eG Foodblog: JAZ - Park and Shop

[ghostrider]

Beautiful photos & lovely kitties!

May I ask what part of San Francisco you live in? (Be as general as you like, not looking to set you up for stalkers!) I had an aunt who lived there (Scott St. between Pacific & Jackson), & then a good friend who lived out in Walnut Creek. I visited your city half a dozen times between 1960 & 1980. It remains one of my favorite places, at least in memory. It'd be nice to try to visualize your neighborhood.

[JAZ]

So: the Gingerbread Saga.

The idea began a few weeks ago, when I realized that my book club meeting would take place during this blog -- I offered to bring dessert so I'd could bake something for it. With various allergies and dislikes to take into account, I decided on gingerbread. One of the factors was that I had a couple of pears that were way past their peak, and I thought I could make a pear compote to go with the gingerbread. But I wanted to find a new recipe because although I like the one I've always made (my mom's recipe -- pretty standard molasses-and-oil-based dense, moist cake) I was hoping to find something a little more exotic. A quick search unearthed the recipe from Gramercy Tavern, which was similar to mine (also oil based) but also included stout and a more interesting combination of spices. It was supposed to be made in a 10-cup bundt pan, but I had this new mini bundt pan that I wanted to use.

So, I thought I'd give it a trial run before the real thing, but when I started getting everything together for it I realized I only had two eggs instead of the three called for. I decided against cutting the recipe down, because I'm not great at that, so I went down to the closest corner store the next morning and bought eggs. Then I discovered that my baking powder was too ancient to use, and since none of the close stores carry that, I had to wait for a trip to Safeway.

By the time the next weekend rolled around, though, the momentum was gone, and one day after another went by without my making the recipe. Pretty soon, the blog was about to start, and I still hadn't made it. I planned to make it yesterday, but, well, I didn't. (Who knew how long it would take to resize and upload all those photos?)

A sane person would have just bought tarts from the really great bakery and relaxed this morning, but not me. I got up early and started.

First step: boil the beer and molasses together.

(You can see here what I explained earlier about being able to rest the lid in the handle.)

It turns out that this doesn't take very long to reach a boil, and when it does, it expands a lot in volume.

Looking back on this, I can see that I should have given up at that point. The recipe was cursed. Because after that I mismeasured both the flour, which I caught (I just read it wrong), and the baking powder, which I didn't. I'd grabbed the teaspoon measure when I thought I had the half-teaspoon and simply didn't realize it until I was spooning in the spices. Most of the baking powder was still on top, so I scooped some (half, I hoped) off. Again, I don't know why I just didn't stop. I guess I hate to waste beer.

So I mixed everything up and ladled it into the little mini bundt pan. It turns out to be very difficult to get batter into the little mini bundt pan, but I did it and got them into the oven.

Did I mention that I had no idea how full to fill them? I didn't have a clue. So I just guessed. I guessed wrong.

I could have left them, but I was too stubborn. I tried to get one out, but it crumbled -- what a surprise. And of course all of this took much longer than I thought, so I was getting to the point where I had to decide what to do. Despite the terrible appearance, the cakes tasted really great, so I figured I could do some kind of layered dessert with the chunks of cake. I packed up the whole pan, grabbed the pear compote and picked up some whipping cream on the way to the BART station.

But after all that, dessert was great.

Chunks of gingerbread and pear compote.

Topped with whipped cream.

Now I have to clean the kitchen, and then I'll answer a few questions before dinner.

[mizducky]

Dang! I hate it when a cooking project turns into a comedy of errors! And I totally identify with stubbornly soldiering on even though a recipe has started acting uppity at me (me, I blame it on my family--the Brenner clan has a stubborn streak about three or four miles wide). At least you didn't cut or burn yourself or anything. My kitchen comedies often end with me having gotten so hyper that self-damage occurs.

But even so ... the gingerbread does look awfully nice. And rescuing mistakes by transformation is certainly a fine cooking skill in its own right. I like to remember the (possibly apocryphal) advice of Julia Child: "now remember--when you're in the kitchen, you're all alone and there's no one there to see you."

[Pan]

Not a disaster at all, Janet, just something that took too long and didn't end up going exactly as intended or planned but tasted great. That reminds me of the time my brother and I made Neapolitan-style lasagna for our mother when she got out of the hospital a bunch of years ago. We did our best to follow Ada Boni's recipe exactly, but for reasons I'm not sure we understood and I can't remember (oven temperature leakage?), it took four hours for the lasagna to cook properly. But it sure tasted good. That was funny, but no disaster.

