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Oct 06, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Bread
Update: Now with photos!
I wanted to include this recipe in The Bread Bible but it necessitated a second visit to Club Med by my cousin Elizabeth who gave me the recipe after a prior visit. The original recipe was all in metrics (no problem there) but included “Puratos” as one of the ingredients. Luckily I had learned about this interesting product, which is a sourdough starter sprayed onto the yeast, when I went on a bakery tour in Switzerland, sponsored by Albert Uster several years ago. I replaced it with my usual old sourdough starter and was delighted by the results.
The white chocolate chips (and be sure to use the variety that contains cocoa butter such as Nestle’s) melt and form little spaces in the bread which become coated with the chocolate forming a lacy crumb. I love it for breakfast or tea time (not that my work schedule allows for it) lightly toasted with butter and strawberry jam or sprinkled with cinnamon with just enough sugar to separate it for even distribution which is equal volume
WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD CINNAMON TOAST
Continue reading "White Chocolate Chip Bread" »
Oct 07, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Book Errata/CORRECTIONS
On the master chart for butter cakes on page 490, Level 6 the rectangular pans make only one layer.
also baking time should be reversed, i.e. 35 to 45 minutes for the 13 by 9 inch rectangle, 40 to 50 minutes for the 18 by 12 inch rectangle.
Oct 09, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Photos
When Ron Ben Israel came to live in this country he claims to have known nothing about cakes or cake decorating. He learned baking from The Cake Bibleand cake decorating from the high priestess of pastillage flowers Betty Van Norstrand.
When The Plaza planned their 100th birthday celebration it was Ron they chose to make this extraordinary replica of the hotel in cake!
Ron teaches regularly at the French Culinary Institute and occasionally at different locations around the country.
ONE OF RON'S MANY ASSISTANTS FOR THIS MASSIVE PROJECT
Oct 10, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Photos
Nushera has shared this great technique for making roses. You can use marzipan, or gumpaste and the colors of your choice.
Oct 13, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Announcements
I’ve been enjoying panko for many years now—since my friend David Shamah who owned a restaurant (and is always up on the latest wonderful ingredient and equipment) shared some with me. Panko is a bread crumb, originally from Japan, that is made from the heart of the bread, i.e. no crust. It is also slightly larger and more even in size than the average bread crumb.
I discovered the importance of bread crumbs without crust when I studied strudel baking in Austria. It’s actually entirely logical: The crust of bread is browned to the optimal degree for flavor—more and it would become bitter. When you brown bread crumbs in oil to toast them lightly, any crust mixed in with the crumbs would become too dark.
I was delighted to discover that Progresso, the manufacturer of plain and seasoned bread crumbs that I used prior to panko, is now producing panko in both plain and seasoned variety. This is proof that panko awareness has reached the heartland and will now be available to the consumer as well as food service!
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite dishes into which bread crumbs have made their way by sheer chance. One evening I was eating an oven-crisped baguette with linguine and clams and some of the crispy crumbs fell into the pasta. Now I add them intentionally every time and I’ve since discovered that bread crumbs are often added to pasta dishes in Italy. I wondered if perhaps they discovered this the same way as I did!
Continue reading "Panko Has Arrived!" »
Oct 16, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Announcements
This Friday, October 19th, we'll be leaving for Europe until the end of the month. It's hard to leave New Jersey this beautiful time of year but Tuscany beckons and surely the harvest and the hills will be equally if not more beautiful. Also we'll get to see our friends' place Montecastelli which i've been hearing about for many years (see http://montecastelli.com) and reunite with some of the members of our former wine group.
Happily the best way to get to Florence is through Frankfurt Germany so we'll be spending the weekend with our nephew Alex and family.
Look for one posting each Saturday that I've done ahead so you won't miss me too much and more about the trip on our return along with photos.
And do continue to post and/or answer each other's baking questions. But as of now I will not be able to respond as I need to get ready for departure. I will have no e-mail access which saves me from myself but I fear I may be flooded with postings on my return so please be patient
Happy Harvest and Best Baking,
Rose
Oct 20, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Savory Cooking
Most cooks have a favorite “secret” (behind the scenes) ingredient that enhances the deliciousness of many dishes. Mine is crème fraîche. I first discovered it in France in the kitchen of my dear friend Nadège when she was making “moules marinières” and stirred a healthy dollop to the steaming mussels. Crème fraîche is heavy cream which has an added culture, rendering it thick and slightly tangy and totally delicious. On my return to the U.S. I tried making my own using 1 tablespoon of buttermilk to 1 cup of heavy cream that had not been ultra-pasteurized, and allowing it to sit in a warm spot for about 12 hours. To my surprise it was also excellent. Nowadays specialty stores in the U.S. carry crème fraîche so I don’t bother to make my own. But on a recent trip to Normandy, I tasted their variety which was ivory in color and so dreamy in flavor it made me want to pack up and move there on the spot!
Just as I always have butter, flour, and eggs on hand I also always have a small container of crème fraîche. I use it in my scrambled eggs, in chicken paprikash (sour cream breaks down when heated, crème fraîche does not), a spoonful in potato salad, as a finishing swirl in soups, lightly sweetened and whipped to go along side pies or tarts, in ganache, and an ample amount in my mussel dish. The following recipe comes from my book “Rose’s Melting Pot.”
Continue reading "My Most Magic Ingredient: Crème Fraîche" »
Oct 27, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Savory Cooking
My favorite speedy lunch fix is so easy and satisfying I decided to share it on the blog. What makes it special—moist, creamy, and delicious, is the addition of crème fraîche mentioned in a previous posting. I use only 1 large egg but of course the recipe can be increased. And of course fresh farm eggs from free range chickens will make it more of a treat than ever!
While heating the small non-stick frying pan on medium heat with a small amount of clarified butter (regular butter will do but lower the heat so it doesn’t burn), i break the egg into a small bowl and use one half of the shell to add a small amount of water—maybe a teaspoon. I dip my tiniest whisk into the crème fraîche and lift out a mound about the size of a walnut half. i plop it into the egg, add a sprinkling of salt, and freshly ground black pepper and whisk the mixture together until lightly mixed.
I scrape this egg mixture into the hot pan and let the eggs set for about 15 seconds. Then using the silicone spatula i draw the sides into the center, let them set for a few seconds and repeat this a few times until the eggs are softly scrambled.
Thinking about this recipe brought to mind one of my favorite articles I wrote for my former column in the L.A. Syndicate, several years ago.
Continue reading "A Tale of Three Eggs" »
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