Emily Luchetti's Blog, page 9

Sugar?!

I read with trepidation the article in Sunday's New York Times Magazine about sugar. The cover was not promising with the title  Is Sugar Toxic?  and the subhead Sweet and Vicious.  Was this article going to put me out of a job? Would my career go down the drain?  It sat on my desk until Tuesday morning when I finally picked it up.

I know sugar isn't great for you and  I didn't want to have more evidence against it. As they say ignorance is bliss. The article was well written, interesting and enlightening. And yes, a bit frightening to read as it denounced sugar as an evil with a capital E.

As a pastry chef who dips into a 50 pound sugar bin on a regular basis it can be easy to dismiss the anti sugar studies with the rationalization that the research isn't completely proven. I can easily quote contrarian studies which say it will do no harm. But that would be irresponsible and inaccurate. I hope and believe if eaten in moderation it is not as extreme as the author Gary Tauber, states. Regardless we do have to face the fact that the majority of Americans eat too much sugar. It adds to obesity, increased medical costs and a multitude of health problems.

What is even scarier is many people don't even know how much sugar they are eating. They don't stop to look at processed food labels in their cupboards at home. As I travel across the country and meet people I am shocked, even for a pastry chef, at how much sugar people actually consume.

Like we did with wine and a good steak, it is time to take responsibility to limit our sugar intake. My meals are primarily made up of whole grains, lean proteins and vegetables. I do not drink soda or fruit juices. I read nutritional labels diligently. I do not consume products with added sugar. I am selective and make sugar an exception to my diet and not a daily requirement.  I also exercise regularly as I believe it helps counter act and flush out any damage I may be doing to my body. At my annual physical I take my cholesterol and triglyceride numbers seriously.

I want to be healthy so I will be around for a long time. But I am willing to take the risk and have some sugar because without it I'd lose a big part of the emotional joy in my life. Why live without that?

Tasting and testing on The Tasting Panel

As you may have seen in last Sunday's paper the Chronicle tasting panel, which I am on, tested grocery store packaged chocolate macaroons for Passover. We were all surprised how awful they were. They were dry, flavorless and several were burnt.

The tasting panel meets once a month and blind tastes four products. There are anywhere from 5 to 15 brands of each. We grade on appearance, taste and texture. We give each item a score from one to five and make additional notes. Janny Hu, a Chronicle staff writer, then takes the information and compiles them into a cohesive article. One product is profiled each week in the newspaper. Given the diversity and opinions of the group this is no small task. We often agree on the brands that make the very top or bottom of the grading system but the ones that fall in the middle are all over the map. Seldom do all brands of an item have all bad or good ratings.

I love it when I find a cookie or other pastry in the grocery store that I like. Just because I am a pastry chef doesn't mean everything has to be homemade. I buy it and recommend it to others. But after I tasted those macaroons I went straight to the kitchen and created this recipe. While simple to make, I readily admit it is easier to go to the store and buy a box but sometimes you have to sacrifice convenience for taste. If you want chocolate macaroons this is one of those times.

Chocolate Macaroons

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/4 cup (about 2) large egg whites

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup matzo meal

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, honey, and vanilla until blended. Place over a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking frequently, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the coconut, matzo meal and the cocoa powder. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least an hour. You can also leave it in the fridge for a couple of days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Using a small spoon or ice cream scoop, measure out 2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. They don't spread much so you can fit a lot on one pan.

Bake about 10 minutes until set. Let cool on the pans to room temperature.

You can make these a couple days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bridging Two Seasons for Produce

Its transition time for produce. Citrus is slowly winding down and spring fruit is getting sweeter. In this crossover period where you can get both Meyer lemons and red berries I like to combine them in recipes. They make a perfect match. Here's a simple recipe from my almost published book, The Fearless Baker, that uses both. Make it now while both are available. You can also do as I do and freeze Meyer lemon juice and make this later in the spring or even summer.

Smashing the berries draws out more of their juices and leaves them more intact than if you sliced or quartered them.

