Dessert By Candy

Bread That Money Can’t Buy

The allure of homemade bread goes further than having my house smelling like fresh bread. The quality ingredients that I use and the endless combination of flavours mean I make bread that simply can’t be bought from commercial bakeries. This weekend’s Banana Maple Pecan Buns are the perfect example. When was the last time you encounter yeast bread made with banana puree?

These glossy mahogany buns have beauty much more than skin deep. Let me count the goodies that went into the dough: banana puree, pecans, jumbo sundried red grapes, maple syrup, cocoa, cinnamon, and ginger. They taste as indulgent as it sounds yet at the same time there is a hearty quality about them. These Banana Maple Pecan Buns are great way to start any morning along with a mug of coffee-spiked Ovaltine.

One Of Mine For One Of Yours

I’ve been fascinated by the idea of food swap ever since I first heard of it from Hip Girl’s Guide To Homemaking. The concept of bringing community together and sharing food from each other’s kitchen or garden has all the making of a feel-good evening reacquainting with old friends and making new ones. Yesterday was a big day in the Ontario food community with Foodstock happening out in Honeywood. With attendance over 30000, it seems everyone who’s involved with the food industry or concerned over our local food supply were there. Yesterday also happened to be the date of Leslieville Farmers’ Market Jar Swap hosted by Sarah B Hood, author of We Sure Can! and the writer behind Toronto Tasting Notes. As soon as I heard about the jar swap from Sarah’s twitter feed, I went downstairs to select jars of preserves I wanted to swap.

The scheduling conflict with Foodstock meant the market was rather quiet yesterday. I had a chance to chat leisurely with most of the vendors at length and Zack from Highmark Farms graciously introduced me to various market volunteers. Sarah set up a table and tent next to the market info station and we quickly chatted up a storm on all things canning and preserving-related.

Cookbook Stalwart

Every generation has its own stalwart cookbook that covers all the basic and classic dishes. This is the cookbook you receive for living on your own for the first time. This is the cookbook you turn to when you have a sudden craving for homemade mac & cheese. This is the cookbook you think of when you need to make a Sunday roast to impress the in-laws. This is the cookbook that wins you adorations when you present a child with the most handsome birthday cake complete with multiple layers and swirls of frosting. For the longest time, The Joy Of Cooking holds this esteem honour. With the publication of The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook from the editors at Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, I think it is time to clear a spot on my kitchen bookshelf so it is always within easy reach when I’m in the kitchen.

It is no secret that I am a fan of Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen. On top of the table of contents of The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook, the team proudly proclaims “20 Years Of Recipes That Work”. This is not a modest statement but they are not being boastful either. If I am to invest time and money into a dish, I want to know that the recipe I use is accurate, well-tested, and yields predictably delicious result. This is exactly what you can expect from this cookbook.

Heirloom Cookbook?

Obligatory cookbook bookshelf photo. This is only a small section of my library but of course you wouldn't expect any less, right?

Most homecooks own a general all-around tome which acted as a their gateway to the world of cooking and baking. They may have out grown it since but it will always hold a soft spot in their heart--this is where it all started. The Joy Of Cooking probably holds such an esteemed place for many in North America. If you grow up in France, Je Sais Cuisiner may be the one for you. As for myself, it is a very humble copy of Gas Cookery Book I inherited from my late mother.

If I am not mistaken, this cookbook is at most a couple of years younger than me. I never really had an opportunity to find out its origin from my Mom but my highly probable guess is she received it as a complimentary copy when we moved to New Territories (back then, the countryside). The house was huge and the kitchen was equiped with a gas oven cooking range, rather unusual for kitchens in Hong Kong. I have vivid memories of my Mom litting the oven with a lighter gun because I always thought she risked her life just to bake us cakes. Ah, the working of a kid's mind!

As a child, I loved to flip through the pages of this cookbook and imagined all the wonderful food it promises on its pages. Now that I think about it, it totally makes me wonder. This cookbook is heavy on text with only a sprinkling of colour and black & white photos. Compare to the coffee table-worthy cookbooks popular nowaways, it seems down right boring. I suppose imagination really is a powerful tool, especially for kids. Chapters are divided into different regional cuisines with representative dishes from Chinese, British, French, Japanese, Scandinavian, Portuguese, American, etc. I remember yearning to travel to all those exotic countries. Interestingly enough, all recipes in this cook are in both English and Chinese. I did not realize it when I was younger but it did help me learn both languages in a way that truly interested me.

