A piece of cake

Passion and professionalism.  Can the two be combined?   I am very fortunate to have employment that embodies my love of teaching, food and the culinary industry. Of the many classes that I instruct, the Introduction to Cakes course can be one of the most challenging.   Many students come to culinary school with industry experience, however for many others this may be their first time in a professional kitchen.  When faced with icing a cake, this may be a stressful event for some students.  On the last day of class, the students are asked to assemble and decorate a cake in less than ten minutes.  Here’s a video of my demonstration for the class.

 

Passion and professionalism.  The goal? Put your emotional energy into trying to do something well, not into your reaction if it doesn’t go as planned.  In other words, try not to cry if a cake disaster strikes!  Does this mean I have no passion for cakes?  No, I just try to put the whole process in proper perspective.  Really, it’s a piece of cake!

Another great cartoon by JWU student Rebecca Ramey

How do you feel about cake, cake decorating, and the emotions that go along with this skill?

 

 

The Start of a Day

My parents raised us with the mantra: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man (woman) healthy, wealthy and wise.”    Well, I try to get to bed early.  Yes, I’m definitely up early.  Healthy?  Yes, I have been blessed.  Wealthy?  I am thankful everyday for the amazing good fortune of wonderful family, great friends, excellent work and a pretty decent outlook on life.  Wise? No, I’m not finished yet……there’s still plenty to learn!

I love mornings!  How does your day begin?
Here’s a fun look at the start of my day.

 

 

Let’s make Marshmallows!

Marshmallows……this homemade recipe is simple to make and so delicious!  They taste like “sweet little clouds.”

Check out my instructional video on these fun treats.

Homemade Marshmallow Recipe

Ingredients:

3 (1/4 oz.) envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

MOP (Method of Preparation):

Pour 3/4 cup cold water into bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over water (bloom).  Attach bowl to mixer and fit with whisk attachment.

In a 3-quart saucepan, boil together granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 3/4 cup water over medium-high heat.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure that the  tip of the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan.  Without stirring the sugar mixture, allow it to reach 235*F.   With mixer on low-speed, pour hot sugar mixture into gelatin in a slow steady stream.

Add vanilla to sugar/gelatin mixture.  Carefully increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Line a 13 x 9″ pan with foil.  Sift  2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar over bottom of pan.  Pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan.  Dust top with more confectioners’ sugar. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Lift mixture out of the pan, and turn out onto a cutting board.  Remove foil from underside of the marshmallow slab.  Cut marshmallow piece into 3/4″ slices, roll slices in confectioners’ sugar.  Cut strips into 3/4″ cubes.  Roll cubes in more confectioners’ sugar to coat, and separate them to prevent sticking. Shake marshmallows in a strainer to remove excess sugar.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Marshmallows, ingredients and equipment

Finished marshmallows, ready to eat!

Marshmallow recipe from Rebecca Rather in “Fine Cooking Cakes and Cupcakes” (Tauton Press, 2014)

I love cookbooks!

I love cookbooks, all kinds.  For me though, the components of a great cookbook include more than just recipes.  I want to know about the life of the author, the origin of the recipes and of course, the book needs to include plenty of quality photos!  I’m very excited to present a post by my guest blogger and colleague, Jean Moats.  As one of our Johnson & Wales University  librarians,  Jean is a great asset to the education of our students and our chefs.  I love it when Jean says ” I just got in the newest book by…….., you’ve got to take a look!”  So, I asked her to share with us the latest additions to our JWU library.

Fine French Desserts by Hubert Delorme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fine French Desserts by Hubert Delorme: This book could be considered a textbook for a cook wanting to learn how to make beautiful French desserts. The first part of the book goes over basic techniques and recipes for making the different parts of the desserts. The next section is a practical guide featuring all of the needed tools. The final section, written by French pastry chefs, includes the recipes to make these stunning creations.

 

Jenny McCoy’s Desserts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenny McCoy’s Desserts by Jenny McCoy: Most dessert books are divided up by different types of desserts such as pies, cakes, cookies and candy.  Jenny McCoy used a fresh approach with book in organizing the recipes by seasons. If you need a spring dessert for your next party, then turn to the spring section for a lovely Blueberry-Almond Cream Tart. The recipes are easy to follow with clear instructions. McCoy includes not only desserts but also seasonally themed drinks.

