That's good because by piping your own perfect roses, you can choose your icing (can't have ready-made buttercream icing roses shipped to us!), you'll save money, and you'll have a great sense of satisfaction.
If you are struggling with your icing roses, keep in mind that this skill does take patience and some sound, cake decorating advice.
If you're feeling daunted, remember that learning how to pipe beautiful icing roses will be so worth the effort!
Consider how many cakes you see with roses. The rose's classic beauty and long time symbolism of love probably have much to do with the fact that icing roses adorn more wedding cakes, anniversary cakes, Valentine's Day cakes, and birthday cakes than any other flower.
The icing rose doesn't have to be difficult to create. Those who give up often just haven't found the right technique.
If you're like me, then you know how confusing a noisy, crowded, cake decorating class can be. By the time you arrive back home, it's easy to forget all that was packed into that small timeframe.
A class that includes a step-by-step video, something like the one linked below, would be helpful.
The icing rose is one of the few piped icing flowers that is not made on waxed paper that has been placed on the flower nail.
This is because when the icing rose is completed, it must be transferred directly onto the cake. So instead, you begin your rose with a base of icing on the flower nail. Getting the base just right can be tricky, but this is very important.
To create the base, use a parchment bag and number 12 tip. Hold the tip slightly off the surface of the nail and squeeze.
As you allow the icing to mount up, you slowly draw upward, squeezing until you have a little cone. Then you pipe your petals around the cone (as shown in the video).
Color is another important element to icing roses. Of course, the color of the roses should match the cake, but they should also be a color or shade that will allow them to be noticed. Don't let your icing roses be wall flowers!
Even a cake with a monochromatic color scheme can have roses (and other decorations) that while the same color, are a lighter or darker shade, so they are noticeable.
What about a white on white wedding cake? Highlight the roses with some iridescent coloring dust for a sparkle or a pretty pearl finish.
Most icing roses are pink, yellow, peach, red or white. Chocolate can be used to help achieve the brown and black, making it dark enough that you don't need much food coloring.
Here's a tip to help achieve red roses without the bitterness: use maraschino cherry liquid or grenadine (pomegranate juice).
After you've created your icing rose, you can bring them to life by shading with coloring dust and piping pretty green leaves.
Here are a couple more icing rose tips. For the best tasting and most beautiful icing roses, use buttercream when possible and flavor your buttercream to match your cake. Since buttercream is vulnerable to heat and humidity, keep your decorated cake in a cool and dry place until ready to serve.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Gourmets Get Ready for Induction Cooking
Get ready, a cooking revolution is at the kitchen door. What the cell phone did for the telecommunication industry, induction cooking is now doing for the food industry. While the technology has been around for decades, in recent years it has been greatly improved upon, already taking hold in Europe and Japan. There can be no doubt that magnetic induction promises to be the most attractive cooking option on the market. In this article we will discuss how induction cooking works, how it differs from electric and gas stovetops, and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the new technology.
Up until now, there have been two basic methods of cooking food. Both methods follow the same basic principles. In the chemical method, a combustible material-such as wood, coal, or gas-is burned to generate heat; while the electrical method accomplishes the same thing by running a current through a coil, or more recently, a halogen-filled bulb. (A third, oven-only option for generating heat needed for cooking is microwaving, which generates the heat within the food itself.) Magnetic induction is a completely different technology.
A crash course in basic physics explains how it works. When a conductor is placed in the presence of a changing magnetic field, electricity is produced in the conductor. The result is an electromagnet. In induction cooking, an electromagnet is placed under the cooking surface. When turned on, an alternating current runs through the electromagnet, producing a magnetic field. A large metal object on the surface will pick up the current and generate heat. Voila! Now we're cooking!
The biggest difference between induction cooking and its counterparts is where the heat is generated. Gas and electric stovetops produce heat on a burner. The heat is then transferred, more or less efficiently, to a cooking vessel and its contents. In contrast, induction cook tops generate heat in the vessel itself, while the burner stays cool. Since there is no transfer of heat from burner to pan, there is virtually no wasted heat. Studies have shown that induction cooking may be up to 90% energy efficient, compared to electric and gas cooking, which are 47% and 40% energy efficient respectively. In addition to efficiency, induction cooking is the superior choice when it comes to safety issues. Because the cooking surface stays cool (i.e. room temperature) there are no more burned hands or hot pads and there is no open flame sending potentially dangerous fumes into the air. Best of all, with the heat focused in the right place, the kitchen--and the chef--stays cool and comfortable.
