Cake Diva Creations

Yes there is a new blog in town, and she is a true diva!

Her name is Michelle AKA Cake Diva extraordinaire...


















I requested that she make my birthday cake, and boy did she go all out. I posted a blurry photo of one of her cakes a few blogs ago, and now I am ready to reveal her creation. This cute little cake is a recipe of triple chocolate chip liquor batter with vanilla butter cream, and/or cream cheese frosting. Once you take a bite they melted in your mouth. My friends went nuts over her creation, and now are beating her door down to have some of their own!

Michelle visits many bakeries around the Dallas/Fort Worth metro-plex area to keep up on her competition. Her phone rang non-stop while were were hanging out on my Texas visit, and it seems she stays busy with pastry orders. She also is employed by a top rated market in her area, and has been given creative freedom to bake what I saw were gorgeous, and I imagine just as tasty (as my birthday) cup cakes!

Our History: We met nine years ago in Culinary school while I worked for the director of Culinary Arts/Hospitality Karen Musa. Michelle and I also attended classes together; which gave me an opportunity to hang out with her in my office, as well as sneak out for a lunch or two now and then.

Eventually when looking for an assistant I felt she would work well in my new catering business I was starting. Michelle need to do her internship in a real food invironment, and what a better way to do it than with moi! She is a hard worker and dedicated to her craft. We had lots of fun together, and man can she roll my Tex-Mex lumpias (she is part Phillipino)!

Right away I was told that she was more interested in pastries, but Michelle was willing to help me with catering weddings and parties until she reached her goal...to open her own M Patisserie business in the area. Now watch out pastry chefs, because her melt in your mouth creations are becoming very popular! Even some of my Texas friends have already tasted these yummy cupcakes she made for my birthday, and have asked me for her contact number.

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are looking for creative ways to tell someone just how sweet they really are; then call 'The Cake Diva'...she is waiting with a sugary sweet smile...





















Go over and take a bite out of Michelle's new blog...tell her Chef E sent ya!

Big FAT Lies- Healthier Choices

Hope everyone had a great weekend! In spite of my 'foot' still being in a cast, I had my foot up in the pan on Saturday, at my 'Open Mic' Retreat. We all met down at a State Park in South Jersey, and it was beautiful. No bugs. No rain. No bears! Just some good ole poetry, acoustic music, and my cooking with the help of an wood burning fire; then a good night sleep at a hotel. Yep, we cheated. Hubby took a tumble out of the canoe into the lake, so we needed a softer place for his back to rest...

In a 'Family Circle' magazine, March 9th issue there was a short article I have been wanting to share, Diet Success, by Allison Baker. She talks about not believing everything you hear. When it comes to dieting. Some common (yet false) information can set you on the wrong track. The piece goes on to explain a few myths I thought were interesting. This ties into the Stonyfield Farm Yogurt that many of us have gotten to try lately. I will be doing three post on this subject, and will address the first myth...after a short note-

'SIT UP' you slump'ers! That is right, many of us are on our computers for many hours in a day, and we do not realize how sitting up not only can make you look slimmer; it also can help you slim down. Slumping in a chair can crowd your internal organs, and cause our digestive systems to become sluggish. Sluggish digestion can lead to weight gain. I believe it, because once I read that when you take medication, you should sit up for at least a half hour for it to take affect. So if you lay down after taking something for a headache, yes, it will take longer to help with the pain!

MYTH #1

reduced fat = low fat?

The real deal: Just because a food contains 25% less fat than the full-fat version (the definition of "reduced") does not mean it is healthy. A scoop of ice cream with 130 calories from fat has a reduced variety with 100 fat calories-still 15% more fat than you should be getting from a single food.


















This brings me to the 'Choices' part of the post. We really love meat in our house, but I have been cutting back, and only make it maybe twice a month. Lamb is a better meat choice, because it is lower in fat. Many people share the flavor of Lamb is overwhelming. I often suggest they flavor pack ground lamb with seasonings like garlic and oregano. Begin by seasoning some oil with red onions and garlic on a low medium heat; add some oregano; then adding the lamb meatballs that also have been seasoned with a few of your favorite spices. Throw them on some skewers, or in the pan. Brown, and add some yummy yogurt dip!

