Learning to Laminate

Over the past few months I have been craving sweets and specifically donuts. I have a recipe from Alton Brown on making donuts but it makes 50 and once I started looking at dividing the recipe into a more manageable amount of donuts for two people I gave up. Valentine’s Day rolled around and Arielle decided to make Pots de Crème out of a baking cookbook we have. She had the book out to make a grocery list and I started flipping through the book. Everything looked so good but then I saw a braided chocolate pastry that looked good and would help fill this need for donuts. The dough used to make this braided chocolate pastry was Danish which I have never made before.

 

The Braided Chocolate Pastry

As I read the recipe I had to laminate the dough. So what is lamination? Lamination is the process of creating butter layers within the dough which is what makes Danishes and croissants flakey and airy. The basic process is you make a sheet of butter and wrap your dough around it so that the butter which is called the “package” is fully enclosed within the dough. Then you roll it out, fold the dough, and rotate the dough 90 degrees over and over until you end up with enough layers. The recipe I had only had four turns but it takes some time as you need to refrigerate 15 minutes between each lamination. Since the butter was always cold it seemed that it stayed in small pieces within the dough. I’m not sure how this is supposed to be done but I imagine the optimal way is to get full sheets of butter so it would make sense if the butter had time to melt a little more. You wouldn’t want the butter like a liquid in case there is a hole in your dough and then the butter would run out. On the last two of my four lamination runs I set the dough in the oven at 200 degrees for a few minutes to help melt the butter so that I would have more even butter layers.

 

Cross Section

My breakfast for the past few days

Overall it was a fun process since I had never done it before. If you are planning to laminate dough make sure that you have plenty of time to warm and cool the dough between each lamination. The braided chocolate pastry was a success and Arielle and I have been eating it for breakfast. I was really surprised at how good the texture was and it was very moist.

The Halloween Crisis

As Halloween approaches I am getting excited as it is the start of the holiday season. Halloween is a fun time for kids and brings the community together. Sadly the Halloween we used to know is dying out and being replaced by a fake, superficial, and commercialized event.

Image: Courtesy of YMCA St. Louis

When I was a kid and even in movies, TV shows, and advertisements today, Halloween is and was an event where all the kids would dress up and go out with their parents to collect candy from the neighbors. Neighbors would decorate their houses, families would have jack-o-lanterns outside, and kids and families would try and remember the houses with the best candy. Below is an example of what I am talking about.
 

 

Sadly this Halloween above has been dying out. Lazy and paranoid helicopter parents have ruined Halloween. Instead of kids going door to door and collecting candy, the kids are taken to the mall or church events where they walk around and collect small amounts of candy in indoor settings. These parents are claiming that it is safer since we live in a terrible world. The reason Halloween can be unsafe is due to parents who let children that are too young go off by themselves because the parents are too lazy to walk the neighborhood with their children. When you go to other events you aren’t home handing out candy to kids who are working hard and having some real fun. Another bad Halloween practice that Americans have been using is where the parents drive the kids in a car door to door.
 

Image: Courtesy of Wal-Mart

I would encourage everyone to truly celebrate Halloween!  Decorate this Halloween, handout candy to those children who stop by, throw a costume party, or invite friends over to carve pumpkins. If you have kids, please take them around the neighborhood. It is time restore Halloween to what it once was.

You can check out the pumpkins my wife and I carved this year at The Bianco's.

Free Fridays

In Michigan we shop at Kroger. For those of you on the west coast Kroger is the parent company of Fred Meyer. Kroger has a phone app for coupons which I found through an ad on Facebook. Kroger typically has "Free Friday" which is where they have a coupon for a free product. I will be reviewing my Free Friday products from time to time on here.

So the first product we got was a the new 2 liter Ten sodas from Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Arielle chose the A&W Root Beer. The new Ten series are sodas that have 10 calories per serving. I was expecting them to taste slightly different than the originals but our root beer tasted exactly like the original version but was less calories. Overall it was a good product but we don't typically drink pop very often so I can't see purchasing too much in the future.

 

The second product we got was Emerald Breakfast on the go: Berry Nut Blend. The blend contains roasted peanuts, granola clusters, dried cranberries, yogurt covered raisins, glazed walnuts, and dried blueberries. The mix is very good. I am usually not a huge fan of yogurt covered food but these were good. The mix comes in individual pouches which are one serving and 180 calories. That being said they are great for snacks but not filling enough for a breakfast unless you are used to eating small breakfasts.

 

For those of you interested in the Kroger app here is more information: http://www.kroger.com/mobileapp/pages/default.aspx. You can easily download it through the standard procedures. Fred Meyer also has Free Friday and an app.

Pancake Mix Reviews

So as many of you know I am a picky pancake eater. I am not the biggest fan of pancakes made from a mix but I have tried a few. The two mixes that we will look at are “Red Velvet Pancake Mix” which you can purchase at World Market and “Chocolate Chip Pancake & Waffle Mix” from Williams-Sonoma.