But the real luxury of induction cooking-the things that sets it apart as the Porsche of cook tops-is the precision and control it gives the chef. By varying the strength of the magnetic field, the heat generated in the pot responds instantly. This means water boils in half the amount of time it takes electric and gas stoves. Low temperatures work as well as high ones-meaning you can toss out your double boiler! One experiment showed chocolate chips melting at such a low temperature they held their shape until spread with a spoon. Induction warmers are great for caterers as well, since they hold low temperatures and keep food warm better than any of the alternatives.
Unfortunately there are a couple big disadvantages to induction stoves. For the pan to conduct energy it must be magnetic-that is, it must contain iron. Therefore, cast-iron and steel pots and pans are necessary. Test your cookware by passing a magnet across the pan. If the magnet sticks, the pan will work. Some cookware, made with layers of aluminum and copper for distribution, will still work beautifully on an induction cook top, as long as the surface of the pan is steel.
The second disadvantage is unavailability. For some reason, induction cooking has been slower to take off in America than it has across the Atlantic. Therefore, it's still hard to find, and models are more expensive. (Prices start well above a thousand dollars.) However, as the market increases, look for prices to steadily fall. If you can't wait, there are several websites where you can order an induction cook top and have it delivered to your home. Installation is relatively easy.
After using an induction cook top, it's easy to imagine the day when we will look back on electric or gas ranges with the same astonishment and nostalgia as we do grandma's old wood stove.
Up until now, there have been two basic methods of cooking food. Both methods follow the same basic principles. In the chemical method, a combustible material-such as wood, coal, or gas-is burned to generate heat; while the electrical method accomplishes the same thing by running a current through a coil, or more recently, a halogen-filled bulb. (A third, oven-only option for generating heat needed for cooking is microwaving, which generates the heat within the food itself.) Magnetic induction is a completely different technology.
A crash course in basic physics explains how it works. When a conductor is placed in the presence of a changing magnetic field, electricity is produced in the conductor. The result is an electromagnet. In induction cooking, an electromagnet is placed under the cooking surface. When turned on, an alternating current runs through the electromagnet, producing a magnetic field. A large metal object on the surface will pick up the current and generate heat. Voila! Now we're cooking!
The biggest difference between induction cooking and its counterparts is where the heat is generated. Gas and electric stovetops produce heat on a burner. The heat is then transferred, more or less efficiently, to a cooking vessel and its contents. In contrast, induction cook tops generate heat in the vessel itself, while the burner stays cool. Since there is no transfer of heat from burner to pan, there is virtually no wasted heat. Studies have shown that induction cooking may be up to 90% energy efficient, compared to electric and gas cooking, which are 47% and 40% energy efficient respectively. In addition to efficiency, induction cooking is the superior choice when it comes to safety issues. Because the cooking surface stays cool (i.e. room temperature) there are no more burned hands or hot pads and there is no open flame sending potentially dangerous fumes into the air. Best of all, with the heat focused in the right place, the kitchen--and the chef--stays cool and comfortable.
But the real luxury of induction cooking-the things that sets it apart as the Porsche of cook tops-is the precision and control it gives the chef. By varying the strength of the magnetic field, the heat generated in the pot responds instantly. This means water boils in half the amount of time it takes electric and gas stoves. Low temperatures work as well as high ones-meaning you can toss out your double boiler! One experiment showed chocolate chips melting at such a low temperature they held their shape until spread with a spoon. Induction warmers are great for caterers as well, since they hold low temperatures and keep food warm better than any of the alternatives.
Unfortunately there are a couple big disadvantages to induction stoves. For the pan to conduct energy it must be magnetic-that is, it must contain iron. Therefore, cast-iron and steel pots and pans are necessary. Test your cookware by passing a magnet across the pan. If the magnet sticks, the pan will work. Some cookware, made with layers of aluminum and copper for distribution, will still work beautifully on an induction cook top, as long as the surface of the pan is steel.
The second disadvantage is unavailability. For some reason, induction cooking has been slower to take off in America than it has across the Atlantic. Therefore, it's still hard to find, and models are more expensive. (Prices start well above a thousand dollars.) However, as the market increases, look for prices to steadily fall. If you can't wait, there are several websites where you can order an induction cook top and have it delivered to your home. Installation is relatively easy.
After using an induction cook top, it's easy to imagine the day when we will look back on electric or gas ranges with the same astonishment and nostalgia as we do grandma's old wood stove.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Chocolate: Heavenly Taste In Many Forms
Chocolate comes from the cocoa plant. For hundreds of years, different cultures have used chocolate for flavoring. In addition to being a favorite food, chocolate has been used throughout history for medical purposes. While the many varieties of chocolate delacacies have continued to change throughout time, the demand for it continues to grow.
