On ne pense pas souvent à la pâte à choux pourtant elle est facile à faire, relativement économique. Elle peut être la base d’excellents desserts pour le goûter ou les fêtes ou de plats salés pour l’apéritif, un repas du soir, etc…

• 150 gr. d’eau
• 80 gr. de beurre
• 1 pincée de sel
• 1 c. à soupe de sucre
• 120 gr. de farine
• 3 œufs
  

Préchauffer le four à 200°C. Mettre l’eau, le beurre, le sel et le sucre dans le bol et programmer 4 mn/ 100°C / vit.1.

Ajouter la farine et mixer 1mn. 30 / vit.3. Faire tourner le lolomix à vit. 5 puis ajouter les œufs un par un par l’orifice du couvercle.

Mixer 30 sec. / vit. 5. Prélever des petites cuillerées de pâte et les déposer sur  du papier sulfurisé ou sur une silpat ousur une  silpain.

Cuire 15 mn. à 200°C puis 15 mn à 180°C. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Variantes:

• Gougères “A table avec TM .19″. Vous pouvez les faire avec un autre fromage que l’emmenthal ( parmesan, comté, beaufort,…) et rajouter  du paprika dans la pâte ou des herbes de Provence et vous parsemer de fromage ou de graines (sésame, pavot, tournesol, lin,…) avant de les cuire.
• Chouquettes “Mille et unes pâtes… à pain p.56″. Avant cuisson parsemer de cristaux de sucre “Astuce Lolomix”
• Saint- Honoré “La France gourmande p.48″,
• Profiteroles “Envie de dessert p.88″, “Ma cuisine  100 façons p.268″, “recette dessert lolomix”
• Pommes dauphine “A table avec TM p. 100″
• Eclairs “Envie de desserts p.35″ . La crème pâtissière “A table avec TM p. 118″ est excellente.
• Caroline au jambon: faire des choux de la forme d’un éclair et les fourrer d’une béchamel épaisse au jambon et au gruyère.
• Minis choux fourrés de crème pâtissière parfumée, de chantilly,….
• Pour  caraméliser vos choux comme pour une pièce montée. Mettre 60 gr. de sucre en morceaux ou en poudre dans un ramequin avec 1 C. à soupe d’eau et 1 c. à soupe de jus de citron et mettre  2mn. au micro ondes. Rajouter 30 sec. si nécessaire. Tremper la moitié des choux dans le caramel.

Idées:

• Pour un repas du soir des gougères, des carolines au jambon ou autre avec une salade verte

• A l’apéritif faire des mini choux ou minis éclairs pour servir le foie gras “recette lolomix” ou le délice de foies au riesling “A table avec TM p.20″ qui est excellent et très  économique

Remarques:

• La seule fois où j’ai raté mes choux j’avais multiplié les quantités par deux sans changer les différents temps de la préparation.
• Les choux se congèlent très bien

dépenser : to spend (money)

The first time I studied abroad in Paris, I took a two-week intensive French course (it was obligatoire) and amid running wild around the city searching for landmarks and preparing exposés, I picked up some handy and memoriable Parisian sayings.

One of my favorites among these is “La rive gauche est pour étudier, la rive droite, pour dépenser“.  (The left bank is for studying; the right bank, for spending).  I personally have always been more attracted to the boutiques and crafts-houses than the grand boulevards and department stores, so I do most of my (limited) shopping in the 11e or 4e or even on the left bank- malgré the aforementioned adage.  But randomly, when I decided to flâner north of Les Halles the other day, I finally found a right-bank reason to happily dole out a fat wad of euros or fling around my carte bleu.

It all started when ma mère who is visiting from the Etats-Unis asked if I wanted to visit the cooking store that Julia Child used to frequent.  It was deux pas from my favorite yarn store (La Droguerie, behind Eglise St. Eustache), so I obligingly agreed to seek out what I assumed would be nothing more than a tourist trap (given the recent release of Julie & Julia in Paris).

But E. Dehillerin was anything but.  Rempli with beautiful casseroles, moules, (and I won’t even begin to discuss my joy at seeing an entire section dedicated to fouets) – this was cooking heaven.  Except I don’t own my apartment and have no clue where I’ll be moving to next, so it was actually rather depressing to dream of all the amazing plats I might make if I had a cuisine stocked by E. Delhillerin (and the temps to do so, of course).  However, I could see why Julia would’ve liked this store, with it’s homey, straight-forward, and almost hardware store-like atmosphere.  Plus, I really liked that normal people like me were shopping right alongside the pros (you could buy a deli-meat slicer in the same aisle as the whisks!)

Cependant E. Delhillerin alone (glorious as it was), couldn’t cement the neighborhood north of Les Halles (despite LH’s history as the former central market) as a cooking mecca in my esprit.  It was the happy discovery of quatre other equally delightful shops in the same quartier that made me so darn excited.  Right on or near Rue Montmartre, (nearest metro : Etienne Marcel), I stumbled into La Bovida, Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie, Mora, & G. Detou.

