Pretzels

Freshly baked Blueberry muffins

Pretzels right out of the oven

Pretzels are of different sizes and they are available all over the world. It is has its history dating back to 1111A.D, it has come a long way and has changed the way we make pretzel today.

The recipe for making pretzel is:

Bread flour 5#

Water 2Quart

Soft butter 7oz

Malt 2oz

Salt 2oz

Yeast 2oz

Pre fermented dough 1#

For the lye

Sodium Hydroxide pellets 10oz

Water 1 quart

• Mix the dough by adding the flour, pre fermented dough, yeast, malt, salt water and soft butter, the dough should be mixed until the flour on the sides of the bowl must come clean.
• Once it is mixed let it rest, covered until relazed for 30 mintues.
• Devide the dough into 5oz pieces.
• One at a time, stretch each piece of dough to 12 inches and make a loop, twist it once and then fold the end into the top loop.
• Place it on greaced perforated sheets and then let it rest in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Prepare lye louction, combine the waer and sodium hydrozide pellets, stirring until the pellets are completely dissolved. (Wear protective gloves and googles be careful not to get any of the soultion on your skin).
• Remove the pretzels from the freezer and alow them to stand for 5 to 10 minutes. (If you dip the pretzels right away, the water temperature will drop and the sodium hydroxide will be less likely to stay in the solution).
• Using tongs, dip the pretzels in the lye solution and then place them on the perforated sheets again to drain out excess liquid. Sprinkle immediately with coarse salt.
• Bake the pretzels in the oven at 475*F until it reaches a deep golden brown color, in 12 to 15 minutes, and let cool.

Working with lye

After pretzels are shaped and proofed, they are dipped in a solution of water and sodium hydroxide before baking. This caustic solution, known as lye, gives the surface of the pretzels their characteristic color, shine, and tangy, salty flavor. When the pretzels are baked, the sodium hydroxide is transformed into inert salts. Use caution when working with a lye solution. Wear googles and rubber gloves to prevent contact with the soultion. As the pretzels are dipped, they should be placed directly on perforated sheet tray to drain. Once they are all dipped, they need to directly go into the oven.

Meringues a pastry delight

Swiss maringue garnish over tarts and blowtorched
Piping of Maringue before baking in oven

Whipping egg whites and sugar together creates the light yet stable aerated mixture known as a meringue. Meringue is commonly used for topping and filling cakes and pastries. It can also be flavored and or dried in a low oven to make cookies, containers (which can be used to hold fruit, mousse, or sorbet) or layers for cakes. Meringue is also used as an ingredient in mousses and batters to lighten, aerate, and leaven them.

A basic ratio for a meringue is 1 part egg whites to 2 parts sugar. As the egg whites are whipped, air is incorporated and the whites break into smaller and smaller globules to form bubbles. When sugar is whipped into the egg whites, the agitation of the mixture and the moisture of the whites begin to dissolve the sugar, which in turn surrounds the air bubbles, coating them and making them more stable.

There are a few basic rules to keep in mind for making a successful meringue. All utensils must be impeccably clean and dry. Make sure that no traces of fat of any kind come in contact with the egg whites, whethere in the form of grease on the utensils or other equipment or from traces of egg yolks in the whites themselves. Fat will interfere with the protein stands which will prevent the egg whites from developing into a foam. A small amount of an acid (cream of tartar, lemon juice, or vinegar) will relax the proteins,helping to stabilize the meringue. You can introduce an acid simply by wiping the bowl clean with lemon juice or vinegar before adding the egg whites or by adding a small amount of cream of tartar to the whites just as they begin to foam. Never use cream of tartar when whipping in a coppor bowl, as it will cause a toxic reaction, turning the whites sightly green. Room temperature egg whites will whip up more readily. Be careful to use sugar that is free of impurities such as flour or other ingredients. Whip the egg whites on high speed until they are frothy, then gradually add the sugar while continuing to whip to the desired consistency (soft, medium, or stiff peak). Avoid overhwipping egg whites, as they become dry and lumpy, making them difficult to incorporate into other ingredients. Prepare meringue (espcially common meringue) just before you intend to use it, because it will begin to collapse if it stands for long time.

