mktye

First off -- I am not a professional, but I do have some experience with dessert buffets in my own home. My husband is military and every one or two years (depending on our rotation schedule) we host a Holiday Open House for his coworkers and employees. These parties have ranged in size from 50 to 350 people. I do all the baking myself and usually make from 2 to 3 dozen different types of cookies (bars, piped, crisp, soft, plain, decorated, etc.), candies and a few pastries if I am feeling particulary ambitious that year. The biggest thing I've learned is that people like to know what they are eating. Yes, that means little signs. Usually, just a decriptive name of the item, but if that is not clue enough I put the predominent flavors in parenthesis under the name. Maybe it is due to the conservative food tastes of our guests, but I've had items that were not touched one year and where totally devoured in subsequent years once they were identified. A memorable example: basic sugar cookie pinwheels with a dab of Nutella in the middle. I would not normally think of them as particularly threatening, but I guess people were worried about that dark blob of something -- is it chocolate or some kind of fruit? Anyway, in today's world of special diets and food phobias, I think the general public likes to know for certain what they are putting into their mouths. Yes, the little bits of nuts, candied fruit or whatever garnish should be enough of a sign, but sadly, I don't think many people know enough about cooking to grasp that subtle hint.

I consider you artists in addition to pastry chefs. I can make cakes that taste great, but have no talent beyond the most basic of decorating. And certainly nowhere near the realm of Annie's creations. I think her signature line "Food Artist" is very appropriate.

Personal opinion here -- I feel that for basic dessert building blocks, some of the really old cookbooks are the best. IMO, it is because a lot of people baked and ate homemade desserts with regularity back then (without fear of eggs, butter and sugar) and good taste/texture was more important than quick, easy or healthy. My old Betty Crocker was my grandmother's (it includes her notes in the margins so it is extra special) and contains 30 pages (!) of just the american-style cakes (i.e. not sponge). I don't think I've ever used this cookbook for anything other than sweets & breads, but the other sections are quite amusing to read. For example: "The clever wife has a simple appetizing cocktail (cold in summer, hot in winter) ready for her weary husband when he comes home at night." And that is the fun part! Once again, thank you Sinclair for starting these threads. And also to everyone else -- I usually am all alone in my kitchen when I get into a find-the-best-recipe frenzy and it is great to be part of a group effort.

Just a frustrated chemist. 3-1/3 cups sifted cake flour 2 cups sugar 1 tsp. salt 5 tsp. baking powder 1 cup butter 1-1/3 cups water+milk (50/50 ratio) 2 tsp. vanilla 6 egg whites (3/4 cup), unbeaten Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix in butter. Pour in water, milk and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into two 8” round pans or one 9” square pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until done. My husband managed to survive the cake tasting ordeal, but he wants to know when we're going to start testing pies and/or puddings!

Tortured my family and friends with white cakes this weekend. Now they are sorry they complained about the banana cakes! Detecting the differences between the white cakes was much more difficult (and tedious). Cakes tasted: 1. mkFradin’s cake from Dede Wilson’s “Wedding Cake” (as written) 2. mkFradin’s cake from Dede Wilson’s “Wedding Cake” (with addition of ½ tsp. salt) 3. Delicious White Cake from “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book”, First Edition, Fifth Printing, 1950 (recipe uses whipped egg whites) 4. TrishCT’s Snow White Cake (substituted 1 cup and 2 Tbsp cake flour for each cup of AP flour, omitted the almond extract and used an equal amount of additional vanilla) 5. Rich White Cake adapted from recipe in “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book”, First Edition, Fifth Printing, 1950 (recipe at end of post) Tasting Notes: Blind tasting. Five tasters. All the cakes were unfrosted. Did not include almond extract in any of the recipes because, IMO, it seemed like comparing apples and oranges. Points based on : 1st place vote = 5 points 2nd place vote = 4 points 3rd place vote = 3 points 4th place vote = 2 points 5th place vote = 1 point (The differences in cake heights are due to different pan sizes) Results: 1. mkFradin’s cake (as written, without salt) 6 Points – One 4th place vote and four 5th place votes. While definitely a good cake, tasters felt it tasted a little flat and one even said that it was not sweet enough(!). 2. mkFradin’s cake (with addition of ½ tsp. salt) (This picture is of a slice taken from the layer that was a bit underdone – note the dark streak near the top. However, the fully cooked layer was the one tasted.) 15 Points -- Two 2nd place votes, one 3rd place vote and two 4th place votes. This recipe was liked much better with the addition of salt. However, both of the cakes using this recipe (with and without salt) came out a bit more dense than I expected and closer in texture to pound cake. Some tasters really liked the texture, while others did not. 3. Delicious White Cake from “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book" 16 Points – One 2nd place vote, and four 3rd place votes. This cake was very similar in both taste and texture to TrishCT’s cake and most of the tasters had a difficult time telling the difference between them. This makes sense since the recipes are almost identical (except this recipe called for less butter). 4. TrishCT’s Snow White Cake (made with cake flour and no almond ext.) 14 Points -- One 1st place vote, one 2nd place vote, two 4th place votes and one 5th place vote. Also a good cake. Like the above cake, it came down more to if the tasters liked a lighter cake or a more dense cake. 5. Rich White Cake adapted from a recipe in “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book” 24 Points – Four 1st place votes and one 2nd place vote. This cake had a texture somewhat between the whipped egg white cakes and mkFradin’s cake. What really set it apart was its flavor. Not quite sure why it tasted better… the biggest difference is that this recipe uses ½ milk and ½ water for the liquid. It also has the most salt (1 tsp.) of any of the recipes. As the person making the cakes, I liked the ease of the cakes that do not require whipping the egg whites. Less bowls to wash. Overall, all of the cakes were excellent. Fine crumb, moist and tender without rubberiness. My initial impression on tasting the cakes was that they were all surprisingly similar. With the addition of frosting and/or filling, I’m not sure one could easily tell them apart. I also prefer a touch of almond flavor in my cakes, but I feel that preference is quite subjective (in fact, my one taster hates the flavor of almonds). There are two more recipes for white cake in my old Betty Crocker cookbook that I have yet to try out, but I’ve been threatened with dire consequences if I make another cake for at least a month! Rich White Cake Recipe: 250 g (2½ cups) sifted cake flour (340 g) 1½ cups sugar ¾ tsp. salt 3½ tsp. baking powder 175 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter 130 g (½ cup, 4 fl. oz.) milk 115 g (½ cup, 4 fl. oz.) water 1½ tsp. vanilla 128 g (½ cup or 4 large) egg whites Mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix in butter. Pour in water, milk and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into two 8” round pans or one 9” square pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until done. ( If anyone is interested, I also have the amounts for two 9” rounds, but only the volume measurements.)

