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Modern Soul: Southern-Inspired Cuisine...Enjoy!

Homebrew Crash Management

 

Photo by Ashley E. Cummings

Funny homebrewing story...ok, terrible homebrewing story!..I went to cool down my wort only to discover that all the water coming from my faucet was now murky brown...wtf! I went to put the pot on the fire escape.  Guess what?  The gate was locked, and I have misplaced the key...yeah, that's safe.  Last resort, just cleared out my freezer to make room for the brew. Just a 1 gallon batch...poor frozen veggies!  Fingers crossed for this one!

What to Do With All This Spent Grain?

Photo Credit: Ashley E. Cummings

I'm experimenting with my own homebrew.  That's one of the goals I set for my 2015...make good beer.  Only started brewing a couple of days ago. No explosions...no insane amount of stank from hops...so far so good.  I've got at least a month before I can enjoy the fruits of my labor, Brooklyn Brew Shop's Everyday IPA. But in the meantime, I'm left with all this used grain=spent grain.  When making beer, you heat some grain blend (barley, wheat) in water.  Once you sift out the grain, you're left with a sugary brown liquid called wort and a whole lot of wet grain.

I don't like waste, specifically food waste, so I was determined to transform it into something.  Union Craft, in Baltimore, works with local farmers who pick up the used grain, so it can be added to their animal's feed.  I won't generate enough to justify a trip, so of course, I'm thinking of repurposing.  The wet grain wasn't too bad on its own, but I wanted to do something a little less boring than eat wet grain for 2 weeks.  Luckily, Brooklyn Brew Shop had a great tip for making spent grain flour.  Everything is going to plan so far.  I put my grain on a baking sheet...well, 2 baking sheets...now, I'm letting them dry out in a 200 degree oven.  It's been about 6 hours.  Once I let it cool, I'll probably only ground down 1 sheet of the dried grain into flour in a food processor.  I think it'll be fun to play around with 2 different textures. 

The dried grain smells delicious already.  I think I might me a little too hype about crisped up grain!  Good thing though. If making beer continues to be this fun, I'm going to have a lot of spent grain.

AEC

Egg Nog Bread Pudding Made with Donuts

Egg Nog Bread Pudding Made with Donuts

Just in case you can't tell.  I'm cleaning out my fridge.  The egg nog must go!  I was cringing as I went to trash some old donuts yesterday. They were an unexpected surprise from some office event.  I received like 7 in total.  The perfect number.  I managed to get through 3.  I was left with 2 glazed and 2 apple-filled.  My love of donuts kicked in right on time.  This must have been done before, right?  Egg nog is just a hooked up custard. 

The stale donuts soaked up the nog well.  I thought about adding more egg, but I had just ran out...and it's raining.  The bread pudding set up pretty well without the additional egg.  Buttering the pan and letting it cool in the tin helped it release a lot cleaner. 

I topped it with some ice organic ice cream that I had in the fridge along with maple syrup and walnuts.  I am definitely keeping this one in the back pocket for next year!  Never waste a donut again!

AEC

So Much Leftover Cornbread...What to Do?

Stuffed Peppers

 

One thing about in-house recipe development...you end up with a lot of leftovers.  I ate so many Hoppin' John Cornbread Muffins the other day.  I decided that in an effort to not waste food, I'd better think of a way to repurpose them.  Stuffing seemed obvious.  I wasn't in the mood for a traditional holiday dressing.  Rather, I did a spin on an Italian classic and stuffed green peppers with some revved up cornbread.  How'd you do that, Ashley?  Oh, I'm glad you asked.  I crumbled up some muffins in a bowl just with a fork.  I'm sure I could have thrown the cornbread in a food processor, but the fork seemed simple enough.   I added cranberries, shredded smoked Gouda cheese and extra virgin olive oil.  I didn't add a lot of oil.  Just enough to moisten it up a bit.  About a tablespoon per jumbo muffin.  Once I removed the tops and seeds of the peppers, I seasoned them up with olive oil salt and pepper.  In hindsight, I would have charred the peppers on the stove to soften them up and get some additional depth of flavor.  I hand-packed the stuffing in the peppers.  I did not hold back.  You shouldn't either!  I let them cook in a preheated 350°F oven just until the stuffing heated through...about 20 minutes.