Valentine's Day is one of the biggest seasons for chocolate sales, but the industry sees a very steady increase in sales all year long. If you love chocolate as much as I do, then you really need to sample the different types offered. You will find a delicious selection of chocolates that melt in your mouth. You can sample truffles, brownies, cakes, and more. If you feel like you are addicted to chocolate, it could be due to the fact that it is known to contain antioxidants and mood enhancers.
Chocolate can be found in different versions with the most popular being milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate. It is a personal preference when it comes to the type you enjoy the most. You can find a variety of delicious truffles in colorful wrappers. Some of them even come with a delicious flavor in the middle to enjoy.
Brownies are a favorite for many people with part of the appeal being that you can get them in a variety of flavors. You can add nuts, caramel, and any other combination of items you enjoy to make the perfect brownie to satisfy your cravings. Since most everyone enjoys, chocolate, sending a gift basket of an assortment of items is always a hit. It can be fun to receive such a unique gift, especially if the sender knows what your favorite chocolate items are and includes them.
Chocolate is found in so many forms, that thousands of pounds of it are consumed by people all over the world. Most chocolate is quite inexpensive, but the volume of it sold has made it a billion dollar industry. Chocolate continues to be available in a variety of forms. It can be consumed in a solid or liquid form, giving people so many options that everyone is able to find chocolate concoctions that satisfy their obsession with chocolate. Chocolate factories are fascinating places to take a tour of. You can spend your time seeing the process from beginning to end. You can also see the care that is taken with the various ingredients to give the final chocolate products the very best tastes possible.
Valentine's Day is one of the biggest seasons for chocolate sales, but the industry sees a very steady increase in sales all year long. If you love chocolate as much as I do, then you really need to sample the different types offered. You will find a delicious selection of chocolates that melt in your mouth. You can sample truffles, brownies, cakes, and more. If you feel like you are addicted to chocolate, it could be due to the fact that it is known to contain antioxidants and mood enhancers.
Chocolate can be found in different versions with the most popular being milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate. It is a personal preference when it comes to the type you enjoy the most. You can find a variety of delicious truffles in colorful wrappers. Some of them even come with a delicious flavor in the middle to enjoy.
Brownies are a favorite for many people with part of the appeal being that you can get them in a variety of flavors. You can add nuts, caramel, and any other combination of items you enjoy to make the perfect brownie to satisfy your cravings. Since most everyone enjoys, chocolate, sending a gift basket of an assortment of items is always a hit. It can be fun to receive such a unique gift, especially if the sender knows what your favorite chocolate items are and includes them.
Chocolate is found in so many forms, that thousands of pounds of it are consumed by people all over the world. Most chocolate is quite inexpensive, but the volume of it sold has made it a billion dollar industry. Chocolate continues to be available in a variety of forms. It can be consumed in a solid or liquid form, giving people so many options that everyone is able to find chocolate concoctions that satisfy their obsession with chocolate. Chocolate factories are fascinating places to take a tour of. You can spend your time seeing the process from beginning to end. You can also see the care that is taken with the various ingredients to give the final chocolate products the very best tastes possible.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
I Love French Wine and Food - A Maconnais (Burgundy) Chardonnay
If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Maconnais area of the Burgundy region in eastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Chardonnay.
Among France's eleven wine-growing regions Burgundy ranks fourth in acreage if you include the Beaujolais region, which most people do in spite of their considerable differences. Partisans, and they are many, claim that Burgundy is really the number one or number two wine-producing region in France, if not in the world. The reviewed wine hails from the Maconnais area of southern Burgundy. This area is devoted to white wine, (about 90%), almost exclusively Chardonnay. While this area produces three times as much white wine as the other areas of Burgundy, is not very well known.
If you are visiting the Maconnais area, and you really should, make sure to stop by the village of Cluny and its medieval abbey, once the largest church in all Europe. Today the site lies in ruins, as it has been since the French Revolution, but what ruins. The site contains a horse-breeding center founded by Napoleon using stone from the abbey. You'll also want to see the Musee Ochier, a Romanesque lapidary museum. Don't forget to tour the town of Autun once called Augustodonum, city of Augustus. The original name refers to Augustus Caesar who modestly described it as "the sister and rival of Rome itself." Avoid disappointment, don't expect Rome II. But do visit Autun's Portes (Archways) and the Theatre Romain, once the largest arena in Gaul (Roman France) with room for 15,000 spectators. Every August (could that be a coincidence?) traditionally costumed locals put on a period piece. Talking about Napoleon, he and his brother studied at the local military academy, where at age nine the future Emperor first learnt French.
Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Pate en Croute de Grenouilles au Bleu de Bresse (Frog and Bresse Blue-Cheese Pie). For your second course savor Poulet de Bresse à la Creme-Trompettes de la Mort (Free-Range Bresse Chicken in Creamy Sauce with Horns of Plenty Mushrooms). Read more about Bresse chickens in our article I Love French Wine and Food - A Red Beaujolais. And as dessert indulge yourself with Ile Flottante (Floating Island, a Meringue Island in a Custard Sea.)
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC 'En Paradis' 2003 Louis Latour 12.6% about $18.50
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. This pretty wine from the Maconnais is pale yellow in color and has a beautiful nose of lemon, honey, apple, and tropical fruit. It is elegant and pleasing revealing hazelnut and fruit flavors on tasting. This wine is perfect for drinking now.
This Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel tanks and never saw the inside of an oak barrel. The Pouilly-Vinzelles is a not very well-known neighbor of the more expensive Pouilly-Fuisse. And now for the review.
My first meal was a Poulet Chasseur (Chicken Cacciatore) that I was particularly proud of. The wine was very delicate and yet not weak. Its apple flavor expressed itself well. I really liked how the wine's acid handled the meat's grease, which was relatively absent as I removed most of the skin before cooking the chicken.
The next meal was more pedestrian. It consisted of chicken legs in a soy, onion, and garlic sauce. The wine was refreshing and pleasant but fairly short.
Continuing to work my way down the food scale, the next pairing involved a baked noodle dish, a cheese-less lasagna with tomatoes, onions, peas, and chicken hamburger. The wine was appley and floral and went very well with the meal, but seemed a bit wasted.
The final meal was disappointing. It consisted of an omelet with brown mushrooms, local provolone cheese, and the fixings. The wine was pleasant but not at all special, in fact it was not particularly present.
The wine and cheese tastings were more successful than usual. The first pairing was with a soft, buttery northern Italian Bel Paese cow's milk cheese. This cheese seemed to intensify the wine's flavor. Then I tried the wine with a French Saint-Aubin, also a soft cow's milk cheese. In its presence the wine became softer.
Final verdict. I'm not sure. This wine was sometimes quite good, but I think it was too expensive. What do you expect from a Burgundy? By the way, the label's term En Paradis was not the least bit justified.
Among France's eleven wine-growing regions Burgundy ranks fourth in acreage if you include the Beaujolais region, which most people do in spite of their considerable differences. Partisans, and they are many, claim that Burgundy is really the number one or number two wine-producing region in France, if not in the world. The reviewed wine hails from the Maconnais area of southern Burgundy. This area is devoted to white wine, (about 90%), almost exclusively Chardonnay. While this area produces three times as much white wine as the other areas of Burgundy, is not very well known.
If you are visiting the Maconnais area, and you really should, make sure to stop by the village of Cluny and its medieval abbey, once the largest church in all Europe. Today the site lies in ruins, as it has been since the French Revolution, but what ruins. The site contains a horse-breeding center founded by Napoleon using stone from the abbey. You'll also want to see the Musee Ochier, a Romanesque lapidary museum. Don't forget to tour the town of Autun once called Augustodonum, city of Augustus. The original name refers to Augustus Caesar who modestly described it as "the sister and rival of Rome itself." Avoid disappointment, don't expect Rome II. But do visit Autun's Portes (Archways) and the Theatre Romain, once the largest arena in Gaul (Roman France) with room for 15,000 spectators. Every August (could that be a coincidence?) traditionally costumed locals put on a period piece. Talking about Napoleon, he and his brother studied at the local military academy, where at age nine the future Emperor first learnt French.
Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Pate en Croute de Grenouilles au Bleu de Bresse (Frog and Bresse Blue-Cheese Pie). For your second course savor Poulet de Bresse à la Creme-Trompettes de la Mort (Free-Range Bresse Chicken in Creamy Sauce with Horns of Plenty Mushrooms). Read more about Bresse chickens in our article I Love French Wine and Food - A Red Beaujolais. And as dessert indulge yourself with Ile Flottante (Floating Island, a Meringue Island in a Custard Sea.)
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC 'En Paradis' 2003 Louis Latour 12.6% about $18.50
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. This pretty wine from the Maconnais is pale yellow in color and has a beautiful nose of lemon, honey, apple, and tropical fruit. It is elegant and pleasing revealing hazelnut and fruit flavors on tasting. This wine is perfect for drinking now.
This Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel tanks and never saw the inside of an oak barrel. The Pouilly-Vinzelles is a not very well-known neighbor of the more expensive Pouilly-Fuisse. And now for the review.
My first meal was a Poulet Chasseur (Chicken Cacciatore) that I was particularly proud of. The wine was very delicate and yet not weak. Its apple flavor expressed itself well. I really liked how the wine's acid handled the meat's grease, which was relatively absent as I removed most of the skin before cooking the chicken.
