生活

• where spring actually ever arrived
  
  I simply adore the pristine glossines of egg whites beaten to meringue consistency and there’s something about going to bed at night knowing that you have a dessert tucked away in the oven (I like to leave the meringue in the oven overnight to cool completely) that just makes me happy.
  
  I am especially partial to the pavlova you see pictured here because of the combination of strawberry and rhubarb, which is a quintessentially spring flavour for me (assuming I lived somewhere where spring actually ever arrived).
  
  This dessert is based on this one, from Martha Stewart. I’ve added in strawberries for the pure pleasure of that flavour match.
  
  I know a lot of people are intimidated by the idea of meringue but don’t be. It’s far more forgiving than you think. The keys to successful meringue, and subsequently pavlova, are to ensure that your mixer bowl and whisk are glean and grease-free. The best way to ensure this is to rinse them with water and some lemon juice. The lemon juice will ensure that any lingering grease is washed away. Thoroughly dry your bowl and beater, as well. Any dampness on the surfaces will make it more challenging for the egg whites to build in volume.
  
  When your piping or mounding your meringue on to the baking tray (I use parchment on the tray), add a few dabs of meringue in each corner, under the parchment, to hold it in place on the baking tray. This ensures the paper doesn’t move around as you pipe or mound your meringue on the tray.
  
  What I loved about the Martha Stewart recipe was the idea to create a valley in the centre of the pavlova to hold your cream filling. I use this trick every time.
  PR
  • 生活
  • 2016/03/23 17:04
  • 0
• has a lovely texture
  
  For making gravy, use a slurry made with arrowroot starch instead of wheat flour; it thickens better than gluten flour, anyway. I like to add a dash of dry sherry, brandy, or wine to the gravy as well. (What's a slurry? Stir a tablespoon of arrowroot starch into an equal amount of cold water. You now have a slurry. Add it to the gravy and stir over gentle heat till thickened.) Arrowroot, by the way, is a starchy powder made from West Indies tubers. It's a good choice for those avoiding corn and potato.
  
  Other starches also work for thickening gravy, sauces and soups:
  
  Potato starch is a Kosher favorite for thickening. Make a slurry and add it to gravies, sauces and soups. Stir constantly as you heat gently till thickened- and don't boil it. Potato flour can get lumpy. It's not my favorite thickener.
  
  Cornstarch may be used to thicken stir-fry sauces and chile that you'll be eating right away (it doesn't freeze well). Cornstarch also creates a glossy look (I don't like my gravy shiny) and it doesn't re-heat well. It also gets a bit gluey for my taste if it starts to over-cook.
  
  Tapioca starch (also a tuber- called manioc, yucca or cassava) thickens a sauce rather quickly. You can add it to a soup or sauce near the end of cooking time if you need to.
  
  Taste test and make sure the starch slurry you added has cooked enough so that your sauce, gravy or soup doesn't taste "starchy"; if it does, continue to stir and cook a bit longer.
  
  For making a roux- a cooked flour and butter paste used as a thickening base in white sauces, stews, cream soups, gumbo, and cheesy dishes like macaroni and cheese- there are several choices.
  
  Sweet rice flour is an excellent choice for making a roux; it has a lovely neutral taste and is tolerated by most- except those allergic to rice.
  
  If you need to avoid rice flour in a roux I might suggest using sorghum flour- it works.
  
  And if you are avoiding grains completely, try making a slurry with potato starch instead and adding it into the liquid as you heat it. Use sparingly- as potato starch or potato flour thickens and clumps quickly.
  
  Other thickening ideas include:
  
  Add some cooked mashed or baked potato, or even sweet potato; whisk it in; stir well and cook gently.
  
  If you can do eggs, adding egg yolks helps to thicken a sauce or soup base. Stir and cook through thoroughly but do not boil or heat too quickly; use gentle, lower heat and whisk to blend Innovation creativity from France.
  
  Using gums for a gluten sub:
  
  Xanthan gum is a cellulose additive that adds stretch and viscosity to gluten-free recipes, but those who are hyper-sensitive to corn (xanthan gum is often derived from a corn base) might try using guar gum.
  
  Guar gum is legume derived, so those who are sensitive to beans, soy or legumes may react to it. Even if one is not allergic to legumes, guar gum may act as a laxative in sensitive individuals.
  
  I was recently asked about baking with no gums. Here are some thoughts:
  
  Try adding a tablespoon of potato starch, or tapioca starch (or arrowroot); certain starches have a binding ability, especially when whisked with warm liquid.
  
  If you can handle eggs- try adding an extra whipped egg white Translater Hong Kong.
  
