IDEAS IN FOOD: Approach to Cooking

Boston Cream Returns

It took way longer than I thought. We use our thumbprint style doughnut as the shell. We dress the shell with our vanilla-buttermilk glaze and a coating of chocolate glaze. We sprinkle our white chocolate pretzel crumbs over the top. The filling has evolved. Now we make a rich custard and lighten it with whipped cream. The filling crests the top of the doughnut, revealing a glimpse of the decadent indulgence.

Years Past

April 29, 2018

April 29, 2017

April 29, 2016

April 29, 2015

April 29, 2012

April 29, 2007

April 29, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 29, 2019 at 04:27 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vanilla and Chocolate Shortbread

While we still use roasted doughnuts for there own doughnut crumb, my shortbread fetish has bubbled over into doughnutland. We now use a base vanilla and chocolate shortbread for many of our other crumb toppings for the doughnuts. The shortbread is decadent and crunchy. It is flavorful canvas.

Years Past

April 28, 2018

April 28, 2017

April 28, 2016

April 28, 2015

April 28, 2012

April 28, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 28, 2019 at 04:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Reality of Pressure Cooking

We have been pressure cooker fanatics for years. We have stood on soap boxes promoting there efficiency and necessity in the kitchen. In Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work, we had the chapter on pressure cooking cut out. Thankfully Aki was able to weave much of the material back into the book. Most of the material she integrated revolved around using the pressure cooker for cooking broths. In Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change The Way You Cook we dove back into pressure cooking. A few examples of its functionality, at the time, were our pork belly and beans and sunflower seed risotto.

But as I have looked at pressure cooking and the results I noticed a pattern. A pattern that made the reasoning for utilizing it in a broth chapter and where foods cooked together could mask the final results. Pressure cooking allows for the great extraction of flavor. Yes, it allows for the tenderization of meats, vegetables, grains and more. But as a whole it is detrimental to cook meats as a fast braise in the cooker. The meats become tender and for the most part flavorless. Even utilizing the idea of a double boiler the end result is a concentrated meat extract, not a better braised meat.

Today our pressure cooker is now our broth maker.

Years Past

April 27, 2015

April 27, 2012

April 27, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 27, 2019 at 04:18 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beef Seasoning

Resources are only useful when put to use. I often forget that point. Years ago, when we were writing Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work, we created our beef seasoning. It was inspired by the Iron Chef Battle where Peter Kelly seasoned his beef with brown sugar and salt. Our beef seasoning has been in our tool chest for years. But we rarely bring it out, especially in its measured proportions. Today I dove into our book and followed the recipe. I seasoned up 2 steaks and will cook them later. I am eager with anticipation, because the beef seasoning is magical. It elevates whatever it is put in contact with.

The beef seasoning is a simple arrangement of ingredients. But its impact is monumental. It, like most of our work, is useful when combined with something else.

Years Past

April 26, 2018

April 26, 2017

April 26, 2016

April 26, 2015

April 26, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 26, 2019 at 04:23 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Draft Day Doughnuts 2019

The only way to really celebrate the official beginning of football season is with doughnuts. Draft day doughnuts are our own special holiday.

Years Past

April 25, 2018

April 25, 2017

April 25, 2016

April 25, 2015

April 25, 2014

April 25, 2013

April 25, 2012

April 25, 2011

April 25, 2008

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 25, 2019 at 07:21 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, Curiosity Doughnuts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chocolate Chess Pie

"I think you've made the perfect pie." Rare words from my husband, especially when we're discussing a chocolate pie. I know he meant them because this pie was gone in just a couple of days. I can't even take credit for the recipe. I was researching chocolate chess pies and I came across this Double Chocolate Chess Pie from Virginia Willis. It was one of the only recipes that didn't use evaporated milk. I kept reading recipes that called for 3-4 tablespoons of cocoa and I just knew they couldn't possibly have enough chocolate flavor. This one adds 1.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips and that was the difference I was looking for.

I used my own all butter pie crust (in Maximum Flavor & Gluten Free Flour Power) and blind baked it at 350°F for 40 minutes before using her filling. The only change I made was upping the salt to 1/3 teaspoon of fine sea salt and that pie was delicious. This was not surprising because Virginia Willis is a class act, but it was unusual because I am a compulsive tinkerer. There was a delicate brownie-like crust on top of a creamy chocolate filling and a crisp pie crust underneath. We served it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and nothing more was needed.