The next meal was more pedestrian. It consisted of chicken legs in a soy, onion, and garlic sauce. The wine was refreshing and pleasant but fairly short.
Continuing to work my way down the food scale, the next pairing involved a baked noodle dish, a cheese-less lasagna with tomatoes, onions, peas, and chicken hamburger. The wine was appley and floral and went very well with the meal, but seemed a bit wasted.
The final meal was disappointing. It consisted of an omelet with brown mushrooms, local provolone cheese, and the fixings. The wine was pleasant but not at all special, in fact it was not particularly present.
The wine and cheese tastings were more successful than usual. The first pairing was with a soft, buttery northern Italian Bel Paese cow's milk cheese. This cheese seemed to intensify the wine's flavor. Then I tried the wine with a French Saint-Aubin, also a soft cow's milk cheese. In its presence the wine became softer.
Final verdict. I'm not sure. This wine was sometimes quite good, but I think it was too expensive. What do you expect from a Burgundy? By the way, the label's term En Paradis was not the least bit justified.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Twenty Step Recipe For The Perfect Christmas Chocolates
Is it October and you already in a panic over what to get your loved ones for Christmas? Are you looking for a way of showing them you love them that doesnt involve the usual last-minute manic Christmas shopping spree? This year Im not going to employ my usual tactic of throwing a lot of money at something shiny and plastic that no-one really wants but obviously cost a lot of money.
Instead Ive decided to give them something Ive taken the time to make. Something unexpected. Something that everyone loves. Something people rarely do. This year Im going to make my friends and family chocolate.
If you are surprised that you havent come up with this genius idea yourself and want to join me, and learn about the process of making chocolate, follow my recipe:
NB - Be sure to allow four months preparation
1) Fly to South America, the home of chocolate, and find a Cocoa bean tree.
2) Pick yourself some ripe cocoa fruits. Youll know theyre ripe because theyll be orangey-red in colour and about the size of a small pineapple.
3) Hack open the fruit and you will find the cocoa beans. Scoop these out and ferment for about a week.
4) Once fermented dry in the beans in the sun for a few days and ship them to your kitchen at home.
5) Visit the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru, trek through the Amazon rainforest and spend a few days making merry at the Rio Carnival in Brazil before flying home.
6) As soon as you have sobered up, rub in some after sun and unpack the cocoa beans that mysteriously made it through British custom checks without hindrance.
7) Consider taking up a career as a high end drug smuggler for a Columbian drug cartel.
8) Sober up.
9) Roast the Cocoa beans. You are unlikely to own a specialist roasting machine so try sticking them in the oven for 2 hours at gas mark 5.
10) Once roasted winnow the beans. This involves removing the meat or nib of the cocoa bean from the outer shell. For this Id recommend using a small pen-knife and a lot of patience.
11) Grind the winnowed beans. This will form viscous liquid called chocolate liquor. Which is nothing to do with alcohol - its just what Chocolateers call it. This liquid is the pure form of chocolate and is the base for all types of chocolate. Baking chocolate, Cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate can all be made from this base.
12) You will probably need to press this liquor in an industrial food press which will separate cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor and leave a solid disc of cocoa that can be broken down into cocoa powder. If you dont have an industrial food press you could try using a trouser press although personally Id not recommend it.
The next bit is slightly trickier.
13) Chocolate recipes are heavily guarded secrets. Remember how Willy Wonka was forced to expel his entire human workforce in favour of the Oompa Loompas? Well that was because people were stealing his recipes.
Unfortunately if you want a chocolate bar to taste exactly the same as Cadburys dairy milk you will have to don a balaclava, climb the fence on the north side of the Bourneville factory, disarm the security system, pick the lock on the door of the office marked Secret no entry, look in the third drawer of the filing cabinet and open up the file marked secret recipe for dairy milk.
Once you have procured this information return home and begin adding the ingredients to your pure chocolate.
14) Take time to add the perfect blend of cocoa butter, sugar, milk and secret ingredients to your cocoa powder base.
15) You will then have to knead the mixture for two to six days. This process is called conching and will help blend the ingredients. It is essential for making the chocolate smooth and if done well it will prevent your chocolate from having that nasty white residue that occurs when you leave a mars bar on the dashboard of your car in summer and then stick it in the fridge before eating it.
16) Taste the chocolate. Ideally this requires the services of a highly experienced chocolate master who will be able to pick out the subtle flavour changes and suggest the addition of certain ingredients to ensure the end product meets the high standards your loved ones demand. Id say that if by this point your chocolate is edible you should congratulate yourself for an admirable first effort.
