With the kitchen redesign moving gradually, I was experiencing considerable difficulties having the capacity to cook for a developed timeframe, particularly since cooking is one of my favored techniques for stress alleviation. In this way, this past Friday I said ‚to hellfire with it‘ and made a cake in my half torn down kitchen. The broiler was in working request and there was ledge space enough for the blender, and that was adequate for me.
The frequent experience of the cook living in the country or suburbs these days to receive unexpected visits from friends who are touring in automobiles, and she finds she must have something attractive, dainty and nourishing ready at a moment’s notice to supplement the cup of tea or coffee so welcome after a hot, dusty trip.
With a supply of good eggs in the pantry the cook need never be at a loss for a tasty custard, and if she is wise enough to buy Armour’s Fancy Selects when she orders eggs from her market man their goodness will be reflected in her desserts. Aside from their goodness their extra large size will always recommend their use to the wise cook.
There is inspiration in the art that enters into the production of a French dinner, in the perfect balance of every item from hors d’oeuvre to café noir, in the ways with seasoning that work miracles with left-overs and preserve the daily routine of three meals a day from the deadly monotony of the American régime.
To have a thorough understanding of their goodness one must not only read about them but taste them. They are the staple diet in many foreign countries and in the Armour brand the native flavoring has been done with remarkable faithfulness—so much so that large quantities are shipped from this country every week to the countries where they originated.
Puddings that are prepared by boiling, steaming, and baking, and the sauces that make them appetizing, receive a goodly share of attention. Pastries and Pies completes this volume, rounding out, as it were, the cook’s understanding of dessert making.
To many persons, pastry making is an intricate matter, but with the principles thoroughly explained and each step clearly illustrated, delicious pies of every variety, as well as puff-paste dainties, may be had with very little effort.
[recipe title=“Persimmon Cake with Brown Butter Icing“ servings=“2-3″ time=“45mins“ difficulty=“easy“]For the honeyed pear topping, have ready a sheet of puff-paste made of five ounces of sifted flour, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. Lay the paste in a buttered soup-plate. Trim and notch the edges, and then put in the mixture. Bake it about half an hour, in a moderate oven. Grate loaf-sugar over it, before you send it to table.
[recipe-ingredients]- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
2. Beat the whites only, of six eggs, till they stand alone on the rods; and then stir the beaten white of egg, gradually, into the butter and sugar. Afterwards, sprinkle in, by degrees, the grated cocoa-nut, stirring hard all the time. Then stir all very well at the last.
3. Break up a cocoa-nut, and take the thin brown skin carefully off, with a knife. Wash all the pieces in cold water, and then wipe them dry, with a clean towel. Weigh a quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut, and grate it very fine, into a soup-plate.
4. Grate the yellow rind of the orange and lime, and squeeze the juice into a saucer or soup-plate, taking out all the seeds.
5. Beat the whites of six eggs till they stand alone. Stir the almonds and white of eggs, alternately, into the butter and sugar; and then stir the whole well together.
6. Have ready a puff-paste sufficient for a soup-plate. Butter the plate, lay on the paste, trim and notch it. Then put in the mixture.
7. Bake it about half an hour in a moderate oven.
[/recipe-directions] [recipe-notes]
Tip: Place the pans in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until they’re golden around the edges. In making pies of juicy fruit, it is a good way to set a small tea-cup on the bottom crust, and lay the fruit all round it. The juice will collect under the cup, and not run out at the edges or top of the pie.
[/recipe-notes]
[/recipe]To have a thorough understanding of their goodness one must not only read about them but taste them. They are the staple diet in many foreign countries and in the Armour brand the native flavoring has been done with remarkable faithfulness—so much so that large quantities are shipped from this country every week to the countries where they originated.
Puddings that are prepared by boiling, steaming, and baking, and the sauces that make them appetizing, receive a goodly share of attention. Pastries and Pies completes this volume, rounding out, as it were, the cook’s understanding of dessert making. To many persons, pastry making is an intricate matter, but with the principles thoroughly explained and each step clearly illustrated, delicious pies of every variety, as well as puff-paste dainties, may be had with very little effort.
There is inspiration in the art that enters into the production of a French dinner, in the perfect balance of every item from hors d’oeuvre to café noir, in the ways with seasoning that work miracles with left-overs and preserve the daily routine of three meals a day from the deadly monotony of the American régime, in the garnishings that glorify the most insignificant concoctions into objects of appetising beauty and in the sauces that elevate indifferent dishes into the realm of creations and enable a French cook to turn out a dinner fit for capricious young gods from what an American cook wastes in preparing one.
Fear no mess; it just means you’re a normal, functioning human being.
Marta had come to my workshop in Croatia to lend a hand and is one of the warmest, sweetest, and friendliest people I’ve ever met. And not only that, but she is an incredible cook to boot! After we shot these savory pies they got very cold and I woofed it down since I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, and even chilled these pies tasted insanely good. I can only imagine the heaven that would exist being able to eat one of these guys warm from the oven! Savory pastries are severely underrated, in my opinion, I think they should be as common if not more common than the sweet ones.
The word Ravigote means, literally, “pick me up” and it is applied to minced tarragon, chervil, chives and parsley, the herbs being kept separate and served with salad on four little saucers. Ravigote butter, made by kneading butter with the four herbs and adding pepper, salt and lemon juice, spread between thin slices of bread, makes delicious sandwiches.
Aside from their goodness their extra large size will always recommend their use to the wise cook. Flowers and fruits are reserved for sweet dishes, except in the case of nasturtiums, which they regard as much a vegetable as a flower and use freely with meats. It isn’t essential that every dish should be turned into an elaborate work of art.
With the kitchen redesign moving gradually, I was experiencing considerable difficulties having the capacity to cook for a developed timeframe, particularly since cooking is one of my favored techniques for stress alleviation. In this way, this past Friday I said ‚to hellfire with it‘ and made a cake in my half torn down kitchen. The broiler was in working request and there was ledge space enough for the blender, and that was adequate for me.
