Redsugar

I have eaten a marvellous mélange of marmalades (how’s that for an alliterative expression?) – including, for example, Seville orange (Hatley’s, Robertsons Limited Edition, Wilkin & Sons, and the pricey Keiller Dundee; although, I have yet to taste the lauded Christopher Brookes version made with Whiskey, or any from Fortnum & Mason, or Roses Lemon & Lime; and I must find a jar of the Maria Grammatico line from Sicily), as well as clementine, and tangerine, and sour cherry. Indisputably, these marmalades are premium commercial products. Nevertheless, the pumpkin marmalade you’ll be making is the ne plus ultra of these preserves. Well, that’s the estimate I have when eating those golden cubes & luscious syrup atop buttermilk biscuits, pan rolls, or cornmeal poundcake. “Give me the luxuries of life and I’ll gladly do without the necessities.” (Buckminster Fuller) PUMPKIN MARMALADE 5 pounds pumpkin; peeled, seeded, cubed, and loose fibers removed 4 pounds white granulated sugar 2 large oranges 1 large lemon pinch of fine-grained salt Thinly slice the citrus fruits; alternatively, you could grind them, but my preference is to have the rind in the finished product. Mix together all of the fruit, then add the sugar. Let the mixture stand overnight. Next morning, drain off the exuded juices and, in a large pan, boil the juices to achieve a syrup, about 30-45 minutes. Add the pumpkin mixture to the syrup and cook until it is translucent. Bottle in sterilized glass jars. All in all, I believe it tastes its optimal best when chilled. Option: Add some preserved ginger. However, for my palate, I wouldn’t want anything to interfere with the citrus-fruit spectrum.

Small ham hocks weighing under 1 lb. (variously called “country ham hocks” or “smoked ham hocks”) are not a good buy – esp. if taken from the hind shank, as they are almost all bone & fat and little meat. Purchase fore shanks; the bones give an excellent flavor that’s particularly good for vegetable casseroles & soups. To make a ham stock, simply use the usual vegetable trimmings and strip bake the skin from the hock, cut off the meat for another use, add the herbs, but no salt. Simmer slowly for 1½ to 2 hours. Four knuckles will make 3 pints of finished (i.e., skimmed & strained) stock of highly estimable quality. Incidentally, I add a shank-end hambone along with beef rib bones when making a Beef Stock. I very much like how the hambone rounds out the flavour of the stock.

‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ is also known as the Cinderella or Fairytale pumpkin. As with sugar pumpkins, the large 15-20 pounders aren’t the best choices for cooking – but the smaller ones (up to 8" diam.) are optimal for cider-flavored soups, cakes, and of course, pies. Consider a more-elegant-than-traditional Irish stew, adding baked pumpkin into the stew mixture when it’s been finished on the stovetop. And, please consider making pumpkin marmalade! Yesterday, I opened the remaining jar from the batch I produced a year ago: spooned onto fresh hot baking-powder biscuits, Irish soda bread, or toasted cornmeal-rye, it’s lusciously hedonistic. Next week, I expect to prepare a pumpkin custard for a private dinner-party booking: The pumpkin meat will be poached until tender in an orange-&-cinnamon-bark-flavored milk mixture, thickened with eggs, baked in a water-bath mold, chilled several hours, then unmolded and served with a maple-cranberry sauce. Incidentally, your pumpkin is evidently in v. good condition – well matured, and free from cracks & scarring. My 81-y.o. father is an exceptional vegetable gardener, and he has told me that pumpkins should be stored in the low 50-degree range with good ventilation -- which is to say, not under refrigeration which would cause cold damage.