They could all have their own equally interesting posts, so here’s the quick breakdown for the impassioned foodie:

• La Bovida, on the corner of Rue Montmartre (no. 36), is extremely clean, modern, and easy to navigate.  Helpful shopkeepers, and three different floors- everything from dried épices to wedding cake decorations and every metal and glass piece of cookware imaginable to man.  They also had a book (with explicit pictures) of cooking techniques- the easiest to follow that I’ve ever seen.
• Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie (34 rue Montmartre) is also a restaurant, but this warm and stocked little shop had everything from unusual wines to a massive leg of Iberian ham- think le luxe.  I personally sprung for a vin jaune from the Jura region (Franche-Compté) – definitely would’ve been a great compliment (or ingredient) in a cheese fondue or soup.
• Mora (13 Rue Montmartre) reminded me the most of a high-end cooking store back in the States.  A beautiful, modern wood storefront and easy-to-navigate layout.  I almost bought an egg-poaching contraption (I have yet to maîtriser the art of an attractive poached egg that stays together in boiling water…much like Julie in Julie & Julia) but I thought better of it and headed to the extensive baking section where I paged through a bouquin called “L’amour des macarons” (Love of macaroons- note: these are Parisian macaroons, not the [also delicious] coconut blobs we make in the states).
• G. Detou (58 rue Tiquetonne) is the furthest from the other stores and has the most “boutique” feel.  It’s name is meant to sound like “J’ai de tout”, (literally, “I have it all”), so there were some pretty big expectations to meet.  I’m not really sure such a small store could really have EVERYTHING, but considering they specialized more in foodstuffs than cooking supplies, they really did have an impressive selection.  I noticed primarily an extensive chocolate section, dried cranberries (which I haven’t really seen in the grocery store), and a large variety of unique or rare baking products.

So there you have my 2nd arrondissement pantry & kitchen stocking roundup!
And for those of you feeling a bit déprimé after wandering around these gorgeous stores (who doesn’t want to buy a 12-piece spatula set and a meter-diameter paella pan for their home kitchen?)- je te conseille to check out the nearby Rue Montorgueil, a historic pedestrian and food district where you can buy everything from a delicious roast chicken (my pick) to the “best chocolate filled éclairs in Paris” (according to Figaroscope).

—vocabulaire—

obligatoire > mandatory, required

exposés > oral presentations

malgré > despite

adage > saying

flâner > to wander, stroll

carte bleu > French bank card

ma mère > my mother

Etats-Unis > United States

deux pas > two steps

Rempli > filled

casseroles > pots

moules > molds (for tarts, etc.)

fouets > whisks

plats > dishes (in the sense of a prepared dish of food, not glass or ceramic serving dishes)

cuisine > kitchen

temps > time

Cependant > However

esprit > mind

quatre > four

quartier > neighborhood

épices > spices

le luxe > luxury

vin jaune > yellow wine

maîtriser > to mastered

bouquin > book (slang)

déprimé > depressed

je te conseille > I would advise/recommend you

I have been going to Gatlinburg atleast once a year on average, and only this year did I actually get the time to stroll through downtown leisurely and explore all the shops around there.

Before even going there we looked up some must-see places, and among the list was the Donut Friar. This is run by a charming old lady, who knows everything there is to know about donuts (or is it doughnuts?)

If you like Crispy Creme, or better yet Dunkin, just imagine the perfect doughnut melting in your mouth as soon as the piece hits the space between your palette and tongue.

mmmmmmmmmmm…. heaven! 

So next time, if you are driving by or visiting Gatlinburg, check out this little shop… It is located inside a shopping arcade called “The Village“.  Actually even if you are not a big fan of doughnuts, just take a stroll through The Village, for the construction resembles medieval European style buildings. (brick walkways, conical domes for buildings and such..)

Bijan Bakery & Cafe has two convient locations:

441 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129 and 170 S. Market St. Suite 110, San Jose, CA 95113

Bijan and his family have been serving the local San Jose community since 1986. Bijan Bakery & Cafe is a french bakery that makes dazzling cakes, scrumptous pasteries and fluffy, flaky croissaints. Bijan prides himself in using the best ingredients imported from Europe. Almost all of the baked goods are made of butter, and there is no trans fat or preservatives used in any of his creations.

Some of his desserts and pastries include: Cheesecake, EClairs, Tiramasu, Chocolate Sachertorte, Biscottis, Butter cookies dipped in chocolate and much more.

Bijan is also very well-known for amazing wedding cakes. Each cake is designed with your special day in mind, and Bijan’s wedding cakes can be customized to fit your every desire. Cake samples are also available during your planning apppointment so that you can get the right to taste to go along with that special look.

“Take a number, please.”

You must take a number if you want to be served at Bijan Bakery & Cafe. They found that the best way to serve customers is to have each customer take a number. I’m telling this to you now because it is not obvious when you go into the bakery that you need to take a number. After your number is called one of the patrons at the bakery is there for all of your bakery needs. He or she can whip up a hot chocolate or a latte to go along with your tasty bakery treat. A drink is recommened to enjoy your drink, either for dipping purposes or just for the enjoyment of having something to wash your bakery item down.

