Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Refreshing Buttermilk Lime Intermezzo

I realize it’s been a few weeks since I posted; the busy season is upon us at the hotel and I've been working long hours. Recently, I've gained more responsibility and also taken it upon myself to spark some initiative to create even more unique dining experiences for our guests. Working with the Angle Chef de Cuisine Mathew McGee, I was able to finally play with some liquid nitrogen in pastry applications. One fun project has been an intermezzo for the chef’s tasting menu.

I came up with a buttermilk lime ice cream with lemon streusel and raspberry pods. Ice creams are unusual for intermezzos, traditionally acidic sorbets are used but this recipe is American style (it doesn't include eggs) and has a refreshing flavor that both excites and cleanses the palate for the next course.
 
Pictured with spiced lemoncello soaked blueberries which pair very well but take away from the goal of a simplistic intermezzo and transition to the next course. 

Buttermilk Lime Ice Cream
Yield: 3 quarts
Tools: Ice cream maker, blender or stick blender
Ingredients:

2 ½ quarts
2268 grams
Buttermilk
2 1/3 cup
520 grams
Sugar
1 each
1 each
Vanilla Bean
4 each
4 each
Lime Zest
2 pinches
2 grams
Salt
Method of Preparation:
1.      Using a hand or stand blender, combine ingredients. (Heating the buttermilk will cause it to curdle and separate, instead the liquid will turn the sugar granules to syrup with a little agitation and time).
2.       Allow to cold steep for 48 hours in the refrigerator.
3.      Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.


Lemon Streusel
Yield: 3 cups
Tools:
Ingredients:

¾ cup
185 grams
Brown Sugar
2 ½ cup
180 grams
Bread Flour
11 tbsp.
150 grams
Butter
1 1/3 cup
125 grams
Almond Flour
2 tsp.
5 grams
Baking Powder
2each
2 each
Lemon Zest
¼ tsp.
2 grams
Salt
Method of Preparation:
1.      Using a stationary mixer, fitted with a paddle, blitz ingredients together until uniformly dispersed but crumbly.
2.      Spread on parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 350oF until just golden. About 7-10 min.

Raspberry Pods

With the utmost caution, pour liquid nitrogen into a metal pan, drop in a handful of raspberries. Break up raspberries into pods. Store in freezer once liquid nitrogen has fully frozen and evaporated from the berries. 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Love Me Some Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup with Confit Butternut
The first time I had butternut squash soup was also the first time I went to Johnson & Wales for open house. Now I won’t say a soup won me over on my future but it certainly helped! 


Every time I see this soup on a menu I have to have it. Not just for the warm, seasonal taste, but because along with its rich flavor comes rich memories and nostalgia of my time in culinary school. Here is a tasty recipe for my favorite soup with added components for depth of texture.
 

Yield: 6 servings
Tools: 2cookie sheets, large pot, blender or stick blender, fork, chef knife, cutting board
Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Soup
2 pounds
908 grams
Butternut Squash
1 ½ cup
340 grams
Chicken Stock/Broth
1 tsp.
2 grams
Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp.
1 grams
Ground Thyme
½ tsp.
1 grams
Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp.
1 grams
Ground Ginger
½ tsp.
1 gram
Salt
¼ tsp.
0.5 gram
Pepper
1 cup
240 grams
Half and Half
Butternut Squash Confit
2 ¾  cup
340 grams
Extra Butternut Squash , ½” cubed
3 Tbsp.
30 grams
Olive Oil
½ tsp.
1 grams
Salt
¼ tsp.
1 gram
Ground Ginger
½ tsp.
1 gram
Ground Cinnamon
3 Tbsp.
45 grams
Brown Sugar
Candied Pecans
½ cup
57 grams
Pecans
1 each
30 grams
Egg White
¼ cup
50 grams
Granulated Sugar
Pumpkin Cake Croutons
About 3 cupcakes worth
150 grams
Method of Preparation:
1.       Preheat oven to 350oF.
2.       Cut squash in half and remove seeds and stem.

3.       Weigh each half and then cut excess off the top so that each half is one pound.

4.       Line cookie sheet with foil, spray with pan spray or grease with olive oil.
5.       Place squash cut side down and puncture skin with a fork all over the top.

6.       Bake in oven for 40 minutes until tender, and then allow to cool.
7.       In the meantime, cube extra squash.

8.       Mix remaining ingredients with squash cubes for the squash confit.
9.       Spread onto foil lined cookie sheet and cook in oven about 15 minutes, until tender.

