Patrick S

I made a 1/2 batch of the cake following the recipe in the first post, with the following changes. First, I used sour cream rather than buttermilk. Second, I used 2 eggs rather than 1.5. Third, I baked at 325F rather than 300. The toothpick was very wet at 25, and completely clean at 30, when I took it out. For the cocoa, I used half Droste and half Valrhona (because I only had a little Droste left and wanted to use it up so I could make shelf space). I baked it in a 9" springform. Instead of coffee, I used a little espresso powder in the boiling water. Of course I wasn't going to let this thing sit overnight before I tasted it, so I let it cool for maybe 2 hours. Overall, I like it fairly well. Its certainly a hell of a lot better than the last time I made this cake with the Ghirardhelli cocoa. I guess I'd give it 3 out of 5. Good moisture. Very soft. Could be maybe a little bit sweeter. Didn't rise very much.

I use the toothpick test with all my cakes, pulling the cakes either with a few crumbs or completely clean. I think you could be mislead if you just go by the feel of the surface of the cake.

I'm going to give this cake a second try also. I made it once, months ago, and didn't like the taste. Subsequently I found out that the problem was the Ghirardelli cocoa I used. At the time I was trying every type of cocoa, one by one, and when I made this cake I happened to be trying g-delli. While I think their chocolate is great for the money (I can get their semisweet for less than $1.50 per lb), among the best of the lower-cost products, their cocoa is just horrible. I didnt even use up the can I bought. Maybe with a good Droste or Valrhona or even Hershey's dutched, this would be much better.

Thanks for the compliments, M. Lucia and Bryan. Bryan, I didn't top the last cake with anything, because frankly I didn't think it could benefit. But if I were going to put something on it, I would use something light like whipped cream. The top of the cake is very moist, and it would be difficult to ice it with anything very thick without tearing it up.

'Chock-full' of antibiotics? Does a few nanograms per serving qualify as chock-full? Can you point me to some analytical data showing how much AB is in poultry. Is it enough to produce a clinical effect? I promise, I'm ready and willing to be swayed by evidence! What's the problem with GM soybeans? I've studied the issue a bit, and can't see any reason to prefer traditional to GM soybeans. Some GM crops do concern me, but this isnt one of them. And at any rate, GM soybean is fed to poultry, its not actually an ingredients in the meat. The soybeans and its proteins are broken down when the chicken eats it. What's wrong with feeding chicken animal-derived protein, from a human health standpoint? There's nothing I love better than animal-derived protein, though I prefer mine in the form of steak or breast meat rather than chicken feathers. I dont see how bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is specific to cows, constitutes an argument against using poultry-derived feeds with poultry. But I'm more than willing to be educated on the subject!

What's worrying you about hormones? Were you aware that in the US no poultry, organic or otherwise, are given growth hormones? Eggs do have high levels of some hormones --higher than beef raised with hormones-- but they are present naturally, not as a result of supplementation. ← I was apparently under the wrong impression that chickens were given hormones to develop those oversized breast....or maybe I have the wrong species! Why do the 'organic' chickens make a point of saying NO HORMONES, if they arn't added commercially? ← Federal regs prohibit the use of hormones in poultry for the past 35 years. As to why someone would label their chickens with a 'NO HORMONES' label, I can only assume that the intention is to mislead you into believing that their product is safer. Maybe there's a more innocent explanation, but I'm not imaginative enough to think of what that explanation might be. This is exactly why USDA regs prohibit this label, unless it is accompnaied by the statement "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones." Unfortanately, it is not entirely obvious to consumers that the label is saying, in effect, "This chicken [turkey, goose, etc] has no more or less hormones than any other."

What's worrying you about hormones? Were you aware that in the US no poultry, organic or otherwise, are given growth hormones? Eggs do have high levels of some hormones --higher than beef raised with hormones-- but they are present naturally, not as a result of supplementation.

With the third cake I've tried, I've hit the mark. At least, I've found what I'm looking for in a strawberry cake -- exceedingly moist, dense, and flavorful. Of the three I've tried so far, this is the only one that I'm sure will get eaten to completion. Tasters at home and work also think its easily the best of the three. The only drawback --and to me its not a drawback at all-- is its density. If you want a light and airy cake, this is not the one for you. Ingredients 1/2C vegetable oil 1 2/3C sugar 1 3oz package strawberry Jello 1 1/2C strawberry puree 1C sour cream 3 large eggs 1t baking soda 3/4t salt 2t vanilla 2 1/4C cake flour Preheat oven to 350F. Line bottom of 13x9 pan with parchment, and spray sides with veg oil spray or coat with butter. Mix oil, sugar, Jello, vanilla, and puree until smooth. Add sour cream, and mix till combined. Add eggs, one at a time time, mixing each until thoroughly combined. Add salt and soda, mix until combined. Add flour, mix just until combined. Pour into pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. There are at least two changes I want to try. One, I want to try replacing the oil with a stick of butter. Two, I want to try seperating the eggs and whipping the whites.