In France and on the German side of the border, the éclairs sold are very different from the ones you can buy in England where they are filled with chantilly and coated in chocolate.
The original éclairs are  made of choux pastry, crème patissière and flavoured, soft and gooey icing. I prefer them in coffee flavour, but they are also often sold in chocolate or vanilla.

I’d never made choux pastry before, but it worked quite well on first try . All in all the éclairs were much less work than I thought they would be and taste as good (if not better!) than the ones you can buy in French and German bakeries.

Coffee Eclairs

For the choux pastry:
125ml whole milk
125 ml water
115g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
140g flour
5 large eggs at room temperature

1. Bring milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan.
2. Add all of the four at once and reduce heat to medium, stirring vigorously until the dough is smooth (~2-3 minutes).
3. Take the pot off the stove (or transfer it to a mixer if your arms hurt – mine certainly do at this point!), keep stirring and add eggs one at a time. The dough will separate but come together again after the third egg or so. The dough should be well combined, thick and shiny in the end.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
5. Fill a large pastry bag with a 2cm plain tip nozzle (or a freezer bag with one corner cut off, in case you don’t have a pastry bag) and pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long chubby strips. Leave space in between them as they will puff. I normally use two trays.

6. Put the trays in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, swapping the sheets after half the time. The pastry should be puffed, golden and firm. If they still feel soft, there is a chance the pastry is not cooked enough and will collapse, so make sure they are indeed firm.
7. Cool down and cut in halves lengthwise.

For the cream:
4 eggs
150g sugar
6 tsp instant coffee
50g corn starch
250ml milk
250ml coffee
300ml cream

1. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl.

2. Add the instant coffee and starch and keep beating.

3. Add milk and coffee and combine well.

4. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to the boil while whisking continuously.

5. Let the cream cool down while whisking regularly.

6. Whip the cream and combine with the cooled coffee cream.

7. Fill a piping bag with the cream and pipe into the cooled and halved éclairs.

For the icing:
4 tbsp strong coffee
20g butter
1 tsp instant coffee
60g icing sugar

1. Heat coffee and butter in a saucepan.

2. Add the instant coffee.

3. Bit by bit add the icing sugar to retrieve a texture that is solid enough to not run off the éclairs.

4. Immediately cover the éclairs. I’ve seen recipes using a palette knife but (as you can probably see in the pictures) I skipped on the perfection and used a spoon.

Ok so this week went by really fast!!! I almost want the year to slow down- everything’s going by so fast.

It wasn’t a bad week, though…

On Monday we had banquet and production (apparently our third-last class before we begin Butchery) and my team had to make Puree of Split Pea soup and Potato Chowder.

It was really nice of my friends to come help us out since we were short on hands for my team; plus, one of my team mates felt like she was going to pass out, so that just left me and one of my other friends on the group. So it was awesome that my friends helped me.

It turned out great, and I was pleased with it. My friend accompanied me out on the “salting”-the-soup part. Hehe.. and it turned out great!

Tuesday was actually a pretty slow and dragged day after our Demo for Culinary skills- for which we discovered we were making three salads on our lab on Thursday.

Surprisingly, Food theory was pretty dragged this week than it usually is… I don’t know why! Our professor’s awesome!!

But the Nutrition class was the worst…!! We did absolutely nothing. I almost fell asleep during a video they showed, but my elbow kept sliding and jerking my head up!!

Needless to say, my friends and I were extremely happy when Tuesday came to a close.

Wednesday wasn’t that bad, I guess. We had math in the morning and got let out earlier than class time, so we ended up having a three and a half hour break till our next class. So….. we decided to go to the rainbow market after lunch and grab some crepes. Well, one of my friends instigated this thought, which later spread throughout the rest of the group, and then we couldn’t resist.

So we had our crepes and got ready for Baking class.

In baking we made Choux Paste, Eclairs, and Cream puffs all filled with Choux Paste and the Eclairs, only, dipped in Chocolate Fondant! Oh yes!! It was good, Alright! Well… the eating part… not the baking part. I told myself that I will not bake once school is over!!! But it went well. Well…um… my pastries turned out to be monstrous in size, but it was still good!

Then Thursday rolled around.. it was a long day, too! Well at least for me… didn’t feel the best, didn’t sleep much, and then Business Communications class first thing in the morning! Ok, the professor is great! but the class…. not so great!

But I can’t say it was a bad day.. We had our Cooking lab today and we made three salads: Caesar Salad, Italienne Vinegrette, and Potato Salad.

At first, when I started, I had no clue what I was doing… I was just following my recipe.. But I got myself together, and it ended up pretty well!! The chef liked it (but he said I needed some more salt in the water when I was boiling the potatoes), so I was happy!

And now my weekend starts!! I’m extremely exhausted, but I still have one more thing to finish- My Sanitation exam which is on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Yes.. Sunday… But hey, It’s not that hard of a course at all, so I don’t think it should be any problem.

That’s it for this week at George Brown…

See you next week!!!

