Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Lean and Enriched Doughs!

Cookies and Pound Cake are fun, but it's time to rise above that level of baking (insert Yeast joke here!). Sorry, but I couldn't think of anything funny about baking.  This stuff is serious business!  There is no fix all with a pinch of this or an addition of that, it's pretty much one-way or the highway.

Artisanal baking requires a lot more technique and skill than I ever imagined. Here, master bread baker Chef Aaron Brown is giving instruction on how to create a 4-strand star braid of challah.

By the way, Challah is pronounced Holla.  Like Hola-back-now, or Holla-at-ya-boy, or I-ain't-no-Hollaback Girl as poetically put by Mrs. Gwen Stefani.

Enough pop culture, let's get back to the bread. From left to right: Soft Rolls (Epi, Cloverleaf, Parker House, Knot Rolls), Multigrain Bread, Classic French Baguette, Sunflower Seed Bread, and Ciabatta.

Ciabatta happens to be a very unique bread that derives its wonderful taste from a Poolish, or a pre-fermented wet starter consisting of one part flour and one part water with the addition of yeast. Let that baby ferment for about 15 hours and then throw it in to your new dough the next day. This is a quick way to add tremendous flavor without having a 150 year old starter. This is artisanal breadmaking after all.

All of the creations where on full display, and no one's eyes light up more than mine when I see this stuff.  I am pretty sure that baguette ended up in my jersey pocket for the afternoon bike ride. Next on the prodcution schedule, Brioche!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Creaming Method!

The hotside has its benefits but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the bakery.  Maybe it is my insatiable appetite for all things bread or my cavity-riddled sweet tooth that sparks my desire to learn to bake. Those degrees in Food Science come more and more into play as specificity is the key to success in the bakery. 

Is their a better person to learn baking and pastry skills from than Chef Stephen Durfee? The 1998 James Beard Award recipient for “Pastry Chef of the Year” and also named one of the “10 Best Pastry Chefs in America” in 1999 by Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier magazines. I think we all will be listening attentively!

What is the creaming method by the way? It is the process by which sugar and fat (butter) are combined to incorporate air. The crystalline structure of the sugar introduces thousands of small air cells into the fat where they are held throughout the mixing and baking process. As the batter is heated, these air cells expand to leaven the item. In short, whip the heck out of your butter and sugar before adding the eggs and flour. This is the basic technique for Pound Cake and Cookies.

Abundant variations exist with the creaming method. Don't like regular Pound Cake, cream up some Sour Cream Pound Cake.

If cake isn't your favorite, how about some cookies? Cherry-Chocolate Chip cookies, Macadamia Nut, or these classic Spritz Cookies. All developed by the leavening process of the creaming method. Need more leavening?  Let's grab some yeast and try some Lean and Enriched Doughs next!

Some-What Homemade #7: Thanksgiving Leftovers!

Thanksgiving is over and now the focus turns to cleaning out the fridge. Year after year, I remember chewing through two-day old turkey sandwiches in a quest to finish the remains of the once succulent bird.  I vowed that this year would be different................although a classic turkey sandwich variation would have to be in the works for traditions sake.

First up, Perogies filled with Turkey and Stuffing. Think of perogies as mini pies that can be stuffed with anything.  In this case, leftover diced turkey mixed with leftover stuffing. The dough is actually made from leftover Nana-roll dough.  Just punch it down, stretch it out, then cut circles. Stuff, fold, crimp with a fork, and bake. Serve with a little leftover cranberry and some braised cabbage to give it a little Old World feel.

Back by popular demand, the Turkey Sliders with Cranberry-Mayo. Another double use of leftovers, day old Nana-rolls and finely shredded turkey breast. Fold a little cranberry sauce into some mayonnaise and then lather it thick and served with a slice of tomato.  Apparently, the Mrs. has been eating these since she was a whittle one and never new how trendy they actually where.

Getting tired of the flavor of turkey.  By day three, just pull that thigh meat and douss it with a little of your favorite barbeque sauce to make Pulled-Turkey BBQ Sandwiches. Top with some cheese of your choice and serve that last little bit of sweet potatoes casserole.  If you got em, pull out the Bush's Baked Beans to keep the BBQ theme alive.

