手做的幸福2 (Homemade Bread)

Diposting oleh good reading on Jumat, 08 Mei 2009

续上回手做的圆面包, 这次又动手做这款白土司面包。


'愛上做面包' 的作者, 德永久美子称它为英国面包, 也许是因为烤好的土司有一层香脆的外皮吧, 就像一般的欧式面包, 有如 Farmhouse White Loaf。我非常喜欢欧式country-style面包, 由其是法国面包。可是我还没找到勇气在家里制作! 为了让这个土司看起来有多一份乡村风味,我在第二次发酵前撒上少许面粉(有一点画蛇添足hor?!)。

As a follow-up to my previous attempts on making plain crusty bread rolls, I made another loaf from the same cookbook. This 'English Bread' has got a nice crisp crust while the crumbs is soft, almost similar to a farmhouse white loaf. Although it is not called for in the recipe, I dusted the surface with some flour to give it a rustic look :)


使用双手揉面团的好处是能感觉面团的湿度,太干就加一点点水,太湿就撒点面粉。感觉上这面团还蛮容易搓揉,不怎么黏手,可能是我用另一个牌子的面粉吧?? 还是它的油份很低?? 这个Gold Medal, Better for Bread Flour,似乎有比较高的'吸水力',它的蛋白质含量也比较高, 所以产生的筋度也比较大,做出来的面包具有弹性与嚼感,很适合烤欧式面包。所以说angmo面包还是用angmo面粉比较好?! 虽然这个牌子的价格表面上看起来似乎较昂贵,可是它是两公斤装,算算看其实贵不到那里去。

Whenever I have the time to spare, I will prefer to knead the dough by hand. This way, I will be able to get a feel of the texture, whether the dough is too wet or too dry. Some recipes will yield very wet and sticky doughs whiles others will give tougher, tenser ones. By having a feel of the texture while kneading, I will be able to co-relate it with the finished loaf, and hence, provide a better review of the recipe.

I wonder whether it was the type of flour I had used, this dough was rather easy to knead as it hardly sticked to the work surface. For this loaf, I used Gold Medal's Better for Bread Flour, which is a stronger flour with a higher protein level. It is only slightly more expensive than the usual brand I use, but I believe it gives a better flavour to the bread, and I would think it is very suitable for making rustic, country-style type of bread.


面包在炉里还没烤好就传来一阵阵熟悉的面包香, 不是那种香浓的奶油香,而是发自面粉和酵母的一股淡淡的酒香,闻起来真会另人感到很温馨很幸福 ;)

There is nothing more delightful than to have a kitchen filled with a wonderful aroma of freshly homemade bread baking in the oven ;)


烤好的土司外层香脆,里边却是松软的。因为用本色(unbleached)面粉的关系,面包也和面粉一样有点泛黄。它的口感会比较扎实, 有弹性, 没有软式面包'拉丝'般的柔软, 有点类似欧美面包却又没那么有嚼劲。

I like how the bread turned out...with a lovely crusty crust while the inside remain soft. The crumb has got a nice texture, not cottony soft and yet not overly dense or heavy.


吃之前放进面包烘烤机, 烤一烤, 涂上牛油或果酱, 再配上一杯热腾腾的浓咖啡就是一顿丰富的早餐! 还是那句老话...简单就是一种幸福。

My all time favourite breakfast...a cup of freshly brewed coffee, along with a slice of toasted bread :)


又: 这是第二次尝试用中文书写, 文笔钝拙, 用了好多照片, 就像平时用英文书写一样, 整编文章有如儿子的看图作文, 哈哈哈 ;')


English Bread

Ingredients
(makes one 7.5"x4"x4" loaf)

300g bread flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
30ml (2 tablespoons) milk
180ml lukewarm water (about 30 degC)
10g butter, soften at room temperature