Years Past

April 17, 2018

April 17, 2017

April 17, 2016

April 17, 2015

April 17, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 17, 2019 at 03:48 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chili Pizza

Since chili topped spaghetti is a thing, we figured we might as well test out its viability on a pizza. Turns our it too should be a thing.

Years Past

April 8, 2018

April 8, 2017

April 8, 2016

April 8, 2015

April 8, 2012

April 8, 2005

April 8, 2005 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 08, 2019 at 06:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Impromptu Pizza | Permalink | Comments (1)

Brown Butter Cacio Pepe

Whenever we are teaching pasta workshops and demonstrating the benefits of a pasta extruder we make cacio pepe. It is a dish with just a few ingredients and that means we need to pay attention when we cook it. It took a moment of inattention, letting the butter brown in the olive oil as we toasted the pepper to create browned butter cacio pepe. The additional nuttiness and richness from the toasted milk solids added a deep complexity to the sauce. It has me thinking in a few directions. The first is revisiting brown butter stock, simplifying it by pureeing toasted milk solids and pasta water, to make a foundation. The other is leaving well enough alone and enjoying the simplicity of browning the butter and making the sauce. Both paths have merit and are worth traveling. The choice will depend on where we want to go with the bowl of noodles.

Years Past

April 7, 2018

April 7, 2017

April 7, 2016

April 7, 2015

April 7, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 07, 2019 at 05:15 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motivation v2

It started here.

Which led directly to our interpretation, thanks to the super talented Airlie Anderson.

Years Past

April 6, 2018

April 6, 2017

April 6, 2016

April 6, 2015

April 6, 2012

April 6, 2006

April 6, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 06, 2019 at 06:17 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Accidentally Over The Top

Life is full of happy accidents. Like putting white chocolate chips into a slowly baked shortbread recipe and having them caramelize resulting in over the top, super delicious cookies.

Years Past

March 5, 2018

April 5, 2017

April 5, 2016

April 5, 2015

April 5, 2012

April 5, 2006

April 5, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 05, 2019 at 06:35 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (1)

Lemon Filled v1

We have occasionally served a filled doughnut. We have always added the filling to the doughnut, like most doughnut shops, after the frying. I am fixated on changing that. I want to fry a filled doughnut. Today we accomplished that. We filled the doughnut with lemon custard and closed it like a calzone or an empanada. We discovered that frying a filled doughnut takes a much longer time to cook the interior dough. The long fry time gives me some hesitation. It adds an element of inefficiency to my already inefficient doughnut chaos. But the result is delicious. We shall continue to tinker with and produce small amounts at the shop. As we practice our process, hopefully we will gain some efficiency.

Years Past

April 4, 2015

April 4 2012

April 4, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 04, 2019 at 06:58 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

Whole Egg Custard

An egg white is 87% water. That's a lot. So when I see recipes that use only egg yolks and then add additional water or perhaps liquid dairy, I quickly began making rough calculated adjustments. Today we were playing with the lemon custard from our friend Stella's book. She uses yolks and then adds water. I treated whites as pure water and adjusted her recipe to accommodate my changes. The custard cooked up beautifully and no whites were wasted. (In her recipe she uses her whites for the meringue in her lemon meringue pie. I did not need to make meringue. I needed a decadent lemon pie filling.)

Next time you contemplate making a custard try using the whole egg.

Years Past

April 3, 2018

April 3, 2017

April 3, 2016

April 3, 2015

April 3, 2012

April 3, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 03, 2019 at 06:02 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spiralize

The spiral doughnuts have been, like everything we do, a work in progress. The idea for turning our no-knead danish dough into a doughnut was sparked by the Caddy Shack line, "a doughnut without a hole is a danish." They are a result of three important driving forces: inspiration, paying attention to our observations, and doing the work.

Years Past

April 1, 2015

April 1, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on April 01, 2019 at 06:54 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thermometers Lie

When the thermometer says 375°F and the biegnets go up in smoke in their normal fry time, something is amiss. My first response was to question my dough. Did I make something wrong? It didn't occur to me that the infrared thermometer could be off. I fried another single doughnut, a different dough, and it too went up in smoke quickly. Only then did I begin to question the thermometer. I shut the heat off and began searching the kitchen for a second thermometer. I was alone, prepping in a strange kitchen, cooking doughnuts in a pot on the stove.