Going through this book yesterday, I was amused by how dated it is. Check out the outfit and hairstyle of that lady cooking over the range! This is almost like the parallel universe photo of an I Love Lucy era snapshot of homelife in Hong Kong. Exactly how old am I, you ask? Bet you think I age really well. Here's another educated guess. My copy is probably a revised edition but it kept many of the photos from earlier editions. I also love the retro food styling and ornate dishware popular back in the days.

Food trend comes and goes but classics can endure the test of time. Surely pineapple upside-down cake qualifies. Guess what, my first exposure to this American classic is far from what you may envision. Pineapple rings were refashioned into an octopus surrounded by floating lotus leaves. Way groovy.

It is also interesting to see the pictorial for ingredients. This one for Chinese cooking shows off the packaging of some condiments that I remember from years ago. Some brands continue to use the same packaging to this day while others have evolved much since. When I saw that bottle of Del Monte Catsup, I instantly felt a wave of nostalgia. No Heinz at my home for sure!

New Cookbook Acquisition

I had a rare day of leisure today because I somehow managed to squeeze in my two hour workout before my facial appointment. As soon as my appointment was done, I felt so thrilled to have a whole day ahead of me with nothing planned in particular. My first stop was J-Town in Markham for some Japanese treats and I saw this gorgeous shrub blooming with pale pink flowers. Spring is here at last! I saw some bottled pure yuzu juice on sale for $12 and I was very tempted to get a bottle. I wonder if it has enough acidity to make a yuzu curd?

My next stop was Metro Square, a place that I have not returned in years. I used to shop there very often because of the Taiwanese grocery store. Since that store was gone, I don't really have a reason to visit. I don't know what came over me today but I decided to drop by just because. I'm sure glad I did! There is a bookstore which specializes in books published in Taiwan. Taiwanese publishers have, for many years, done a great job of translating many Japanese-authored cookbooks to Chinese. With such a vibrant pastry scene, the dessert cookbooks from Japan range anywhere from intricate to innovative, but always very attractive. These cookbooks are characterized by the colourful step-by-step pictures as well as the marriage of Japanese flavour/ingredients with French pastry.

My two new acquisitions are "I Love Maracons" and "Dessert In A Glass". Macarons used to be some mysterious French treat that appeared impossible to attempt in my own kitchen. Of course the mystery ceased to exist once I figured out how to duplicate them with my own two hands. However, macarons continue to be a finicky thing to make. This cookbook devotes entirely to macarons wtih step-by-step instruction, tips for troubleshooting, flavour variation, filling variation, packaging idea, and even recipes to use up the leftover egg yolks. It makes me happy just flipping through the pages.

"Dessert In A Glass" is a topic dear to my heart. Ever since my introduction to Pierre Herme's Emotion series of dessert, I've fallen in love with creating dessert in a glass filled with layers of constrasting taste, texture, and colour. This cookbook offer many inspiration such as the snowman in honey yogurt gelee on the left. I picked up some cool technique including making homemade "tofu" by shaping a gelatinous mixture with a piece of Saran wrap and setting it in an ice bath. There are also discussion of different setting agents that introduced me to all the different root starches used in traditional Japanese dessert. I am very excited to try every one of the recipes in this book!

Inspiring Words From M. Linxe

I found a copy of La Maison du Chocolat: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier at half-price last weekend. It contains very enticing photographs, some of which are the pastry from the recipes and many of the signature products from La Maison du Chocolat. I have not yet tried any of the recipes but I do plan to experiment with the florentine and the chocolate fruit cake soon. The florentine I bought from this chocolatier is one of the best I've tasted. It's crunchy, doesn't stick to my teeth, fragrant with citrusy scent from the candied orange peel, and the sweetness is kept in check by the dark chocolate.