Pepitas are the oblong, olive-colored pumpkin seeds commonly used in Mexican cuisine – for example, in Salsa de Pepitas, in which the seeds are sautéed in oil with garlic, onions, and breadcrumbs, then chiles are added before finishing with chicken broth and a light-cream binding. Pepitas are the variety sold in natural-food markets. When pan-roasted with a sugar coating, they acquire an addictive flavour, ideal for out-of-hand snacking or adding to cake glazes & cookies. Nutritionally speaking, pumpkin seeds are scored high in protein, magnesium, and phosphorus, as well as a couple of amino acids. An optimal method for toasting them: Wash fresh pumpkin seeds in a bowl, using warm (not hot, you shouldn’t soften them) water to rinse away the fibers. Drain & blot dry. Coat the seeds with clarified butter or olive oil and spread them out on a sheet pan. Give the seeds a fairly generous sprinkling with salt. Place the sheet in a slow oven -- 250° for about 25-30 minutes, i.e., until they are golden in color. Oh andiesenji, I noticed the Sweet Dumpling squash in your photos; I’ve eaten several of those little squash over the past couple of weeks – they have a lovely texture & flavor!

After softening the vegetables in butter, I add the smoked ham hock along with the split peas, water, beer, and seasonings and simmer the whole shebang until the ham & peas are ideally tender, at which point the meat is removed from the bone and returned to the pot. A robustly fortifying soup to serve with a freshly baked country rye loaf in the dead of winter.

Try these toffee-almond bars: Crust: 1 cup EACH flour & quick-cooking oats 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 ounces butter Topping: 4 fl. oz. corn syrup ½ cup packed light-brown sugar 2 oz. butter 2 fl. oz. heavy cream (or evap. milk) 1½ cups sliced almonds 1½ vanilla extract CRUST: Combine all ingredients, mixin until crumbly. Press firmly into 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan. Bake at 350° 8-10 min. FILLING: Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan; cook & stir over med. heat until mixture boils; remove pan from heat. Stir in almonds & vanilla. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into triangles, bars, squares. Store in refrigerator.

My next-door neighbour & one of his brothers are bow hunters -- October is the month in which I receive (free!) venison cuts. I would enjoy the loin stuffed with wild apples, carrot, and onions. Gotta have juniper berries as well! Cranberry sauce, mustard relish, mushrooms, and sauerkraut are big-time accompaniments, too. Wine: Côtes du Rhône or a California Syrah. Brown it with bacon, carrots, onions, and celeriac – then roast the loin in a moderately hot oven. Flavour the pan juices with orange juice, red-currant jelly; season & thicken with pouring cream. Serve the roast with corn cakes or spätzle. Book recommendation: A Taste of the Wild by A.J. McClane.

Years ago, a taffy party was one of the highlights of the Holiday season for young people (such as Noson Gyflaith, the Welsh toffee evening). Obviously, the cooking stage is not a task for small children, as the mixtures are very hot – but the stretching phase is a delight to share with others. Molasses Toffee (or “Taffy”) 1 quart molasses; 1 cup light-brown sugar; ½ cup water; 3 Tbsp butter; ½ tsp baking soda Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Over low heat cook until mixture reaches 272°. Remove from heat; add butter & baking soda. Pour onto oiled marble slab and allow to cool. Since the syrup cools quickly, it should be folded over onto itself so that the edges do not cool before the center. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, oil hands and push mixture into a roll and stretch it. The mixture will be very soft and sag in the center. Gather it back together and pull again. Repeat until it begins to harden and hold its shape when pushed. Now, more than two hands are needed! Two persons stretch the rope of toffee as far as they can without breaking it; fold it in two and twist the two pieces together and pull to make a long, even rope about ½-inch in diameter. Repeat this process for a as long as the candy remains supple. It is somewhat laborious, but with other people it will be entertaining. The more it is pulled, the lighter the texture of the finished candy. When the rope can no longer be pulled, snip with oiled scissors into serving pieces. To store, keep candies from sticking together by wrapping each in a twist of waxed paper or cellophane. Do not use plastic wrap: it’s too finicky to remove.