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I applied the same technique to acorn squash.  I cut a squash in half widthwise for 2 servings.  I hallowed out the halves with a spoon.  The squash was hit with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I used my hands to rub the seasoning all over the squash, inside and out.  I allowed the squash to roast in the oven by placing the cut side down on a pan.  I lined my pan with foil, because I'm lazy and cleaning out the pan wasn't something I was feeling at the time.  They roasted in a 350°F oven until the interior was soft and turned golden around the edges...about 30 minutes.  The cooked squash was again hand packed with the stuffing mixture.  I added some leftover broccoli this time.  One of my New Year's Resolutions: waste less food.  Once the stuffing heated through, I was ready to enjoy. 

Fish with Cornbread Stuffing

 

The fish was another good and quick way to use up the muffins.  I loaded the center of a seasoned fish fillet with the stuffing and simply had rolled the fish around it.  I gave the fish a quick drizzle with some oil and baked it at 325°F until the fish firmed up and cooked through.  Should take 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.

So, to wrap up, there are tons of things that you can do to repurpose leftovers.  Get creative in the new year and leave nothing to waste!

AEC

 

Photo Credits: Ashley E. Cummings

Hoppin' John Cornbread Muffins

Photo Credit: Ashley E. Cummings

Hoppin' John Cornbread Muffins

Traditional components of the Southern New Year's staple, Hoppin' John, work in harmony to create these yummy muffins.  What a way to ring in a year of prosperity!  Serve warm with butter as a brunch feature or hearty on-the-go snack.  You can also serve them with soup to complete the meal.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Baking Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon, roughly chopped

½ cup white onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

½ pound collard greens, finely chopped

  salt to taste

  black pepper to taste

  hot sauce to taste

1 ¼ cup cornmeal

½ cup white flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons, butter melted

2 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained, and slightly smashed

Directions:

1.)  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease the inside of a jumbo muffin pan.

2.)  Slowly cook the bacon in a wide skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and place on paper towel.  Carefully pour off all but a tablespoon of the resulting bacon drippings.  Reserve the drippings for later use.  Sauté the onion in the pan drippings.  Once the onions are tender and begin to brown, add the vinegar to the hot pan with the onions.  Watch out!  The steam from the vinegar is going to hit you in the face!  Stir the onions and vinegar around while removing any brown bits from the pan.  Reduce the vinegar until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add the greens to the pan.  Slowly move around the greens with the onion.  The volume will decrease.  Cook down the greens until the stems are soft.  Season the greens with salt, pepper, and hot sauce; set aside to cool.

3.)  Whisk together the cornmeal, white flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined.  In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, honey,  vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the remaining bacon drippings.

4.)  Combine the contents of both bowls until just incorporated.  The batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy.  Coarsely chop the cooked bacon and fold into the batter with the beans and cooled greens.

5.)  Evenly distribute the batter into the greased muffin cups.  An ice cream scoop works great for this.

6.)  Bake until tops turn golden brown and a toothpick can be cleanly removed from the center of the muffins.  About 30 minutes.

NOTE:  A standard muffin pan for 12 can also be used for this recipe.  The baking time will go down to about 20 minutes.

For National Cookie Day...Almond Shortbread Cookies

I went to one of my favorite quirky discount stores yesterday.  In addition to some interesting combinations of consumer packaged goods, they also have a pretty nice assortment of gluten-free flours.  So, I picked up some coconut flour yesterday.  Also, I've been staring at this package of almond paste for months. I decided to kill 3 birds with one stone by 1) experimenting with coconut flour, 2) getting rid of this almond paste, and 3) paying homage to National Cookie Day. 

Let me know if you give this recipe a try.  It's pretty easy.  The subtle flavor of coconut is pretty nice.  If you decide not to do the sandwich cookies, just take a moment to slather a couple of cookies with cocoa hazelnut spread...trust.  Enjoy ;-)

 

 

Almond Shortbread Cookies, inspired by Odense

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Yield: 36 cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 3.5 ounces of almond paste

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, break up the almond paste into crumbs.  It tends to clump up into a hard mass.

Add the butter, sugar, extract, and salt.  Process until combined.  With the processor still in motion, add the yolk.  Continue to process to incorporate the yolk. 

In another bowl, sift together the flours and baking powder.