Like most recipe books, there's a section in the front of the book that contains "words from the author". This is pretty much a wildcard section of any books...some can be exceedingly thoughtful, some can be vain, some are saccharine, some are preachy, some are just down right boring. However it is written, I do enjoy reading this section because it gives me more of a glimpse into the author than the recipes would reveal. After reading La Maison du Chocolat, I was totally floored by its founder's, M. Robert Linxe, passion for his craft. This chapter draws comparison of chocolate-making with jewelry design, composing music, and perfume-making, which makes perfect sense. Furthermore, it is also informative in the sense that it tells us about the care that the artisans at La Maison du Chocolat put in to create a well-balance and delicious bonbon. Everything from the blending of different cocoa beans from different origins to create distinctive layers of flavours to the matching of flavour ganache to the selection of different couverture chocolates that complements the ganache are covered in this book.

However, after reading this book, I am most inspired by the following quote from M. Linxe. I think it captures perfectly his passion for chocolate and his pursuit of excellence.

"You can never achieve perfection," says the founder of La Maison du Chocolat. "It takes stubbornness, perseverance, and a lot, a lot of hard work, to get...somewhere. You must taste, discern, and evaluate. But this 'somewhere', for me, is still out of reach. Even though I have not yet attained it, I am content with what I have done. Creation is a never-ending process, constantly improving upon itself."

Technorati: chocolate

The Chocolate Connoisseur

I recently read this book The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloe Doutre-Roussel. As the chocolate buyer of the UK gourmet department store Fortnum & Mason, Ms. Doutre-Roussel is, without a doubt, extremely knowledgeable on the subject. Her passion for chocolate shines through the pages of this delightful book. This book covered quite a few topics such as the history of chocolate, introducing the different types of chocolate, how to tell the difference between good and bad chocolate, etc. Ultimately though, Ms. Doutre-Roussel tries to arm the readers with the knowledge to learn how to taste chocolate like a connoisseur. She includes some very practical guidelines in her book on chocolate tasting such as what to observe using your five senses, how to look for the different notes in the chocolate, when is the best time to conduct chocolate tasting, all of which I find tremendously useful. Although she may sound preachy and a little snobbish at times, her passion for chocolate is contagious enough that instead of being turned off by this attitude, I'm eager to learn more. The best part that I like about this book is the chapter on throwing a chocolate tasting party. I have a feeling that I will host a party very soon.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves chocolate and would like to get more enjoyment out of this subject by learning to approach chocolate tasting just like wine tasting.

Technorati: chocolate, Chloe Doutre-Roussel

A Weekend Of Book-Shopping

I acquired quite a number of food magazines and cookbooks this weekend of various languages--some I understand, some I don't. Interestingly enough, I did not buy any of the books in my usual haunts for books.

While I was waiting for my dad at the airport, I stopped by the newstand out of boredom. I bought Fine Cooking's Weekend Cooking and Feb/Mar 2006 Fine Cooking magazine. There is a master muffin recipe in the magazine that allows for many fresh fruit combination. I would very much like to give it a try this week. The weekend cooking special issue is intriguing because it contains many menus with corresponding preparation schedules. Since I like to entertain, this would be rather helpful for casual get-togethers.

On Saturday, I went shopping at J-Town for japanese groceries. I stopped by the bookstore out of curiosity (and I can't even read japanese!) and I couldn't help but be attracted to the lifestyle magazine Orange Page. With enticing photography and special features on make-at-home izakaya dishes and osechi ryori, I just had to get it. There was an interesting article that features a cook-off between two single guys on instant curry dishes. None of the recipes take over an hour to prepare and over half of them make use of instant curry cubes. I think even with my minimal understanding of the language, I manage to figure out a few of these recipes. I'm hoping to give the bacon and egg curry fried rice a try soon. In addition to the magazines, I found some interesting books in the consignment section of the store. At the bargain price of $3.80, I bought "Tetsujin Chen Kenchi no Chuka Ryori" (Ironchef Chen Kenchi's Chinese Cuisine). I probably wouldn't make anything from this book but it would be a hoot to share it with SN. I also bought a cake & pastry book aimed for beginners. It contains a hodge-podge of desserts from european, japanese, and chinese origin. I doubt that I would cook from it either but it offers great inspiration in terms of flavour combination and presentation.

My last acquisition came from T&T Supermarket when I was (again) making my weekly grocery run. They had a table set up near the fish department with a bunch of cookbooks written in chinese. I bought "Japanesque Delicious Meals" authored by a Taiwan chef trained in japanese cooking. This book focuses on homestyle dishes which would be useful for my weeknight meals.

Technorati: cookbook, Chen Kenichi