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Lemon Orzo with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

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Lemon Orzo with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

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This One Pan Lemon Orzo with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage is comfort food at its finest and comes together in just 25 minutes. Plus it has less than 400 calories (9 Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints) for a cheesy, creamy pasta dish that you will make again and again.

One pan dinners are the way to go on busy nights. Not only does it mean less dishes, it also means that you don’t have to worry about making a main dish and side dish since everything is cooked together – your protein, grain, and veggie all in one. This version is a spin on a traditional lemon and broccoli pasta with the addition of some lean chicken sausage for protein and flavor. You could also use chicken breast, chicken thighs, or ground turkey. You may just want to add in some additional spices to kick up the flavor. Spices like fennel, Italian seasoning, grill seasoning, thyme, or rosemary would all be delicious.

For the pasta, I decided to use orzo since I love the way it absorbs flavors, but this would work with almost any kind of pasta. Cooking it directly in the liquid allows the pasta starch and chicken broth to combine and create a creamy, flavor filled sauced. Then to make everything even more tasty, there is some Parmesan cheese and lemon. Yum. One more note, this recipe would probably work with rice or quinoa as well for a gluten free option. Just make sure to add a little more cooking liquid than the package directions call for since the sausage and broccoli will absorb some of the liquid.

Tips for Making One Pan Lemon Orzo with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

Although I opted to use orzo, you can use almost any pasta for this recipe. You could also make a gluten free version with quinoa or rice. 

All kinds of veggies will work in this dish. Just choose something sturdy that isn’t likely to get to mushy during cooking.

Sometimes I add a can of drained diced tomatoes to the recipe as well. It adds some extra veggies and great flavor.

For a lower SmartPoint or calorie version, use chicken breast or lean ground turkey instead. Just make sure to add some extra spices since you will be missing the flavor of the sausage. This lowers the points by 3 points.

This keeps well in the fridge for a few days so don’t be nervous about the extra servings.

Looking for more one pot pasta dishes?

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See Chef Wolfgang Puck's Governors Ball Menu

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See Chef Wolfgang Puck's Governors Ball Menu

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LA-based chef Wolfgang Puck again fed the world’s biggest celebrities on Oscars night this year, cooking at the famous Governors Ball for an amazing 24th year in a row. 

The Ball, which immediately follows the Academy Awards, now in its 90th year, is a chance for the assembled megastars to let their hair down after the marathon of the Awards themselves and in recent years has done away with the sit down meal to try and encourage more of a party spirit. 

According to Food and Wine, the menu this year included a few classics such as Oscar-shaped cracker topped with smoked salmon and caviar, a black truffle chicken pot pie and a baked mac ‘n’ cheese, a few returning dishes from last year’s menu, such as taro root tacos, and new dishes such as tartare of Miyazaki Wagyu topped with togarashi, a kind of Japanese spice mix, and twice baked potatoes, again topped with caviar. Take a look at some pics below. 

By all accounts the pot pie and the mac ‘n’ cheese are particular favourites. It wasn’t all smiles however, when Best Actress Frances McDormand temporarily had her award stolen from a table. 

Wolfgang Puck wasn’t the only famous chef in town however: Joan Roca was there to oversee El Celler de Can Roca‘s menu for Elton John‘s post-Oscars party in honour of the Elton John Aids Foundation. 

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Bumper year for hotel development in ...

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Bumper year for hotel development in ...

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Around 9,000 hotel bedrooms are set to open in London this year – more than the 8,000 that launched during the Olympic year of 2012.

The impact of the unprecedented growth in hotel capacity will contribute to what is forecast to be only a modest growth in occupancy and room rates during 2018, alongside other factors including a strengthening of the pound and a weakening in economic growth.

News figures published this week in the PwC Hotels Forecast 2018 highlights that occupancy in London is set to remain at 82%, with virtually flat growth of 0.4% this year and 0.3% next year.

Average daily rate (ADR) growth in the capital is expected to grow by only 0.2% this year, some way off last year’s increase of 4.3%. However, the expected ADR of £149 by the end of 2018 is a record in nominal terms, with more robust growth predicted for next year, up 1.6% to £151.

Revenue per available room (revpar) is forecast to see an increase of only 0.6% to £122, compared to 4.6% last year. In 2019 revpar is predicted to grow by 1.9% to £124.

Meanwhile in the regions, where occupancy reached a high of 76% last year, marginal growth of 0.6% and 0.5% in 2018 and 2019 respectively is forecast, up to a figure of 77%.

