dougal
-
Posts
1,279 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by dougal
-
-
Three suggestions:
- make sure that its firmly seated. Even slight rocking of the scale or vibration of the worktop will give an unstable reading.
- beware electrical interference. Don't use it "close" to cables, other equipment, or radio transmitters like cellphones.
- and it is worth trying a fresh battery. Even if it isn't complaining.
-
However, when I looked on Ruhlman's blog, it was there: "My book, which is called Ratio, is about the fundamentals of cooking (and using weight-based ratios of basic ingredients), ... "
From looking at that blog entry, http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2009/02...e.html#comments it seems that he had a more generalised version of the 'Aha!' moment that I had when I discovered Bakers' Percent.
Using Bakers' Percent, one discovers that bread recipes almost all come down to something close to 3 weights of flour plus 2 weights of water or "66% hydration ± 5 or ±10 if you really must". AND that controlled variation within that range is responsible for one control over the type of bread you are making.
I can see the RATIOnality of that approach applied to other cooking areas.
Here's your middle of the road proportion, and here's a reasonable range to 'tinker' within to produce different characteristics.
Sure, when you churn and freeze a (creme anglaise) custard, you produce one type of ice cream (there are others!). However, I'd be surprised if the centre of the scale for creme anglaise was identical to the centre of the scale for proportions/ratios for ice cream-making.
While 'ratio' is important to an understanding of the process, scale (or rather quantity) is also important, unless you don't mind lots of leftovers. How much do I need for an 8 inch tin? Hey, can I freeze this leftover creme anglaise?
-
Michael Ruhlman has a new book coming out called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. Here's a blurb from that Amazon page:Ratios are the simple proportions of one ingredient to another. Biscuit dough is 3 : 1 : 2 -- or 3 parts flour, 1 part fat, and 2 parts liquid. This ratio is the beginning of many variations, and because the biscuit takes sweet and savory flavors with equal grace, you can top it with whipped cream and strawberries or sausage gravy. Vinaigrette is 3 : 1, or 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, and is one of the most useful sauces imaginable, giving everything from grilled meats and fish to steamed vegetables or lettuces intense flavor.
I'm very intrigued to hear more about this book. Ruhlman's last attempt at nailing the elements of cooking -- aptly titled The Elements of Cooking -- fell flat for me (you can read about why here) -- but I've been a fan of his "Chef" books. I'm also supportive of anyone thinking about weight-based ratios. Having said that, I'm a bit worried about oversimplification -- that biscuit dough up there gives me pause.
Anyone got a preview copy?
Thing is, I didn't spot the word "weight" within the Amazon blurbs.
And I admit, that I tend to make vinaigrette, (yes, me) ... by (eyeballed) volume ...
Well, liquids do have a much more reproducible density than loose solids.
And I'm surprised that Chris Hennes 'go to' bread recipe should be under 50% hydration in Bakers' Percent terms. Which is distinctly dry.
"Bakers' Percentages" are a longstanding (and excellent) ratio-based means of comparing (and scaling) bread recipes. Its such an obvious tool that its hard to discuss bread recipes without employing it.
Its a real surprise when one comes across a baker/author with a contrary habit. Lalos quotes his recipes based on a standardised one litre of water ...
-
... I don't know if Food Saver bags have been tested for leaching of undesirable chemicals under high temperature, and this question begs to be answered given the growing popularity of sous vide.
Ron, its not a problem with proper bags.
-
...
I agree that this is the most accurate. Unfortunately, my recipes aren't set up that way and I have neither the patience nor the brain power to convert every recipe I have or want to try.
If you have an investment in "cups only" recipes, it makes sense to have some measuring cups.
Weighing is more accurate -- but only if you are following a specification in the form of weights.
'Converting' cups to weights will do nothing for accuracy. All the reasons that cups are "wrong, just wrong" are the exact same reasons that its not possible to do an accurate conversion from volume to weight. If the density were a constant, it'd just be arithmetic -- but with loose solids, the packing density can be highly variable.
However, 'converting' and then weighing out quantities should make for much greater consistency when repeating a recipe. {And weighing your own cup measurements, while you cook, is an easy way to make conversions.}
All that said, I'd suggest that no kitchen is 'well equipped' if it lacks a scale.
