Monday, August 27, 2012

The coolest way I've found yet to separate out an egg yolk.

ב''ה

Check out this video. No chinese needed to understand:


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Heavenly Cake - Red Fruit Cake

ב''ה


Here it finally is after a long long wait to find fresh currants. As luck would have it, no one had raspberries in stock like they normally doso I had to use blackberries. Oh well.

While I did this, the 'Ez Man' attempted to make himself useful by 'fixing' the dryer.

le genoise.


Le genoise on drugs. Any questions? 

Okay, okay, this happened when I flipped it over. We are trying to be truthful here. No one could notice after it was completed. 

I actually thought this was a pretty good method for cutting out the middle. Outline a circle then cut it out horizontal strip by strip.

Yum. The cake on its with with the reduced syrup was really delicious. The fruit was pretty good too, although I am not the biggest fruit-cake lover.

Some cinnamon ice cream. Ice cream is a terrific medium to express simple or complex spice combos. This one had no other flavors other than Saigon cinnamon and it was lovely. I have realized that ice is the best when it is fresh from the machine. eat it right away! :)

Some toasting baguettes. Later slathered with butter and used to soak up leftover penne ala vodka sauce from dinner. They were baked the same day as they were made and they were fantastic! 
Ala the 'retardation of retardation'. :)





Monday, August 6, 2012

Pie and Pastry Bible - open face Blueberry pie

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This is my first pie! Also, my first attempt at Rose's pie and pastry bible.



Mis en place (sort of:)


So, I have not had home-made pie in years so I have very little to compare it to. The organic pastry flour was delicious but probably not what the recipe had in mind. I had to use much more than the recipe called for as the batter came out very wet. Also, I did not notice but my wife was not sure what to make of the fresh blueberries folded into the cooked ones. She expected all the blueberries to have been cooked into the blueberry mush with the cornstarch I think. At any rate, I thought it was delicious. :)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Rose's Baking Bible - Yossele Rosenblatt Cake A.K.A. the 'The Chocolate Pavarati'

ב''ה


Also known as the 'The Chocolate Pavarati', as Rose calls it.

However, Pavarati is very meaningless to me so I changed the new to something our family can better relate to.

Anyways you can't compare with the soulful Yossele, the greatest cantor of the past generation.

Here is a link of Yossele singing, 'kel male rachamim', sung when a person passes away suplicating the almighty to lift up the soul of the departed to the high heavens. At the time, Yossele sang this for those who perished in the Titanic.This, in solidarity with Rose who just lost her father. May the omnipresent console her together with all those who mourn Tzion and Jerusalem.


On to the cake!

This cake was rich from the melted white chocolate bar and very chocolaty. It looked a bit crumbly, but oh man, when you take a bite it is smooth and delicious. It seemed a bit too rich to have with morning coffee though. More like desert after a steak and wine dinner.

I can't seem to find the link now on Rose's sight to the recipe she posted...

Here is the batter with the white chocolate added. I did have enough white chocolate so I used only 3oz per layer. I also did not have two sticks of butter per layer but used 1 stick of margarine and 1 stick of butter.

'Omi Girl' was with me for moral support.

Here is what it looked like with the top cut off. Seems slightly crumbly but in reality the texture was perfect.

I made a simple vanilla meringue to top it with (recipe from Rose's Heavenly Cakes). After all, I was making this for a birthday party.


Here is what it looked like fresh out of the toaster.

Always a good sign when it looks yummy enough for a child to poke their fingers in... grrr

Two layers:



No, the little car is not on the cake. :)

Ahem, more fingers...

Ooh, look at that pretty sky.



Happy birthday little Lava Lamp!