Add the flours and baking powder into the food processor with the other ingredients.  Process to combine all the ingredients.  Take a break, and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.  Process a little longer to incorporate.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag.  Portion the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Greasing the baking sheet with butter works, too.

TIP: You can use a plastic freezer bag if a pastry bag is not available.  Just fill and cut one of the bottom openings.  What? You don't have that either?  Go old school and place the cookies on the paper using a couple of spoons.

Smooth out the top of your dough with a small amount of water on your finger for presentation.

Place the dough in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until the edges have begun to brown.  Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on a cooking rack before enjoying.

OPTIONAL: Create sandwich cookies by placing 1/2 a tablespoon of cocoa hazelnut spread between 2 cookies.  These cookies look great with a quick dusting of powdered sugar.

 

Lessons Learned: Fruit Tart with Momofuku Corn Cookie Crust

Fruit Tart with Momofuku Corn Cookie Crust. AEC 2014

 

I think Momofuku is awesome!  When Momofuku Milk Bar was at Emporiyum-Baltimore a few months back, I was all over the table...trying stuff...asking questions...I had to have been annoying the hell outta somebody.   The Corn Cookie was on point.  It was soft, buttery, and the corn flavor really hit you in the face.  The corn flavor was driven by the corn powder produced by Milk Bar.  "Ingredients: freeze dried corn ground into a powder".  Of course, I picked up a bottle with plans to make my own.  They came out ok.  I didn't get the texture right.  THEORY: I think my hot kitchen made the butter melt too fast. 

Anywho, I made way too many.  Ok, I was trying to show off to my friends with these amazing cookies.  However, when they didn't turn out quite right, I went to Plan B...give them hugs :-)  I ended up freezing the remaining cookies.  I knew I could do something with them.  Jazz up a parfait, ice cream cookie sandwiches...then it hit me...cookie crust for Ayla's B-Day Fruit Tart.  Long story short: the girl loves fruit tarts. 

 

I never made my own cookie crust from a batch of cookies I actually made.  What have I been doing with my life?  So, I looked up some tips online.  I didn't have that many cookies to mess up.  It was simple enough.  Grind cookies, combine with melted butter, press into form, and bake.  I was able to get a little less than 2 cups of cookie crumbs.  I actually did this the night before I made the tart.  I hesitated adding butter at all.  The crumbs kind of clung to themselves without the addition of anything. 

Heavy handed me added 5 tablespoons of melted butter.  Yeah, ended up being a little much.  In hindsight I could have added some flour to dry it out slightly, but I didn't want to take away from the cookie flavor.  Perhaps, adding more corn powder could have helped, too.  I added some raw sugar.  I thought it would add an interesting texture contrast. 

So, after a few minutes in the 350°F oven, the crust started to bubble like crazy.  It actually started to lose the form that I had so painstakingly worked to achieve.  I think I helped it some by removing it from the oven and flattening out the bottom again.  I lost some of my edges.  The pastry cream sat more on top of the crust vs. inside of it. 

Overall, not the worst fruit tart that I'm had.  The crust was a little hard which I actually liked.  I didn't put a barrier, like chocolate, between the crust and the pastry cream, so it did soften up a bit.  Next time...and there will be a next time, I could just press the crumbs with no additional butter in the pan.  What if I just put the cookie dough in the tart pan?  I lost the texture I was looking for from the raw sugar.  Folding in some course sugar should work better.  I think with only a few minutes in the oven, I might make a better tart next time...lessons learned.

 

AEC

Save a Step. Don't Wash Your Poultry.

I have always washed my chicken and turkey (pieces or whole) in the sink before cooking them.  The only reasoning I can provide...tradition.  My mom, like so many other cooks, was my first culinary instructor. She would always clear out the sink, rinse, pat dry, and season meat all there.  So, of course, when I started cooking for myself and my family, that's what I did. Never questioned it.  Wait, why am I Baptist?

Anyway,  I recently attended a Penn State Extension workshop where we talked briefly about food safety in commercial kitchens.  The instructor asked, "Who still washes their chicken?".  I joined everyone else in the room who did that slow hand raise while giving everyone else the side-eye.  Yeah.  The instructor quickly let us know that there is no reason for this practice.  In fact, you're really increasing the chances of spreading harmful bacteria, like salmonella, because so few people actually take the time to properly disinfect contaminated surface areas. 