I finally got relief when another chef showed up with a thermometer in their kit. There thermometer registered 475°F. I had the answer to my burnt biegnets. I added additional oil to the pot to cool it down and waited. When the oil reached 375°F I was off to the races.

I re-learned a lesson I thought I knew quite well. Travel with a back up thermometer. Because not all thermometers tell the truth.

Years Past

March 30, 2018

March 30, 2017

March 30 2016

March 30, 2015

March 30, 2012

March 30, 2009

March 30, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 30, 2019 at 05:51 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Power of Practice

We learn to see with practice. We see the successes and failures. We see what works and what doesn't. Practice is a time to try, test and explore. It is the place where failure opens doors.

As we practice questions emerge. The biggest challenge I face daily is how to practice better? Are there steps I could be taking? Are there motions I could be eliminating? Are there questions I should be asking?

And as I looked to understand practice I came across these words:

"You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail." -- Charlie Parker (1920-1955) Jazz musician

I think we often forget the first step. The learning. In order to excel, we must be willing to learn. Basics become great through our practice.

Years Past

March 29, 2018

March 29, 2017

March 29, 2016

March 29, 2015

March 29, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 29, 2019 at 05:28 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Invest in Ordinary

Years Past

March 26, 2018

March 26, 2017

March 26, 2016

March 26, 2015

March 26, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 26, 2019 at 07:37 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, Beyond the Kitchen Doors, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Getting to Good

Years Past

March 25, 2018

March 25, 2017

March 25, 2016

March 25, 2015

March 25, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 25, 2019 at 06:37 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cinnamon Shortbread Crust

Take your favorite pie crust recipe (ours is in both Maximum Flavor and Gluten Free Flour Power) and add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Then roll out your dough in shortbread crumbs. It's that simple. We're going to use it for the next batch of strawberry pie but it would be equally good with lemon cream pie or banana cream pie or custard pie...hmmm maybe I'll rethink that strawberry filling.

Years Past

March 23, 2018

March 23, 2017

March 23, 2016

March 23, 2015

March 23, 2012

March 23, 2010

March 23, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 23, 2019 at 05:10 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring

It's the first strawberry pie of the season. Spring is definitely here.

Years Past

March 22, 2018

March 22, 2017

March 22, 2016

March 22, 2015

March 22, 2012

March 22, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 22, 2019 at 05:18 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two Lime Pie

I was making a lime pie for my mother in law's birthday when Alex wandered into the kitchen. He was watching me make the filling for the baked curd and thought it looked a little bit skimpy.

Then as we debated toppings for the pie he suggested that I adapt my lemon cream pie filling and use it to top the baked lime base, essentially bringing two pies together as one. It worked beautifully with the graham cracker rolled pie crust. The bottom layer was firmer and more intense with a kiss of ginger to highlight the lime, while the top layer was ethereal and bright with a hint of vanilla.

I think my ratio was a bit off and I need a little more of the bottom layer to balance the top, but that's an easy fix. The pie was a huge success and it's making me think about ways to bring more flavor to what I put on top of a pie or a cake or whatever else I happen to be creating.

Years Past

March 21, 2018

March 21, 2017

March 21, 2016

March 21, 2015

March 21, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 21, 2019 at 03:57 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (3)

Kimchi and Coleslaw

A number of years ago we made creamy kimchi. It was delicious. It was great with our hot dogs. But it was not coleslaw and was not kimchi. As a hybrid and for the time it was amazing. But somehow I knew that kimchi and coleslaw were great together but would taste best still in their original forms. In our recent corned beef and cabbage feast we made reubens with both coleslaw and kimchi. The two remained separate and blended together. Bites were varied. The kimchi would dominate one bite, the coleslaw would cool another bite. And together they were a robust version of our creamy kimchi.

Years Past

March 19, 2018

March 19, 2017

March 19, 2016

March 19, 2015

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 19, 2019 at 05:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The tradition is corned beef and cabbage. The twist was eating in the style of areuben. We made the sandwiches with either corned beef or pastrami and added kimchi, cole slaw, Swiss cheese and mustard before grilling them into oozy, melty, crunchy goodness for St. Patty's day. And just like that, a new tradition was born.