Method:
  1. Mix milk and water.
  2. Stir bread flour, caster sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add in milk mixture. Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough.
  4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to your hand, becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about 20 mins. Do the window pane test: pinch a small piece of the dough, pull and stretch it. It should be elastic, and can be pulled away into a thin membrane without tearing/breaking apart. Wrap the butter in the dough and continue to knead until the butter fully incorporates into the dough.
  5. Place dough in a lightly greased (with vegetable oil) mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof in room temperature (around 28 to 30 degC) for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl and give a few light kneading to press out the gas in the dough. Smooth into round, cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let it rise for another 20mins.
  7. Divide dough into 2 equal portions, about 265g each. Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the doughs rest for 15 - 20mins.
  8. On a lightly floured work surface, flatten each dough into a round disc, roll the dough from the centre to the edges until the diameter is about 9". Flip the dough over. Fold the dough 1/3 from the left side towards the centre. Fold over 1/3 from the right side, to form a long rectangle (about 9" x 3"). Starting from the shorter end roll up swiss-roll style. Pinch and seal the seams. Place the two doughs, seam side down, in a well greased pullman tin. (See illustrations below). Dust the surface of the dough with some flour (optional). Cover with damp cloth or cling wrap and leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins, or until double in size, or when the dough has almost reached the rim of the tin.
  9. Bake in pre-heated oven at 190 - 200 deg C for 30-35 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven, unmold immediately and let cool completely before slicing.
Recipe source:adapted from 爱上做面包, 德永久美子

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Dihydro-Vitamin K1

Diposting oleh good reading on Kamis, 07 Mei 2009

Step right up ladies and gents; I have a new miracle vitamin for you. Totally unknown to our ignorant pre-industrial ancestors, it's called dihydro-vitamin K1. It's formed during the oil hydrogenation process, so the richest sources are hydrogenated fats like margarine, shortening and commercial deep fry oil. Some of its benefits may include:
Dihydro-vitamin K1 accounts for roughly 30% of the vitamin K intake of American children, and a substantial portion of adult intake as well. Over 99 percent of Americans have it in their diet. Research on dihydro-vitamin K1 is in its infancy at this point, so no one has a very solid idea of its effects on the body beyond some preliminary and disturbing suggestions from animal experiments and brief human trials.

This could be another mechanism by which industrially processed vegetable oils degrade health. It's also another example of why it's not a good idea to chemically alter food. We don't understand food, or our bodies, well enough to know the long-term consequences of foods that have been recently introduced to the human diet. I believe these foods should be avoided on principle.

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MANGO PEACH MOUSSE CAKE

Diposting oleh good reading on Rabu, 06 Mei 2009

mango peach mousse cakeThe warm weather is finally here in Vancouver and I've been hankering for a light mousse cake. The trouble with making cakes in general for me...and I've oft lamented this fact: most recipes make cakes too huge for our average family to finish.
With a five year old and a 2 year old who love cake but have limited capacity for it, and a hubby who doesn't enjoy more than a sliver of cake (under duress), I am hard-pressed to finish a cake within 3 days. Besides, there's only so much running I can do to work off the cake calories!

The first time I made this mousse cake, I used two thin cake layers and made the mousse with strictly mango puree. The mousse was yummy but I found the cake-to-mousse ratio not to my liking. I wanted more mousse. So, I took off one of the cake layers and increased the mousse. It's perfect now and the only thing I want to tinker with is the cake. It's a French sponge and can withstand a light syrup soak or a layer of jam or mango puree on it, but I think I'll try a thin layer of Asian chiffon and see how that works. Asian bakeries don't use genoise but incorporate chiffon-type layers in their mousse cakes. The texture is fine and the chiffon doesn't compete with the light mousse.

I'll be making mini cakes from now on. I have a cake ring that's 7" in diameter for the mousse cakes. My 6" cake rounds for baking the sponge cakes are perfect (I bought these from Wilton's at the Michaels store---40% coupon yay!)
I split the cakes in half and freeze what I don't use by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and then in a ziploc bag. The halved 6-inch layer of sponge is placed in the middle of the 7" cake ring or springform pan. If you use a cake ring you should wrap the bottom in plastic wrap and place it on a sheet pan in case of leakage. By pouring the mousse mixture over the cake layer and lightly tapping out all the air bubbles, you'll get a smooth-looking cake...no air pockets. I don't really care to decorate these little cakes because at home we just chow down anyhow. If I were to take one to a party I'd decorate it with fresh fruit slices brushed with apricot jam glaze and piped sweetened whipped cream.

good to the last bite: here you can see I spread a layer of fruit puree between the cake and the mousse to inject some intense fruit flavour and moistness

The great thing about this refrigerated mousse cake is its lightness. You can eat a whole lot! However, since it only makes a 7 inch cake, it's not so dangerous. Portion control is built right in! The cake slices are smaller than normal and you still feel satisfied.

