Recipes for Yeast Raised Breads 9

Here are a list of bread formulas featured on Renaissance Culinaire. These are commercial baking formulas, but have instructions on how to reduce for home use. This site will continue to be updated as more formulas are added.

Americanized Pumpernickel Bread

Wussel Bread (a form of french)

Seven Grain Bread

Recipes for Cakes and Tortes 22

Here is a list of cake & torte recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as new recipes are featured.

Black Forest Cherry Gateau

Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte

Recipes for Quick Breads 5

Here is a list of quick bread recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire

Pumpkin Crunch coffee Cake

Recipes for Vegetables 30

Here is a list of vegetable recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as more recipes are added.

Wasabi Asparagus Shitake Spring rolls

Curried Asparagus

Gruyere and Asparagus Souffle

Watermelon Gazpacho

Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa

Mango-Ginger Salsa

Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa

Recipes for Stuffing 5

Here are some stuffing recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as time goes by and new recipes are added.

Porchini Scented Stuffing w/ Cranberries

Recipes for Seafood 15

Here is a listing of recipes for seafood that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as new recipes are added.

Mango-Crab Spring rolls

Orange marinated Fish Fillets w/ Carrots

Recipes for Savory Salsas and Sauces 7

Here is a listing of all the savory salsas and sauces featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as recipes are added.

Green Tea Sesame Sauce

Sweet & Sour Chili Sauce

Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa

Mango-Ginger Salsa

Lime-Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce

Recipes for Muffins Scones and Pastries 7

Here is a list of muffin and pastry formulas that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. Some of these formulas are commercial baking formulas that can be reduced for home use. This page will continue to be updated as more recipes are added.

Thanks Darwin Bell For Use of his Photo.

Fresh Fruit Napoleons with Blackberry Curd

Banana - Rum Napoleons

Croissant with a starter

Hot Pepper Gingerbread Muffins with Orange-Maple Butter

Gulab Jamun | Indian Sweets

Pate A Choux , Éclairs & Cream Puffs revisited

Callebaut Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Scones

Crispies (Italian puff pastry based, similar tasting as American Elephant Ear)

Scratch Italian Puff Pastry

Cookie Recipes 49

Here is a list of cookie formulas I have featured on Renaissance Culinaire. Some are commercial baking formulas that can be reduced for home use. This page will continue to be updated as I add more recipes.

Espresso Shortbread by Claire Sutton

Sunflower Pops - Peanut Butter Cookies (has *Vegan / Vegitarian notes)

Tuile Cookies Curls

Short Dough Cookies

Recipe: Italian Turdilli

Authentic Scottish shortbread

Recipes for Frostings, Fillings and Icings 3

Here are variety of formulas for frostings, fillings or icings that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as recipes are added.

• Mocha Icing
• Vegan Mocha Icing
• Vegan Chocolate Ganache
• Banana Scented Marscapone
• Praline Paste
• orange white chocolate sauce
• Kirsch Scented Whipped Cream
• Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Vegan Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Meringue Mousseline buttercream.
• Heirloom Lemon curd
• Orange-Maple Butter

Vegan & Vegitarian Friendly Recipes 8

These recipes have either had vegan/vegetarian conversions or have notations on how to create vegan / vegetarian friendly versions from the recipe provided.

This page will continue to be updated as I add more recipes.

• Sassy Sunflower Cookies (Peanut Butter)
• Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa
• Pear Chocolate Belle - Helene
• Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Mocha & Chocolate Cake
• Mocha Icing
• Vegan Chocolate Ganache
• Wasabi Asparagus Shitake Spring rolls
  
• Lime-Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce
  
• Green Tea Sesame Sauce
• Banana - Rum Napoleons
• Vegan Meatballs

Sassy Sunflower Pops Cookies - Healthy & Fun 25

Baking with kids can sometimes be challenging. Creating something while keeping kids occupied or interested is no simple feat. Creating a healthier cookies is on not only on parents minds but also on the minds of many health conscience individuals. I would like to introduce you to a great website with some really fun recipes. Sure to please any kid, even that inner child of yours.

...this will
tempt anyone



with visions
of healthy
lovely treats
to decorate &
devour

I was so excited to be picked for
blogging about the Snackivate website.
It came with perks from Kellogg's company -
namely 2 full size boxes of Kellogg's
Frosted Mini Wheats used to experiment
with the recipes on the site, and a cool
little plastic gadget that you put into
the freezer (the cup has gel within the
walls of the cup,to insulate the milk and
to keep it cool),which once frozen will
hold your milk,while the top (it screws
into the bottom) holds your favorite cereal.
This is a nice little gadget for mom's or
dad's toting kids around. Or even college ,
students or teenagers on the go, in be-
ween classes, who haven't the time to
grab a decent breakfast (I think we've
all been there).