Digital kitchen scales should be widely available under $20. There's quite a choice in the UK in the £10 region. And they work, rather well.
And not only in the kitchen! -
... so I thought I'd throw out the question and learn from others about what's accurate.
Weighing.
Really. Much more accurate.
-
I've always used tinned, oil-packed (usually skinless) anchovy fillets for use as though 'larding' beef and lamb.
They 'melt away' just as they do in sauce-making.
Does the same really happen with salt-packed anchovies ?
I've had the impression that those were favoured when you didn't want them to disappear.
-
... Directors were paid £2.1m in total for the year.
** The business employs 801 staff (713 restaurant staff). Average wage was £15,739 (which says it all about the industry, really).
...
Clearly that must mean a LOT of people on VERY low wages - but nevertheless it'd be interesting to hear just how that average was calculated (accounting for staff turnover, 'part-timers', etc).
If its wages divided by full-time headcount, then actually rather more than half are going to be getting below that 'average'.
-
I do rather wonder just how Mr R would respond to the suggestion of allowing a finance consultant freedom to poke around in the cupboards (and files) to make a TV programme offering helpful, practical advice on the measures Mr R should be taking to turn around HIS OWN seemingly rather over-extended business?
Its not the gist of his reaction that I wonder about, more the Richter scale measurement of it!
-
Kaffeehaus?
-
...
The three-and-a-bit stores went into Administration on 20th February.
The Administrator continued trading, in the expectation of selling the business.
By 25th February, the outlets were under the ownership of Spice Bakery - seemingly a company newly created for this acquisition and part of Patisserie Holdings, itself a vehicle of Luke Johnson, a very successful "serial entrepreneur". Details here: -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Johnson_(businessman)
Patisserie Holdings (and thus "Spice Bakery") seems to be backed by "private equity firm Risk Capital Partners". http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...erie-chain.html
The problem with prepack Administration is that the people owed money by the old business don't generally get any involvement - or much (if any) of the money they are owed.
...
There's a snippet in the business pages of today's Times about "Risk Capital Partners".
That too is Mr Johnson. Or at least partly.
He and his partner have put in £25 million. And raised another £50 million from others, according to the article.
It is suggested that they paid £500,000 for Baker & Spice.
Sounds cheap to me for the assets of three (and a bit) shops (depends on the leases as to HOW cheap) and a well-established brand presence.
Wonder how much of their debts the suppliers might ever get back? (After all, there's the cost of the discreet marketing exercise, etc to come out before anyone else sees a penny.)
And BTW, Mr Johnson was reported by The Times as being "excited by the opportunities from the credit crunch" ...
-
http://tinyurl.com/c26lpw
^^can you fine cooks and chefs tell me what these are for?
I have a huge pet peeve in watching cooking shows and seeing chefs/cooks use rubber spatulas to stir things in pots and pans. Rubber spatulas to ME are for scraping down bowls of batter or getting the last bits of mayo or peanut butter out of jars. They just seem awkward in stirring in pans, especially since the tip is so soft and wont get up crispy brown bits and things can burn.
Is it just me?
There needs be a little clarification.
Rubber.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there were rubber-based spatulas - used for scraping out all the cake mix or whipped cream or whatever from mixing bowls. Or as you say, getting the very last out of jars. These tools were not designed for 'hot' use.
Tools for that job migrated first to plastics, and nowadays to silicone.
However, just as there are different plastics, so too are there different silicones.
Some (but not all) silicones are excellent for high temperature use.
Check the label carefully!
I have a couple of different-sized spatulas by Chef'n. (Amazon are one source here in the UK.) They are excellent for hot and cold use. I also have an (unbranded) chunky spoon, which, while not really much use as a spoon, is an excellent stirrer, with a bottom 'lip' that, while flexy enough to wipe surfaces effectively, is stiff enough to 'unstick' things like roast potatoes.
I stress the importance of checking the labelling for the tool's acceptable temperature range because the set of 'silicone' tools that I bought and then returned after I'd read their instructions specifying 'not for use on the stove' --- looked very much like the one's in the linked picture...
"Read the instructions for a Spatula? Me?"
Yes, it is worth checking.
Really!
-
Hansjoakim, in my understanding, baguettes are normally "highish hydration". This helps produce the big holes.