 Meyer Lemon Cream with Smashed Berries

 Makes 6 servings

4 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

About 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

1 pint strawberries

1 pint raspberries (or use all strawberries if you can't get good raspberries)

 1. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and whole eggs with 1/2 cup

of the sugar and the lemon juice until smooth. Transfer to

a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring

continuously with the heat-proof rubber spatula or wooden

spoon, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to a

mayo-like consistency. (If the mixture gets lumpy at any point,

switch to a whisk and whisk until it's smoothed out.)

2. Strain the lemon curd through a mesh sieve into a bowl and place

plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from

forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Using the stand mixer, or a handheld mixer and medium bowl,

whip the cream on medium-high speed with 2 tablespoons sugar

until it forms softly mounded peaks. Using the rubber spatula,

fold the whipped cream into the chilled lemon curd.

4. Remove the green stems from the strawberries and cut in half

if they're large. Put them in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons

sugar and, with the back of a spoon, smash them a bit to break

them up. Stir in the raspberries (if you are using them), smashing and breaking them up

a little too. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary.

5. Spoon the lemon cream into glasses and top with the

smashed berries.

Melissa Chou- Aziza Pastry Chef

Melissa Chou is the pastry chef at Aziza.  Born and raised in San Francisco, she studied Art History at Vassar and lived in St. Louis for a year before coming back to San Francisco and getting immersed in pastry. Melissa attended a part time pastry class at Tante Marie Cooking School on Francisco Street and learned some baking basics. Her first job was at Quince and she then moved on to Presidio Social Club where Phil Ogiela was the pastry chef. Phil's desserts, which emphasize texture and lightness, influence her style. Melissa also finds inspiration from Michael Bras, the French chef and author of Notebooks of Michael Bras: Desserts. When creating desserts she often looks at savory Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes and dishes to get a feel for the palate.

We sat down at Waterbar yesterday and chatted about her pastry world.

EL: What dessert do you have on the menu now that you are really excited about?

MC: Green Strawberry Sorbet with Rhubarb Jam and White Chocolate Mousse. Green strawberries have good strawberry flavor but are more acidic than ripe ones.

What ingredients do you like to work with the most?

 Yogurt, lemon, rhubarb, and green strawberries. I like the acidity in them.

What flavors do you like the least?

Coconut. I am trying to work with it more.

What comes to mind when I mention the following ingredients?

Rhubarb-green strawberries

Coffee- rich creamy desserts like pudding

Berries- lemon and French tarts with fruit on top

Almonds- meringue. I use nuts for more flavor in many of my meringues.

What's your least favorite pastry trend?

When pastry chefs get swayed by trends and start using ingredients or doing things just because they are a trend. Also there's a time and place for savory elements in a dessert but pastry chefs have to be careful not to go overboard.

What ingredients would you like to see used more in the pastry kitchen and appreciated by diners?

White Chocolate. It's a foil to strong acid flavors. I add it to my lemon curd instead of butter.

What dessert has someone else created that you loved?

Carlos Salgado's Melon Soup with Chamomile Snow at Commis in Oakland.

What kitchen tool would you be lost without?

A radio. I work by myself and it gets pretty quiet. Also my mini off set spatula.

Where do you like to eat out in the city?

Cotogna is really good.  I like to eat at home- my partner is a great cook.

What was the last thing you made outside of work?

A chocolate cake

What did you have for breakfast?

A bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Cream Dream

It's true baking requires recipes. When you make a cake you can't haphazardly throw a bunch of ingredients into a KitchenAid mixer, combine everything and bake it in the oven. Flour, eggs and sugar have to be measured. You don't simply add things until it looks "right."

That being said, there is one dessert I make without much precision. It's a favorite for Waterbar and Farallon staff meals. I call it Cream Dream. Technically it's a trifle but it's so much more. I don't want to completely mislead you and give the impression it is completely a random kitchen sink dessert, but it's close. You need to have dessert leftovers and heavy cream.  Creating the desserts to get those leftovers does require a recipe.

To make Cream Dream you need any combination of cake, cookie, brownie pieces or scraps, plus caramel and/or chocolate sauces.

Whip the cream with a little sugar until soft peaks. Layer the cut or broken up cake/cookie pieces, your sauces and the cream in a bowl. (Keep the sauces cold or at room temperature) Sprinkle in a few chocolate chips, nuts and coconut if you have them. You want enough cream so it holds together and isn't dry, but not so much that all you taste is cream.  Layering everything rather than folding it together keeps the texture of the cakes and cookies intact. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

No Cream Dream ever tastes the same. They all depend on the flavor of your cakes and cookies. Our version usually has chocolate as invariably some of our leftovers are chocolate.

