that she freeze egg yolks for me when she makes eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg white = 1 egg yolk for the spoon!). This means that I will have to cede my jar full of frozen egg whites that is sitting in my freezer. Yes, that's a jar FULL. And then some. What can I say, I make a lot of ice cream! But then again, I post nearly all of my ice cream creations, so regular readers probably do realize that I get through a lot of ice cream.

Anyway - if you'll notice - the four yolks at the bottom are noticeably more "orange" than their other chicken embryo friends. I'm not a food scientist or animal biologist - but it is commonly correlated that the more orange the yolks the more organic/free range the egg is. There was an news expose in China (communicated to me via the mothership) that showed chicken "farmers" were able to take requests on how yellow or orange the yolks would turn out - according to their clients' wishes. I do hope none of those shenanigans go down here in Canada - but it goes to show the scientific malleable our food is.

I've always been a staunch believe of eating local and eating well (haha, sometimes too well) and using quality ingredients. If it's local and quality, then even better! One local gem is the Avalon Dairy - it's a fully operational dairy that is smack-dab in the middle of the city. No cows unfortunately, but a good chunk of the processing is done there. They also have a retail shop that sells their delicious goods. I have wanted to visit the dairy for a long time and on an extended vacation - I was granted my wish. I picked up a full top-to-bottom dairy collection: yogurt, cream, milk, and butter. Unfortunately the butter still sits in my fridge - I haven't quite found the perfect shortbread recipe worthy of the product.

The yogurt was eaten (gobbled down, more like) and the cream and milk were transformed into ice cream. I was greedy and couldn't choose a flavour - so I made two: a vanilla and chocolate.
The vanilla was enhanced with brandy and real vanilla bean, and flecked with dark chocolate shards. The chocolate was composed of dark chocolate callets and espresso powder.

So was it worth it? Definitely. The texture and flavor of the cream was full, rich, and velvety. I wanted to keep the experience as pure as possible - why cover up a quality ingredient? Let them shine on their own! It's experiences like these that make you appreciate a city where quality ingredients are found - just around the corner.

A Test of Patience

2011-03-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

It's really amazing how yeast works. If you have never worked with yeast - it can be quite rewarding, yet frustrating at the same time. It must be coaxed out of its freeze-dried slumber, fed and bathed in a warm milk bath (sugar snack optional) only to be put through the paces in a mixer with the hopes of creating some sweet gas to inflate those bread molecules. Delicious, no? The actual making of bread doesn't take too long, but it's the waiting for those periods of activity that can really drive someone nutty. To make a bread recipe is a real test of one's ability to plan ahead and read a recipe - in my case, I failed.

Bottom line - the recipe turned out beautifully - but it was also finished close to dinnertime! I completely misread the 2nd rise in the recipe. Here's how it went:

Make dough - rise for 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down - rise for 1 1/2 hours.
Shape dough - rise for 30-40 min.
Bake for 45 min.

So there you go. Homemade bread, it's delicious - but it take a long time.


For the rises - I left it in the warmest place in my apartment - my bathroom!

Before the third rise - the rolling out & swirling.

Letting the freshly baked loaf rest...as Barricelli suggests, "on its side". It took a great deal of self control not to rip it apart and shove it in my mouth right there. The crust was...buttery and flaky - almost croissant-like.

Ah yes, I forgot to mention. Doused in syrup & then rolled in sugar. Oh yeah.

My twist on it this week was a cinnamon-raisin swirl. Overall, it was great, although I think I could have rolled it out thinner and made the swirl a little tighter. The gaps in the bread wasn't as aesthetically pleasing but made for extra-eggy French toast the next day.

Having my coffee while prepping my breakfast. It was a good Sunday morning :)

The recipe was from the Sono Cookbook by John Barricelli - who mentions that he wakes up in the middle of the night to get started....I can see why!!

A New Kind of Comfort Baking

2011-02-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

My comfort "go to" recipes have always been very sweet - chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, quick cupcakes, and anything else similar. It's never been bread. Ever. Just too difficult - whether it takes too much time or involves too much effort. On a personal preference note - I am not a big bread eater. Don't get me wrong, I love sandwiches and good quality bread, but a loaf can sit in my freezer for months. Months!

With the recent turn of cold weather I have been suffering through, I've been craving more substantial baked goods, especially those that are not super-sweet. A couple of weeks ago I hosted my first ever Chinese dinner - it was more like a banquet really (I can only cook for 4...or 10 - nothing in between!) and I served steamed lotus paste and red bean buns. These are simple sweet bread with a mildly sweet filling. It is almost savory in nature - but for a Chinese spoon, it's extremely comforting. It brings me back to my childhood - eating dinners in loud restaurants and being served red bean, lotus and hot tapioca desserts at the end. I'm starting to go on a tangent here - but I'll post later with more pictures from the Chinese dinner.

Anyway, I made a recipe from the latest Martha Stewart Living - a Chocolate Swirl "Coffee Cake" - it's more like a loaf/cake...or for those who visit Solly's in Vancouver - it's like a fluffier chocolate babka! (which is my favourite item there) A sweet yeast dough is swirled with a bittersweet chocolate filling, topped with a rough streusel and then drizzled with icing. And amazingly, it wasn't that sweet.

It was however - a lot of work! Breads are definitely a weekend project. Start the dough, take the dog for a nice long walk and then prepare for the second rise (and filling). Wait for the second rise while watching some TV or doing some light cleaning and then pop your creation into the oven. Chill and enjoy the amazing smells that will fill the space. The worst is when it is done - and you still have to wait! I'm not sure what it is about freshly baked bread, but you definitely have to wait for it to cool. I believe it may have something to do with the yeast finishing the reactions and/or the crust and bread to settle. Anyway - a very long wait later, I finally got to take a bite of this delicious bread/cake - and wow!

I have 27 Valentines at work!

2011-02-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

There aren't a lot of ladies at my workplace - typical of the industry I suppose, and I would like to think I play a role in bringing the few of us together every once in a while. A coworker suggested the company "commission" some Valentine themed cookies - and I really couldn't think of a better way of giving us gals a nice treat for putting up with the stinky boys.

Unfortunately I ran into a problem I've had in the last few years - I do not have a large heart-shaped cookie cutter. In the past, I've used a plastic stencil to trace & cut out shapes - but this year I decided to freehand the hearts. I think it added some originality and personality to the hearts - no two were alike! (just like in real life, yuk yuk yuk) The recipe was a basic sugar cookie dough and then decorated with pink & white royal icing and Smarties. Each cookie was also personalized with their name written in chocolate. Each cookie was also gifted with some small chocolates or gummies - what a delicious day!

Some photographic evidence...

Taste Teaser

2011-02-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

The chocolate broke easily as my teeth sank into the dark brown coating. It made a satisfying snap as it crumbled into the marshmallow and then onto my tongue. Although the coating was not perfectly tempered, the taste was in no way compromised - it was sweet and rich without being overwhelming. As I inhaled, I could taste peanut butter and graham cracker hit the back of my throat. The taste of nostalgia wafted through my nose as I breathed in those familiar smells of my childhood and when cookies weren't so complicated. It crumbled with no resistance, crumbling in a buttery chocolate mess in my molars. I gently separated a cloud of marshmallow from the cookie - how can something be light and rich at the same time? It was like biting into a cloud, a silky cloud of spun sugar that transported me into confectionery heaven.

Just a tease of the post to follow....

A New Year - Time for....?

2011-01-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes, yes, I know - it's been too long! I definitely haven't been idle though - it's still as busy as ever in the spoon kitchen with all kinds of fun treats being churned out. It's just taking me a while to transition those projects into a post here - but they are on their way!
I'm going to try and post more often - and perhaps not necessarily about stuff that I have made, but my thoughts on any interesting culinary trends that I think are particularly relevant or interesting. I try and make 'my rounds' of my favourite blogs - so why not share some of those gems with you?
I hinted in a couple of posts about something I was working on for the holidays - it was a cookbook! Yes readers - I published my very first cookbook! Granted, it was a small collection of recipes, but I was so touched so see the genuine reactions of the recipients. I wanted to give something back to those who have been so supportive of my culinary efforts and I think they were taken aback by how much I have done in the last year or so. I'll post a couple of snapshots of the final product as well as some tips for those who are considering doing small scale self-publishing as well! (it's easy!)

Recipes galore!

2010-12-12T23:22:00.000-08:00

A few notes to update on an old and new post.

First the new post - macaroons!
It's a recipe I've made many times in a flash - they are super easy and quick to make an are always a crowd pleaser.
The rough recipe = 2 egg whites whipped to soft peaks (you can do this by hand) + 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 can of condensed milk + 14oz unsweetened shredded coconut + pinch of salt. Mix well, mold into shapes (I use a small ice cream scoop), bake for 25-30 minutes in a 325F oven (or until golden).

Let cool, decorate as you like!

(Psst! Are those candy melts? :P Real mini chocolate chips though.)

The old post - the recipe for the Maple Pecan Sandies:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup toasted & ground pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup maple syrup

Sift flour, ground pecans, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and maple syrup.
Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.
The dough will be a bit wet, but still holds together. If it is too wet or gloppy, add up to 1/2 cup of flour.

Separate into two disks and chill until hardened.

Roll out each disk in between two layers of plastic wrap or parchment - cut out shapes and chill them in the fridge while you work with the rest of the dough. Remember to collect the scraps to make more cookies!
When you're about done your rollin' and chillin' - get your oven ready by preheating to 350F.

Bake the cookies on a prepared cookie sheet until golden brown on the edges, about 15 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Feel free to brush some maple syrup on the top and sprinkle with sanding sugar for an added touch.

Moral of the story: bring extra butane when torching a meringue topping.

2010-11-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

Cardinal sin, right?

But yes, I ran out of butane during the laborious torching of the meringue topping of a cake! I had tentatively (by this, I mean that I was nervous and tentative while filling the torch, not "unsure of time" in filling the torch) refilled my creme brulee torch and hoped for the best. And clearly - it was not enough because I could only get about 1/3 cake "moderately" torched!

So apologies to the birthday girl!

So yes, it was a Baked Alaska - a cake base topped with ice cream and then entirely covered with meringue which is then quickly baked or torched to get that lovely (and tasty) brown finish! The base was a chocolate chip butter cake and then layered (in a dome) with strawberry, mint, and caramel swirl ice creams (all homemade) with a layer of chocolate wafers between the layers (not homemade). I regret not taking any pictures of the cross section, but to be honest - my slice was melting!

I think that's one of the biggest pros/cons of homemade ice cream - the nature of the recipe I use yields a soft ice cream. Not soft-serve tender, but definitely scoop-able right out of the freezer! As a result, it's always ready to serve but tends to puddle quickly, unless you eat it fast. This made the ice cream very easy to mold, but it also meant that I had to work extremely fast both in the molding and the torching of the meringue. I won't mention again to bring extra butane when torching a sizeable amount of meringue, unless you've got a really professional-grade torch! (not like my little home cook Typhoon one purchased for $10)

The cake was delicious - the base was a little frozen and made it a bit difficult to cut - note for potential bakers: make a dense but thin layer. The ice creams were a good choice and the mint was a delicious twist on an after-dinner treat.

I'm ramping up for holiday project (no cards this year) and I really only have this one last weekend to get everything together - watch out for sneak peeks!

Maple Pecan Sandies

2010-11-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still around! Apologies for the delay between posts and thanks for continuing to check in! I was commenting to a fellow blogger at work that it can be so difficult to continue regular blogging. My weekly blogging was nothing compared to her 5-days-a-week blogging! But at the end of the day - it all comes down to commitment and allocating time to do it. For me - a lot of it comes down to whether or not I can whip something up worthy enough to post. I post the fails too - but I like to post things that I hope readers out there can learn from. Like chilling your dough. VERY important. Especially if you have a warm kitchen like I do!

I made sure to dedicate some baking time this weekend, because my Brigitte cookie cutters have arrived!! All the way from Germany, these cookie cutters are a simple fluted rectangular square, but come with a complete set of interchangeable letters! So you can personalize your cookies or decorations with messages and other sweet sayings! But what to make....what to make?

When making very shape-defined cookies (like sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies) keep in mind to use cookies that are low on leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder and has a fairly sturdy dough (not too wet = substantial amount of flour and binding agent). A weaker dough can be reinforced with some creative rolling (between plastic wrap or parchment) and lots of chilling, which should firm up the butter enough to hold the shape. Some good recipes include sugar or gingerbread cookies or simple chocolate wafers. Shortbread, if you can roll it out, is also quite good, if you can cut out the shapes. I decided to do an interesting twist on one of my favourite cookies - Martha Stewart's Maple Leaf cookies.

I came up with the name and concept first - maple cookies....with pecans! Ground pecans! Maple Pecan Sandies! (believe me, it doesn't always come to me so easily) I substituted half of the flour with toasted and ground pecans and used an entire egg instead of just the yolk. The dough was a bit wet, so I added in another 1/3 cup of flour to bring everything together.

But to the really good part (there's more? :D :D) - the cookie cutters! I ordered a set of Brigitte cookie cutters all the way from Germany and I couldn't wait to break them in. So without further ado...

Recipe to follow!

Happy birthday Liz!

2010-10-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

It was a night that had been carefully orchestrated for weeks - a surprise (early) birthday dinner for a friend! My contribution was as driver of the unknowing birthday girl and supplier of cake. Mmmm cake. If you're wondering - it all worked out beautifully! It was so wonderful to see such genuine emotion for the guest of honor and friends - true joy, surprise, and happiness on everyone's faces! :D We had a delicious dinner (go team Left-Side-of-Table!!) and it was topped off with a surprise birthday trifle.

I'm not sure what comprises a 'true' trifle, mine was more like cake-in-a-bowl. I think I may try this concept again as it was:
1) Extremely easy to transport.
2) Saved me the trouble of icing & decorating the sides.
3) If layered well - extremely beautiful.
4) Scooping is fun!

I made additional berry sauce to top off the cake - apologies in advance for the blurry photos - I was in a bit of a rush and took it whilst sitting on my living room floor!

I kept in mind that Liz adores my zuccotto - so the 'white' filling is comprised of whipped cream with fresh raspberries, toffee candy bits, and whole toasted hazelnuts folded in. The over-powering brown layer is an orange chocolate mousse (I didn't realize I had made so much & didn't want leftovers!). The layers are alternated with dark chocolate and vanilla cake. The whole shebang is topped with more whipped cream filling, raspberries & some decorative writing.

I had some great feedback from the writing - and here is my secret: it's candy melts. Dark chocolate flavoured.
Candy melts are amazing to use in an aesthetic setting - it flows like chocolate, tastes like chocolate and hardens in a flash. Also - it's much less sensitive to temperature! So while it does melt in your hand, it's not going to disintegrate or sweat at the thought of hot lights. Even though they are an amazing medium to use - do not use them in cookies! Let me rephrase that - they are not suitable for cakes or cookies or to melt to be used in brownies (or cake). There is a reason why they are called 'candy melts'! They are not chocolate! So if you need to make some decorations for cakes or pastries, I highly recommend candy melts. They also come in a variety of colours too (you can tint the white candy melts, but sometimes they come out a bit chalky, so if it matters to you - try and source the coloured melts).

Back to Baked Goods

2010-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering - yes, I still have a ton of turkey left over. A hefty freezer bag full, actually! Also about 3 pints of turkey stock. Oh man. Turkey. Make it for one night - eat for a month!

