Chef 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 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 ONThe main difference between joconde and other sponge cakes is that it has whole eggs beaten into it, and not just whites. Observe: 6 room-temperature egg whites 1 ounce granulated sugar 8 ounces sliced blanched almonds, ground to powder in a food processor 8 ounces powdered sugar, sifted 6 large eggs 2.5 ounces all-purpose (AP) […]
READ ONNot that you’d have any trouble finding it, of course, but for reference sake: here is the Rosetta Stone, the Dresden Codex if you will, of chocolate chip cookie recipes: 2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (8 ounces or two sticks) butter, softened 3/4 cup […]
READ ONClassic biscotti are loaded with almonds, which is why they cost two bucks apiece at Starbuck’s. This recipe has plenty, about twelve dollars worth, so it may be a budget-buster for some of you (it was for me this week). Feel free to scale back on the nuts. You can swap out some dried fruits […]
READ ONNot from horse hooves if that was your answer. No, hooves don’t have any collagen in them to speak of. That myth originally arose from the days when gelatin was made from cow’s feet — waste items from rendering plants (glue factories). The stuff looked awful and smelled worse, or so I understand, which is […]
READ ONWell yes, in fact you probably can. Though it’d take a lot more experimentation (getting the right amount of gelatin in your juice and such). The great thing about JELL-O as I said is that it’s pre-formulated to a firmness that’s perfect for these sorts of shenanigans. Gelatin you see, comes in many different consistencies. […]
READ ONPreserving is like government surveillance. Once you start looking for it, you start seeing it everywhere: at the mall, at the corner bar, in your house, at work, at the ball game, your daughter’s locker at school, on a hike, a car trip, a picnic, a trip to the moon. It’s everywhere man. Just about […]
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