When I go out of my way to bake a special dessert for staff meal it never seems to be as popular as Cream Dream. Eyes light up when the staff sees it on the table with the savory food. The pastry cooks and I laugh, wishing all our baking was that easy.

The Daily Beast website has a fun listing of The 50 Most ...

The Daily Beast website has a fun listing of The 50 Most Important Inventions (and Discoveries) in Food and Drink. What is even better is their list of Ten Food and Drink Inventions We Didn't Need.

I agree with most of them but take issue with the garlic press. Contrary to what they say I use one all the time. Sorry, but I hate having my hands smell like garlic and using a press is so much faster.

I do agree muffin top baking pans should be on the useless list. The top half of a muffin tastes good because it is baked with the bottom part. You can't bake it separately. The bottom part makes the top moist under the crunchy top. (My boss at my first cooking job had the top half of a bran muffin every morning. Guess who ate the bottom half- me.)

This got me to thinking about useless pastry related equipment and products. One is scone and muffin mixes. They make you think it is easier than making them from scratch but all they do is combine the dry ingredients for you. It's about 50 cents worth of ingredients that they mark up exorbitantly. You still have to add the liquid and eggs.

Another is pie weights. Made of ceramic, metal or stone they are used to keep tart and pie crusts from falling or bubbling up at the bottom. They are expensive. Use raw rice or dried beans instead.

Marble rolling pins with ice water. The idea behind them is good. If you keep the pin really cold your dough won't get soft. The only thing they forgot was the marble builds up condensation and can get wet on the outside.

The Edge Brownie Pan. This pan is shaped so all pieces have an edge. There are no middle pieces. For the gooeyest, fudgiest ones I go to straight for the one in the center of the pan where there is no crust. That's the best brownie in the pan. The real feat would be to make a brownie pan with all centers.

Parchment paper in rolls. As someone who uses a lot of parchment paper, it's annoying to uncurl every sheet so it will lie flat on a baking sheet. Unfortunately grocery stores only sell it in rolls. Share a box of flat parchment sheets available at restaurant supply stores with a couple of friends. Each sheet is the size of a full sheet pan but they can easily be cut in half. I store the cut sheets in one of my wide kitchen drawers.

What pastry things do you think are a waste of time or silly?

Food Safety

 

On Monday I took an all day manager's food safety seminar, sponsored by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and The Golden Gate Restaurant Association. Each restaurant in the city must have a least one manager that has taken the class and we pay to attend.

While we have several managers at Waterbar and Farallon with certification, it had been a while since I had taken a class. Continually reading up on food safety and being inspected on an ongoing basis, I felt I knew a lot but I that it would be a good idea to have a refresher.

We reviewed the different kinds of food borne illnesses, how to handle food safely and proper storage of foods. Much of the information was technical- minimum temperatures required for hot water and refrigeration, internal temperatures for cooking and for holding both hot and cold food.

Two things impressed me about the class. One, the participants asked interesting and technical questions. Chefs really want to do the right thing when it comes to preparing food. No one is trying to take short cuts.

Second, Mohanned, our teacher who is a health inspector, was a nice guy who taught dry material in an engaging and entertaining way. Most restaurant people cringe when the health inspector shows up unannounced. It's as though he is out to bust us. In actuality we are all after the same goal. It doesn't mean we aren't relieved when he leaves and we get the passing certificate but his visits aren't something we should dread like going to the dentist. He works with us to keep our restaurants clean.

At the end of the day we took an 85-question exam. It was a state certified test where you filled in the circles with a number 2 pencil. Not having taken a test besides my DMV license renewal in years I had a bit of test phobia, but all turned out ok.

When the class was over we gave Mohanned a round of applause. We all had a good laugh as he doesn't get much appreciation. More often he gets dirty looks behind his back.

FYI California passed law SB602 that takes effect in July and requires all who handle food to have a food handler's certificate. The State, however, is still working out details on how the classes will be administered.

P.S. For better or worse I have joined the ranks of twitter. Follow me @emilyluchetti.

