how to bake cakes and pastries

How to Bake Cakes and Pastries.

If you're looking to bake cakes and pastries, here are some ideas to help you get started in what can become a very enthralling and even therapeutic hobby, with the resulting benefit of some very delicious things to eat!

Steps.

1. Decide what you would like to bake. You won't have enough time in the day to bake a lot of items, so be selective. Pastries tend to be more effort and take more skills than making cakes, so if you're a novice, start with cakes and work your way towards making pastries.

2. Read up on making cakes and pastries. To begin with, it's a really good idea to become knowledgeable about the techniques, as well as the things that can go wrong with them. For example, temperature is very important when baking a cake, so that opening the oven mid-cooking can cause it to deflate. And pastries often require cold handling (adding cold fat, keeping your fingers cool by only using the fingertips and only rubbing for a short time, and having a cool room to work in). While these "fiddly" things may seem overwhelming at first, once you have grasped the finer techniques of baking, they make the experience both much more enjoyable and a lot more successful.

3. Try easy baking recipes to begin with. Start with plain cakes and pastries before graduating to fancier, more complicated versions. Some good ones to start with would be:

Cupcakes, Chocolate cake, Banana cake, Pies, Ice cream cake.

4. Once you feel confident making basic cakes, you can proceed to more complex cakes, such as wedding cakes, fruit cakes, layered cakes, birthday cakes with designs etc. Here are some ideas to try:

A cupcake wedding cake, Fruit cake, A chocolate chip birthday cake, Red velvet cake.

5. Avoid making French pastries until you have a good grasp of working with pastry and a fair understanding of its properties. French pastries become easier with practice but they are not a good beginner's pastry because you will be easily deterred by the amount of effort required. Once you do feel more certain, you might like to try:

Croissants, Eclairs, Choux pastry for a croquembouche.

6. Consider attending classes to learn the techniques used in baking. It can be a lot easier learning from a pastry chef who already knows all the tricks and trickiness and you will benefit from both the visual demonstrations and the practice with help.

7. Learn about baking from other places and for special occasions:

Try to experiment with baking from different cultures, from Japan to New Zealand, from the USA to Romania, you will find wide variations on commonly baked goods. It could take a lifetime to discover them all!

Learn about baked food that signify different seasons or celebrations. There are many different baked items associated with harvests, Christmas, Easter, Day of the Dead, and other celebrations around the world. These tend to be more complicated, on the whole, so you might need to be an intermediate to advanced baker to feel comfortable with them. See wikiHow's Holiday Cooking section for some ideas.

Tips.

It's a good idea to purchase an excellent book on Baking (often known by chefs as baking bibles) as these will give you good tips and are also excellent references for troubleshooting baking problems.

It is important to learn gradually. It takes years to become a top pastry chef or baker, so you're bound to have a few mishaps before feeling that you've mastered some of the trickier cakes and pastries!

In addition to knowing how to bake the cakes and pastries, it is also important to familiarize yourself with making frosting, using fondant, and making shapes and designs on cakes and pastries. Knowing how to make sugar toffee and glazes can also come in handy. You'll learn these techniques as you go.

Warnings.

Good cake and pastry pans are essential for good results. Don't skimp; it is better to buy one or two good quality baking items than to by an array of cheap ones that don't hold or distribute heat evenly, or do a number of things needed to ease your baking experience.

Things You'll Need.

Recipe books

Ingredients

Kitchen space

Classes (optional)

Desember 19, 2019

How to Use Quinoa

How to Use Quinoa.

Quinoa is a whole grain cooked over the stove like rice. As quinoa is a great source of fiber and protein, adding quinoa to your diet can be a great way to add extra nutrients. There are a number of ways to eat quinoa. You can eat quinoa on its own, add it to meals, mix it in with foods, and use it for baking.