Lastly, get rid of all those wilting holiday herbs and that last bit of turkey by tossing together a little plate of pasta. If you still have some leftover cheese from your pre-holiday cooking or some cheese leftover from yesterday's BBQ sandwiches......................just toss it all in!  This is the back-of-the-fridge meal that will clean house.  Anything you got left, throw it in and look forward to the holiday special that emerges. If you tend to finish all your turkey on day one, please disregard all previously mentioned information.

Thanksgiving for Two!

Keeping with tradition, the Mrs. and I put together our 2nd Annual California Walnofer's Thanksgiving feast for two. Classic and traditional will always be the theme around the Walnofer Thanksgiving table and this year was no different. Luckily, I have picked up some "chef's tricks" over the past year that brought the meal up a level.

The art of brining the Turkey is the number one key to success for carving up a juicy, tender bird. But, make sure you have room in your fridge and a non-leaky vessel. Just barely! 

Be sure to start this procedure two days in advance with a thawed bird. One day in brine, and what about the other day?

Allow for one day in the refrigerator to dry the skin out so it will be able to become golden and crispy. The moving air under refrigeration is key to pulling the moisture out of the skin of the bird. Even though it is brined, still season the skin heavily and rub the bird with canola oil infused with chopped rosemary or festive herb of your choice.

Bake on lowest rack in oven at 500˚.  Watch those hotspots if you have a circa-1960's gas oven! There isn't any meat in the neck cavity so don't worry if it gets a little darkened. Check out that golden, crispy skin. Be sure to truss the bird up tight so everything cooks evenly.

Voilla! The entire spread..................for two. Complete with all the sides, Jus de Giblet with Apple, Ocean Spray's finest Cranberry Sauce, and the Mrs. Family Secret Signature "W" Pumpkin Pie. Speaking of sides...............

.............Cinnamon and Cardamon Roasted Sweet Potatoe Puree with Hickory Smoked Bacon.

.............Pugliese Bread Stuffing with Apples, Fried Sage, and Roasted Chestnuts. Wanna know a little product development secret to replicate that fabulous color of StoveTop from Betty Crocker..................add a pinch of Turmeric to capture the color.

Nana's recipe Dinner Rolls. Great for sopping up jus de giblet and apple gravy.

Carved and ready for consumption..................................today, tomorrow, and probably till the real Thanksgiving.

No Thanksgiving meal in Napa Valley is complete without the proper wine pairing. Last year we tried the 2006 Cuvaison Bald Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Zinfandel and we were converted to Zin with T-Day for life. This year we pulled a 2004 Chateau Montelena "Montelena Estate" Napa Valley Zinfandel out of our cellar. Superb wine with all the elements to accentuate a Thanksgiving feast.  Much thanks to Bo Barret and George Blanckensee for blessing us with this gift to enjoy at our Family Table. It helped make this the tastiest Thanksgiving of all.  Now, what to do with all the leftovers......................there is only two of us eating all this! I've got some ideas.

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: Scandinavia!

The last stop on this culinary tour through the Old World ended in Scandinavia. Very bidding for a country that has been shaping the food culture of Europe since the late eigth century. The cuisine today can not be labeled as barbaric Viking food, but some influences are still prevalent.

Swedish Meatballs. Smothered, covered, and tasty. But not all of the cuisine of the North is meatballs.

Glazed Roast Leg of Lamb with Root Vegetables is a common protein used around all parts of Scandinavia. The honey mustard marinade acts as a tenderizer and a flavor enhancer.

On the last day, two groups performed the same menus, therefore I felt it was justified to hold an unofficial Frikadeller throwdown. Would you like your Danish meat patties with either Fruit Berry Ketchup or Madeira Sauce? I pick ketchup everytime!

Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples and Prunes. Add some karo syrup blanched potato chips fried in duck fat and some slices of apple confit for a Danish delight that is tastier than a Danish pastry. That concludes Cusines of Europe and the Mediterranean.  Now we take a little break for Thanksgiving and then into Baking and Pastry Skills. There is never a break from the kitchen...............I need to get my turkey in brine!