Years Past

March 18, 2018

March 18, 2017

March 18, 2016

March 18, 2015

March 18, 2012

March 18, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 18, 2019 at 06:52 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Graham Cracker Roll

Alex is not a fan of graham cracker pie crusts and always complains when I make one. In The New Pie: Modern Techniques For The Classic American Dessert, they roll a pie crust in graham cracker crumbs to make key lime pie. When we saw it, we were both struck by the simplicity and the possibilities. It was a total a-ha! moment here. I used it to make a Two Lime Pie for someone's birthday here and we both loved the way it worked out. The crumbs added texture and flavor to the finished pie dough, making it more crunchy on the outside and seemingly more tender inside the crust. Now we are contemplating the many different kinds of crumbs we can use to make pie dough. We'll never have to deal with a crumbly crumb crust again.

Years Past

March 17, 2018

March 17, 2017

March 17, 2016

March 17, 2015

March 17, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 17, 2019 at 04:01 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's Cruller Time, Our Process

We make our doughnuts in small recipes. I haven't been happy with how the recipes have scaled. So we make them in the size that makes them great. I increase efficiency by scaling all the ingredients into their steps. It also helps limit measuring errors as we can check the ingredients step by step. By getting the scaling done in one step the process of cooking becomes smooth and efficient.

Years Past

March 16, 2018

M arch 16, 2017

March 16, 2016

March 16, 2015

March 16, 2014

March 16, 2013

March 16, 2012

March 16, 2011

March 16, 2011 (2)

March 16, 2011 (3)

March 16, 2010

March 16, 2009

March 16, 2009 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 16, 2019 at 07:03 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motivation

Clearly I need the doughnut version of this shirt. To go along with the pizza. And a noodle version as well. We have plenty of ideas and they are what motivates us.

Years Past

March 15, 2018

March 15, 2017

March 15, 2016

March 15, 2015

March 15, 2014

March 15, 2013

March 15, 2012

March 15, 2011

March 15, 2005

March 15, 2005 (2)

March 15, 2005 (3)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 15, 2019 at 05:42 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts, Impromptu Pizza | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kimchi in Progress

Salted Cabbage: Seasoning, Tenderizing and Kickstarting Fermentation

Rinsed Cabbage and Scallions

Added Kimchi Marinade

Vacuum Sealed For Dispersion and Simple Fermentation

Years Past

March 12, 2018

March 12, 2017

March 12, 2016

March 12, 2015

March 12, 2014

March 12, 2013

March 12, 2012

March 12, 2011

March 12, 2010

March 12, 2009

March 12, 2008

March 12, 2008 (2)

March 12,2007

March 12, 2007 (2)

March 12, 2006

March 12, 2005

March 12, 2005 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 12, 2019 at 03:39 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Shrimp Rice

Sometimes you stumble across some shrimp that are so beautiful that you know that you have to use every part of them. So, I took the shells and made a stock infuse with ginger, garlic, tamari, and sake. We began with the idea of shrimp and artichokes. Then I made the stock and rice seemed like a natural accompaniment. In the end we used most of the stock to make the rice and took the remainder to make buerre monte to poach the shrimp and artichokes. We finished the stew with fresh parsley and scallions. I wish I could show you the final results but we took advantage of the moment and simply enjoyed them. Think of this as a very loose recipe, my favorite kind, because you take the ideas and run with whatever you have in your own kitchen.

Years Past

March 11, 2018

March 11, 2017

March 11, 2016

March 11, 2015

March 11, 2012

March 11, 2006

March 11, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 11, 2019 at 04:04 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (1)

Potato Twists

When we introduced the potato doughnut to the shop we were faced with potato doughnut cuttings. To utilize the trim we stacked the dough into a ball and let it rest overnight. The following day we roll it into a six inch wide strip. We cut the strip into sticks and then cut the strip three quarters of the way through. We twist the pieces together and then press the ends together. We fry the twists and glaze them with our vanilla-buttermilk glaze. Most recently we topped the twists with strawberry crumbs though we have a number of other twists up our sleeves for the coming weeks.

Years Past

March 10, 2018

March 10, 2017

March 10, 2016

March 10, 2015

March 10, 2012

March 10, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 10, 2019 at 06:10 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fried Angel Hair Parm

There are certain meals that are, by necessity, a solitary pleasure. This is one of them. It requires leftover angel hair pasta in red sauce. This no easy feat in our house because Amaya loves her angel hair and usually has dibs on any leftovers. In this case, Alex went to bed early so there was an extra portion in the pot that I was able to hide away in the corner of the fridge. The next day the pasta was seared in a non-stick saute pan, flipped, covered with mozzarella cheese and broiled until it was browned and bubbly. The leftover noodles have a certain bouncy resiliency, in spite of their softness. This is interspersed with crunchy bits, gooey cheesey goodness, and the occasional spark from a red pepper flake. It is comfort food of the highest order and not often indulged in. That may be part of what makes it taste so good.