If your argument for continuing to wash your poultry is at all related to smell or a slimy texture, you might want to switch stores.  Raw poultry can safely be held in your fridge for up to 2 days.  After that, you will experience an unpleasant aroma. Don't risk it.  If you find that your poultry is a little too wet right out of the packaging, just pat it dry with a paper towel. Don't forget to take out the trash!

Bottom line, the only proven way to kill bacteria from raw poultry is by ensuring that the internal temperature has reached 165°F.  For the most part, I've had good luck relying on the pop-up timer when roasting a whole bird.  I usually take the temperature of the inner thigh making sure I avoid the bone, too.  The juice should be clear. 

So, by not washing your poultry, I saved you what...5, 10 minutes? You're welcome.

AEC

Croissant Donuts at Dunkin' Donuts...It's No Ansel's

 

Croissant Donut at Dunkin' Donuts-AEC

I took it as a matter of social responsibility to make it to my local Dunkin' Donuts location today and try the new Croissant Donut.  This is no doubt DD's attempt to ride on the success of Dominique Ansel's Cronut™ sensation that one must wait hours to hopefully purchase for $5 in NYC.  I made that journey myself last year.

A description of the cronut...deep fried butter! So rich. I'm glad we got to experience it on our donut tour. Ayla and I preferred the DKA. It's rich but not as crazy as the cronut. The DKA reminds more of a high quality French pastry. Plus, you don't have to wait 90 minutes to get it!

Facebook Post by Ashley E. Cummings, November 2013

No need to wait hours for the Croissant Donut.  I shelled out $2.49 plus tax to get mine in the 8 o'clock hour this morning.  I might have waited 90 seconds for service.  They even put it in a little fancy box. 

The appearance looked promising.  It had more of a golden color than the traditional original glazed donuts.   The shape wasn't all the way round.  It reminded me more of a stop sign. That color lent itself to a crisp outside much like the exterior on a croissant!  How about that! 

Overall, I wasn't overwhelmed by the taste.  The donut was somewhat yeasty.  Bad batch?  Too much yeast?  That was a turn off, because you don't find yeast in traditional croissants. Crazy, usually DD gets the yeast levels right.  I didn't get much of any butter taste although it is listed in the ingredient list.  It was lacking the buttery layers that you expect from a croissant.  In Ansel's version, the butter slaps you in the face.  Perhaps, they could have traded in that box for some artificial butter flavoring.

 Side View of the Cronut™-AEC

Overall, I'm not a fan of DD's new Croissant Donut.  If consumers want to have a good croissant donut experience, I would check out a local shop.  If you go to NYC and happen to be by Dominique Ansel's Bakery, laugh at all the jerks waiting in line and walk inside.  Pick up a DKA.  You'll get an experience similar to that of the Cronut™ without the aggravation of waiting in line. 

Hold on, DD.  You might be able to turn this around.  Ansel changes the flavor of his Cronut™ every month.  Play around with some other varieties.  That could keep the Croissant Donut convo going for you...I'm not sure how long your "limited time" is intended to be.  And hey, don't be too hurt by this write-up.   You still rock out the Sour Cream and Traditional Cake donuts.

AEC

National Sandwich Day

I know you don't think I forgot National Sandwich Day!

Last second meal idea...

Pastrami on 7-grain bread with sun-dried tomato and spicy mayo griddled in olive oil and butter...

...in your face Subway!...ha!

AEC

@aec_culinary #sandwich

"Honey, I'm Hangry."

A few days ago, I splurged a little and decided to get my hair styled professionally.  Of course, I had to rush out the door to get to the appointment on time, so I skipped my typical soy sausage patty and egg sandwich for an orange.  Needless to say, about 3 hours later, I was famished!  I guess I needed the world to feel my pain, because my style of conversation became very short.  I heard people speaking to me, but I wasn't really listening. It reached a point where my good friend just decided to take the hint and stop talking to me, too.  Now, in that moment, I knew I was wrong, but when you love food as much as I do, being deprived of it for seemingly forever takes its toll.  Later, after a couple of meals and reflection, I approached my friend with an apology.  Her response, "It's okay.  I knew you were hangry."  NEW WORD!  Like any lifelong student, whenever I'm introduced to a new word, I have to Google it.  Urban Dictionary¹ describes hangry as "when you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated, or both".  I started to ponder.  How many angry people have I encountered in life who just really needed a sandwich?  Here are a few tips to help avoid those awkward hangry moments in the future:

Eat breakfast:  With an estimated 31 million Americans skipping breakfast², can you image all the hangry people walking around in the 11 o'clock hour.  Take time to prepare a high protein, high fiber breakfast.  Avoid high sugar foods like pastries or donuts (Did I say that?), because they don't offer much lasting energy.  You'll end up reaching for more food in a short period of time.  Eggs are a quick protein option.  Whole grain oatmeal is a good source of fiber.  Protein and fiber both aid in achieving a feeling of satiety to help you get to that next meal without turning evil gremlin on anyone within 10 feet.  Just keep any added sugar or fat to a minimum. 

The first step in your recovery..."Honey, I'm hangry.": It may be difficult to accept that simply postponing a meal can have such an impact on your attitude, but it can.  People around us often feel our wrath and may take your mood change personally.  Simply communicate that you feel your mood changing and apologize in advance if you at any point seem disconnected from the conversation.  Chances are that person has been in the same boat.  Hey, they may be game for a quick meal break.

Snack healthy:  Research shows that low blood sugar may correspond to more negative reactions in frustrating situations.  While playing a difficult computer game in one study³, participants who were given a sugary drink were less visibly frustrated.  While it is not recommended to drink the bulk of your calories, giving yourself access to some quick calories in moderation might be just what you need to keep you focused.  If it is not unusual for you to have a busy day where meals are not always planned appropriately, keep healthy snacks-nuts, fruit, or naturally sweetened options- around to get you through the hump.

So, the next time you have the urge to tell some angry person to "Kick rocks." sub in "Get a snack." That's probably all they need.

AEC

¹http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hangry

²https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_111011b/

³http://sitemaker.umich.edu/brad.bushman/files/sweet_blood_and_aggression.pdf

Good Times-City Cafe (Baltimore)

We had another good experience at City Café today.  Good food, good dessert,..GOOD DRINKS!!!  We've been to City Café on a number of occasions.  For some strange reason, I would always end up with something that featured crab.  I've come to realize that I'm not a big crab fan...don't tell the Baltimoreans.  I opted for the burger while my boo order a beef tenderloin salad.  On both, we didn't quite get the temps that we requested.  I was looking for a medium burger, but Ayla ordered her tenderloin medium.  It came out a little more bloody than anticipated.  However, since we only pretend to be food snobs, we just rolled with it.   

My burger was so flavorful.  The beef patty stole the show unlike a lot of places that feature burgers where the burger needs so many toppings to get good flavor.  I was pleasantly surprised by the macadamia nuts in Ayla's salad.  Macadamia nuts are so pricey. It makes sense that they are not featured everywhere.  But when they make it to the dish, they should be a statement addition.  By leaving them whole, the chef did just that.  Tonight was the first time that Ayla had bread pudding...what have I been doing?!!  City Café's version with blueberry compote and Baltimore's favorite, Taharka Brothers Honey Graham ice cream was a great introduction.  Everything complemented each other so well.  It was a deliciously sweet but not obnoxiously so.  I'm motivated to make some bread pudding with all these leftover doughnuts (yes, I'm back to the original spelling)...sweet...

My cocktail was superb.  It's a martini that came straight from their cocktail menu.  I can't remember the name for the life of me.  Plus, I'm too lazy to call.  Anyway, it was so good, I made my next one a double...that's probably why the details are escaping me.

City Café is an awesome choice in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore.  I will be sure to frequent it more in the future.  I suggest you do the same.  Checkout the cocktails.

My Crash Course in Propane Grilling

Crash Course in Propane Grilling...My 1st Infographic.  AEC 2014

We're going to start our weekly cookouts at my job.  It was supposed to start a couple of weeks ago, but the grill we had was toast.  Somebody didn't understand the value of a leak-free cover! It was rusted out like crazy.  I got word today that a new propane grill was on the way this Thursday, just in time for me to fire it up this Friday...great :-/

Don't get me wrong.  I like grilling, but I'm more accustomed to charcoal grills.  This whole tank thing is a little intimidating.  Above all, as the acting foodservice director, I'm supposed to be the expert.  I've been boning up on my propane tank knowledge in an attempt to not blow up the building.  You can find everything on YouTube.  First, open lid...turn gas on...crank a burner...hit the ignite button (watch out for flames)...crank all the burners...close the lid for 10 minutes to get everything heated up.  Sounds easy enough.  I will hopefully get the chance to play around with it on Thursday.  Wish my eyebrows good luck.  I'll keep you posted.