The mousse recipe is straight-forward and the fruit can be interchanged with other fruits like raspberries, blueberries or whatever is in season. You just have to taste the puree before incorporating the whipped cream to adjust for sweetness.

MINI MANGO PEACH MOUSSE CAKE

(makes one 7" round cake)

1 6-inch round vanilla sponge cake, split [you'll use just half of the cake; wrap and freeze remaining cake for later use]

Puree mixture:

  • 180 g mango peach puree [I used my Vitamix to puree a mixture of mango and peaches]
  • 45 g granulated sugar

Gelatine mixture:

  • 1 1/2 T gelatine powder
  • 75 g water

Whipped cream mixture:

  • 240 g heavy whipping cream
  1. In a saucepan, heat the fruit puree with the sugar until it boils and the sugar is dissolved. Stir well. Allow to cool to room temperature. Reserve 3 T puree in a small bowl.
  2. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
  3. Soak the gelatine in the water and microwave to dissolve. Watch carefully and stir often. The gelatine should be fully dissolved. Combine with the puree and mix until well blended.
  4. Combine the puree and the whipped cream mixtures.
  5. Place the split cake layer at the bottom of the 7" cake ring (which is wrapped in plastic;sitting on a sheet pan) or springform pan. Centre it, ensuring there is an equal amount of space between the cake and the ring. Spread the reserved fruit puree on the cake layer. Then pour the mousse mixture over it and level the surface. Lightly tap the cake ring so that air bubbles do not form.
  6. Refrigerate the cake until firm (approximately 2 hours)
  7. Heat a towel and wrap around the outside of the cake ring. Remove the ring carefully and decorate with fresh fruit slices (brushed with apricot glaze) and piped sweetened whipped cream.

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Some May Must-Reads

Diposting oleh good reading


Film Studies For Free is back from its travels with some brief but essential recommendations for reading. Consider yourselves compassionately instructed to enjoy the following gems from the brilliant film-blogosphere:

P.S. Let's actually finish with a Call For Papers for an annual conference hosted by an Open Access film and visual studies periodical much loved by FSFF: World Picture Journal.

The 2009 World Picture Conference

October 23-24, 2009
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Style

Keynote Speakers

Edward Branigan
(University of California, Santa Barbara)

&

Alexander García Düttman
(Goldsmiths College)

We believe the question of style is in need of new thinking, across media, disciplines and modes of thought. We hope, therefore, to receive abstracts that reflect or extend out of any number of approaches to the question of style (theoretical, philosophical, historical, formal, generic, etc.). Our conference (like our journal) is inflected by a strong interest in the intersection of political and aesthetic questions concerning cinema, visual art, and visual theory, but we encourage the submission of abstracts that do not necessarily occupy themselves with the cinema and/or the visual.

Proposals (250 words), including a brief bio, should be sent to Brian Price at brian.price@okstate.edu by June 1
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Pastured Eggs

Diposting oleh good reading on Senin, 04 Mei 2009

Eggs are an exceptionally nutritious food. It's not surprising, considering they contain everything necessary to build a chick! But all eggs are not created equal. Anyone who has seen the tall, orange yolk, viscous white, and tough shell of a true pastured egg knows they're profoundly different. So has anyone who's tasted one. This has been vigorously denied by the American Egg Board and the Egg Nutrition Council, primarily representing conventional egg farmers, which assert that eggs from giant smelly barns are nutritionally equal to their pastured counterparts.