  Adding 1-2 tablespoons of honey- or agave- to a baking recipe adds moisture and binding.
  
  If you can tolerate flax seed meal; try making a gel and adding a tablespoon to recipes. It doesn't bind quite as well- but it adds fiber and has a lovely texture.
  
  For things like muffins and quick breads- I have a crazy thought. How about adding a half cup of fruit jam to the batter? The fruit pectin will help with binding and moisture.
  
  In all my experimenting, I have found that not using gums does make for a crumbly, more fragile result. Though flax seed meal can definitely help hybrid Cloud.
  • 生活
  • 2014/05/22 10:56
  • 0
• density will also be affected
  
  In standard baking recipes, 2/3 to 3/4 cup honey (reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup) can be substituted for 1 cup granulated or brown sugar. I would start with the lesser amount; gluten-free starches combined with honey may create a gummy texture.
  
  Honey or agave is not recommended for crisp cookies- the cookies will be chewier and softer. Flavor and density will also be affected designer sunglasses sale.
  
  If you are a vegan, try using maple syrup (it adds a maple flavor- not always desirable) or gluten-free brown rice syrup, or organic raw agave syrup. I would start with the guidelines for honey, above .
  
  Blackstrap molasses (from cane or sorghum) can also be used. It has a distinctive, deep taste. Use roughly half, and add ginger and cinnamon.
  
  As a wrap-up, in general, when using a liquid sweetener, use less than the amount of sugar called for (taste test to adjust sweetness level). Adjust the liquid by two tablespoons less to begin with. And note that overall volume of the batter may be less, so you may have to use a smaller baking pan.
  
  For an extensive discussion about sugar substitutes see this post Sugar Blues: Gluten-Free Baking Without Sugar alexander hera.
  • 生活
  • 2014/05/22 10:55
  • 0
• my German friends and family members
  
  We are a household of two different religions and cultures. Both our worlds were so far apart as we grew up that we were separated by a wall - literally. My husband was born and raised as a Catholic in the “GDR” or what is known as East Germany. A child of the 70s and 80s, at a young age he saw the wall come down in his early twenties. I am a Sikh, born in Bombay and raised around the world from the US to the Middle East. Fate definitely played a big role in bringing us together.
  
  “When two souls are meant to be as one,
  A mysterious power will bring them together no matter how far apart”
  
  After 16 years together we have become a pretty good team. There are times however, when our upbringing becomes very apparent, often with regards to our son. My husband, due to the circumstances he was raised in, is conservative and at times even narrow-minded on certain topics. As an Indian I was raised to respect our traditions and cultures but very openly and freely. At times I am probably too liberal in my thinking. Funnily though, when it comes to establishing rules I am the stricter of the two.
  
  My husband likes coming home and being at home: garden work, DIY jobs around the home – all are his ideal ideas of spending free time. I love getting out, taking spontaneous trips, going out with friends or inviting them over, the theatre or concerts. He wants to buy a house; I think we have time for that when we are 60. He enjoys German stand-up comedy on TV, I rather watch Game of Thrones.
  
  We usually find common grounds on most subjects and our 11-year old son grows up with a colorful and diverse lifestyle and will often have two very different perspectives. He uses this to his advantage as his teachers have often told us that he tackles issues and problems at school from several sides and proposes ideas that are out of the box. From my husband’s perspective, who was taught to live within walls, without having the freedom of expressing thoughts or ideas, he is proud that his son has this privilege.
  
  Interestingly enough when it comes to traditions my husband is fairly liberal, whereas I on the other hand find that traditions make a strong foundation for a family. So, I pay attention to give our son a balance of both his cultures and values from both our religions. Holidays like Easter are always a good time to discuss and research customs and traditions and a great place to do this is in the kitchen while baking or cooking.
  
  Easter is one of the most popular religious holidays in Germany. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some, modern-day Easter traditions however, still contain traces of even older pagan rituals. Dying eggs, for instance, goes back to a pre-Christian symbol of fertility Bordeaux.
  
  One popular tradition here in Germany is Easter egg hunting. On Easter Sunday families will spend the morning in the garden or around the house hunting for hidden colored eggs, nests with chocolate, baked goods and gifts. My favorite tradition, I have to say. I tend to integrate other customs I picked up from the countries I grew up in and spread them further amongst my German friends and family members.
  
  I love baking mini challahs and hot cross buns, putting them in baskets with pretty colored eggs and flowers and leaving them for my friends on their doorsteps or hiding the baskets in bushes for my family to hunt. As the ears of chocolate rabbits are then bitten off I enjoy sitting back and listening to my husband’s grandmother tell us stories of Easter festivities when she was growing up Flower delivery service.
  