 

Mast Brothers Chocolate: A Family Cookbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mast Brothers Chocolate: A Family Cookbook by Rick Mast and Michael Mast: Winner of the IACP in the Single Subject Category.  Rick and Michael Mast started  craft chocolate factory in Brooklyn  in order to produce handcrafted chocolate.  They seek to make the chocolate using best ingredients from small producers. This book includes the story of their journey along with delicious recipes.

 

Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino: Desserts in Italy are more than just cannoli and gelato.  Rosetta Costantino brings us the desserts of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Sicily, all regions in southern Italy.  Rich delicious desserts fill the pages of this book. Costantino explains the regional history, symbolism and lore behind these desserts.

The Art of French Pastry by Jacquy Pfeiffer with Martha Rose Shulman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of French Pastry by Jacquy Pfeiffer with Martha Rose Shulman: Winner of the IACP in the Baking Category.  Jacquy Pfeiffer covers the fundamentals of pastry, beginning with his life working in his father’s bakery.  The book continues with recipes for classic French pastries.  Pfeiffer includes a sidebar in the many recipes where he gives more information about a particular ingredient that is used. It is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn the fundamentals of French pastries.

NOTE:  All of these editions are available from your favorite online book retailer OR, better yet, take a closer look at these great books in the library!

 

Jean Moats, Librarian, M L.S. from University of North Carolina at Greensboro; B.A. in Home Economics and Business from Otterbein College, M. Div. in Pastoral Ministry from Duke Divinity School; Prior to the library degree, Jean worked as a pastry chef in several local catering companies while earning a degree in Culinary Arts and Hotel/Restaurant Management from Central Piedmont Community College. She worked at Queens University of Charlotte in Technical Services Department while earning her degree in library science from UNC at Greensboro. Jean joined the library staff of Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte in August 2004. She is a liaison for the College of Culinary Arts. Other responsibilities include cataloging materials, staffing the reference desk, and teaching information literacy sessions.

Thank you Jean, for your dedication and your reviews of these fantastic books!

 

 

Food for thought

We commonly use food metaphors without even thinking that we are talking about……food!

“You are the apple of my eye.”

You are the apple of my eye.  I credit my daughter with this idea.  Great job Tink!

“A piece of cake.”

It’s a piece of cake….or a whole carrot cake.  Yum!

 

“Mind your P’s and Q’s.”

Mind your P’s and Q’s.  Preserve the harvest: take care of your pints and quarts. Thanks Nanny!

“That’s a real pickle.”

That’s a pickle of a problem.  “Oh, pickles!”

“Keep your eyes peeled.”

Keep your eyes peeled.  Potatoes have eyes…..are they watching you?

 

“That’s a recipe for disaster.”

A recipe for disaster.  Honestly, some of my test recipes ARE disasters!

“You are nuts!”

You are nuts!  Thank you.  I love nuts!

“That’s as easy as pie.”

That’s as easy as pie.  Really, not so easy, but so worth the work!

 

What is the origin of these phrases?  Why do we use food as metaphors for what we really want to say?  Food has always been and will always be such an integral part of our lives.  Of course we depend on food for sustenance, but it has become so much more.  Around the globe, we celebrate with food, compete with food, and show love for each other with food.  Just in our country alone, we have  everything from pig-pickings to oyster roasts, fish fry’s to apple bobbing, watermelon seed spitting tournaments to blueberry festivals, and don’t forget the ever-present “Bake Sale.”  Those examples are just some of the tame food related activities we enjoy.  Of course, there are more food events everywhere, but now we have plenty of television shows to fulfill every inkling of food curiosity we may have.  Food is everywhere.  So it makes sense for us to use food in our spoken language as well.

What is your favorite food phrase?  Do you every want to eat your words?

 

Marshmallows!

Marshmallows……this homemade recipe is simple to make and so delicious!  They taste like “sweet little clouds.”

Check out my instructional video on these fun treats.