ADR and revpar in the regions is expected to increase by 0.6% and 1.2% in 2018 and 2019 respectively to £72 (2017: up 3.1%), while revpar is forecast to grow by 1.1% this year to £55 and 1.4% in 2019 to £56.

Liz Hall, head of hospitality and leisure research at PwC, said that one of the main challenges to growth for hoteliers will be the increase in competition, “with more rooms potentially set to open in London than the Olympic year, that will mean a lot of rooms to fill”.

Major new hotel openings in the capital include the 334-bedroom Principal London (April), the 129-bedroom Lincoln Plaza London, Curio Collection by Hilton (spring) and the 193-bedroom the Dixon (autumn), which will operate under Marriott’s independent Autograph Collection from Dominvs Group.

Hall added: “The boost to inbound holidays from the weak pound has started to fizzle out and ongoing uncertainty around Brexit and the fragile economy is a recipe for some tough year-on-year comparisons for the next few months.

“Hotels will be looking to events such as the Royal Wedding in May to provide an uplift while other events like the Farnborough International Air Show and additional unique sporting events will do the same for the regions.”

New hotel openings to watch for in 2018 >>

UK hotel performance to slow down in 2018 >>

Principal London announces senior management team >>

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Home-grown harvest: purple sprouting ...

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Home-grown harvest: purple sprouting ...

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Packed full of vitamins and possessing an earthy, sweet flavour, purple sprouting broccoli can add a beautiful pop of colour to any dinner plate. Russell Brown reports

Purple sprouting broccoli is sometimes called poor man’s asparagus, but that, perhaps, does this earthy, sweet brassica a disservice. For a start, this is one of the first leafy vegetables to arrive in the new year, slotting in nicely between the end of the Brussels sprouts and the start of spring cabbages. It also has a great flavour, looks the part and is hugely versatile.

One distinction that maybe needs making is between sprouting broccoli, which comes in white and green versions as well as the purple, and the solid green heads of calabrese, which are often around 15cm in diameter. The season for calabrese is late summer to late autumn, whereas sprouting broccoli is at its best from February to late April.

Part of the wider cabbage family, purple sprouting broccoli is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of carotenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre and vitamin A. Cultivation is believed to go as far back as the sixth century BC. You should look for stems that are less than one centimetre thick and have dark green leaves and tight purple heads. The tiny individual flowers that form each head want to be closed; once open, they will start to show as yellow in colour.

The plants are usually grown from seed, with different varieties allowing growers to achieve a consistent crop across the season. The plant produces a dominant central head with side shoots around it. Varieties grown commercially include Santee, Rudolph and Red Spear. Periods of severe cold weather are detrimental to the crop. The plants are relatively hardy and easy to grow, but there are issues with pests and diseases, and pigeons and other birds can be a serious problem.

Sprouting broccoli lends itself to various cooking methods, but the general rule is fast, light cooking. Briefly steaming, chargrilling or stir-frying all work well. The stems want to be just tender to the point of a knife when cooked. Splitting or peeling thicker stems is a sensible option, and they will break where they are tender in much the same way as asparagus does. The spears can be served as part of a garnish for both meat and fish dishes, but work equally well as a dish in their own right.

Some popular flavour pairings with purple sprouting are chilli, garlic, anchovies, Parmesan, blue cheese, hollandaise sauce and eggs. At the Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland in Lancashire, chef-proprietor Stosie Madi charcoal-grills the spears, dresses them with sea salt and lemon juice and serves with a wild garlic mayonnaise. At the Stoke by Nayland hotel near Colchester, executive head chef Alan Paton serves warm purple sprouting broccoli with pink grapefruit and pine nuts and a Madeira and smoked butter sauce.

Market report British purple sprouting season runs from around February to April. The price is usually around £3-£3.50 per kilo, but if the product goes short due to weather conditions, such as frost or snow, then it will rise. Later in the season there will be plenty around as temperatures increase. Ashley Clemence, Total Produce www.totalproducelocal.co.uk

Buying and storage tips

Store in the fridge to keep the product at its best.

Choose stems that are firm, with vibrant green leaves.

Avoid stems much thicker than 1cm.

Purple sprouting broccoli with fried polenta, chilli and goats’ cheese Serves 8-10 as a starter

For the chilli dressing Juice of 4 oranges/blood oranges, reduced to a light syrup 1 small red chilli, roasted, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped 10g honey 10g Dijon mustard 50ml white wine vinegar 250ml grapeseed oil or light olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

For the polenta 900ml water 1 large clove of garlic 9g Maldon sea salt 225g polenta 70g butter 70g Parmesan

For the purple sprouting 40-50 spears of purple sprouting, trimmed and washed Extra virgin olive oil and Maldon sea salt to dress

To serve 300g soft goats’ cheese or curd, beaten to soften

For the dressing, combine the first five ingredients in a tall measuring jug. Gradually blend in the oil and season to taste.