Agreed that so much over 70% is unusual, but to produce the award-winning best baguette, you need to push to the extreme. (EDIT: Reading back the merged thread, one sees Jackal10 using 72%}
I'd say close to 70% was more usual {EDIT: than the 64/68% you suggest} -- but that's not the point!
The topic of this thread {EDIT: now 'section of this thread' } WAS slashing of collapsing high hydration doughs...
IMHO, it was misleading to suggest that if a dough had a high hydration, then it wouldn't need slashing.
I offered that link specifically to demonstrate an extreme high hydration dough, producing lots of oven spring, and with a more-than-nice grigne in the absolutely essential slashes.
If one is slashing, like the original poster, then its in the hope or expectation of a fair amount of spring.
But you won't get that from an overproofed dough. Especially after it has collapsed.
The op {EDIT: MikeJ, now the poster of #28 in this thread - ie http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1648099 } reported that his dough collapsed on slashing.
Jackal10 helpfully explained that as indicating over-proofing. Its a (maybe the) classic symptom of over proof.
The collapse is not going to be due to the "high hydration".
So the op needs to sort out the proofing time and temperature. (Less. Quite possibly of both.)
And not to faff about with trying to slash after the baking has started {as MikeJ considered for remediation in his post}.
-
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/8066/grea...03-anis-bouabsaTuesday morning, we decided to go visit the Duc de la Chapelle, Anis Bouabsa's bakery in Paris. As you probably know, he won this year's {2008} Best Baguette. The bakery is situated in a modest neighborhood, far from the typical tourist traps and chic areas. ...Now, what he told us was actually quite surprising! The baguette dough has a 75% hydration, very little yeast, hardly kneaded, folded three times in one hour then placed in the fridge 21hrs. They are not fully risen when placed in the oven, it is the wet dough and the very very hot oven (250°C) that make give the volume. ...
Baguettes may perhaps be made differently in the USA.
ADDED
So not especially low protein (though lower than US 'bread flour') and definitely NOT "high ash" (meaning not high minerals, not high bran).For the baguette, he said that of course he learned with the T55 but uses T65. His other breads are sourdough, but the baguette is yeast, and he doesn't use a poolish, just relying on the very long, cool fermentation.He uses an organic flour for one of his breads, but doesn't systematically because he'd have to pay a tax in order to be labelled "organic". He doesn't think it's worth it. His flour is "Label Rouge" which is a quality control label used for food products. I think he uses different millers. It is just a very high quality non-organic flour. He showed us the T65, T80 and the T150.
-
If the dough is very high hydration (like ciabatta), slashing isn't necessary (or traditional).
Ummm. No, thats not quite the whole story.
Raising the subject of ciabatta seems to have diverted the thread somewhat.
Ciabatta is not typical of high hydration doughs.
Slashing IS an essential AND traditional part of (for example) baguette making. Which uses a distinctly high hydration dough.
However, as Jackal10 points out, such doughs should not be over-proofed, and it sure sounds as though yours is!
So try dramatically shortening the proof time -- unless you actually intend heading into ciabatta territory.
A high hydration, erring on the side of under-proofing, good slashes, a hot stone and an initially humid oven is the making of great oven spring.
-
... I suspect that in the oven the lid heats up to the same temperature as the rest of the pot keeping liquid from condensing. ...
Yes.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1647483
As with Tagine and Doufeu, its the coolness of the lid that promotes condensation.
Which is why a Tagine (or your pot), inside the oven, is just like an ordinary pot.
-
Have checked and now certain.
1982 "Indian Cookery"
1994 "Illustrated Indian Cookery"
2008 "Curries" - published by BBC Books/Ebury (Random House) ISBN 978 1 846 07549 http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/madhur-j...book-3780-p.asp
Which according to the flyleaf has the same recipe collection as the earlier pair.
At least three different titles in the UK alone.
BTW, don't get the idea that the 1982 original lacked photo illustrations. It didn't - its just that the writing was the main thing.
And there was also a 2002 republishing of "Illustrated" - with different illustrations - and dropping the word "Illustrated" from the title... http://www.eburypublishing.co.uk/viewbook....txt=&searchopt= -- which seems to be the 'Indian Cooking' available from Amazon US in a 2003 US edition which (despite the identical cover illustration) doubtless differs from the UK 2002 original in more ways than the subtle change of title!