Homemade Marshmallow Recipe

Ingredients:

3 (1/4 oz.) envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

MOP (Method of Preparation):

Pour 3/4 cup cold water into bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over water (bloom).  Attach bowl to mixer and fit with whisk attachment.

In a 3-quart saucepan, boil together granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 3/4 cup water over medium-high heat.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure that the  tip of the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan.  Without stirring the sugar mixture, allow it to reach 235*F.   With mixer on low-speed, pour hot sugar mixture into gelatin in a slow steady stream.

Add vanilla to sugar/gelatin mixture.  Carefully increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Line a 13 x 9″ pan with foil.  Sift  2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar over bottom of pan.  Pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan.  Dust top with more confectioners’ sugar. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Lift mixture out of the pan, and turn out onto a cutting board.  Remove foil from underside of the marshmallow slab.  Cut marshmallow piece into 3/4″ slices, roll slices in confectioners’ sugar.  Cut strips into 3/4″ cubes.  Roll cubes in more confectioners’ sugar to coat, and separate them to prevent sticking. Shake marshmallows in a strainer to remove excess sugar.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Marshmallows, ingredients and equipment

Finished marshmallows, ready to eat!

Marshmallow recipe from Rebecca Rather in “Fine Cooking Cakes and Cupcakes” (Tauton Press, 2014)

Gelatin ……what is it?

This image comes from a blog called The Daily Postcard. Check it out!

What is gelatin…..that ubiquitous substance that turns colored water and sugar into JELL-O!?!  Mixed with canned fruit, it serves as a staple on cafeteria buffets.  That may be the vision that most of us have, but unflavored gelatin is also used as a stabilizer in cream-based desserts (like mousse), a thickener in salad dressings and even the structure building agent in marshmallows!  (Look for a marshmallow “how-to” on my Learn page soon.)

So  really, where does gelatin come from?  The Pastry Chef’s Companion  defines gelatin as a substance derived from the bones and connective tissues of animals.  Ewwww! Really?  Yes, but don’t worry.  Gelatin is heated, filtered, purified and sterilized to make it nearly flavorless.

In the bakeshop, we use two different forms of gelatin:  powdered gelatin and sheet gelatin.  With either form, there are two crucial steps to working with gelatin:  bloom and dissolve.  First, gelatin must be bloomed in water to hydrate it.

Here are photos of the first step of working with gelatin powder and gelatin sheets: bloom.

Gelatin powder

/ Bloomed gelatin powder

For gelatin powder, add four to five times the amount of cold water to the amount of gelatin.  Let sit for about three minutes until the water is fully absorbed.

Gelatin sheets

Bloomed gelatin sheets

For gelatin sheets, submerge the sheets in cold water (no need to measure) for about three minutes until the sheets are very pliable.

For both types of gelatin, the next step would be to heat the bloomed gelatin to a working temperature of about 110*F.   Once the gelatin is melted (in the microwave, over a double boiler, or in a warm ingredient of your recipe), then it is ready to incorporate into your recipe.  Once mixed with the other ingredients and cooled, then the gelatin will create its web-like formation that gives the mixture the desired thickness or structure.

Of course, there are plenty more details about gelatin and working with this interesting substance.  Please refer to your recipe for specific instructions.

This reminds me of my childhood.

NOTE:  Jello-O contains color, flavor, sugar (or an artificial sweetener) and instant gelatin, a product that has been processed a bit differently, so it only needs boiling water to dissolve and activate its structure building properties.

For more information on gelatin, check out this site:  http://www.recipes.howstuffworks.com/j-ello.htm

A good egg!

                                         

What eggs say….by JWU student Rebecca Ramey

For bakers, these are the four major food groups: flour, sugar, fat and eggs.  The  previous baking science blog posts have already given fun facts about flour, sugar and fat, so now it’s time for eggs!

Egg shell color, does it really matter?  Marketing today tells us that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs, and therefore the consumer is charged more.  Is that really necessary?  No.  White or brown, the contents are the same, and the nutrition value is the same.  The color of the shell depends on the breed of the chicken.

Brown eggs vs. white eggs

Egg parts:  Shell, membranes, air cell, egg white (albumen), egg yolk, chalazae.