There are three types of meringue: common (french), swiss and Italian. Simply whipping the egg whites and sugar to the desired consistency makes common meringue. This is the simplest type of meringue to prepare and the least stable. Also, unless pasteurized whites are used, because of the potential danger of salmonella, uncooked or unbaked common meringue should not be eaten. Therefore, it is most often used in batters to provide leavening. It can also be used for making merinuge shells, bases or layers for cakes, and for piping simple decorations that are baked.

Swiss meringue is made by stirring the egg whites with sugar using a whip ove a hot water bath until they reach a temperature between 115*F and 165*F/46and 74*C, depending on the intended use. The whites are then whipped in a mixer to the desired peak. The meringue can be piped and baked, or dried, in the oven. Swiss meringue can also be used for the same preparations as common meringue to lighten mousses and creams, to fill various cakes, or to add a delicate piped shell border or other decoratie element. Swiss meringue is more stable than common meringue.

Italian meringue is made by whipping the egg whites in a mixer and then adding a cooked sugar syrup. The sugar is cooked to the soft ball stage (240*F/116*C) and added in a thin, steady stream to the whipping egg whites when they have reached the medium peak stage. The whites are then mixed on a medium speed to the desired peak. Italian meringue is the most stable of the meringues and is used in various mousses, buttercreams and for decor work.(above topic taken from baking and pastry)

Mousse

Rolls before the egg wash

The rolls right out of the oven

Creme Brulee being garnished

Though the photos do, not relate to the topic mousse, i just would like to bring the activities that happen in our kitchens.

Mousse

The name for this delicate dessert cmes froma french word that translates literally as frothy, foamy or light. To make a mousse, an aerator such as a whipped cream and or a meringue is folded into a base such as a fruit puree, vanilla sauce, cream or pudding, curd, sabayon, or pate a bombe. The base should be light and smooth so the aerator can be incorporated easily.

To make an egg-safe mousse, use pasteurized egg whites or a swiss or italian meringue. Stablizers such as gelatin may be used in variying amounts depending on the desired result. If a mousse is stablilized with gelatin, it will begin to set immediately, so prepare all molds, serving containers, and so forth before preparation.

Folding is the techinique used to combine a foamy mixture, such as meringue, shipped cream, or beaten egg whites, into a base mixture. The base is usually denser or firmer than the foam and will inevitably collapse the foam somewhat. Proper folding ensures that the foam loses as little volume as possible.

The base should be cooled if necessary befoe the foam is added. Add the foam to the base, rather than the other way around, and if using more than one foam, add the least stable one last. For example, if you are adding both a meringue and whipped cream, add the meringue first and then the cream.

Working quickly, add a small amount of the foam to the base to lighten it. Some pastry chefs add the foams in thrirds for the greater possible volume. Fold the foam in with a rubber spatula or other tool with a similar broad, flat surface. Using a cirular motion, gently run the spatula over the mixture, down and across the bottom of the bowl, and back up to the top again. Rotate the bowl as you work to mix the foam in evenly. Continue to fold the base and foam together until you have an even color and consistency, with no visible pockets of meringue, whipped cream.(Above topic taken from baking and pastry mastering the art and craft)

Maringues are devided into three types:

Common ratio 10oz sugar, 1#egg white

Swiss ratio 1#egg white, 1to2#sugar

Italian ratio 22oz sugar, 7oz liquid and then add common maringue.

Franchipan Apple Tartlet

The above photo is the mixing of cookie dough

This is the video of the production of Franchipan apple tartlet

This is a easy but delicious dessert that i enjoyed making. This was kind of hard for me to understand when my friend first treated me to this dessert. But when i tried out the recipe that is when i found that it was easy and great.

