2941

Finished up the cake, and overall it went pretty good. I don’t make a lot of cakes, but I got some fun experience making this one from scratch.

Basically it’s (syrup soaked) sponge, strawberry mousse with lots of strawberries scattered around, more sponge, creme patissiere, more sponge, marzipan (close to 50% almonds), royal icing, then fondant to make the decorations.

What went well:
Although I had to whip it by hand the sponge was nice and fluffy. Next time I’ll remember to get my mixer back in time.

The mousse was pretty awesome. Basically strawberry jam and the juice of one lemon mixed with gelatine. Fold in italian meringue (which is why lemon really helps, as it’s sweet as fuck), then fold in whipped cream.

The fondant was nice, and easy to work with. I made a bunch of invert sugar as a substitute for corn syrup, and it worked just fine. Considering it was my first time using fondant I think the decorations turned out okay, though my writing needs work.

What could’ve been better:
The marzipan was tricky. First off you can’t buy almond flour here, so I had to make that. Blanched and shocked a pound of almonds, dried them, then got to work with my chefs knife and sifter. It took almost two hours. I’ve gotta find an almond grinder for reals.

Covering the top was easy enough, but the sides were a huge pain. I was going by http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PbOkVa_-38 which looks seriously awesome. Basically you cut a circle for the top, and then a long strip for the sides. Doing that was easy enough, but getting the strip to stay on was hard as hell, even with jam and egg whites. Eventually it looked okay, and I figured I’d smooth it out using icing - which was the next thing that needs improvement. I think once whatever I’m icing is smoother it’ll be far easier.

Next time I’m going to try a different approach using ganache to fill the inside, and then cover using marshmallow fondant, which should be far easier to mold smoothly.

The girl loved the cake though, and taste wise it was where it should be.

2942

My roommate is highly allergic to a few things, mainly wheat (not gluten), eggs, dairy but a few other things like garlic, sesame, and mildly sugar. So basically she gets to eat really healthy food only.

Anyway she’s been down the last few days so I decided to cook a few things for her. The first off is a chocolate pudding that takes about a minute, the second which was harder was a non-dairy, no-egg, no-wheat cheesecake. But Morberis, how does that work isn’t the main ingrediant in cheesecake a dairy product? Why yes, yes it is which is why she hasnt been able to have her favourite food in 5 years.

First though, pudding.

Chia Chocolate Pudding

3/4 cup Chocolate almond milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp sugar

MIX! Let sit 30 minutes. DONE!

Same consistancy as pudding, the seeds crackle a bit which I really like.

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust
3/4 cup almond meal (ground almond)
1/4 cocoa powder
3/4 cup corn flour is what I used
1 tea ground cinnamon
1/4 tea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup, I used Honey
1/4 cup oil, I used canola but if I ahd almond I would have used that. My sesame oil might kill her if she ate it

Topping
1/4 cup egg replacement powder
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp hot water
2/3 cup dairy free dark chocolate
1 tbsp dairy free margarine
32 ox dair free cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla. I used 1 tbsp

Prep!

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 10’ pan

  2. Crust, make it! Combine almond meal, cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, salt. In another bowl combine maple syrup and oil, mix until… mixed. Combine! Mix until mixed. Should be crumbly.

  3. Press dough into pan and poke with a fork so that it doesn’t bubble. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool.

  4. Turn oven up to 400 F

  5. Filling, this is the time to make it. Combine egg replacement powder and water, mix until consistant - it should be stiff.Place chocolate chips and margarine in a boil proof bown, place in a pot of boiling water that won’t overflow into the bowl. Melt and mix well so that it doesn’t burn. Remove.

  6. In a large bowl mix cream cheese and sugar, use an electric hand mixer for 4 minutes until consistant or like me use a spoon until consistant - make sure you move your arm really fast and imitate the sound of a blender. Add in egg replacement mix, mix. Add in chocolate, mix.

  7. Pour filling over the crust, smooth. Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, turn down to 275 and bake for 40 minutes. Open the oven for 4 minutes between to cool.

2943

Arise!

This evening, the house special (and a blue plate special, at that) was “Grilled Swordfish a la Vermont and New Hampshire”:

And the lifetime achievement award goes to… Tangerine Counter Top!

Tangerine Counter Top would like to thank its long-time partner, Non-Abrasive Cleaner, and the year 1974.

2944

Made some nice Pad Thai this week.

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2945

damn brad that looks good.

2946

Agreed. Brad that looks good. Do you mind breaking down how you did it? I’d love to add that to my repertoire.

And thanks, CourteousD, for bumping this thread. I’ve missed it.

-xtien

2947

Hmm, I had a weird impulse to make mustard. I dug out the bag of Amish mustard seed I’ve had for probably six years, threw in a half cup of seed to three TBPS of AC vinegar, salt, pepper, and paprika then turned on the cuisinart and let it run. Drizzled in a few splashes of olive oil and it came together, and it isn’t insanely hot like my earlier efforts. I’m not sure if it’s the age of the seeds or if I did something different.

However, it did come out more mayonnaise than mustard in the consistency department, I think I need to throw it back in, add some new seeds for texture, and water it down a bit.

2948

I have about 1x10^24 native chiltepin peppers. What do i do with them? They are hot as arrrgggg.

2949

Dry them. I’ve never done it but just put them in the oven as low as it will go with the door propped open a smidgen and see what happens.

2950

Sure. Like a lot of Wok cooking it’s more about preparation and method than ingredients. Here’s what I use:

Meat:

1-2 chicken breasts
soy sauce
corn starch
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil
pepper

Mix the marinade together in a bowl, slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss it together. Set aside.

Noodles:

Take an 8 ounce package of rice stick noodles and place them in a large mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water and let soak for 15 minutes. Make sure to stir them to so they separate, and add more water to keep noodles submerged if needed. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander and set aside.