Try searching for "Texas Sheetcake" which is another name for what Toliver suggests. I suspect you'll find lots of hits. Also, if you'd like, I can PM you the Texas Sheetcake recipe I always use when doing a TX BBQ-themed dinner.

I made the mkFradin cake and agree with lorea's comments. It tasted very nice, but a bit flat to me. Possibly the lack of salt? I almost threw in a 1/2 teaspoon, but decided to make the recipe first as written. Also, the cake came out a littler more dense than I expected. Very fine crumb and tender, but not as light as most of the banana cake recipes (for comparison) from the other thread. Hmm, maybe my baking powder is kaput.

If I am going to get flour all over the counters/mixer/floor/kitchen anyway, why not whip up a couple of extra loaves of bread, some cookies and a cake...

Hi all, I've been knee deep in banana cakes and now I'm trying to catch up with white cake testing developments. What I've gleaned from re-reading this thread: Samaki and KThull both like the mkFradin's version of Dede Wilson's cake better than their recipes. Is this correct? What about TrishCT's cake? Has anyone tested it against the mkFradin cake? Right now I am planning on making the mkFradin cake, TrishCT's cake and my own recipe. Are there any others in the running? Thanks!

Oh my, we made total piggies of ourselves last night at Zaytinya. A big “thank you” to all those who recommended this restaurant. My opinion on the quality of D.C. food might finally be changed for the better (when we lived here before I would usually leave restaurants grumbling about paying $$$$ for food that I could make better at home). Hustling over for a 6:30 reservation turned out to be the right decision since there were two large parties there last night and a definite wait for people arriving around 7:00. I had studied (yes, very type-A of me) the online menu beforehand, but we still spent a good deal of time attempting to decide on what to eat. In fact, we ended up holding on to a menu and ordering more dishes about 2/3 of the way through dinner. We did not imbibe of any alcohol – it would have just put my husband to sleep and I wanted to save every bit of room in my stomach for food. However, my husband did partake of their Lemonada. He pronounced it as good as the lemonade I make at home with lemons grown on his parents' farm. Very high praise. We ended up with ten(!) dishes between the two of us. Not the most balanced of selections, but we decided to just order what sounded intriguing. Our favorites: Pita. This made the meal for me. I am a total bread-fiend and this was the best pita I’ve tasted. Ever. Even out of my own oven. I must have eaten five or six of them. The taste was nicely yeasty (I suspect a long fermentation somewhere in the process) and the texture was that elusive chewy/crunchy. I am now inspired to toss my formerly-favorite pita recipe and work on re-creating these delicious pillows at home. Kasarli Ali Nazik. This was braised lamb shank topped with onions and served over an eggplant/yogurt puree. My husband actually moaned this one was so good (he is an engineer in the military, so showing much of any type of emotion in public is quite an anomaly for him). The lamb was extremely flavorful and tender. They kept trying to remove the dish after we'd finished the lamb, but I growled at them until I’d sopped up every remaining molecule of the eggplant sauce. We should have ordered two of this one, because, anniversary or not, my husband was not happy to share. Kolokithokeftedes. (Impossible for me to pronounce even with my part-Greek tongue) Fried zucchini/cheese pancakes with a yogurt/caper sauce. A perfect balance of flavors with fresh zucchini being predominant (and rightly so!). JPW’s highly recommended Stuffed Squash Blossoms. These were excellent. The cinnamon-y (?) tomato sauce really set off the veggie-ness of the blossoms and the tartness of the cheese stuffing. Also very good were the previously mentioned Falafel, Calamari & Spinach (absolutely perfect), Baba Gannoush (although I also thought it was served too cold), Havuc Koftesi (carrot/apricot/pinenut fritters) and Spanakopita (my husband liked this better than I did – I thought it had a bit too much dill, but anything other then my family recipe for spanakopita does not taste right to me). My husband did not particularly care for the Kafta Harra -- ground lamb patties in a tomato sauce very similar to that with the squash blossoms (at least to my palate). He did not like the consistency of the ground lamb, but it reminded me of the lamb patties my mother used to make. The Cerkez Tavugu (chicken salad with walnut sauce) was also a dish we most likely will not order again. The chicken was cooked perfectly, but it was lacking in flavor in comparison to the other plates. Maybe it would have been better earlier on in the meal. I had planned on saving enough room so we could order three desserts, but, alas, the pita won out and we only could stomach two. We got the Medjool Dates and the Ravani (the Turkish Delight has to remain untasted until our next visit). The dates were everything I expected and the EVOO ice cream really tied it all together. But the Ravani was to die for – forget the fruit compote and give me more of that warm cake, cardamom sauce and yogurt sorbet! Throughout it all, we found the service to be excellent. Attentive without hovering. Helpful, but not patronizing. From a logistical standpoint, it is quite incredible the timing and accuracy of all those little dishes. Just when we were ready for another plate, someone (we must have had a half dozen different people attend to our table) would suddenly appear with one of our ordered dishes. A very nice anniversary dinner.