Bill Corbett- Pastry Chef at Absinthe Brasserie and Bar

San Francisco has many talented pastry chefs who don't get a lot of recognition. This is the first of an occasional profile of some of the top pastry chefs in the Bay Area.  I recently chatted with Bill Corbett from Absinthe Brasserie and Bar and Arlequin Café and Food to Go about his sweet world.

Bill grew up outside of Toronto in Kitchener, Canada and moved to Tampa Florida with only $800 and no job, following punk rock bands before he got into cooking.  He says he learned pastry on the job.  "My first pastry position was with Lincoln Carson who is currently corporate pastry chef for Michael Mina. He was and continues to be a mentor of mine. Before that, when it was slow in a Brooklyn kitchen where I worked on the savory side, I would read and practice from cooking text books and learned the basics"

He and his wife always wanted to move to the West Coast, and when Carson let him know that the pastry position was available at Michael Mina, he jumped at the chance. "I moved having only been here for our honeymoon."

Bill's desserts focus on the combination of ingredients and technique. Since we are fortunate to have such incredible ingredients in California he feels sometimes chefs here rely too much on the ingredients and don't focus enough on technique, whereas pastry chefs from other parts of the country rely more on technique. They do get good produce in the summer but their season is much shorter. The best tasting desserts use both.

What desserts on the Absinthe menu are you excited about?

The German Chocolate Cake with milk chocolate mousse, pressed coconut and candied Pecans. It's a recipe I have had for awhile. Periodically I reinvent it. Also the Earl Grey Pavlova with Meyer Lemon Curd and Mint Ice Cream. The meringues are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle.

 What flavors/ingredients excite you now?

Yogurt- We make it and I love the acidity and creaminess it adds to desserts. Also Roobios Tea. It's red tea from South African and has a red berry flavor. It's especially good this time of year when I want to incorporate berry flavor but can't get good berries. It pairs well with Manjari Chocolate from Vahlrona.

  What do you like least?

Nothing really, but I'm not a big of a fan of ripe payayas. It's a textural thing.

 What dessert comes to mind when I mention the following ingredients:

Rhubarb- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Passion fruit- Panna Cotta

Chocolate- Mousse

Strawberries- Angel Food Cake

Coconut- German Chocolate Cake

Almonds- Cherry Tart

What's your least favorite pastry trend?

The avant garde and molecular trend when not done well. You have to really understand it. If the consumer can tell you used a bizarre ingredient you haven't done your job as a pastry chef. It isn't about the ingredient but how the dessert tastes. The ice cream may not melt by the time it gets to the table but if it tastes gummy from too much stabilizer that doesn't make sense from a flavor perspective.

What would you like to see pastry chefs do more of?

Use more salt and acid. Desserts lack balance and aren't seasoned properly. Taste desserts and add salt and acid as necessary. You can't always just follow a recipe.

What dessert has someone else created that you wished you had thought of?

William Werner's Green Tea Nougatine

 Who has influenced your dessert style?

Besides Lincoln, Sam Mason, Wylie Dufresne, Johnny Izzuni, Alex Stupak.

What kitchen tool would you be lost without?

A burr mixer

Where do you like to eat out in the city?

I live in Oakland. Boot and Shoe Service is around the corner. They have good pizza that's well seasoned.

What was the last thing you made outside of work?

Burritos

What was the last thing you ate? A Do-si-dos girl scout cookie. It's an oat flour cookie with a peanut butter filling. It's just like a Nabisco Pirate Cookie I used to have as a kid.

Vanilla

Vanilla is used so frequently in desserts it is easy to take them for granted. But there is a great deal behind this common flavoring.

Growing them takes patience and care. A member of the orchid family, the vine blooms once a year in the spring and must be hand pollinated within 12 hours of opening. When the beans are picked they look more like a green bean than the vanilla bean we would recognize in the store. After harvesting the beans are cured and dried, a labor intensive process that includes wrapping them in cloth to sweat, laying them in the sun to dry and placing them in air tight boxes. The time between harvesting and selling takes months.

Vanilla became a part of the American palate by a rather circuitous route. Cortez took vanilla to Spain from Mexico where it became popular throughout Europe. Thomas Jefferson brought it to the United States after one of his visits to France.