Eclairs filled with Choux Paste and Dipped in Chocolate Fondant

Cream Puffs filled with Choux Paste and Dipped in Chocolate Fondant

Potato Salad

Caesar Salad

Salade Italian Vinaigrette

This week I my youngest daughter had a school project due that involved food. For her 5th grade Social Studies class she had to find a dessert to make from a country that her ancestors came from.

We have basically become mutts over the years in my family. I am 25% Irish, 25% Danish, and 50% French and my husband is Polish, German and French as far as he knows. My daughter chose France as her country. We decided to make Eclairs for her project. They were actually very easy to make! 

5th Grade Social Studies Project

Chocolate Éclairs

Directions:

Yesterday afternoon I went to pick my daughter up at school. As usual there are a few of us moms who buck the Car Line Rule and stand at the school’s front doors to pick up the kids. I know, we are such rebels! This way we can gossip talk about what is going on at school and such.

Well yesterday I asked one of the other moms what her daughter was making for the Social Studies project. I got a blank look from her at first and then the look of fear started to show! She had no idea that there was a project due the next day! She asked me what we were doing and I told her what we had picked. She offered me $30 to make her a batch of Eclairs for her daughter! I asked her if they were part French and she said “We will be for tomorrow if you can make them for us!” I took her up on her deal and we made an extra dozen Eclairs. I filled her Eclairs with vanilla pudding and used white chocolate for the frosting.

This little incident has got me to thinking… maybe I should start a new business. Rent A Mom! I could hire myself out to make desperately needed cookies and cupcakes. What, you can’t make little Timmy’s school play?! Have no fear Super Mom is here! For $50 an hour I will attend the play for you! Just e-mail me a recent photo of little Timmy and I will videotape and take pictures for you. But wait, there’s more! Act now and for just an extra $20 I will stand up a give your child the old “Way to go Timmy!” shoutout!

Hey, I’m just thinking out loud here!

[EX-COLLEGA T.] Dat ik nu, terwijl de blaren verkruimelen, nog eens dit verhaal wil lezen, dat verstoort me.

Ik dacht aan u deze morgen.
Aan dit klankbord.
Aan wat ik er nog eens op wou prikken.
Of eerder, aan hoe ik het kon zeggen.
Hoe ik het niet vastgepind kreeg.

Iedereen kent de ervaring: zin hebben in yoghurt, maar niet weten welk merk, welke smaak eens je je omsingeld weet door supermarkt. Het eindresultaat is veelal een overgave aan willekeur, een onverantwoordbare keuze om toch eens de kiwi-granaatappel uit te proberen.

En om het door te drukken: vergelijk het met mijn ervaring hier in Canadia. Ik woon er nu al op en af een hele tijd, en nog steeds weet ik niet hoe de mensen aan te spreken. Velen spreken een select gamma aan talen, en geen andere manier om uit te vinden welke dan op je bek te gaan. Dan te proberen, de ochtend met zijn vele tinten te adoreren in je vlotste Frans, om dan te gelaatsuitdrukking te kunnen zien die toont dat het allemaal vergeefs was. Om alles te herhalen, te vertalen zou een anker zijn aan het gloren, dus hou je het maar op een apolegetische glimlach.

Mijn praktische geest biedt sinds kort soelaas: de enige toren die het houdt is de vinger. De oermens in mij wijst gretig de eclairs aan bij de bakker, gepaard met een anticiperend genotsknorretje. En hoe meer ik rond me kijk, hoe meer ik besef dat weinig krediet naar die praktische geest van me gaat: het tonen blijkt hier de nationale taal te zijn. Niet verwonderlijk dan ook dat het touchscreen een Canadese uitvinding is; het is slechts een hoogtechnologische uitbreiding van hoe hier gecommuniceerd wordt.

Laatst stond ik nog eens aan de tramhalte. Le matin était vraiment adorable, les couleurs du ciel, exceptionnelles. Met nieuwverworven moed wees ik het weerpraatje met de man naast me, mijn bakker nota bene. In zijn ogen viel weinig vooruitgang te bespeuren. Met weer die glimlach, verlangen naar de begrijpende blik die bij de eclairs zit.

In vloeiend Nederlands sprak hij me aan. Of ik niet die jongen ben die woordenloos gebak verslindt. En wat ik in hemelsnaam bedoel, met al mijn rare manieren hier. En hoe ik ook zal wijzen, dat er weinig zoets hierboven zit.

Maar

Eum

Ik wil helemaal niks zeggen.
Ik wou alleen maar de hemel tonen.

I have a newfound appreciation for the artisans of pastry, chefs who make delicate amuse bouches, appetizer tastes and fancy desserts.

Walking past all those Parisian patisseries and traiteurs last week deluded me into thinking ‘no sweat.’ It turns out that patisserie requires precision, stamina and grit. It takes a light touch, an artistic eye and painstaking attention to detail. You can’t just eyeball the butter and sugar and whisk until your arm hurts. There are numerous variables: the temperature of your countertop, the dryness of your batter, the viscosity of the eggs, and the calibration of your oven. Everything counts.

