Back in School

Well, I'm back in school. And although my schedule is a bit complicated, I love my class, and what I'm learning. In world cuisine, we will be focusing on ten different countries/regions of the world. Please check out this blog weekly for information on each place, and what we've been cooking.

This week we focused on France. Our soups (potage) included French onion, Saint-Germain (fresh pea), crecy (carrot) and a consomme brunoise (very small & evenly diced vegetables).

Our entrees consisted of chicken Chasseur, supremes de poulet a l'Estragon (tarragon chicken), coquilles St. Jacques (scallops w/ mushrooms), blanquette de veau (veal stew), filet de porc farci Lyonnaise (stuffed pork tenderloin).

Our vegetables and starches were pretty basic (made fancier by writing them in French). We made puree de pommes de Terre a l'Ail (garlic mashed potatoes), egg noodles, spaetzle (a boiled batter & then it's sauteed for service. I added sage and finished them in bacon fat to give them more flavor), ratatouille, and souffles Renv erses (twice baked souffles).

For dessert we had petits souffles au chocolate (I bet you can figure that one out).

We also touched on two of the five mother sauces. Mother sauces are just like "mother" in baking bread. It is the beginning or the base or the starting point for most sauces. The five mother sauces:
1. Bechamel
2.Veloute
3. Tomato
4. Hollandaise
5. Espagnole

I could write an entire entry just on mother sauces, so I will move on.

Prior to beginning any country, we must research it. Below is my report on France. If you are interested in a recipe (the twice baked souffles were fantastic, please post!) Otherwise, see you next week for Mexico!

FRANCE

Geography

Bordering Nations:

           

Continental France maintains borders with the following countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. And technically speaking, France also borders Great Britain because of the tunnel under the English Channel. Although Quebec was once a French colony, it is now part of Canada, to the disappointment of many of its citizens. However, the most important/influential countries are Germany, Italy and Spain.

In South America, French Guiana is bordered by Brazil and Surinam.

Other islands under French sovereignty include Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion

Locations of coast and major bodies of water:

France is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, English Channel and Bay of Biscay, all of which are used in commerce and for travel. France also has a large system of rivers and canals including the Seine River, the Dordogne River, the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy Canal with its 189 locks. Other rivers include Saone and Rhone.

French Guiana: North Atlantic

Guadeloupe: North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea

Martinique: North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea

Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, Mazambique Canal (near northern Madagascar)

Reunion: Indian Ocean (east of Madagascar)

Mountain Ranges:

The Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Vosges, Jura Mountain ranges.

The highest elevation is Mont Blanc at 4,807 ft.

Major Cities:

The top 10 cities in France and their approximate locations:

1. Paris (north central France)

2. Marseille (southern France bordering the Mediterranean Sea)  

3. Lyon (Central France) *The capital of cuisine*

4. Toulouse (southern France)

5. Nice (southern France near the border of Italy)

6. Strasbourg (eastern France, bordering Germany)

7. Nantes (western France near the Bay of Biscay

8. Bordeaux (southwestern France near Bay of Biscay

9. Montpellier (southern France)

10. Rennes (northwestern France)

Climate

Topographical changes:

France usually has cool winters and mild summers, however, along the Mediterranean, the winders are usually mild and the summers are hot. Also, this region experiences an occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.

With an area roughly smaller than the size of Texas, France has a diverse topography. The north and west comprise of flat plains and hills. The rest is quite mountainous with the Alps in the east and the Pyrenees in the south. The lowest elevation is the Rhone delta at -2 ft.

History

Significant historical markers that have influenced culture and food:

French culture and food have evolved over its history because of political and social movements. France has a diverse regional cuisine based on food availability in prospective regions, but they have also been influenced by other cultures including Italy and Spain (who were influenced by the Moors and the Americas: rice, nutmeg, saffron, cinnamon, corn, tomatoes, potatoes and chocolate). One of the most significant event occurred with arrival of Catherine de Médicis  and her chefs of Florence in France in the 16th century.

Christopher Columbus and other explorers brought back corn, tomatoes, potatoes and chocolate from the Americas that greatly influenced French cuisine and pastry.

The French may not have always been the originators, but it can be argued they have always fostered artistic changes in food preparation therefore creating the classic standard for many dishes. However, they may be the first country to write down their techniques and develop methods of teaching. The brigade system was also established in France.

Two chefs that helped develop the standards of haute cuisine are Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (early 1800’s) and Georges Auguste Escoffier (late 1800’s/1900’s). Modern day, “nouvelle cuisine” was introduced in the 1960’s/’70’s by Paul Bouse and his contemporaries who used the best raw ingredients possible to produce dishes emphasizing lighter and subtler cuisine but equally as flavorful as traditional cooking.