Years Past

March 9, 2015

March 9, 2012

March 9, 2009

March 9, 2006 (2)

March 9, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 09, 2019 at 09:18 AM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Understand the Basics

Years Past

March 8, 2018

March 8, 2017

March 8, 2016

March 8, 2015

March 8, 2014

March 8, 2013

March 8, 2012

March 8, 2011

March 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 08, 2019 at 05:12 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pan Pizza

Bar pizza is my current fetish. It started a number of years ago when I ate at The Colony Grill. Their thin crust pizza with abundant toppings and fantastic caramelization was an instant addition to to my pizza lexicon. It took me several years to find a pan I wanted to make the pizza in. I finally chose the 13 inch cutter pan from Lloyd's. (The same producer of our favorite Detroit Style Pizza Pans.)

We made our fail-safe pizza dough to test the pans out for the first time. I cut the dough into 300 gram balls and put them on the lightly oiled pans. I covered the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough do its final proof on the pans.

When it was time to cook, we all stretched the dough on the pans and topped the pizzas with both our favorite stand-bys and some new exploratory toppings. We baked the pizzas on our baking steel in the oven until the bottoms browned and the toppings were toasty.

We used our go to pizza cutter, scissors, to slice the pizzas and allow us all to pick and choose amongst the evenings' five variations.

Years Past

March 7, 2018

March 7, 2017

March 7, 2016

March 7, 2015

March 7, 2012

March 7, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 07, 2019 at 05:29 PM in Approach to Cooking, Impromptu Pizza | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Sometimes you feel the need for chocolate and whipped cream. At those times, there's nothing better than a Chocolate Cloud Cake.

It's an easy recipe and as long as you use good butter and chocolate, it yields something rich and luxurious, with multiple textures, to be enjoyed in small bites. I added 1/3 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the sugar that I added to the whole eggs, and I used cookie crumbs on top instead of chocolate shavings. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. It comes from Richard Sax's book, Classic Home Desserts, which is wonderful. If you like to bake, it is a book worth checking out. It's been a staple in our library for years, one that I return to again and again.

Years Past

March 3, 2018

March 3, 2017

March 3, 2016

March 3, 2015

March 3, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 03, 2019 at 05:10 PM in Approach to Cooking, Bakers Dozen, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Persimmon Hot Sauce

Persimmon Hot Sauce

4000 grams ripe persimmons

1000 grams water

400 grams habanero peppers

100 grams salt

I pureed all the ingredients together and then put them in a large cambro and pressed plastic wrap on the surface of the persimmon mash. I covered the cambro with another piece of plastic and let the persimmon mash ferment for about 4 days at room temperature, until bubbles formed in the persimmons and the color first darkened and then returned to its original orange.

The persimmon mash had become slightly acidic. The acidity brought the fragrant heat and sweetness of the hot sauce together. I put the persimmon hot sauce in the refrigerator, covered, for another month. The top oxidized slightly during the aging process. When it was ready to go, I scraped the oxidized surface layer off the hot sauce, stirred the mash together and bottled it up. I have it stored it in the refrigerator ready to be called into action.

Years Past

March 2, 2018

March 2, 2017

March 2, 2016

March 2, 2015

March 2, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on March 02, 2019 at 06:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ric-Cottage Cheese

Adding the cottage cheese to the ricotta creates a richer product with a complex texture. The two together become an exceptional ingredient.

Years Past

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2017

March 1, 2016

March 1, 2015

March 1, 2014

March 1, 2013

March 1, 2012

March 1, 2011

March 1, 2010

March 1, 2009

March 1, 2008

March 1, 2008 (2)

March 1, 2007

March 1, 2006

March 1, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 01, 2019 at 06:18 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Potato Doughnuts

The upcoming Fastnacht Day re-kindled my desire to make a potato doughnut. People were very disappointed to hear that we aren't going to be open, but the idea of the potato doughnuts proved to be irresistible. The inquiries about whether or not we were going to produce them provided the creative kick in the ass I needed to make it happen. Our potato doughnuts utilize instant mashed potatoes. The potatoes add a softness to the dough and allow us to increase the amount of moisture. We use the dehydrated potatoes for both consistency and efficiency.