17) Once happy with the taste and consistency of your chocolate you will have to administer a carefully regulated programme of tempering. This involves carefully heating and cooling the chocolate. To temper the chocolate you will need a cooking thermometer, a heat-proof bowl and saucepan of hot water.
Place the chocolate mixture in a bowl over a saucepan of hot, not boiling, water. Place the thermometer into the chocolate and heat until it reaches 43C/110F. Take off the heat and cool to 35C/95F. You are now ready to cool your chocolate.
18) Pour mixture into your carefully designed mould, place in the fridge and wait for it to cool.
19) Wrap carefully with cellophane and decorate accordingly.
20) Present the finished article to your ecstatic loved one on Christmas morning. NB be sure not to leave under the tree overnight - you will be very upset if the dog gets to it first.
Instead Ive decided to give them something Ive taken the time to make. Something unexpected. Something that everyone loves. Something people rarely do. This year Im going to make my friends and family chocolate.
If you are surprised that you havent come up with this genius idea yourself and want to join me, and learn about the process of making chocolate, follow my recipe:
NB - Be sure to allow four months preparation
1) Fly to South America, the home of chocolate, and find a Cocoa bean tree.
2) Pick yourself some ripe cocoa fruits. Youll know theyre ripe because theyll be orangey-red in colour and about the size of a small pineapple.
3) Hack open the fruit and you will find the cocoa beans. Scoop these out and ferment for about a week.
4) Once fermented dry in the beans in the sun for a few days and ship them to your kitchen at home.
5) Visit the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru, trek through the Amazon rainforest and spend a few days making merry at the Rio Carnival in Brazil before flying home.
6) As soon as you have sobered up, rub in some after sun and unpack the cocoa beans that mysteriously made it through British custom checks without hindrance.
7) Consider taking up a career as a high end drug smuggler for a Columbian drug cartel.
8) Sober up.
9) Roast the Cocoa beans. You are unlikely to own a specialist roasting machine so try sticking them in the oven for 2 hours at gas mark 5.
10) Once roasted winnow the beans. This involves removing the meat or nib of the cocoa bean from the outer shell. For this Id recommend using a small pen-knife and a lot of patience.
11) Grind the winnowed beans. This will form viscous liquid called chocolate liquor. Which is nothing to do with alcohol - its just what Chocolateers call it. This liquid is the pure form of chocolate and is the base for all types of chocolate. Baking chocolate, Cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate can all be made from this base.
12) You will probably need to press this liquor in an industrial food press which will separate cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor and leave a solid disc of cocoa that can be broken down into cocoa powder. If you dont have an industrial food press you could try using a trouser press although personally Id not recommend it.
The next bit is slightly trickier.
13) Chocolate recipes are heavily guarded secrets. Remember how Willy Wonka was forced to expel his entire human workforce in favour of the Oompa Loompas? Well that was because people were stealing his recipes.
Unfortunately if you want a chocolate bar to taste exactly the same as Cadburys dairy milk you will have to don a balaclava, climb the fence on the north side of the Bourneville factory, disarm the security system, pick the lock on the door of the office marked Secret no entry, look in the third drawer of the filing cabinet and open up the file marked secret recipe for dairy milk.
Once you have procured this information return home and begin adding the ingredients to your pure chocolate.
14) Take time to add the perfect blend of cocoa butter, sugar, milk and secret ingredients to your cocoa powder base.
15) You will then have to knead the mixture for two to six days. This process is called conching and will help blend the ingredients. It is essential for making the chocolate smooth and if done well it will prevent your chocolate from having that nasty white residue that occurs when you leave a mars bar on the dashboard of your car in summer and then stick it in the fridge before eating it.
16) Taste the chocolate. Ideally this requires the services of a highly experienced chocolate master who will be able to pick out the subtle flavour changes and suggest the addition of certain ingredients to ensure the end product meets the high standards your loved ones demand. Id say that if by this point your chocolate is edible you should congratulate yourself for an admirable first effort.
17) Once happy with the taste and consistency of your chocolate you will have to administer a carefully regulated programme of tempering. This involves carefully heating and cooling the chocolate. To temper the chocolate you will need a cooking thermometer, a heat-proof bowl and saucepan of hot water.
Place the chocolate mixture in a bowl over a saucepan of hot, not boiling, water. Place the thermometer into the chocolate and heat until it reaches 43C/110F. Take off the heat and cool to 35C/95F. You are now ready to cool your chocolate.
18) Pour mixture into your carefully designed mould, place in the fridge and wait for it to cool.
19) Wrap carefully with cellophane and decorate accordingly.