But enough about turkey - back to baking! I hosted Koi at my place and she kept me company in the kitchen, always staying close to clean up any bits that would fall on the floor. Unfortunately I had a little mishap with some brown sugar and she licked up quite a few crystals! Not too many though - but enough to make her rather hyper for our evening walk! I think next time she is over while I'm cooking, I'll have to set up a gate so she stays out. Won't stop her cute little face from poking in. Awwwww....Koi. Yes, I'm a proud mum.

I've been trying to develop some recipes of my very own - yes, my own recipes! Baked good recipes! Not the "uh...what am I going to eat for dinner" type of recipes, but methods and ingredients that I know would work. The idea I had in mind was a simple twist on the whoopie pie - a chocolate chip variation! My particular twist would be to brown the butter beforehand and mix in dark brown sugar for a nutty twist.

Without further ado, I present - chocolate chip whoopie pies!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar (gently packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a small saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat.
When the butter has browned, take off the heat and mix in the sugars, stir to combine, let cool about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, sift together the dry ingredients, set aside.
Transfer the butter & sugar mixture into a mixing bowl and beat for about 2-3 minutes or until fluffed.
Add in the egg and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating in 3 portions with milk. Mix well.
Add chocolate chips.

Prepare your cookie sheets - scoop out about 1 tablespoon (for small whoopie pies) or 2 tablespoons (for regular whoopie pies) about 2 inches apart. For a standard 1/2 sheet pan, this would yield about 12 - 16 cookies comfortably. With wet hands, gently shape the cookies (if needed) into even and round portions to ensure even cooking.

For small whoopie pies, bake for about 12-15 minutes. For regular whoopie pies, bake for about 15-18 minutes. Check about a minute before baking time to ensure that the cookies are browning nicely and evenly. The tops should be golden but light and the bottoms should be browned. Let cool.
Frost & sandwich!

*will follow up with seven minute frosting recipe

Turkey Tales Pt 5 - The Aftermath

2010-10-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

All in all - we ate about a third of the bird, which is pretty good for 5 1/2 people! (the 1/2 person was a late arrival)

I had a mini turkey dinner for lunch and then a delicious open-faced turkey sandwich for late dinner - what did I use?

Rye bread topped with mayo, cranberry sauce, caramelized onions, warmed turkey. Mmmmm. It was awesome.

Unfortunately I didn't make my zucchini & carrot pasta, but I'm looking to recover this week with some veggies! Perhaps with some turkey soup? Hahahaha! I did save the carcass of course and I have about 3 cups of drippings (I used a premade restaurant gravy mixed with some fresh drippings) that I can make gravy with. After reserving 7 turkey lunches for tomorrow, I don't actually have too much leftover! I pretty much managed to use up all the sides and have just a bit of onions and brussel sprouts left. It's mostly the 'post' turkey preparations - making stock and gravy really. And finishing up the rest of the turkey meat - but it's terrific protein, so I'll probably be happily snacking on it for the rest of the week.

So did I learn anything? Oh yes. Don't use 2 cups of salt in your brine. Even if the recipe says so. The meat was a touch salty (but then again, I find most things oversalted) so I would also recommend a very thorough rinse. If you can - empty your brining container and fill with fresh cool water for maybe a quick 10 minute soak/rinse to get all the residual salt off. A meat thermometer is key. An instant read for insurance as well. I don't cook large pieces of meat without both. As I mentioned previously - try to integrate as many 'make ahead' dishes as you can - the turkey is work! You don't want to be fussing over your carrot gratin while your "main attraction" is needing some TLC! I purchased a gravy separator and a baster just for the occasion, they definitely came in handy, although not completely essential.

So would I make a turkey again? For sure! But...maybe not a 20lb one. For those who are a little intimidated of making a turkey - don't be! If anything, start small with a chicken and work your way up. A chicken is a perfectly good small-scale test for a turkey - it's basically the same - but a lot (a LOT) smaller. The cooking time is shorter, there's less meat to carve, less juice to process and less leftover to worry about. If there are any leftovers at all!

Thanks for reading!

Turkey Tales Pt. 4 - The Big Day!

2010-10-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

They came. They saw. They ate.

It was goooood.

The bird was lifted out of the brine at around 9am to chill in the fridge uncovered until it was stuffed & loaded into the oven around 11:30am for 6pm eat time. I always underestimate how awesome my oven is. It's gas - btw, top AND bottom, so yes, it's a little frightening to hear the "click click" of the ignition, but once it gets to a certain temperature, it STAYS there. Only one mishap to report too - so with an oven thermometer, I've had very good luck. I mention this because even at 375F, my turkey cooked exceptionally fast - and browned nicely about halfway, so it was tinfoil tented for the rest of the time. I had some leftover stuffing, so it got put into a loaf pan as a side.

(Skin splittin' good!)

My side dishes didn't get started until about 4:30pm - potatoes (whole, unpeeled) were put in a large pot and boiled until tender and them mixed with cream cheese, butter, and cream. My onion bake was assembled and heated up in the last 45 minutes and I decided to skip the zucchini & carrot dish altogether as it would have been too much. Another guest brought a delicious brussel sprout dish and J (of T&J) prepared some roasted butternut squash.

What was served:
Cider brined turkey with stuffing (2 ways)
Dried cherry & cranberry sauce
'Big Martha' mashed potatoes
Roasted onion, crouton & gruyere bake
Brussel Sprouts with bacon & walnuts
Roasted butternut squash

Oh, and gravy too. Not homemade though. More on that tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Tales Pt 3 - The Day Before

2010-10-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

So. The big day is tomorrow!

I gave in last night and let my turkey soak in a 'pre-brine' - still in the package, but floating in a cool bath in the fridge to speed up the thawing process. It worked because the bird was nice and squishy the next morning - ready for the final brine! I had a couple extra things to pick up, so I joined the hordes of people at the local grocery store to pick up some last minute items. The mothership graciously picked up all the items on my list (that I had meticulously itemized by department and then specified quantity & size with descriptions to aid her) and had packed it all up in my fridge, but there were a few things I wanted to pick out myself. Or that I knew she would have some difficulties finding. I made it home and started the process for my brine - here's what it looked like in the stockpot:

Included in this brine are: 1 sliced apple, 2 sprigs fresh sage, 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 5 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 3 sticks of cinnamon, 2 cups of coarse salt and 2 litres of apple cider.

After bringing this to a boil, I added about 3L of cool water to bring down the temperature. After about 30 minutes, I transferred it over to my brining tub and added more water. You must not soak your turkey until your brining liquid is cool - I forgot why, but it's got something to do with bacterial growth I think. I'll be sure to do some research and update this post.

(below - brining tub with brine, turkey in brine in fridge!)

So fingers crossed it will work out. I'm taking it out at around 8am to dry and chill. At around noon it should be stuffed and ready to be cooked! I also worked on the cranberry sauce - which is super easy. It's basically a cranberry jam. I've done it in the past with dried cherries and it worked out really well so I made it again, although I don't remember which recipe I used so I had to kind if improvise a bit. Here's a picture of it in the saucepan with all the key ingredients:

Included is - 1 package of cranberries, 1 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 cup of water.

Let cook, enjoy hearing the cranberries pop and smush away! The cranberries should release all their wonderful juice and let reduce, like jam! I still had the entire day ahead of me, so under Koi's supervision I also prepared the 'onion part' of a roasted onion/gruyere dish I'm adding tomorrow. It's pretty much different kinds of onions, lightly seasoned and then roasted until soft. Prep some croutons & sprinkle on top and then add gruyere cheese and bake until bubbly! I decided to get ahead of the game and roast the onions, which will save me a lot of time tomorrow. It will reheat in the oven while the turkey is resting before carving.

So T-minus 19 hours until eating time!

Turkey Tales Pt 2

2010-10-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

The turkey continues to thaw in the fridge - on the label it stated that a bird weighing 20 lbs should take about 4-5 days to thaw. I'm cutting it close - his/her fate is a lovely spiced brine bath where it will sit overnight. If it's still pretty solid on Friday night - it's getting a nice lukewarm bath in the sink to speed up the process.

So the menu for Sunday is pretty simple - turkey & stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and maybe a side. I explicitly explained to my guests that this is going to be a pretty casual dinner and most of them have generously volunteered to bring sides. When planning a big dinner like this - and with limited resources - it's best to think ahead and consider what dishes you can make ahead and heat up last minute. Or have friends you trust to bring dishes!

Step 1 (a): Set Your Menu

Technically, you should really do this first, before buying your turkey. But heck - it takes 4 days to thaw anyway!

Turkey with Sausage Stuffing Two Ways
Cranberry & Cherry Chutney
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Zucchini and Carrot 'Pasta'

Tomorrow - let's discuss all the frilly fun stuff :P

Turkey Tales Pt 1

2010-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

So yes, it's been a long time since I've posted on el blog - sorry to let anyone down!
I've been busy! A 17lb fur baby named Koi has taken up most of my days and nights, and whines incessantly in between. I went road tripping for a weekend and then it was a week of 1:1 dog care (Koi stays at the mothership's full time, I alternate walks and drop by at least once a day for some cuddles) which pretty much ate up my time until now.

Which brings us to this weekend - Thanksgiving!

I am attempting to make a turkey dinner on Sunday for family and friends - my first real foray into turkey! This Spoon's family is quite small, so we've always eaten chicken on holidays or gone to friends' houses for turkey - I've never hosted a real traditional Thanksgiving. Until now!

So join me, dear readers as we count down to turkey day!

Step 1:

Buy turkey - start thaw.

Yes, I bought it frozen. Since it's my first turkey, I opted for the good ol' Butterball variety - I didn't want to do too much research for fresh turkeys and the politics that go into it, as well as the extra hassle in securing a fresh one for the big day! I picked out a nice fat 20lb turkey and it's sitting in my fridge thawing away.

The plan of action is for it to finish thawing by Saturday morning - at which point it will sit in a spiced brine bath until Sunday morning, sit out for a bit and then go in the oven promptly at 11-11:30am to be ready for 6pm. Yes, it will be stuffed - so I'm allotting some extra time and anticipating a 7pm eat time.

So I guess that's it for now. Nothing else to do really until Friday/Saturday. Tomorrow - I'll discuss what is on the menu!

First Birthday Cake of the Season!

2010-09-23T23:10:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned a few posts ago about ramping up for the fall, or in my life, "birthday cake baking season". It's a long, long season - very sweet, of course - and very rewarding! It's also a great opportunity for me to put some new recipes to use and rethink old classics. Sometimes, it doesn't work out - but hey, even the scraps are delicious!

I was a bit squeezed for time for this particular cake, but it all managed to turn out. Kind of. At least I didn't drop it! :P (if that is any clue as to who the recipient was) The cake itself turned out great, but I didn't plan very well in terms of transporting the cake throughout the various steps of preparation. Basically - once you bake, cool & trim the cake, get it on the final base/plate. Don't move it around like I did! I think for me, I didn't have a premade board ready nor was my cake stand small enough to fit in my fridge! Looks like I'm in the market for a cake plate! (I'd love to get an antique glass one!!)

The cake: Yellow Butter Cake c/o Martha Stewart (I added in the chocolate chips)

The filling: Seven Minute Frosting

The icing: Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache

The decorations: Novelty Marbled M&Ms

Lessons Learned:
- Cake, although rich and butter was too dense for the filling - a sponge would have been more appropriate.
- The filling would ooze out at the slightest pressure, in retrospect, I would have used the ganache as a filling instead.
- The ganache was too sturdy! It spread too thin and crumbled during cutting in a really unattractive way.
- I think I would have switched the filling and icing - the Frosting would have added a lot of drama and volume and the richness of the ganache would have been a nice contrast.

The decorations were some marbled M&Ms I received a while ago from my brother. I think you can buy them in some stores now, but aren't they beautiful? I actually wanted to tile the entire outside with the candies, but I'm not sure I would have had enough. I decided to go with a freeform pattern on top and on the sides. Although the final product lacked that polish, I am still pretty pleased with the results. There are definitely lessons I learned here that will probably come in handy for the rest of the season!

Stay tuned for the next cake!

Learning to Work with Chocolate

2010-09-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

This year for my birthday I decided to do something special for myself - to take a class in chocolate-making! I think the term "chocolate making" is a little deceptive. If you are in the chocolate industry to 'make' chocolate is to take it from the plant, extract the bean, roast, pulverize and blend. However, in this class we took already 'made' chocolate and coaxed it into the more traditional forms of truffles and mendiants. I actually took a vacation day from work to take this all-day class: 6 hours of stirring, marbling, piping, dipping and tasting chocolate from cocoa butter to 80%.

In other words - it was a truly magical day.

I feel like I learned so much - not only about HOW to make chocolate but the science and sense of making chocolate. We spent a significant amount of time smelling different 'scents' found in chocolate and tasting different kinds of chocolate (single origin and blended) and that process made me appreciate the quality chocolate I have had the pleasure of eating in the past. And how complex! Wow, how complex... I really had no idea chocolate had so many subtle layers, tones and notes. Kind of like coffee - I suppose. It was amazing how the ORIGIN of the bean would affect the flavor of the coffee! My favourite? Peruvian and Ecuadorian - the ones we tried had more distinct floral and sweet flavour, even though both were equally 'dark' chocolate.

A picture of the mirror above chef Marco. If you can see those green ramekins in the reflection, we got to taste ALL of those chocolates! Yes, we worked hard. Very hard.

A couple of snapshots of our work area. Under our Boos counter? Beautiful Kitchen Aid Pro 6s ready to be put into action! Yum!

A chocolate 'tumbler' and a line of induction stovetops for heating up our saucepans to melt chocolate (a la double boiler) and also the heat up cream for the ganache. They worked SO well - I am almost tempted to shell out the dough for a stovetop. Seriously - the induction stovetop works with the magnetic element in cookware to heat up the vessel - so much of the residual heat is eliminated, as well as any messy scalded-on foodstuffs. It heated up the cream and water SO fast - I can see why they are used in candy making!

Chef Marco Ropke speaking to the troops and dispensing his wisdom! I have to say, if there was one major reason for me to take another class, it would be because of him. Chef Marco was professional, helpful, funny, and a terrific teacher - I highly recommend being under his tutelage!

(above) Marbled-whipped and piped dark chocolate ganache. These would later be dipped in tempered chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder. (below) Lime & coconut white chocolate ganache is piped into premade truffle shells (my god! no one told me these existed!). Unfortunately we didn't have time to finish them (closing off the top & another coat of white chocolate) but no matter - they were still delicious!

The bounty. Oh yeah.

I was blessed and cursed to be the odd person out in the 7-person class. I didn't have to work with a buddy which meant double the work - but double the goodies to take home! And take home I did! Two chocolates seen above, I did not document - the hazelnut nougatine and chocolate mendiants. The nougatine was divine - a whipped milk chocolate ganache with crunched up caramelized hazelnuts dipped in tempered dark chocolate and rolled in icing sugar. Amazing. The ganache was fluffy and soft and the caramelized nuts added a depth of texture and flavor that was mind-blowing. I will definitely be making those again! The dark chocolate mendiants are tempered chocolate piped into molds and topped with nuts and dried fruit. So simple, yet so delicious.

