trivia

Galette

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:43:01 +0100

The French term galette can be confusing as it can actually be applied to myriad creations, from a tart to a rather flat almond filled cake to a cookie or biscuit, as is the case in Canada.

Most often it is thought of as a free form sweet, fruit filled or topped shortcrust or flaky pastry tart. However, it can also be savoury with toppings such as cheese, vegetables and even meat. In addition to the more common short or flaky pastry, it can be made from a yeasted or plain, unleavened dough. In Breton, France, there is even a galette that is a filled and folded buckwheat pancake.

The most well known of all is probably the French Galette des Rois or King Cake, a round, quite flat and very rich cake made either with flaky pastry or brioche dough, filled with ground almonds. It's baked and eaten in honour of the Feast of Epiphany. A charm is baked into each cake and the person who receives the portion with the charm, is crowned "King" for the day and confered the honour of offering the cake for the following Epiphany feast.

Who Put Tartar Sauce in My Cake?!?!

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:43:31 +0100

You may have noticed that more than a few of my baking recipes, especially for scones and quick breads, both here and in my cookbook (if you've bought it...hint, hint) call for something called cream of tartar.

Many of you may know what cream of tartar is but I think just as many don't, judging from the questions I keep getting about it, including, "what is it?", "why is it called cream when it's a powder?", "will it cause tooth decay?" and "why are you putting tartar sauce in a cake ?!?"

Cream of tartar is perfectly safe, in fact, it's a natural by product of the wine making industry. Grapes naturally contain tartaric acid from which cream of tartar is derived and its biggest commercial use is as the acid component of commercially prepared baking powder.

Baking powder is basically one part baking soda to two parts cream of tartar with some filler and aluminum salts thrown in. Some people object to these fillers and especially, to the aluminum salts, fearing a link to Alzheimer's Disease. Hence, they prefer to make up their own baking powder by using this ratio of baking soda to cream of tartar, or more simply, to use baking soda in combination with an acidic liquid like sour milk, sour cream, yoghurt or buttermilk.

I am of course mindful of health issues, after all, health really is wealth, but to be honest, my main motivation for using cream of tartar and baking soda is that they seem to have more leavening and raising bang, in combination, than just plain old baking powder. My cakes and quick breads are lighter, rise magnificently and there is never that awful, caustic aftertaste that invariably occurs when you use anything more than 2 teaspoons of baking powder or baking soda on its own. This is especially apparent in scones, other quick breads and pancakes which often require rather large amounts of baking powder or baking soda to rise dependably.

It is also a very effective aid when whisking egg whites for meringues. The acidity helps to neutralise any grease or fat (from traces of egg yolk or a poorly washed mixing bowl or whisk) that might otherwise hamper the expansion of the egg whites during whisking.

So, no, cream of tartar has no relation to dental tartar or plaque build up, it will not poison you slowly and you do not put it on your fish and chips. I don't know why though, it's called "cream" and agree that the term seems a bit of a misnomer ; anyone?

Ceramic Beans

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:43:54 +0100

Ceramic beans - tell me quick...what comes to mind?

I first heard of these in my teens, by default, an already confused and confusing time. My immediate reaction was "What kind of crackpot would want ceramic beans when real ones are gotten easily enough? I wondered if there really were people in this world who relished cracking their tooth enamel on cold, hard, unyielding beans, or if they were the brainchild of profit seeking dentists in league with the devil himself.

Turns out, they were neither for people bent on dental destruction nor devices fashioned by devious dentists- just well, beans, made not by mother nature but by baking equipment manufacturers, from ceramic, for bakers who wanted perfectly flat and evenly baked tart cases. They're actually rather arresting and would I think, double up beautifully as striking decor or conversation pieces.

The whole point of them is to weigh down the pastry lining a tart tin so that it doesn't puff up or blister, as pastry is wont to do in a hot oven, if baked without a filling (baked blind). The way to use them is to line your pastry case with baking paper, then fill the case with these "beans" and bake them.

They're very tough, heatproof, crack and chip resistant and theoretically, able to last a lifetime and through innumerable baking sessions, so you need never "waste" real beans on the task of baking tart shells. I say waste as real beans, so employed, usually end up in the bin, once they've reached the stage of wrinkled dehydration and have become too light and too scorched to be of any use. I was brought up never to throw food away and have resolutely resisted this common baking practice. So far though, I have yet to see any real need for the pretty, glistening ceramic, ersatz bean and have my own way of dealing with errant and wilful pastry that will not obligingly remain even once baked.

Scone is to Biscuit as Crumpet is to.....

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:51:57 +0100

Of course you know what a scone is. Or do you? It was George Bernard Shaw, I think, who said "England and America are two countries separated by a common language". Well, he said it. I didn't. But, I have to say something for the number of times I've been asked why the "scones" at certain fried chicken joints were presented on the menu as "biscuits"?, and for the fact that I've eaten and love both.