[CaliPoutine]

" I live in between Noe Valley and Glen Park"

One of my favorite breakfast places in SF is Savor in Noe Valley, Have you ever eaten there? They have wonderful crepes and huge muffins. Totally worth the long wait to get a table.

[JAZ]

Oh, I noticed in telling my gingerbread story, I forgot to include the link to the recipe: Grammercy Tavern gingerbread. It really is great -- I'll definitely try it again with the correct amount of baking powder, and in a bigger pan to start. Then if that works, maybe I'll try the small ones again. I just have this vision of the little cakes, topped with pear or apple compote. Perhaps it will remain one of my dream recipes.

So, some responses to comments and questions:

If you could, Janet, your mixological background, please. Are you much into wines? Or more into "the hard stuff"?

I used to live with a wine and spirits broker; when we met he was also bartending. I know it seems as if I got interested in cocktails because of him, but it's really not the whole story. At the time, I liked wine although I didn't know much about it; I knew a lot about beer and Scotches, but not much about cocktails. I drank martinis, gimlets and scotch on the rocks. One day at the bookstore I got a copy of Cocktail by Paul Harrington, which, sadly, is out of print. I just started mixing the things I could with what I had on hand -- also started buying more products.

At the time, I had no idea that the cocktails in the book were not things (usually) you could just walk into the neighborhood bar and order, but I found that out pretty quick. I also discovered that with a few exceptions, I could make better drinks than most bartenders at the places I went to. I guess the rest was history. I talked my way into teaching a couple of classes at Sur La Table -- fortunately they were popular. Last year I moderated a panel discussion on the history of the American cocktail with Robert Hess (drinkboy) and Dave Wondrich (Splificator) as my panelists. That was great.

I like cocktails because it's so easy to experiment, and if you screw up, you only have to toss a couple ounces of alcohol -- it's not like messing up a foie gras terrine, or lobster thermidor.

[JAZ]

I have to go start dinner, but in the mean time, here's tonight's cocktail.

When I got home today, I found that my new copy of Dr. Cocktail's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails had arrived (I had a copy that disappeared, so I finally got around to replacing it). I opened it at random, and found the "Communist" -- gin, orange juice, cherry brandy and lemon juice. I had everything, it sounded good, and I'd never heard of it. All good reasons to make it.

It's not something I could make very often -- it kind of tasted like tart Hawaiian punch when made according to the recipe. I added some Carpano Antica and increased the gin, which made it better (I think) -- a little more complex. But it's beautiful, isn't it? I used blood orange juice, which accounts for the color.

[snowangel]

Janet, you went from an office job to Sur La Table. Why? (BTW, I went from an office job to home, but three kids and a kitchen tells all).

I would hope you find Sur La Table vastly more rewarding...

[ruthcooks]

Thanks, JAZ, for my new signature line!

[JAZ]

Backing up a little bit:

Dinner looks great, Janet. Do the short ribs get tender roasted in that short time?

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I don't know why more people don't use this technique, because it's fabulous. Janet was part of the kitchen crew that hot-smoked short ribs for staff meal at Varmint's Pig Pickin'. Here's what ronnie_suburban had to say:

The short ribs were even better than they looked in the picture. They needed nothing more than a gentle tug to pull away from the bone -- but the tender beef wasn't mushy in the least. The ribs held the perfect amount of semi-melted fat.

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Dave and Ronnie are right. Don't get me wrong -- I love braised short ribs. But roasted (or grilled/smoked) ribs are, like, the essence of beef. And as Ronnie said, the texture is great.

[JAZ]

I wish I were better at that (cleaning as I go). I try, but it always seems that the closer I am to dinner time, the less time I have for cleaning, so I put it off. The sink is usually completely full of dishes by the time I'm done. And that's one disadvantage of having so much cookware and kitchenware -- I hardly ever have to use the same thing twice, so I usually don't, which means twice the dishes at the end of the night.

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. . . and now those as unobservant as me come to realize what was missing in your kitchen tour: a dishwasher.

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Right.

I've had kitchens with and without dishwashers, and with is definitely better. But as any big city apartment dweller can probably attest, they're few and far between, especially in older places. And I have that other coveted city appliance -- a washer (and dryer too) -- right outside my kitchen door in the laundry room. Overall, if I had to choose, I'd take the washer/dryer over the dishwasher any day.