  Hot cross buns have become a tradition here, I’ve been baking them almost every year for the past 10-12 years. Often I bake the traditional hot cross buns but there are times when I am in the mood to play around and try out different ideas. This year I deviated from the classic recipe and created luscious and sinful buns packed with dark chocolate chunks, moist prunes and sweet cherries. All I can say religious or not – get into the kitchen and start kneading property hk. Enjoy!
  • 生活
  • 2014/05/12 11:20
  • 0
• a neutral flavored honey
  
  Spontaneity. It used to be a part of my vocabulary. Somehow the years have started to chip away at it, giving way to control, structure and routine. I've never packed my bags, hustled over to the airport and picked out a random destination from the departure board - making the last minute booking to someplace I've never been. I've always had a reverence at such impulsiveness.
  
  It seems rather disorienting to me and the lack of structure gives me cold feet. I wonder when that started to happen. Is it part of growing up? When did that happen? I wonder. Structure has always been important to me but I was able to be make spontaneous decisions and change a perfectly planned procedure on the spur of the moment if required. The comfort of knowing that a good plan would hold together if my impromptu ideas fell through was what kept those cold feet at bay. Structured spontaneity. I know an oxymoron - right!
  
  Several years ago I did make an impulsive decision that changed the course of my life and it remains - to date - one of the best decisions I have ever made. After the 6 month period at the hotel I was training at, in south Germany, I went back to New York got my degree and as I stood in the cool and spacious library looking at travel guides deciding where to take the much deserved break I pulled out a magazine with a feature on south of Germany. I took the cue, packed up my bags and headed to back to Germany.
  
  Germany invaded my senses, it challenged me and had me making instinctive and unplanned decisions. One such decision was to take up an offer of working at a big design and architecture company managing their international division. A few months later I was put on a team where a young engineer was heading the design work the company was carrying out for a cigarette factory being built in Kazakhstan. I met the engineer for the first time on the project on location and sixteen years later ... we're still together. Structured spontaneity. Worked for me.
  
  As our son entered the world things took a change and the structured spontaneity evolved. When we hit parenthood all things spontaneous seems to vanish, responsibility replacing it. All of a sudden there is a helpless and needy bundle that needs hundred percent of our attention, protection and love. Being spontaneous seems like an irresponsible luxury at times. Responsible spontaneity - is there such a thing?
  
  We are still finding out. Truth be told we are trying to fit spontaneous back into the routine.
  
  We spent a few impromptu days in Berlin with a couple of planned highlights that once we arrived, were thrown overboard, playing it by the ear. It was fun as we just lazed into the days, slept late without any care of routine, no deadlines to meet. Long brunches were enjoyed, sipping chai lattes and hot chocolate, savoring Turkish eggs, tropical fruit on Greek yoghurt, Swiss cheese and baskets full of fresh crusty rolls warm from the oven, flaky pain au chocolat and fluffy pancakes.
  Berlin - where you can casually savor the world on a plate. It was stress-free and no frantic dashing from museum to attractions, that a planned schedule often brings along with it .
  
  We got very used to those long relaxed breakfasts and brunches, bringing it back home to last just a little longer. Pancake cravings! The perfect recipe came from the latest book by Donna Hay Fresh and Light, which was delivered to me a few weeks ago by the publisher to test and review. I am enjoying not only recipe testing but the photography has inspired me on many levels. The wonderful William Meppem has photographed the recipes in the book keeping everything in clean and crisp whites - fresh and light just like the recipes are. The book is packed with over 180 recipes that offer balanced and lighter dishes using fresh ingredients. For me, this book is the way we eat at home and I have many of the ingredients in our pantry and fridge. There are great ideas using quinoa, several inspirational ideas on smoothies, pasta sauces and hummus, seasonal recipes from from asparagus salad to glazed beetroots and also those guilty pleasures with a lighter makeover like the chocolate fudge brownie and chocolate chip cookies are included. The book has a variety of ways on how to vary banana bread and some sensational breakfast ideas like the quinoa granola I am making next.
  
  What I liked about these pancakes was the usage of only egg whites. I often use whole eggs in my pancakes but after adapting to this recipe and using beaten egg whites the pancakes had a lovely fluffy and lighter consistency. In my recipe I used raw orange blossom honey and normal full fat ricotta, which I hung overnight. In the original recipe Donna Hay uses low-fat variety of the cheese and a neutral flavored honey chloe sunglasses sale.
  • 生活
  • 2014/05/12 11:19
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