Method 1 Making Meals with Quinoa.
1. Eat quinoa on its own. Quinoa is cooked over the stove and is usually ready in about 20 minutes. Quinoa has a mild, nutty flavor and can be eaten on its own with minimal flavoring as a snack or lunch. A bowl of quinoa is a little bland, but it can be a good option for a quick and filling meal.
As quinoa does not have a lot of flavor, a bowl of quinoa can be a great meal if you're feeling a little queasy.
2. Make a breakfast or lunch bowl with quinoa. Add quinoa to a bowl and then mix in other ingredients and spices. Quinoa served in a bowl with a fried egg, veggies, a little cheese, and some hot sauce can be a great breakfast bowl. You can add any combination of foods and spices you want to a bowl of quinoa, due to its mild flavor, and have a great and quick meal for breakfast or lunch.
If you're eating lunch on the go, a quinoa bowl is a great option. It is easy to pack a quinoa bowl in a Tupperware container the way you would pack a salad.
3. Stuff vegetables with quinoa. There are many stuffed vegetable recipes, such as stuffed peppers, that require stuffing vegetables with things like beans, rice, or meats. You can substitute cooked quinoa in these recipes if you have quinoa you need to use. Quinoa can add extra fiber and nutrients to a meal, especially when used over heavier stuffings like ground beef.
4. Eat quinoa for breakfast. If you usually eat something like oatmeal for breakfast, try substituting quinoa instead. Add a bit of maple syrup to your quinoa and some nuts for a quick breakfast on the go.
Leftover quinoa can also be used as a cereal. Add some quinoa to a bowl and mix in some fresh berries. Fill the bowl with milk for a quick, easy, and nutritious breakfast.
5. Make a pasta dish with quinoa. Noodles do not have as many nutrients as quinoa and tend to have more calories. Try substituting quinoa for noodles in a pasta recipe. Instead of making spaghetti with noodles, for example, mix your sauce, meat, and cheese into a bowl of quinoa. You will still get the same basic flavor, but without the empty carbs.

Method 2 Adding Quinoa to Other Foods
1. Add quinoa to a salad. If you're having a salad for lunch or dinner, mix a handful of leftover quinoa into your vegetables. This will add extra fiber and protein,making the meal more filling and nutritious.
Nuts are frequently used to add protein to a salad. While nuts are nutritious, they are high calorie. If you're trying to cut back on calories, substitute quinoa for nuts in your salad.
As quinoa has a mild flavor, it blends well with a variety of different dressings and flavor profiles.
2. Stir quinoa into chili. A hearty chili is a great meal if you want something quick and easy to reheat. To add extra fiber and nutrients to a chili dish, mix in some quinoa during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. About two cups is enough for a full batch of chili.
Remember, quinoa only has a mild flavor. You do not need to go overboard adding extra spices after throwing in your quinoa.
3. Use quinoa instead of breadcrumbs. For things like breaded chicken or pastas topped with breadcrumbs, breadcrumbs often add unnecessary extra calories without extra nutrients. Instead of breading chicken with breadcrumbs, bread it with cooked quinoa. You can still follow the recipe more or less the same, but swap out breadcrumbs for cooked quinoa.
4. Use quinoa in a smoothie. A smoothie can be a quick and healthy snack to have before or after a workout. However, smoothies are sometimes not filling. Adding extra protein to your smoothie can help you get full faster, so add some quinoa to your smoothie before blending it. Due to quinoa's mild flavor, it will not interfere with the existing ingredient's flavors.

Method 3 Baking with Quinoa.
1. Add quinoa to a quiche. Quinoa can add extra protein and antioxidants to a quiche. For every eight eggs you add to a quiche, you can add one cup of cooked quinoa. The next time you're baking a quiche, try adding quinoa to add nutrients to the dish.
2. Bake energy bars with quinoa. Combine two cups of quinoa with a cup of whole wheat flour. Then, add any mix-ins you want such as dried fruits, chocolate chips, or seeds. Add two cups of oats, one egg, and a teaspoon of baking soda. Form the batter into bars and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. This will make great energy bars to eat as a nutritious snack throughout the day.
3. Fold quinoa into a cake batter. If you want to add a little nutrition to cake, sprinkle some cooked quinoa into the batter and then mix it in. This will not interfere with your cake's flavor, but it will help slow down blood sugar spikes after eating a slice of cake.
Keep in mind, a cake is not a healthy option even with the addition of quinoa. It is still high in sugar and should only be eaten as a treat.

April 02, 2020

how to bake with whole grains

How to Bake with Whole Grains.

White flour usually loses most of its nutrients during production, which makes baking with whole grain flour a healthier alternative. However, it’s not simply a matter of swapping one ingredient for another. If you’ve never baked with whole grain flours before, knowing which ones are most ideal for beginners is an important first step. After that, keeping a few guidelines in mind regarding what to expect and how to adjust recipes from white flour to whole grains will lower the amount of trial-and-error that you’ll have to do. Even better, searching for recipes that specifically call for whole grains will help make your introduction to baking with them a cinch.