Now just what would someone who's neither British nor American know about biscuits or scones? Well, the British were here and their administration, culture and culinary leanings and prejudices trickled down into and indelibly marked our consciousness, before they eventually made their departure.

As a result we spell "colour", "humour" and "glamour", as we do. We love tea as much as coffee and the notion of afternoon or high tea is not as alien as it might be to, say, an American. In fact, a clipped British accent over here would scarcely raise any eyebrows while the same person with an American accent would promptly invite questions like "how long were you living in the States?"

So are British scones and American biscuits the same thing? They're very similar, though American biscuits tend to be neutral flavoured or savoury, while British scones are usually on the sweet side and commonly studded with dried fruit. American biscuits are traditionally served with gravy and fried chicken or with bacon and eggs for breakfast and scones are most often taken with tea in Britain, and in many of its former overseas territories.

The basic ingredients for both are pretty much the same; flour, fat, raising agent, salt, sometimes sugar, and a liquid to bind, as is the basic preparation method. The real difference between them may be more terminology than anything else, when you consider the other ongoing debates about muffins and cupcakes, crumpets and English muffins, cookies and biscuits, butties and hoagies and on and on and on.

I may know more about scones then I do about American biscuits but I harbour (oops, there it is again!) a secret; a deep, as yet unsated longing for that most coveted of dinner sides - the Red Lobster cheddar biscuit. If someone could just tell me how to get my hot little hands on one, without taking a plane *sigh*

Hanging

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:45:12 +0100

"Hanging" in traditional butchery refers to the practice of chilling or aging meat (suspended on hooks, hence the term "hanging") and game under closely controlled conditions until it reaches the peak of flavour and tenderness, before it is cut up for sale or consumption. The exact duration of this process differs from butcher to butcher but generally speaking, 10 days is more or less considered the norm.

Connoisseurs will insist on a minimum hanging period of 2 weeks but will not balk at meat that has been hung for anything up to 6 weeks (and rumour has it, even 2 months *gasp*) after slaughter.

In reality though, this step has more or less been discarded in the practice of modern day butchery apparently in the interests of food safety or, perhaps, quicker and heftier profits. Just a thought... just a thought.

Hanging meat encourages the breakdown of muscle fibres through the action of naturally occuring enzymes, which tenderizes it and is also said to contribute to an improved flavour. The downside of hanging (for suppliers and retailers, not consumers) is that it causes the meat to lose moisture which in turn means weight loss and a compromised profit, for you know who. Hmm....

It's all good for steak and roast lovers though as all that evaporation means drier, less "weepy" meat that caramelises and crusts more willingly and quickly as well as a concentration of meat flavour. There is however, the ever present spectre or bogeyman perhaps, known as "spoilage" which suppliers and retailers insist is the only reason they've long jumped off the meat hanging bandwagon. It's all well and good, until you realise that there are supermarkets offering "dry aged" (a prettier name for hanging) meat that comes with an even princelier pricetag than usual.

In any case, I'm no expert on the subject, as the only remotely "aged" meat I can attest to is the tenderloin I personally tended to (see Roast Beef Tenderloin with Pumpkin Ravioli). For an authoritative account, dive into Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "River Cottage Meat Book". I'm still learning, and, getting more sucked in everyday.

Varietal Wine

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:46:18 +0100

The term "varietal" in wine terminology refers to the grape from which a wine is made. By law, the varietal wine must have a minimum of 75% of that particular grape. It is not a widely known fact that varietal wines are not always unblended, but as long as the grape stated on the label constitutes at least the requisite 75%, of the wine inside, it's all in order.

You might expect that a bottle of Chardonnay will taste the same regardless of where it was made or who made it. Surprise, surprise! Even a 100% pure, unblended varietal, say a Shiraz or that Chardonnay, will vary, sometimes subtly, and sometimes surprisingly, from winery to winery, region to region and country to country. Why? Because how a wine tastes or smells, will depend not only on the grape variety (hence "varietal") but also on how the vineyard was mananged, how the grapes were handled, the winemakers recipe and also very importantly, the soil composition and the climate of the region where the grapes grew.

Grapes are like little sponges, sucking up all the character and atmosphere of the land, through the roots that anchor them to the soil. The French do blather on about "gout de terroir" (the taste of the land, as it were) but they do have a point, bless their finicky French souls.

First Growth

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:47:39 +0100

In wine terminology, First Growth status (Premier Cru in French) refers to a classification of wines from the Bordeaux region of France. The four main regions in Bordeaux are Medoc, Graves and Pessac-Leognan, St Emillion and Pomerol.

The classification of the best Bordeaux wines was drawn up at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, a list of the top ranked wines, named the Grand Crus Classés (Great Classified Growths). Given the inordinately and almost unmanagably large number of independent Chateaux in Bordeaux producing wine, it was considered a high honour indeed to have your wine classified. It also meant you could now charge an exhorbitant amount for your wine. The wonders of marketing. Seems like little has changed.