But I have to say that doing dishes sometimes seems endless -- I just get the kitchen clean, and it's time to start the next cooking project. I need kitchen elves.

[JAZ]

May I ask what part of San Francisco you live in? (Be as general as you like, not looking to set you up for stalkers!) I had an aunt who lived there (Scott St. between Pacific & Jackson), & then a good friend who lived out in Walnut Creek. I visited your city half a dozen times between 1960 & 1980. It remains one of my favorite places, at least in memory. It'd be nice to try to visualize your neighborhood.

One of my favorite breakfast places in SF is Savor in Noe Valley, Have you ever eaten there? They have wonderful crepes and huge muffins. Totally worth the long wait to get a table.

Ghostrider, I'm in the Noe Valley area, close to Glen Park, which is in the southern part of the city -- sort of out toward City College, if you know that area.

Cali -- I have been to Savor a couple of times for brunch, but not in a while. I'll have to go back sometime when I'm up there with some extra time. I remember having a southwestern version of eggs benedict that was great.

[JAZ]

Another vote for marrow bones...oh and could we please have a close-up shot of the cookbooks on the window sill? 

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Okay, it looks like marrow bones are on the schedule.

Safran, here's a shot of some of them. I'll photograph the rest tomorrow.

[JAZ]

I realized that with confessing my gingerbread mishap, I neglected to mention the rest of lunch.

It turned out to be a beautiful day here and it was even fairly warm over in Berkeley, so we had lunch outside (yesteday, it hailed; today, a picnic. Gotta love the Bay Area.) Our book club hostess grilled chicken thighs and served a curried rice salad with cashews.

The chicken was done perfectly, and the salad was good, despite the presence of raisins.

At the BART station in Berkeley, there's a big flea market every Saturday -- not primarily food vendors, but there are a few take-out trucks and a small produce stand.

When I got back to the city, I had to stop for cat food for the boys -- there's a pet store on my way home. I also stopped in the cheese store/deli next door. This is one of the places I shop on the Glen Park side of the hill -- I can usually make it before closing unless I get off work really late. I've been going there long enough that I know the owner, who's really nice about staying open a few extra minutes for me, if necessary.

This shop has a huge jam selection, for some reason (this is about a third of the collection). Not that I buy a lot of jam, but I think it's great.

I was going to stop for a bottle of wine at the corner store (this one really is on the corner), but the bus was coming, and since I wasn't crazy about the prospect of walking up the hill with eight pounds of cat food, my cheese store purchases, and the dry cleaning I'd picked up, I skipped the wine. This bus comes so seldom, I consider it a minor miracle if I can actually catch it.

[rjwong]

Janet, a thought occurred as I was reading your recent posts:

How about some crab, Dungeness crab? It is that time of year, isn't it?

And was something the matter with raisins in the curried rice salad with cashews?

[JAZ]

Janet, you went from an office job to Sur La Table.  Why?  (BTW, I went from an office job to home, but three kids and a kitchen tells all).

I would hope you find Sur La Table vastly more rewarding...

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When I was still working in the office job (I was the marketing director for a regional commercial real estate company), I started volunteering as an assistant for the cooking classes at Sur La Table. We didn't get paid, but we did get a discount on merchandise and a free class once in a while. Over a couple of years, I assisted with classes by Anne Willan, Shirley Corriher, Alice Medrich, Pamela Sheldon Johns, and Hubert Keller, to name a few. I really enjoyed it and learned an amazing amount about both cooking and teaching.

I got laid off from the real estate job and decided to try to find a job in a food-related business. I interviewed for several positions, including one as the internal communications manager for Dreyer's (the ice cream company). It seemed like the ideal job -- great company, easy commute, nice boss -- but during the interview it struck me that there was just no way I could stand to write another employee newsletter, even if it meant free ice cream.

So I freelanced a little, and worked with some of the instructors I'd met through the store, and I also started working for real in the culinary program at SLT, assisting the program manager. I probably would have stayed with it, but the program at the time was going through a lot of upheaval, and it didn't seem like it would be the kind of job I wanted -- it was getting much more administrative. But I liked the store, and I wanted to stay there in hopes that I'd be able to start teaching some classes of my own (which I did eventually). I also wanted to spend more time working on my own (food-related) writing projects, so it was nice to have the flexible hours. I didn't expect to stay so long, but it's worked out well. Oh, except for the huge salary cut I took. But I got a lot of free and discounted cookware, so maybe it evened out.