Today was a long day: canapés in the morning, tea pastries in the afternoon, and an early evening wine lesson. By 6pm I felt blind with exhaustion, and more than a little nauseous from all the cream, butter, eggs and sugar I had consumed. Thank God I didn’t enroll in the Patisserie intensive or I’d weigh 200 lbs by the end of the month.

With only 3 weeks on the faculty, Chef Laurent is a natural born teacher.  His enthusiasm for pastry is contagious. It was a workshop day, so instead of the morning demo in the kitchen classroom, we spent all 6 hours in the practical. Chef demonstrated each step as we went along and came around to help the strugglers.

We began by making the bases for the canapés: crostini from thinly sliced baguette, tartlet pastry shells, and melba toast from – no kidding – regular white bread. To make the toast you remove the crusts, flatten the slices with a rolling pin, cut into perfect squares and season with salt and pepper. After 5 minutes on each side in a 180° oven, you have golden brown crackers. Voilà!

Toppings were smoked salmon mousse, smoked chicken and asparagus, and roasted marinated peppers. All were easy to make; the smoked salmon mousse was my favorite. Blend 200 g of sliced smoked salmon and100 g cream cheese in a food processor until smooth, then season with salt, pepper, chopped chives and lemon juice. Put the mixture into a piping bag and squeeze a quenelle of mousse onto each toast.  Decorate with capers and chervil.

The second part of the morning was devoted to assembling the canapés, arranging them on a plate, and taking pictures. This process seemed to spark an unspoken competition in the kitchen and we found ourselves vying to produce the most elaborate combinations. In my desire to win, I ate all of my least attractive canapés. By noon it was clear to me that fresh air and a walk around the block would suit me much better than lunch.

Minor disaster struck in the early afternoon. I don’t have a sweet tooth and baking’s never been my thing but how hard could it be to make scones, twisted cheese sticks, choux buns and éclairs?

Well, hard. My scones were pretty (and tasty) but they didn’t rise very high. Someone turned off my oven before my sticks were done and by the time I rescued them they had untwisted. On my first attempt, I whisked my Chantilly cream a little too vigorously … into butter; then I accidentally whisked milk (to no effect). My éclairs fell flat and I burned my buns.

The day wasn’t a complete success but nor was it a total failure. I added canapés to my repertoire; had a nice lunch; and learned a lot. Bring on the weekend.

Whether an elegant or casual dessert, or simply an afternoon treat, I have re-familiarised myself this month with the fact there is quite simply a pastry for all occasions.  I only made a very small selection, but it has been enough to reignite my interest in pastry – and ensure I continue to include a pastry sampling (or two!) in my ongoing baking repertoire.

Until then, here is a summary of the basic pastry recipes I tackled during my pastry month, and my selected pastry desserts.  I hope you enjoyed some pastry of your own this month, too!

Pâte feuilletée (or puff pastry) is the king of pastry.  Light, buttery and decadent.  The version by renown chef Jean Millet is outstanding.  Puff pastry is time consuming to make, but you are certainly well rewarded for your efforts.

:: Tarte Tatin ::
This French classic is the ultimate dessert.  Simple yet impressive.  The taste is utterly sublime when made with an all-butter homemade puff pastry.  A winner for every baker.  { Read more here }

:: Mille Feuille ::
Mille Feuille, Napoleon, Vanilla Slice.   There are many names for this messy-to-eat-but-oh-so-finger-licking-good pastry.  Guaranteed to be all consumed within minutes.  { Read more here }

The lightest of all the pastries, pâte à choux (or choux pastry) can be transformed into an elegant croquembouche or a simple profiterole or éclair. 

:: Chocolate éclairs ::
The simplicity of the chocolate éclair certainly does not translate to boring.  The addition of a light vanilla pastry cream and rich chocolate ganache glaze, provides a classic and mouth-watering dessert.  { Read more here }

Julia Child’s timeless recipe for pâte sucrée (or sweet tart pastry) creates a spectacular vehicle for any sweet tart.

:: Lime-Basil Tart ::
The traditional citrus tart is given a twist with the addition of fresh basil.  The fragrance from the basil is subtle but brings out the zesty overtones of the limes.  These flavours pair especially well with a basic sweet tart pastry.  { Read more here }

Crumbly and buttery, pâte sablée is melt-in-your-mouth good.  This rich, sweet pastry has a delicate crisp and crumbly texture that seems to enhance the depth of any filling.

:: Strawberry and Pistachio Tart ::
The pistachio tart pastry produces an incredible aroma when baking.  The nuttiness of the pastry is a lovely complement to the creamy berry filling.  It is a perfect tart for a casual lunch with friends.  { Read more here }

The most basic of pastry.  An all-round baking basic.

:: Orange-Spiced Cloudberry Galettes ::
Pâte brisée is made distinctive by Sherry Yard with the inclusion of cinnamon, ginger and orange.  The simple galette is quick and easy to prepare.  Perfect for an afternoon snack.   { Read more here }

Cell phone elbow is a popular stage name of cubital tunnel syndrome—neuritis, or inflammation of the ulnar nerve.