Richard – Perhaps you had eaten one of these Thai banana varieties: kluay hawm, kluay khai, or kluay nam waa. Treasure-house of banana info on these Purdue Univ. pages. Apparently, one can purchase banana plants & seeds! Naturally, you’ll need to assimilate the practical knowledge to grow them properly. Remarkable health benefits acquired from eating bananas – including this piece of folklore: “In Thailand…pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.”

I would be very interested to read Chef Boulud’s full discourse on schnitzel. The meat in classic Wiener Schnitzel is dredged in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, then rolled in breadcrumbs. For Natur Schnitzel, Paprika Schnitzel, and Pariser Schnitzel the cutlets are sprinkled with flour before being sautéed. In Vorarlberg Schnitzel, the meat is seasoned & sprinkled with grated parmesan, then dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and parsley. The most memorable Weiner Schnitzel I partook was at Boston’s Locke-Ober in October, 1992. (It is not on the current menu.)

Last week I put up Green Tomato Chow; these are the proportions I used: 15 lbs. tomatoes 5 lbs. yellow onions (I slice them after the tomatoes and place them in a plastic storage bag overnight) 1 quart white distilled vinegar 4 lbs. (8 cups) white granulated sugar (the amt. of sugar used in pickles is, of course, variable in pickle recipes) 1 cup mixed pickling spices (I use McCormick brand, tied in muslin) Core and roughly chop the tomatoes in the evening; sprinkle with ¾ cup coarse pickling salt; cover with a weighted-down platter. Next morning, drain off the brine well. In a large pot, bring to the boil the spices, sliced onions, and vinegar; then add the tomatoes; next add the sugar. Cook very slowly until onions & tomatoes are tender. Pour into sterilized jars & seal according to your preferred method. Here’s my version of Tomato Green Pie: Pastry for a double-crust pie 5 cups sliced green tomatoes ¾ cup white granulated sugar ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar 3 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp grated nutmeg pinch ground allspice 1 Tbsp lemon juice ½ ounce butter In bowl, combine tomatoes with sugars, tapioca, spices, and lemon juice; stir gently to mix; pour into pastry-lined, 9-inch pie pan. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust and seal edges well. Cut slits in to to vent steam. Bake in 425° oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake about 40 minutes longer, or until top is golden. Cool on wire grid. (Some people like apple-cider vinegar in green tomato pie; add a splash, if you want its contribution.)

Mignardise, et.al. – Although the recipes I am posting in this entry are much less rich than the grand Cocoa Cake provided by Andie (above), they are nonetheless authentic Holiday specialties. Two weeks ago, I researched and collated recipes for about 20 celebration yeast breads that are national favorites from many European countries; I look forward to baking at least a dozen of them in December – including a Vaňočka braid for a Slovak friend of mine. October isn’t too early to begin one’s planning for Holiday fare. Boquanran Cherry Cake This cake is traditionally served on Scottish New Year’s Eve, along with other sweets such as Black Bun & Hogmanay Biscuits. 3 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 8 ounces butter 1¼ cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1½ cups candied cherries 2 Tbsp flour 1 Tbsp lemon juice Heat oven to 375°. Sift together first three ingredients; set aside. Cream together butter & sugar. Beat eggs; add alternatively with flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Toss cherries with 2 Tbsp flour and add to batter. Stir in lemon juice. Spread batter in 9- x 5- inch loaf pan that’s been brush with clarified butter & dusted with flour. Bake for 70 minutes, or until golden brown on top and firm to touch. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto wire grid to cool. Medivnyk (Ukrainian Honey Cake) This cake is often made with Canadian prairie buckwheat honey, but regular clover honey would be very pleasant, too. No icing required, just a good dusting of powdered sugar. 1 cup best-quality liquid honey 4 ounces unsalted butter 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 4 large eggs, separated 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda ½ tsp each baking powder & salt 1 tsp cinnamon (or ginger) 8 fl. oz. dairy sour cream ½ cup chopped walnuts and/or raisins Bring honey up to the boil; cool to room temp. Cream butter & sugar. Add yolks individually; beat in honey. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, spice, and salt; blend in alternatively with sour cream. Stir in nuts and/or raisins. Fold in egg whites (beaten to stiff, but not dry, peaks) – first a third, then the remainder. Turn batter into a spray-coated 10-inch Bundt form. Bake for about 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 8-10 minutes, then remove to wire grid to cool completely.