10.   Set aside confit.
11.   Once baked squash is cool, scoop out of skin and into large pot.

12.   Add remaining ingredients for soup to the pot.

13.   Blend with a stick blender until smooth (or put ingredients into a blender).

14.   Cook in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Allow to boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat, keep covered until ready to serve.
15.   To make candied pecans, toss them in egg whites, removing excess then toss in sugar, bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes.
16.   To make pumpkin cake croutons, take extrapumpkin cake (This is how I reused extra from last weeks post), cut into cubes and bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes.  *I just baked the croutons and the pecans at the same time on the same pan.
       

17.   Serve soup with all of the toppings for an exciting take on my favorite fall soup!


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Fabulously Fall Pumpkin Cake with Festive Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake with Orange Spiced Cream Cheese Icing
It’s that lovely season when the leaves begin to change and the wind gets chilly, except here in Florida, that doesn’t happen. I keep waiting for the opportunity to wear my cute fall sweaters and an excuse to have hot cocoa, or warm soup. It looks like I’ll have to celebrate fall in my own way, by baking spirits bright! Here is an excellent recipe for a super moist and tender pumpkin cake with a yummy frosting. Since I am not the only one craving fall, I had to make a double batch so I could make a Bundt cake and cupcakes for my family.


Yield: 1 Bundt cake or 24 cupcakes
Tools: Bundt pan or cupcake pans, rubber scraper, stationary or hand mixer fitted with a paddle, mixing bowls
Ingredients:

Volume
Metric 1X
Metric 2X

Pumpkin Cake

1.5 sticks/ ¾ cup
170 grams
340 grams
Butter, unsalted
¾ cup
150 grams
300 grams
Granulated Sugar
½ cup
120 grams
240 grams
Brown Sugar
3 each
150 grams
300 grams
Eggs
2 ¼ cup
320 grams
640 grams
All Purpose Flour
2 tsp.
6 grams
12 grams
Baking Powder
1 tsp.
6 grams
12 grams
Baking Soda
1 tsp.
2.5 grams
5 grams
Cinnamon
½ tsp.
1.5 grams
3 grams
Nutmeg
½ tsp.
1 gram
2 gram
Ginger
½ tsp.
1 grams
2 grams
Salt
1 ¼ cup
290 grams
580 grams
Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling)
¾ cup
185 grams
370 grams
Buttermilk*
1 tsp.
5 grams
5 grams
Vanilla
Orange Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
1, 8 oz. Package
227 grams
454 grams
Cream Cheese
½ cup
100 grams
200 grams
Granulated Sugar
½ stick/ ¼ cup
57 grams
113 grams
Butter, unsalted
½ tsp.
1.5 grams
3 grams
Cinnamon
¼ tsp.
0.5 gram
1 gram
Ginger
¼ tsp.
0.75 grams
1.5 grams
Nutmeg
¼ tsp.
0.5 grams
1 gram
Salt
Method of Preparation:
1.      Preheat oven to 350oF. Grease and flour Bundt pan or place cupcake liners into cupcake crevices.
2.      Measure out all ingredients: butter and sugars in mixing bowl; dries in a large mixing bowl, eggs in a small mixing bowl, and remaining liquids in a medium mixing bowl.


3.      Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl.

4.      Add eggs one at a time and scrape down sides after each addition.

5.      Alternate mixing in dry and wet ingredients starting with the dry. Scrape down sides after each addition.

6.      Pour batter into bundt pan or scoop into cupcake liners ¾ full.

**If you do have empty crevices in your cupcake pan, for this recipe or any other, fill crevice about a centimeter high with water to prevent your pan from warping and to promote even baking. 

7.      Bake Bundt cake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cupcakes for 17 minutes. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. In the meantime, make the frosting.

*If you do not have buttermilk (or forgot to get it at the store like me) just mix just under ¾ cup of milk with 2 tsp. of lemon juice, allow to sit five minutes before use.

Frosting:
1.      Paddle cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
2.      Add sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Scrape down sides.
3.      Add butter and continue to cream for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides.

4.      Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

5.      Pipe onto cooled cupcakes or spread onto Bundt cake.

 Garnish cupcakes or Bundt cake with toasted pecans and thai ginger salt or any other fall décor that suits your fancy.