Reader Chana continues the conversation on Marie the Jewess (Miriam) and her connection to the bain marie: In classic Jewish commentary, Moses’ sister Miriam is always associated with wells and water. (Although I doubt the classic Jewish commentators cooked anything, much less in a bain marie.) The bible says that after Miriam died, the people […]
READ ONChef Mike C. offers this: My Banquets & Catering chef at the CIA would always sprinkle an initial layer of sugar onto his brulees as soon as they came out of the oven. This way, that sugar would melt and fill in the little pits or uneven bits on the surface. That way, he said, […]
READ ONIt’s Thanksgiving in the States, and the Pastry family is headed out of town for a few days. Back Monday. When I return: macarons — and macaroons!
READ ONAs I mentioned last week, it’s a water bath (bain being “bath” in French). But then why do we use a French term and who the heck was Marie? I’ve wondered that for quite a while but have never found much on the subject. Leave it to Jim C. of Chez Jim to chime in […]
READ ONMy favorite crème brûlée is a very pain one, with just half a teaspoon of vanilla extract added. After that, it’s crème brûlée scented with orange, like this one right here. Like an English pudding, crème brûlée somehow manages to pull off a sense of grandeur while still being an incredibly simple thing to prepare. […]
READ ONSorry for that, all of you who were waiting for crème brûlée photos on Friday, but it turned out to be one of those sorts of work days: swamped. I’ll have’em up shortly!
READ ONWhich is a water bath to all of us regular people. A water bath is the classic way to prevent custards from curdling (or “breaking”) because it keeps the temperature of the cooking custard at a constant low. How so? For one because liquid water —unless it’s at a rollicking boil — doesn’t get above […]
READ ONI break from the early makers of crème brûlée in that I prefer a very smooth, silky texture without any “bits” in it. I also like a simple, clean appearance that’s free of any flecks of this or that. The trouble is, it’s those bits and flecks that add flavor to this chilly custard dessert. […]
READ ONReader Maria writes in with this: I have a question about freezing yeasted bread dough. Is it ok to do, and if so, at what stage in the process should I put it in the freezer? I’ve been told a variety of things and it seems to me like it would make the most sense […]
READ ONWhat are you kidding me? Other than making crème brûlée you mean? If you dig pastry, lots of things. You can makes s’mores without a campfire, for one. A blowtorch can turn a humble split banana and a sprinkling of brown sugar into a gourmet platform for homemade ice cream. It’s also handy for toasting […]
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