Jan 21, 2012 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Special Stories
My office in Hope was a 6 foot deep space at the end of a narrow cat walk. If I had gained 5 pounds I would no longer have been able to squeeze into the space between the back of my desk chair and the front of my desk. It never seemed like a good time to commit to construction but this summer, in between book projects, it seemed like it was now or never.
My friend Patty Maertons asked her husband Edgar for a recommendation as he is the local dry wall expert. He suggested Chris Smigel, saying everyone has wonderful things to say about him. Now I know why! Not only did he go above and beyond my expectations, he and his team cleaned up so thoroughly every Friday that when we arrived for the weekend it was almost as though no one had been there. And how exciting it was each week to see the latest transformations. (It was Chris who recommended the delightful architect Art Demarest.)
Another friend, Margaret Kurzman, who lives in nearby Blairstown and also New York City, and has had vast professional experience in renovations, offered excellent advice and moral support. No matter how wonderful the contractor, having your home "invaded" has to be one of life's most unsettling experiences.
There are always new decisions that have to be made along the way and plans that don't work out quite as expected but the only real drama was being awakened one night by not one but two bats that had made their way into the house and into the bedroom! Was I hysterical? Of course--I'm still somewhat of a city girl when it comes to things like that but I've been working on myself to think of them as my friends as they are known to eat mosquitoes and hopefully their taste will turn to stink bugs as well!
I may have lost most of the summer being so involved in the renovation but it was worth it. The new office is truly paradise.
Here are a few before and after photos.
Extending the office 20 feet over the porch turned out to require hand drilling into the boulders to create secure footings. The area was too small to bring in heavy machinery so this took longer than a day and much effort.
We hadn't planned for a lofted ceiling but when I saw the framing I fell in love with the feeling of airy spaciousness. Chris said he knew when I saw it I'd feel that way and he agreed. He made it happen.
The completed office.
Found the perfect fan out of 100's on line.
Jan 17, 2012 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Announcements
Rose Levy Beranbaum Bakeware Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip, Silicone
My friend Mike Quinlan of Nordic Ware just gave me the great news that The Best of America's Test Kitchen - Best Recipes & Reviews 2012" issue (page 94), listed my Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip as their "the best strip."
They also mentioned that its one downfall is that it will not fit larger pans (it will fit a 10-inch pan) so I should add that they can be connected easily using silicone loops that are also great for myriad kitchen activities such as trussing a chicken, and replacing the usual string for wrapping roasts.
Jan 14, 2012 | From the kitchen of Rose
in APPEARANCES
![Rose's Heavenly Cakes[1].jpg](http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/assets_c/2012/01/Rose's Heavenly Cakes[1]-thumb-480x596-1580.jpg)
Ben Fink, photographer of Rose's Heavenly Cakes, has set up a terrific event near his second home in upstate NY, the Bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy, on February 4th, just in time for Valentine's Day.
Here is the invitation and description of the event.
invitation
Jan 07, 2012 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Announcements
and the cookie dough, and the buttercream, and the whipped cream. Yes! The long cherished tradition of handing the beaters and bowl to the kids to lick is once again reestablished thanks to the availability of Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs for the consumer.
So many times, in recent years, when people have questioned me about the safety of making buttercream, I sadly had to advise them that no buttercream made with eggs (and almost all are) is considered to be safe due to the risk of salmonella which potentially could be seriously dangerous for children under 10, pregnant women, older people, and those who are immune impaired.
And think about all the other sacrifices people have had to make: no more soft cooked eggs or mayonnaise, no eggnog. And consider the ever present fear of cross contamination of kitchen counters and other food product when handling unpasteurized eggs.
I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was to discover that eggs, pasteurized in the shell, behave in baking and cooking exactly like the eggs we know and depend on, because they are heated in a warm water bath for a long enough period to destroy all risk of contamination without cooking the egg. There is no flavor compromise; in fact, the eggs are more flavorful because they are so fresh. The eggs are pasteurized one day after being laid and therefore have a long shelf life as well.
When Tom Izzo, of Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs, asked me if I would consider being National Baking Spokesperson I didn't hesitate for one second. The availability of pasteurized eggs for the home baker is something I've been praying for and is now a reality. For distribution in your area check the site.