As CNN and others are reporting, an increasing number of cell phone gabbers are complaining of an ailment called “cell phone elbow.” Here are the symptoms: pain or numbness in the hand—especially the pinky and ring fingers. Not to be confused with tennis or golfer’s elbow (forms of tendonitis), this new diagnosis stems from the nerves that run through the elbow.

Scientific American

So here is shavetown’s take on how you can not only be safe on the roads, but also free up your hands for massive quantities of donuts and eclairs: bluetoothing your back and neck off to the point where it is foolish at best. In order to be a carbo multitasker you will need an unbridled love for pastries, and a washbasin size stomach. Giving them bows a break from that cell will open new doors to a place we like to refer to as greasetown, and if you are going to get any type of elbow, why not make it a greasy one.

SHAAAAAAAAAAAAVVVVVVVEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

-GRIZZ

et voici… mon fond d’écran a moi fait par moi, sur photoshop CS4

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8499/eclaire.jpg

Résolution : 1280×800

Enjoy it

Stéphane.

I attempted to make eclairs for the very first time, not know exactly how choux pastry works.  After giving it a try and seeing how it turned out, I know what needs to be worked on.  I tried chocolate filling with of course the chocolate glaze on top.  I’ll experiment and try it a couple more times until I have a batch I’m completely satisfied with.  Just glad I finally tried it, up next are cream puffs!  It’ll be soon too, come back for updates.

One batch made so many eclairs, oh boy.

Test day. Nothing new to report. I did not fail and I got to make more eclairs.

I really really have to start remembering to take pictures in class again. These were absolutely beautiful, I mean stunning, before I shoved them in a plastic bag and took them on the subway during rush hour. However, I am happy to report that, as usual, the flavor remains unaffected.

The eclairs are filled with (clockwise from left) coffee, chocolate, and vanilla creme legere. My personal favorite is the coffee, though if given free rein I might mix and match filling and glazes. 

Things I learned today:

1) Filling and glazing eclairs is oddly soothing. Piping them has the potential to be, should one exercise better time management than I did and also not get briefly locked in the stairwell with a broken key card, holding a formerly artfully-arranged plate of cookies and pounding pathetically on doors until a somewhat confused janitor finally comes to your rescue. The longer this course goes on, the more I think I may be destined for bakeries, not restaurants. Which is fine, except I don’t WANT to go to work at 3 in the morning. There has to be a way around this. 

2) The people you work with really matter. More explicitly, being comfortable with the people you work with matters. We traded partners today and for the first half of class I felt unbalanced, unable to work efficiently. My new partner is good at what she does, but without knowing her habits and mannerisms, none of that helped me. By the end, we were starting to work it out though. I suspect tomorrow will go much more smoothly. 

3) Creme legere is possibly the most delicious substance known to man, after Valrhona chocolate. Today I learned how to combine them and squirt them into puffy bread. I suspect skipping the bread and going straight for the mouth would be bad form. 

4) This program is turning me into an old woman. One of the employees at my gym now calls me the Cake Lady and I am rarely without a bag of cookies in my purse. Today, I put a bag of eclairs in my purse. Remind me to do something reckless soon. Or at the very least wear a really short skirt or something.

[Every week, CC and John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, saddest things he hears on his college campus. Join the Overheard revolution!

Leave your own overheard convos in the comments or send 'em over!.]

“So I was going to go to the package store, and then I thought, hey, you know what, Fruit by the Foot. That ever happen to you?”

“It’s been a hairy week. Pubic hair, mostly.”

“I’m furious! This is terrible! The whole place smells like… boys! I’m gonna have to make, like, 20 bags of popcorn to get the stink out!”

(A teacher.)

“I love all my students. They’re just the cutest little puppies. Now, my puppies, let’s talk about sex.”

“I’d go to church if they had, like, communion eclairs or something. Or communion steak.”

“Or communion free money.”

“… and I was like, oh, my God, my nephew is eight years old and he’s wearing a huge hat with a shark fin on it. He’s one of those kids.”

“We should get more interns. They’re like human-shaped trash disposals.”

“Go to sleep, b****! Die, motherf***er, die! Time’s up b****, close your eyes!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Oh. I, uh, I guess you haven’t heard that song.”

“No.”

And this gem, thanks to a CC reader:

“It’s a benefit concert about alcohol awareness.”

“But I AM aware!”

In honour of French patisserie treats, I have short-listed a few items to bake this month.  First up were madeleines.  Next challenge, profiteroles.

I am fascinated by choux pastry (pâte à choux).  This multipurpose pastry can be used to create cream puffs, profiteroles, and éclairs.  I recently attended a class at Black Pearl Epicure and the lovely Kristie Rickman, head pastry chef at E’cco, demonstrated a few pastry essentials.  Choux pastry was on her list and she created a number of mouth-watering cream puffs.  Inspired by Kristie, I decided to recreate the golden puffy delights at home.