Thank you for the input bilrus and Curlz. We decided on a 6:30 reservation for tonight. I am very much looking forward to this evening, especially Steve Klc's desserts!

I am curious as to the loudness of the "energy". My husband and I are thinking of going to Zaytinya this coming Tuesday for our wedding anniversary, but I am a concerned about the above comment. We will have been married for 13 years, so we're a pretty much past the sappy-romantic-gazing-into-each-other's-eyes type of anniversary dinner. However, after a day at work, very loud is not terribly appealing. If anyone has been there recently on a weeknight, is it a bit calmer and less busy? This also leads me to another question -- any opinions on if it is worth it to hustle over there for an early reservation or to take a chance on a wait and arrive around 7 or 7:30? Thanks!

For those in Alexandria/northern VA, Fern Street Gourmet in Fairlington (off of Quaker, across 395 from Shirlington) offers a small, but relatively un-abused assortment of cheeses. They also will cut whatever quantity you desire. Pretty decent prices too. I just paid $15 total for a half-pound of Shropshire Blue (could not resist asking for the orange-blue) and a half-pound of raw milk Morbier. They seem to have a weakness for blue cheeses -- almost half of their total selection of cheese. Also, quite a few variations of brie/soft white cheeses. Other cheese I recall: manchego, parmesan ($15/lb but it looked a bit dried-out), a couple of small goat cheeses that were in plastic packages and a few swiss-type cheeses. There were more, but my memory is not that adept. I've been in the shop a few times for wine, but this was the first time I've bought their cheese. I must say the Morbier is quite delicious, but now my mouse & keyboard smell quite funky!

And what would happen if that "adaptation" is using ducks which have been genetically modified to be fat without the force feeding? Not out of the realm of possibility. It would certainly negate much of the "cruelty" aspect of the current argument. However, I suspect it would still be an issue, but to a different group of people. "Sonoma County May Be A Target For Bio-Crop Ban" I love my native state of California!

Exactly. I'm afraid I would be a bit frustrated with the amount of time they must have to spend teaching students how to manipulate fractions and the like. Which brings up another questions for Malawry: Do they ever use metric measurements in your classes? Now that would be fun!

Do you find that your educational background alienates you at all from any of your classmates? Also, how are you handling the lectures that deal with things you've already learned -- such as basic math (I see listed on the L'Academie website that you'll have 20 hours of "Math Principles for Kitchen Management")? Are they a welcome break or a source of frustration? I am considering cooking school (pastry only) and I also already have a degree in another field (biochemistry), so I have quite a bit of interest in your experiences with these issues. Thanks for any input!

I've also read that soaking helps with digestibility, but only if you toss the soaking water and thoroughly rinse the beans prior to cooking. The theory being that the problematic compounds are leached out to some extent. In regards to the freezing issue -- since the water in the presoaked beans would expand as it freezes, I imagine (I've never tried it) there would be some sort of effect on the texture. But would it be noticable after cooking the beans??? Hmm, I think I hear a soak/freeze/soak/no-freeze bean experiment calling... (Luckily, my husband is a geeky engineer and is accustomed to my frustrated-scientist taste tests!)

Ketchup on scrambled eggs! Leave the mustard for the french fries. Cinnamon sugar sprinkled on bacon. Finely grated parmesan on hot, buttered popcorn.