“The diners ponder, stutter, variously flaunting their ignorance or their pretensions to knowledge.” ~ M.F.K. Fisher: D is for Dining Out According to Funk & Wagnalls, a menu is “a bill of fare; and, by extension, the list of dishes included in it.” But, in reality, it is much more. For the restaurateur, the menu is an advertising device – a means of presenting, in the best possible light, the items he is selling. It is also an opportunity for the chef/restaurateur to make a literary statement about his particular philosophy of cooking & dining. The menu helps to establish the ambience of the dining room and prepare the clientele for the gustatory experience that will ensue. Any type of menu is subject to the idiosyncracies & limitations of the English language. Some menu terms have been so misused in many instances that they have nearly lost their connotative significance: Classic, Special, Trilogy, Medley, Old-Fashioned, Exotic, and so forth. For good or ill, the curiosities of the menu lexicon will remain with us. A frequently revised menu – regardless of its style – benefits both the customer and the restaurateur: The customer ought to receive a menu composed in allegiance with honesty, imagination, and sensible variety. The chef especially gains from an evolving menu because (1) it provides a first impression of his creativity, of the current personality of his oeuvre, and (2) it helps to stave off his worst enemy – boredom. (Remember Jasper White’s warning that any kitchen can become something of a prison because of the grinding repetition necessitated by preparing best-sellers day after day.) I prefer menus that are wonderful *understatements as opposed to hyperbolic nonsense. Printed menus should be plain guides to the chef/restaurateur’s most accessible persona. Accordingly, we are astutely advised that “to enjoy dining out to its fullest, one must be able to read & understand restaurant menus…, for only then is one able to order a meal with confidence.” (Norman Odya Krohn, Menu Mystique, p. viii). I think that humorous menus are rarely utilized because the levity can easily misfire (or even offend in these pc times.) And what might be the upshot of the perception that the staff may be more frivolous than professional? Dessert circus, indeed! Of course, it all depends on the restaurant’s purpose and the breed of clientele for which it exists. A true sense of appropriateness must be cultivated at all times. In sum, I believe that the quintessential experience of mealtime should be based on a paraphrase of Michel Guérard’s theory of cuisine minceur: You should be able to eat real food, drink a little wine, refresh your system, and take some pleasure from the normally dreary process of living. Exactement! *I have a copy of the Union Square Cafe menu from September 1996; the dessert descriptions are admirably concise & devoid of pretentiousness: Pineapple Crème Brûlée with coconut macaroons; Greenmarket Apple Streusel Pie with lemon ice cream; Panna Cotta with port-poached pears & half-moon cookies; USC’s Warm Banana Tart with honey-vanilla ice cream & macadamia nut brittle; Chocolatey-Chocolate Cake with caramel mascarpone & chocolate truffle swizzles; USC’s Cookies, Biscotti, Brittle & Fudge; Warm Maple Pudding with buttermilk ice cream. And everything listed is so tempting that "chocolatey" is most welcome. As Voltaire noted, "the superflous is a most necessary thing."