It seems to be that the 2002 edition is what has been re-launched in 2008 as "Curries" (with the different ISBN). The photographs in Curries are ©2002 and ©1994
To repeat "Curries" is a wretched title for a book that goes far deeper than that preconception!
Anyway, whichever version, this is the book that originally established her.
And these titles have nothing to do with "The Curry Bible" -- or her "The Ultimate Curry Bible".
There's yet another title called "Curries and Kebabs" though ...
I did START by saying that it was confusing, didn't I?
-
... the iSi silicone tagines ... Micro and oven safe but no stove top use. ...
OK. I've become a traditionalist throwback!
A tagine (any tagine) is a decorative item.
But it also has a functional raison d'etre.
On top of a stove or fire, the large conical lid is cooled by the air. The cool lid condenses the steam inside, which retains liquid - so dishes aren't cooked with lots of liquid. They don't need it.
But it can only act in this way as a reflux condenser IF the lid is cool.
And the lid can't be cool if the thing is inside the oven, and heated from all around.
It only works properly (by which I mean at all differently to a more conventionally shaped pot) on the stovetop or above a fire.
So a tagine that cannot be used on the stovetop is a bit of a chocolate teapot.
But a microwave tagine?
You'll need to give me a while to think about how that works with the concept of tagine cookery...
There is another cooking vessel designed as a reflux condenser, which should be at least equally functional, albeit perhaps not as decorative. LeCreuset's 'doufeu'.
-
No disrespect to anyone, but be sure you know all of the facts before making accusatory statements.
Here's a little more info:
Kit, I see that you are writing from California, so please pardon my asking whether you are sure that you know about "pre-pack Administration"?
The report which you have linked actually confirms the essence of Che's report.
And no facts to contradict Che's statements.
The three-and-a-bit stores went into Administration on 20th February.
The Administrator continued trading, in the expectation of selling the business.
By 25th February, the outlets were under the ownership of Spice Bakery - seemingly a company newly created for this acquisition and part of Patisserie Holdings, itself a vehicle of Luke Johnson, a very successful "serial entrepreneur". Details here: -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Johnson_(businessman)
Patisserie Holdings (and thus "Spice Bakery") seems to be backed by "private equity firm Risk Capital Partners". http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...erie-chain.html
The problem with prepack Administration is that the people owed money by the old business don't generally get any involvement - or much (if any) of the money they are owed.
You might be interested to read up on the process in this article referring to Tom Aikins recent pre-pack : -
http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...-spotlight.html
Colourful language from a celebrity chef is not unusual, but when Tom Aikens last month admitted that he felt like a "shitbag" after leaving his suppliers in the lurch following the administration of his restaurants it was a different thing entirely.Aikens's mea culpa followed criticism that he had acted despicably by putting his restaurant business into administration and then immediately buying it back - minus almost £1m of debts - in a process called pre-pack administration.
The move highlighted why pre-packs - used by hospitality operators such as Aikens, FishWorks, Duchy Catering and Laurel Pubs in recent months - have become the subject of much controversy.
Personally, I think its open to question as to whether less than a week of "a discreet marketing exercise" (quote from your link, Kit) would be the best way to safeguard the monetary interests of those that had provided credit to the business. All the more so, since they weren't even told about it until after the sale had gone through.
Discreet?
Oh yes, very discreet! Some might even say 'hush-hush'.
-
It gets confusing because her publishers have tended to adjust the title when re-publishing.
And her works have been re-published rather a lot!
Assuming that we are talking strictly Indian here, because that is her native specialism AND what she first became known for...
I think the original (BBC) "Indian Cookery" - which I believe has been recently republished as Mahdur Jaffrey's Curries - has a whole lot more than curries and was what rightly established her reputation. Start there, I'd suggest.
Alternatively, A Taste of India is divided into regional sections, and should enable you to achieve the appropriate look of disdain whenever anyone tries to generalise about 'Indian' cuisine - which Indian cuisine, pray tell?
-
Could it be that the cold marble in the cold winter air (my kitchen's poorly heated) is interfering with rising?
Oh yes, indeed!
Yeast, broadly speaking, likes the same sort of temperatures we do.