Fun facts:                                                                                                                                          1. The older the egg = the larger the air cell.  When hard-boiling eggs, it is much easier to remove the shell from an older egg than from a very fresh egg.                                                      2.  The less prominent the chalazae (the twisted egg white cord that holds the yolk in place), the older the egg.                                                                                                                             3.  Worldwide, around 1.2 trillion eggs are produced for eating every year. The average person on Earth consumes 173 eggs a year. (www.britisheggweek.co.uk)

Egg composition:                                                                                                                            76% water                                                                                                                                     12% protein                                                                                                                                  10% fat                                                                                                                                             2% sugar

Functions of eggs:  structure, aeration, emulsification, flavor, color, nutritional value.                     Structure:  adding more eggs to a product will give it a firmer texture.  Example:  fudge-style brownies have relatively low egg content.  Cake-style brownies have a higher portion of eggs in the recipe.

Aeration:  whipping egg yolks or whites within the MOP of a recipe will incorporate more air into your product.  Some products are leavened solely with the whipping of eggs (example: chiffon cakes).

Emulsification:  the lecithin in egg yolks allows fat molecules and water molecules to combine more readily.

Flavor:  eggs enrich the flavor of products, giving them a more complete flavor profile.

Color:  egg yolks give an eye-appealing rich color to baked goods.  Also, the additional protein in eggs aid in the browning of the crust of breads, rolls or cookies.

Nutritional value:  eggs are jam-packed with protein, minerals and nutrients for their relatively small size.

How do we use eggs?  fried eggs, omelets, quiche, custards, meringues, soufflés, cakes, breads, cookies, muffins…..they are everywhere!

Fried eggs:  note the difference in the size of the yolks.  These were all graded as “large.”

Over-whipped meringue:  feels like styrofoam.

Perfectly whipped soft-peak meringue.

Meringue topped tartlets

Egg custard

Check out these sites:                                                                                                                    The American Egg Board  www.aeb.org                                                                                         The Canadian Egg Council  www.eggs.ca

For a more in-depth look at eggs or just about any ingredient, explore the contents of this great book by Harold McGee.

On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, by Harold McGee

“Love and eggs are best when fresh.”  Russian proverb

Does this make me look FAT?

Another baking science lesson…….all fats are not created equal!  In the bakeshop, we use several different types of fat based on the final desired outcome of the product.  In general, we can define a fat as a lipid that is solid at room temperature, whereas an oil is a lipid that is liquid at room temperature.  Certain methods of preparation (MOP’s) require specific types of fat.  Example:  the creaming method for mixing most cookies requires a solid fat like butter (or shortening).  The blending method for making muffins requires an oil.  The rubbing method for making pie crusts needs a solid fat like lard (or butter, shortening or a combination).

Let’s look at the characteristics of a few different types of fats and oils.  Although these photos are showing brand names, I am not endorsing any of these products. Personally, I prefer to use butter in nearly all of my baking recipes, but it is important to know what products are available and the differences between them.

Butter.  There are generally two different types of butter:  sweet cream and cultured.

Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter

European Style Butter

Sweet cream butter, a mass-produced butter, is made from cream that has undergone little or no storage which results in a very mild flavor.   It is available in both salted and unsalted varieties.  European style butter is made more slowly with cream that has developed a deeper flavor and often has bacterial cultures added to it to  enhance the flavor. While sweet cream butter has an 80% fat content, European style butter has an 82 – 86% fat content.  The remaining percentages are made up with water, milk solids and minerals.

Margarine

Margarine, very similar to butter in fat content, is composed of hydrogenated vegetable oils, flavors,  and colors.  It boasts a lower saturated fat content and less cholesterol, but may also contain trans fats.  If choosing margarine for health reasons, please do your research as there are a variety of brands that are processed differently.

 

 

Butter vs. Margarine, by JWU student Rebecca Ramey

Oil. There are many varieties of oil, including corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil.  All of these oils are 100% fat and remain liquid at room temperature.  Flavor varies with the type of oil so when choosing a product to use in a baking recipe, I recommend one with a mild flavor.