Drawing from the literature I have on this subject, I've assembled this mini-directory to help facilitate the essentials of your Parisian itinerary. (Naturally, you'll supply a full-colour report to this forum upon your return? Enjoy!) You may benefit appreciably by referring to a copy of Boulangerie: A Pocket Guide to Paris' Famous Bakeries. (I don't have access to the book; yet it seems authoritative as of a few years ago.) These are consistently rated as the premier Boulangeries: Rene-Gerard de St-Ouen (111, boulevard Haussmann, Paris, France 75008) POILÂNE (8, rue du Cherche-Midi) L’HERMINE PAUL (114, rue de Patay) BEAUVALLET JULIEN (6, rue de Poissy) AU PANETIER LE BON (10, place des Petits-Peres) POUJAURAN (20, rue Jean Nicot) GISQUET (64, rue Saint-Dominique) GOSSELIN (125, rue Saint-Honoré) St-PHILLIPE (73, avenue Franklin-D-Roosevelt) MOULIN de la VIERGE (105, rue Vercingetroix) RENE-GERARD de St-Ouen (111, boulevard Haussmann) HOULBERT (65, rue des Martyrs) MODERNE (16, rue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques) LA POLKA (59, rue d'Orsel) AU LEVAIN DU MARAIS (32, rue de Turenne) AU PAIN D’ANTAN (2, rue Eugène Sue) GANACHAUD (150, rue de Ménilmontant) Pâtisseries: SUCRE CACAO (89,Avunue Gambetta) ARNAUD LARHER (Monmart) LA PETITE MARQUISE (3, Place Victor-Hugo) LENÔTRE LAURENT DUCHENE (2,Rue Wurtz) LE TRIOMPHE (23,Rue du Rendez-vous) FAUCHON (26,Place de la Madeleine) LADURÉE (16,Rue Royale) PELTIER (66,Rue de Sevres) CHRISTIAN CONSTANT GÉRARD MULOT LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT PIERRE HERMÉ (72 rue Bonaparte) FINKELSZTAJN (27, rue de Rosiers) JEAN MILLET (103, rue Saint-Dominique) DALLOYAU (101, rue du Fbg-St-Honoré) COUDERC (6, boulevard de Voltaire) PELTIER – Phillipe Conticini (66 rue de Sèvres) SADAHARU AOKI (35 rue de Vaugirard)

I’d like to share my interpretation of Apple Crumb Kuchen – certainly a thoroughly valid example of a bread-cake hybrid. Long before the culinary use of baking powder or soda, bakers were mixing cakes from sweetened yeast-raised dough and topping them with fruit & sugar. The following recipe yields two kuchens – one for today and the other to reserve in the freezer. Kuchens: ½ tsp granulated sugar 2 fl. oz. lukewarm water 1 Tbsp active dry yeast 8 ounces butter ¾ cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs zest of small lemon 8 fl. oz. sour cream ¼ tsp salt approx. 4 cups flour 1 quart peeled, cored & thinly sliced apples (I use Cortland or Northern Spy) Crumble Topping: 1 cup flour ½ cup firmly packed light-brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon 5½ ounces cold butter Dissolve ½ tsp sugar in water; sprinkle yeast over; let stand 5 minutes, the stir briskly with fork. Cream butter & sugar. Beat in eggs individually, then lemon zest. Stir in sour cream, yeast mixture, and salt. Gradually incorporate the flour to make a soft dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap & slightly dampened tea towel; set in warm place to rise until doubled in volume. Deflate dough; divide in half. Press evenly into 2 greased 13- x 9- inch cake pans. Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled. Arrange apples in rows over surface of each kuchen. Sprinkle half of crumble topping over each kuchen and then distribute almonds on top. Let rise 15 minutes longer. Bake in 375° oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 325° and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crumble is browned and kuchen has separated from sides of pan.

Orange slices can be candied successfully, but other citrus fruits are generally too dense to absorb the poaching syrup and must be cut in strips (écorces d’agrumes). Peel is done when tender to the bite, and the time will depend on the variety of peel. (Grapefruit cooks the fastest; orange the slowest.) For denser types of citrus peel (I like to use thick-skinned grapefruit & navel oranges), combine the julienne strips water, bring it to the boil, and cook for 1 minutes. The process is repeated 3 times in order to soften the zest and remove bitterness. Next, make a fairly dense simple syrup and gently simmer the strips for 2 or 3 minutes until they’re translucent before removing them to a lightly oiled rack to cool. If you want to use the peels as confections on their own, coat them w/ granulated sugar after they've dripped dry. To store, keep them protected & dry between sheets of waxed paper in a covered container. Mandarins are a diverse group of citrus fruits, as they comprise clementines, tangerines, tangelos, and temple oranges. In A Feast of Fruits, Elizabeth Riely pointedly advises, “Whatever citrus you use [for candying], choose specimens with vibrant color.” The candying of whole fruits may require successive cooking in progressively concentrated syrups until the required translucency is obtained. The syrup must penetrate the entire fruit thoroughly so that it can be preserved to a properly maximized ideal.

In 1894, Boston-area housewife Susan Stavers obtained South American manioc (i.e., casava) roots, which had been imported duty-free since 1883. She was the first person on record to produce starch from the roots (by running them through her coffee grinder to render translucent tapioca granules that would be used for a smooth pudding. Stavers sold the tapioca in paper bags – until a local publisher bought rights to her process and sold the product in boxes. Tapioca is very digestible and is recommended for infants & elderly persons. However, tapioca pudding made from the pearl variety does not always connote pleasant memories for many older diners who became repulsed by its “fish-eyes” appearance. During my teens, our next-door neighbour was a Bostonian who told me that he had become repulsed by the sight & texture of it during his military service in England during WW II. But, of course many people develop such animosity toward certain foods – consider the stories told of old mutton pie! (I can recommend a book on this subject: How We Eat – Appetite, Culture & the Psychology of Food written by Leon Rappoport, a professor of personality & social psychology. He argues that a person may choose not to like a particular food because of several basic reasons: It violates a religious prohibition; it is “different;” the eater was frightened by a turnip as a boy; refusing to eat is a passive-aggresssive power strategy; people who eat “that” kind of food are morally inferior; and one must never eat when the greens are to the right of the potato. And on and on. You can grasp the general theory, right?) Notwithstanding, here’s a recipe for Tapioca Pudding I first made in 1982: 1/3 cup pearl tapioca 18 fl. oz homogenized milk ¼ tsp salt 1 Tbsp arrowroot 1 fl. oz. milk 1 large egg ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ tsp vanilla extract Ground cinnamon, for dusting Soak pearl tapioca for 3 hours in 6 fl. oz. water. Pour off water; add first measure of milk & salt; place in nonstick saucepan; heat & stir until a good simmer is reached. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring often, over lowest possible heat for about 45 min. (A double-boiler is ideally suited.) Mix arrowroot & remaining milk; pour into hot mixture; bring to gentle boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Beat together the egg, sugar, and vanilla. Temper the egg mixture w/ some of the hot tapioca, then pour mixture back into pan. Stir rapidly to combine; remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled, in small glasses, dusted w/ cinnamon.

If you overmix the batter, you’ll risk aerating it too much. You certainly don’t want to have excess pockets of air in the cake as it bakes, causing undue expansion of the top, which then more-or-less falls, rendering a fragmented surface. Do not bake a cheesecake at a temp. higher than 350° F. You must strive to avoid having the waterbath boil. Disregard recipes that stipulate the use of one, two, or more oven-temperature adjustments. That's counterproductive to the accomplishment of a properly baked cheesecake. Do not bake beyond the stage at which the cheesecake is slightly underdone: the center 3-inch radius of a 10-inch diam. cake should “wobble” slightly when the pan is gently tapped. The waterbath will gently humidify the oven environment – helping to ensure a moist, creamy-smooth cake. The au bain marie method fairly protects the cake as it bakes by maintaining an even, low-moisture heat. The key to success is two-fold: The water must be kept at sub-boiling tempertures, and it must circulate around and under the pan – therefore, if possible, set the cake pan on a low trivet in the bain marie. Be certain that the walls of the pan are oiled before pouring in the cheesecake batter: the cake will start to contract during the cooling phase; so, once the it’s been removed from the oven, you must run a thin-bladed metal spatula around the edge in order to free it from the rim. Most recipes for cheesecake unduly instruct contrary to this advice. Finally, wait until the cake has reached room temperature before placing it under refrigeration.