The production of Franchipan apple tartlet, begins with the making of the cookie dough. The cookie dough basically cosists of:

Sugar 1part

Fat/Butter 2parts

Flour 3parts

Egg 4ea

This needs a creaming method which involves mixing the sugar and fat, then add the eggs and then the flour. Once the dough is done, it needs to be rolled out flat and thin, cut them into rounds and lay them flat on tart moulds.

Once the dough is layed flat on the tart moulds, the franchipan can be piped onto the tarts.

(franchipan consists of almond paste, sugar, butter, egg and flour). Once it is piped it needs to be layered with sliced granny smith apples (good for baking). Once this is done it is baked in the oven and glazed with lemon jelly.

Expanding Poaching's potential

The above photos and the topic is taken from Food arts magazine

For many chefs, low-temperture cooking conjures images of vacum bags and avant-grade good,but one extremely classic technique well-suited to low temperature cooking is poaching in fat and it doesn''t require a bag.

Low-temperature cooking is often confused with sous-vide cooking. Sous-vide uses vacum packaging, regardless of cooking temperture. Boil in bag qualifies as sous-vide. Low temperature cooking is the technique with temperatures cloe to, or equal to, the food's final desired internal temperature, whether a vacuum bag is used or not. Only two things are required for low-temperature cooking: very accurate tmeperature control (in the world of low-temperature cooking, a single degree celsius can be a big deal; egg yolks go from liquid to creamy to set beteween 62 and 64*F or 144 to 147F) and a good heat ransfer medium, usually water or water vapor.

Immersion cirulators are fantastic little piences of equipment designed to do this job. Over the past year or so the price of ciruclators has dropped below $1,000, helping them to proliferate in kitchens across the country. They come in different varieites, but the type most chefs use plungs inot a normal 120 volt socket, takes up less space than a blender, and can be clamped onto any pot, bus tub or deep hotel pan. Essentially the cirulators consists of a 1,000 watt heating element, a temperature sensor, a stirring pump (to keep the temperature even throughout the cooking medium), and an electronic control cirucuit. Typically, these cirulators use water as the cooking medium, but water is not the only choice. They're designed to cirulate oil as well.

Circulators with oil has many advantages:

• No speical sous-vde HACCP permits are required.
• No expensive vacuum machine is necessary
• poaching in oil or fat can add flavor and mouthfeel without leaching out the flavor as water would.
• Oil paching and foods cooked a la confit are classic, respected, and customer accepted technique
• A circulator can heat a larger volume of oil than it can water because it takes less energy to heat oil than water.
• Treated properly, the oil can last a long time because it's not being overheated.
• Oil des not evoperate as water does.

Biriyani treat

The above is a marination for the chicken biriyani

As it was a long weekend, i came over to my brother's place. I had my family all exited when i told them that i was planning on cooking for them. It was a video i saw in youtube that had me going with the idea of preparing biriyani. I was planning for this occasion for quite a while.
There are different styles of making this wonderful dish biriyani and this is one of the ways that i like to make it.

This recipe serves 6 people

Ingredients:

For the Biriyani

Basmati rice – 2 cups (for each cup add 1cup water)
Chicken – 3 lbs (1½ kg)
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1½ tsp
Cinnamon – 10 pieces
Cloves – 10 nos
Cardamom - 8 nos
Ginger – 1" piece
Garlic pods - 8 nos
Mint leaves – 2 - 3 stems
Coriander leaves - 2 - 3 stems
Cashews - 20 nos
Raisins - 15 nos
Ghee/Oil/Butter - As reqd
Curd – 3 Tbsp
Saffron – A pinch
Onion(big) - 3 nos
Tomato - 3 nos
Green chillies - 2 - 3 nos
Oil for frying

For marinating

Chilly powder - ½ tsp
Coriander powder - 1½ tsp
Turmeric powder - 1.2tsp
Black pepper - 1/2tsp
Garlic-ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Masala powder - A little for taste
(Cinnamon-Cardamom-Cloves powder)
Lemon juice - 5 - 6 drops
Curd - 5Tbsp

For marinating:

Have the chicken cut into equal sizes and in a bowl add the curd, coriender powder, ginger garlic paste and the masala powder, tumeric powder, black pepper and the powders together and marinate it for 4 hours. The mixture needs to be mixed well.