In 2007, the magazine Mother Earth News decided to test that claim. They sent for pastured eggs from 14 farms around the U.S., tested them for a number of nutrients, and compared them to the figures listed in the USDA Nutrient Database for conventional eggs. Here are the results per 100 grams for conventional eggs, the average of all the pastured eggs, and eggs from Skagit River Ranch, which sells at my farmer's market:

Vitamin A:
  • Conventional: 487 IU
  • Pastured avg: 792 IU
  • Skagit Ranch: 1013 IU
Vitamin D:
  • Conventional: 34 IU
  • Pastured avg: 136 - 204 IU
  • Skagit Ranch: not determined
Vitamin E:
  • Conventional: 0.97 mg
  • Pastured avg: 3.73 mg
  • Skagit Ranch: 4.02 mg
Beta-carotene:
  • Conventional: 10 mcg
  • Pastured avg: 79 mcg
  • Skagit Ranch: 100 mcg
Omega-3 fatty acids:
  • Conventional: 0.22 g
  • Pastured avg: 0.66 g
  • Skagit Ranch: 0.74 g

Looks like the American Egg Board and the Egg Nutrition Council have some egg on their faces...

Eggs also contain vitamin K2, with the amount varying substantially according to the hen's diet. Guess where the A, D, K2, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids are? In the yolk of course. Throwing the yolk away turns this powerhouse into a bland, nutritionally unimpressive food.

It's important to note that "free range" supermarket eggs are nutritionally similar to conventional eggs. The reason pastured eggs are so nutritious is that the chickens get to supplement their diets with abundant fresh plants and insects. Having little doors on the side of a giant smelly barn just doesn't replicate that.
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Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

Diposting oleh good reading on Minggu, 03 Mei 2009

I spent the first twenty years of my life without celebrating my birthdays. There were no parties and no birthday cakes.

When I was still very young, I used to envy my friends and classmates whenever they showed me photos of them when they were barely toddlers...standing behind a birthday cake. No, don't get me wrong, even without any birthday parties, I had a wonderful childhood...I would even think I am way better off as compared to my kids. I spent most of my time playing as we had so much free time. School homework were unheard of during those days and there were no such things as enrichment classes! My childhood days were fully enriched with the time spent at the playgrounds and the fields :)


I probably had two or three birthday cakes for the subsequent 10 to 18 years of my life. My friends bought me my first birthday cake. I remembered it was an ice cream cake from Swensons.

It was only after I embarked on my baking journey that I started having birthday cakes on a regular basis. That's because I made the cakes myself ;) It was with mixed feelings that I made my first birthday cake. The excitement worn off when I attempted the second one. This year, I only decided to make a cake just so that I could use it as an opportunity to test out the tiramisu torte recipe again. Yes, the previous two attempts were not as satisfactory...the cakes were delicious...the only thing was, the sponge cake layers floated above the cheese fillings!!


I made this Tiramisu Charlotte Cake this year. This must be the most presentable cake I have ever made, or rather, I have ever had on my birthday. I have always wanted to make a pretty and very very girlish cake. I guess my wish had finally came true...and you will be surprised at how easy this can be accomplished.


I decided at the last minute not to go back to the same tiramisu recipe which I had attempted twice. I didn't want to go through the hassles of making the sponge cake layers and the zabaglione. I googled using the key words 'easy tiramisu' and out came this video clip of Gorden Ramsey whipping up an awesome version of this Italian dessert. Then, I searched using another set of key words 'tiramisu birthday cake' and I was brought to several blogs featuring a tiramisu cake recipe by Dorie Greenspan, it looks 'simple' enough as it also doesn't require making the zabaglione. With my past two hands-on experience with making tiramisu, I tried to mix and match the two recipes and came out with my own version.


There is no baking required as I used store-bought sponge fingers. It was really a time-saver. Although I have not tried making any homemade sponge fingers, I would think these ready-made ones are not anyway less inferior in taste, and that was base on the fact that both my kids actually save the sponge fingers for the last! In case you ask, I used this brand (Vicenzi) of sponge fingers, and for the locals, you can get it from Carrefour or Cold Storage. It comes in a pack of 24 sponge fingers, and the quantity is just enough for this cake.


To me, the most tricky part of putting together a tiramisu cake is the timing to dip the sponge fingers in the espresso syrup. It has to be done within one second so that they will not get soggy. I accidentally dropped the first sponge finger into the espresso syrup and it was totally soaked within a few seconds.

