Well, I pulled a mighy fine pie out of the oven last night for the Superbowl. Not quite star quality, but mighty fine nonetheless. The crust, as I’d hoped, was dense (without being too dense), rich (without being too rich), flavorful and flaky. All the qualities one would look for in a biscuit, or as […]
READ ON…is simplicity itself: Puff Pastry Apple Tarts with honey glaze. It’s a fantastic illustration of the kind of baking feats that can be achieved with just one or two carefully selected ingredients, and of course an ample stash of puff pastry in the freezer.
READ ONThis week it is anyway. I had to try the recipe right away, so kill me. It’ll make good superbowl eating. The dough has been retarding in the fridge all night. Looks good!
READ ONYou’ll have to forgive my excitement, but it’s my first one. I’ve gotten so used to seeing all those little zeroes at the bottom of the posts, I never check for them. This one came from a good friend (and world-class chef) by the name of Tim Coonan, in regard to the (possible) Arab origins […]
READ ONThis recipe is a close match to the legendary Gino’s East cornmeal crust. The Ingredients: 7 ounces (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour 3 ounces (1/2 cup) cooked russet potato, grated (or riced) and cooled 2 ounces (1/2 cup) finely ground yellow corn meal 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 teaspoon salt 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) […]
READ ONHaving spent about an hour roaming the web looking at various attempts at Gino’s-type pizza crusts, I’ve come to a few conclusions. The most important of which is that many of these folks are vastly overcomplicating the matter. Maybe it’s the fact that Gino’s famously guards its “top secret” crust recipe. Maybe it’s the fact […]
READ ONFriday night is pizza night and so last evening I trotted out my usual Chicago-style crust. Complimentary as the wife was, it was obvious that I’d once again fallen short of the ideal (Gino’s, Gino’s, Gino’s). And as if I wasn’t dispirited enough afterward, I got an email from one of my oldest friends, a […]
READ ONConcerning the final stage of puff pastry, the rolling and folding, I’m pretty much in agreement with the author of this week’s recipe. Yet I think it’s important to emphasize the “why” of the butter envelope and the initial roll, because this is the really critical point in the recipe. So you’ve got your giant […]
READ ONThere are more than a few stories about how puff pastry evolved. An oft-cited one involves a Renaissance pastry chef by the name of Claudius Gele whose sick father was prescribed a diet of water, flour and butter by his doctor (the doctor was later burned at the stake for not knowing what the hell […]
READ ONIn sharp contrast to the first step of puff pastry making, step II is where you get to really get in touch with the inner Neanderthal. It’s the butter block stage. The recipe instructs us to put room temperature butter into a food processor with a small amount of flour and blend it. Once the […]
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