Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Seitan! for the masses!!

Also known as Wheat meat!

Mix dry--then add water and tamari, kneading well to combine. It should look like dough. Knead about 10 min. or until dough comes away from the sides of the mixing bowl.. Let rest 15 min. and divide into 4 pieces.

Fill a large pot with 5 quarts of water. Add bay leaves, carrot, celery and garlic. Add 4 pieces of gluten and boil 1 1/2 hours. The gluten will triple in size!

When done, the dough will be firm, not sticky. Drain the liquid, discard vegetables, and store in covered container with cold water, and a splash of tamari. After it cools, it is ready to slice, diced or marinated, or add to any recipe shaved!
Keeps up to 2 weeks in refrigerator, covered in water.

4c. vital wheat gluten
3/4 c. ww flour
3T. Nutritional Yeast
2T. Onion Powder
1 1/2 T. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 T. Salt
2 T. Mexican, Italian or asian spices! or kiwi spices!
2 1/4c. warm water
1/4c. tamari

Cooking broth:
1-4 bay leaves
pieces of carrot and celery
3 cloves garlic-unpeeled

Friday, January 18, 2008

Brownie Baking Linx and Recipe!

Here's a good brownie recipe I found lately. Makes brownies like a flourless chocolate cake, but brownie-like.

Mmm.BROWNIESyields fifteen 3-by-4-inch browniesAdapted from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery.
Ingredients3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/4 cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting, optional

Procedure
1. With rack in middle position, preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan with melted butter.
2. Spread the walnuts on a second baking sheet, and toast in oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Shake pan halfway through baking to ensure the nuts toast evenly.
3. In a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together.
4. Raise oven temperature to 350°F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt on medium-high until thick and mousselike, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the flour in 3 batches, turning mixer off before each addition and mixing on low speed until combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in melted chocolate mixture and nuts.
6. Pour batter into prepared jelly-roll pan, spread to an even thickness, and bake for 40 minutes, until brownies are firm to the touch.
7. Before serving, slice into 3-by-four-inch squares. If desired, sift a fine layer of cocoa powder over the surface, brushing off excess cocoa for a velvety finish.


linx---but no recipes!
The Brownie Initiative.
It is pretty neat when someone is making a different brownie recipe every week. I like the overall variety and good photos of every recipe.


http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/kbalbrownie/



This website has Scroggin! a trampers tradition!
and Hokey Pokey--which is really caramel--or toffee.
Still worth a look-see

http://www.azmetro.com/nzrecipe.html#scroggin

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Dear Sludgy Mess Down Under, previously- Ms.High and dry

I hope you will consider the conversion of liquid and weight measurements while you are travelling the world satiating your sweet tooth.
Until I do a little more research, I would encourage you to convert your recipes using this handy chart.

there is a book of Yields which tells you exactly how many grams are in 8oz of flour. So I will be sending that onto you as soon as I get my hands on one.
There is a conversion calculator you can use for free on this website!
Just scroll to the bottom, and look for the chef calculator!

http://www.chefdesk.com/boy.htm

Until then! Stay Sweet!

BGB

Answer: Imperial to Metric and Metric to Imperial ConversionsConversions by Volume
1 teaspoon = 5 millileters (mL)
1 tablespoon = 15 mL
2 tablespoons = 1 US fluid ounce = 30 mL
1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounces = 60 mL
1/2 cup = 4 fluid ounces = 120 mL
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 235 mL
1 US pint = 16 fluid ounces = 2 cups = 470 mL
1 US quart = 4 cups = .941 Liters
1 Liter = 34 ounces, 1.06 quarts, 4.23 cups or 4 cups plus 3 1/2 tablespoons
1 millileter = .001 or 1/1000

Liters Conversions by Mass or Weight
1 ounce = 1/16 pound = 28.47 grams
1 pound = 454 grams
1 gram = .032 ounces
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

To make! A to do list of things to make

Those crazy rice balls, I think they are called Arancini..or something Italian.

Hmm, maybe gnudi...naked raviolis.

A chocolate trifle cake.---a thin layer of marzipan, chocolate cake sliced real thin, ganache and raspberry jam, all wrapped in marzipan, and then coated in ganache.

Good vegetable stock. maybe a garlic stock? I bet that would make a good base to a soup.
Even a ginger stock.

Some sort of brandy...maybe apricot, or homemade Limoncello.

Truffles

also.,how about a breakfast skillet with a potato Latke on the bottom and all the veggies dumped ontop!mm

Now this is the kind of baking and cooking I like!

It is such a weird thing living on your own, and yet trying to be a baker. I want to bake, but I have no one to bake for. I know I could just bake, just for me, but where then would the love come from? I make really good things when I am thinking about someone when I am making anything. But lately, I am all messed up about everyone-well, not everyone. So I guess I should try to do it for me, because I am ok. and I like the things i make, like Spelt pancakes-which could be vegan. And Chicken cutlet with tomato and pesto.
Hmm, maybe I will make rice balls.

I will start a new post!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Vichisois

2/3 c. leeks-thinly sliced-white part only
1 small onion-sliced
2T. butter
2 1/2c. potatoes-peeled-sliced
2c. chicken broth
salt to taste
1 1/2c. Milk
1c Heavy whipping cream