Madagascar is the largest producer of vanilla beans. They are called Madagascar Bourbon beans as they grow on the Bourbon Islands off the east coast of Africa. The name comes from the French who ruled that area and has nothing to do with bourbon from Kentucky. Bourbon beans are smooth, sweet and mellow.  The other vanilla bean I like is Tahitian. Their production is smaller and comes from a different variety of orchid. The flavor is floral and perfumy.  Mexico also produces good beans and extract. Be careful when you travel there and see bargain vanilla. Mexico does not have the same quality restrictions on vanilla and if you don't pay attention you can buy something that tastes pretty bad.

At work I buy Nielsen- Massey vanilla extract by the half gallon and use it in cookies and cakes but there are recipes where I prefer to use a vanilla bean. I like to infuse it in other ingredients or scrape out the seeds from the pod for their intense flavor and the speckled appearance they offer. 

I use Madagascar beans when I want the vanilla to be a background flavor and help draw out other flavors like chocolate or coffee. I also like to use them with citrus for it pairs nicely with the acidity of the fruit.

All vanilla beans are expensive but Tahitian beans even more so. I reserve them for recipes where vanilla is the main flavor such as an ice cream or a crème brulee.

A bean should be plump and supple. When you rub it between your fingers you should be able to feel the seeds inside.  Since vanilla beans aren't cheap you want them to be the best possible quality when you open your wallet. Fortunately for me restaurant suppliers have good ones but that doesn't help the retail buyer.

Too often beans in the spice rack in the grocery store are dry and brittle.  To spend almost $10 on one bean and be able to snap it in two like a twig is frustrating. Sealed inside a glass jar, it's hard to tell the quality by just looking. Experience has taught me to purchase my beans other places.

Surprisingly I have found good beans at Costco. They came in a glass tube. You can also find beans on line. The Vanilla Queen at www.vanilla.com sells good beans as does www.beanilla.com.

Here's a recipe for vanilla ice cream. All you need is the chocolate and caramel sauces.

Vanilla Ice Cream 

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup whole milk

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise with the insides scraped out

To make the vanilla ice cream: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Combine the milk, cream, vanilla bean and the remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepot. Over medium heat, heat the milk and cream until hot. Slowly pour the liquid into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking it together as you pour. (To keep the bowl with the eggs and sugar from spinning while you pour in the cream and whisk, place it on a towel.)

Return the cream and milk mixture back to the saucepot. Over medium low heat, cook, stirring continually with a heat resistant rubber or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175 degrees.

Strain the custard into a clean bowl and cool over an ice bath until at least room temperature. (Rinse off the vanilla bean and air dry it. Put it in your sugar container to flavor your sugar.) Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Freeze according to ice cream manufacturer's instructions. Place in the freezer until scoopable, at least one hour.

Eat your Veggies and Eat your Dessert

After a day scooping sugar and weighing chocolate, unless I am not going out to one of the many great restaurants in the city, I want a healthy low fat dinner. I need it too as I find myself nibbling on cookie dough and pieces of 70% chocolate. Frequently I take some soup always stashed in my freezer.  About once a month I make a big pot of it and freeze it in quart containers. It's ready whenever. Quick and easy. For variety I always try to have a couple of different kinds on hand.

However with this beautiful weather I haven't been in the mood for soup. My new standby is a bowl of brown or white rice, some dahl and a couple of vegetables.

The veggies are what make it so good. Perhaps it is because I am opening and closing the oven door all day and I am in oven mode, I don't cook them on the stove top.

I lightly coat the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper, put them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and convection bake at 400 degrees (425 for a non convection oven) until they are crispy and browned on the edges.  Sometimes I add garlic or fresh herbs and last night I added some diced pork jowl from Boccalone.

I cook cauliflower, broccoli rabe, carrots, butternut squash, mushrooms, and even peas this way. Kale, Swiss chard, baby spinach leaves work too, but you have to stir frequently so they don't dry out. I cut them small so they cook quickly.

With the oven method I get the bonus of not having to clean the stove top. Eating steamed veggies is boring and bland; sauteeing in better, but baked is the best.

I feel that if I eat lots of veggies then I can have dessert. How do you like your veggies?