Pickled Butter Radishes and Shallots

Do you know the French eat radishes on buttered bread with a sprinkle of flaked salt for a snack.  I found that remarkably different until a friend brought me a bunch of his" butter "radishes. It's winter and anything from the garden is a treasure and should be prepared with careful consideration. I guess this variety lends itself to the buttered bread idea as they are small and milder than the grocery store bunch.  I thought they'd be more useful to me as a pickled vegetable this time of year.

 Mixing them in with a salad for a tasty bite of crunch and piquant flavor is refreshing during these bleak winter months.  Any type of radish will do and it's a snap to make.

1 pound radishes, cleaned and trimmed of roots and stems, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, sliced thin
1 whole garlic clove
1 bay leaf
Pack into a pint glass jar

Combine the following in a nonreactive medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbls sea salt
1 tsp. coriander seed
6 whole pepper corns

Cut the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Pour the hot brine liquid over the radishes and shallots in the jar.  Allow the mixture to cool before putting a lid on.  Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Elegant Lavender Shortbread

It was a total surprise when the waitress brought a small plate of lavender shortbread at the end of a great meal at Sachet Restaurant in Dallas. I loved the distinct but not overpowering taste of lavender.  I knew it had to be part of my Valentine plans and would make an elegant bite with a cup of tea.  It only takes 5 ingredients.

•  Use salted European style butter, it works better for shortbread in this case.  
•  Grind the dried lavender with a mortar and pestle so there are no large pieces or, I prefer, putting the sugar and lavender in a high speed blender to bring both to a fine texture.  The sugar blends in better too that way.
• Keep the dough cold to prevent spreading while baking

2 tsp dried lavender ground fine
3/4 cup sugar
12 oz. salted European style butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Put the softened butter, sugar and lavender in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment in place and mix on low speed until blended.  Add the vanilla and beat in.  Add the flour in four portions mixing well after each addition and the dough holds together.  Wrap dough in plastic and chill for one hour.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into shapes.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before placing in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges turn light brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely on the cookie sheet.  Store in an air tight container.  Freezes well.
Makes 2-3 dozen.

Sourdough Bread, Did you know it has ears?

Sourdough Boule, the dark peaked edge is an "ear"

I'd resisted the thought of baking sourdough for years.  It's the Olympic Marathon of baking.  Was it necessary to my cooking repertoire?  I didn't think it was worth the effort of all that feeding a starter like it was a pet until I discovered a young chef by accident on YouTube, Joshua Weissman.  Remember the name, he's going places.  I watched all his videos noting he frequently uses a contraption called a proofing box or fermentation station.  A collapsible box with a heating element in the floor and a water pan.  It was the answer to my hesitation and expansion of my baking skills.  The proofing box allows you to set the precise temperature and humidity for any bread or fermentation recipe.  All that stuff about "cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place" makes for very inconsistent results.  I do have a great bread machine but it only knows one temperature and I have no control over that.  Now I could control the proofing environment for professional results.  So what's just one more gadget in my already packed kitchen?

I studied Joshua's video, written schedule and techniques over and over.  I wasn't sure if it was a recipe or an IQ test.  It involves math, chemistry, vocabulary, logic, organization and above all else, a commitment.  Joshua made it as simple as he could but it's still got a lot of moving parts.  I'm not going to review the recipe but just give you the link and some tips for success.  The cookbook from the famous Tartine Bakery in San Francisco goes on for 80 pages  about sourdough. Joshua Weissman No Knead Sourdough Bread (13 minutes and 23 seconds) is more manageable.  https://youtu.be/eod5cUxAHRM

The Perfect Loaf website is another excellent source of baking wisdom.

scoring the loaf before baking

I admit to having all of these baking tools except the proofing box so I put them to good use.  Equipment is pretty important here so save up those pennies.  Baking is an investment.  Check out The Perfect Loaf website for more equipment.

-A Brød & Taylor proofer; a digital scale and an instant read thermometer (Amazon).  If you're into baking all of this will become indispensable.  So splurge.

-Use unbleached organic flours and filtered water.  It's a chemistry thing. I used a mix of rye and all purpose for the starter, bread flour and whole wheat for the dough.  Rice flour for dusting the liners.

-A razor blade will do for scoring but a lam (a razor blade with casing so you don't cut yourself) is better.

-A cast iron dutch oven.  I have an enameled one by Le Creuset.  Another splurge but worth it.

-A Kitchen Aid Mixer with a dough hook.  A big investment.  You can, of course, use your hands but how bourgeois.

-A banneton proofing basket.  It supports the bread shape as it rises.

Yes, this is the most expensive loaf of bread you could make so make a lot of them and think about all the history and effort that went into it when you do.  The starter can be used in any baking that involves a leavener.  Experiment and Bake on!