Red Velvet:

The red velvet pancakes were extremely easy to make. All you needed to do was mix in a cup of water. The batter makes 8-10 pancakes which is pretty good for two or three people. They were hard to cook since you would have to re-grease the pan between flipping the pancakes so that they wouldn’t stick. The box recommends topping the pancakes with chocolate chips, cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar, or maple syrup. Arielle tried them with cream cheese frosting and I tried them with maple syrup. They had a good texture but the taste was bad. They tasted like there was plastic in them, like when you leave food in a Zip-Lock bag too long. I am not sure if it is due to the packaging it comes in or if it is part of the mix such as the dried egg, butter, and preservatives. Overall they weren’t the best pancakes especially when you hear red velvet. I was glad I tried them though since they do look really good on the box. ($3.99 8oz)

www.worldmarket.com

 

Chocolate Chip:

The chocolate chip pancakes were a little more work since you need to add milk, butter, and an egg. The batter size was about 8 pancakes but you don’t use all of the mix for one sitting unless you make a large batch. They were easy to cook and only needed cooking spray once before you poured the batter. They flipped very easy and surprisingly the chocolate chips didn’t stick to the pan. The pancakes’ were very good. They texture was light and fluffy. The small chocolate chips were the perfect size to allow for a taste of chocolate without overpowering the pancake flavor. Arielle had hers plain and I had mine with maple syrup and we were both very pleased that a mix could taste so good. ($11.95 1lb 4oz)

www.williams-sonoma.com

Conclusion:

Overall the Chocolate Chip pancakes were much better than the Red Velvet pancakes but I did enjoy being able to try such unique pancake mixes. I received both of the mixes as gifts in the past and am always excited to try new foods as long as they aren’t too extreme. I still like my homemade whole wheat pancakes but I wouldn’t mind having more of the Chocolate Chip pancakes from Williams-Sonoma.

Valentines and Spring

Spring is coming and Valentines is just a few days away. I have been thinking about what to make for Arielle for over a month and still can’t decide what to make for Valentines. One of our favorite dishes includes fava beans which are coming into season here in early spring. Fava beans taste sort of like peas but have a slightly different taste. I first came across them a few years ago when my mom had local produce delivered a few times a month. The produce was just a mix of what was in season. I have looked for them from time to time but I have had a hard time finding them. Anyways when we got them my mom had no idea what to do with them so I researched them a little and came up with the recipe below. I am going to look for some this week but if not I am sure I’ll come up with something.

 

 

Fava Beans (wisegeek.com)

 

 

Fava Bean Fettuccini

by Dimitri Bianco

8oz Chicken

1-2 lbs Fava beans (before husked)

1 cup Mozzarella

2.5 oz Evaporated milk (1/2 can)

1 big splash White wine

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbl Olive oil

2 servings Fettuccini

½ Onion (diced)

1.      Boil some water and blanch the fava beans.

2.      Strain and run under cold water. Then peel the fava beans out of their pods.

3.      Boil water for the pasta and cook as directed.

4.      Defrost and cube the chicken. Cook the chicken in olive oil for 5 minutes and then add the onions and cook for another 2 minutes.

5.      Add the fava beans and white wine and cook for another minute.

6.      Add the evaporated milk and mozzarella stirring until the cheese has melted all the way.

7.      If the sauce is too thin, stir in a little flour.

8.      Strain and plate the pasta. Pour some of the sauce over the pasta and serve.

 

As for the dessert everyone knows it must be chocolate for Arielle. I have been thinking about either chocolate cake, bonet (chocolate custard), or making cupcakes with Arielle. Whatever we decide to do I will post some pictures. 

How to stop a burn: I also wanted to post an interesting way to help stop a burn. I get burned fairly often in the kitchen and came across this method for stopping a burn. Once you get burned put mustard on the burn and leave it on for at least a few hours. The mustard will actually dry on but it does an amazing job at stopping a burn. I usually pick off the edges of the dried mustard and then later run it under cold water to help loosen the rest of the mustard. You will not want to scrub it off since your burn will still be tender.

 

 

Fun Fact: The world's largest chocolate bar weighs 12,000 pounds and is 21 feet long and 3 feet high (http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/15/worlds-biggest-chocolate-bar-created-to-encourage-good-nutrition/)

Fox News - 9/15/11

I hope this want an interesting read. If you have any ideas let me know.  

Simple Italian

A new years resolution that I have made is to cook outside of my usual cooking and try new recipes or to create new recipes. I am also going to try to cook slightly healthier. Below is a recipe that I have created. It can be made healthier by substituting the sour cream for either light sour cream or greek yogurt. Arielle and I purchase the veggie trays from Costco and some times it can be a lot of food for two people. For this recipe we actually use the broccoli and cherry tomatoes from the Costco veggie tray. I also buy bacon at Costco (it comes with four one pound packs) which I freeze due to the quantity. For this recipe I just cut off four, 1/4" slices across a package and throw it into the pan frozen. This is convenient since I don't have to use a lot of bacon and I don't have to thaw it either.