Two main things I learned:

1) Quality of chocolate COUNTS. One prime example of this are the chocolate mendiants. By themselves, they are a very simple confection. Tempered chocolates piped into molds and studded with fruits and nuts. But the usage of high grade dark chocolate works with the toppings to create a layered and lush experience that cannot be replicated with generic store-bought chocolate. The break of the chocolate is crisp - it doesn't melt into your hands and the flavour is savored not only with your tongue, but your nose and throat - the scent and texture of the chocolate create an experience that is unlike any other.

2) Making chocolate is damn hard. My biceps HURT the next day. Fold chocolate over and over on a marble slab is hard work. Stirring to melt chocolate is hard work. Whipping chocolate is hard work. Dipping and rolling chocolate is hard work. Making chocolate is hard work.

I would love to take more classes in the future - and luckily they are starting a batch of evening classes to accomodate those who work full-time - now to start saving up!

There is something to be said about actually taking a hands-on class like this. Yes, it is expensive; yes it is labour intensive - but there are tips & tricks conveyed here that you cannot get through a cookbook or TV show. We stuck our hands IN the chocolate (and yes, it was amazing) to feel the temperature of chocolate. We let pure cocoa butter crumble in our mouths. We watched our ganaches split (not mine, tee hee) and worked hard to bring them back to life again. These are the real lessons learned in the class - not just how to follow a recipe.

Thank you Marco & the Vancouver Pastry School!

Meet Koi!

2010-09-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a lot of time to bake or cook recently - our family recently adopted a dog! This is our family's first dog - her name is Koi and she's an 8 yr old Shiba Inu and totally adorable and cute! The Mothership is her primary carer and Koi lives with her. The Mothership does all the daily care, but I stop in every day after work to take Koi for a walk and on the weekends, I spend a bit more time with her and thus, the baking has taken a backseat to the newest member of our family. But it's worth it!

I've only made one thing notable recently - just a twist on the blueberry lemon bundt - I mixed it up by baking with some fresh blackberries I picked and it was a great success! I am trying to ramp up my energies for the next couple of months because birthday season is LITERALLY just around the corner! I have my first cake next week! I am actually thinking of making a "Koi" cake - kind of like a tiger cake - a combination of black, white, and brown/orange elements. This is generally a combination of different flavours of those colors - whether it is chocolate, vanilla, caramel, orange, etc. I have a couple of ideas floating around the ol' noggin, so let's see what I can conjure up.

I also have an exciting story about something I did yesterday - a day-long chocolate making class! WOW! What an experience. My arms are still sore from mixing, folding, stirring, and working chocolate for the whole day. If the classes weren't so expensive, I would do the entire 6-session course, but for now, this was my birthday treat.

Thanks, Spoon - I had a great time and now have enough chocolate for the next few months!

(Koi relaxing in her bed)

This Pizza's Made for Grillin'!

2010-08-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to maximize every sunny evening by getting out the BBQ and grilling! I know I will really miss it when October and November roll around and it gets chilly by 7pm. Ah, those summer nights.

I suppose this summer I have really attacked grilling big pieces of meat. Big. Pieces. Of meat. Which has been fun, and let me tell ya - really tasty! But one thing I've really wanted to try is to grill pizza! So the challenge was set - I'd find a recipe for an appropriate dough, gather some ingredients and friends and grill away!

Luckily the mothership and I had visited a produce market earlier that day and I was loaded down with fresh veggies - including some beautiful baby eggplant and zucchini. They made a wonderful accompaniment to our pizza and an even more delicious antipasto-inspired salad for the next day.

(Right on the grill; 10 minutes on the grill)

But the pizza, ah yes, the pizza. It was good. Really good. The recipe can be found here - on the amazing Kitchn site. The link is for the entire dissection on grilling pizza, which includes a recipe for the thin crust dough. If you're interested in grilling pizza, I highly recommend following their instructions. I amped up the crust a bit by adding some fresh and dried rosemary and thyme and of course, a generous pinch of lemon salt and freshly ground pepper. It made a world of a difference! The herbs infused their delicious oils and aromas into the dough which created the most delicious base to some summer fresh toppings and buffalo mozzarella! The herbs also add an extra element to the crust - making it less pizza and more like flatbread. I would be totally comfortable topping this with little oil and salt, cutting it into strips and serving it with some dip.

It was THAT good. The top and bottom were crispy with that slight chewiness and bite. Yum. And it took about 5 minutes to cook. Granted, they were small pizzas - but this is a manageable enough feat that you can eat a pizza while your next one cooks!

One tip the Kitchn site encourages (and I do too) is to push your dough out on an oiled surface. I used a cutting board and it made it easy to push out into shape and much easier on the grill. So have some olive oil and a brush handy.

Some of our goods:

(grilled peppers, fresh stripped corn, pesto, green onions, buffalo mozzarella)

In case you're wondering, I was using the mothership's awesome pimp camera. Oh yeah.

I Dream of Ice Cream

2010-08-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

After months of dreaming of this idea and procrastinating - it's finally done!

My ice cream labels!

I had wanted to do custom labels and containers for a while now. I finally sourced a great company that sells small quantities of cardboard pints (Sweet Bliss Containers) and it was really up to me to make up the labels. I struggled to think of a name...I mean - this is IT! Well, not exactly, but I wanted to pick one theme and stick with it. Then it came to me, "I dream of ice cream" (which I do!) - in pink and brown, of course. Each container has the "i dream..." label and then their "fanciful flavour:" complement.

A couple of shots of my new labels - post-print & cut and pre-stick! Let's hope the glue is good enough to adhere even in the freezer!

Check out the awesome selection in my deep freeze! It really looks like I have my own operation now...

My latest creation, "Sweet Cookie Caramel Swirl"...

Dinner in a Flash

2010-08-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those weeks that practically crawl by? Mine was the complete opposite! So much seemed to happen and in such little time - and I still had things I wanted to do! As a result, a lot of my dinners were crammed into pockets of the evening - usually between the gym and running out the door again or right when I walked in and back out 20 minutes later. I am still trying to keep up with my Kitchen Resolutions and make-what-I-buy-and-eat it! As a result, I've taken to keeping an inventory of what is in my fridge - and it's worked! I usually try to plan in advance (based on what I have) my meals for the week, lunch and dinner.

The topic for this post is based on one of these recipes - a spicy tofu salad made from some pantry staples and whatever was lurking in my fridge.

Spicy Tofu Salad

2 cups of tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
(I used the deep-fried tofu 'pop', as I like to call it, but I think this would work very well with a pressed tofu as well)
1/2 cup sliced sweet pepper
1 green onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cooking wine
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili oil

Toasted black sesame seeds to garnish

In a medium bowl toss all the wet ingredients together until integrated. Grind a little fresh pepper into it if you like as well. Add in the tofu, peppers, and green onion and mix until all the dressing has been soaked up by the tofu.

Serve as a side, main, or as a salad topping!

So I suppose photos would help.

2010-08-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Haha, it's Thursday and I just realized that I might not have included any photos in the last post. I tried to snap a few during the process too.

My pie post-press. I had to go around and crimp the edges with a fork anyway. Those lattice holes? Not easy to remove.

My new tortilla press put to good use pressing out ALREADY CUT pastry rounds. In the next picture, you'll see that the edges of the pastry don't quite meet the edge. As you can see, I am really packing in the fruit as well!

PREEEEESS!

My adorable pocket pies ready to be egg-washed and baked.

The finished product! Delicious - but a lot of work.

P-p-p-p-pocket pies!

2010-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. Not a big surprise to anyone, I know - but I can never pass up the coolest and latest epicurean toy to hit the market! One new (to me) toy is the pocket pie mold/press from Williams Sonoma. From what I gather, they have had this product out for a few seasons now and introduce different shapes every once in a while. I have a gyoza mold/press (works horribly - as all good Asians should know - gyoza skins should be pinched, not pressed!) so I know how the concept works. Basically two shell molds are joined with a hinge. The centres of the mold sides are concave (or convex depending on the angle, I suppose) to leave room for the filling and the edges are flush so that they will 'press' together and seal.

So here is my combined review/recipe for the Williams Sonoma pocket pie press:

As a coworker remarked, "this is good for people who really like pie crust."

Very true indeed.

The pies are small - maybe 5" in diameter and since the crust has to be thick enough to contain the filling, it is indeed a dessert (or snack?) for a crust-lover! It was a lovely Martha pate brisee crust, so I had no complaints. However, I think the designers had perhaps erred on a few areas - for one, the pie crust still had to be flattened out to cover the filling! The mold 'edge' is also a crust cookie cutter. This is smart in that the mold will be able to cut out the right size of pastry for the press. However, once you gently push the pastry in the shell and get the top half over, the pie edge considerably shrinks and doesn't get a proper seal (not to mention uneven). I had to press on the edge with a fork to properly crimp the edge. The lattice top, while very cute is a little difficult to cut out - it's not sharp enough to cut all the holes completely so I had to get in there with a paring knife.

At this point - the press is pretty much a glorified cookie cutter! But for novice pie makers (like myself), it's a handy tool to get you started. If you don't use the lattice top or fill your pie too generously, I can see someone using this tool with success! Not to say that it was UNsuccessful, just a bit too work-heavy for my taste. I might have just used my biscuit cutters to make pocket pies instead!

The Bottom Line:
Buy it if it's on sale and you want to 'give it a try', but don't consider this a must-have in the gadget drawer!

Pate Brisee Recipe Here.

Fruit Filling

3 cups of fruit (peeled, cored, cut into small chunks if needed)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca (quick cooking)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 30 min for the juices to release.
Fills 6-8 pocket pies.

Remember to use an egg wash & sprinkle with coarse sugar! Bake for approx 25-30min (350F oven).

My Own Full-Time Kitchen Duties

2010-08-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

I get asked every once in a while, "why don't you work in a kitchen?" My answer is honest - it's a tough life with long hours, high demands, and in many environments - very creatively stifling. Obviously there are examples of the complete opposite where people have made it happen and still wake up inspired. I'd still like to be there in 10 years. But this long weekend, something dawned on me - I work full-time in my own kitchen! That's the thing with long weekends (or weekends in general) when you've got no set plans - all I have is my own hands with devices and a kitchen coyly inviting me to spend some time exploring some new ideas - and let's face it, I don't have someone to cook for me - so if I want lunch, I've got to work for it! Yes, I can go out and pick up something quick, but I have all week to eat out - and I like to control and observe what goes into the gullet.

I'm posting a recipe I made last week - but I was definitely busy these past three days. I told the mothership that even when I have a quiet weekend where I rarely see anyone, it's a nice change from the people-people-people work environment I spend 40+ hours a week in. I like the quiet (or BBC Radio 1) as I shuck summer peas or roll out pie dough. It's contemplative, and I like it. I've always been a spoon that needed a fair amount of personal time just to reflect.

I recently read an article (or saw something on TV, I dunno - on some medium!) where a family decided to relocate themselves in the country (from their city lives). The mother noted the satisfaction and contentment she had watching a roast on a rotisserie for 5 hours (hey, I'd be happy too!) - she actually had a moment of stillness, of doing 'nothing'. I'd like to be able to do that one day - but even on my 'quiet' weekends, I feel the need to pack in as many activities or projects as I can - and in the summer I'm busy harvesting all the goods to be found!

Anyway - the recipe this post is for japchae! "What's japchae?" you ask! It's a Korean noodle delicious, and it's absolutely delicious! It's on par with a typical Chinese chow mein - noodles mixed with meat and veggies. But the real kicker is the noodles - when they are cooked, they are almost transparent, but in fact they are purple! They are made of sweet potato starch which gives them their distinctive color and taste (not too noticeable, really). But when you add in the sauce, they become brown-ish, but still fairly transparent. They are also a bit...jiggly, which I admit can be a bit off-putting. Did I mention that they can get kind of slimy and difficult to pick up? (LOL) Don't let this scare you! The dish is very easy to make - although depending on how many veggies you decide to add in, it could get a little labour intensive (as it did for me). I opted with:

snow peas
red peppers
zucchini
onions
mushrooms
green onions
carrots
beef

After soaking the noodles in boiling water for about 15 minutes they become really soft and workable. Stir fry some protein in the marinade (recipe to follow) and then the veggies and then add in the noodles. That's how I did it at least - I'm sure everyone has their own method. Anyway - if you're looking for a nice side dish or noodle alternative, I recommend japchae as an option!

Japchae
(adapted from original from Epicurious)

12oz sweet potato starch noodles
(soak for 15-20 min until soft)
1/2 lb lean sirloin cut into strips
*veggies - julienned*
(I am leaving this up to interpretation, the original recipe only had about 1/3 of the veggies I used! Go crazy!)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Combine all the ingredients!

Noodles Method:

In a wok add 4 tablespoons of the sauce and fry the beef. Remove
Add another 5 tablespoons of the sauce and 1/4 cup of water and add the noodles. Set aside
Cook the veggies in batches and combine with noodles and beef.

Garnish with green onions & sesame seeds - bon appetit!

Old Ideas, New Theories

2010-07-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ah, another hectic few weeks in the can. I wish I could update more - honest! But there doesn't seem to be enough time in the week to actually think about what to write about. And that I don't have time to conjure something up on the weekends. Last weekend I took the ferry over to the 'local' island to visit a friend with another friend (confusing enough for you?) and took in some local sights and eats. Had my first ever neapolitan pizza! Yes, you read that right. I have never had neapolitan pizza. Doesn't mean that I am clueless to the mystery of that hallowed tradition - I'm totally down for the 00 grade flour and everything that is involved in a certified neapolitan pizza, and I have to say, it was great! However, I still have weakness for the less-than-traditional pizza pies, namely - Domino's thin crust Hawaiian. Or sausage and mushroom. Mmmmm.

Anyway - moving on - to today's post! As it is the summer time, it means that it is ice cream season! Admittedly, it is always ice cream season - but the summer, of course, is a perfect opportunity to whip out some frozen treats. I came across this recipe for EGGLESS ice cream that was supposedly as creamy and rich as their traditional French counterpart! "Impossible!" I thought to myself, "egg yolks give ice cream their silky richness, no egg yolks and you'd be left with a soft serve-worthy mess!" But I was intrigued, and inspired to give it a go. I followed the recipe for the basic vanilla - but amped it up with a ton of vanilla beans (gratefully given to me by a coworker), frozen blueberries and "pie". I had a few ideas last year about ice cream concoctions and one that always hung over me was "blueberry pie" ice cream - not just straight blueberry ice cream, but a flavour that would encapsulate the entire 'bite'. I tried to replicate this with a rich vanilla ice cream with a frozen blueberry coulis swirl and crust-like cookies mixed in.

It was, in a word - delicious. The ice cream was indeed silky and smooth (but definitely not as rich, sorry - but there are some things you can't replicate!), the vanilla was an excellent complement to the blueberries and the cookie bits stayed crunchy and flavourful. Success!

So I suppose if you don't want to crack the eggs for proper French-style glace - then give this recipe by Jeni Britton a try. The flavour combinations she has listed on her website are truly inspiring! Take her basic vanilla recipe and add in your own flavours - tis the season to be frosty!

Celebrating Summer's Bounty

2010-07-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about the summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at the local markets - and for cheap! I love checking out the local farmers markets - whether it is the one 10 minutes away or an hour - each one offers something special and unique. This weekend I went to one fairy off-the-beaten path for me. Usually the one I go to is about a 25 min run away (hey, gotta get your exercise!) but this one is about...a 35 min transit ride away - and on an express bus at that! But it was worth it!

I had indulged a bit too much at the end of the week - with too many meals out and felt like something fresh and whole and loaded with some seasonal goodies!