Its really happy at blood heat.
50C, 125F, (round numbers) kills it. Don't go there!
Yeast doesn't like cold particularly, but it takes a lot of cold to actually kill it.
What I see happening with my yeast in the cold, is that at warm-fridge temperature, (like 6C, 44F) the yeast slows right down. This can be great for flavour. It allows lots of 'rise' time for other microbiology to do stuff. And that's where the flavour comes from. But the yeast is s-l-o-w, taking at least overnight to rise like it would do in an hour at 25/30C.
At 6C or so, (top shelf in the fridge), my yeast has slowed down at least 10x.
But take it just a little bit colder, like down to 2C, 35F, and that small change seems to slow the yeast right down, maybe by another 10x, so that its then about 100x slower than in a nice warm bakery room. ("Nothing's happening!")
I don't know exactly how cold Beauregard's marble slab might get in winter, and I'm certain he's going to be using different yeast to me, but I think it does sound like he's 'hitting the wall' on temperature, and just getting a little too cold for his yeast to do much of anything.
Find it somewhere just very slightly warmer!
Be nice to it!
A thermometer that records maximum and minimum temperatures would be helpful here.
Such thermometers are sold really cheaply in gardening shops.
And most digital room thermometers have a max/min facility.
Optimum. Hmmm.Is there an optimum temperature for rising?Optimum for maximising production quantity in your facility (ie maximum rise speed) is usually going to be a little above room temperature, like 90/100F (around 35C).
But for optimum taste, slower is better. Overnight is fine for the bread if its fine for you. I'd suggest you aim for something like 50/55F, (10/12C) and adjust to suit your yeast, your schedule and your targets for taste and crust colour (long cool fermentation gives a more ruddy colour to the crust).
-
Edward J writes with wisdom.
Check eBay. Search for "pocket scales".
There's a vast choice of styles.
These things are not "kitchen scales" - but they are great for stuff that needs to be measured in small quantities. In my case, yeast and salt for bread-making, cure No 1 and saltpetre for charcuterie.
I recently wrecked my first such scales (after a couple of years) - internal corrosion seemingly resulting from setting it down on a worktop puddle.
I didn't grieve, just went to eBay and found a newer better spec in the same format/appearance (now for rather less money) and upgraded from 100g x 0.01g to a 200g x 0.01g. The new one has a backlit (more legible) display too.
And still uses ordinary AAA batteries.
I reckon that getting the 0.01g version means I can confidently expect it to be accurate to 0.1g. Precision and accuracy aren't quite the same thing!
For maximum accuracy (you don't need it) choose a model with a calibration facility and invest a couple of dollars in a calibration weight. This is probably more important for high value cash deals than for cooking. But its nice to know you can do it. Easily.
My opinion: Phenomenal bargain. Not a waste.
Then, just find yourself some Dixie Cups for use as scale pans.
But don't get the thing wet and fail to notice.
-
"Repackage" just means translate (in the case of the French stuff) and edit for content. Truly, though, we were working with recipes that have been making the publishing rounds for years, and are simply redone every few years with new photos and graphics. Clever, no?
The conversions were done with gourmetsleuth.com (by which I mean me running every ingredient and amount through it), which someone mentioned upthread.
While I don't care all that much about the loss of precision in making a mechanical (as opposed to kitchen) conversion from grams to cups for the US market, I'd really really hate to pay for a book that someone had "converted" from cups to grams in that fashion.
-
As per the fishmonger I'm eating farmed Scottish Salmon.
...
I strongly doubt you'll come to any harm.
However, especially for eating raw, you might choose to 'go the extra mile' and get the Organic grade. Lower 'stocking density' (less crowded cages), less problems, less inputs. A little closer to a wild fish - but distinctly paler flesh than standard farmed because of the absence of colouring in the feed.
The main problems with farmed Atlantic Salmon are external parasites, and the treatments used to minimise this problem. Not that great for the environment, or the residues in the fish flesh. Massively less of a problem with the 'organic' regime.
But, for those eating Pacific 'salmon' raw (or very rare), it would be best to ensure that someone has frozen it hard, and kept it that way for a few hours at least. DIY if it hasn't been done for you.
prune log recipe?
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Devils on Horseback!