Ingredients.

Whole Wheat Scones.

4 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting (500 g).

2 tablespoons baking powder.

1 teaspoon salt.

1 stick unsalted butter.

1 cup packed light brown sugar (220 g).

1 cup raisins (165 g).

1.5 cups buttermilk (355 ml).

Spelt Cookies.

¾ cup packed brown sugar (165 g).

½ cup softened butter (113.5 g).

1 egg.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1.75 cups spelt flour (210 g).

1 teaspoon baking soda.

½ teaspoon salt.

Barley-Buttermilk Muffins.

1.5 cups barley flour (180 g).

1 teaspoon baking soda.

2 teaspoons baking powder.

¾ teaspoons sea salt.

2 tablespoons brown sugar.

¼ cup vegetable oil (59 ml).

1.33 cups buttermilk (315.5 ml).

1 large egg.

Method 1 Choosing Which Flour(s) to Use.

1. Decide between white and regular whole wheat. Regular whole wheat flour is arguably the most widely available whole grain flour, and perhaps the most often cited in recipes. However, be aware that it has a nutty and tannic flavor that may not always lend itself well to your baked goods. As an alternative, consider using white whole wheat instead, which has a milder flavor and can be used in direct ratios when substituting regular whole wheat or white flour in recipes.

The difference between the two is which type of wheat berry is used to make them. Regular whole wheat flour comes from red wheat berries, while white whole wheat comes from white wheat berries.

2. Opt for whole wheat pastry flour for lighter bakes. Both regular and white whole wheat flours tend to result in heavier finished products. If the baked good you’re making is supposed to be light and crumbly, but the only whole grain available is whole wheat, go with whole wheat pastry flour. Expect pastry flour to have less protein than regular flour, and therefore less gluten when baked, which is what weighs down the texture of baked goods.

3. Start with spelt when branching out from wheat. If you’re looking to use flours other than whole wheat, begin with spelt. Utilize its sweet but mild flavor to avoid overpowering your baked goods, which is a risk with stronger grains that have bolder flavors. At the same time, eliminate the need to convert measurements in recipes, since spelt can be substituted in direct ratio to whole wheat flour.

4. Add barley for creamy textures. If you want a baked good that melts in your mouth, go with barley. However, be aware that it’s texture is very soft, so don’t ditch the whole wheat or all-purpose flour entirely. Instead, use half of the original amount that the recipe calls for (or, if you’re using spelt, an equal measurement of that), and then substitute the other half with barley.

5. Use oat to support chocolate, fruits, and nuts. Whole wheat flour usually results in a heavier baked good, which you often need to support the weight of solid add-ins (like chunks or whole pieces of chocolate, fruits, and nuts). However, if you want your baked good to be less dense while still mixing in these ingredients, substitute half of the whole wheat or all-purpose flour in your recipe with oat flour. This will result in a lighter bake that’s still sturdy enough to keep those ingredients from sinking to the bottom as it bakes.

6. Avoid “multigrain.” If you’re looking to eliminate baking with white flour entirely, read the package of any flour labeled as multigrain. Obviously, “multigrain” means that it is a combination of multiple grains, including whole grains. However, expect to find white flour listed as one of the flours mixed into many varieties of this product.

Method 2 Adjusting from White Flour to Whole Grains.

1. Expect changes in flavor and texture. Keep in mind that using whole grains instead of white flour will affect your baked goods’ taste and consistency. This doesn’t mean that all baked goods will taste better or worse with whole grains--just different. That said, depending on the type of baked good you’re making and your own personal tastes, anticipate having to do some trial-and-error with some recipes before you nail it.

2. Start with darker baked goods. Expect the difference in whole grains’ taste to be most striking when used in goods whose finished color really reflects the use of white flour. Because of this, start off with baked goods whose color tends to be on the dark side with or without white flour. Give your taste buds a chance to adjust before attempting a bake where the difference will be more noticeable.