All-purpose shortening

Shortening, a hydrogenated vegetable oil which makes it a solid at room temperature, has very little flavor and a waxy consistency.  All purpose shortening may be used for pie crusts, cookies, biscuits and for frying.  Shortening has an extremely long shelf life and has a higher melting point than butter. (The higher the melting point of the fat, the flakier the product will be.)

Lard, for a REALLY flaky piecrust!

Lard, rendered and purified pork (usually) fat, has a relatively high melting point that makes it perfect for flaky pastry.  Remember the picture of my blueberry pie from my first post?  That pie crust was made with lard.  Depending on the quality of the lard, some brands may be more suitable for savory dishes as they have a bit of a meaty flavor.  (This particular brand is nearly flavorless.)

Functions of fats:  Fats in recipes provide moistness (muffins), tenderness (cakes), flakiness (croissants), flavor (shortbread cookies) and extend shelf life.  Choose your fat wisely!

The following photos are of some products that rely on fat for their characteristic flavors and textures.

Tender-crisp butter pecan shortbread cookies

Palmiers, Tarte Tatin, Bande de Fruit and Sacristains- all use butter puff pastry

Butter gives these croissants their flaky layers and amazing flavor!

What’s your favorite fat for baking?  What makes it your favorite: the flavor, the mouthfeel or how it functions in your product?

.Here’s another of my favorite books!  This edition, set up like a dictionary, gives a brief history, definition or description of everything from basic ingredients to classic recipes.  This book is “must have” for your culinary bookshelf. 

 

More baking science…..sugar!

Sugar, sugar….oh, honey, honey…..(anyone else hear the Archie’s song?) Here’s the link to help you get in the mood.  http://youtu.be/h9nE2spOw_o

Another of our How Baking Works lessons focuses on sweeteners, where we examine different classes of sugars: crystalline, syrups and specialty sweeteners.  Crystalline sugars encompass everything from granulated sugar, to brown sugar and powdered sugar, as well as Demerara, Turbinado and Muscavado.  For syrups, we include corn syrup, glucose, molasses, honey and of course (my favorite!) maple syrup.  Specialty sweeteners comprise a variety of products including high intensity sweeteners (such as Splenda and Stevia), dextrose and isomalt .

Tasting demo of different sweeteners.

And yes, we taste them ALL!  You would be surprised at the different flavors that these sweeteners impart.

Pound cake experiment with varying amounts of sugar. The 100% cake is the correct one.

In addition to identification and tasting, we also conduct a few basic experiments.  One experiment explores the functions of sugar by adjusting the amount of this ingredient in a basic pound cake.  We bake a control pound cake using the correct amount of sugar (100%) and then we bake other pound cakes (the variables) using the following percentages of the correct amount:  0%, 25%, 50%, 150% and 200%.  This experiment proves some of the functions of sugar.  In addition to the obvious function of “sweetening,”  granulated sugar also:  provides tenderness, moistness, aids in leavening and provides color (caramelization).  And yes, we tasted all of these too!

Here’s a comparison of cakes made just with Splenda or Stevia, and cakes made with a 50/50 blend of sugar and one of these artificial sweeteners.

For this experiment with “high-intensity” sweeteners.  We made the pound cakes with either Splenda or Stevia, and then with a 50/50 blend of Splenda/granulated sugar or Stevia/granulated sugar.  Our findings here proved that high-intensity (or artificial) sweeteners can only provide “sweetness” to a product.  When used as the sole sugar replacement, none of the other functions existed.  Note:  no color, tenderness, moistness or leavening.  Of course, we tasted them and concluded that the blends were much more appetizing.

Cookies made with no sugar, the correct amount of sugar, and double the amount of sugar.

Another experiment explored the functions of sugars in relation to the baking of cookies.  For this project, we made cookies with 0% sugar, 100% sugar (the correct one) and 200% sugar.  You can see here how the amount of sugar affects the caramelization, texture and the spread of the cookie.  Taste?  Yes, you guessed it!  Hmm…..by this time, as you can imagine, we are all pretty tired of sweets!  (Education and learning require perseverance!)

So, did you know that sugar has functions other than sweetening?