The Snacktivate website is a place for anyone looking for health conscience lot's of downloadable recipes, ranging from all different meals of the day to sweet treats, some samples are pictured above, that would be fun to make with children. There are nutrition tips and more for parents, relatives and teachers. Below is one of the featured recipes from Snackivate website.

Recipe: Sassy Sun Pops
I have added some notes on making this Veg/Vegan friendly. You will need to experiment with different ingredients to find the best formulation for Veg/Vegan style cookies using this recipe.

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 12-14 min.
Servings: 33

These cookies are baked at 350 °F for 12 - 14 min.
Materials Needed:Candy sticks, that are oven proof (you can find at your favorite craft store, i.e Micheal's)
Almonds
Flaxseed
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 cups (AP) flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine (soft) (supplement Earth's Balance stick for vegan cookies)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (if going veg/vegan there are many egg replacers out there, you may want to experiment with what works best in cookies for you - consider the extra dry ingredients by way of the cereal and try opting for something with more moisture content)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 60 frosted bite sized mini-wheats OR 60 un-frosted mini-wheats (unfrosted is the best vegan alternative due to the gelatin in the frosting) , crushed (pulse in a food processor, or put into a zip lock bag and beat w/ rolling pin)

Procedure:

1. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, Gran. Sugar, Brown sugar and mix on medium-high w/ electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat well
4. Beat in crushed cereal and flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet . While pressing down, use back of fork to make across hatch into cookie dough.
6. Add oven proof cookie sticks by pressing stick into one side of the dough of each cookie.
7. TO create sunflower: press flax seeds into the center of each cookie dough round. Press raw whole almonds into the outer edges of each round to form the petals of the sunflower design.
8. Bake at 350 °F for 12- 14 min. or until golden brown, remove baked cookies with spatula from cookie sheets immediately and let cookies cool on wire wracks.

This recipe is adapted from Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies a recipe © of Kellogg's NA Co. 2008. All Rights Reserved.


Hope you can recreate the fun time I had creating these with my 5 yr old daughter. It was a blast. She loved adding the spoons of dough to the cookie sheets and making the "sunflower" designs. Enjoy!

Recipe: Banana - Rum Napoleons 9

I am a fan of bananas, and this Banana-Rum Napoleon is a recipe to satisfy your dessert cravings, and it is low-fat to boot!

Thanks to ian_ransley for use of his photo.

I love napoleons, they work really well in a restaurant kitchen, because they are relatively easy to assemble, if you prep before hand, and the presentation looks very elegant, and your patrons or guests will think allot of time was spent
creating it.

Sweet Nothings
Low Fat
Low Calorie Desserts

This recipe is adapted from Sweet Nothings by
Jill O'Connor. It makes 10 portions.

If you aren't feeling like bananas - You can
substitute peach, nectarine, or a favorite
berry puree - and flavor
with a liqueur of your choice.

It is better to prep the pastry in
advance(up to 24hrs ahead),
to speed up the production of this dessert.
The cream filling cannot be made more than
2 hrs ahead of time if using the original recipe.

If using real cream, you must make right before serving.

For The Pastry

• 6 Sheets of phyllo dough (12 x 17 inches), thaw if frozen
• Butter flavored vegetable cooking spray.
• 6 TB granulated sugar

Tip: When working with phyllo dough - to thaw, allow the box of phyllo dough to rest out on a counter if the inside temp is relatively low, it will take 3-5 hrs for proper thaw. Otherwise put in the fridge 2-3 days ahead of time. Take out as many sheets as needed, then wrap the remaining in plastic wrap , tightly and use within 5 days. When you are working with phyllo dough it is best to have a tray to lay out the sheets, then keep totally covered, under a damp kitchen towel. If exposed to air, the moisture from the phyllo dough will be wicked out and it will become dry and brittle - which means non workable for you. So work quickly.

Procedure:

1. Preheat Oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper.
2. Place the first phyllo sheet on a clean flat work surface. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tsp of the sugar. Add a new sheet onto the previous prepared layer. Repeat as instructed above, using 3 of the 6 phyllo sheets only.
3. Cut the layered phyllo into ten 6 x 3 inch rectangles. Place rectangles on prepped baking sheet. Bake in oven until crisp and golden - 3-5 minutes. WATCH THE BAKEOFF - thin phyllo burns very quickly, so don't get distracted while waiting for them to brown.
4. Remove from oven and transfer phyllo triangles to a rack to completely cool.
5. Repeat the above 4 steps again with the remaining 3 phyllo sheets.