For instance, go with a chocolate cake instead of a vanilla cake if this is your first bake with whole grains

3. Ease into it with partial substitutions. When you first attempt to bake with whole grains, don’t ditch the white flour right away. Instead, use the white flour for half the total flour called for by the recipe, and use whole grains for the other half. Note the difference in flavor and texture of your first batch. From there, decide if you'd like to increase the percentage of whole grains used in your next bake, or if you'd like to try again with a different type of flour.

4. Convert measurements when needed. Whole wheat and spelt flours can generally be used in equal measurements to the amount of white flour that a recipe calls for. However, expect other whole grain flours to require conversions. For example, if you’re branching out into nuts and using almond flour, you should use double the amount called for in white flour.

Search online for conversion charts to determine what if any conversion is needed for the type of flour that you’ve chosen to work with, like this one:

5. Add more liquid than called for. Be aware that whole grain flours absorb more moisture than white flour. If you’re using a recipe that calls for white flour, expect the finished product to be on the dry side if you substitute the white flour entirely with whole grains. To compensate, add two more teaspoons of each wet ingredient than specified for each cup of flour used.

6. Give the dough more time to absorb moisture. At the very least, let it sit for 20 to 25 minutes after you make it before you go and knead it.[12] For even better results, let it sit overnight. Additionally, try adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or another acidic ingredient. This allows the grains more time to soften while also breaking down more starch, which will make kneading easier.

Method 3 Trying Whole Grain-Specific Recipes.

1. Make whole wheat scones. First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut your butter into half-inch cubes (1.25 cm) and then work them into the flour mix with your hands, pinching them together, until they form what looks like breadcrumbs. Next, stir in the brown sugar and raisins, followed by the buttermilk. Now that you have your dough:

Dust a surface with flour and then roll the dough into a rectangular shape approximately a quarter inch thick (0.64 cm).

Cut it up into a dozen squares with each measuring about three inches, then roll any leftover trimmings together to make extra.

Line a baking sheet with cooking oil. Fold each square diagonally so it turns into triangle, then place it on the baking sheet.

Bake for a half hour, or until the tops brown to golden.

2. Bake spelt cookies. First, move one oven rack down as low as possible and another to a higher position. Then set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). While it preheats, use an electric mixer to beat together your brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. In a second bowl, combine your spelt flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the second bowl’s contents to the first and stir to combine. To bake:

Use a spoon to portion your dough out onto a baking sheet to form the size cookies you desire, leaving at least an inch (2.5 cm) between each one.

Place the baking sheet on the lowest rack and bake for five minutes.

Switch the sheet to the higher rack and bake for roughly five more, until the edges begin to brown a bit.

3. Make barley buttermilk muffins. Let your oven preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 Celsius). Then either spray your muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with paper muffin cups. Next, stir together the barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl. In a second bowl, use a whisk to combine the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and egg, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir to combine. Fill the tins with the batter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

The batter doesn’t need to be creamy smooth, so don't worry if it's a little lumpy.

Things You’ll Need.

Whole Wheat Scones : Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowl, Knife, Spoon for stirring, Oven, Baking sheet, Cooking oil.

Spelt Cookies : Oven, Measuring cups and spoons, Electric mixer, Baking sheet, Spoon.

Barley Buttermilk Muffins : Oven, Muffin tray, Nonstick spray or paper liners, Measuring cups and spoons, Whisk, Spoon for stirring.

Januari 25, 2020

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles (part 2).

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles  (part 2).

By TIM CHIN.

Trial 4: The Wide World of Dough Reducers
Adding an alkali wasn’t the answer. I had to dig deeper. Based on one translated source, the composition of penghui includes sodium, potassium, and sulfur. And given my previous tests with potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (both alkalis), I was willing to rule out the first two ingredients.
But sulfur? A quick search for sulfur additives in dough led me to this comprehensive post describing the role of dough reducers in industrial breadmaking. Dough reducers (or reducing agents) are a class of dough conditioners used to decrease mixing time and to improve extensibility. Chief among them are the protein-based reagents cysteine and glutathione; and, coincidentally, sulfites.
I reached out to the author, Dr. Jacinthe Côté, a food biotechnologist and Product Management Director at Lallemand Inc., a major research, development, and manufacturing company that specializes in yeasts and bacteria for natural fermentation processes, including industrial dough processing. According to her, reducing agents act like mixing to reversibly break down the gluten network, resulting in increased extensibility. “You have to be aware that those [disulfide] links can be broken. If you manipulate the dough, or if you stretch it too much, the bridge can be broken. It can be done mechanically, or it can be done chemically.”
For Dr. Côté, gluten development during mixing is best thought of as an oxidation-reduction reaction, hence the name “dough reducers.” “The formation of a disulfide bridge is an oxidation reaction…involving gluten [proteins] containing sulfhydryl (or thiol, denoted by -SH) groups. The oxidation process links the sulfhydryl groups on one protein with another.” Breaking those disulfide bonds chemically is a reduction process known as disulfide interchange. Do you need to know all that hard science? Not really. What’s important is this: Each reducing agent participates in some form of disulfide interchange to relax a dough. But they aren’t all created equal.