Although France claims to have invented champagne through the monk, Dom Perignon, there are discrepancies to that. However, no one can argue the considerable influence Perignon and the Champagne region of France did have on the world of wine and cuisine.  

Major Food & Flavor Profiles

Proteins:  Eggs, beef, chicken, pork, frog, fish (fresh water bass, eel, cod/salt cod), snails, lamb, shellfish (oysters, shrimp clams), duck, goose, sausages, organ meats (offal), beans/legumes and nuts

Vegetables:  Eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, beans, onions, asparagus, beets, cauliflower, greens (lettuce, spinach, swiss chard), corn, cucumbers, squash, garlic, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, leeks, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, turnips, fennel, peas, artichokes, haricot verts

Fruits:  apples, berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries), grapes, figs, citrus (lemons, limes, oranges), peaches, pomegranate, olives, currents

Starches:  Grains & cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, cornmeal, breads, crepes, spaetzle

Dairy:  Cow/Goat/Sheep. Milk, cheese (brie, Gruyere, racelette, roquefort, butter, yogurt, cream, crème fraiche, ice cream 

Spices & Seasonings:  The French are not necessarily known for their use of spices in traditional cuisine, instead using stocks to flavor the foods. However, common herbs are basil, parsley, chives, thyme, bay leaves, and chervil. Basil, thyme, fennel, savory and lavender are used together to create Herbs du Provence. Other seasonings: rosemary, tarragon, saffron, anise, anchovy, wines, vinegar, garlic, capers, garlic, and mustard/seeds. Fat, especially butter, duck/goose, and pork, and also used to add flavor to dishes. Salt and pepper are mandatory.

Cooking techniques

Preparation styles and “unique” cooking styles:

Braising, roasting, sautéing, poaching and steaming are the common cooking methods in French cuisine. The French have contributed to almost all of the culinary techniques, however, again, things that we now associate with France may not have originated there. The croissant actually started in Vienna, Austria, not Paris, France. Foie gras began in Egypt. But the French do have the unique talent of taking something, nearly anything, and making it better. Whether it is baking bread, fermenting champagne, making cheese, or braising beef stew, the French have created the classic techniques/methods that are the basis or foundation of how we cook (and eat) today.

Major flavor profiles:

All five flavor profiles (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami) are highlighted in French cuisine. French food, whether haute or nouvelle, is about complex flavor. Meat and fish are prepared using stocks and or sauces containing sugar, eggs, flour, wine/brandy. Cassoulet, quiche Lorraine, bouillabaisse, coq au vin, beef bourguignon only  begin to describe some the regional dishes and flavor profiles of France.

Unusual aspects of preparations:

Legend has it that laminated dough was invented in France when an apprentice forgot to add butter to the dough. He did so by folding it in, creating magnificent layers of butter and dough we now use for puff pastry, croissants, and Danishes to name a the few.

Because the French have created the standards of western cooking, unusual aspects of preparation are hard to find.

Classic menus and dishes:

French cooking is extremely regional. Please review the chart below from The New American Chef.

NORTHEAST

            Alsace and Lorraine:  charcuterie, fish, game, pork, sauerkraut, sausage (baker’s oven, German-style pastries, kugelhopf, quiche Lorraine

            Champagne: Champagnes, herring sausage

NORTH CENTRAL

            Paris Basin:  cosmopolitan melting pot of all regions (coq au vin, baeuf a la bourguignonne, flamiche)

NORTHWEST

            Brittany: apples, butter, chicken, eggs, fish, milk, oysters, potatoes, sea salt (fleur de sel), shellfish/buckwheat crepes)

            Loire Valley:  grapes, pork, trout

            Normandy:  apples, butter, Camembert, cream, lamb, milk, seafood

SOUTHEAST

            Burgundy: bacon, mustard, onions, red wines (beef bourguignonne)

            Dijon: crayfish, mustard

            Franch-Comte: Bresse chickens, cheese (Comte-like Gruyere), milk

            Lyon: Charolais beef, crayfish, onions, potatoes, walnuts  (French onion soup)

            Provence:  anchovies, basil, fish, garlic, herbs, lamb, olives, olive oil, tomatoes (bouillabaisse, tapenade)

SOUTHWEST

            Basque: cod, ham, onions, peppers, tomatoes (sauce basquaise)

            Bordeaux: crepes, Cognac, oysters, red wines, sausage, truffles (sauce bordelaise)

Gascony: peppers

Perigord: black truffles, crepes, chanterelles, chestnuts, duck

                        

Eight Days a Week...or 64 work hours a week

Yep. Between last week and this week, I will have been on 11 days straight, one day off, and another six on. I am usually working upwards of 11 hours a day. Everyone in the pastry kitchen is doing the same thing. And I'm not complaining. I love the adrenaline rush of getting everything done. It's like working the hotline only I'm baking.

But I have no outside existence.

I will reapply myself to this blog in the near future with some potentially big news and promises of weekly updates.