Within the Grand Cru Classé list, wines were further ranked and placed in one of five groups (First through to Fifth Growths). The wines deemed the very best were given the highest possible rank of Premier Cru; Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut-Brion. Three of the First Growths came from the Medoc region, except for Chateau Haut-Brion, which was from Graves. Not a single wine from St Emillion or Pomerol was granted the same status.

The 1855 list remained unchanged for over a hundred years, until 1973 when Mouton Rothschild was promoted to Premier Cru status. In 1988 the premier cru Château Haut-Brion had its appellation (indication of geographical origin) changed from Graves to Pessac-Leognan.

Presently the following wines are classified as First Growths:

Château Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac) Médoc
Château Margaux (Margaux) Médoc
Château Latour (Pauillac) Médoc
Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan
Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) Médoc

Kuchen

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:48:38 +0100

The word "kuchen" is German and simply means "cake", but there are as many versions of this sweet treat as there are castles in Germany. A kuchen can be a normal cake made by the creaming method, pastry-like or a yeast-raised cake.

They are commonly topped with cheese, custard and fruit or nuts and often dusted with powdered sugar and a sweet spice like cinnamon. In America, they are referred to as coffeecakes, denoting that they are eaten with a cup of coffee, usually late in the morning for a coffee break or late breakfast or brunch and are very popular in areas where there is a large German migrant community or where the population is largely descended from German immigrants.

These coffeecakes are often, but not always, yeasted and often richly accented with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. However, in Germany itself, the term does not mean any one particular creation and is used as loosely as the term "cake" is, in the English language.

Frittata

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:49:40 +0100

A frittata is a thick Italian type of omelette, that some food historians believe may pre-date the classic omelette. It differs from the classic French omelette in that it is cooked together with the chosen ingredients and served open-faced instead of being folded over with the ingredients inside it as a filling.

Traditionally it is partially cooked on the stove and finished off by broiling under a hot grill or baking in an oven, until just set. The ingredients that go into it may vary from a simple combination of onions, parmesan cheese and a little tomato sauce, as has been cooked and eaten by Italian peasants since time immemorial, to one that is studded with meat, vegetables, cheese and even leftover pasta, especially in Naples. In Italy it is not uncommon to find it served cold, cut into large wedges.

It makes a substantial lunch or snack and excellent picnic fare. There are no specific ingredients that are meant to go into a frittata as the whole point or idea behind it is to use up leftovers in your kitchen.

Vinegar

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:50:57 +0100

The term "vinegar" originates from the French "vin" (wine) and "aigre" (sour). Vinegar probably was discovered about 10 000 years ago, when a barrel of wine developed a crack. The wine was exposed to the air, went stale' (fermented), and turned to vinegar. The fact is if you leave out a bottle of unfinished wine, in a slightly warm room, unstoppered, it will in about a week, turn to vinegar, when acetic acid is produced through the action of aerobic bacteria on the alcohol in the wine, in the presence of oxygen.

Traditionally, vinegars were made by fermenting wine, fruit juices or grains and grain extracts like rice or malt. These naturally fermented vinegars are mellower and have an interesting flavour profile from the inherent charateristics of the ingredients from which they were fermented. Synthetic vinegar (synthetic acetic acid diluted with water) which is a relatively recent creation, is extremely harsh and has little flavour or aroma apart from its overwhelmingly abrasive acidity. It should be avoided by those with sensitive or weak stomachs as it can erode the protective lining of the stomach.

Though vinegar is used in modern times mainly for preserving and flavouring food, in the past, it was also considered medicinal. Hippocrates himself prescribed it as medicine and during outbreaks of the plague, people washed with herbal or floral infused vinegar, in the belief that they would be protected from the ravages of the deadly disease. Perhaps the most well known story regarding the plagues is the one about the the four thieves who robbed the dead victims of the Black Plague, and never contracted the disease. They attributed their resistance to the use of a special vinegar concocted by one of them, a herbalist. When they were caught and forced to work as undertakers during the Bubonic Plague, they survived supposedly because of the following herbal vinegar.

* Vinegar of the Four Thieves

2 tablespoons Rosemary
2 tablespoons Peppermint
2 tablespoons Wormwood
2 tablespoons Sage
2 tablespoons Lavender
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped garlic
2 quarts of apple cider vinegar

Combine 12 tablespoons of the premixed herbs and 2 quarts of vinegar in a sealed glass jar, and steep in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks or so, shaking daily. Then, strain out the used herbs, and retain the herbal liquid mixture.

Add several cloves of crushed garlic, and close lid. Let soak for three days, and strain out the garlic fiber and discard.

This vinegar is said to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and is recommended as an insect repellant.

* Recipe from the Bulk Herb Store.