To make the polenta in a Thermomix, place water, garlic and salt in the mixer, set at 90°C and process at speed 6 for five minutes. Then set to speed 1 and drizzle in the polenta. Change to the butterfly whisk and cook at 90°C for an hour at speed 2. Add the butter and Parmesan and mix at speed 2 for two minutes at 90°C. Check and adjust the seasoning and pour into cling film-lined trays. Chill to set and then cut into discs. Alternatively, make in a pan in a similar way – you may need to add more water.

Steam or blanch the broccoli until just tender. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

Pan-fry discs or rectangles of the polenta until crisp and golden on both sides. Place the polenta on the plates and lay the spears of broccoli across it. Quenelle the goats’ cheese and place beside the broccoli. Drizzle the chilli dressing around and over the broccoli.

Roast rump of lamb with purple sprouting and hazelnut and cumin butter Serves 4

For the rumps 4 lamb rumps, trimmed and fat scored Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 50ml olive oil 25g unsalted butter 1 clove of garlic, smashed 4 sprigs of thyme

For the purple sprouting 16-20 spears of purple sprouting, trimmed and washed

For the hazelnut butter 1tbs olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1tsp ground cumin 100g unsalted butter Zest of ½ lemon 10ml lemon juice Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 30g roasted hazelnuts, crushed

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and sweat off the garlic without colouring. Add the cumin and toast until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Beat the butter until soft and then add the lemon zest and juice. Beat in the cold garlic mix and season to taste. Fold through the hazelnuts.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan, season the fat on the rumps, and place them in the pan fat side down. Cook over medium heat to render the fat. Season the flesh and turn to colour well all over. Add the oil, butter, garlic and thyme. Turn the meat fat side down again, baste and move to a hot oven, around 180°C. Cook for four to eight minutes, basting occasionally. Medium rare will be around 48°C when the meat comes out of the oven. Rest on a wire rack, fat side up.

Blanch or steam the broccoli until just tender, drain and transfer to a sauté pan. Add the butter and allow just to melt, tossing to coat the broccoli thoroughly.

Carve the lamb rumps into thick slices and place in the centre of shallow bowls. Lay the broccoli beside the lamb and spoon the butter over and around.

Coming soon Over the next few months I will be featuring outdoor rhubarb and sorrel in Home-grown Harvest. Do let me know how you use these products on your menus and what your seasonal favourites are. Email recipes, dish suggestions and photographs to: [email protected]

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Michelin Guide to Croatia 2018: New Michelin Stars

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Michelin Guide to Croatia 2018: New Michelin Stars

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The second ever Michelin Guide to Croatia 2018 was released this week, with the tiny Guide gaining two new one star restaurants.

Pelegrini in Sibenik and Restaurant 360° in Dubrovnik, join Monte in Rovinj as the country’s only starred restaurants, but there are four restaurants with a Bib Gourmand, awarded for great food that is reasonably priced, and 55 Michelin Plates, which are given to restaurants that Michelin recommends, but doesn’t quite want to bump up to star level. 

That means Croatia now has 62 restaurants in the Guide, which is almost double that of last year, so the scene is growing, though the Guide has flown largely under the radar due to its size.

See the full list here. 

Top image: Diego Delso [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Worshipful Company of Cooks celebrate...

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Worshipful Company of Cooks celebrate...

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The Worshipful Company of Cooks has celebrated the achievements of the chef apprentices that it has supported through their studies.

At a lunch in honour of high achieving students who graduated from Westminster Kingsway College last year, the Livery Company reinforced its support for the chefs as it seeks to add value to their apprenticeship programme.

As part of its initiative to work with the students it provides practical and financial support, specialist cooking tuition and professional mentoring. The programme sponsors one group of apprentices at Level 2 and another at Level 3 each year.

Once apprentices complete both levels they are invited to join the Cooks Company, through which they will be supported as they embark on their careers.

Addressing the students Graham Craddock, chairman of the catering committee at the Company of Cooks, said: “This is an extremely tough business requiring physical and mental energy. There are few jobs that give the satisfaction and pleasure – and the more degrees of difficulty the greater the sense of achievement.

“You will see that pressure is a two-edged sword. Along the way, there will be huge disappointments when everything goes tits up. The really special ones amongst you will be able to take that on the chin, learn from mistakes and get going again.