As you point out, in the US hormones are by law not administered to poultry and pork. But, as Im sure you know, poultry and pork are certainly not hormone-free! Beef, sheep, pork, chicken, eggs and milk all contain one or more of the hormones progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone. All animals tissues naturally contains hormones, so strictly speaking it would be inaccurate to call any of these products hormone-free. Even plants have hormones.

Well, no chicken could ever possibly be chemical-free, seeing as how its literally made of chemicals and all.

In order to qualify for the "free range" Special Marketing Term in the UK, chickens must have continuous daytime access to open-air runs, comprising an area mainly covered by vegetation, of not less than one square meter per animal for at least half the lifetime of the animal. In order to label chicken "free range" or "free roaming" in the United States, "producers must demonstrate to the [uSDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service] that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside." I was interested to read that the term "chemical free" is not allowed at all. ← That appears to answer my question about enclosure space.

Well, having electric-fence protection from predators, shelter, and abundant food and water doesnt exactly sound like a 'truly natural existence,' or at least any more natural than, say, my cat's existence. I'm gonna look and see if the UK's Food Standard's Agency has guidelines. I'm just curious because common sense tells you that if there are no such standards, than there will be birds sold as free range whose living condition did not differ substantially from other commercial birds. According to this article from The Gaurdian, discussing how the FSA found organic and free-range birds more than twice as likely to be contaminated with Campylobacter*, there per regulation must be 'access' to the outdoors but there is no minimum size for the outdoor enclosure. But that was written in 2002, and things may be different know for all I know. * Which is not a concern, so long as the chicken is cooked properly.

For a free-range chicken?

Here's a white chocolate ganache recipe. Basically its just like a regular ganache, except you have to use less cream or otherwise it is too soft.

Definitely!

Enchiladas are definitely one of my favorite dishes. A local restaurant makes a fabulous enchilada with a fairly mild red-brown (mostly brown) 'gravy'. I know that's not much of a description, but if anyone has a sauce recipe that fits that bill, I'd be eternally grateful. I'm also eager to hear any tips on preparing beef for beef enchiladas. andiesenji, as usual you've posted a recipe that makes me want to sprint to the kitchen and start cooking.

You rock, Lemon Curd! This is definitely one of the finest-looking results on this thread.

It sure will. In fact, there is really a rather narrow window between dark and yummy and dark and nasty. I'd go to about 350-360F.

1. I used a 9" springform, and baked at 330F. The recipe said to cook for 30-35 minutes, but it was closer to 45 for me to get a clean toothpick. 2. I liked the chiffon cake better because it was more spongy and less crumbly. I used a little more oil (2/3C) than the recipe called for, but I still want to increase the moisture a little more, maybe add 1/2C of buttermilk or sour cream. 3. To make the boiled frosting, I cooked 1.5C of sugar and 1/2C water to 240F. While the sugar is heating, I beat 4 whites to soft peaks. When the sugar was ready, I turned the mixer on high and poured the hot sugar into the side of the mixing bowl in a slow stream. Leaving the mixer on high, I dropped a tablespoon or so of strawberry preserves at a time into the mixer. I think I used maybe 1/3 to 1/2C. I think I beat for like 5 minutes. Just go til the frosting is thick enough to put on the cake, but not so thick you can't get it on the cake without tearing it up. EDIT to add that I incorrectly stated that the fat in the chiffon comes from vegetable oil. Actually, it had 6 yolks as well.

Silly question, but how big does the chicken cage/enclosure have to be for the chicken to be considered 'free-range'? Is there a certain minimum square-meter-per-chicken specification?

I'm not sure what the bake soda does. Perhaps it softens the skins by facilitating the absorption of water.

Alright, I think that the second cake I tried beats the last cake. This is a 'chiffon' strawberry cake- the whites are seperated, whipped firm and folded in, and the fat is from vegetable oil. Because strawberry Jello gave an edge in my last cake, I added half an envelope of it in this cake. The recipe is on this page. I used 8 whites, and covered it with a strawberry 'boiled icing' that tastes like strawberry marshmallow cream.

Sheesh that sounds good. I love Wendy's banana cake too. Its so good on its own, I bet its deadly with espresso-Kahlua.

To follow up, I tried this recipe yesterday. I creamed the butter and sugar, then split that in two, and made 1/2 the recipe with strawberry Jello and the other 1/2 without. I added about 1/4C extra preserves and some red gel color to the no-Jello cake. Bottom line is that the cake is pretty good, but all 3 people, including myself, who tried both cakes said that the cake with Jello was better.

Looks good, Daniel! I want to make that mousse again soon, but with coffee-infused milk. And I assure you that buying the book was a wise choice.