Food Poetry : The Secret Life of Chefs 18

What is food? it is life giving, nourishing both physically, mentally and sometimes spiritually.

Working with food and creating food fosters a keen connection to not only the ingredients, but the kitchen and tools used to create it - the kitchen becomes a safe haven where both chaos and creativity are awakened - the sites, the smells, the sounds become a second skin, and you develop a sixth sense about this culinary world.

Your co-workers become a living breathing single entity, each and everyone striving for the same outcome. All dancing in a timed rhythm around the kitchen , hurrying to get your prep done, to get your major courses panned in hotel pans within the steamer or in stock pans and sauce pans upon the stove, whose many squared and blackened burners are set aflame, all movements are accomplished in a delicate balance of wits and skill.

Image Credit: ljcybergal
Here is a poem that I wrote that encompasses a brief glimpse into the chef's kitchen. I hope you enjoy.

CHEF

beyond
the
flavors,

beyond
the
prep
work

and
the
working
rhythms
of
the
kitchen...

clanking
dishes,

chopping
block,

chef
banter.

the
gleaming
stainless,

the
hot
steam
venting
from
stock
pots.

sizzling
from
the
grill...

spices
intermingle
with
pilot light
perfume...

walk-in
freezer
gives
brief
respite...

grab
your
ingredients
and
go...

open
door
blindly,

across
the
kitchen
doing
a
dance
of
100
men...

always
shifting
reinventing
a
new
way
to
carry,

to
reach ,

to
scurry,

into
the
open
arms
of
your
menus...

Poem © Amber 2008. All rights reserved.

Baking Theory Notes: Cake Baking and Ingredients 6

It all started as...
----->Bread dough enriched with butter and spices, leavened with yeast and air was whipped into the dough.

----->ca. 1837 : Baking Powder revolutionizes cake industry (allows for consistent leavening)

moist coconut cake by babe_kl

Characteristics of Cakes:

*Pound / White / Yellow

• Batter - high ratio cake (fats) , Chemical leavened.

*Angel Food

• Foam - Air leavened, uses whipped egg.

*Chiffon

• Combo of Batter & Foam - whipped eggs added to batter

Ingredients:

1. tenderizers
2. moisteners
3. flavorers

*Flours Used in Cake baking

• Mainly cake flour (7-9% protein, soft milled)
• Can use AP, Pastry,

Why Specific Protein Count needed, how it forms Gluten Structure:

1. Bleached flour (has carotenes taken out)
2. Flours are Made with Matured Wheat - if using a heavier protein percentage (i.e in bread flour etc, will cause cake structure to become dense, unstable and collapse into it's self.
3. Moisture content comes from the flour

*Sugars Used in Cake Baking

What sugar does for cakes:

1. Acts as a Sweetener
2. Extends the shelf life of the cake
3. Aides in creaming (process of whipping air into the batter)
4. Gives cake crust it's color
5. Spreading action (the process of melting during bake off)

Related Posts:

• Baking Theory Notes: Chemical Leavening, Dough Strengthener, Crumb Softeners
• Baking Theory Notes: Eggs
• Baking Theory Notes: Sweeteners
• Baking Theory Notes: Fats
• Baking Theory Notes: Wheat / Flours
• Baking Theory Notes: Salt & Yeast

Blogosphere blurb / Recipe: Pear Chocolate Belle - Helene 2

Culinary Revival --- That is what Renaissance Culinaire translates into to English. Now that my template is updated in "new" blogger, and it looks o.k I can now get down to the business of baking. After recoding the html and going through each post to label them individually, I realized that 2005 was the "golden" year of this blog. That this was a model for the blog that you readers loved so much --- and in all fairness I plan to deliver my posts in that spirit, once again. ---lets say VIVA BLOG CONTENT!

O.k I haven't a picture for this dessert... But I plan to bake it next week, so I will update the post with some assembly & finished dessert pics later.


Pear Chocolate Belle - Helene
This was adapted from an editorial in The Columbia.

Cake Ingredients:

¾ Cup butter or Margarine+ , softened
2 ½ Cups flour
1 Cup Brown Sugar+
½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
4 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate , melted
1 Egg , slightly beaten+
1 cup milk+
4 small, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut in half. (or substitute for canned halves --- drain, and pat dry w/ paper towels)

++For Vegan/ Vegetarian :

Substitute Earth Balance (( in the block form)) in place of the butter.
Use 2 oz of Extra Firm Silken Tofu in place of egg.
Soy or coconut milk can be substituted for milk.
Substitute your natural sweetener ( I.\e Turbinado) in place of sugar --- adjust accordingly, more or less depending on the sweetener.