My buys:
-two bunches of locally grown 'baby' carrots
-one bag of yellow and orange peppers ("all you can pick" for $4/bag)
-three bags of assorted spices

Not a ton of stuff, but definitely enough to kick off my dinner of "Summer Panzanella." This summer salad is a great way to use an abundance of leftover or plentiful veggies - namely, tomatoes! This Italian salad is also more commonly referred to as a 'bread salad' - with stale chunks of bread tossed with veggies and a vinegar-based dressing. What is really terrific about this salad is that it is so..."what you make it". I went more traditional and used tomatoes, bread, and fresh herbs - but why not add some fruit to the mix? Peaches, strawberries, and oranges would complement the salad well, as well as some grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, or cucumbers. I actually wanted to do a side raw carrot salad, but ran out of time (shaved carrot strips tossed with lemon juice & olive oil, with lots of salt & pepper!). I came up with a basic panzanella on top off romaine lettuce and avocado.

Spoon's Panzanella

1 1/2 cups of ripped up or cut up bread chunks
(I cut up chunks of baguette, tossed in melted butter and then toasted until crunchy)
2 large ripe tomatoes
3-4 fresh basil leaves
1/2 sprig of fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper

Cut the tomatoes into large chunks. Season with salt and pepper and add in the oil, vinegar, and juice.
Toss to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Prepare your bread chunks/croutons - add to the tomatoes along with basil and thyme.
Toss to coat, let the bread soak up the dressing.

Serve immediately!

As a side, I prepared a straight knock-off of a dish I had last week at a Spanish tapas restaurant. It was my twist on grilled peppers and anchovies on toast, I made grilled peppers and sardines on grilled toast! This super-simple side is a perfect complement to a salad - it's got the substance with the bread and the savoury protein element. Unfortunately the sardines aren't quite a nice out of the can as anchovies, and I had to add quite a bit of lemon juice to kick up the flavour.

Happy 30th Anniversary Spoon Parents!

2010-07-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

It was the 'Pearl' Anniversary of this Spoon's parents! Yes, yes, I know. Spoons can't exactly have 'parents' now, can they? But let's just play along.

It was also their combined birthday parties - with the event being fairly spaced between their respective birthdates. The Mothership took it upon herself to cook for the entire crowd - something that even I would not undertake!

An occasion like this of course, calls for a special dessert; a special challenge fit for 30 years of marriage. A coworker suggested, "why don't you make them a 3-tiered cake? One for each celebration!" Yes! Genius! Why hadn't I thought of that?

Oh yeah, because I've never made a tiered cake before.

Well. It tasted great! I admit, it was a little lopsided on the top, but I am overall quite pleased with how it turned out. I showed another friend my 'original' sketch - and how far it was from reality! I suppose some things only come from practice. I had originally wanted to do a buttercream frosted cake (that's a LOT of buttercream) but decided to go with whipped cream instead. Yes, it's a little lighter and easier to make, but you lose so much structural and visual integrity. It doesn't hold shape very well, and you could see my fingermarks all over it! The reason I went with whipped cream is because the middle layer was carrot cake. (bottom was chocolate mousse, top was black forest) How weird would that be to have carrot cake with buttercream? I did do a cream cheese filling, but I drew the line at the frosting.

Another change I had to make was with the writing - without a proper tilting turnable, it is impossible to do nice writing on whipped cream cake! Thus, I put to use some Mercken's wafers I had on hand. It's kind of hard to describe exactly what Mercken's wafers are...umm...candy coating? Kind of like...chocolate, but without the tempermental nature of chocolate! They are really easy to melt and color and harden SUPER quickly. I melted and coloured some, spread it thin on a Silpat and cut out circles - onto which I piped out the messages. Much more easy to handle, and conveniently enough, patched up all the sketchy areas on my cake! Haha! I cut out smaller circles to decorate the cake with, and it turned out quite whimsical, and it turns out, my colour choices were SPOT ON (haha, get it? SPOT on? Ehhhh....) as the tablecloth & Mothership's outfit was purple!

Take a look for yourself!
(thanks to H-izzo for the cake-tography!)

Needless to say - I think I'm done with cake for a little while :P

The Last Bite Is the Greatest

2010-06-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

I JUST finished the last remnants of that giant lasagne. No worries, readers - I made a 'mini-lasagne' from the leftover fillings & pasta and froze it to bake later.

Later happened late last week, and I just finished the last bite.

Dare I say it was more delicious than the very first bite?

However - although I am not in a rush to replicate it - I am sure another 22-layer monstrosity is in my future!

Burn baby burn!

2010-06-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

This Spoon should be tucked away in the night-time drawer already, but because dinner was served super late - I've got a sudden burst of energy! Not enough to bake something new, but to upload some stuff from the weekend. THE WEEKEND OF EPIC BAKING FAIL. Hey, it happens. And I was due for a real dud of a day anyway, I had been having too much good luck, what with the macarons actually turning out the first time they were made!

Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post - I had to salvage together a dessert for dinner at T&J's - I smushed the graham cracker crusts into glass ramekins, topped them with some lemon curd and meringue and torched away! I saved the meringue making for T&J's as they have a gorgeous onyx stand mixer themselves and I was dying to fondle another sexy kitchen gadget (don't worry Daisy, I still love you...but I wanted something with...MORE POWER!). The T&J are also my torch buddies - they were there when I opened my new blowtorch and T was the one who bravely filled it with butane. The torch actually needed a butane top-up actually and she was more than willing to put on a repeat performance!

Have I mentioned that I love torching things?

(as you can see - the glass ramekins show off the three layers extremely well!)

(closer shot of the top - meringue piped with a fat star tip)

I'll post the recipes for the three components shortly!

Epic Fail Weekend Baking

2010-06-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day - the sun is shining, I can see the trees swaying gently outside my window. Ideally, I should be outside for a run, but instead I decided to stay in and bake.

Bad idea.

Hot day = horrible day for pastry.

I had the best intentions, heck, I even charted out what I wanted to accomplish!

I managed to 'make' the "Sparkly Special K Squares":

Cute, right? Check out those new mini rainbow chocolate chips I bought! Unfortunately either Special K is not made for this dessert or homemade marshmallows don't quite cut it because it was a mushy mess. *sigh* Too bad.
I managed to salvage this for a coworker who has never had homemade mallows:

Just a little bit off plain mallow spooned into a silicone muffin cup topped with some cheerful sprinkles.

Next up - "Lemon Meringue Bites":
Lucky for me, I had made the curd last night (as evidenced by the check mark in the first photo) - however, I decided to try out a new pastry base. Today. At noon.

Too much water added in the egg + too warm of a kitchen = puffy, gummy, tough tart shells.

Next up - "Cherry/jam cream bites" with a graham cracker crust.
With the crust fail, I switched priorities to this crust to hold my lemon curd instead. It all rested on this crust. It came together well and they were patted into a mini-muffin tin. I put them in the oven and...they started to bubble and puff. WHAT???!!! I took them out and immediately started to pat them down. I put them in for another 5 min and took them out. They were a bit wet on the bottom so I thought, "hmmm, maybe I should take them OUT of the tin and bake them." Bad idea. About 10 of them disintegrated in the heat. I would up sliding them BACK into the tins to cool.

They don't look too horrible, right? They actually taste pretty good too!

I'm going to attempt assembling tonight @ T&J's....wish me luck!

If it all fails horribly, I have a fresh batch of chocolate hazelnut ice cream - topped with thawed cherries and juice, yum!

Dulce de Leche - Slippin 'n slidin'!

2010-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

One of my latest loves - dulce de leche. This South American (in origin) treat is basically caramelized condensed milk - either cow or goat milk. I find goat DdL has an earthier taste that has an interesting tang, cow DdL is pretty sweet, easy on the palate. Do I have a preference? Not really! I love them both!

I was recently gifted a bottle of goat dulce de leche (with white wine!) and after gorging myself on the sweet treat, I decided to make proper use of it and incorporate it into my baking. The trick is to balance the sweetness of the dulce de leche with a cookie doesn't have too much sugar and generally has a neutral base. I revisited the madeleine pan cookies and made dulce de leche cookie sandwiches with hazelnut shortbread. The shortbread is not only subtle but the hazelnut added an almost-savoury feel to the cookie. In other words, it was a perfect pairing! I think another combination that could work would be a dark chocolate wafer or espresso cookie - using cocoa powder or espresso could add that dense bitterness that would offset the sweetness of the filling quite well.

Photographic evidence for your pleasure:

(goat dulce de leche with white wine)

(dulce de leche...is...very...fluid - use less, MUCH less to sandwich than you think you need - the day after a few of my cookies had become separated simply from sliding off the filling)

Fairly Simple Supper

2010-05-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

If you've got a grill! One of the best investments I have ever made in my kitchen is my baby Weber - or the Weber BabyQ 100. Don't let the adorably cute name fool you! She is one lean, mean, propane-burning machine! For those considering investing in a bbq for a small space, I highly recommend the Weber model! I had done an extensive search last year, and I can confidently say that I made the right choice.

I present to you - grilled pork loin!

Mmmm. Oh yeah.
Take one pork loin (ribs optional) - take a paring knife and trim the fat. Also, while you've got the knife in your hand, pierce the loin liberally. Create a wet rub and lather liberally, remember to jam the rub into those knife crevasses as well!

(mmm...glistening caramelization...)

My mix that day: grapeseed oil, 3 cloves of crushed garlic, zest of 1 orange, 1 shallot finely chopped, dried thyme and salt and pepper.

My theory with grilling larger pieces of meat is to let it cook - let it sit on the grill on one side for about 10 min and then turn. Let the fat and meat sear and release - it will happen! Don't agitate the meat too much or it will become rubbery and dried out. Turning it evenly will ensure consistent cooking as well - remember to let the meat rest for the juices to resettle!

Pair with a crisp summer (or spring) coleslaw and a slice of reheated lasagne.

Long Weekend Projects

2010-05-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Some work on installing a new deck for the summer. Others - it is working on a painting.
For me, it's building a 20-odd layer lasagne.

Yes. You read that right - 20+ layers of noodle-y goodness packed into a casserole dish.

The mothership was having her regular pals over for the time-honoured traditional game that involves pushing ceramic tiles around a square board and clucking on about their lives. And it was my Spoonerly duties to provide sustenance for their day-long gab fest. I usually take this opportunity to make something special - it is not that often that I am able to execute a full menu - starter-main-dessert, and I usually provide a snack (and sometimes) and lunch for the ladies - so it's a day of work for this Spoon!

I was inspired by a post on the Kitchn website featuring a 100-layer lasagne (at a New York restaurant). There was no way I was going to be able to make a 100-layer lasagne, but 20? I could do that.

Step 1 - Make your noodles
Store-accessible noodles are much too thick for this project. You need thin enough noodles that it won't overwhelm the fillings and sauce - the only way to do this is to crank them out yourself.

Step 2 - Strategize your fillings
What kind of sauces are you going to use? Marinara-cheese only? Meat sauce? I decided to go with different fillings for almost every layer (repeated with ricotta, meat sauce and marinara).

Step 3 - Make your fillings (if needed)
Obviously - you can go store-bought all the way, I went with only the tomato sauce being purchased but everything else being prepared.

Step 4 - Cook your noodles!
I tried the whole 'no cook' noodle thing - didn't like it.

Step 5 - Mise en place and Assembly
Lay everything out strategically. I suggest noodles on one side and all your fillings at arms reach around the other side. Keep a paring knife handy in case you need to trim any noodles (if homemade). Lots of spoons. Lots. I would also highly recommend writing out the order of your fillings to keep organized.

In selecting an appropriate pan - DEPTH is as important as width/length.

Step 6 - Bake 'n Cool
I cannot stress enough the importance of cooling your lasagne. Cut in it too soon after taking it out of the oven and it will literally "break" - your fillings will slip 'n slide and any excess moisture will pool, making each portion a sloppy mess.

Step 7 - Step back and take in the glory, that is your lasagne!

*yes, I baked it in a round casserole - I didn't have a deep enough rectangular/square dish, so everyone got a 'slice' of lasagne!

(le nez, or "the nose")

-marinara
-meat sauce
-ricotta (mixed with one egg, herbs, cheese)
-zucchini (peeled thin, sauteed gently)
-cremini mushrooms (sauteed with onions)
-pine nuts (toasted, pureed)
-grilled red peppers (peeled and pureed)
-spinach (chopped, cooked and drained)
-bechamel
-ricotta
-meat sauce
-marinara

Believe it or not, I forgot a couple of fillings! (pesto and pulled pork) I also had enough noodles and leftover sauce to make a mini-lasagne in a loaf pan.

After this, I don't think I'll be attempting a 100-layer project.

Happy Feet

2010-05-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

As I type this, I am nibbling on a bit of "Oregon Brittle" - basically hazelnut brittle that I purchased on the Coast. It's delicious and crunchy with a savory tang that is both surprising and satisfying. I have been reflecting for the last few days on what I made this weekend - macarons! Yes, I did it! I finally made French macarons!

French macarons are pretty unique - they are almond-meringue sandwich cookies - usually intricately flavoured and brightly coloured. They are something I have always wanted to make - but it's never been high on my priority list. Let's face it - from what I have heard, they sound like a real pain to make and I have read so many disaster stories from other brave bakers. But after making a batch of ice cream, I had egg whites to use, so....why not?

I used a basic recipe & tutorial taken from Bakerella. If you are inspired to make macarons, I would highly recommend her method and explanation. It was very helpful and informative and I appreciated having a little bit of hand-holding through this first run.

Macarons are only made from four ingredients - ground almonds, icing sugar, egg whites and regular sugar. After beating the egg whites and sugar (regular granulated) to stiff peaks, fold in the almond flour and icing sugar to the desired consistency (thick but slightly runny). Pipe onto a cookie sheet and let sit for half an hour. This sitting turned out to be a crucial step as it creates that shiny and seemingly hard shell - the distinctive macaron pieds, or feet, rise and lift the top shell. It's quite magical actually - it seems to happen in a blink of an eye. One moment the batter are shiny disks on the sheet, and then suddenly *poof* they rise!

Looking back, it wasn't that difficult. Really, it wasn't. But I was stressed. I kept looking over Bakerella's tutorial, reading and re-reading to make sure that I had not missed a word, and I don't believe I did - and they turned out great! That being said - plain macarons are pretty boring. Subtly sweet - they tasted a lot better with some chocolate ganache in the middle. Then again, there is that giant tin of matcha on my counter....

Resources:

Bakerella's FANTASTIC tutorial
Macronicity Introduction to Macarons
Dave Leb's Take on Macarons

Now. To the goods.

(macaron batter resting before baking - this creates the hard shell)

(Done! And they look perfect.)

(A rather...uneven foot. Hey, they can't all be supermodels.)

(An un-sandwiched macaron tucked beside a scoop of lemon-thyme ice cream served on top of warm stewed rhubarb. A perfect spring dessert!)

Ahh...vacation.

2010-05-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a four day trip to Portland and the Pacific Northwest Coast with a couple of friends. It was terrific trip that was fabulously cliche - lots of laughs, food, wine, and DVDs in an impossibly chic hotel downtown. I'm sure some girls, err...spoons, have done this trip when they were in their younger years but I think at the age I am at, I really appreciated the trip on another level. Perhaps it was because we weren't painfully frugral - granted, we got the hotel at a fantastic rate, but it is ALWAYS a luxury to stay in a 5-star hotel, to eat at the hippest restaurants and be driven to the restaurant in town in a 1930s classic car. Oh yeah, it was one of those trip. And it was fabulous, and I am sure I won't have another until one of us spoons gets hitched to a fork and we get to relive it all as a part of the sending-off festivities. But I have over a hundred photos to remember it by, I thought I would share some of them here.