{There will be scraps - the books says to discard, but as anyone in the culinary trade knows - use everything you can, so save the scraps and bake last, use as garnish for another dessert, or a smoothy etc.}


For The Cream Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups pureed banana (1 1/2 - 2 large bananas) OR Measure out your favorite substituted puree - peach, nectarine, or a favorite berry puree.
• 1 to 2 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 1/2 TB Dark Jamaican Rum OR If using other fruit, the use the liqueur of your choice.
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat non-dairy topping
• 4 medium bananas, sliced on the diagonal, 1/4 inch thick
• confectioners sugar for top of finished pastry

Procedure:

1. Place pureed fruit, lime juice, Rum or liqueur, vanilla and nondairy topping in a bowl. Fold together ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Dessert Assembly:

1. Just before serving place a phyllo rectangle onto a plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of the banana cream onto the pastry.
2. Top the cream with 8-10 banana sliced OR your substitute fruit pieces other berries.
3. Top the filling with a 2nd phyllo rectangle, sieve confectioners sugar over the top.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have created 10 napoleons.

To create a decorative pattern - such as a herringbone or cross hatch : heat a metal skewer over a gas flame or use a mini blow torch, until very hot. Quickly lay the hot metal skewer on the top of your napoleon for the desired marking, repeat until you have the desired effect.


For an nice presentation - garnish plate with drizzles of fruit puree; add a bit of mint, or some citrus zest curls.

105 calories per serving; 1.5 grams of fat - 13% calories from fat.

VEGAN:

This dessert can easily be converted into a Vegan dessert: Use melted Earth's Balance in place of the cooking spray - or use soy milk to brush over the layers of phyllo (you might need to adjust baking times, so watch the pastry closely). Replace the "non-dairy topping" with silken tofu. Yum!

Full FAT:
And for those of you who cannot stand fake cream - go ahead and use the real deal, just use heavy cream in place of "nondairy topping", as heavy cream has a higher fat content which will help stabilize it a bit better than traditional whipping cream. Whip this up right before serving, as real WC will separate quickly. You may need to adjust the amount of puree also - try a little at a time.

Original recipe© Jill O'Connor.

Hot Pepper Gingerbread Muffins with Orange-Maple Butter 6

Thanks Darwin Bell For Use of his Photo.

I found this recipe in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, Which I will review in a future post.

This recipe sounds so good. I love ginger and cardamom. And maple butter is one of those taste memories from childhood- my grade school would have waffle days, and they would serve these waffles made from scratch, big pale yellow round ones the size of a plate. The waffles were barely browned - so that they were soft and warm and not crusty on the outside. And on the top they would serve a scoop of fluffy maple butter, so when you spread it onto the waffle, the maple butter would sink into the individual spaces in the grid, exploding into your mouth at each bite....yumm! I have never forgot that taste.


To Make Hot Pepper Gingerbread Muffins:
Preheat oven to 350°F , use the center rack. Line your muffin tin with muffin papers (or grease / spray).
Makes 12 muffins
(you can refrigerate this batter over night if you need to, just fill your muffin tin cups, then refrigerate.)

Ingredients :

• 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. powdered dry mustard
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 freshly ground white pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 TBsp. freshly grated gingerroot (use a microplane - best tool for the job)
• 2/3 cup strong boiling hot coffee

Procedure:

1. In a medium bowl whisk these dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt, powdered ginger, dry mustard, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, cardamom.
2. You will need a kitchenaide or other electric mixer with a whip attachment. Beat eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until thick. With a slow steady pour - add the oil and molasses. Stir in the ginger.
3. On medium speed add the dry ingredients in three batches. alternate with the hot coffee, mix well after adding each ingredient. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Pour the muffin batter into the prepped muffin tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Orange Maple Butter

Ingredients:

• 8 TBsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature.
• 2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
• 2 TBsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp fine grain salt

Procedure:In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, zest, maple syrup and salt until smooth. Serve at room temperature.


Serve the muffins with the orange maple butter. This butter keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Allow it to soften to room temperature, whip if necessary.

The Sweet Melissa Baking Book Recipe © Melissa Murphy. All Rights Reserved.


Related Posts:

• Contest : Cookbook For 5 Lucky Random Winners
• And The Winners Are - Drum Roll Please...