“There will be occasions when everything seems disastrous – I would recommend that you develop a good sense of humour. But as well as that make sure that you have a strong network of friends, family, colleagues, mentors, bosses who can listen, and understand and by doing so help. You can now add to that list – The Worshipful Company of Cooks.

“By being one of our apprentices you have already started a lifetime source of help. The Company will always be there for you.”

The four graduates present at the lunch – Leah Johnson, Lamar Greaves, James Goodman and Marie McWhinney – will all be assigned a member of the company as their ‘Master’ to mentor them through their four years as a Cooks’ Company Apprentice.

Gordon Ramsay Group vows to combat chef shortage with apprentice scheme>>

Are you ready for the apprenticeship levy?>>

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Major expansion plans for Althams Butchers

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Major expansion plans for Althams Butchers

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Planning consent has been granted for a state-of-the-art meat processing facility for Althams Butchers in Lancashire, a business supplying some of the UK’s top hotels and restaurants.

Althams employs more than 100 staff and supplies prime beef, pork, lamb and fine foods and has outgrown its existing premises at White Lund in Morecambe. The expansion will also enable 20-25 new jobs.

A free-range pork farm that previously operated from the Hillside Farm site closed in 2012 and the farmhouse and outbuildings have been unused since. The redundant buildings will make way for a 5,100 sq m facility that will feature the latest preparation, packing and refrigeration facilities.

Harrison Pitt Architects has designed the purpose-built facility which will be built at Hillside Farm, Morecambe.

Richard Parker, a director of Harrison Pitt Architects, said: “We’re delighted that Althams Butchers can now move forward with its expansion plans, an aspiration that wasn’t possible with the constraints of its existing premises.

“This new facility will allow the business to operate more efficiently and will also provide an economic boost to the area by allowing new jobs to be created.

The building, which will be clad in timber, has been designed to give the appearance of a series of linked agricultural barns and Althams Butchers also intend to provide its own shuttle bus service to offer sustainable transport to employees travelling from Heysham and Morecambe.

Althams Butchers is still an independent family-owned business. Today the business is operated by Thomas Altham’s great, great grandsons James and Richard Altham.

The company’s customers include English Lakes Hotels, Northcote Manor, Liverpool FC, Hotel Du Vin, Malmaison Hotels and Virgin Trains.

Butchers scoop Q Guild of Butchers’ Smithfield Awards

The pies have it: the new breed of butchers

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Food Events: Ñam Santiago

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Food Events: Ñam Santiago

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Chile is gearing up for this year’s week long Latin American food festival, Ñam Santiago, in association with Acqua Panna and S.Pellegrino, for both food lovers and professionals.

From 22 to 27 March the multicultural South American city will embrace all types of food with four days of feasting at markets and dinners supported by artisan stalls and other fun activities.

Hang on to the end of the week when the festival comes to a climax with a master class in the street for over 100 people by chefs Cristian Gómez and Paula Báez.

Mitsuharu Tsumura from restaurant Maido crowned No.1 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants will also be there for the week along with plenty of other well known chefs including  Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, Mario Castrellón and Rafa Costa e Silva offering masterclasses on various topics, including meat, vegetables and seafood. Here’s the programme.

What Ñam Santiago When 22 to 27 March, 2018 Where Santiago, Chile Website

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The Best Skinny Ranch - Slender Kitchen

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The Best Skinny Ranch - Slender Kitchen

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The Best Skinny Ranch will make all your ranch dressing dreams come true without the guilt. This healthier, homemade ranch has just 36 calories (1 Weight Watchers SmartPoints) with ingredients that are natural and good for you.

I have a little bit of a love hate relationship with ranch. Sometimes I love it and can’t get enough and sometimes, depending on the brand, I hate it and find it too sweet and fake tasting. And light and diet ranch – I pretty much never like them. That was until I came across a basic ranch recipe, made a few minor tweeks, and found a skinny ranch I LOVE. Full of fresh herbs and lemon, it tastes great and is perfect for just about anything. The dressing is not as thick as typical ranch, which I actually like. If you want it a little thicker, substitute 1/4 cup light mayo for 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and you will get a thicker dressing.

You can serve this in all the traditional ways. Toss it with your favorite salad, dip in some fresh cut crudite, or make some buffalo chicken and douse it with this skinny ranch. It tastes good on everything. Personally, I love having a container ready in the fridge. I find I always eat more veggies when its around.

