Food geeking
Jun. 4th, 2003 09:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidLast night, though not nearly hot enough, was a pizza night. I started the dough for the crust, including some dried basil and garlic powder in with the usual ingredients, and ended up with enough for four irregularly-shaped pizzas. Three of them were essentially the same: brush on olive oil, then a thin layer of basil pesto (without cheese), sprinkle on bits of fresh basil, then a layer of non-oil-packed sundried tomatoes, topped with mozzarella. These were quite good. By the last pizza, I'd run out of pesto, so improvised with some of a defrosted bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots (trying not to use many carrots), some fresh oregano, and mozzarella. Experimental, but not bad. I think the cauliflower would've done better in slightly smaller pieces, and a bit more seasoning would've been good, too.
In between this, I decided to make a dessert bread. I put cocoa powder and ginger powder in the dough, along with some sugar to compensate for the cocoa. Instead of water, I used ginger tea with a fillip of Bengal spice tea. I was a bit worried I'd killed the yeast, when I felt the temperature of the dough, but I got lucky, and it rose beautifully. I rolled out each half the dough, sprinkled chocolate chips and crystallized ginger bits on it, then rolled it up into a log of a loaf, carefully pinching it closed. They were so full of stuff I could hear a squinching sound when I held them... I guessed and baked them for almost an hour at about 325. When I took them out, each had leaked just a bit of filling, but otherwise.... a very good chocolate-ginger experience.
A suggestion of pear with this sounded good, and I had thoughts of perhaps putting in some kind of nut (pecan?) if I do this again, for texture (possibly spiced nuts, coated with cinnamon and ginger?).
If there are leftovers, I might turn it into a chocolate^4 bread pudding...
This morning, I wanted to use up the leftover jasmine rice (It smells so nice, even a couple of days later and just out of the fridge; I will be getting more of this!), and the rest of the defrosted veggies (thanks to the defroster, though I would wish they hadn't been needed). I put the rice in a pie pan, pressed it to the bottom and sides, then cut up the end of the mozzarella and some cheddar. I put that over the bottom; then some fresh oregano; the veggies; sprinkles of white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder; and poured an egg-soy milk mixture over it all. It baked for an hour into a lovely QLO (quiche-like object).
I also started another batch of truffles, melting the chocolate, then adding cream and kahlua. They won't be ready to form until tomorrow, though.
Don't forget to pack your ulu!
zooty zebra
jailed recline
Your peas have graced my shoulder.
I have insulted my soft tissue.
In between this, I decided to make a dessert bread. I put cocoa powder and ginger powder in the dough, along with some sugar to compensate for the cocoa. Instead of water, I used ginger tea with a fillip of Bengal spice tea. I was a bit worried I'd killed the yeast, when I felt the temperature of the dough, but I got lucky, and it rose beautifully. I rolled out each half the dough, sprinkled chocolate chips and crystallized ginger bits on it, then rolled it up into a log of a loaf, carefully pinching it closed. They were so full of stuff I could hear a squinching sound when I held them... I guessed and baked them for almost an hour at about 325. When I took them out, each had leaked just a bit of filling, but otherwise.... a very good chocolate-ginger experience.
A suggestion of pear with this sounded good, and I had thoughts of perhaps putting in some kind of nut (pecan?) if I do this again, for texture (possibly spiced nuts, coated with cinnamon and ginger?).
If there are leftovers, I might turn it into a chocolate^4 bread pudding...
This morning, I wanted to use up the leftover jasmine rice (It smells so nice, even a couple of days later and just out of the fridge; I will be getting more of this!), and the rest of the defrosted veggies (thanks to the defroster, though I would wish they hadn't been needed). I put the rice in a pie pan, pressed it to the bottom and sides, then cut up the end of the mozzarella and some cheddar. I put that over the bottom; then some fresh oregano; the veggies; sprinkles of white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder; and poured an egg-soy milk mixture over it all. It baked for an hour into a lovely QLO (quiche-like object).
I also started another batch of truffles, melting the chocolate, then adding cream and kahlua. They won't be ready to form until tomorrow, though.
Don't forget to pack your ulu!
zooty zebra
jailed recline
Your peas have graced my shoulder.
I have insulted my soft tissue.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-06-04 07:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-04 09:05 am (UTC)I decided on a rule for ground ginger: there's enough in the dough when the fumes make it up your nose :-).
no subject
Date: 2003-06-04 09:13 am (UTC)(still is, YUMMY with a pear this morning!!!)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-04 10:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-04 11:18 am (UTC)Food is so much fun to work with: not only do I get to do experiments all the time, I don't have to find a place in my apartment to store what I make, plus I get to feed my friends :-)
(Two batches of truffles ago were Earl Grey flavored...)
Re:
Date: 2003-06-04 12:49 pm (UTC)Earl Grey? I absolutely LOVE earl grey!
Again...you are a GODDESS!
Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-04 01:01 pm (UTC)And a shrine would be lovely, thank you.
Making truffle guts is pretty easy, actually, given good ingredients: just melting chocolate, stirring in cream and whatever liquid flavoring you want (earl grey tea, rose water, apricot jelly, etc) until it's blended, then letting it sit for 24 hours. Roll into spheres, roll in powdered sugar, or ground nuts, or cocoa powder, and serve.
If you want to make vegan truffles, you can thin almond paste with hot water to the consistency of cream and use that, or use some vegan pudding. I haven't tried coconut cream, but that would likely work, too.
Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-04 01:02 pm (UTC)I think I shall add you to my friends list. Especially if you often describe your food experiments!
Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-04 01:07 pm (UTC)I hope you have some food around there (wherever you are)...
Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-04 07:53 pm (UTC)Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-05 04:46 am (UTC)Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-05 05:29 am (UTC)Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-05 06:10 am (UTC)Re: Earl Grey
Date: 2003-06-05 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-05 05:43 am (UTC);oD
no subject
Date: 2003-06-05 06:27 am (UTC)The chocolate things I make most are truffles, a vegan chocolate cake, or double, triple, or quadruple chocolate bread pudding.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-05 07:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-05 08:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-05 03:17 pm (UTC)Great stuff.. any time I feel pekish I'll just take a peek if that's ok
Hugs
;o)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-06 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-09 06:14 am (UTC)I hope you found something to eat, then!