Reviving the Syllabub Dessert

Elegant syllabub

What a fabulous, frothy finish to our Christmas Eve meal!  Syllabub is the perfect balance of rich yet light.  Why has it been hiding in the attic so long? Dust this recipe off and rediscover a delightful treat. It made me think of eggnog as tiny champagne bubbles.  I remember my mother mentioning it as a American Colonial dessert but it really has its' roots in England, all the way back to the 16th century.

Several years ago, I went to a holiday party and syllabub was dessert.  I was wowed and interested the hosts were using a unique contraption to achieve the frothy consistency.  I finally got around to asking the details and my friend gladly shared her simple recipe and her antique syllabub pump.  It's so easy and delicious, I can't imagine why it isn't as popular as ice cream.  I noted  culinary authors, the Lee Brothers, share the same sentiment in their Charleston Kitchen cookbook.  That version is similar to James Beard's, which is a hand whipped item.  I guess they couldn't get their hands on one of these pumps.  They are only available as antiques and quite rare.  My friend's pump had been passed down through her family.

Syllabub pump

A bubbly drink of wine and milk became the word "syllabub".  Compounded from the words, Sille, a region in the Champagne area of France and the English slang word " bub", meaning a bubbly drink.  There are various versions,  commonly, using sherry and lemon peel, but this is the Deep South version and we prefer it made with Bourbon.  End of discussion.

Now the bigger problem is the tin pump.  They just don't exist anymore and I feel privileged to have been able to make Syllabub with a family heirloom.  It makes the dessert much more etherial.  Small pin size holes in the bottom of the pump express air through the mixture. Using a whisk is fine if that's all that's available but the results will be more whipped cream like, still a delightful creation.  I'm looking for a crafty person to make one. See the picture  and let me know if you have a source.

It's just 4 ingredients :

1 quart heavy cream
1 pint whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup bourbon

Mix until sugar dissolves then chill overnight.  Mixture must be very cold.  Stir before you begin to pump to insure the ingredients haven't settled.  Submerge pump and pump like mad (or whisk by hand).  Skim off the foam and serve in a compote with a spoon.  Serves a lot.

Keep Your Eyes On the Pies

Chess

Apple

Pumpkin

Pecan

It's Thanksgiving and my eyes are on the pies.  My heart and stomach are full of thanks.  I'm counting my blessings and the pies.  Wishing everyone  a Happy Thanksgiving.🦃

Pursuing the Perfect Pie Crust

spinach quiche

 The "perfect" pie crust that rolls out like a "dream", light, tender with a flaky bottom crust  is achievable with practice and attention to detail.  I don't make too many pies and never really settled on a single recipe until my cousin called and asked me to help her master her late mother-in-law's pie crust in time for Thanksgiving.  She had departed this world leaving behind two treasures; a sketch of a recipe and a well laminated pastry cloth.  When I heard that, I knew we were talking about a pie saint with a sacred recipe. She had baked each son's favorite pie for Thanksgiving with skillful ease and my cousin wanted to honor the tradition.  What I noticed as I dove in and reviewed the varieties I'd made before that included variables like egg, shortening, cream cheese and even vodka, was that they're leaving out a lot in the recipes and videos.  "Roll the dough out on a floured surface" is culinary malpractice.  That's like telling a passenger to land the plane at night.  Just look for the runway lights. Where's the instruction manual?

Double crust pie

More important than the ingredient mix is technique.  I've used a food processor to mix the dough before but realized that's for sissies.  Roll up those sleeves and use your hands.  Larger pieces of fat distributed throughout the dough still accomplish coating the flour with fat so not too much water is absorbed which makes for a sticky dough.  No matter the recipe, all ingredients and even the bowl need to be COLD and the dough throughly chilled before and after placing in the pie plate or tin.  It's a race of time vs temperature to cut, mix, knead and roll the dough before the fat becomes too warm.  According to the pastry goddess, Stella Parks, that perfect temperature is 68 degrees.  Any higher, and its back in the refrigerator for a chill down.  So keep an instant thermometer handy.

Rolling out the dough is tricky.  Here are some helpful tips;

• pat the dough into a disc 5 inches in diameter.  That's about 15 oz per disc minimizing any fissures to the disc surface by smoothing the surface and edges.  A fissure will only enlarge with rolling and distort the circle.  
• Pinch any cracks together with a moisten finger and dust with flour.  Wrap in plastic wrap. The plastic allows you to smooth edges without drag. Chill for at least 2 hrs before rolling out
• unwrap and roll on a floured surface from the center to the edge making a quarter turn after each roll.  The dough should always slide and not stick on the floured work surface.