Recipe Carnival : Popular Recipes Revisited 1

These are some of the most visited recipes this blog has to offer:

Click on any of the links to read the original blog post.

1.)Recipe & Procedure : Tuile Cookies Curls 2.)Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte 3.)Blogosphere blurb / Recipe: Pear Chocolate Belle - Helene 4.)My Recipe : Curried Asparagus 5.)Recipe : Gulab Jamun | Indian Sweets 6.)Oregon Hazelnuts + Recipe : Praline Paste 7.)Recipe: Italian Turdilli 8.)Formula :Lemon curd , Lemon Tarts , Authentic Scottish shortbread. 9.)Seduction by Savory souffle... 10.)Formula : Chocolate Souffles w/ orange white chocolate sauce 11.)Recipe: Orange marinated Fish Fillets w/ Carrots 12.)Formula : Pumpkin Crunch coffee Cake 13.)Recipe: Green Tea Sesame Sauce 14.)Recipe: Mango-Ginger Salsa 15.)Formula : Americanized Pumpernickle Bread 16.)Formula: Short Dough Cookies 17.)Formula : Pate A Choux , Éclairs & Cream Puffs revisited 18.)Giddy Over Oregon Crab...| Recipe : Fresh Mango - Crab Spring Rolls 19.)Formula : Black Forest Cherry Gateau 20.)Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho 21.)Formula : Callebaut Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Scones 22.)Cake Recipe: EDITED Mocha & Chocolate - Vegan Style. 23.)Formula/recipe: Croissant with a starter 24.)Blurb on Big Small Plates : Recipe for Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa

Recipe & Procedure : Tuile Cookies Curls 7

This is a formula adapted from Le Cordon Blue Professional Baking 3rd Edition. It bakes up to 90 cookies, so you may want to divide this recipe in half or maybe even thirds if making for your self. You can also make this formula ahead of time and store the batter in the fridge for up to a week before use.

TUILE COOKIE / Stencil Paste BATTER
I did mine in a kitchen aide mixer. Preheat oven for 350 F.

• 3 oz Butter
• 4 oz confectioners sugar (a.k.a powdered)
• 3 oz of egg whites
• 3.5 oz cake flour

Total batter weight equals 13 oz

To make the batter: Cream the butter and sugar until creamy, add sugar until mixed thoroughly. Whip in the egg whites. Sift in the flour, mix until blended. *Let the tuile batter set up for a few minutes before using.

I suggest baking the tuile on a sheet pan with parchment, or use a silipat (if you don't have one yet -- GET ONE. They rock).

You can use any sized or shaped stencil you want, just make sure the material of your stencil will hold up to the moisture from the batter.

To use your stencil : Position the stencil on the area of your sheet pan you want the cookie to bake. Use a small offset spatula, take a small tsp sized lump of batter, lay this at the foot of your stencil. Hold the stencil onto the pan - with the other hand use a forward motion - slide the side of your offset spatula the length of your stencil, use the stencil as a guide. What you are trying to achieve is a thin level layer of batter that fills up your stencil, as the excess is removed.

Once your stencil is full: Gently lift the stencil with an upward motion to release the stencil from the batter that will stick to the pan and form your specific stencil shape. What you want to achieve is a cookie that holds the stencil shape and forms equal and very evident sides once the stencil is removed - this will tell you whether you did the above procedure correctly.

Don't feel bad if your first tries end up with terrible results. Most people aren't used to stenciled cookies. Just keep reminding your self you are trying to create something yummy too. Make sure you work quickly, and if you need to halt baking for a period of time, refrigerate your batter.

Alternate method: You can spread the batter directly on the silipat and once baked you can cut into shapes. Let the shapes cool and harden, garnish away.

To Bake : You will need to stand and watch these cookies. Even more so the more batches you bake-off, as the oven temperature will increase the baking of your tuile cookies the further along you are. Bake your cookies for 5 minutes. Take them out when you just notice the very edges browning.


To Make "curls": After you have pulled the tuile cookies out of the oven, When they have been out of the oven for 30 seconds, quickly slide a spatula under them (while still warm) use a rounded stick (such as a dowel or even a thick wooden spoon handle) and wrap each softened cookie around the stick to your liking. Let it cool, and then remove the hardened cookie from the stick.

You can also bend them over a rolling pin or other round objects to achieve a special look.

Tuile Batter & Stencil

I made a simple stencil by cutting shapes out of sturdy cardboard (in this case a cake box) with an exacto knife.

Here is the finished product.

Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte 3

This post is referencing a previous post dated Feb. 11 2008 : Food Photography : Strawberry Banana Torte

So David here are those details, as promised. I created this post using Google Docs. Google Docs rocks my blogger socks off! I can just click a button and post a nicely formatted post. I plan to use this tool more in the future.

The purpose of this post is to show you readers how to find a base cost for a plated dessert and what goes into those calculations


Costing Formulas:

☆ Ingredient weight (divided by ingredient unit cost) = ingredient cost per lb/oz
☆ Ingredient cost per lb ( divided by number of oz) = cost per oz
☆ Ingredient cost per oz/lb multiplied by formula ingredient weight = final ingredient cost. ☆ Final ingredient costs added together = total dessert cost
☆ Total dessert cost ( divided by dessert serving number / weight) = per serving cost
☆ Per plate cost added to garnish/decoration cost = total per plate cost

# = lb

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lb	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used in
Milk	4# = $1.59	0.40	.03	1.5 oz	.05	French sponge
G. Sugar	50# = $25.70	0.57	.04	6 oz	.24	sponge
Egg	18# = $16.80	.93	.06	2.5 oz	.15	sponge
Cake Flour	50# = $9.99	.20	.01	4 oz	.04	sponge
AP Flour	50# = $11.94	0.24	.02	2 oz	.04	sponge
Vanilla ext.	8# = $65.40	$8.16	.51	.125 oz	.06	sponge
B. Powder	10# = $12.90	$1.29	.08	.17 oz	.01	sponge
salt	25# = $7.30	.29	.02	.05 oz	.01	sponge
Butter	36# = $52.56	$1.46	.09	1 oz	.09	sponge

Banana Scented Marscapone

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lbs	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used as
Marscapone	#3 = $7.76	$2.59	.16	8 oz	$1.28	frost
Banana Compound	38.8 oz = $13.50	$5.60	.35	1.5 oz	.53	frost
G. Sugar	50# = $25.70	0.57	.04	.04	4 oz	frost
Vanilla Ext.	8# = $65.40	$8.16	.51	.25 oz	.13	frost

Total

------

-----

$1.58

.10

--------

Dessert

Strawberry Sauce

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lbs	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used as
Strawberry Puree	2.2# = $10.51	$4.96	.31	8 oz	$2,48	sauce
G. Sugar	50# = $25.70	0.57	.04	8 oz	.32	sauce
Water	--------	------	-----	12 oz	-----	sauce

Total

------

$1.60

.10

-----

-------

garnish

Midori Simple Syrup

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lbs	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used as
G. Sugar	50# = $25.70	0.57	.04	8 oz	.96	syrup
Midori liqueur	24 oz = $20.95	$13.92	.87	4 oz	$3.48	syrup
Water	--------	--------	-----	4oz	----	syrup

Total

-----

$2.74

.17

------

garnish

Honeydew - Midori Sauce

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lbs	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used as
Honeydew puree	.62 per melon	------	------	¼ melon	.16	sauce
Midori liqueur	24 oz = $20.95	$13.92	.87	2 oz	$1.74	sauce
G. Sugar	50# = $25.70	0.57	.04	8 oz	.32	sauce
Midori simple syrup	-----	$5.92	.37	6 oz	$2.22	sauce
Cornstarch	25# = $14.98	.60	.04	.75 oz	.03	sauce

Total

-----

$4.48

.28

----

-----

garnish

Dessert Garnishes

Ingredient	Cost per unit	Cost per lbs	Cost per oz	Ing. weight	final cost	Used as
Choc. Plate Design	11# = $36.19	$3.59	.22	¼ oz	.06	garnish
Strawberry Sauce	-----	$1.60	.10	¼ oz	.03	sauce
Honeydew-Midori sauce	-------	$4.48	.28	.5 oz	.14	sauce
Fresh strawberry	1# = $1.99	$1.99	.12	2 oz	.06	garnish
Fresh Kiwi	.33 each	-----	----	1/5 kiwi	.07	garnish
Choco. Decoration	11# = $36.19	$3.59	.22	¼ oz	.06	garnish
Strawberry puree	2.2# = $10.51	$4.96	.31	.5	.16	Dec.fill

Dessert Cost

Total Cost	No. Servings	Per Plate Cost	Garnish cost	Final Plate Cost
$1.24	8	.16	.58	.74

These prices reflect the cost of making the dessert alone by ingredients involved and do not reflect the menu cost delivered to the restaurant customer. There are many ways to calculate the menu cost of an item, which includes using specifc formulations to calculating labor cost and a variety of other factors.

48210-080330-399239-18 Rate content:

© 2008 All Rights Reserved. No Portion of these formulas or document may be reproduced or copied without permission.

Blurb on Big Small Plates : Recipe for Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa 6

Cindy Pawlcyn Big Small Plates:




...I was inspired
by that funny movie
Mermaids, where Cher plays
a mom who can only cook appetizers...

Smaller Portions. Big On Taste.

I am a big fan of the bite sized sampler. I love dim sum.

At most decent restaurants you can satisfy hunger
with an order among friends made solely of appetizers.
When I think about small samplers, It is a feeling
much more nostalgic, it awakens memories of
toddler days, when little bits , here and there
were arranged in a goofy mosaic on my colorful
melmac dinning set, equipped with matching fork
and sippy cup. Little nibbler was I, and I enjoyed
this feast as I watched Sesame Street. My favorite
short was of the Pastry Chef, who in his chef
whites and hat, aided by snazzy jazz muzak, speedily
flat iced a cake on his Revolving Cake Stand.
That was a defining moment for me . I saw that and told
myself, yes, that would be someone neat to be.

In Cindy Pawlcyn's newest cookbook,
she explores the shrinking culinary world of mini plates. It is a trend I would love to see more of, especially as America's waste size keeps growing. Most restaurants have to relay their culinary flare plated with portions suitable for two people, eaten by one. Most customers tend to feel robbed if their portions play out into healthy sizes on the plate. The average person would vote quantity over quality --- in theory a better value, but for most avid foodies this is not the case.

Big Small Plates is a refreshing take on mini portions. Here Cindy uses ingredients to maximize flavor, and in the recipe below she includes some of my ♥ favorite ♥ ingredients. It is a ♥Vegan/Vegetarian friendly recipe.

Cindy's Backstreet Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa

Make sure you find the right ripeness in your avocados --- wiggle the stem, it should move gently, but not sink in totally.

Juiciness of tomatillos vary** --- you might need to add a tsp or more of rice vinegar and one additional tablespoon of olive oil.

If you want less heat in your salsa --- be sure to remove the jalapeño seeds.

• 8 oz. tomatillos, papery husk removed, cut into ½ - inch dice.
• 1 ½ avocados , pitted, peeled, and cut into ¼- inch dice.
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, minced.
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded if you wish, and minced.
• 3 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• ½ teaspoon ground toasted cumin seeds.
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar**
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

To make the salsa :

Combine all the ingredients except the vinegar and oil, in a bowl. Mix well but gently, taking care not to mash the avocado. Whisk together the vinegar and oil until emulsified, and add just enough of this to the salsa to moisten it. Reserve any leftover vinaigrette to use in other salad dressings.

Big Small Plates © Ten Speed Press

Other cookbooks big on little adventures:

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.}

My Recipe : Curried Asparagus 8

This is a tasty side dish. It has gotten raves from my friends and family. It may seem a bit salty at first glance but take into consideration the liquid added washes the flavor out a bit , so there needs to be enough salt to bring out the curry flavors. Enjoy!

Green Asparagus by Gunnar Magnusson

You Will Need:

• a nice bunch of Asparagus (1-2 #s)
• 1/4 - 1/2 of a stick of butter
• a good curry powder (look for these ingredients : coriander seed, chili, cumin seed, fennel seeds, cinnamon, poppy seeds, star anise seeds, turmeric, mustard seeds, white pepper and peanut -- You can buy this mixture at an Asian market, regular grocers tend to have a diluted curry powder lacking depth)
• balsamic vinegar (a splash about 1-2 TB)
• porcini mushroom flavored oil (a bout 1/4 TB
• rubbed sage (about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp)
• onion salt (1/2 tsp)
• garlic salt (1/2 tsp)
• kosher salt (1 tbs)
• water (enough to cover asparagus)

Heat your pan on medium high and allow the butter to melt completely. After washing & breaking the fibrous bottoms off your asparagus stalks -- add them to the melted butter. Add 1 tablespoon of curry to the pan, mix into the butter to form a paste. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar over the whole pan. Drizzle your asparagus with the porccini oil. Dust with rubbed sage. Sprinkle salt , onion and garlic salt (a few shakes , as water will be added later). Stir briskly. Add 1 tsp more of the curry. Add enough water to barely cover the stalks. Cover and allow to simmer.

When done the asparagus will take on the yellow color of the curry, and they will appear slightly wrinkled/wilted.