20) Present the finished article to your ecstatic loved one on Christmas morning. NB be sure not to leave under the tree overnight - you will be very upset if the dog gets to it first.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Barbecue Set - To Make The Barbecuing Experience Easy
There are a number of pieces in barbecue set. The number of pieces may be different in different sets. The normal sets of 19 pieces may have a spatula, fork, tongs, and wire brush, basting brush, knife, 4 skewers, one grill mitt and 8 corn picks. This includes all the equipments needed for grilling the chicken, meat, burgers etc.
The length of the tools may range from 18 to 20 inches. The barbecue brushes can be used for basting sauces and marinades. The wire brush is used for cleaning the barbecue grill. Long skewers come in use for the preparation of kebabs.
There are even 24 pieces barbecue set which includes all the utensils needed for cooking. These utensils may be packed in wooden or stainless steel boxes. In the 24 pieces set there may be spatula, brush, barbecue fork, 6 dinner forks, scraper, tongs, 10 inch knife, 6 skewers, 10 inch knife, basting brush and 6 steak knives. Some other sets will have multi function spatula, stainless steel salt and pepper shakers etc.
There are disposable barbecue sets also. This is a complete set in which the necessary parts will be already assembled and on unpacking it can be directly used. It will be provided with synthetic charcoal blocks with ignition fuses.
The parts of this disposable barbecue will be of recyclable type and there by reduces environment pollution. In this type there will be an outer case and heat-insulation paper wall inside it. There will be a supporting stand inside the paper wall.
The pieces of synthetic charcoal will be placed over this. The top of the outer case is covered by the grid iron. The parts of this disposable barbecue will be of recyclable type and there by serves as a good cause to Mother Nature. The parts are made of light weight material. It is very simple to use. Only the outer plastic film has to be removed and the barbecue will be ready to use.
The barbecue utensils set are also available in unique shapes having shanks and handles which resemble a tennis racket, or a baseball bat etc. There will be a carrier in the shape of miniature golf bag. The utensils are stored in this. Handling this set of utensils will resemble that of handling sports equipments. The handles will have good appearance and grip too. It is easy to store and also is portable. The dimension of this golf bag with contents will be 21 inches wide, 8 inches high and 5 inches depth.
There are also sets available with five pieces. It will have spatula with serrated blade in one side of it. There will also be a bottle opener, sauce brush, tongs and grill cleaner.
There are professional barbecue set available. It includes the normal tools and in addition there will have fork which has spot light and also thermometer which shows the 16 levels of cooking. This fork functions with four AAA size batteries. All the equipments in the set will have long handles.
The length of the tools may range from 18 to 20 inches. The barbecue brushes can be used for basting sauces and marinades. The wire brush is used for cleaning the barbecue grill. Long skewers come in use for the preparation of kebabs.
There are even 24 pieces barbecue set which includes all the utensils needed for cooking. These utensils may be packed in wooden or stainless steel boxes. In the 24 pieces set there may be spatula, brush, barbecue fork, 6 dinner forks, scraper, tongs, 10 inch knife, 6 skewers, 10 inch knife, basting brush and 6 steak knives. Some other sets will have multi function spatula, stainless steel salt and pepper shakers etc.
There are disposable barbecue sets also. This is a complete set in which the necessary parts will be already assembled and on unpacking it can be directly used. It will be provided with synthetic charcoal blocks with ignition fuses.
The parts of this disposable barbecue will be of recyclable type and there by reduces environment pollution. In this type there will be an outer case and heat-insulation paper wall inside it. There will be a supporting stand inside the paper wall.
The pieces of synthetic charcoal will be placed over this. The top of the outer case is covered by the grid iron. The parts of this disposable barbecue will be of recyclable type and there by serves as a good cause to Mother Nature. The parts are made of light weight material. It is very simple to use. Only the outer plastic film has to be removed and the barbecue will be ready to use.
The barbecue utensils set are also available in unique shapes having shanks and handles which resemble a tennis racket, or a baseball bat etc. There will be a carrier in the shape of miniature golf bag. The utensils are stored in this. Handling this set of utensils will resemble that of handling sports equipments. The handles will have good appearance and grip too. It is easy to store and also is portable. The dimension of this golf bag with contents will be 21 inches wide, 8 inches high and 5 inches depth.
There are also sets available with five pieces. It will have spatula with serrated blade in one side of it. There will also be a bottle opener, sauce brush, tongs and grill cleaner.
There are professional barbecue set available. It includes the normal tools and in addition there will have fork which has spot light and also thermometer which shows the 16 levels of cooking. This fork functions with four AAA size batteries. All the equipments in the set will have long handles.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tips For Cooking With Limited Amounts Of Sugar
Do you love sugar but have to cut back? Does your low sugar diet preclude your favorite desserts and make your food taste bland? If so, not to worry, there are ways to bake even your favorite desserts using less sugar, with or without sugar substitutes. It just requires some experimentation and a working knowledge of what sugar actually does in a recipe. Once you understand what the role of sugar is in your baking and cooking, you can make appropriate adjustments and substitutes.