See you in a couple of weeks!

Self Evaluation

Well, it has been six months since I started this blog, but although I feel I have learned a lot and have gained some self confidence in my work, I am no where near my goals for this blog.

I had wanted to concentrate on a particular area of pastry/baking each week. Sickness, learning to adapt to an overnight schedule and other excuses have gotten in the way of this.

Summer is a very busy time at the resort, and unfortunately, I am still bouncing from nights to days and back. However, I think a realistic goal is to make one thing each week, whether it is a pie, a loaf of bread or even just a new recipe for cookies. Last week I made strawberry rhubarb tartlets. And on the fourth, I made strawberry rhubarb panna cotta. Strawberry season is almost over, so I may have to make a fresh strawberry pie before it's too late.

So, please continue to visit.

A Hunch about the Brunch

Have you ever been to a brunch more than once at the same restaurant? Did they offer the exactly same food choices from one week to the next? No? Do you want to know why? Then keep reading.

Brunch occurs in many restaurants so they can clean out the walk-in. Made too much? Ordered too much? Use it for brunch. Something going to go bad? Use it for brunch. Too much of an ingredient left? Build a dish around it and use it for brunch.

You are not being served bad product, but you are eating left-overs.

This is especially true in the bake shop. We usually know what needs to be used up, but many times we search the shelves of the walk-in to find ingredients to create desserts. If there is left over lemon curd, we may make fruit tartlets or lemon meringue. Strawberries getting a little mushy? We either create a sauce or add it to panna cotta. Last week Chef added caramel sauce to the panna cotta, poured them into molds and served them on top of thin brownies. They were delish.

Then there is blueberry cobbler or brownie trifle. Left over sponge cake? Tiramisu. And we nearly always have some sort of cheesecake on hand. Left over coconut milk? Use it in rice pudding.

You get the idea. And really, who cares if you're eating left overs; it's still new to you.

The magic of soda

I have the recipe, "Six-Month Bran Muffins" from my great grandmother that is a great example how the chef instructors got it wrong. The older this batter gets, the better the muffins become. Yes, you can keep the batter for six months. I just baked off my last five this morning. The batter had only been in the fridge for four months, but since I had to scrape a little mold (don't tell anyone) off the top in one corner of the container, I thought it was best to just use up the rest.

The rise was great; the flavor was delicious.

The only chemical leavening in the recipe is baking soda. How can that be? Isn't baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) supposed to run out of gas? You see, baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas in batters. In fact, it starts to release as soon as it comes into contact with moisture. According to The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg, this is especially true when it is used without baking powder and therefore, "...should be baked as soon as possible after mixing." Gee, he sounds like my Chef instructors.

Baking soda also requires an acid to accompany it, otherwise the baked product has an off taste to it. This acid may include buttermilk, chocolate, citrus juice, sour cream, molasses, etc. When it is mixed into the batter, carbon dioxide is produced more rapidly, leaving a milder form of sodium in its place. But again, it is the rational of why your recipes need to be baked immediately. If you aren't going to add an acid, technically, the baking soda will not turn into carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate until heat is added. But again, your product will taste soapy and alkaline.

At work we keep batter no more than four days. Many of our batters have both soda and powder. And you can tell a difference on that fourth day; I always have to add more batter to the pan. At another place I worked, we kept the muffin batter around for more than week. We didn't have any issues with rising. Those recipes included just soda in them.

So, perhaps it is the double acting baking powder that is causing the batter to flatten after a few days? Nope (at least not scientifically). Baking powder contains one part sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and two parts baking acid. That is one of the benefits to using baking powder over soda (you don't have to add extra ingredients just to obtain the acid). More importantly, double acting baking powder will begin to react with liquid, however, it won't finish until heat is added. This allows you to delay the baking time.

So what gives? I think I need to put a call into Shirley Corriher, the food science goddess.

And I think you should try the best bran muffins ever. Thanks to my Cookie Grandma aka Alice Smith.

Alice's 6-Month Bran Muffins (copied as she wrote it, so read carefully & prior to starting it)

Step 1: 1 C 100% Bran
            1 C boiling water
            - Mix, cool, set aside

Step 2: Cream 1 1/2 C sugar with 1/2 C oil

Step 3: Sift 2 1/2 C flour with 3/4 tsp salt & 2 1/2 tsp b/soda

Step 4: Add 2 eggs to creamed mixture

Step 5: Add 2 C All Bran cereal

Step 6: Add 1/2 qt (2 C) buttermilk, alternating with the flour

Step 7: Add 1/2 lb of raisins

Step 8: Mix all together. Add Step 1.

Store in covered dish in refrigerator. Improves with age. Do not stir. When ready to put in muffin tins, just scoop out. Bake 400 about 10-12 minutes.