The doughnuts have a pillow-y texture with a gentle chew and an alluring moistness. The creative catalyst was Fastnacht Day. But now that we have the doughnuts dialed in, they will become a staple at Curiosity Doughnuts.

Years Past

February 28, 2018

February 28, 2017

February 28 2016

February 28, 2015

February 28, 2014

February 28, 2013

February 28, 2012

February 28, 2011

February 28, 2010

February 28, 2009

February 28, 2008

Febraury 28, 2007

February 28, 2006

February 28, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 28, 2019 at 04:31 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pounding and Breading

I was reading through Rich Table by Sarah & Evan Rich when I came across a tip for using a rolling pin to pound out pork chops. It was a great idea because everybody has a rolling pin in their kitchen. We tried it out and it works beautifully and it's fast. We utilized our quarter sheet pans for our breading station. They are the perfect size for the large pieces of meat. It made the whole process feel streamlined. It's the small modifications that make a process flow.

Years Past

February 26, 2018

February 26, 2017

February 26, 2016

February 26, 2015

February 26, 2014

February 26, 2013

February 26, 2012

February 26, 2011

February 26, 2010

February 26, 2009

February 26, 2008

February 26, 2007

February 26, 2006

February 26, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on February 26, 2019 at 03:40 PM in Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doughnut Art

Today we started playing with converting pictures into paintings. I discovered BeCasso, an app that allows me to filter, modify and create painting-esque images out of our photographs. I've been wanting to make a series of our doughnut images into wall, and potentially book, art. Now I have the tool to take the next step.

Years Past

February 25, 2018

February 25, 2017

February 25, 2016

February 25, 2015

February 25, 2014

February 25, 2013

February 25, 2012

February 25, 2011

February 25, 2011 (2)

February 25, 2010

February 25, 2009

February 25, 2008

February 25, 2007

February 25, 2006

February 25, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on February 25, 2019 at 06:23 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cupcakes

We've made a point of letting Amaya set her own pace in the kitchen. She loves food and has a good palate, but, aside from a few special dishes, she's not really embraced cooking yet. And that's fine. We want her to find her way into the kitchen so she can make her own place when she gets there. Today she surprised me by announcing that she wanted to make cupcakes by herself. I pulled out some cookbooks and pointed her in the direction of cupcakes.

A funny thing happened when we started looking at the books, I realized that I didn't have very many books with cupcake recipes. This is surprising when you consider the sheer size of our library. Finally I told her to decide what kind of cupcakes she wanted to make and we would retro fit a recipe. She chose lemon-raspberry cupcakes with meringue frosting. I found a lemon cupcake recipe for to follow online and showed her how to make raspberry coulis to swirl into the batter. Finally she made an Italian meringue frosting with a touch of vanilla.

Alex arrived home in time to help with the frosting. It was the only help she would accept throughout the process and she went back and "fixed" a few his cupcakes when they were done. Amaya made sure there was something for everyone and each cupcake has its own personality. I love them. We'll see what she wants to do next.

Years Past

February 23, 2018

February 23, 2017

February 23, 2016

February 23, 2015

February 23, 2014

February 23, 2013

February 23, 2012

February 23, 2011

February 23, 2010

February 23, 2009

February 23, 2008

February 23, 2007

February 23, 2006

February 23, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 23, 2019 at 03:56 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Solving and Learning

I have become fascinated by the Rubik's cube. The spark came from Daniel, one of our employees at the shop. He taught himself to solve the cube with YouTube videos. Now his top speed is 14 seconds. He entertained customers on Christmas Eve with his prowess. I have spent the past several months fumbling with the cube. I tried learning from the videos. I could not follow along. Finally I reached out to Daniel. He pointed me to the website The Cubicle, which has a beginners how to cube video.

At first I stumbled through the video. Then I realized I needed to pay better attention and actually take notes. I used note cards and broke the process into steps. These cards gave me points I could return to if I forgot and stumbled. I forgot how useful note cards can be. I used the cards to help me solve the cube. I can now solve the cube pretty regularly without the cards, as long as my mind does not wander. I've learned the process. Now a much bigger task presents itself, how to learn the cube?

Years Past

February 22, 2018

February 22, 2017

February 22, 2016

February 22, 2015

February 22, 2014

February 22, 2013

February 22, 2012

February 22, 2011

February 22, 2010

February 22, 2009

February 22, 2008

February 22, 2007

February 22, 2006

February 22, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 22, 2019 at 05:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Beyond the Kitchen Doors, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tinkering

Version 2.

