A Blog for the Culinary-Challenged
I’m going to a networking event tonight that is really a small gathering of friends. I have a reputation as a foodie and so I thought, “You know, I should bring something.” The question was what? Then a little voice said “Madeleines”. Yes! Very fast and easy to make; Very few ingredients needed. Madeleines would…
One morning a few days ago Teddy and I were hanging out in the living room. I was laying on the floor surfing the web. Teddy was watching ‘Cat TV’ (starting out the window into the back yard watching the birds). Suddenly the words “Salmon Wellington’ drifted through my brain. I have a weakness for…
Souse Vide makes this cheesecake so easy it is almost worth buying the Anova Precision Cooker just for it. Everyone thinks cheesecake is difficult. Entire books are devoted to the topic of making cheesecake right. This recipe makes it easy enough to have cheesecake every week if you want. About Sous Vide Sous Vide is…
Cherries are in season. Cherry turnovers, made with fresh cherries, still warm from the oven. Excuse me while I take another bite. MMMMMM. The really best part is that they are so simple to make that anyone can do it. The key to keeping this recipe simple is to use a premium store-bought puff pastry…
I was flipping through one of my French pastry cookbooks and I spied a picture and recipe of apple turnovers. I was hooked. Still warm from the oven, the scent of apple, cinnamon, and pastry dough reaches your nose just as you take the first bite. Apple turnovers are actually very easy to make. You…
I’m the most popular guy on the block. My neighbors love me. Sweet Lady Wife and I cannot eat the entire batch of these so I pass them out to my neighbors.The favor is starting to be returned. The other day the UPS driver delivered some chocolate-covered strawberries from one of my (apparently) kitchen-challened neighbors….
Pâte à choux (choux pastry dough) is used in cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, etc. It is a wonderfully light airy dough that rises to many times it’s original height when baked. I’ve heard people say that making choux pastry is hard. It’s not. It’s easy. Once you learn how to make pâte à choux you’ll be…
Crème pâtissièrie is a rich vanilla egg custard. Use this in a profierole (creme puff) or eclair and your guests will be rolling their eyes with pleasure. I’m going to show you a trick that will enable even a beginner to make perfect Crème Pâtissièrie. Note: If I am using Crème Pâtissière for cream puffs I will double…
Almost all pastry recipes use sugar in one form or another. Superfine / Ultrafine Superfine or Ultrafine sugar (also called Baker’s Sugar) is granulated sugar that has been ground into smaller/finer crystals than granulated table sugar. Confectioner’s Sugar / Powdered Sugar Confectioner’s sugar (also more commonly called powdered sugar) is groud even finer than ultrafine/superfine…
A long long time ago I was on assignment in Europe for my employer. I spent a lot of time in our client’s facility in Stuttgart, Germany. The company cafeteria served these wonderful cookies. I never knew what they were. Fast forward many years, and I learned they are called Linzer Cookies, and I also…