Gyros comes to mind!

Take a 5.3 ounce container of plain yogurt, and add a pinch of cayenne, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, finely chopped cucumber, a little salt and white pepper; toss and leave overnight in fridge to meld. Oh yeah it had a kick, but I like mine that way...

















What does history tell us about yogurt?

Greek yogurt (yiaourti, or yohgurt) has been around for thousands of years; yogurt itself could be as old as 10,000 years; which is much older than the oldest Greeks. It didn't get popular outside Greece until the first wave of Greek emigration to Western Europe.

To make Greek yogurt, milk is heated and then cooled a bit; then active cultures are added. The mixture ferments, and then while it is still warm; yogurt is strained to remove the whey. The resulting yogurt is thicker and more acidic than traditional American-style yogurt. Once the whey is removed a higher concentration of protein, fewer carbs, and less lactose are present. When you consume a higher protein content you feel fuller, and with less lactose, it's easier to digest. The texture adds richness without extra moisture, and is best when making a spread or a dip like I have.

I have read that the Greeks regarded yogurt a food of the gods, and if that is true then hubby has some explaining to do...

Go check out Oikos Organics to get a coupon for a trial size of their yogurt, and read about how they are helping the planet in so many ways. I also received an email from Kristina who contacted me about receiving the coupons, and she has sent me some information you just might find interesting...

You'll never look at dinner the same way!

You'll be reading and seeing lots of stories in the coming weeks about FOOD, Inc., a very powerful documentary about our food system. The film opens June 12 nationwide, and includes Stonyfield Farm CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. It's produced by the same folks who brought us Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."

FOOD, Inc looks at how food is grown, processed and sold, and the people behind the system – the company ‘suits,’ the struggling farmers, the mega-processors, the exploited workers and the confused consumers -- some of whom have paid the ultimate price for trusting a food system that’s lost its way.

Gary's main message in FOOD, Inc is that you have the power to demand that our food system produces food that is safe to eat. You want to know your choices are the right ones for your baby, your family and yourself.

Stonyfield is proud to be part of this film and prouder still that the questions raised in FOOD, Inc. point to organic food as the answer to the issues of food safety, corporate greed, and the oppression that puts many family farmers and others out of business.

We encourage you to learn more about FOOD, Inc. and share that info with your readers -- turns out that what they decide to put on their plates truly has an impact on their health and the health and sustainability of our planet.

Check out the trailer, an interview with the director, and more -- and we'll be offering a "Food Inc." lid promotion in June with $30 worth of FREE down loadable coupons from Stonyfield and other partner companies.

Duck Confit- Oyster Mushroom Risotto

One of the best experiences I have had with risotto at restaurants was at Phicoline's in NYC, possibly as far back as 1999. I was in one of those phases of 'try' everything and all things risotto. I had made it on my own, but had not quite captured its true essence; that is until I had Phicoline's Duck Confit Risotto. I even made hubby take me back twice more, if we were in town for another bowl; it proved to be consistently delicious!

















This past Sunday hubby went out to the market for me, as I was trying to keep my foot up, and was in considerable pain. How did you cook you ask, well for that I will endure the process, but had the help of a rolling office chair. I did however ask hubby to get the meat department at Wegmen's to cut up the D'artangan whole duck, but he missed that instruction, so I decided to split it breast side up; removed enough of the rib cage to push it down flat into my roasting pan; covered it in salt and seasonings; let it sit for a while, and then cover with EVO. Place into a preheated oven, turning it down to 250 and began rendering the duck fat for my cassoulet, and risotto post.

















That duck I had photographed may have looked big, but believe me; it had more skin than meat. Hubby got a nice piece of duck breast for his cassoulet, and some for his lunch; otherwise take the meat off of the bone, and place down into the fat. Refrigerate. You may store this for up to two months, and must be at least one inch under oil and duck fat mixture(using glass jar is appropriate). Reserve some gelee for making risotto.

Sauteing vidalia onions, herbs, Merlot salt, pepper in five tablespoons of duck fat; I began the base for the risotto. Place the bones into two cups water to make a duck stock; add at least two cups of stock to your sauteed onions, and turn to medium high heat. Then add one cup of duck gelee from bottom of roasting pan. When it begins to boil add two cups of risotto grain. Also adding some chopped shredded duck, one cup of chopped oyster mushrooms, and more salt and pepper if needed. Staying close by, stirring as the risotto soaks up the stock, and carefully adding a half cup as needed until it is done.