Mis en Place:

minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
minced fresh ginger (2-3 tablespoons)
red pepper flake (I actually just use the packets I get from pizza joints)
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 sliced green onions
bean sprouts
dry roast peanuts (1 cup, toasted in a dry wok for a minute and chopped or crushed. I put them in a ziplock bag and whack them with a mallet a few times)
Pad Thai sauce (I just use a bottled version bought at an Asian grocery)
lime wedges

Cooking:

First, we need to stir fry the meat. Heat up the wok over high heat (on your hottest burner) and add a couple tablespoons of peanut or canola oil. Drain as much of the marinade off the chicken as you can. When the oil is shimmery add a about a teaspoon each of the ginger and garlic and stir quickly. Follow that up quickly with the chicken and stir fry until cooked. Depending on how small your chicken pieces are this should go pretty quickly, 3-6 minutes I’d say. When it’s all cooked remove from the wok to a temporary vessel and set aside.

If your wok is well seasoned you can probably get away with just wiping it out with a paper towel. If not, you may want to rinse it with hot water first, then wipe it clean.

Put it back on the heat and add more oil to the pan. When it shimmers toss in the remaining garlic, ginger, 2/3rds of the green onions and the pepper flakes to taste. Stir that in the oil for a couple seconds before adding the well drained noodles. Toss those for 1-2 minutes and then push the noodles into a heap on one side of the wok. Pour the eggs into the open part of the wok and let them set up for a few seconds before scrambling and mixing into the noodles. Now you’ll want to drizzle on the Pad Thai sauce and toss the noodles until it’s well incorporated. Next add a handful of bean sprouts and toss together and then add 2/3rds of the peanuts and do the same. Finally, add back the cooked chicken and mix that in as well.

Take off the heat and remove to a serving vessel. Top with the remaining green onions, peanuts and a sprinkle of bean sprouts, and garnish with lime wedges.

2951

A buddy and I recently catered a private event at a town nearby. We’re both professional cooks, but this was a rare opportunity for us to make our own food with almost complete creative freedom… 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, appetizers and two dinners, the last of which was a huge six-course affair. I don’t mean to brag, but fuck it, I’m bragging. It was awesome and I’m really proud of the whole shindig. Pictures with descriptions.

2952

Impressive!

2953

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Grilled pork chops with a balsamic reduction, grilled yellow and green squash, and risotto with white wine, parmesean and chives from my garden :)

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T-Bone with some Montreal steak seasoning (I almost feel dirty but it’s SO tasty once in a while…), grilled asparagus (in olive oil / kosher salt / cracked black pepper), baked potato and some spring mix (I made the garlic croutons myself) :)

2954

I made some ribs using this recipe:

Ingredients

4 pounds pork spare ribs, back membranes removed and cut into individual ribs
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Directions

Liberally season ribs with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooker.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; pour sauce over ribs.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

OMG they just fell off the bone.
And the flavor! MMMMMMMmmmmmmm!!

I’m sorry I have no pics. I’ll try better next time.

2955

Ah glad this was bumped. I took some pictures the other day for updating this thread but forgot.

Horseradish crusted halibut and Japanese style potato salad

For the halibut, rinse/pat dry the 1 lb of halibut. Bake at 400F for 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature is somewhere around 120F.
The Horseradish topping is:
1tbsp fresh grated horseradish
1/4 c mayonaise
1tbsp bread crumbs (I used panko today, but have used other styles in the past)
1tbsp of fresh chopped herbs (rosemary today) 1 tsp if using dried herbs

After the fish is partially cooked, pull out of the oven, top with the horseradish topping, sprinkle with another 1tbsp of bread crumbs (or however much is needed to get a nice crust). Switch to the broiler and put the dish 3-4 inches from the heat for another 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature is about 135F.

Japanese style potato salad:
8 yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut, boiled until soft
2 medium carrots (or 1 large), parboiled until just slightly softer than raw, sliced
1 cucumber, salted and put aside for 10 minutes
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 c good quality mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp rice vinegar to taste
salt to taste

Roughly mash the potatoes, mix in the 1 c of mayo, the sliced carrots and the red onion. Squeeze any excess moisture out of the cucumbers and then add them to the mix as well. Add more rice vinegar to taste and salt as well. The recipe originally called for 3 cups of mayo, but I found that to be excessive for me. I cut it down to 1 cup after playing around with it a few times, but some people might like more. Also, it originally called for Japanese mayo, which is a little sweeter and does have a little bit of rice vinegar already in it.

And I also made my first batch of tofu the other night too. I think I went a little overzealous with the press and made an extra firm batch, but that’s okay. I’ll go for a silkier variety next time

Not the best picture of the final product. Although that could partially be because it looks exactly like tofu.

2956

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Alton Brown’s meatloaf, some pretty basic mashed potatoes and sweet peas. Just like mom used to make, only better! ;)

2957

So…a dumb question.

After you use dry beans as a weight for blind baking a pie crust, can you still cook them up in a pot of beans? Or are they cashed at that point?

-xtien

2958

I stuff 'em in a Ziplock (after they cool, otherwise you get weird bean-condensation) and keep 'em for the next pie to come down the line.

I have to assume that that high of heat–even just for 20-30 mins–is enough to seriously alter the internal chemistry of the bean, except without the benefit of soaking up a bunch of moisture at the same time.

2959

Yeah, I wouldn’t eat them. Might as well just set aside one batch for blind baking. Still cheaper than those stupid bead-chains.

2960

I’ve read that you can’t really reuse the beans for eating. If you were desperate, you probably could but the extra drying might take them past the point of being able to reconstitute them in an edible manner.

Like others said, I just keep them for the next pie crust.