[JAZ]

Janet, a thought occurred as I was reading your recent posts:

How about some crab, Dungeness crab? It is that time of year, isn't it? 

With the storms this year, it hasn't been a great crab season. If I can make it down to a place that sells live crabs and they have any, I'll pick one up. But the last time I tried that after a series of storms, it was a lost cause.

And was something the matter with raisins in the curried rice salad with cashews? 

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I hate raisins. Here's how much I hate raisins.

That's it for today. I was going to post about dinner, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

[Susan in FL]

I just caught up in reading your blog Janet, and it's great!

I'm with you about the raisins -- in savory foods that is. I do like them in cinnamon rolls, oatmeal cookies, and a bowl of cereal, but I just can't seem to "acquire a taste" for raisins or currants in couscous and the like. Thanks for linking to The Daily Gullet article, too. I hadn't read that one.

[mona]

Janet, a thought occurred as I was reading your recent posts:

How about some crab, Dungeness crab? It is that time of year, isn't it? 

With the storms this year, it hasn't been a great crab season. If I can make it down to a place that sells live crabs and they have any, I'll pick one up. But the last time I tried that after a series of storms, it was a lost cause.

And was something the matter with raisins in the curried rice salad with cashews? 

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I hate raisins. Here's how much I hate raisins.

That's it for today. I was going to post about dinner, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

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Yes! I hate raisins and sultanas too. The number of times I've had a good briyani spoiled by biting into a squishy, sweet, gelatinous sultana Because of this, I can't eat fruit cake either. Not that I want to, but yeh.

Loving this blog!

[CaliPoutine]

May I suggest the Sherry Vinegar Chicken from A New Way to Cook. Its fabulous, dead simple to make, tastes wonderful even days later and its low in calorie/fat. What more could you ask for?

I often serve it with a saffron orzo pilaf.

Edited March 12, 2006 by CaliPoutine (log)

[Smithy]

Hey, I have a mini-Bundt pan like that! Picked it up at TJMaxx because I'm a kitchen gearhead and I could imagine making cunning little desserts with it. I still haven't tried it. Now that you've tried it, what do you suggest for making it easier to put batter in? Would a funnel work? What about putting a small cap over the interior tube and then pouring the batter dead-center into the mold? How full will you try filling it next time?

Your raisin article gave me a fine GulleyLaugh. I like raisins, but in the future I'll be more circumspect about when and to whom I feed them!

[JAZ]

May I suggest the Sherry Vinegar Chicken from A New Way to Cook.  Its fabulous, dead simple to make, tastes wonderful even days later and its calorie/fat.  What more could you ask for?

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Great idea. I've always meant to use more recipes from that book, so this will be a good start.

Thanks!

[Chufi]

Janet, I'm really enjoying this. Very interesting to read about your career change (or maybe more like careershift..), especially because I'm contemplating something similar myself.

The final gingerbread dessert looked really good, but the way that Bundt pan looked with the erupting gingerbread, I feel your frustration

I have no car, do all my shoppng by bike, and then drag all the groceries to the 5th floor.. so I can sympathize with you carrying groceries uphill, too..

Edited March 12, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[JAZ]

Hey, I have a mini-Bundt pan like that!  Picked it up at TJMaxx because I'm a kitchen gearhead and I could imagine making cunning little desserts with it.  I still haven't tried it.  Now that you've tried it, what do you suggest for making it easier to put batter in?  Would a funnel work?  What about putting a small cap over the interior tube and then pouring the batter dead-center into the mold?  How full will you try filling it next time?

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I think maybe a pastry bag would work. I thought of that as I was trying to fill them.

I also think the next time I use the pan I'll get that Bakers Secret or whatever it's called -- the combination oil and flour spray. It was really hard to get the little forms buttered and floured evenly.

[srhcb]

I also think the next time I use the pan I'll get that Bakers Secret or whatever it's called -- the combination oil and flour spray. It was really hard to get the little forms buttered and floured evenly.

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Most of the commercially available spray "release" products will leave a gummy residue on your cookware and bakeware over time.

If you have to, melt the butter, brush it into the mold, let it cool, and then sprinkle the flour.

SB (has trouble spelling raisins, but likes to eat them)