hosinmigs
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Posts posted by hosinmigs
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So had a trip to the wife's family last week. Her grandmother is downsizing and knew that I like to cook, so she had me go through her cookbooks.
The history buff in me immediately reached for the oldest, Helen Cramp's The Institute Cookbook from 1913. Turns out it was her mother's (my wife's great grandmother) only cookbook. The thing is really cool. Old illustrations about the perfect kitchen, recipes for oddities like Terrapin soup, and lots of family hand-written recipes.
I was really touched that she let (actually made) me keep it. Got me thinking...
What's your oldest cookbook and how did you come to acquire it? Any special stories? What are the good recipes?
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Good suggestions all. Thanks. Jeff, I like the squirt bottle. So simple, but yet important. I cheaped out and bought the 99 cent version. It stinks. I'll have to invest in something else, I think.
I'm curious what Reinhart has to say about this. I seem to recall he goes through some of this in Apprentice. I'll have to check it out.
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Good advice. It's interesting how much crap they sell getting people to believe it's required.
I'm surprised no one even mentioned a proofing box - homemade or otherwise.
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Hey all,
Working on improving my bread skills. I'm now thinking of upgrading my equipment list to hopefully make things a bit better. I realize that you can make pretty great bread at home with minimal tools, but I was wondering what everyone's opinions were of the required equipment.
Obviously we can assume an oven, etc. But aside from that, what are the top needs? For example, do I really need a special loaf pan for baguettes?
Thanks.
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Mark - You know how I feel about those cakes already. (Strongly!)
Mona - I haven't had apple fritters for YEARS. Absolutely gorgeous.
I made Polenta Biscotti with Pistachios & Cinnamon today - Kinda going for that Autumn feel.
By the way, how do you guys take such beautiful food photos? I must be missing the set up. Any tips? I'm sure there's a forum dedicated to this, but the search function of egullet and I don't always agree on what's relevant.
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We went apple picking last weekend, which here in MD, is on the late side. The pickins was slim. But, I found a few tart pink ladies and granny smiths, so I decided to try out a new recipe and go for an quick apple strudel from Cooks Illustrated.
First lesson, check oven before timer with new recipe. I turned the crap out of the phyllo. ugh. My wife still ate it though!
Maybe I'll just go with the old standby next... uuummmmmm ppppiiieeeee
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I'm starting to branch out a bit and get in to lattes and other non-press coffees. I've found that I enjoy lattes, but when I make them at home, I don't make a true latte. I've been using a Bialetti stove top for the coffee, and then heating an equal part milk in the nuker, frothing it with a cheap handheld device, and then pouring in the coffee.
So, two questions at this point:
1. If I order out, what do I order that is equal parts milk and coffee? Lattes are 3:1 milk to coffee, correct?
2. How can I get a better froth without spending a ton of money?
Thanks!
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Home cook, obviously. Is the classic shallot sauce, like that served at Les Halles and other bistros, simply demi-glace, red wine, shallots and butter? Or am I missing some serious ingredient. I'm going to shoot for the stars this weekend and make a demi-glace. Laugh all you want
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Now I have to try a side by side test. There's just no way around it.
Next step is finding the right pumpkin. Have no idea where...
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This may be a bit late, but I'm thinking of using a left over Halloween pumpkin for a pumpkin roll or a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.
I've never used "fresh" pumpkin. Any thoughts on how to prep it? Do I have to bake it first or can I just process it in the Quizinart? And is it worth the effort? Will the taste be that much better?
Thanks....
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I doubt very much you could, as a commercial venture, use raw (i.e. unpasteurized) materials in baked goods.
You mean, you have to cook your eggs before using them as an ingredient in baked goods?
Federal law bans the interstate sale of unpasteurized milk. Some states ban the intrastate sale of unpasteurized milk, and some don't. However, if you are using milk as an ingredient in baked good, the ingredient is no longer sold "raw." In most cases I imagine the baked goods will achieve temperatures during baking that pasteurize the milk. So I wonder if the federal and state laws apply to use of raw milk as an ingredient in baked goods, or just to the sale of raw milk itself.
I thought about that. Since you're essentially pasteurizing the milk and eggs during cooking, what risk is there? But, also, what reward? Since you're cooking or baking with it, how much difference would it make in the end product? Of course, there are numerous other environmental benefits, but how much would taste be affected?
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This is going to be an unfocused question, but....
I'm reading On Food and Cooking and it has just been fascinating. And it got me thinking about how far one can actually go to get local, fresh ingredients, especially given government regulations.