To the best of my recollection, I’ve used this combination for at least two dessert trays: White-Chocolate Ice Cream served w/ my adaptation of Maida Heatter's spiced pumpkin cake. (The ice cream would also be ideal scooped onto banana-pumpkin tart.) And White-Chocolate-glazed pumpkin doughnuts. You could awaken me in the middle of the night – and I’d eat those doughnuts unhesitatingly! Nevertheless, I'd decline the coffee.

My preferred triple-layered Coconut Cake for the past 20 years has comprised these ingredients: 1 medium coconut 6 fl. oz. whole milk 3 cups sifted cake flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 8 oz. butter 2 cups white granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 large eggs, separated The filling is composed of sweetened whipped cream; the icing is made from egg whites, vanilla, sugar, and white corn syrup. I usually eat my portion(s) with a mango spritzer. A paradisaical flavour pairing!

Saffron, as many of my collegues on these forums probably know, has garnered a reputation as the world’s most regularly expensive spice. An astounding 210,000 dried stigmas, gleaned from about 70,000 flowers, are required to make one pound of true saffron – which, obviously, is why the cost of production is excessively high. The English word “saffron” is derived from the Arabic za’faran, meaning yellow. Traditionally, saffron has been the Western colorant corresponding to turmeric in the East. In recent times, however, saffron has gone the way of such other natural colorings as indigo, mander root, and cochineal. This exquisite spice is famously used in great Spanish dishes, such as paella, the renowned seafood pilaf, the codfish-based Bacalao a la Vizcaina, and the chicken-&-ham preparation Arroz con Pollo. Yet, for the majority of bakers it is predominantly used in breads & cakes; perhaps, especially, in the Swedish repertoire: Saffronsbröd & Saffransbullar are pre-eminently recalled. St. Lucia Buns are always first of the many holiday breads I bake each December – using either ground cardamom or saffron. Also, I've added a sachet of powdered saffron to enhance a lovely, creamed Mussel Soup. Saffron Cake (or bread) is an old Cornish specialty; the spice was certainly grown in Cornwall until the eighteenth century. Traditional recipes call for the inclusion of caraway seeds, but I omit them. You could also add 1 Tbsp of rosewater, if you want to accentuate the exotic appeal of the saffron. (I buy Sun Brand – from Novelda, Spain.) Indulge your guests: serve the cake slices slathered w/ European-style cultured butter. Or clotted cream! 1 Tbsp dried yeast 1 tsp granulated sugar 1½ fl. oz. lukewarm water 4 fl. oz. scaled milk ½ tsp saffron threads 4 oz. butter 3 fl. oz. sherry or Madeira 1 cup currants ¼ cup candied citron peel 3-4 cups flour Dry saffron threads on ovenproof saucer for 15 min. in 250° oven. Crush gently; add scaled milk & cream; allow to steep. Proof yeast w/ sugar in water. Soak currants in warmed sherry for a few minutes; strain off wine into milk/cream mixture. Work butter into 3 cups flour, using mixer to rub it in. Add milk/cream/wine mixture & proofed yeast. (Add rosewater, if desired.) Add extra flour as necessary; batter should be soft, but hold together. Mix & beat very well. Cover; leave to rise until doubled in volume. Stir in fruit & peel. Pour into oiled tea-loaf pans; leave in warm place until doubled in bulk. Bake in 400° oven for 10 min., then reduce heat to 350° and bake 20 min. longer. Just before removing from oven, brush w/ a little Lyle’s Golden Syrup thinned w/ water. Cool in pans 5-10 minutes before turning out. Serve warm. If preferred, Saffron Cake may be shaped as a Tea Ring.

The culinary Dali strikes again! A variation, perhaps, on the theme of deep-fried ice cream? Or foam-master’s piercing of the curtain into something more outré?