I have never really timed this process. I just do other things while I am watching over the pot. Cutting up some sweet potato sticks along with zucchini wedges I make a ginger pear vinegar water bath for both. Letting them soak to give me a crisp bite once I fry them in some duck fat as a side.















Now that the risotto is cooked I add one cup of heavy cream, and stir. Taste for seasoning purposes, and then I stir in some left over piece of Camembert cheese. Cover and begin frying your vegetables. I saved some of the oyster mushrooms for a little garnish, and served up a side of the extra duck for hubby to enjoy.

















CONFIT INFORMATION: The restaurants, Chefs I have worked with that serve duck confit made a considerable amount on a weekly basis. Once it is preserved in the fat, one inch over the meat; it will keep for weeks, and even a few months. Duck confit is used for many dishes where I worked, and the meat shredded and covered in the fat was served on a charcutterie dish I was responsible for.

'Confit' is generic French for 'preserve'; although you have to add EVO to creat a considerable amount of fat, and salt it to preserve the meat (has to be at least once inch above meat during storage). Legs are typically and traditionally used for this dish in Southwestern France. To many of us, we think of 'Duck confit' as a concept, or cooking method, because that is what we generally are told when asking waitstaff from the menu.

New American cuisine that began appearing on menus, such as Tomato confit, works on the same concept; slow cooked tomatoes in their own juices. You still have to add oil to make up for the lack of fat. Some recipes like rendering pork lard call for pan rendering small pieces, but you also can boil it in some amount of water to pull out the fat, but simply using EVO along with duck fat is simply the best method..


















What is duck confit?

You may have seen duck confit, or confit de canard, on a menu or in a can and wondered what this specialty food from France was all about.

In France 'Confit' is often a duck but it can be a goose, turkey or even pork. The meat is cooked in its own fat before being canned and preserved in it as well. If you ever saw the meat covered in this fat for yourselves, well it may not look too appetizing at this point, but you are just minutes away from enjoying a delicious gourmet dish. Many specialty markets carry small cans of this already prepared, but make sure you look to see if it contains 'duck.

This fashion of preparing a duck is considered a specialty of the Gascony region in south-west France, reputed for its foie gras and Armagnac brandy as well.

Someone mentioned in a comment on my recent 'duck' post, "Is duck greasy"; well making confit can be messy, but the duck fat is worth the effort. I recommend purchasing duck breast if this method of cooking it does not sound like your cup of tea. Use a soy ginger glaze under, and on the outside of the skin, just just simply sear it in a pan, or place it on the grill!
















Here is a closer look, just in case someone out there does not believe it is 'dark meat' duck...

Texas "de brisket" Tacos

The “brisket taco” was popularized in the 1980s in many Texas Tex-Mex restaurants such as Mia's and Micocina of Dallas; Matt's El Rancho and Serrano's of Austin. They can either be coated in a dry rub mixture as I have done, or slow smoked over pecan as Matt's El Rancho in Austin, Texas does. This dish is still popular in my house, as was in my childhood home.


Brisket can be cooked many ways. Popular methods in the Southern United States include rubbing with a spice rub or marinating the meat, then cooking slowly over indirect heat from charcoal or wood. This is a form of smoking the meat. Additional basting of the meat is often done during the cooking process. However, most of the tenderness from this normally tougher cut of meat comes from the fat cap often left attached to the brisket. The brisket is almost always placed with the fat on top so that it slowly dissolves down into the meat as it cooks, resulting in a more juicy and tender meat.

Once I moved to New Jersey I found this meat did not come as cheaply as it did in Texas. Also, learning that the Jewish community cooks this cut of meat like one would tougher cuts such as roast, but in an almost flavorless manner; I decided to introduce my tasty homegrown version of making BBQ and tacos to my clients and friends in the area, and today still fill many orders for them.