A glorious shot of the Pacific Northwest. It's not your typical picture, especially from the parts where I am from (more mountains), but I love the bright sky, giant looming clouds (rain always imminent), and tall trees.

(above left: my dinner at Clemente's in Astoria - local halibut and seasonal veggies, above right: my fantasy for the last few months - tacos from a food truck - this one is an asada (steak), below left: a Bacon Maple Bar from Voodoo Donuts - never has the marriage of salty and sweet been so satisfyingly dirty, below right: the 222 breakfast at Kenny & Zuke's)

If you're wondering where this spoon went - Astoria and Portland! If you're in the area, please take advantage of the wonderful food culture in Oregon. I think this part of the world takes particular care and investigation into where their food comes from and process between nature and your plate. It's an...ideology, I suppose, that I have been particularly interested in and it was wonderfully refreshing to hear, see, and experience people (in the restaurant industry or not) really take ownership of what goes on your plate. After all, you only get one body - take care of it!

Shimeji

2010-04-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

I had a late start to that Saturday - the requisite "sleep-in" with a leisurely coffee and breakfast followed by catching up on some foodie TV. Note: that's not FoodTV, but 'foodie TV'. My viewing of choice is usually a combination of America's Test Kitchen, Nigella and the latest photogenic "It"-chef making his/her rounds. Eventually I scrubbed up and made my way to the grocery store to do my weekend shopping. This weekend, was a special occasion, I would be making my way to the nearest T&T Supermarket! Woo-hoo! T&T, if you're not familiar with this chain, is an Asian supermarket specializing in selling Asian groceries and produce, with a full-service Asian deli, fish market, butcher counter, bakery, etc. In short - my preferred destination on a Saturday afternoon! However, it is also the preferred destination of most people living in the vicinity. Yes, I can go at night on a weekday after work, but I like being able to spend a little time wandering the bustling aisles, picking one particular bottle of soy sauce (out of the dozens of brands offered) and waiting anxiously for my number to be called at the butcher counter.

Tip: If you're even remotely interested in getting a hunk of meat - go straight to the butcher first. Grab your number and THEN peruse the goods to pick out what you like. Better to stake your place in line than wait! Trawl the adjacent aisles during the wait to pick up any other groceries while waiting for "your moment". And it truly is "your moment" - the other shoppers eye you jealously while you walk up and down the case pointing and selecting the choice cuts of meat and receiving the undivided attention of the butcher. Ahhhh....it's a great time while it lasts.

Anyway! As I scoured the produce section with my list, some small bundles caught my eye - shimeji mushrooms! These earthy beauties are offered in two colours or types - buna (brown) or bunapi (white). These are also called Beech or Clamshell mushrooms. I promptly picked up a package of each.

(beautiful, aren't they? Almost other-worldly...)

I returned home, itching to open and use my purchases. The meat was put in the fridge, the pantry bottles put away, produce out on the counter baskets, and then - the shimeji...the best for last. I opened up the plastic packaging and a plume of scent hit my olfactory senses. The smell was unlike anything I had ever experienced - it was musky, earthy, and almost...wine-y. I couldn't wait to put them to use! I was inspired by a recipe on the momofuku-for-2 website - my foodie counterpart had made a dish with butter and miso. What a terrific combination with mushrooms!

Shimeji Mushrooms with Peas

1 head of Shimeji Mushrooms

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons miso (lighter the better)

1/4 cup broth or water

1 teaspoon soy sauce

sesame oil

1/2 cup peas

salt & pepper

scallions for garnish (optional)

Gently clean the mushrooms - dust off any dirt and cut off the base root to roughly separate the mushroom stems.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the garlic, cook until softened.

Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-5 min until they have softened. Add salt and pepper (pinch or generous grind of each)

Add the miso first and then the water or broth. Gently dissolve or mix the miso into the liquid, careful not to disturb the mushrooms too much. Let the miso broth bubble for a few minutes.

Add the peas - cook until tender.

Add the soy sauce and stir gently. Dab a few drops of sesame oil and mix.

Remove skillet from heat and plate - top with scallions.

(Suuuurved up with a side of sticky rice! Boo-yeah! And yes, I used more than 1/2 cup of peas....so I like peas!!)

Cake and Ice Cream

2010-04-19T00:09:00.001-07:00

What a classic combination!
Seriously - everything is better, a la mode! I can just see it now...prime rib with a scoop of horseradish/butter frozen souffle...mmmmm... I bet that would taste amazing. Just imagine gently gliding that scoop of condiment over a hot slice of beef, watching the frozen quenelle slowly meeting (or meating, hee hee) it's fate as it sinks into every tender, pink-red pore.

But let's go back to the sweet side of this combination.

I spent a few days in la belle province last fall and partook in a cooking class, en francais! We made a potage, veal steaks with mashed potatoes and a delicious apple cake soaked in syrup. Maple syrup. You all know how I feel about maple, right? Hahaha - this cake didn't disappoint! Small individual ramekins filled with apple-flavoured cake soaked in a deadly maple syrup. Served warm. With a scoop of ice cream. Nothing better on a cold day.

I bring to you, "Renverse de pommes rouges a l'erable" (accent markings missing on a few of the letters, my apologies) from Ateliers et Saveurs. If you're in Vieux Montreal, I highly recommend a visit!

100g salted butter
100g sugar
100g flour
50g almond meal/finely ground almonds
10g baking powder
2 eggs
1 apple, diced in small cubes
2 tablespoons applesauce

250ml (1 cup) water
100g sugar
25ml maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 400F

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, followed by the applesauce and then the dry ingredients.
Gently fold in the apples.

Divide the batter among ramekins - I use about 8, but they specified 4.
Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20-25 min.
(the recipe 'says' 8-10 min, but it took A LOT longer, and during the class, I could tell it took much longer than 8-10 minutes)

To prepare the syrup:
In a saucepan - heat the water, syrup, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has reduced a bit (I couldn't tell what the recipe said, I let it boil for a solid 15 min or so).

CAREFULLY ladle syrup over the cakes. If you're having difficulties getting the syrup to 'soak' right away, take a skewer and pierce a few holes to get it started.

Serve warm with a generous scoop of ice cream.
(in this case, a scoop of lemon thyme ice cream)

Goma Ice Cream with Kinako

2010-04-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Quick update:

Not the sexiest photo, I know - but it's got some interesting dimension! Kinako is toasted soy bean flour. I haven't done enough research on whether or not it's the flour that is toasted or the soy bean before grinding. Anyway - it's delicious! Like a mild peanut butter for those not familiar with the taste.

Sandwich Saturday

2010-04-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

I had a really mellow this weekend. It helped that the weather in this corner of the world was spectacular - a beautiful spring break. The sun was shining, but it was still rather cool and I wore a vest over my sweatshirt while wandering around my neighborhood. One perk that results from the seasonal change is the different types of produce available. Hooray for fruit! I scored some Alphonso mangoes for a pretty decent price - I've been having one every morning for the last week or so and I get quite a few envious looks around the workplace watercooler as I prepare my breakfast. It's such a fantastic way to star the day and they are so easy to eat! I was also tempted to buy a bunch of well-priced asparagus, but...err...wasn't too keen on the after-effects of eating asparagus. I am definitely a part of the population that suffers from that peculiar side effect of eating asparagus. Too bad, because I really like asparagus!

Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand - I was digging around my fridge and trying to find something to eat for a post-gym snack. I had leftover chicken and scallions = chicken salad it is!
Note: I love onions. Seriously - if they didn't cause such stinky breath I would eat onions ALL DAY. I can never leave a grocery store without grabbing a bunch of scallions.

Here is my rough recipe for chicken salad:

Take a medium bowl and mix together = chopped up chicken (breast, leg, whatever), scallions (I put three, for the more moderate - maybe just one, hee hee), 1 rib of celery finely chopped, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 cloves of pressed garlic (passed through a garlic press), salt and pepper to taste. Mix well - add more mayonnaise if you prefer. I would also recommend 1/2 an avocado finely chopped.

I was thinking up of sandwich pairings and like ice cream, the possibilities are endless! It really depends on your taste. For this spring day, I chose sliced apples, avocado, and lettuce. The apples added a beautiful crunch and sweetness to each bite and I would highly recommend it! The next day, I did Laughing Cow cheese, apples, and toasted almond slices on top of baguette.

Oh yeah. A spoon can dream. And make it into reality! Unfortunately, I was too hungry to take snaps of the baguette-wich, so you'll have to make do with the Saturday meal. And yes, my sandwich is held together by generic "whole wheat" bread. Others have vices like Twinkies or french fries - mine? Dirty, generic, not-enriched bread.

It goes without saying that I can't wait for summer - BBQ time!

More Matcha

2010-04-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Round two! *ding, ding*

Time to bring out the matcha again! Actually, to be honest, it was still sitting on my counter after making ice cream. I asked my Toronto cookie pal if he would be nice enough to host a friend (dropped birthday cake) for a couple of nights while she was in town. He graciously obliged and we (dropped cake friend) were busy making cookies to make up for her stay.

I opted with blondies and Matcha shortbread! Oh, I love shortbread. It's a sinful treat that I usually indulge in during the holidays, but sometimes....on a cold, rainy day - there is nothing more satisfying than a crumbly piece of buttery, buttery goodness. Oh....butter. It's also a fantastic cookie to ship as well. Yes, it's kind of gross when you think about it - a standing box of buttery cookies - but think about it, it doesn't go stale, doesn't become chewy - the flavours actually tend to mellow out and it hardens up a bit, which makes it perfect for a long-haul trip! The blondies (or brownies) are also perfect for travelling - keep them tightly wrapped and they'll stay chewy and dense for a while (if they're not eaten first!).

This recipe is another one from an old Martha holiday issue, but interesting enough, I was never interested in trying it. Matcha fear rears its ugly head, I suppose. In the recipe photo, the cookies are artfully cut out using leaf cookie cutters. Unfortunately, the only leaf cookie cutter I have is a maple leaf, and I don't think it would be particularly appropriate for this recipe. I did want to stay with the theme and do a leaf cut-out, so I cut the leaf shapes by hand and scored veins on top. The veins looked a little haphazardly done, but after baking, they actually 'puffed' out quite nicely! I think they look rather artistic, actually!

Recipe c/o Martha Stewart

Oh lord. I just spotted on the recipe that it's from 2001. Wow. Took me nearly 10 years to evolve my taste to work up the gusto to make this recipe, hahaha.

Black and White?

2010-04-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

Actually, I like sepia more.

Is this photo in black and white?

It was actually taken in colour! This, my friends - is the glory of goma ice cream, or black sesame ice cream. I had lunch with a friend recently and we shared a serving of goma ice cream with kinako (toasted soy bean flour) sprinkled on top. Amazing. Actually, it was a revelation. Clearly, it affected me because I could not stop thinking about it until I could replicate it at home. The flavour, is a bit more pronounced than the restaurant original, but the colour is no where close. The restaurant ice cream was black. Inky, dark, opaque black. Even with food colouring, I couldn't get close. Well, I suppose if I had emptied the entire container of food colouring, maybe, but that's a little too artificial for me. But I am very happy with the results, even though the colour isn't exactly what I had hoped it would be.

There are a lot of goma recipes out there, but none of them have pictures of the dark ice cream I sampled last week. Oh well - it must be food colouring, then. In contrast to some of the recipes out there, I used a 'black sesame drink' powder as well as ground black sesame. The 'black sesame drink' powder definitely thickened the custard quite a bit and was a good base to work from. Maybe I like my goma ice cream strong, but I added a LOT more ground goma than what is 'recommended'. I put in a good...1/4 to 1/3 cup - but it's really to taste, I suppose.

If you're a fan of black sesame like myself, give this recipe a try!

Goma Ice Cream
(makes a approximately 1L)

2 cups light cream (18%)
1 cup half&half (10%)
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 packet black sesame drink powder
1/2 cup black sesame powder (ground black sesame)

Heat up creams and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan until thoroughly 'scalded' - or until it reaches about 165-170F on an instant-read thermometer. Basically, heat it until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is RIGHT BEFORE boiling point. Turn off heat.

Take about 1/2 cup of the mixture and dissolve the drink powder. Let stand for about 1 minute before adding this back into the saucepan, whisk the mixture well to incorporate the drink powder mixture.

While the cream is heating up, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar (1/4 cup) until the yolks have thickened and lightened (about 1 minute by hand). Add in about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to temper the eggs. Add in the yolk mixture to the cream.

Heat the cream back up to about 180-185F, also just under boiling. While the cream is heating up, add in the ground sesame powder until the desired flavour has been reached. When the mixture has reached the optimal temperature, strain the custard into a bowl set in an ice bath.
Alternatively, let the mixture cool a bit (about an hour or so) and let chill.

In order for the ice cream to 'form' properly, the mixture MUST BE completely chilled! Either work with the ice bath until it has been chilled, or let it hang out in the fridge overnight. Once it has been chilled, follow the ice cream maker's instructions to prepare.

Kinako topping optional ;P

My Ice Cream Maker Survived a Near Death Experience

2010-04-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

I picked up the phone and shakily dialed the number that I have dialed so many times before. It rang a couple of times before a familiar voice greeted me. I asked for J right away.
"Hello, J speaking"
"I THINK I KILLED MY ICE CREAM MAKER!!"
"*laughter* What??"
"I THINK I KILLED MY ICE CREAM MAKER!!"
"*more laughter* How??"
"I was making ice cream, and I put the ice cream maker in another room because it makes such a racket... And I was jamming to some really good music and I like, forgot about it for an HOUR! And now the machine's really hot and it's not turning on, and there's a smell..and....and..."
"Well...you do make a LOT of ice cream."
"But I wasn't ready to say good-bye!!"

Long story short - after I hung up, I plugged it in and all was good. Unfortunately, I didn't chill the bowl long enough and will have to wait until tomorrow to test out the goma ice cream. I did managed to churn out one batch before, errr...the incident. All is good! I'm back in business! Thanks to J for coaxing me back for the edge and to the store for offering me a good deal on a replacement. I really was about to jump in my car to pick it up. But I thought I would give it one last shot, and luckily - it worked!

I'm not afraid to admit that I was close to tears.

So many good times, and so much excellent ice cream - I wasn't ready to end the dream. Next time I'll have to set up an egg timer to remind me to check!

Recipe Link

2010-03-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

Totally forgot to include the link for the Sticky Lemon Buns recipe.

It's supposed to be crap weather this weekend. Get some lemons and make some buns!

I also just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who reads this blog! I know not all of you comment - thank you to those who do! Whether you comment or not, I really appreciate all the feedback I've gotten - you are the reason I push myself to bake and publish! These photos didn't improve just magically, ya know.... I had to have all that practice for a reason.

I'm going to try and step up my game a bit and introduce a recurring weekly post featuring quick meal ideas. I can't guarantee the best writing or photos - but hey, I'm a hungry spoon and the spoon's gotta...err...scoop? I also don't have the advantage of a fork to hold my camera for me, hee hee.

Anyway - watch this space...for whatever reason - thank you!