For the Biriyani:

Make a fine paste of the fresh coriender, mint leaves and ginger garlic. Heat oil/butter/ghee in a pan, once hot add the cinnamon stick, clove, cardamom and fry it until the cloves start to crackle. Add the coriender powder, chilly powder and just release the flavor. Then add the rice and cook until the rice gets translucent. Add the paste to the rice, in another pan add little oil and saute the onion until it changes color and then add the tomatos transfer it to the rice and then add water to the rice. Allow the rice to just simmer and then add the marinated chicken to the rice and mix up making sure not to break up the rice. Pour the soaked saffron liquid to the rice. Bring it up to a boil. Once it is come to a boil, reduce the flame, cover the pan tightly and finsihed in a oven at 300*F for 30 minutes.

For the Garnish:

Fry cashewnut and Raisins in ghee and sprinkle on top of the rice.

Pepper glazed pork chop with Apple chutney

This is a recipe for serving 4 people

Ingredients:

For the Pork

Olive Oil 1Cup
Garlic Chopped 5ea
Sage leaves 4ea
Salt to taste
Pork chops

For the Glaze

Apple Juice 2Cups
Honey 1/4cup
Cracked black and white pepper 2Tbsp
Grated zest of Orange 1ea

For the Chutney

Green apples chopped 8ea
Raisins 1/2cup
Cider Vinegar 1.5cups
White Sugar 1/2cup
Brown Sugar 1/2cup
Garlic peeled and chopped 2ea
Nutmeg 1/2tsp
Cinnamon 1/2tsp
Cloves 2ea
Pinch of Salt

For the Potato Pancakes

Small onion minced 1/2
Grated Potato blanched in lemon water and dried
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg beated 1ea
All-purpose flour 3Tbsp
Baking powder 1tsp
Clarified butter

For the garnish

Pork jus
Curry oil
Fried sage leaves

Directions:

For the pork: Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the garlic and sage and cook until the garlic is softened. Cool and pour over the pork. Marinate at least four hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

For the glaze: Combine the juice, honey, pepper and zest in a saucepan and reduce to a coating consistency. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Chutney: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened; stir to prevent scroching. Col to room temperature and set aside.

For the potato Pancake: Combine the onion and potatoes and season. Beat the egg, flour and baking powder together in a seperate bowl and stir inot the potato mixture. Form eight, one-inch thick pancakes, about two-inches in diametre, refirgerate.

To assemble: Heat two tablespoon of the pork marnade in a saute pan. Remove the chops from the marinade, cook on both sides to medium doneness and season. Pour off the excess oil and spoon some of the glaze onto the chops, rolling the chops over to coat them well with the glaze. Let rest and keep warm.

To finish the pancakes: Heat a half-inch of clarified butter in a saute pan. Add the pancakes and brown, about three minutes on each side until crispy and then drain.

To serve: Place the chop on a plate and garnich with the potato pancakes and chutney. Drizzle the pork jus and any leftover glaze on the plate. Dot with the curry oil and top with the fried sage.

Cherry clafouti

This is a recipe that serves for 4 people

For the clafouti

Eggs 6ea
Sugar 3oz
Vanilla bean Split and scraped 1ea
Salt 1 pinch
Brown Rum 2Tbsp
Milk 3/4cup
Flour 3oz
Butter for greasing
Fresh Cherreis pitted 1.5#

For the Cherry Sauce

Fresh Cherries pitted 1Cup
Confectioners sugar 1Tbsp

For the Garnish

Fresh Cherries
Melted White chocolate
Confectioners Sugar
Cookie twirls
Mint

Directions:

For the clafouti: Crack the eggs into a bowl, and sugar and whisk together until foamy. Add the vanilla bean and salt, whisk in the rum and milk, then fold in the flour. Liberally grease four oven-proof remekins with the butter. Fill each ramekin 1/4 full with the batter. Divide the cherries evenly among the remekins, and fill to the top with the remaining batter. Bake in a 325* oven for 40 minutes. Remove, allow to cool slightly, then turn the clafoutis out of the remekins.