I also received some great gifts for Christmas, my birthday, and my anniversary including some kitchen related items. I will do a product review in the future once I have used them many times. I hope every likes the recipe below as it is very simple and fast to make.

Light Bacon and Broccoli Pasta

Yields 2 Servings

8 oz Penne Pasta
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1/6 lb Bacon
2 cloves Garlic
2 cups Broccoli
1 cup Bell Pepper
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbl Water
1 Tbl Butter
1/4 cup Sour Cream
Parmigiano Regiano

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook following directions.
2. Add olive oil to frying pan and heat. Slice bacon and add to frying pan.
3. Mince garlic, chop bell pepper into thin bite size pieces, slice cherry tomatoes, and cut broccoli into bite ssize pieces.
4. After bacon is cooked, add the garlic and vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 Tbl of water and cook until vegetables are tender.
5. Add butter and melt, then add sour cream and stir until well combined.
6. Strain pasta and add to frying pan. Dish mixture into bowls and add parmigiano regiano to taste.

Best Kitchenware / Gift Ideas

Since Christmas is coming up soon I figured that I would make a small list of products I just can't live without.

1. Flex-It Silicone Measuring Cup Set:

We received these as a wedding gift and I thought they were cool but wouldn't be that useful. I was wrong and I actually use these more than any other liquid measuring tools in my kitchen. They have replaced my Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup which I still use but not very often. There are a few reasons I love them so much. First, there are three sizes 1 cup, 2 cups, and 4 cups which are really nice if you need to measure different amounts at the same time, not to mention I have to do dishes less since I have three of them. Second, they are flexible which makes it really easy to pour liquid into tight spots. Third, they are made out of a flexible material so they don't break if you drop them. And lastly, they take up very little space for storage since they nest inside of each other.

Williams-Sonoma = $24.95

2. Ici Silicone Spatula:

This was also a wedding gift along with a few of the other Ici Silicone Tools. The spatula is my favorite though for a few reasons. It is really easy to clean, it doesn't flex, it is great on non-stick, and surprisingly is scoops up food really well despite its thickness. For example pancakes can be hard to get under and flip but this spatula makes it really easy. Also note, I have had it for almost four years and it still looks like new. I would have guessed that the rubber would wear away but it hasn't. It is also heat resistant up to 600 F.

Williams-Sonoma = $12.95

3. Wear Ever 1.5q Sauce Pan

I purchased this saucepan right before I went to college for the first time at a discount store like TJ Maxx just because it was cheap but ended up loving it. I make macaroni and cheese in it due to the lid. The lid has holes cut into it so that you can strain without having to pull out an actual strainer. One side of the lid has small holes and the other side has larger holes. It has also been useful for anything else that I need to strain after right after cooking. I really like it for making ganache or other sauces due to the size. The metal has also held up really well with no discoloring and is easy to clean. Overall it is a cheap saucepan and I really like how it performs. I'm not sure if they still make them but you can find them online.

Amazon = $19.99

4. Goldtouch Pans

So I think this is Arielle's new favorite. We make a lot of nachos and since Arielle does most of the dishes she wants to make sure that they are easy to clean. These pans have the "Goldtouch" which makes almost nothing stick to them. We have been using a cake pan to make our nachos in but I would like to try to make a cake in the two pans and see how well they work on their non-stick ability with cakes which are fragile.

Williams-Sonoma = $Prices vary depending on sets and individual items.

5. Honing Steel

I have always sharpened my knives with a knife sharpener that has a course and fine area to drag your knife through but the honing steel is a new favorite. I always sharpen my knives before I use them which is a really good habit to get into. I feel the honing steel makes the knife sharper than the drag through sharpener and is faster and easier. It takes some practice but after you get it down the knives become very sharp and it is noticeable. I purchased mine as a part of a knife set but you can buy it individually at Williams-Sonoma or other places. The brand shouldn't matter but I have only used this one by Zwilling J.A. Henckels.

Williams-Sonoma = $39.95

Funny story: I was sharpening a knife and showing Arielle how fast I was just like on TV but ended up slicing my hand open since I missed one of the strikes. I have seen really good chefs sharpen them towards their hands but I would recommend sharpening always from yourself so you don't end up like me. Also I don't do well with blood so it was good Arielle was there to bandage me up and finish dinner.

Ending Notes:

These are my favorites right now but I do love almost every item I have in my kitchen. As a cook I like to keep things simple and usually stay away from all of the kitchen appliances. I do use my appliances from time to time for larger jobs like making a coconut cake or large amounts of pizza. I had my pizza wheel break this week which doesn't make me happy but I will be out looking for a new one and will give a product review down the road.

Thanks for reading my blog and let me know if you have any questions or topics that you want answered.