The “taco” is a Mexican sandwich that dates in English to around 1900, and is comprised of a rolled or folded, pliable maize tortilla filled with an edible substance. According to the Real Academia Española, the word taco originally meant (and still means) a plug (as in rolled paper used plug a hole) or paper or cloth patch for musket balls. Care should be taken when using the word taco outside of Mexico, as the RAE lists 27 possible meanings for the word. A taco is normally served flat on a tortilla that has been warmed up on a comal; since the tortilla is still soft, it can be folded over or pinched together into a U-shape for convenient consumption.

First, there was maize; then, there were tortillas- The tortilla origins began in the Central American region as early as 3600 B.C., and spread to other areas like Mexico; were they are still made and eaten with almost all meals today, but originally they were considered an appetizer by the Spanish name of antojito. This also referred to in many Tex-Mex books and sites as 'The Mexican Sandwich'. Many other uses for the tortilla came about through fusion of Spanish/Mexican, and Anglo cuisines as history tells us.

















I grew up with this cut of meat being slow braised. My mom would wake up as early as four in the morning, season it with liquid smoke, cumin, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper; you would go nuts smelling it when you rose from bed as you anticipated how it would be served. Brisket was an inexpensive cut of meat, and could be found in many stores year round in Texas, and still is. Summer months you might see it as cheap as eighty nine cents a pound. Often my father would slather it in sauce and finish it off on the grill for his favorite BBQ sandwich, but now and then my mom would place this fall apart juicy meat in homemade masa tortillas for an easy taco weekend meal. She would make coleslaw, red beans, pico di gallo, and throw it all on the tortilla together. I am not a picky eater, so if it all ran together, the better! Many people I meet that tries my dish tells me stories about how they or someone they know had it in Texas once and considers it a tasty dish.

I remember a neighbor taught my mom about cumin, masa, and other seasonings for making ground beef tacos when I was a young girl in the 1960's, she began rubbing the same seasonings on brisket as an alternative to just liquid smoke, salt, and pepper. I have continued the tradition for both dishes since. My guess is that the neighbor was of Anglo Mexican and New Mexico Indian heritage, as I learned later on that traditional residents of Mexico I befriended did not like cumin, or its association with Mexican cuisine.

Cumin unlike chili powder was introduced around the time when slaves, and colonist were recruited by Spain to come to the San Antonio area in the 1800's. The Canary Islanders of Africa were responsible for its use in dishes such as tagine cuisine. Infusion of these different seasonings, ingredients, and techniques resulted in the Tex-Mex cuisine; therefore creating one of the southern regions oldest cuisines. Old and new dishes are continuously being recreated in Texas kitchens.

Reference Information:

Texas: The Lone Star State- Taco
Food Timeline- Taco
The Tex-Mex Cookbook, A History In Recipes and Photos, Rob Walsh
www.wikipedia.com

One pear, two pear, and the last pair...

I have been really busy and behind this week, since my van went missing. I am posting this for the weekend, and it is not one of my favorite photo shoots of my food lately, but they were really tasty...

Buying a bag of mixed pears consisting of Basc, Red, and Anjou sounded like a great inspirational idea a few weeks ago; we ate a few in between my 'Caramelized Pear Blondies', and now I found myself with only two pears left. Since Mothers Day I have thought about my mom's ability to bake from scratch on a whim's notice, so I decided to give it another go...
















After thinking about what I could do, and idea came to me. Make a gluten-free dough, and fill it like Rugala (Rugalach). Cream cheese was added to the dough recipe, and I was not sure if it would hold up to a heavy filling- I cut the filling recipe in half.

Combine pecans, pear, brown sugar and cinnamon in mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Spread each circle of dough with some jam, or I used some pear caramel mixture I had left over from my Blondie recipe. Divide filling among circles, spreading evenly. Cut each into 12 wedges, and begin rolling.

Arrange on prepared sheets, point side down. Bake until golden, about 16-17 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. Cut into pieces, and store in airtight container.

My friend who is Jewish, Gen tried them and said they were great, but they needed more filling. Then they would resemble the true cookie she grew up with.

I saved some dough and made Parmesan bread sticks...
















Photography lessons still proceed, but I will have the 'expert' by my side...Donna Kay in a few weeks in Texas...with tutorials in photo shop on my new lap top I just got for my birthday...

Go over and check out our 'Friday Shoot Out' posts; this weeks theme was 'Red'...