It's raining outside...but not in my kitchen!

2010-03-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

I did manage to get a spot of baking done on the weekend, and managed to get some great snaps of the feature ingredient of the featured recipe. One of my favourite website I visit daily (actually, make that multiple visit a day!) is the Apartment Therapy - The Kitchn offshoot site. The Apartment Therapy website is a great place for inspiration, aspiring designers, and people who love to look at beautiful spaces.

Anyway - last week, "the recipe" that captured attention was for Lemon Sticky Buns. Say it with me now, "Lemon Sticky Buns"...mmm... I can't help but put my Southern twang on it. I wasn't the only one who fell victim of lust-at-first-sight - they gratuitously included the "money shot" on three different subsequent posts. So I had to give it a shot!

It's a yeast-based dough that requires a little bit of work. What does that mean? There's a good chunk of waiting around time and you're going to use your hands. The waiting around time, no problem - the elbow grease? My specialty. I really do enjoy kneading by hand - yes, it is very easy to stick it into the mixer to do all the work, but it's so satisfying to work the dough by hand. The methodic turning and pushing can be very grounding...it's just nice to work with your hands after a week on a keyboard. As per the recipe title, it involves a lot of lemons. Gosh, probably 5 or 6? A combination of lots of zest and maybe the juice of 2 or 3.

Here are a few more zest shots for you. I couldn't resist. Look at the pores on the zest - I can't imagine my life without macro now.

(left: Mmmmm....lemon zest. right: A little shameless product placement. Epicurean boards, are you reading? I loooove yoooooou.

So after the dough has risen and is patted out, you have to apply a paste, the lemon filling. I took the recipe too literally and added the juice of half a lemon. A very, very juicy lemon. I really should have held back a little. The filling wound up being rather watery. If you make this recipe, go easy on the juice and hold off when the filling is thick but spreadable - like really, really warm and runny jam. Mine was like really, really, really warm and watery jam. As a result, my buns weren't so lemon-y. Still good though!

I've included a few before and after shots of the rising process. It's really amazing to see how these buns puff up - ah, the magic of yeast!

(upper left: Ready for the second rise - evenly spaced out. upper right: After an hour of rising time, covered with a towel. Be mindful of spacing! lower left & right: Post-baking - check out those flecks of zest!)

So would I make them again. Mmmm...probably not. I'm glad I made them - but I'm not sure I'm a big fan of cinnamon-roll type pastries. It's a little too dense for my liking. Then again, I take full responsibility if I made them too heavy. I will, however, always stop in my tracks for a Solly's chocolate babka bun (it's a tight, thin-layered 'chocolate' cinnamon bun. Microwave it for 20 seconds and it's perfection.) - oooh...maybe I'll have to give that a try.

Until then!

Mmmm...Matcha!

2010-03-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about photographing ice cream is that in the right light, you can capture every last ripple, every ice crystal, and every fleck of mix-in. Yum. I had decent light - a little too much shadow for my liking, but hey - not everyone can have a studio in their house!

Featured today: Green Tea and Red Bean Ice Cream!

The last time I made green tea ice cream, I bought waaaaaaay too much matcha powder (finely milled tea) and now have a large canister of it in my pantry. I discovered, unfortunately, that the matcha powder is much too strong for my taste. Even half a teaspoon dissipated in almost two cups of water gave me a headache! I like the toasted rice kind of tea anyway :) So now the canister gets taken out...never. But a colleague invited some others from the workplace for hot pot and I thought I would bring some homemade ice cream! I also had some red bean paste leftover from the dim sum experimentation so I decided to whip up some ice cream as well.

I think I've posted a recipe for the base that I use for ice cream. Same thing here - whisk in enough matcha powder to taste! Here's the thing about matcha powder, and green tea in general. It needs a lot of whisking. A LOT. That's why they have those fancy bamboo whisks! I get it now! No matter how hard I tried, there were always flecks of powder floating around. Multiple passes through a sieve didn't do the trick either, but when the ice cream churns the flecks just...fade. It's magical.

The red bean was good - however because there were already beans in the paste (and I added it in before straining the custard base) it was a little on the grainy side. I think next time if I attempt this recipe, I'll probably boil up azuki beans and puree to make a syrup to integrate into the base instead of the paste. I think the paste added too much sugar to the ice cream which contributed to it being not as creamy.

Both went over well with the guests! It was difficult trying to explain to some guests how ice cream is made, while trying to scoop, yet keeping an ear and eye on the Wii Mario Adventureland game happening in the background (I had to forfeit my controller for a round or two - my coins!!). But it's really not that difficult! If you have the opportunity to get an ice cream maker (and if you like ice cream) I would highly encourage you to give the process a try! I have seen old-school hand crank machines at thrift shops for less than $10. Don't be afraid of the hand-crank - it's the same principle as a modern chill 'n churn, except you have to turn the crank for about 20 minutes. Make it a party and split up the work!

Compost Brownies

2010-03-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've heard a lot of people discussing the effects that Daylight Savings Time has had on their schedule - mostly negative. Actually, ALL negative. Myself? I wasted too many minutes watching 27 Dresses and wound up sleeping in. I had a full day on Sunday, went to bed at a decent time and woke up and felt as though nothing had changed.

One lovely thing about the hour-ahead business is that we are blessed with a little more light! Light! Sweet, sweet daylight! As I walked to my regular bus stop after work, I was bathed in the glow of early-evening light. And it felt too early. I almost felt guilty about leaving work - it was still light out! Should I have stayed another 20 or 30 minutes or so! But like I wrote, "almost" felt guilty. In a couple of months, I'll be leaving work in the blazing sunshine, anyway. My bus arrived relatively quickly and I was home before I knew it - at an earlier time than I had ever expected to be home. One awesome upside to this was that I got to retake the photos for this post. I was thoroughly disappointed with the quality of snaps I took last night and I relished have a little bit of wonderful daylight to show off my latest creations.

It really does make a difference!

(let there be light!)

Back to the brownies. Same recipe as the blondies in an earlier post but with an added twist. Another Momofuku spinoff is the "Compost Cookie" - a baked good that includes everything including the kitchen sink! Traditional cookie mixins are a must, as well as your favourite salty nibbles (pretzels, goldfish, whatever!)...rumor also has it that coffee grounds are an ingredient as well! I omitted the coffee and the salty bits but included whatever I could find in my pantry - coconut, dried cherries, white chocolate chips, and almonds. Ahh...I should have added some cereal if I had any left. Good cereal that is. I don't think my taste testers would enjoy eating a cookie with half a Weetabix protruding from it1

The MMFK recipe includes a nice balance of salty and sweet. I think there is a real movement in the baking community to push people to not be so afraid of salt. Yes, in moderation - but salt has a role in enhancing savory AND sweet foods. Ummm, sea salt caramels? Yes please! (the best all time I've ever had - from Jenn Stone's now defunct JS Bon Bons. I miss them.) So next time - don't be stingy and go for a three-finger grab of that NaCl!

Smells like the morning after.

2010-03-07T22:21:00.001-08:00

I attempted to make 'beer' cookies this weekend.

Let me tell you a little backstory on this one. As a kid, my family and I would go on these organized charter bus tours...that were...umm...ethnically-friendly. That's all I'm going to say on what kind of tour group it was. But I went on a lot of these trips and all over North America too! East coast, West Coast, BC, wherever - if it was a tourist spot, I can guarantee that there was a bus tour going there. Anyway, we went on a tour that included a stop at a Molson brewery (in Vancouver? Can't be sure.) The adults sampled beer, the kids sampled ginger ale and snacked on beer cookies.

Some of the best cookies ever. Crumbly, buttery, and yeah - they tasted like beer.

I decided that this would be THE weekend to test out a replication of these cookies!

Fail.

The T&J came over for some Oscar watching and they both commented, "it tastes like scones." Well! That's not exactly the reaction I was looking for, but I had to agree. But they smelled like beer while chilling and baking - yet the beer taste was practically non-existent. I added way too much liquid as well, which resulted in me adding more flour - which probably resulted in the scone-like taste. So I'm not sure if I have to try a stronger beer, or boil it down to make some kind of syrup, but it is ON! I WILL make beer cookies! And when I do - you'll be the first to know!

Not all was lost - I was thinking of failure and added dried cherries and white chocolate chips to half the batter, so at least I have something sweet to nibble on this week.

I believe!

2010-02-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, a little melodramatic I know, but what a great day! The Olympics are over! Hahahaha!

It was capped off by an unbelievable, nail-biting, euphoric win by Team Canada over Team USA. I watched the action at home, right where I wanted to be!

Without further ado...

This week's featured recipe, as illustrated above was a Whipped Cream Cake, recipe care of The Modern Baker. Want to give it a try? Check it out here. Although the original recipe is for a layer cake, I decided to dust off my angel food cake pan (or tube pan, if you will) and give it a try in that form. It worked - but at double the cooking time! It is a really moist cake, as it is pretty much half whipped cream. So I guess it kind of turns into a pudding-cake type of baked good. But boy did it smell good. I was tempted to cut a slice while it was still warm - it was very moist with the crunchiest top (high white sugar content) but I held off until after decorating.

After making the cake, I doused it with a mixture of Frangelico and Triple Sec and sealed it in with a coating of dark chocolate and almonds.

(left: Cake in progress. right: Cake swathed in chocolate.)

After a brief chilling I coated the cake with a white chocolate ganache (previously used on coworker birthday cake) and then coated the sides with toasted almond slivers. Mmmm. Good eats.

(left: Cross-section of cake. right: An avalanche of almonds! I'd like to be trapped under that!)

I have to say the recipe worked out pretty well, it yielded a delicious, moist, and dense cake and the white chocolate ganache was thick and set very well. I'm not sure if I posted the recipe source for it, but here it is! Very good instructions and nearly fail-proof. The first time I tried it, I halved the recipe - but this time I made a 2/3 portion. I would stick to a portion as close to the original as possible, halving it created slightly mixed results (a little bit too wet), but this time I did add more white chocolate to add stiffness to the final product. Either way - like the recipe says, it turns out like butter (like buddah) and goes on nice and smooth. Do not succumb to the fear of white chocolate! She is a fickle beast, but when it's good....it's goooooood.

Blueberries 'n Cream

2010-02-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Like a bolt of lightening, it struck me. Inspiration! The latest "It" chef of the moment has to be David Chang of the Momofuku restaurant group. Chang has definitely become the hottest commodity in the New York food community, and with the publication of his cookbook - the hottest commodity in the foodie community internationally. He has been making the requisite appearances on mainstream television shows such as No Reservations and the Martha Stewart show, both discussing the evolution and theory behind his cuisine and demonstrating the true complexities of his vision.

Amateur gourmets like myself have been dissecting the Momofuku cookbook and posting their failures and successes online. One particular site is Momofuku for 2, a foodie's adventures of attempting every recipe in the cookbook. It is through reading her progress and others' that you realize the passion for food runs deep - it is the commitment of sourcing obscure ingredients and sitting and watching your egg poach for 10 hours (or something like that, it's a slooooow poached/boiled egg).

Anyway - the recipe was for Blueberries and Cream cookies from the Momofuku Milk Bar, (which can be found on the Martha site) was the subject of a recent post and caught my immediate attention while on the bus ride home. I love the idea of duplicating tastes and to mimic blueberries and cream, in a cookie no less, was for me - enlightening. This recipe was unlike your typical butter-sugar-eggs-flour-mixin combination, well...sort of I guess (all cookies have to contain some permutation of that sequence of ingredients), but it involved a more complicated step of creating a 'milk crumb' to duplicate that milky/creamy taste. Did I mention that the milk crumb also has white chocolate? Hubba hubba!

The results:

(left: Batter up! right: Milk 'n cookie? )

I think this is another case of "it tastes better than it looks!" When I heaved the tray out of the oven, I was less than impressed. "Why, they look like bland little cookies!" I exclaimed. But the outer crunch gives way to a surprisingly rich and dense interior without being too much work for the teeth. The sweetness of the milk crumb comes out well and contrasts well to the sour tang of the fruit. Dried blueberries are expensive, yo! So I bulked up to the 3/4 cup line with dried cherries, which was a nice addition. It added a bit more depth to the cookie as well as a nice residual chewiness. The true test will be tomorrow when the cookies have had a night to sit - are they going to retain that nice crunch or go right to soggy-ville? Or over-crunchy-land?

I will definitely make these cookies again, but with a different twist. I am thinking chocolate and nuts! Dark chocolate and toasted slivered almonds...mmmmm....

An Oldie, but a Goodie

2010-02-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my Kitchen Resolutions path, I decided to attempt a recipe I haven't tried before. On one hand - inspiration can come very easy, whether it's a new recipe in the latest Martha or Bon Appetit or discovering frozen blueberries in my freezer. But sometimes, it can be like pulling teeth. This occasion was somewhere in the middle - I didn't have a new recipe I wanted to attempt and I had a craving for something familiar. Like chocolate chip cookies. Or classic raisin oatmeal ones.

Last year, I took a trip with T and another friend down to Portland to check out the local food scene and shop. At Powell's ( :0...... <--- that's me with drool dripping down, haha! Powell's is an amaaaazing bookstore.) I picked up some classic and not-so-classic cookbooks that I've had my eye on. A modern-take-on-classic Chinese, a Rick Bayless (new Mexican, or should I say - nuevo Mexican?), and a Maida Heatter classic.

(I just painted my nails...I'm just showin' off the manicure a bit :P)

The recipe of choice was the Belgian Almond Cookie - a thin, crisp cookie studded with almonds. The end result I envisioned were the kind of cookies that are a medium nutty brown, with the cross-sections of almonds interspersed. Usually crisp but very delicate - almost like a thick tuile. Ya know what I'm talking about? I'm not sure if the cookie really was ever meant to be like that - for starters, I should have ground the almonds more! The recipe did as for a finely ground almond meal, but mine was visibly chunkier. But I kind of liked that - at least you knew where your cookie came from. These are kind of like fancy "slice 'n bake" cookies - but you have to make and form the dough before freezing, slicing, and then baking. One advantage is that very little dough yields quite a few cookies! (They are thin, after all!) The disadvantage? I have about 3/4 of the original log still in my freezer.

I guess that's not such a bad thing.

(A stack of cookies. I was having trouble shooting in my kitchen - the lights are NOT forgiving, and it was night so....I had to make do with partially shading the shot with my hand. Not recommended. Must get some vellum to soften the light.)

Sticky Rice Wrapping How-To

2010-01-31T21:53:00.001-08:00

Mmmm...look at those babies. Here are some photos related to the previous post about dim sum.
We made pork dumplings as well - kudos to the gals for the awesome wrapping job! I put myself in charge of rolling out the wrappers. Look at them all lined up...so cute and ready to be fried and then gently steamed to perfection!

Had some difficulties with uploading photos in the previous post. Boo to the incompatibilities of Copy-Pasting text from Word!

(Place rice filling in the middle of the lotus leaf, on the veined side. Bring up the bottom of the leaf, where the nub is, over the rice. Gently hug the rice filling with the leaf as to compact the filling. Bring the left and then right side over, also gently compacting the filling. Roll the packet up burrito-wrap style, and place in a steamer.)

Voila!

Dim Sum Sunday

2010-01-31T21:25:00.000-08:00

A couple of Sundays ago, I had a couple of girls over for an old fashioned dim sum making party. Okay. Perhaps dim sum making parties were never really 'the' thing to do on a Saturday night, but I have a very Joy Luck Club image in my head of my grandmother having a couple of gal pals over one night to fold dumplings. Maybe in preparation of a big event? And they would giggle and talk about the latest gossip in the neighborhood and what boys they had their eye on.