Years Past

February 21, 2018

February 21, 2017

February 21, 2016

February 21, 2015

February 21, 2014

February 21, 2013

February 21, 2012

February 21, 2011

February 21, 2010

February 21, 2009

February 21, 2008

February 21, 2007

February 21, 2006

February 21, 2006 (2)

February 21, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on February 21, 2019 at 07:06 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Danish With A Hole

I think I may be playing one long game of "Can we fry this?" I wondered how our no-knead Danish dough, from Maximum Flavor, would behave when deep fried. I finally made the time to try it out. I modified the dough slightly for doughnutland. I added some vanilla and increased the sugar a bit. After the dough was rolled, folded and rolled again we cut the dough into strips and created danish spirals with a hole in the center.

The dough fried up wonderfully. It was crispy on the outside and unrolled in a tender spiral. The danish with a hole is now looking to make a full time appearance at Curiosity Doughnuts. Tinkering and time will see where we take it.

*As of this posting, the kindle version of Maximum Flavor is selling for $3.49 on Amazon.

Years Past

February 19, 2018

February 19, 2017

February 19, 2016

February 19, 2015

February 19, 2014

February 19, 2013

February 19, 2012

February 19, 2011

February 19, 2010

February 19, 2009

February 19, 2008

February 19, 2007

February 19, 2006

February 19, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on February 19, 2019 at 06:49 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Milk and Cookies: a doughnut

We started with our yeasted doughnut. We added a base coat of our vanilla buttermilk glaze. We topped the doughnut with an abstract ring of our milk glaze and sprinkled our chocolate chip cookie crumbs over the top. It is a doughnut with a milk and cookies makeover.

Years Past

February 18, 2018

February 18, 2017

February 18, 2016

February 18, 2015

February 18, 2014

February 18, 2013

February 18, 2012

February 18, 2011

February 18, 2010

February 18, 2009

February 18, 2008

February 18, 2007

February 18, 2006

February 18, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 18, 2019 at 06:43 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spiced Sugar Wash

I've used a sandy sugar wash for years to create a crisp, crunchy, sugary crust on cakes and pies. This week I was making rugelach and instead of using egg wash and spiced sugar to finish the cookies, I decided to make a spiced sugar wash. Mine has cane sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and water to make the sugar into a wet sandy paste. I like the texture of the finish better and I hoped that by hydrating the spices before baking I might get a more intense flavor out of them. The rugelach bake for about 30 minutes and they emerged with a beautiful crust on the outside that added a delicate crunch and spicy flavor to each tender bite of cookie.

Years Past

February 17, 2018

February 17, 2017

February 17, 2016

February 17, 2015

February 17, 2014

February 17, 2013

February 17, 2012

February 17, 2011

February 17, 2010

February 17, 2009

February 17, 2008

February 17, 2007

February 17, 2007 (2)

February 17, 2006

February 17, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 17, 2019 at 06:03 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumbs

The idea was chocolate chip cookie dough butter. We were looking to encompass the flavor of cookie dough in the form of a cookie butter. We combined roasted sandwich cookies, brown butter, powdered sugar, malt powder, vanilla paste and salt in the food processor. Unfortunately when we went to roll it into a thin sheet the almost cookie butter became sandy. Thankfully inspiration struck. We allowed the butter to remain sandy and folded miniature chocolate chips into the crumbs. The crumbs eat like decadent brown butter chocolate chip cookies. One failure led to a delicious creation and a new direction to improve the cookie dough butter.

Years Past

February 16, 2018

February 16, 2017

February 16, 2016

February 16, 2015

February 16, 2014

February 16, 2013

February 16, 2012

February 16, 2011

February 16, 2010

February 16, 2009

February 16, 2008

February 16, 2007

February 16, 2006

February 16, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 16, 2019 at 05:19 PM in Approach to Cooking, Curiosity Doughnuts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Half-Seared Onions

Because sometimes you can't decide if you prefer cooked or raw onions on your burgers. I pressed these onions into the burgers just before flipping them so they cooked into the meat. They were crisp-tender, bathed in beefy juices, and they didn't slide off the burger when you bit into it.