For example, if I was so inclined, could I open a bakery and use raw milk, eggs from my chickens, butter from my cows, and maybe even my own cheese? It seems like maybe that's not even possible. Furthermore, is it even a good business model? Do consumers really care that the basic ingredients came from land within 100 miles from that bakery? I assume in places like maybe Vermont and N. CA, it might be possible. But I imagine no one really cares in Missouri, etc...
What does everyone think? What's worth it and what's not? Is taste from local fresh ingredients even the biggest issue?
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Wow Busboy, you've hit a nerve. Two pages of detailed posts already.
My thought is this...everyone that Tom responds to in this column are whiners. I used to read it, but I've given up, as I never seem to have the problems these poor people are having. Sure, the reservations are lost and service is poor, but usually it's something trivial like this.
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Even after the tomato sauce failure, I am itching to try both the fried chicken and the pie crusts.
I also had that problem with his sauce. Way way too sweet. I think maybe just the sugar was off. Can't remember how much it called for, but I think it was more than a tablespoon. I had a problem with the pizza crust as well. So salty I couldn't eat it. But I heard later that the salt was off in the recipe, even by his own admission.
The pie crust on the other hand, is amazing. Lard seems to make all the difference. It's flaky, moist, and very flavorful. I watched that episode one time and have now made more pies than my mother in her entire lifetime. It's just wonderful.
I'm a bit biased though. I love the show, and think Alton seems like a great, down to earth guy.
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I was a little dissapointed with last night's show. The crap drama between Marcel and Betty was annoying and it took time away from the dishes.
I was betting on Mike being eliminated, my girlfriend on Emily. Clearly she is a royal biotch (I HATE KIDS and her fat ass doesn't need sugar) and a hateful person. It was like sweet justice to see her go down on something as basic as seasoning when she was claiming what a great high-end cook she is.
And I loved that the pastry chef once again bombed on two pastry dishes. It cracks me up that a guy who's never made ice cream beat her.
My bet on the winner is Cliff. He seems very versatile and damn good. Ilan will also be strong. I hope Betty gets her ass-kissing self booted quickly or I'm going to shoot a puppy.
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Spoiler alert for episode two...
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So, who can tell me the difference between a traitor and a whistle-blower?
What happened was, as team Korea exited the store after bying their ingredients for the elimination challenge, Otto was caught on tape making the comment "I think we got those lychee for free" to Marisa. Some time into the cooking process, Marisa told Tom about it, who confronted Otto, and Otto went back to the store to return it (oddly, during the judgement, they showed some "confessional" interviews where team members complained that Otto was gone for a long time while they were cooking). Otto appologized and bowed out.
Maybe I missed something, but if the team left with stuff they didn't pay for, wouldn't that be the responsibility of the entire team? Obviously, if Otto discovered it, but didn't do anything to correct it, shame on him -- but if every other member of the team failed to discover it, shame on them, too. And doubly so on Marisa for not discovering it, but after being told about it, still didn't do anything about it -- except of course back at the base, when she could save her own ass by informing on Otto.
As I said, I might have missed something, but this didn't seem right to me. Sometimes you are overcharged, and sometimes you're undercharged -- I reckon it evens out in the end. This totally reminded me of the incident in the first series where the Irish dude used his finger to taste a sauce. Ie., they made a lot of hoopla because this is on TV.
I see zero points being handed out for team spirit here. And I guess it makes sense that the contestants act that way, but in turn, that means that these team challenges are completely meaningless -- and are merely a ploy to create conflict.
Couldn't agree more. I think Marissa is a spinless biotch who is going to take every opportunity to screw her competitors. If I were a pastry chef and I let my whole team down like that, I would bow out, not Otto.
Yeah, Otto made a mistake. And yes, he should have paid a price (need to make an example out of him because it's on TV). But, I think he showed his true character by stepping down. He was the bigger man in this situation, bar none.
My girlfriend and I were seriously rooting for Marissa to leave. I love how she says in this episode, "you have to play by the rules. That's very important to me." But earlier in the season it was, "I'll use my sexuality to get ahead." Give me a freakin break...
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I think the easiest things to incorporate are probably nuts and peppers. I can't say peppers evoke autumn for me, but maybe they do in Mexico. I don't know.
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As I'm reading this, I see that chiantiglaze is also reading it. So, I hope he's up to the challenge. I can't imagine he would say no to something so compelling.