You will also find useful information such as FAQ's, recipes, and contacts. In the months ahead, I will be offering favorite egg related recipes, techniques, and stories on this blog.
Dec 31, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Cakes
Recently, Green & Black's Chocolate has published its second recipe book and publisher Kyle Cathie, who was my dear editor for the UK edition of The Cake Bible, once again asked me for a contribution. I offered one of my favorite chocolate cakes, hoping that it would work well with the UK flour which is always unbleached.
On a recent visit to Kate Coldrick in Devon, England, I spied a copy of the book and quickly turned to my recipe. To my delight, there was a gorgeous photo of the cake and the crumb looked absolutely perfect, but when I scrutinized the recipe I saw that self-raising flour replaced the cake flour but there was still the 4 teaspoon of baking powder. I was certain that this excess of leavening, together with the unbleached flour, would cause the cake to fall, but then discovered the addition of melted 70% chocolate. Ah ha! Could that solve the structural problem resulting from unbleached flour and so much leavening.
Knowing that Kate is in the middle of a move I hesitated to ask her to take on another task but thankfully fellow blogger Catherine Mason, who had come down to visit us all the way from Gloucester, offered to try out the recipe with all UK ingredients and it worked!
Here is the recipe as I wrote it originally and the changes for the UK are at the end. You can use your favorite buttercream or ganache. The one in the Green & Black's Book is for my Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Buttercream also in Rose's Heavenly Cakes.
Continue reading "My Chocolate Cake for the UK" »
Dec 27, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Photos
Fellow blogger Suzanne Lenzer shared with us this impressive chocolate roll spread with apricot and glazed with lacquer glaze--all components from Rose's Heavenly Cakes except for the flourless chocolate roll from The Cake BIble.
Congratulations Suzanne!
Dec 25, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Radio
Merry Christmas and still Happy Hannuka! Here's a special little holiday treat:
Radio host Lilian Woo invited me to offer some tips for cookie baking. Click here for the broadcast!
Dec 24, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Dough
My friend and fellow author Nick Malgieri and i took a delightful ride to Brooklyn this past summer to eat at a Turkish restaurant we both love. On the way there, of course, our conversation turned to baking--specifically pie crusts. I mentioned to Nick that I have two friends who are lactose intolerant, which means they can't have pie crusts made with butter. Although lard makes a wonderful pie crust, it isn't always suitable, for example, I don't like the taste of the lard with sweet fillings.
Nick mentioned that he had a great olive oil crust in his book The Modern Baker that was just recently released in paperback.
The Modern Baker: Time-Saving Techniques for Breads, Tarts, Pies, Cakes and Co
He said he was planning to try the crust using nut oils instead of the olive oil. I was so enthusiastic about this that I tried it first but sadly found that on baking, the nut oil loses all of its special flavor. But this means that the olive oil, or say a flavorless oil such as canola oil, works well with sweet fillings. (I also tried it with clarified butter but it made the texture cardboardy.)
Continue reading "Pie Crust for the Lactose Intolerant" »
Dec 23, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Dough
Photo Courtesy of ThinkStock
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Several weeks ago, Sara Cann interviewed me on the subject of pie crusts and, along with some tips and explanations, offered her my favorite for her blog WomensHealth.
The title of the piece is The Key to Perfect Pie Crust? Add Cream Cheese.
Just in time for your holiday baking, if you haven't already mastered an easy and delicious pie crust, I encourage you to try it!
Note: If using Rose's Perfect Pie Plate, which has a beautiful larger side border than the standard pie plate, roll the dough 14-inches instead of 13-inches.
Dec 21, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Web Appearances
photo credit: Sheila Phalon
My dearest friend Nancy Weber has written a most entertaining and educational article on her visit to me several months ago when I was testing buttercrunch toffee for the new book.
When I learned that Betty Fussell, who also lives in the neighborhood, and is a highly esteemed author and friend, is also a friend of Nancy's, I invited her over to watch the process and taste the results.
Several of you have posted questions about toffee so this is a first rate opportunity to review the key steps. Enjoy! NYCityWoman.com
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