It was a fabulous cake, rich and finger-licking good. It certainly picked-me-up especially on a day when I have to unwilling acknowledge and accept my advancing years ;)



Tiramisu Charlotte Cake


Ingredients:
(makes a 7" cake)

Espresso Syrup:
1 tablespoon instant espresso/ strong coffee powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
1 tablespoon Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream)

Filling:
250g mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream)
1 cup (250 ml) heavy/whipping cream

about 24 sponge fingers (savoiardi)
50g dark chocolate

cocoa powder, to dust
dark and white chocolate shavings (optional)
strawberries for decoration (optional)


Method:

To make the Espresso Syrup:
Dissolve instant espresso coffee powder, sugar in boiling water. Leave to cool. Stir in 1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream. Set aside.

To make the Filling:
In a mixing bowl, with a manual whisk, whisk mascarpone cheese with icing sugar, vanilla extract, Baileys Irish Cream and 3 tablespoons of the espresso syrup until blended.

With an electric mixer whisk the whipping cream until soft peak (do not over whip). With a spatula, fold in 1/4 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture.

To assemble the cake:
Cut off one end of the sponge fingers so that each one is about 3" in length. Line the sides of a 7" round baking pan* (with a removable base or use a springform pan) with the sponge fingers (do not dip them in the espresso syrup). You will need about 17 sponge fingers (depending on the type/brand). If the last sponge finger cannot fit in nicely, trim away part of it to fit it in. Save the leftover small pieces.

One at a time, gently dip (do not soak) sponge fingers in the espresso syrup and use them to line the base of the pan. Cut the sponge fingers into shorter lengths if necessary. Use the leftover pieces to fill the gaps.

Spoon over half of the filling. Spread evenly. Grate the dark chocolates over the filling. Repeat with another layer of sponge fingers and spoon over the remaining filling. Spread and smooth the top. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, best left overnight.

Just before serving, unmold the cake and dust the top with cocoa powder. Decorate with dark and white chocolate shavings and strawberries (as desired).

(*Note: If you do not have a springform pan or a pan with a removable base, you can improvise by lining a normal round pan with a large sheet of aluminium foil. Give allowance of about 1~2 inches for the foil to hang over the rim of the pan. Place a cake board inside the lined pan. Follow the steps above. To unmold, simply lift up the cake from the pan by gripping the foil. Transfer the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the foil. )
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Iodine

Diposting oleh good reading on Sabtu, 02 Mei 2009

Iodine is an essential trace mineral. It's required for the formation of activated thyroid hormones T3 and T4. The amount of thyroid hormones in circulation, and the body's sensitivity to them, strongly influences metabolic rate. Iodine deficiency can lead to weight gain and low energy. In more severe cases, it can produce goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

Iodine deficiency is also the most common cause of preventable mental retardation worldwide. Iodine is required for the development of the nervous system, and also concentrates in a number of other tissues including the eyes, the salivary glands and the mammary glands.

There's a trend in the alternative health community to use unrefined sea salt rather than refined iodized salt. Personally, I use unrefined sea salt on principle, although I'm not convinced refined iodized salt is a problem. But the switch removes the main source of iodine in most peoples' diets, creating the potential for deficiency in some areas. Most notably, the soil in the midwestern United States is poor in iodine and deficiency was common before the introduction of iodized salt.

The natural solution? Sea vegetables. They're rich in iodine, other trace minerals, and flavor. I like to add a 2-inch strip of kombu to my beans. Kombu is a type of kelp. It adds minerals, and is commonly thought to speed the cooking and improve the digestion of beans and grains.

Dulse is a type of sea vegetable that's traditionally North American. It has a salty, savory flavor and a delicate texture. It's great in soups or by itself as a snack.

And then there's wakame, which is delicious in miso soup. Iodine is volatile so freshness matters. Store sea vegetables in a sealed container. It may be possible to overdo iodine, so it's best to eat sea vegetables regularly but in moderation like the Japanese.

Seafood such as fish and shellfish are rich in iodine, especially if fish heads are used to make soup stock. Dairy is a decent source in areas that have sufficient iodine in the soil.

Cod liver oil is another good source of iodine, or at least it was before the advent of modern refining techniques. I don't know if refined cod liver oil contains iodine. I suspect that fermented cod liver oil is still a good source of iodine because it isn't refined.


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