This healthier ranch is on the thinner side and perfect for drizzling. However if you want a thicker ranch, you can substitute light mayo, light sour cream, or more Greek yogurt for some of the buttermilk.

Depending on your dietary needs, you can make a richer version by using full fat yogurt and sour cream.

If the garlic flavor is too strong with the raw garlic, use either roasted garlic or garlic powder instead. You can also add in some onion powder for extra flavor.

For a spicy version, add in some chipotle peppers in adobo or Sriracha. You can also make a buffalo version by adding in some buffalo sauce.

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One of the Best Kitchen Tips Ever

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One of the Best Kitchen Tips Ever

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I tend to be forgetful in the kitchen and sometimes burn a pot or pan. It's not always my fault because my twin sons are such great conversationalists. They can talk about almost anything and are so engaging that I lose track of time … easily.

The other day I did a doozie. I was cooking zucchini (used spell check for this one) and the pan ran out of water. It must have been over an hour on high heat. Whew! The pan was totally burnt and carbonized. I was surprised the handle had not melted.

The smell was … unique.

I just knew my sweet wife would give me one of those looks. You know, the I am not too sure you should be around the kids, look.

I really do not like "the look" so I began thinking of ways to avoid it.

After much thinking and testing here is what works so well that after you use it you'll think you bought a new pan.

Drum roll …

3M wet or dry sand paper.

It is absolutely amazing! I used 320 grit (very fine) 400 works well, too. It can be found at most auto parts stores and in the paint section at Walmart (do not kid, I see my millionaire neighbors there too). It feels almost like just a rough piece of paper … that's how fine it is.

Here's what you do:

1. carefully remove any thick burned-on food with a flat razor blade.

2. slightly fill the burned (stainless-steel) pan with soap water.

3. scrub with the sand paper until the burned residual is gone.

You'll be amazed at the results. What was once a nasty burned spot will look like new. Your stainless-steel pan will shine like brand spanking new.

I hope this is helpful, however you may not need this tip as you probably have a whole brain … or a timer.

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Slow Cooker Butter Chicken - Slender Kitchen

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Slow Cooker Butter Chicken - Slender Kitchen

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Healthy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken made in the crockpot comes out incredibly tender, packed with flavor, and just as good as your favorite take out version. Plus with just 3 Weight Watchers SmartPoints and under 300 calories, it’s a meal you can have again and again,

I recently went to Chicago and ate the most amazing butter chicken, better known as Chicken Makhani, from a local takeout restaurant. I hardly ever eat this Indian dish since it is super high in calories but this version was so good, I couldn’t resist. It convinced me that I had to come up with a way to make a lighter version at home. It has all the flavor of a traditional butter chicken, although a bit less rich since I used about a fourth of the butter typically called for in this type of recipe.

There are all kinds of options for serving this. Keep things light and healthy by serving it alongside some cauliflower rice or go a more traditional route and make some white basmati rice. Naan is always a good choice, but its important to watch the serving size. There is a frozen Naan at Trader Joe’s that is really good and sometimes I can find a whole wheat version at my local grocery store. 

For a vegetarian version, use chickpeas instead of the chicken. You can also add chickpeas to the version with chicken for a heartier dish.

Play with the spice level to get it just where you like. Butter chicken traditionally isn’t very spicy, but you can definitely kick things up with extra chili powder.

Garam masala varies greatly in terms of flavor and strength. You may need to add more to get that curry flavor to come through.

You can replace all the diary with a can of full fat or light coconut milk if you like.

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Whole30 meals

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Whole30 meals

Posted by ext212 on 2016-06-05 16:49:33

Tagged: , food , recipes , whole30

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What To Cook When You Don't Know What To Cook

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What To Cook When You Don't Know What To Cook

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Most people who cook for their families generally have a list of family favorites. I know we do. We often focus on what the kids like to make sure they will eat. Every so often however, we open the cabinets, the refrigerator, and the freezer, stand with our hands on our hips and say, “I don’t feel like any of this.” We want something different. It’s almost like a writer’s block. We are left wondering what to cook.

Here are a few ideas that we go to when we are left asking ourselves what’s for dinner. We try to make sure that all the meals use easy recipes for dinner and they are within our budget.

1) Spice it up. We aren’t real big on spicy foods, but every once in a while it’s good. There are some Cajun meals like Jambalaya and Gumbo that are really easy to fix and add some zip and color to the dinner plate. If Cajun cooking isn’t high on your list of cooking ideas, think south of the border. Most people have Mexican food relegated to tacos and chili, but there is a world of burritos, enchiladas, and more that use easy recipes for dinner but add spice to the meal.