I can't wait to see what happens next. It's like a great cliff hanger on the news
edit: I'm an idiot. (Note to self - read previous Iron Baker challenge before posting in NEW Iron Baker challenge.)
Great luck Anthony.
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Dorie,
I had a bit of a problem with the bittersweet brownies. They didn't seem like the best of the brownie choices, but I didn't have other ingredents, so I gave them a shot.
Anyway, I followed the recipe as best I could. I used the same size pan and the same 325 on the oven. I think the cooking time was listed as 20-22 minutes. I took them out after 40 and they were still undercooked.
I have a few thoughts and I was hoping maybe you could shed some light on the situation. I having a baking stone on the rack that I leave there all the time. I just bake everything on it. The brownies were no exception. However, I suppose the stone could have been cold (not enough preheating), hence not enough cooking on the bottom. I also suppose my oven could be way off. But, that would have to be significantly off to produce that sort of difference. The last thing I can think is the recipe. It calls for baking them in the pan lined with tinfoil. I've never done this, so I'm not sure, but I thought maybe instead of the metal conducting the heat, it blocked it. But, that doesn't make sense, so....
Any thoughts on my looooonnnnng baking time? Ever had problems with these?
Thanks much.
Ian
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Although a customer 'through and through' I had an interesting discussion with a restaurant owner about coffee. His opinion was that it was WAY underpriced. Typically customers sit and drink coffee for a long time (let's say 20 mins - he estimated longer). And that's time he, as a businessman, is without his asset of a table - that he could potentially turn over to a new customer. He raised the price of coffee to $5 and claims that his profit margins improved. Some people now pay extra and some don't order and leave faster allowing him to turn the table!
I initiated a small test of myself - and indeed I do linger for longer when I have coffee, so maybe he has a point. [NOTE: Of course this assumes a continuing supply of customers].
This is interesting because I believe this is how they do it in many parts of Europe, no? At least I think that's the case in France in some cafes. You sit inside, you pay more. You stand at the counter or take it to go, you pay less. In essence you are paying for the table.
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OK, maybe this is where the disconnect is, though I'm not exactly sure what you mean by Cafe Filtre (drip?). I didn't go for the espresso. I'm not a huge fan. I was talking about the brewed coffee, where they seemed to already mix in the milk. Not a latte or cap. Is that a traditional cafe au lait? I thought those were more half milk, half coffee, which I don't believe I had.
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Interesting responses. My gf and I both decided we want to stab Marcel. I don't know if he's trying to fill a role, if the editing is filling the roll for him, or if he's truly just a little snot nose punk. Either way, I guess it makes for good TV.
I hate the manufactured drama as well. But, this is reality TV and reality TV must have that, I think. To me, the biggest frustration lies in the judge's table segments. It was like 20 minutes of the show. That's a third. Just way way too much. I'd rather see more cooking and less crap. But, we're foodies here, so I guess that makes sense.
I was sad Suyai got cut. She seemed like fun. And the crappy pastry chef. Give me a freaking break. "I use my sexuality to get what I want." Broades like her give women a bad name. Why not cook lady? And on top of that, YOU'RE FUGLY!
haha, I love the show already.
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I'm sure this has been done before, but I'm having a hard time using the search function....
Anywho, wondering if folks would mind briefly describing what they do (if professional pastry-related) for those of us curious about various aspects of the industry.
I'm also particularly interested in the shift. As a future student, I'm interested in working mornings, but I'm thinking that may completely cut out restaurants. Any truth to my thoughts?
Hopefully this isn't repost hell for anyone.
Pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
It was a project three years in the making. (I had a son and ran out of time last year). Yesterday I took a baking pumpkin and did a side-by-side test with fresh pumpkin and canned pumpkin in a pie-off.
The recipes were identical and I used store-bought crust to take away any potential advantages. The recipe was off the back of the Libby pumpkin. No reason to get fancy here.
Then I had my family taste it and I brought it into work today to have some co-workers taste it.
The result? Split. My family overwhelmingly liked the fresh pumpkin. At work they were split down the middle. My guess is because people are used to the canned taste. My preference is fresh. It had a much richer, complex flavor that I found to be far superior. The taste evoked the things pumpkin pie should--freshness, spice, and generally just that taste of fall. By comparison the canned pumpkin was flat and flavorless.
I can't post a pic, but the fresh was a lighter yellow color, which I found more appealing as well. It's thinner because one pumpkin only gave me a cup of pumpkin instead of the two needed for the recipe.
All in all, totally worth it. Honestly the hardest part was splitting it in half. That's discussed more here: