Category: Uncategorized

Daring Bakers Make Sweet and Savory Tuiles

This month’s challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I don’t know if it was coming down from a hectic December or just being to busy, but Glamah did not rise to the occasion with creativity on this challenge. With so much going on and Certain Someone away, I was grateful I had a savory option with this months challenge. I choose to use the savory recipe by Thomas Keller from his French Laundry Cookbook. The only substitutions I made to this was add a touch of turmeric for color. One day I hope Certain Someone will whisk me off to French Laundry but in the meanwhile I have my savory tuiles. Judging by the labor and almost burnt fingers rolling these babies in a hot open oven, I can see why Mr. Keller charges an arm and a leg for his outstanding cuisine. Personally,I wouldn’t want that job to be in charge of the coronet shaped tulies. I didn’t have metal coronets so I fashioned some out of parchment paper. The baking tuiles wouldn’t keep their shape . I then then improvised with mini metal tartlette pans. Not perfect , but getting a shape. I sprinkled the tuiles with Nigella seeds that made a nice contrast with the turmeric yellow color. The filling was smoked salmon bits that I pureed with lime,onion, and avocado and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It was actually pretty tasty. The buttery tuiles reminded me of a high end crispy potato chip. I will probably go to foodie hell saying that. Is this something I would make again. Maybe. I appreciate learning a new technique but for me this just didn’t hold my attention as other challenges have. I realize its a tough job to host these challenges each month and you cant please the thousand of Daring Bakers, Hopefully next month I will get more in the spirit. Please be sure to visit our wonderful hosts and other members to see their creative interpretations of tuiles.

You can find the printable version of all the recipes here .

************************************************************************************

Burgers Transformed With Rose Levy Beranbaums Golden Burger Buns

For the past few months on the blogospehere I have seen a trend in making your own hamburger buns. I immediately thought what a brilliant idea. Breads intimidate me. I have no fear of yeast, like a lot of people, but I want to perfect and master it. Breads for me are either hit or miss. This my friends was a hit. If you don’t know her, Rose Levey Beranbaum is the well known author of The Cake Bible, The Bread Bible, and some other great titles.Her approach is very scientific but she comes off as approachable and likable.She has a great blog where I got this recipe for hamburger buns made with Sweet potato. Rose calls them Golden Burger Buns.Sweet Potatoes have been popping up in my CSA box lately and other than bake them I wanted to find some more uses.I don’t like to candy and sweeten them all up. I also made a little promise to myself and Certain Someone I would bake more breads. He would much prefer that then cake. In the kitchen at the caterers I have shaped and baked some dinner rolls and its piqued my curiosity. The bad memories of the Daring Bakers making Julia Child’s french bread has faded into the distance. In my preoccupation with other matters I didn’t follow the recipe as written, but it all worked. I retarded(let dough rise in the refrigerator) the first 2 risings because I started at night, and had to go to work the next day. After work I shaped them , let rise the final time and baked. Because I didn’t have sesame seeds I used some fried garlic I got in China town to top the buns. The garlic smell as they baked was heavenly and I prayed it wouldn’t burn. I quickly fired up a burger and just adorned it with my German curry ketchup, and Dijon mustard. I didn’t even let the buns cool thoroughly in my haste. Most times its the burger and the fixing you remember. This burger was all about the bun. So soft and delicious. I will be making these again and again.

The End Of The Era…The Last of Greats Is Gone

The last of the great designers is gone. Yves St . Laurent passed away today.


yves st laurent
Originally uploaded by annedesplanques1984


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/style/01cnd-laurent.html?hp

He was my main inspiration as a child to pursue fashion. I even lived across the street from his Fashion house on a small street next to the Avenue Marceau. I have long since given up fashion design. Perhaps because fashion such as the one Mr. St. Laurent created doesn’t exist anymore. Nowadays any pop tart of rap artist can call themselves a designer. Oh the watered down interpretations will live on in tribute,but we need more magicians such Yves.They don’t come like that anymore.

Ghee…That’s Simple

Like my new look?

I’m in a quandary about what to post over the next two weeks. Certain Someone and I are getting serious about our ‘nesting weight’ . He’ll be leaving for Stockholm next week on his birthday, and I will meet him there the following week. We have a wedding to attend and I will assist him as he moves into his new summer home he purchased a few hours away from Stockholm. It will be a whirlwind week. I tried on my dress for the wedding and it “Just” fit. The dress was way roomier when I purchased it a few years back. It cost about 2 weeks salary so I am determined to loose some weight. So the next few weeks will be a lot of vegetables, fish, and chicken with maybe a end of week reward.
Today I want to talk about Ghee. Ghee has been around for forever in Indian cookery. It has many Arurvedic benefits.They say it stimulates the digestive tract, therefore aiding weight loss,enhanced glow, fries foods with less oil use, promotes general well health and being. I first was turned onto it when reading about blood type diets. Rather than buy Ghee, I make mine because its so simple.

Ghee

1 lb of unsalted butter

Heat the butter very slowly in a heavy bottomed pan. When butter has melted turn up to a medium heat. It will start to boil, bubble and spurt. This is the liquids evaporating and solids separating. Do not cover the pot.Stir occasionally and reduce heat. The ghee will turn to a clear golden color. Skim off any foam . When mixture has cooled down pour into a airtight jar . Some solids may sink to the bottom. Some people discard it and some use it . Ghee has along shelf life and can stores at room temp. However to err on the cautious side store in the refrigerator. Store up to a few months.

So what did I make with Ghee tonight? I mashed a head of boiled cauliflower and garlic ( 3 cloves) with a tablespoon of ghee and 2 teaspoons of green curry paste. It was actually pretty tasty. served up alongside some boring steamed Tilapia and veggies. I drizzled a bit more ghee on top.