AEC

Donut Day Recap...All in a Day's Work!

I finished my rounds for National Donut Day around 2pm. 

Donut Tour. AEC 2014

My first stop was Fractured Prune.  They were offering a free donut with purchase.  So, I bought a donut.  I went with the French Toast which I tried before...it's awesome.  I tried the Banana Nut Bread variety for the first time.  (Excuse the bite in the pic.  All of their donuts are made to order, so it's not like I could accurately evaluate it an hour later...yep, that's my story.)  The Banana Nut Bread with the cake donut base and cinnamon topping tasted a lot like the French Toast with the addition of some nuts and faint banana flavor.   Tasty but didn't quite meet my expectations.

My next stop was Dunkin' Donuts.  They ran out of the new Blueberry Cobbler at the location in my neighborhood, so I just stopped at another that had plenty.  It was alright which was a shocker to me.  I was so disappointed with their Brownie Batter and Cake Batter offerings, I really wasn't expecting much.  The blueberry filling was predictable.  It was basically the stuff one might get in a can of blueberry pie filling minus actual blueberries.  The icing wasn't too sweet or heavily coated which was a plus for me.  Yes, you can have too much icing on a donut!  The base was their typical yeast donut.  There were some clumps of cinnamon on top.  The ad had a lot more crumble than mine.  I think more of the crumb topping would have added to the experience.  Overall, I got the concept, so I wouldn't say it was a complete let down.  Just not my thing.

I headed out to Towson to La Cakerie.  They made a bunch of cake donuts with a glaze and sprinkles.  They offered them as freebies.  They seemed to be a little smaller than their normal selection, but how nice is that?  Do something easy, low-cost, and acknowledge the day!  They were tasty, too.  That kind of marketing obviously works for me, because I bought a donut anyway.  They had a few interesting looking types.  Whenever I don't know what to pick, I go to the staff and have them pick for me.  Over the 2 with slices of bacon, one guy recommended the Creme Brulee variety.  It wasn't what I expected.  It was a yeast donut with pastry cream and sugar topping...no torch?  I don't know about you, but when I hear 'brulee', something better get burnt!  With that observation, I hesitated to get it, and because there was no fire, it fell short big time.  However, I must say that the quality of the base was better than Dunkin'.  It was more soft and seemed to be fresher with less yeast taste.  I'm going to back for another.  They have another location closer to my place.  Next time, I'm thinking bacon!

Entenmann's teamed up with the Salvation Army for a fundraising initiative. Thinking of the history of National Donut Day, I thought that it was only right that I track down their new Red Velvet donut.  Now, I vowed to myself to stop purchasing Red Velvet varieties of packaged foods, but hey, it's a holiday!  I have to say, I think they nailed it.  The dyed cake donut didn't have a chemical taste from too much dye.  The donut was sweet but not too sweet with a hint of cocoa that is characteristic of traditional Red Velvet Cake.  What I appreciated most?  They stuck with what they know.  To my knowledge, Entenmann's does not offer a donut with white frosting.  So many companies throw on an overly sweet random white topping with no cream cheese taste onto something red and call it Red Velvet.  Thanks for keeping it real, Entenmann's.  I have to give it to them, they were my favorite donut find of the day.  Plus, my local Giant had a buy one get one free deal.  I saved $5.39 ya'll!..winning!

I'm off for a jog.  Happy National Donut Day! 

AEC

National Donut Day-Baltimore

Whole Foods Chocolate Nutella-Filled Donut. AEC 2014.

People that know me know that I love donuts...and doughnuts! ;-) So, when that first Friday of June rolls around, I get a little too excited about National Donut Day. Since I have recently moved to Baltimore, I'm taking this as an opportunity to explore some local spots that claim to have the best of one of my favorite culinary confections...donuts.

What's the story behind National Donut Day? The Salvation Army put on the first celebration in 1938 to raise funds during the Great Depression and recognize the contribution of the brave female volunteers who worked to bring soldiers the comforts of home right on the frontlines during World War I. Scarce resources cut out a lot of dessert options, but they had just what they needed to make donuts. Many credit the "donut lassies" for propelling donuts to the level of popularity that we see today.