Notice the buttermilk? Remember, you can always make buttermilk by mixing 1 C milk with 1 TBSP lemon juice or white vinegar.

Ideally, you want to the muffins to warm up to room temp before adding them to the oven. But if you don't (I never do, what's the point of having the batter handy then?) just add cooking time. Oh, I do add cooking spray to my muffin tins. It just makes life easier. And the raisins are a necessary ingredient.

I think that it is it! Enjoy!

In the weeds

In the weeds. It is an expression kitchens use when they fall behind the orders to the point that if something drastic doesn't happen quickly, the potential for a total kitchen implosion exists.

I was in the weeds. A pastry kitchen may be a little different than in a regular kitchen with cooks on the line, but none the less, implosion was likely.

To be honest, I am not the fastest dough cutter and roller, and with 200 loaves to portion and 100 of those to roll, I had fallen behind. A lot.

I had ignored everything else because the kitchen was hot and my dough was on the rise. Ballooning, actually. I was ready just to attach a basket to make a hot air balloon with the hopes it would fly me out of there.

The only thing happening was that I just fell further and further behind. It was 3:00 in the morning. Who was I going call? The ghostbusters? No, I should have called Chef.

Because when he did come in at 5:00, and then another coworker at 6:00, we made it. Barely. We didn't get everything done on time, but nothing was late (ie, banquet runners were waiting, but none of our guests knew). 

It had been a night of calamities. It wasn't just the broken roller, the hot kitchen, the bread over proofing, the rolls not baking correctly, the restaurant not only forgetting to order pastries for a weekday brunch, but they forgot to tell anyone they even had the brunch, or the coffee shop was opening at hour earlier now, therefore needing everything at 5:00 instead of 6:00. The biggest calamity was that I had been in the weeds, knew it, but hadn't called anyone for help.

I wasn't yelled at. I wasn't made to feel embarrassed (I did that all on my own). 

If you need help, ask for it, even at 3:00 in the morning.

Lesson learned.

The Attempted Murder of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and a Bread not to be Repeated.

I almost killed my most prized possession on Saturday night: my KitchenAid Professional 5 quart stand mixer.

I wept. Seriously. It could have cost me $400 or more to replace my beauty. And I don't have $400 right now.

After unplugging and removing Silver Streak (her nickname since she can beat egg whites and whip cream at lighting speed) to the cool tile, to do just that, cool down.

Potential Disaster #1: In the mean time I had to knead my 5 1/2 lbs of bread dough by hand. I will admit it was a lot of dough, but SS should have been able to handle it. I began recalculating my measurements. What did I miss? My recipe is in the metric system, and when I doubled it, I forgot to add the equivalent of four ounces of water. That's a half cup. And that's a lot of water in bread dough.

So, it took me an hour to knead and incorporate that additional water by hand plus the other half cup of flour my recipe required. Are you kidding me? It was already midnight when Silver Streak died.

Potential Disaster #2: After I finally kneaded it to its proper consistency (windowpane test), I let it rise. I should have put it in the fridge at this point. Nope, I didn't.

I checked Silver Streak, still nothing.

After it fermented, I punched the dough down, formed it into three loaves, putting two in the freezer, but then I forgot to place the last loaf in the fridge for a night of rising. You see, I was just so excited! I had plugged in SS again, and although she didn't sound great, she was working.

So, by the time I came back down stairs the in the morning, my bread had over proofed. The only remedy I could think of was to remove it from the loaf pan, brush off as much cornmeal as possible, punch it down and reshape it. I let it relax for about 20 minutes before reshaping and rolling it out again for the loaf pan. I again set it to proof.

And you're not going to believe this, but not only did Silver Streak work, I even made oatmeal cookies with her. Yes, I do feel a little guilty to make her work so hard again after almost killing her.

Potential Disaster #3: The bread was taking forever to proof. After two hours, I had to leave. Not just leave for a little while, but for a day-long trip. What was I going to do? I wrapped it up, loaf pan and all, and placed it in the freezer.

Potential Disaster #4: Now I didn't have any bread for my daughter's lunch on Monday. But the disaster was avoided by the school lunch program. Fortunately, hot lunch was soft tacos (one of my daughter's favorites).

Saved! After taking the bread out of the freezer Sunday night after returning home, I put the it in the refrigerator to defrost slowly. I didn't take dough out again until Monday afternoon. The dough took four hours to warm up and finish proofing. I crossed my fingers after placing it in the oven.

Thirty minutes later I had a perfect loaf of bread. After letting it cool overnight, I sliced into it this morning. It tasted as perfect as it looked. Although knowing that a bread that rises slowing has better flavor, I thought I might have pushed the limits this time. You see, when dough is allowed to sit and rest, yeast cells are able to enjoy themselves immensely, and this allows them impart a wonderful flavor into the bread. However, I will not be following this exact method again. At least I hope not!