As my deliciously light madeleines turned out perfectly, I thought I would continue with Sherry Yard as recipe guide for the choux pastry.  Kristie shared a sensational chocolate custard recipe, so there was no question what to use for filling.

There are a few steps to this recipe, but all are very simple.  The end result is worth the effort!  In fact, I was given some feedback on these little chocolately puffs of goodness.  They were apparently absolutely delicious … but just way too small!  So next time I make pâte à choux, I need to upgrade to éclairs!

{ Pâte à choux } adapted from Sherry Yard

Makes about 18 medium sized puffs

* Ingredients *

¼ cup water
¼ cup milk
45g butter, at room temperature, cubed
½ cup plain flour, sifted
2-3 eggs, at room temperature

* Directions *

Place water, milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.
Add all the flour to the butter mixture at once and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for at least 4 minutes or until the mixture forms a mashed potato like appearance.  Remove from the heat.
Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed for a few minutes to cool the mixture down.  Then start to add the egg one by one.  Make sure the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.  Before you add your last egg, check for consistency.  (See notes.)  Once done, the dough should be shiny and smooth.  At this stage you can fill a piping bag with the choux paste and use straight away or freeze for later.  (See notes.)

Preheat oven to 220 C or 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with Silpat.  Pipe the profiteroles onto the baking tray. For medium sized puffs, pipe about 3-4 cm in size (1 ½ inches).  Brush the tops with a little egg mixture. Bake for 10 minutes, or until puffs begin to rise.  Turn the temperature down to 180 C or 350 F.  Carefully prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon and bake for another 15 minutes.

When the puffs cool, cut the top half off each one with a serrated knife.  Set the tops over a cooling rack.  Drizzle ganache over each puff top (you can use any recipe you like for the ganache).  Place the puff tops in the ridge to set, about 15-20 minutes.

Fill the puffs with a filling of your choice.  Use the Chocolate Custard recipe below or choose plain whipped cream or vanilla custard.

Then replace the tops to finish off your lovely puff!  If you are greedy like me, try to eat these cream filled sensations in one single bite.  All the flavours complement well.  If you can somehow resist not popping the whole thing in your mouth in one go, they still taste pretty good, too! 

{ Chocolate custard } adapted from Kristie Rickman

Sufficient to fill 18 medium sized puffs

* Ingredients *

3 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
25g plain flour
250ml milk
50g good-quality chocolate
100ml cream, softly whipped

* Directions *

Lightly whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
In a saucepan, slowly boil the milk.  Once the milk has reached a boil ladle about ¼ cup into the egg mixture and whisk well.  Then transfer the egg mixture into the rest of the milk and cook slowly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Add the chocolate, stirring until to melt through.
Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the top to prevent a skin forming. Cool to room temperature. Once ready to use, stir in the cream.  Transfer to a piping bag to pipe mixture into the prepared puffs.

{ A few tips … }

1.  You can freeze the pastry before you pipe into puffs.  Transfer the mixture once cooled to a piping bag, seal and then freeze for up to 2 weeks.  I made my pastry a week ago, popped it in the freezer, then let it defrost for about an hour before piping.
2.  The work of adding the eggs is made much easier using a stand mixer.  But you can complete this step by hand if necessary.
3.  The number of eggs given is a bit of a guide.  When you have added the second last egg, check the consistency.  The pastry should be more firm than runny.  If it is a little runny, add the last egg.  Sherry’s tip is to pinch off about 1 teaspoon of the dough with your thumb and index finger, then pull your fingers apart.  The dough should stretch rather than break.  If it breaks, add the last egg.
4.  Steam helps these little puffballs rise.  Sherry recommends putting a cup of hot water into a baking dish at the bottom of the oven when you put your puffs in to bake.
5.  When I cut the tops off my puffs, I set out the bottom half in the same order as the tops on a separate baking tray.  That way I could match the correct top and bottom together easily when it came to assembly time!
6.  Filled puffs only last a couple of hours in the fridge – but probably not a problem if your household has a sweet tooth like mine!

So for my short-list of French-style patisserie treats this month, I have one challenge to go.  Next week I will be tackling croissants.  Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!

_____________________
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When we lived in Astoria there was a bakery called Saint Honoré, named for the patron saint of bakers, nestled inauspiciously right before the butcher shop on Ditmars Avenue, and frequented by customers who do not take sainthood lightly. It was a bare bones sort of place, not packed with rickety tables and chairs with uneven legs, but rather just two counters and a refrigerator with a glass door, partially blocking the kitchen from the cashier. There were no labels on the rows upon rows of tidy buttery cookies, patisserie, and impeccably towered cakes. And the proprietor and his sole staff member seemed to miraculously predict what it was that you would be inclined to order.

We used to walk often up and down the tree-lined streets of our beloved neighborhood, past the brick duplexes and their yards filled with statuary or small gardens with septagenarians shouting in Greek and smoking cigars, to the hill of Astoria Park sprawling generously to the East River looking across its grime from under the Triborough Bridge onto the endless ascent of Manhattan. Often these strolls would lead us back up Ditmars Avenue and on our way home the call of the creamy éclair (for me) or chocolate cigars (for Matthias) from Saint Honoré could not be muffled. And so, we indulged. Guiltlessly and with complete abandon, nothing could detract from the pleasure of their soft pastries filled with vanilla cream, at once so light and yet so very rich intermingled with the velvety chocolate smear those éclair seemed to wear like a beautiful scarf, effortless, and elemental.