Now, how am I going to commemorate this historic occasion? Don't think too hard about it. I will be partaking in as many donut deals as many possible! National chains, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts, have some of the most popular promotions. At participating Krispy Kreme locations, you can get any donut for free, while they last. I suggest the new Brownie Batter or Cake Batter varieties. Their versions smashed their competitors. It had to be said. Dunkin' Donuts is offering a free donut with the purchase of a beverage. I wish you could do something akin to a buy one get one free donut deal. I'm not a fan of their novelty beverages.

So, I'm living in Baltimore, now. DC is so close, yet so far away! Dunkin' Donuts is all over, but I'd have to trek all the way to DC to get a free Krispy Kreme. Yeah, I've done it! Royal Farms has a pretty righteous Krispy Kreme selection at all their locations, but I doubt you could score a free one. Don't worry Baltimoreans, I made some calls. Fractured Prune will be offering a free made-to-order donut with purchase. A representative of Diablo Doughnuts said they and their other spot, La Cakerie, would be offering free glazed treats. Word of caution: I seemed to have caught her off guard. It was almost as if I reminded her of National Donut Day. With that, anticipate a deal, but it may not be entirely free.

I was a little disappointed that other good Baltimore spots for donuts didn't have any plans in the works. Dorsey Cakes & Donuts, Fenwick Bakery, and Hoehn's (who has a tasty marshmallow creme-filled donuts) all said they had no plans for National Donut Day.

I hope this gives some folks deeper insight regarding my obsession with donuts. I will be starting my rounds early tomorrow morning. In the meantime, check out Entenmann’s Facebook page. They're donating a buck to the Salvation Army for every person that likes the page, up to $30,000. Shout-out to the donut lassies!

AEC

Plating Duck Confit

So, I had to create a salad highlighting duck confit. Tasty stuff, but it just looked like a blob of pink. It reminded me of the Peking duck one might see at an Asian eatery, so I teamed it up with a spicy mustard sauce and additional orange honey vinaigrette. I added some apricot and toasted pine nuts for garnish. Next time, I'll swear the confit on some bread.

Redemption Pie

So after my massive fail in baking and pastry yesterday, I was determined to set it off on Pie Day! I can't mess up a pie! Sure...I typically pick up the crust from the freezer section and don't have to accomplish 10 other things in a lab of 20 people...but I can do this! 1st I tackled pecan pie...pretty good. I let it stay in the oven a little too long, but the filling was on point. "Great flavor and consistency throughout." Next, I moved onto a pumpkin pecan pie. I flavored it with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves...that combo helped to get me a 9.5 out of 10 for pie day!..I call it Redemption Pie...ok, that's lame. Perhaps, I can earn that 'A' yet ;-)

AEC

Challah Bread...8 out of 10

Man, this Intro to Baking class is tough!  Not sure if I'm just an overachiever or I just don't get challenged enough, but I have been getting so many B's in this class...I don't get B's!  Take this Challah bread.  I was so focused on rolling out my 16 inch strands, sculpting the perfect braid, not being stingy with the egg wash...but not over egg washing and what is the result?  Some really ugly Challah bread.  I see where the opportunities are...I have to work to get those air bubbles out of my dough and making sure the strands are even throughout. 

Before proofing

After proofing...see those bulges and uneven widths in the dough? Now, I'm nervous! 

Of course this is the day our chef instructor decides to grade our bread.  I just got the Kaiser roll...well kinda.  Maybe I'm not delicate enough for baking and pastry.  I might have to pull a rabbit out the hat to earn this A...geez :-/

AEC

Croissants

We tackled croissants in my Intro to Baking class.  Like most things in the culinary world, it just requires some understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and some patience.  For example, keep the butter cold so that you can fully develop those buttery layers.  We had a pretty packed agenda, so the time required to wait after each fold was consumed with creating fillings, making brioche, making wheat rolls for freshman dining room...busy!  I opted to fill my croissants with almond filling and top them with sliced almonds and raw sugar.  They were really tasty, but I needed to use less filling to prevent it from oozing out.  I rolled my dough out fairly thin.  The small croissants didn't hold the filling too well. Lesson learned.  I have some more almond filling to play with.  If we have a lull in production (ha!), maybe I've give it another shot.  Almond paste is awesome!

AEC