2) Go fishing. This is more than Mrs. Paul’s ® Fish Sticks. Tilapia, Whiting, and other light fish are relatively inexpensive. There are a lot of very tasty healthy easy recipes that make fish an easy dinner recipe that has a delightful taste.

3) Visit the Orient Chinese cooking in your own kitchen is among the easiest cooking you can do. A lot of meals use one pan – a deep frying pan. The ingredients are readily available in most grocery stores. If you are unsure, you can always go La Choy® even though it really isn’t what could be called authentic.

4) The Three “S” Meals. Try soups, salads, and sandwiches. None of these are hard to put together. All of them allow for tasty kitchen experimentation. If you do a sandwich and a salad, there don’t have to be any pots and pans to wash. These can also healthy easy recipes for those who are wellness conscious.

5) Mangia il tuo cibo (Eat your food) Italian cooking is more than just spaghetti or lasagna. Would it surprise you to learn that there are great Italian meals for beef, duck, chicken, and more? If you throw in the soups, sweetbreads, and delicacies, Italian for is some of the tastiest there is.

These are just some easy dinner recipe ideas for those times when you are left wondering what to cook. We don’t believe in doing things the hard way. Our kitchen exemplifies this. We focus on easy recipes for dinner and try to have some fun in the mix. We use all of these cooking ideas from time to time and it works out great for us. We hope it does for you, too.

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Egg yolks and caster sugar

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Egg yolks and caster sugar

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We often come across recipes where we need to mix egg yolks with caster sugar. This would appear to be a very ordinary and simple thing to do but, be warned, these two ingredients can behave oddly together.

Let’s take confectioner’s custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) as an example: there’s a stage at which the egg yolks are mixed with the sugar. Is there anything particularly difficult about this? Not really. We mix the yolks and sugar together (without whisking) and that’s all, but there’s an important little tip well worth knowing. You might be tempted to separate the egg yolks from the whites and simply tip them into the weighed-out sugar, as shown in the photo below. Then why not go off to do something else, such as putting the milk on to heat up, before coming back to the egg yolks and sugar mixture later?

Why not? Because you will regret it if you do! Something starts to happen as soon as the egg yolks come into contact with the sugar. The sugar sucks out the water from the egg yolks (we say that sugar is hygroscopic) and this effectively begins to “cook” the surface of the yolks. The result is patches of hard yolk (like in a hard-boiled egg) which will not mix in when you add the boiling milk. These will remain as small lumps in your custard and spoil its normal smooth, creamy texture.

This might not seem like a big deal, but it happens very rapidly. If the egg yolks and sugar are in contact for longer than a minute, the reaction will begin and little hard lumps will start to develop.

How can we avoid this? It’s really quite simple, and this goes for any recipe involving a mixture of egg yolks and sugar: put the egg yolks into bowl, then add the sugar required and mix immediately with a spoon or, better still, with a soft spatula. Once mixed like this, the mixture can be left until later without any problem.

As a precaution, you can do what professional pastry chefs do: 1) make sure you use this method of mixing immediately, 2) strain your mixture of egg yolks+sugar+milk+vanilla+cornflour through a fine sieve when you pour it back into the saucepan. This way, you can be sure that your custard will be perfectly smooth. You might well be surprised by what you see left in the sieve: lumps, milk skin, bits of cooked egg yolk, shreds of vanilla pod…

It is worth mentioning that professional pastry chefs will often strain their cold custard a second time through a very fine sieve before using, to make absolutely sure that the texture is smooth. But maybe that’s going a bit far for us amateurs…

To sum up: A recipe where egg yolks are mixed with sugar? Mix these two together immediately with a soft spatula, then you can safely leave them while you get on with the rest of the recipe.

Last modified on: February 15th 2018

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14 Showstopping Cakes to Make Any Occasion Special

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14 Showstopping Cakes to Make Any Occasion Special

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[Photographs: Vicky Wasik, Yvonne Ruperti, J. Kenji López-Alt]

When it comes to dessert you have no shortage of options—cupcakes, brownies, pies, and more—but for a celebration you just can’t beat a cake. A towering layer cake like our devil’s food or coconut varieties will always impress, but that’s just the start. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a holiday, or just want an extra-special dessert, keep reading to find the perfect cake for any occasion.

Classic Vanilla Butter Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you’ve never made a layer cake before, this butter cake flavored with vanilla extract and toasted sugar is a good place to start. Here we decorated the cake simply with vanilla buttercream and Valrhona pearls, but feel free to get as creative as you’d like.