So I guess some things haven't changed too much. Ha ha! I took a dim sum making course (a one-day all-day event) with Maple Pecan a couple of years ago, and since then, I have been enthralled with the the idea of making my own dim sum.

"You mean you make your own dim sum????" This is the question or reaction I get when I tell people I like to make dim sum. Or, "you can make dim sum???" Of course! It had to start somewhere, right?

I think my fascination with dim sum really started a couple of years ago when I went back to the motherland and asked the Ol' Father Spoon, "where do restaurants get their dim sum? Do they make it on premise?" (I should note that Ol' Father Spoon came from 'a restaurant family') He informed me that it's usually a mixture of making in-house and ordering. The idea of a restaurant ordering in their dim sum shocked me, yet at the same time the idea of making my own dim sum was groundbreaking.

Making. My. Own. Dim. Sum.

I had always taken the delicious steamed goodies for granted, I figure you could pick up a bag of frozen har gow (shrimp dumplings) at your local T&T, steam 'em up and be good to go. But to make your own? Wow. In the course I took, I was properly schooled. And since then, I never looked back. (Maple Pecan, on the other hand, was a trooper - enjoyed the course but prefers her dim sum already made and cooked in a steamer basket.)

One of the 'classics' - glutinous rice in lotus leaves (Sticky Rice).

Ingredients:

6 lotus leaves, soaked in hot water until soft (use half a lotus leaf if they are very large)

2 medium black mushrooms, pre-soaked, stems removed and diced

½ lb chicken breast meat, diced

1 cup BBQ pork, diced

2 Chinese sausages, diced

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon oil for frying

2 cups glutinous rice

2 teaspoons sesame oil, ½ teaspoon minced ginger, ½ teaspoon sugar

Rice prep:

Measure 2 cups of rice in a saucepan. Pour cold water over rice and wash by rubbing rice between fingers. Drain off water, pour more water on rice and rinse. Repeat until water is clear.

Add water to cover rice about ¼ to ½ inch above rice level. Cover and cook on medium heat. Bring to a boil, turn heat down when water has completely evaporated and craters can be seen. Turn heat off completely and allow rice to steam, 10-15 minutes. Fluff rice before using.

Filling prep:

Marinate diced chicken breast with ½ teaspoon minced ginger, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sugar

Assembling of Filling:

Have glutinous rice hot and other filling ingredients ready.

On medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry chicken until cooked. Add BBQ pork, Chinese sausage and add 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 2 tablespoons oyster sauce. Add to glutinous rice and mix well.

Wrapping:

Shake off excess water from lotus leaves, put a portion of rice filling in the centre (on veined side). Fold bottom of leaf up to cover rice filling. Gently but firmly, bring the two side of the leaf towards the middle and compact filling together. Roll up to enclose the contents.

Place the wrapped rice in a bamboo steamer. Wrap the remaining packets and steam for 20 minutes and serve hot.

Cake Assembly - On the Fly!

2010-01-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

A baker's best asset, other than a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, is the ability to improvise.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to think of how to rework a dessert at the "drop of a cake" (hee hee hee). But it's an important skill to have; I say "skill" on purpose - I believe that it is in part natural sense but also something that can be developed over time, with experience. Whether it's a separating buttercream or meringues that don't quite work, it's important to keep everything in check, breathe, and think. Think. "What would bring this buttercream together?" "What can I add to this ice cream to make it unforgettable?" In my case, it was "how can I pull together a birthday cake, at work, during lunch?"

I was pretty limited on time and didn't have too much in terms of pre-preparation, so I had to think of a dessert concept that I could pull together last minute, but still with amazing results. My pick? Ice cream-filled profiteroles topped with chocolate sauce.

Profiteroles (cream puffs) are super-easy to make. REALLY. They are! I know I tend to repeat that phrase quite often, but profiteroles are something anyone can do. They are also very versatile - they lend well to both savory and sweet fillings.

The quick method:

Heat 1 cup of milk and 1 stick of butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted and the liquid is just below boiling. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and stir quickly until no dry bits remain and the dough is roughly in one ball-shaped form. Take off the heat and add in 4 eggs. One at a time. The finished dough should be thick, sticky, but still pliable. Fill a pastry bag and pipe into mounds on a cookie sheet. (I used a small cookie scoop, feel free to use two spoons as well) Bake in a HOT oven (400F) for 20 minutes until puffed and golden. Reduce heat to 225F and cook a further 15 minutes until the puffs are 'dry' and sound hollow when tapped. I have cracked the door open a smidge at this step to prevent burning. One tip to prevent deflation - quickly pierce each puff on the bottom or side to further dry out the inside.

I made the puffs a day in advance, but everything else would have to be assembled day of.
The plan? Chocolate wafers would be the base for each puff and then topped with chocolate sauce. These wafer-puff-sauce mounds would then be stacked pyramid style on a plate, topped with a sparkler candle.

The results?

Not bad, eh? The chocolate sauce was cobbled together with chocolate chips (from home), cream (coffee cream @ work), honey (@work), and coffee(@work!)! I only had about 30 seconds to take pictures - the brief period of time in between taking the cake out of the freezer (they were filled with ice cream) and the presentation. The wafer base (store bought) was a great touch - they added a much needed crunch and rich chocolate flavour to each bite. Not to mention a terrific platform for the puff itself! And it made it that much easier to serve!

I should take this opportunity to mention that I did a guest post for a lovely coworker of mine on her fashion-themed blog, Being High Maintenance, Not Bitchy, (amen, sista!).

Check out my post here - and explore her blog while you're at it, it's full of great ideas and inspiration!

http://highmaintenancewoman.blogspot.com/

A Blonde Moment

2010-01-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

I was blonde for a moment. Actually - it was a pretty long moment. A moment that lasted almost 12 months. It was a great experiment, and I'm pretty sure I will go down that road again, but for the time being, I'm happy being a brunette again.

It was raining today, or I should say - it is raining today and I had a particular itch to scratch. Brownies. But I wanted to do something new (a la Kitchen Resolutions) so I dug up a recipe for blondies - the sister to the fudgy brownie. If the pastry world was like Hollywood, brownies would be Angelina Jolie and blondies would be Jennifer Aniston. The brownie is rich, luxurious, sinful, decadent, and at times, nutty. The blondie is lighter, sweeter - but is a mishmash of all different kind of nuts and chips. Cream puffs would be Jessica Simpson, of course. Light, airy, tricky to tackle at first, but SUPER-easy once you know all the shortcuts. Not to mention the gaping air pocket in the 'head' of the puff. Hee hee. I could go on forever - the chocolate chip cookie is like Paul Newman - classic, all-American, your go-to in an emergency, with a million different spinoffs and variations (see also: Jimmy Stewart, Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon). But let's get back to business, shall we?

The aforementioned blondie contained some of my pantry staples - coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans. The recipe was taken from Joy of Cooking - I found one in Martha, of course, but hers was a bit too rich for my liking (5 eggs, I think, compared to 1.5 in JoC). The recipe calls for the browning of butter, which adds to the signature toffee colour of blondies as well as an added depth of nuttiness. I think it's a technique that is underused and underrated in baking - it's so simple, yet adds a multitude of dimension in taste! Perhaps I will try a browned butter cake next time! Mmmm...with maple icing.

As with many other brownie recipes I have tried, the cooking time was tinkered around with. It really depends on what kind of brownie/blondie recipe you have and the kind of bar you prefer. For a fudgier brownie, it's alright if it comes out a bit wet, but for a cake-type of bar, go for a clean tester. I don't think a blondie lends well to being 'fudgy', so I wound up leaving it in for an additional 10 minutes. If you're nervous about too tough of a crust, tent the pan with foil.

Anyway, check out the results below.

(Mise en place...more like mise en disaster zone)

(Mmmm....blondies. Studded with coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.)

Caaaake!

2010-01-14T22:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, if you noticed in the previous post, I mentioned the "c-word". Cake. Delicious, delicious cake. By the way - the ice cream sandwiches? Other than for a bit of freezer burn, not bad! I used the Tovolo ice cream sandwich maker gadget, which worked out pretty well. It's a little complicated to explain - so maybe next time I will photo-document to explain how it worked.

So yes, I had some cake tops (levelled off cake....'tops') leftover from a project I had last week - my very first "paid-for" cake! Granted, it was for a co-worker's birthday - but it was my first paid-for cake! That wasn't paid for by a relative! Ha!

They didn't have a specific cake in mind, "something chocolate", they requested, and of course I obliged. I went with a multi-layered chocolate mousse cake enveloped (rhymes with 'developed') in a white chocolate ganache-buttercream frosting (kind of an oxymoron, I know, but I'll explain later). A pic of the goods, c/o a coworker's camera (but taken by me):

How many layers would you say that cake is? 3? 5? Does the mousse filling count as a layer? Or simply the sandwich glue that holds it all together? I didn't tell them, but this cake was booze-heavy! (say it with me "boooooze heavy!") Kahlua and Frangelico in the mousse and Amaretto keeping the cake layers nice and moist. Trust me, it makes a difference.

The only specific instruction I received was to keep the top white. I'm not the best at cake decorating, so I opted to do an all-white frost and let them decorate the rest. Oh, did I mention that this was for the Art Team? Ha ha - I knew they would appreciate a little more white space. I found a recipe for white chocolate ganache, but once I made it...it didn't really coat as nicely as hoped. I did halve the recipe - but still, the chocolate cake was so dark, the effect wasn't great. I decided do mix things up by integrating it into a moderated buttercream (butter, cream, icing sugar) and it was really, really good. Really creamy, perfect amount of sweetness and went on like a dream. I'm going to try and duplicate it in the future!

(a snippet of their fantastic decorating! I missed the candles and cutting, but managed to secure myself a slice :)

So there ends another week. And next week - another cake. I have something quite unique up my sleeve...or rather, my apron. Which would mean, I have something quite unique under my skirt? ;P

Consequences.

2010-01-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

I made ice cream sandwiches with leftover cake tops and ice cream.
I made a small mess.

Kitchen Resolutions

2010-01-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

I don't like to make New Year Resolutions - I think that if you want to make changes to your life, start now! Don't wait until the 1st of January! But I suppose it's symbolic - a new year, a fresh start; wipe the slate clean and start all over. I don't have any 'personal' resolutions to share - not because I feel particularly private, but I don't have any (I make them year round, eh?). The trips to the gym continue as planned, mental self-improvement is always on the agenda, the quest to find the perfect fork plods on - but I do have a few "Kitchen Resolutions":

1) No dirty dishes in the sink overnight and start unloading/drying more consistently.
I know I'll make exceptions for this - who wants to clean up after a party?

2) Continue daily sweep.
After the 'Infestation 2009', I brush my small kitchen tile space religiously.

3) Push the boundaries of my baking - let's try a stretch of 12 new recipes. No past repeats.

4) Buy what you will eat. Don't buy for what you might eat.

5) Unless something breaks, no new kitchen gadgets.
Exception: Kitchen Aid Food Processor...Daisy's getting a sibling!

I think that's a pretty good start. I should print this out and tape it on my fridge. Tomorrow. Heh.
I should note that as an amendment to Resolution #5 - I will still accept kitchen gadget gifts! I was gifted a lovely and heavy-duty non-stick mini Madeleine pan for Christmas! Lovely! It's definitely something I have hesitated to buy for myself in the past, but have always wanted. So hooray! Thanks to Maple Pecan for the gift, and J for the suggestion!

Instead of typical sponge Madeleines, I made hazelnut shortbread.
And it was deeelicious.
Hazelnuts are something I always have in the freezer. Unfortunately, they are unpeeled so I have to plan long in advance before using them in a recipe. They must be toasted and peeled, something that can take quite a while - not to mention potentially disastrous!
My method: pour hazelnuts in a shallow frying pan and gently toast over LOW HEAT. Shake the pan/stir nuts often to avoid spot burning. You can toss out burnt nuts, but the smell will linger for-e-ver. Once the skins have started to crack and peel, pour the nuts in a small bowl lined with a kitchen towel and start peelin' by kneading the hazelnuts in the towel. The friction caused by the hazelnuts and towel fibre should be able to take off a significant amount of peel. I like to do some by hand once they have cooled or return them to the pan for a second round of toasting.

I'm not sure if you can tell the colour difference in the two pictures. If you can - the colour difference can be attributed to two extra minutes in the oven. Granted, these little guys are small and two minutes do make quite a difference. No discernible difference in taste, though!
Once cooled, the 'top' sides were dipped in chocolate. The recipe called for 1/2 cup of ground hazelnuts and it really made an impact! Highly recommend this simple and easy recipe.

New Year, New Post

2010-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten about this blog, I swear! I did think about posting...but it's the holidays = it was very, very busy. The four units of my family were reunited for the first time in nearly a year, I helped host my workplace's Baking Exchange, workplace holiday party, I hosted my first par-tay at my bachelorette spoon rest and.... it's still December. Here are some snapshots from the month:

(below: my contributions to the Baking Exchange - traditional gingerbread cookies and peppermint-topped Millionaire Shortbread (shortbread topped with a caramel layer, then with chocolate, then with crunched up candy canes), also a picture of the goods others bought, we raised nearly $200 at the subsequent Bake Sale)

(below: Christmas dinner - I cooked and hosted the fam! Stuffing,...err...stuffed squash and to the right - roast chicken with potatoes and stuffing. In the background you can see the mountain of mashed potatoes and carrots 'n cabbage plate.)

Ringing in a New Month

2009-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is in full swing! Store displays are flashing with white, red, green and golds and the scent of baked goods and candy fill the air.

My apartment is no different - the sweet smell of gingerbread was in this air this weekend as I prepped for my holiday photo shoot. Not for me, silly - my cookies! (no, that's not some "milkshake" euphemism) I decided to do homemade holiday cards, and what could be more fitting than a cookie on the cover?

One "cover try" possibility:

Will be posting holiday baking throughout the month!

End of November Post

2009-11-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd end this month by discussing something I made at the end of last month - Marshmallow Ghouls for Halloween! I had, as usual, pretty elaborate plans for Halloween - I wanted to make macaroon candy corn, decorated sugar cookies, and these little ghosts. But as I had only a mere 4 days before Halloween (this also had to include my costume-making time), I had to pick one recipe to try out. Homemade marshmallows, other than being delicious, have major wow-factor and I thought I'd test out piping them out in different shapes.

I think I discussed in previous post on the ease of making your own 'mallows - really, it's easy! You just need a heavy and reliable saucepan and a stand mixer. You could use a hand mixer, but it would take a long time. A long, long time. The trick for piping and shaping marshmallows is to whip up the syrup so that it's really thick and strands of marshmallow are whipping around the bowl - that's when you know it's ready.

They look a little melty, and I did the chocolate super-fast, but otherwise, not bad, right?

Buttercream in a Flash!

2009-11-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

I think I'm starting to get a hang of this buttercream thing. I think it helps having different recipes to test out various methods. This time, twenty-something chocolate cupcakes were topped with strawberry buttercream, which were then topped with the previously mentioned special-for-purchase raspberries.

The cake I used was a classic dark chocolate cake that I've used for years - it's extremely reliable, light (yet rich), fluffly (yet dense), and delicious. There are definitely a lot of smudge marks on that page! It was a last-minute frosting job - the event I was going to was further away than expected and it was a last-minute decision to attend. I'm glad I did!

