Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone. As the year ends we all tend to reflect on all we have done and would like to do in the coming year. Of course, my 'to do list' always centers around food.

In 2011, I have continued my canning adventures, which advanced to chutneys. I dived into the world of beer. And, played with sugar. All have been fun and challenging.

Next year, I plan to brew more beer, can other fruits and veggies, and have more fun with sugar. Any new adventures will come to me when the spark hits me. That is the best part about being a chef.

I wish everyone a year of good food and cooking. So, before the year ends I plan to make challah for the first time. The adventure continues.

Playing with Sugar

A few days ago the weather was dark, rainy and gloomy. And, I needed a diversion quickly. I didn't want to play outside, so I decided to play inside. My playmate was sugar. I recently pick up a sugar cookbook and wanted to try a few techniques out. First game, cotton candy.

Homemade cotton candy is very different from carnival cotton candy. It is much harder. It has a certain crunch to it. The whole process is part of the hard-crack sugar stage, which is used in many desserts.

It took about 25 minutes to get the sugar mixture up to 320 degrees (hard-crack stage). I quickly worked with the sugar and began to whisk to back and forth on to parchment paper creating strands of spun sugar. After I rolled the spun sugar into balls. The whole process is done quickly because the sugar hardens fast.

Personally, I did not care for the taste of homemade cotton candy. I did learn a lot and now I am ready to make my first croquembouche. Plus, I forgot about the weather for awhile.

December 7th is National Cotton Candy Day

Chocolate Mousse

Today I had a craving for chocolate mousse. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make one with cream or an egg base. So, I did some searching and found a vegan recipe made with avocados. I know what you are thinking, avocados and chocolate, no way. I too thought the same thing, but it was very good. I even trick someone, you does not care for avocados, to eat it and enjoy it.

The recipes was very easy. Three avocados, ¾ cup honey, one teaspoon vanilla extract and ¾ cup of cocoa. First peel the avocados and puree in a food processor until smooth. Add honey and vanilla. Process until combine. Slowly add sifted cocoa to the puree and combine well. Chill and serve. Healthy and delicious!

November 30 is National Mousse Day

Holy Guacamole!

Avocado just may be the perfect fruit. It is loaded with health benefits and is available all year round.

Here are a few health benefits. One, it contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fact that may help lower cholesterol. Two, it is a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Three, it contains carotenoid lutin for eye health. And, it contains fiber and protein. There are not many fruits or vegetables that can claim all of those benefits.

And, if you need any more benefits, you can eat it with chips when the avocado is used to make guacamole. To your health!

November 14 is Guacamole Day

Cheers!

So, if you want a lesson in patience, brew beer. I finally got to taste the fruits of my labor. It only took 25 days. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with my first home brew. You could actually taste the honey in my Honey Red Ale.

Brew day was October 1st. Brewing the wort took about 3 hours, which included set up and clean up. Three days in the first fermenter. Twelve days in the second fermenter. And 10 days to condition and carbonate in the bottles.

Opening my first home brew was like Christmas morning. I held my breath as I carefully popped the bottle cap, hoping to hear the carbonated gases slowly release. Who knew such joy could happen upon that first bottle. It's only beer, right. No, it's a home brew and that is the joy of it all! And yes, it was worth the wait!

American Beer Day is October 27th

Four a Day

Forget about an apple a day. The new fruit is the prune. One is not enough, you need to eat four a day. Hey, they are small but very mighty indeed.

Four prunes a day helps to slow the aging process of the brain and body. Helps in cases of anemia. Helps in normal blood circulation. It is a good remedy for sore throats. It has a high beta carotene content. It contains a lot of fiber and sorbitol, a stool loosening sugar. Plus, it is an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium and iron.

So, grab some prunes, four to be exact, each day. Oh, you may want to brush after eating. Prunes will stick to your teeth faster than anything and that means cavities.

October 17 is Eat Four Prunes Day

Home Brewing

A few months ago, a book on home brewing caught my eye in my monthly cookbook catalog. “Home brewing”, I thought, “how involved is that process?” So, to answer my question I checked out several books on the frothy subject from the library.

Immediately I was intoxicated. Malts, hops, yeast, wort, racking, original gravity, final gravity, pitching, etc. And, the recipes go on and on. So many. Needless to say, I ordered that original home brewing book. I had a hard time choosing my first brew but I finally settled on Honey Red Ale.

I have all of my hardware. The brew kettle, fermentation bucket, carboy, hydrometer and siphon. This is the short list. I plan to purchase the ingredients this weekend. Most recipes yield 5 gallons which is the equivalent of about 45-50 bottles of beer. I like beer but that is a lot of beer!

I will be sharing most of the beer, which will be bottled under the name “Brewlene”. I couldn't resist. I wonder if my circle of friends will increase while I learn the art of zymurgy. I guess that is all a matter of taste. Cheers!

September 28th is Drink Beer Day