Get the recipe for Classic Vanilla Butter Cake »

Devil’s Food Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

More of a chocolate fan? This intense cake is made with plenty of chopped dark chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder, plus lots of coffee to bring out the chocolate’s bitter side. This is another great cake for beginners because the batter comes together in a single pot.

Get the recipe for Devil’s Food Cake »

Triple Coconut Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

When I was growing up I asked for the same thing every birthday: my mom’s coconut cake. Her cake was made with chocolate, but I wouldn’t have said no to this version either. The basic technique is the same as our butter cake, but we replace the butter, all-purpose flour, and milk with virgin coconut oil, coconut flour, and coconut milk. Finishing with coconut frosting and toasted coconut flakes really makes it a quintuple coconut cake, but who’s counting?

Get the recipe for Triple Coconut Cake »

Brown Butter Carrot Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Carrot cake is a little more polarizing than chocolate or vanilla, but fans of it will love our triple-layered version. We highlight the flavor of the carrots and pecans with brown butter and whole wheat flour, which also keeps the cake light and fluffy. Tangy cream cheese frosting provides some balance to the earthy cake and candied carrot “roses” make the cake extra festive.

Get the recipe for Brown Butter Carrot Cake »

Chocolate Cherry Layer Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Chocolate isn’t just sweet—it’s full of complex flavors. I’m particularly fond of its fruitier side, which this cake emphasizes with the addition of tart cherry juice. The cherry flavor goes beyond the cake itself, though—we top it with whipped cream flavored with freeze-dried berries.

Get the recipe for Chocolate Cherry Layer Cake »

Blackberry Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Our butter cake batter is already perfectly hydrated, so adding a moisture-rich blackberry purée requires cutting out the normal wet ingredients. That’s not a problem, though, because the berries are acidic enough to tenderize the cake, and they also happen to give it a gorgeous color too. To ensure the color comes out right, make the batter with only egg whites—yellow yolks will mix with the purée and turn the cake an unappetizing green color.

Get the recipe for Blackberry Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting »

Double Strawberry Cake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Strawberries do not work as well in a cake batter as blackberries do. They are significantly less acidic, so using enough strawberry purée to get the pH down would add too much moisture to the batter. Our solution is to add pulverized freeze-dried strawberries to the mix, which gives the batter plenty of acidity and boosts the strawberry flavor and color as well.

Get the recipe for Double Strawberry Cake »

Chocolate Meringue Cake With Whipped Cream and Raspberries

[Photograph: Nila Jones]

This elegant dessert pairs thin chocolate cakes with crisp meringue, airy whipped cream, and an intense raspberry sauce. Adding a little instant coffee to the cake batter amplifies the flavor of the chocolate, and plenty of sugar keeps the cake moist. Don’t worry if you’ve never tackled meringue before—the French meringue we use here is the easiest type to make.

Get the recipe for Chocolate Meringue Cake With Whipped Cream and Raspberries »

Texas Sheet Cake

[Photograph: Carrie Vasios Mullins]

This massive sheet cake is the way to go if you’ve got a big party to feed. The classic Texas sheet cake technique sounds strange but works perfectly—rather than creaming the butter and sugar you melt the butter, bring it to a boil with the water and cocoa, and then mix in the dry ingredients. We like to bake the cake in a large, shallow jelly roll pan so that the layer of slightly tangy chocolate icing ends up being almost as thick as the cake itself.

Get the recipe for Texas Sheet Cake »

Easy, Light, and Tender Honey-Vanilla Almond Cake

[Photograph: Jennifer Latham]

Not every cake has to be as rich and sweet as our previous recipes. This one is practically healthy (and totally gluten-free) thanks to the protein-rich almond flour. Keeping the cake light is all about properly beating the egg whites—start them at room temperature, use impeccably clean equipment, and beat only until they form soft peaks.

Get the recipe for Easy, Light, and Tender Honey-Vanilla Almond Cake »

Flourless Chocolate-Chestnut Torte

[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]

Another gluten-free option, this chocolate torte is flavored with a nutty chestnut purée. The chestnuts are pretty mild and easy to overwhelm, so we cut down on the amount of chocolate and add a dash of bourbon to enhance their flavor. For even more chestnut flavor and a prettier presentation we top the cake with more chestnut purée.

Get the recipe for Flourless Chocolate-Chestnut Torte »

Japanese Cotton-Soft Cheesecake

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

If you think cheesecake has to be heavy, think again. This Japanese version is made by folding airy meringue into the batter, which makes for a cake that is almost unbelievably light. Don’t worry—adding sour cream and lemon juice to the batter ensures it has that classic cheesecake tang.