For the cherry sauce: Place the cherries and sugar together in a blender and puree to a smooth consistency.

To Serve: Cut a wedge out of the clafouti, positon together on the plate, and spoon the sauce onto the plate beside it. Place fresh cherries on the plate and drizzle the chocolate over them. Garnish the dish with the confectioner's sugar, cookies and mint.

Culinary Creations the Pastry way

BLOW SUGAR CREATION

Though you may not understand what they speak in the video, it is worth the art and the skill in which it is done.

CREME BRULEE

A days experience shared

As the day begins, at 5.00am in the banquets, there are three cooks and one supervisor who does the breakfast. The breakfast includes, hash brown potatoes, scarmbled egg, crispy bacon and burritos. On a typical day, there is one cook handling the scrambled eggs and potato and another handling the crispy bacon and burriots. This is in co-ordination with the garde manger which has its mis-en-place ready for the sandwiches which are soft tortilla's applied with mayonnaise and filled with mixed lettuce and then it is drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. They are individually filled with turkey and ham. They are tightly rolled inside the tortilla flour. It is cut into two equal pieces in a bias and place in to go container's. This is generally depend on the amount of order placed from for the day from the management.
Once the breakfast is picked up there is a total sanitization process that takes place. Two cooks are generally assigned the task of sanitization. Once cook goes around with a soap filled red bucket and a scrubber to clean away the residues that is left on the tables and counter tops. The next cook has a sqeeze to clean away the soap and the residue into another container. Once the tables are ridden of any soap and residue it is then cleaned with sanitizing solution, this process is repeated every tow hours. The buckets are labeled with time that the last sanitization process took place. So everybody, is well aware of the time and when the next cleaning is due. Once the cleaning is complete the supervisor checks the parties (booking) for the shift, he get's what is called as a master sheet. Once he is confirmed about the parties that are gooing to take place that afternoon, he assigns duties for the cooks on a chart. This includes the timing and the amount of people. It also indicates the no of people for the party. If the party is going to be plated or buffet style (including the special requests). Once this is put up on the chart then the supervisor, calls all the cooks of the banquets which includes the garde manger to attend the standup (briefing). The supervisor explains the layout of the party for the shift and the mis-en-place that needs to be ready.
He also makes sure to explain individual jobs and the deadlines for the job to be done. Once everybody is ready with their assigned duties and it's ready for service, the supervisor makes sure all the utenesils and equipments are working and the cooks would not have any problem once the service flow starts. If the party is a pre-plated request, the hot boxes are bought to each station and also there is a count on the hot boxes that goes for each party, in the cold kitchen there are cold boxes provided by the steward's. Once the hot boxes are ready it is plugged in and the conveyer belt is turned on. The hot plates are placed individually on the conveyor belt, there are about five cooks assigned for one conveyer belt. Each cook has assigned duties when the plate comes to them, it is differentiated by starch, protein, vegetable and sauce. Each person is assigned each duty. Once the plate is all set, it is placed on the table so that every other plate that follows are the same as the one approved by the chef. At the end of the conveyor belt there are stewards, who clean the plate and cover them, and they are counted. These are then staked in four's and then set in the hot box with labels on the door of the hot box telling how many plates are in one hot box. Once the day is come to a close the fridges and walk-in's are cleaned thoroughly and labeleld individually with the date and also the time. There are HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) being followed in all steps of operation on a day to day basis. The final job of cleaning and labelling has to be approved by the chef who, walks through the kitchen and makes sure that it is according to the health standards.