Years Past

February 15, 2018

February 15, 2017

February 15, 2016

February 15, 2015

February 15, 2014

February 15, 2013

February 15, 2012

February 15, 2011

February 15, 2010

February 15, 2009

February 15, 2008

February 15, 2007

February 15, 2006

February 15, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on February 15, 2019 at 04:20 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Magic Of Udon

Truly good udon is a rare and wonderful thing. It has a wonderful texture, a bouncy, sink your teeth into it texture that is almost as rare as a unicorn. We tried a few frozen brands of udon and Alex quickly came to the conclusion that we have to make our own. He has been testing udon noodle recipes on and off for about two years now and he's still not satisfied. Amaya and I love udon noodles, so he cannot give up the quest. Here's the thing, even average udon noodles can still be very good. If you have a rich, flavorful broth, tasty garnishes, and well cooked noodles, it may not be perfect but it can still be is a satisfying bowl of soup. We order it in restaurants all the time and he just shakes his head and furrows his brow when he tastes it. There's an ideal noodle out there and he is determined to nail it. In the meantime, we enjoy his experiments and do our best to keep him on the path to noodle greatness.

Years Past

February 13, 2018

February 13, 2017

February 13, 2016

February 13, 2015

February 13, 2014

February 13, 2013

February 13, 2012

February 13, 2011

February 13, 2010

February 13, 2009

February 13, 2008

February 13, 2008 (2)

February 13, 2007

February 13, 2006

February 13, 2005

February 13, 2005 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 13, 2019 at 06:05 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (3)

Caramelized Cream Eggs

If it worked with carrots, why not eggs? I put heavy cream in the bottom of a non-stick pan. I sprinkled the cream with salt and added the eggs. I turned the heat on medium high and started cooking the eggs. The cream boiled and eventually caramelized on the edges. I used a spatula to see if the eggs were sticking to the sides. They were not. When the eggs were almost done and the cream had mostly become butter and butter solids I removed the pan from the heat and covered it for a minutes. The covered cooking finished setting the whites, specifically in the center of the pan.

I removed the eggs from the pan and served up breakfast. The bottom was caramelized. The whites were tender and cream coated. The yolk was firm and runny. The eggs were evenly seasoned. I now have a new way to cook delicious eggs and a path to explore adding flavors.

Years Past

February 12, 2018

February 12, 2017

February 12, 2016

February 12, 2015

February 12, 2014

February 12, 2013

February 12, 2012

February 12, 2011

February 12, 2010

February 12, 2009

February 12, 2008

February 12, 2007

February 12, 2006

February 12, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 12, 2019 at 12:16 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Caramelized Cream Carrots

The question today was what if we cooked carrots in a touch of cream? They should first steam and then caramelize in the cream as it transfoms into brown butter. We would eliminate a par cooking step and keep all the flavor in the vegetable. It turns out that the idea works like a charm. I put the carrots, cream and salt into a pan. I covered the pan and cooked the carrots on medium high. When I heard sizzling I removed the lid and stirred the carrots in the reduced and almost broken cream. I continued to cook the carrots turning them in the fat and coating them in the caramelizing milk solids. The cream became a flavorful browned butter. The carrots are tender with a light bite. The caramelized milk solids add a richness.

The next questions we ask: what can be the carrots and what flavors can we add to our cream?

Years Past

February 11, 2018

February 11, 2017

February 11, 2016

February 11, 2015

February 11, 2014

February 11, 2013

February 11, 2012

February 11, 2011

February 11, 2010

February 11, 2009

February 11, 2008

February 11, 2007

February 11, 2007 (2)

February 11, 2006

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 11, 2019 at 05:51 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Buffalo Roasted Chicken

This solves the problem of dry wings. We brush the roast chicken with buffalo sauce about twenty minutes before it's done and once more at ten minutes. Then we serve the roasted chicken with extra sauce on the side. It moist and juicy, with crisp skin and everyone can get their favorite parts. Why stick with wings when you can have the whole bird?

Years Past

February 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on February 08, 2019 at 04:03 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

100 Percent Hydrated Pizza v3

Our 100 percent hydrated pizza dough is delicate. In order to capture its delicacy and super light crumb we changed our baking procedure. I bake the pizzas for 10 minutes in on our baking steel, then move them up a rack, and cook them for another 5 minutes. I remove the pizzas from the oven and add the toppings. While I add the toppings I turn the broiler on. I put the pizzas on the middle rack and broil the pizzas for 5-10 minutes depending on the toppings. I remove the pizzas from the oven and use an offset spatula to remove the pizzas from their pans onto a cooling rack, where they for 5 minutes before serving.