Get the recipe for Japanese Cotton-Soft Cheesecake »

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Looking for a more traditional Western-style cheesecake? This incredibly quick no-bake recipe is the way to go. We love no-bake cheesecakes not just because they are so easy, but because cutting out the eggs really lets the flavor of the dairy (heavy cream and lots of cream cheese) shine. Graham crackers are the obvious choice for the crust, but nutty Biscoff cookies are even better.

Get the recipe for Easy No-Bake Cheesecake »

No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]

This no-bake cheesecake has a double-dose of chocolate—we mix melted bittersweet chocolate into the cream cheese and sugar filling and use chocolate cookie wafers for the crust. Like our standard no-bake cheesecake this only takes 15 minutes of active time, plus 4 hours in the fridge to set. Give the cake about half an hour at room temperature before serving.

Get the recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake »

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Weight Watcher.

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Weight Watcher.

So much fun to watch this Chip-Monk stuffing it’s Bulging Cheek’s.

Posted by Omygodtom on 2015-01-06 12:43:50

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French Cooking Throughout History

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French Cooking Throughout History

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French cooking through history will take you back, not to the Deluge (the great floods), but to the time when France was inhabited by the Gauls. I believe you will find this gastronomical journey interesting and amusing. The present grandeur of France might be contested by some. The greatness of her cooking and her wit is not contested by anyone. I will begin this article by an aphorism by Brillat Savarin -lawyer,epicure and gastronome (1755-1826) “The destiny of nations depends on the manner with which they feed themselves.The people have the cuisine which they deserve.” If he is right, France still has a beautiful future ahead. The Gauls found wild boars, mushrooms and snails in the dense forests that covered France, then called Gaule (82 BC – 42BC.) They raised poultry, geese and semi-wild pigs. This formed the basis of their essentially carnivorous diet. As far as snail were concerned, they consumed them grilled, directly in the shell and as a dessert. Under the oak trees, in certain spots, and with the help of pigs, they found truffles and cooked them buried in ash. Pork, the foundation of French cooking, played a great role and is still a l’honneur.

Let’s return to pork, which the Gauls called bacon, word we find in Anglo-Saxon languages. The Gauls were expert in curing. You must add the fish found in the rivers and on the coasts, and oysters pulled out of the Atlantic, with which the Gauls had a successful commerce with Rome, long before the conquest of Gaul by Julius Cesar. These details come from Julius Cesar’s De Bello Gallico which supplies us with so many details of the Gauls’ life and customs. The Gallo-Roman period covers about 500 years and was a prosperous era. With the Roman peace, the conquerors brought bread and wine, vital elements of French cuisine, in addition to onions and peppers. The Gauls brought charcuterie (pork meats and pork cold cuts of many kinds) and curing and preservation processes of which they had become masters.)

Alas, invasions by the Barbarian hordes put culinary preoccupations away from the Gauls’ first priorities. The Barbarians brought nothing with them, in fact, they seemed to have a definite tendency to take things away! Let’s salute Charlemagne in passing (768-814.) He was a fervent amateur of roasted meat on the spit,and he discovered Brie cheese in an abbey in St. Germain. He promptly encouraged its fabrication. He also encouraged plantations of orchards and vineyards, and the raising of fish. Let’s mention that it is Charlemagne who was the first to admit ladies at the table during the feasts. Ladies, let us have a grateful thought to Charlemagne.

The Middle Ages present a mixture of feasts and famines. The great feasts primarily consisted of meat and game. (The first cookbook on record was actually called Le Viandier. Viande is the French word for meat. That manuscript was written before 1380 by Guillaume Taillevent, Head of Charles IV Royal Kitchen, and it is kept in France’s National Archives. The French of the time ate very few vegetables because conservation was a big problem. This was a primary cause of famines especially as far as meat was concerned. This problem, incidentally, gave birth to the pates, the glory of Middle Age cooking. Freshly caught fish was highly prized. There was no sugar and bittersweet (aigre-doux) was used instead. Bittersweet has fallen out of favor in today’s cooking.

It would not be gastronomically correct to mention here the famines that casts shadows on the Middle Ages. However, in the quest for anything to eat, many vegetables, roots and herbs were discovered and improved. And let us not forget frogs and snails, forgotten since the gallo-roman period and which reappeared. That is what famines brought to gastronomy.

An important development: Spices and rice brought back by the Crusaders.

This is the end of this article. The next article will take you to the Renaissance and beyond.

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