We now live through days where strolls are not an option for safety reasons, no local business is remotely enticing, and our food arrives to our stomachs as a cumbersome burden lugged from Manhattan via an interminable stint on the L train. We yearn for those idyllic days in Astoria and the tastes, smells, and sights that made them so precious, but we are also armed with the tenacity to persevere and bring glimmers of joy to our Brooklyn home. And so, I learned to make pâte à choux, pastry cream, and chocolate sauce. These three became cream puffs, and we became happy once more.

They were all that we had hoped for. The pastry was neatly structured on its exterior, its small golden brown spirals rising to encase the hollow, webbed, eggy interiors soon to be injected with luscious, cool vanilla pastry cream. These cream-filled parcels were then adorned with a simple chocolate sauce drizzle, left to harden ever so slightly, and greet each bite in turn with lightness, richness, and depth. Or, as I like to think, they arrived at our lips as a little treasure from our cherished Saint. Honoré.

Cream Puffs with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Yield: 16 cream puffs

Adapted from Gourmet, March 2008, and Bon Appétit, February 1998

We recommend that you make the pastry cream first and get it in the refrigerator to chill while you are working on the pastry, this will seem to decrease the amount of time you have to wait to grace your lips with the finished product.

When the pâte à choux has cooled, inject the puffs with the cream using a pastry bag or a plastic bag fitted with a piping tip in its corner. Alternatively, you could use a serrated knife to slice open the puffs (keep the top and bottom still attached) and spoon in approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of pastry cream into each puff, replacing its ‘cap’ when it is full.

When the puffs are now cream puffs, begin the chocolate sauce. Drizzle with a teaspoon over each and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

For pastry cream:

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bring half and half (we used 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream) to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan.

Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend.

Gradually whisk hot half and half into the medium bowl, in a steady stream constantly whisking so as not to scramble the eggs. Transfer back to the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes.

Boil 1 minute. Pour into a clean medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic wrap or parchment paper onto the surface of pastry cream so that it will not form a film when chilled.

Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Makes 2 cups)

For pâte à choux:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Butter a large baking sheet.

Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium, then add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball, about 30-60 seconds. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer after each addition.

Transfer warm mixture to pastry bag (or a plastic bag fitted with a piping tip in the corner) and pipe 16-18 mounds (about 1 1/4 inches wide and 1 inch high) 1 inch apart on baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Prick each profiterole once with a skewer, then return to oven to dry, propping oven door slightly ajar, 3 minutes. Cool on sheet on a rack.

For chocolate sauce:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (preferably organic fair trade)
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1-2 teaspoons heavy cream

Melt chocolate, butter, and cream in a small saucepan stirring until liquid and combined. You may use a double boiler, but it comes together so quickly that I confess not to have bothered with the extra dishes.

Here’s a round-up of all the recipes I’ve made for This Week in Baking during September, October, November and December of 2008.

36.  Pita Bread – 3.5 stars
37.  Pear Cheesecake – 3.5 stars
38.  Dense Chocolate Loaf  Cake – 4 stars
39.  Strawberry Pecan Bread – 2.5 stars
40.  Tres Leches Cake – 4.5 stars
41.  Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies – 3 stars
42.  Carrot Cake Cupcakes – 4 stars
43.  Rye Bread – 3 stars
44.  Rocky Road Cookies – 1 stars
45.  Jalepeno Cake – 3 stars
46.  Paczki – 3 stars
47.  Caramel Pumpkin Pie – 1.5 stars
48.  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – 3.5 stars
49.  Big Bad Chocolate Muffins – 4.5 stars
50.  Blueberry Coffee Cake – 4 stars
51.  Cornbread – 3 stars
52.  Peanut Butter Torte – 3.5 stars

Again, no 5 star recipes, but here are the best of this trimester:

1. Big Bad Chocolate Muffins – 4.5 stars
2. Tres Leches Cake – 4.5 stars
3. Blueberry Coffee Cake – 4 stars
4. Dense Chocolate Loaf  Cake – 4 stars

And the list you’ve been waiting for, the top 9 recipes of 2008!

1. Brownie Tart – 5 stars
2. Big Bad Chocolate Muffins – 4.5 stars
3. Chocolate Creme Brulee – 4.5 stars
4. Cinnamon Pie – 4.5 stars
5. Cottage Dill Bread – 4.5 stars
6. Eclairs – 4.5 stars
7. Gingerbread Cookies – 4.5 stars
8. Pecan Pie Bars – 4.5 stars
9. Tres Leches Cake – 4.5 stars

There will be no regular TWiB in 2009.  Instead, I will revisit some of the less-than-excellent recipes and see what I can do to improve them.  Happy New Year and see you in 2009!