Kenteoh: Please be sure to pour your custard through a fine-mesh seive into a pitcher before pouring the mixture into the ramekins. Lay a sheet of foil over the containers to cover them loosely. It is important that the crème brûlée be poached slowly in a water bath in the oven. That’s what’s happening – they’re being oven-poached! I always use a 300° oven to bake my custards. The water must reach up the sides of the ramekins to about 2/3 of their height and it must not boil, but only gently simmer. (If possible, periodically monitor the water, scoop out some, and drop in a few ice cubes if necessary, to keep it at the barely simmering stage.) The custards are ready to be removed from the oven when they wobble slightly after the containers are gently shaken. Regardless of the nomenclature, you mustn’t burn the sugar on top. Only flame it to a golden color. Any darker and it will taste bitter, especially if a dark sugar is used, because of the molasses content. It should resemble a light-caramel crackle. Powdered sugar can provide a thin, delicate crust that will ace the classic test of being cracked with one tap of an elegant silver spoon. Granulated brown sugar works well, too; and I have had good success using turbinado sugar for crusting this dish. Sieved, light-brown sugar (used, I believe, on the famous gold-standard version at Le Cirque) makes a superb crust, but needs to be dehydrated in a 300° oven for about 8 minutes. A fine, double coating of sugar may be advisable. Best-selling author Debbie Puente recommends granulated sugar; no doubt that has influenced the preference for many home cooks.

I’ve seen consumption of the following cake convert people who had not previously liked fruitcake: 8 oz. butter; 1 cup light brown sugar; 4 liq. oz. honey; 5 large eggs; 2 cups flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp allspice; 1¾ lbs dried apricots; 1 lb pecan halves; ½ lb sultanas; ¾ lb pitted dates (not the sugared kind); 2 oz. dried apples; 2 oz. walnuts; 4 liq. oz. orange juice; 2 liq. oz. heavy cream; 4 liq. oz. brandy; 2 liq. oz. orange liqueur. Stir together dry ingredients. Cream butter & sugar; then incorporate honey, add eggs individually. Blend in half of the flour mixture, alternating w/ juice & cream. Toss fruit & nuts in reserved flour and stir into batter by hand. Spoon batter into two greased standard loaf pans. Bake at 350° F. for 2½ to 3 hours, until tester comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire grid for 15 minutes; sprinkle w/ the spirits. When completely cooled, envelope cakes in clingwrap; store in airtight containers. When you're about to bake light fruitcakes, it's advisable to bind a double thickeness of heavy, unglazed brown paper around the outside of the cake pan; this will help prevent the edges of the cake from becoming undesirably darkened and overcooked. Should you choose to produce a fruitcake without alcohol, consider Jim Dodge's pertinent wisdom: "Fruit cake tastes a lot better when you candy the fruit yourself. And you know it's free of artificial colors & preservatives. I like to brush the syrup left over from candying the fruit onto the finished caked to give it even more flavor & moisture." (Baking with Jim Dodge, p. 115). His recipe for light fruit cake comprises freshly candied cranberries plus lemon, orange, & grapefruit peels.

Buttercream can be thickened safely with powdered sugar. Fold it in to achieve the desired consistency. I made French Meringue Chocolate Buttercream two days ago to ice a custom-order cake. For the icing, I used my tried-&-true 4-egg-white meringue with sieved superfine sugar, and beat in the softened butter & cooled tempered chocolate until just incorporated. It firmed up admirably and had no separation mishaps -- which is simply to underscore my conviction that if a method/technique functions dependably, then the outcome of your performance will follow suit. For my needs, a classic Swiss-meringue preparation is thoroughly dependable for flavouring with, e.g., maple syrup, Cointreau, and chocolate. I agree with chefpeon that using whole eggs sounds peculiar for buttercream. Nevertheless, I do use 2 whole eggs + I yolk in my basic formula for an Italian-Meringue Caramel-Brandy Buttercream (made with a combination of granulated sugar & light corn syrup or liquid glucose in a ratio of 2¼ oz. sugar to ½ fl. oz. glucose). Often, only yolks are used in an Italian meringue.