As a result, as soon as I got home, the butter got softened, and away we go!

Recipe?

The short form - 3 egg whites + 1 cup sugar, whisked over simmering water until the sugar was dissolved and the mixture was warm to the touch. Stick that bad boy in a mixer and whip until good 'n ready - and then gradually integrate a cup of butter and cup of jam. Yeah - not for the dieters, for sure, but it was delicious! And easy!

It does look a little....congealed, right? But even in the Martha vid - they looked kind of gloppy. I'm wondering if the jam separates the fat a bit to make it not-as-appetizing-looking.

So apart from that horrendous first buttercream, I'm 2 for 3! Let the good luck continue!

(below left: up close shot of the cupcake, below right: tray of cupcakes)

Another Sunday. Another cake. Mmmmm.

2009-11-22T23:35:00.001-08:00

(ah, will I ever format my pictures again? Maybe one day. But they actually look really decent before I do all ma fancy edging. So perhaps for quality's sake, I'll keep them....'raw'. Maybe borders?)

I let Annie know that a cake was a comin' her way - what flavour would she like? "Chocolate..." is the response I received. "But what kind of chocolate?" I replied, "there's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate orange, chocolate with coconut...!!"

"Give me direction...!" I pleaded, "I'll give you until Monday to decide."

Monday came and went with no response. :( Luckily for me, the local grocery store would make my decision for me. 2 packets of raspberries for $5! Score! Get me 4, Mothership!

The goods:

Dense chocolate cake base, doused liberally with Raspberry Marie Brizard (raspberry liquer, not as good as Chambord, though), topped with fresh raspberries and then covered in chocolate mousse. (two layers)
Cake was then covered on the sides with crumbled chocolate wafers, the top was edged with more raspberries and then ganached to within an inch of it's sweet, sweet life.

Ooh yeah.

(Top Left: It's like a wafer cobblestone. Like from a Willy Wonka dream. Top Right: "Hey, watch what you're doing with that knife!" Bottom Left: I practiced that icing writing three times on Saran Wrap (on top of a template) before doing it for real. Bottom Right: On first glance, it looks like a landslide disaster. On closer inspection - it's just the miracle of dessert.)

While nibbling on my second slice, I was asked whether or not this took me a long time. Yes and no. Yes, it took about a week from start to finish, but I had delayed this cake for a week (frozen the cake layers for the days in between). Technically it would have taken me....three days? One to make the cake. Another to do the mousse and chill. Another to assemble. But that's doing it leisurely and on a good pace. If you try and attempt to do it all in a day - forget it. You're not giving yourself enough breathing time to enjoy the process - not to mention time to do another cake in case you mess up. (I did mess up the mousse - forgot the gelatin, added it in TOO late, made the custard too watery. Start again. Thank G for Costco-quantity FRO eggs.)

But each step, really didn't take me too long. I suppose I've made enough cakes that each step can get completed fairly quickly.

But it's all avec l'amour, mon amie! Bon anniversaire!

(the Lu-monster. Her bark is far worse than her non-existent bite.)

It tasted better than it looks.

2009-11-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

It was T & J's housewarming party and I warmed their house by bringing a cake! A belated birthday cake for J, actually - this creation was a tower of crepes topped with chocolate ganache and candied hazelnuts. Yes, I'm in a candy-ing phase... kind of like this summer's ice cream blizzard.

I had been wanting to make this cake for a long time - I believe it was originally featured in Martha's January 2006 "Year of Cakes" spread. Yes, I have been holding onto this recipe for almost four years.

I'm glad I waited - I think if I had made it in 2006, it would have been a disaster. In the almost-four years since, I've really improved my cake and dessert making skills. Not to mention scheduling.

(above: view of cake in box)
Let's take a look at the pictures (unformatted again!) before we begin dissecting:

(upper left: candied hazelnuts with tails - air bubbles - reheated caramel? 'Virgin' caramel yields clear caramel? upper right: originally, I had 'x' amount of hazelnuts in the centre of the cake ONLY. However, I had a plate of caramel tail scraps, and therefore it became a nest of caramel. Bottom left: a stack of crepes. Bottom right: a cross section of the cake - with layers of strawberries and various other fillings. Funny, we ate lasagne for dinner too.)

So. Final thoughts.

The recipe called for 8" crepes. I went with 10" crepes because I would be feeding a large crowd. However, I used 10.5" - 11" pan. In retrospect, if I wanted to really duplicate the cake, I would have filled the entire pan instead of trying to make 10" crepes. All the layers were different in diameter and although it really didn't make much difference in terms of height, it just didn't look as nice. I also think making thicker crepes would have yielded a taller cake. This cake was tall, yes, but it wasn't as dramatic as I had hoped.

I used a variety of fillings - Nutella whipped cream, chocolate frosting, strawberries, hazelnuts, and icing sugar. I'm glad I used a variety of fillings - I think using the same one would have been pretty boring. Although my final results was a little...lumpy.

But like the title, it tasted better that it looked.

Two down...many more to go.

2009-11-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

(sorry, no formatted pics this post - I spent this Sunday afternoon scrubbing my kitchen down = no time!)

As I meandered the aisles of the local drugstore, I realized that the holidays were just around the corner. Well, less 'realized' and more 'hit-in-the-face' with all the seasonal chocolate already on display. Out with Halloween, in with Christmas! I admit, I do enjoy holiday chocolate - especially the novelty box sets. I am looking forward to the Loacker Advent calendar! Maybe I'll buy one for work and one for home. Hee hee....

Anyway - this past week I made two cakes, a Boston Cream and a Maple Pecan. The Boston Cream was for a coworker and I forgot to take photos - but another colleague did, so I'll have to remind myself to ask for the pics.

I didn't quite realize that the Maple Pecan birthday was quite so soon. As a result, I had to pull together a cake in an afternoon. A fully frosted and assembled three-layer cake. It was ambitious, but I knew I could do it - if I was smart. Here are the results:

The cake itself was flavoured with maple with a very generous helping of chopped pecans. It was frosted with a maple buttercream (it worked this time!). I used a different recipe for , provided by the lovely Martha Stewart. It was a lot easier than the Joy of Cooking version, although it did get a little soupy. A quick 15 min in the freezer solved that and it fluffed up nicely after that (also with the help of about 1/2 cup of icing sugar as well as a stabilizer).

I couldn't get a good pic of the finished and decorated cake, I hadn't really thought of a good concept on how to frame the shot, so here are a few of cake slices.

A few final comments.... This year for Christmas, I'm going to ask for the following:

cake decorating triangle
cake decorating turntable
cake decorating book

Cake decorating is difficult, yo!

Almost forgot - the cake was decorated with candied pecans. Very easy to do - caramelize 1 cup of sugar over medium high heat until medium-amber in colour. Gently stir in 1 cup of pecans and make sure each nut is coated. Take off the heat (if you haven't already) and CAREFULLY remove each pecan onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. They recommended two forks. I recommend a long skewer. It's less messy if you work quickly and doesn't collect as much caramel build-up. Let cool 5 min and then decorate (or eat)!

Comin' back with a vengeance!

2009-11-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

It was a busy, busy October. You could say I was thoroughly baked out. Much of it went undocumented.

Thanksgiving: Chocolate-coated shortbread tart filled with crushed blackberry-whipped cream and topped with strawberries.

(I'm particularly proud of this creation. What started as a mocha roulade turned into a tart. This is the second time a jelly roll sponge has failed me. I will conquer it! I am determined to make a buche de noel this year. At the end of the night, I was very impressed with my kitchen improvisational skills.)

Boxed cookie hurricane: Classic chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies and said maple leaf cookies.

Halloween: Marshmallow Ghouls (upcoming post)

So - you'll have to excuse my lag in posting. I had a great week in Montreal and Toronto where I ate enough foie gras for the next decade and had more drink in one week than in the last few months (which, quite frankly, isn't a lot anyway). It was terrific meeting up with old friends and catching up - it's funny what a few years of adulthood can do to a bunch of college cronies. We've got jobs and commitments now! I miss them already and am hoping to see them again soon!

But November...ohh...November. Birthday of J. Plus two of my best gal pals. Also another Toronto college crony. And a coworker. Mama mia, thas a lotta cakes.

Better get butterin'!

Maple Cookies

2009-10-12T22:25:00.001-07:00

Fall is in the air! Which means it's time for a vacation. This year I'm off to accompany and visit friends on the East coast (Montreal and Toronto) and do some serious (I'm talking suuuuuurious)
shopping. As a thank-you gift to my Toronto host, I'm sending him a box of homemade goodies. On the menu? Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate brownies, and maple cookies.

I have a special story about these maple cookies - (of course, right? Or else there wouldn't be a blog post...) I've been making these cookies for a long time - for at least a decade and they've always been a hit. A little maple frosting on top and you're good to go. Anyway, during one of my many cross-Canadian moves, I managed to lose the recipe! Oddly enough, even though it's a Martha recipe, I could not find it on the website. So after a few years of being deprived of the maple goodness, I emailed the Marthaship - begging for the recipe. "Please...." I pleaded, "I must have the recipe! I've tried and tested so many others....but they don't even come close. Not even close."

A few months go by and I receive my November 2008 MSL - and the Cookie of the Month? Maple Cookies.

Thanks, Martha.

I know, I know, it seems like a 'happy coincidence' right? But I think it was her way of sending her thanks to me - for supporting her all these years.

The often-used Maple leaf cookie cutter.

My triple-decker cooling rack. Purchased at the old workplace. Pretty pimp, right? Only a baker like me needs a triple-decker cooling rack.

I used the bronze coloured pearl lustre on the cookies. I originally wanted it to pick up on the icing detail - but I wasn't fast enough - but I think they look pretty nifty.

Won Ton Dinner with the Mothership

2009-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Mothership and I have a good cooking relationship - in my kitchen. In other words - she's a decent sous chef in my kingdom. Or queendom. Or Spoon-dom. Ha. That sounds funny. Anyway - we do particularly well when we have to do wrapping or decorating. As regular readers have seen in previous posts - she's got an excellent icing eye (and hand) and an adept dumping wrapper roller. I did the pleating, in that case. In this particular instance, however, the Mothership revealed some pretty decent won ton wrapping skills!

I had just come home from a long day at work - an end-of-day meeting had run long and I didn't even have time to turn on the TV when the Mothership was a-knockin'. She seemed disappointed that our won ton dinner night was off to a late start, but hey - what am I going to do? I quickly whipped up a filling, put the chicken stock on the hob, and away we went!

The filling? Equal parts lean and regular ground pork (1/2 lb each), 1/4 chopped water chestnuts, 1/2 lb chopped peeled shrimp, 3 minced green onions, a spoonful of cornstarch, a generous splash of rice wine and soy sauce. Salt and pepper. Oh, and some of that magic sesame oil. Gotta have the sesame oil. I'd throw in some oyster sauce if I had any.

Take some standard won ton wrappers - trace a line of water around the edges, plop a generous teaspoon of filling in the middle and wrap away. Everyone has different techniques in won ton wrapping - the Mothership employed a more traditional style whereas mine was...Italian-inspired, ha ha. They were cooked in homemade chicken stock and served, with said stock and baby bok choy. And it all took less than an hour!

Last night a cardboard-cake-base saved my life

2009-09-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well...not really. And it wasn't last night either. The long awaited pictures of H-izzo's cake! Isn't it lovely? I admit, the side frosting job was a little shoddy - but by the time I got around to frosting it, I had run out of ideas.

The "deets":
-yellow butter cake layers doused with liquer
-sandwiching layers of whipped cream and local blackberries
-topped with a dark chocolate ganache and more whipped cream

Yum.

But let me explain this whole "saving my life" story. This is a pretty small cake - probably smaller than a catalogue envelope (5" by 9"), I wanted to keep it small, but dense and full of flavour (success!). Handily, it fit on my lovely Epicurean "Handy" cutting board (picture a thin, flat, wood-composite cutting board about the size of a catalogue envelope with a 4" handle on one end - like a small rectangular pizza peel) and I had been steadily shuttling it in and out of my fridge while assembling. I had put together all the layers and had inserted a few skewers for support (wow! what a hidden lifesaver) and was JUST about to frost - when the unthinkable happened.

I dropped it. On the floor.

I think I was being too cavalier in the kitchen; whirling around my small space with cutting board in hand - when I looked away for a split second when I heard it.

*splat*

I looked down, and all I could see was the top of my cake and a ring of whipped cream around it. My heart stopped.
But it started beating again when I realized - "hey, it's still upright!" It had landed as perfectly as a dropped cake could. The impact caused some of the filling to spurt out, but otherwise, it was intact. Thanks to that cardboard base and, I suppose, the skewers.
With a shaking hand and beating heart, I quickly finished decorating the cake and let it rest in the fridge until presentation time.

There's really nothing like a cake with fresh fruit - it's so underrated! I'd be tempted to make a traditional mango cake - but I don't trust myself around ripe mangoes. They'd never make it to the cake stage.

Happy Birthday T!

2009-09-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

It was the ??th birthday of one half of my dynamic cooking buddies, T & J. This month - it was T's birthday - but I have J's ??th birthday coming up in a mere two months! That's two whole months to sketch out a cake!

I suppose it's become a bit of a tradition of mine to present my friend with a custom birthday cake for the occasion. I think in the years between school and family - we tend to overlook the tradition of presenting an actual cake! It sort of disintegrates into a birthday dessert at a restaurant or, *gasp* a birthday drink. Not that I am opposed to a birthday drink - but hey! I want to slice a cake!

I had two cake presentations this week - the H-izzo's birthday was earlier this week, so I had to schedule my week strategically so I could get both of them done. I didn't bring my camera to H-izzo's house, so I'll publish T's cake this post.

It was an unintentionally dense coconut cake baked in a round cake mold, 'filled' with sweet lemon curd and topped with seven minute frosting. Yes, it was quite an undertaking. I had no idea coconut cakes were so....rich! All the recipes I looked at contained a sinful amount of butter and eggs, so I opted for a buttermilk-style cake and added coconut and coconut milk (instead of buttermilk). It was baked in a round, Bundt-style cake mold and then I carved out a ring on the top, scooped out some cake, doused the whole thing in a Malibu-syrup, filled it with lemon, replaced the top cake ring and then frosted that mo-fo.

Good times.

Banana Bread...or is it Cake?

2009-09-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Why do they call it bread, anyway? It's not kneaded, not risen and punched down, not yeast based; nothing about 'Banana Bread' is bread! Maybe it's because it's signature shape - traditionally in loaf pans. So should it be called Banana Loaf? I prefer Banana Cake myself - I like a cake-y Banana Bread - the dense ones are too wet and the flavour of the fruit is too concentrated. I like a little more texture in my Banana Bread/Cake/Loaf - which is why it's studded with chocolate chips, toasted coconut, and pecans.

See?

This recipe made a massive amount of cake. I managed to get three decent sized portions out of it. They are relatively flatter than a traditional cake, but meh - more to go around!

Recipe notes:
-Used 5 bananas instead of 6
-Substituted cream instead of creme fraiche
-Added two generous handfuls of chocolate chips
-Added 1/3 cup of toasted coconut (pantry orphan)
-Substituted pecans for walnuts, not toasted
-Reduced oil and sugar with no noticeable difference (reduced by about 25%)