• flip the dough over after you have completed 4 turns dusting the surfaces lightly with more flour and brushing away any excess on the dough surface.
• use pyrex or quality pie tin for best results
• for a nine inch pie plate, the rolled dough should measure 12+ inches in diameter
• use a finger dipped in water to moisten any cracks and smooth. Dust again with flour 
• a floured rolling pin sock discourages sticking to the pin
• if at any time the dough gets too soft - back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes
• either roll the dough over the rolling pin and into the pie plate or fold in quarters, center in the pie plate and unfold. Whatever works best for you.
• adjust the dough so it falls naturally into the pie plate, never stretching the dough, making sure it fits into the bottom corners of the plate.
• The dough should hang 1 1/4 inch over the edge. Trim to 1/2 inch and tuck under onto the top of the pie plate not inside the plate.  Crimp or flute as desired.
• chill the crust again once the dough is fitted into the plate for single crust pies
• to partially bake a crust, line with aluminum foil and fill with 2 pounds of dried beans or pie weights.  This will keep the crust from puffing and the dough from shrinking or sliding down the sides.  Remove the weighting and continue to bake as directed for a pre baked crust.  
• pricking the crust is not necessary if pre-baking with pie weights.
• bake on a preheated pizza stone
• use bleached Gold Medal all purpose flour, it has a lower ph

flakey bottom crust

Now, for the recipe; all butter or a butter/shortening mix (lard if you can get it).  The hallmark of a good pie crust, for me, is a flaky bottom crust no matter the filling and both versions will deliver.  All butter is sturdy and has better flavor but butter/shortening has better texture.  For an all butter version, search Stella Park's All Butter Pie Crust.  It is brilliant, "easy" and intentionally cultivates gluten for a sturdy dough if you are making a lattice crust or tart shells.  Her method of folding and rolling the dough is as important as the recipe and worth watching her video.

2 Crust Butter/Shortening Pastry

2 cups or 275 grams all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups or 175 grams pastry or cake flour

1 tbls or 22 grams sugar

1 tsp or 2 grams salt
a pinch of baking powder *helps the crust expand for flakiness*

Apple pie sliced

14 tbls  or 200 grams unsalted American style butter

6 tbls or 72 grams shortening

1/4 cup ice water or 52 grams (add 1 or 2 tablespoons more if needed)

1 tbls white vinegar or 18 grams*this shortens the gluten strands*

Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together 

Cut the butter and shortening into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to flour mixture and toss to coast each with flour.  Roughly smash each cube to flatten with your fingers.  Add the water and vinegar knead quickly to a shaggy mass then turn onto a floured work surface.  Continue to knead the dough until a cohesive mass forms.  Work quickly, handling the dough as little as possible. It should take no more than 1 1/2  to 2 minutes. Divide in two, form into discs and wrap in plastic.  Chill for at least two hours before rolling out.  See notes above.

If refrigerated overnight, set out for 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling.  Lasts in freezer 3 months.

A disclaimer: The above recipe is based on Chef Thomas Keller's ordinal in grams.  The weight conversion to Imperial is close.  I encourage all cooks to buy a digital scale for accurate baking.

Caramel Cake - Some Tips. It Takes Practice and Patience

Not perfect, but not bad

A first class caramel cake takes a great recipe, patience and practice.  I mastered caramel some time ago as a sauce or candy and cheated at icing by just adding powdered sugar to it.  My son's birthday is up so I decided it was time to roll up my sleeves, put on my big girl panties and make a real cooked caramel icing cake.  Caramel icing is something even the most accomplished cooks will tell you is a challenging feat.  It's about timing, temperature and technique plus good equipment.

 I've been looking at caramel cake recipes for years and never taking too many of them seriously.  I had in mind one I tasted years ago made by a lovely lady from Willacoochee, Georgia.  She passed away recently at 97 without making her secrets known.  Her cake was tender and moist and the icing was creamy, caramel sweetness perfection that clung to the cake in smooth elegance without any torn cake or visible crumbs .  I finally settled on trying the recipe in the Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen cookbook (page 223) .  I focused so hard on the recipe and specific temperatures to cook and cool the caramel to, I didn't take too seriously how challenging icing the cake might be and there lies the technical issues and the art.  So here are some tips to make that cake survive.

Icing the cake on a cooling rack over a waxed paper covered baking sheet allows the slightly warm icing to flow over the cake layers and drool down onto the waxed paper.  It can be scraped up and reused as necessary with a little warm water whipped in.  After seating the second layer on top I began to realize the top layer was sliding off.  You can't just ease it back into place without the icing pulling away from the cake.  I started to panic but tilted the layers and the cake slid back to alignment.  This cake required on the spot thinking and that most don't.  Never had to do that before. More drooling icing over the top made it clear, you don't smooth this icing with a spatula or anything more than a finger dipped in warm water.  Any bumps generally relax to a smooth finish. It's very tricky business, so this is fair warning.  Make those layer even and don't do anything to pull the icing away from the cake.  Fix mistakes or smooth with a finger dipped in warm water.  Scrape up and reuse icing with a teaspoon of hot water beaten in.

When the icing has set, moving the cake from the rack to a pedestal is even trickier. Use two spatulas on each side in line with the top wiring on the racks grid. Shove them under the cake with conviction.  Once you there, it's no turning back.  Now lift, and move it quickly.  Don't try to pull them back out from under the cake until it's in place.

A cooked caramel cake is an art just as much as a fancy wedding cake or butter cream icing - this one just tastes the best to me.