In most types of cooking, sugar is only there for the flavor - the sweetening power. You can easily reduce the amount of sugar that you use in fruit compote, for instance, and you'll probably find that the fruit flavors are far more intense. Natural sugars like fructose in fruit and lactose in milk a lot of nutritional value along with the carbs and calories. Using natural sweeteners like apple juice is one way to add sweetness while cutting back on granulated sugar. Sugar substitutes are another way to add sweetness to drinks and food without adding calories or carbohydrates.
However, baking with sugar is a different story. Granulated sugar does more than sweeten baked goods. It can affect volume, moisture texture and color of the finished cakes, cookies, pies and candy. Substituting other ingredients for sugar in baked goods can cause your baked goods to fail - or at least come out far differently than you expect. If you are using sugar substitutes in baking, or trying to cut back on sugar in your baked goods, here are some tips to help you out.
Sugar substitutes work best in cold recipes, or added at the end of cooking time. Heat can destroy the sweetness of most sugar substitutes and leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
Try using sugar substitutes half and half with sugar in your baked substitutes.
Use spices and other flavor enhancers to bring out the flavor of dishes when you reduce sugar. Lemon and orange zest brings out fruit flavors. Vanilla and nut flavorings make baked goods smell buttery and sweet, which enhances the sweetness of your recipes. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice all enhance sweetness in recipes.
When you cut sugar in chocolate recipes, substitute strong, cold coffee for some of the liquid to enhance the chocolate flavor without adding additional sweetness.
Top reduced sugar baked goods with fruit or fruit spread to put the flavors right up front so that they are tasted immediately.
Sprinkle reduced sugar cakes with cinnamon and sugar substitute for the same effect.
Texture and Volume
Sugar helps cookie dough to spread during baking. Without sugar, the cookies may not spread properly. When baking cookies using sugar substitutes, flatten each cookie slightly before baking just as you would peanut butter cookies.
Intensify sweetness in a dish with fruit juice. Reduce the juice to 1/3 of its original volume by boiling it over high heat for extra sweetness.
Muffins and cupcakes cooked with lower sugar may not rise as high or achieve the round-domed top that we expect. Bake them in mini-muffin tins rather than regular size to allow them to rise higher.
Add
In most types of cooking, sugar is only there for the flavor - the sweetening power. You can easily reduce the amount of sugar that you use in fruit compote, for instance, and you'll probably find that the fruit flavors are far more intense. Natural sugars like fructose in fruit and lactose in milk a lot of nutritional value along with the carbs and calories. Using natural sweeteners like apple juice is one way to add sweetness while cutting back on granulated sugar. Sugar substitutes are another way to add sweetness to drinks and food without adding calories or carbohydrates.
However, baking with sugar is a different story. Granulated sugar does more than sweeten baked goods. It can affect volume, moisture texture and color of the finished cakes, cookies, pies and candy. Substituting other ingredients for sugar in baked goods can cause your baked goods to fail - or at least come out far differently than you expect. If you are using sugar substitutes in baking, or trying to cut back on sugar in your baked goods, here are some tips to help you out.
Sugar substitutes work best in cold recipes, or added at the end of cooking time. Heat can destroy the sweetness of most sugar substitutes and leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
Try using sugar substitutes half and half with sugar in your baked substitutes.
Use spices and other flavor enhancers to bring out the flavor of dishes when you reduce sugar. Lemon and orange zest brings out fruit flavors. Vanilla and nut flavorings make baked goods smell buttery and sweet, which enhances the sweetness of your recipes. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice all enhance sweetness in recipes.
When you cut sugar in chocolate recipes, substitute strong, cold coffee for some of the liquid to enhance the chocolate flavor without adding additional sweetness.
Top reduced sugar baked goods with fruit or fruit spread to put the flavors right up front so that they are tasted immediately.
Sprinkle reduced sugar cakes with cinnamon and sugar substitute for the same effect.
Texture and Volume
Sugar helps cookie dough to spread during baking. Without sugar, the cookies may not spread properly. When baking cookies using sugar substitutes, flatten each cookie slightly before baking just as you would peanut butter cookies.
Intensify sweetness in a dish with fruit juice. Reduce the juice to 1/3 of its original volume by boiling it over high heat for extra sweetness.
Muffins and cupcakes cooked with lower sugar may not rise as high or achieve the round-domed top that we expect. Bake them in mini-muffin tins rather than regular size to allow them to rise higher.
Add
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