Cake Mix Directions :Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Add flour and sugar; beat on low speed until crumbly. Remove 1/3 cup of
the butter mixture; set aside. Add baking powder, baking soda,
chocolate, egg and milk to remaining butter mixture in bowl. Stir just
until dry ingredients are moistened.

SPREAD one-third of the batter into greased 9-inch spring form pan. Place pear halves,
cut sides down, in a circular pattern over batter. Drop spoonfuls of
remaining batter over pears; spread to evenly cover pears. Sprinkle
with the reserved crumb mixture .

BAKE 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Cake Finishing:
Using a pastry brush, brush the cooled cake with *Brandy Simple Syrup. Spoon slightly cooled **Spiced Carmel sauce onto the cake, allowing the caramel to drip over sides.



*Brandy Simple syrup
2 cups water
1 cup white sugar ( Or vegan sugar)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup brandy

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan, combine water, sugar and lemon zest. Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Strain into airtight container, removing the lemon zest. Allow to cool, then cover and store in refrigerator. When ready to use, mix in brandy. Brush onto cake

*Spiced Pecan Carmel
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ nutmeg
Toasted Pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:
Put granulated sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over. Melt sugar, undisturbed, over moderate heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until a deep golden caramel. Carefully pour in cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly) and stir in nutmeg, cinnamon . Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 cups, about 10 minutes. Cool to just warm.

++Vegan Spiced Carmel Sauce:

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
½ Cup soy milk
½ Cup vegan sugar
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ tsp Cinnamon
¼ Cup water + 1 tsp water
Toasted Pecan halves

DIRECTIONS: Stir cornstarch into soy milk and set aside. Place Vegan sweetener , spices and one tablespoon water in a non-stick saucepan. Over medium heat, stirring constantly color will appear light brown, add 1/4 cup cold water, allow the syrup to come to a low boil. Reduce heat and add soy milk while stirring. Once incorporated , gradually return to boil, stirring constantly until thickened & glossy / smooth. Add vanilla and remove from heat. Add toasted Pecans. {if too thick/sweet, add additional soy milk , stirring constantly.}

Recipe: Italian Turdilli 8

I have typically generalized on this blog, spoken not too specifically, mainly I have danced around the subject of my personal life. Well for those of you readers who know a little more about me then the words that glare at you from my blog pages, those that have emailed me or had fleeting cyber conversations...You are in for a treat.

Today I will share a small glimpse into that vault of memories from my childhood. A place I keep wrapped up --- to be reviewed when sorrows over shadow my life. I breathe in the smells of wheat farmed country sides, I eye the kitchen tools and ingredients that are all too familiar --- they create the foundation of food appreciation that I have today.

Of the many cultural influences in my life, there is one tributary branching off the meandering river I call my family heritage.

This tributary is peppered with Mediterranean accents. The migration of strong, willing inhabitants across a harsh sea. There is calling from the hills, to savor seasons! Making a life, if not harvests --- there is no discrimination from vine or fowl.

My maternal great-grandparents each made their own journey to America, they shuffled through Ellis Island. Into the dirty streets of New York. In search of a place that embodied the green rolling hills they had left behind.

They eventually settled, and indeed found their rolling hills. From the descriptions I have been given their farm was something of a foodies dream --- they made their own Italian cheeses,Prosciutto,salami & Italian meats and their own wines. There were great feasts to be had.





I grew up to appreciate little jewels of Italian heritage. One of my favorite sweets are Turdillis [pronounced TOR-DEE-LL-EEs]. We would get these at the annual Italian dance and festival. They are simple , but very suitable for any palate. The wine gives them a very pleasing contrast to the honey which they are rolled in. Enjoy!

Tordilli

1. 1 cup oil
2. 1 1/4 cup white wine
3. 2 cups flour, or more depending on consistency..
4. Pinch of salt
5. dash of nutmeg & cinnamon
6. 3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
7. Plate of honey, heated for dipping

Bring oil and wine to boil, let stand for 5 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl, add flour mixed with spices. Knead well, divide dough into thirds. Pin out (roll) to 1 1/2 inch thickness, you want long strips. Cut each strip into 2 inch pieces. Fry in deep hot oil. Cool and dip in hot honey.

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