Sulfites.
Sulfites are a common reducing agent used in cookie, cracker, and biscuit production; they are used to relax doughs for shaping. These reagents act like caps, covering the reactive sulfhydryl groups on gluten proteins. This capping makes it difficult to reform disulfide bonds—resulting in a dough that can’t form a strong gluten network in exchange for extensibility.
The most commonly available form is a salt, such as sodium metabisulfite (which you can find at most homebrew stores as a preservative for wine making). Unfortunately, sulfite salts have the distinct odor of rotten eggs, can cause sensitivity reactions in some people (rashes, hives, indigestion, as some sulfite-sensitive wine drinkers may know), and are closely regulated by the FDA. They are effective at levels between 20-100 parts per million, so even if you used 1/16th of a teaspoon of a sulfite salt, you would need to add it to several pounds of dough to be effective. Ultimately, sulfite salts are not suited for home cooking (unless you’re making a huge batch of dough).
I had read that penghui smelled strongly of rotten eggs. Based on its reported composition and smell, I suspect that penghui contains some kind of sulfite salt, which would explain its dough-relaxing properties. In the end, I didn’t think sulfites were a viable—or healthy—option for the home cook.

Cysteine.
Cysteine is an amino acid, and the go-to reducing agent in commercial bread production. It’s cheap to produce, you can add it directly to a dough, and it acts quickly, reducing the number of disulfide cross-links between glutenin chains via disulfide interchange. Like sulfite salts, cysteine must be used in small amounts (10-90 parts per million), so it’s not the most practical choice for home cooks looking to make a single loaf of bread or a small batch of noodles. While you probably won’t find it in the baking aisle at your local grocery store, you can buy cysteine over the counter as a dietary supplement. But it does have a bad rap among health-conscious consumers: Most cysteine is extracted from the feathers of birds and hog hair. “There’s a big chemical extraction process,” explains Dr. Côté, and it results in a product that hardly resembles feathers or hair at all.
Despite the bad reputation, I decided to give cysteine a shot. I split open a pill of L-cysteine and sprinkled 0.1 grams of the powder into a working recipe of bread flour, salt, and water. The smell of metallic, faintly rotten eggs immediately stung my nostrils. Within minutes of kneading, the dough turned to a puddle in my hands. I could stretch the dough seemingly infinitely. But the dough lacked any semblance of structure, making it impossible to pull noodles that could hold their shape. I had added too much cysteine. Clearly, using cysteine could work to relax my dough, but it was also impractical and difficult to use correctly: I couldn’t justify asking home cooks to buy a whole bottle of cysteine just to use a couple milligrams of the stuff.

Glutathione (a.k.a. The Winner).
Glutathione is a peptide (a peptide is smaller than a protein, usually containing less than 50 amino acids) that contains cysteine, and functions in a similar way to relax doughs. Most commercial glutathione comes from natural sources like heat-treated, inactive yeast. “When you’re drying the yeast, you’re stressing [it] a little bit, and some of the cells die,” says Dr. Côté. “When the yeast cells die, they release some of their components that are inside the cell. One of the components that is naturally occurring is glutathione.” Lallemand specializes in a product called Fermaid, a non-leavening yeast product that is abundant in glutathione. Still, I didn’t want to buy a specialty, industrial-grade ingredient just to make some noodles (like sodium metabisulfite, you can sometimes find Fermaid at homebrew stores).
But what about nutritional yeast? Technically, it’s deactivated yeast, too, so it would have some proportion of glutathione. Could it work to relax a noodle dough? I pitched the idea to Dr. Côté. She lit up. “Ok! That’s a good one, too. That logic makes sense. A lot of bakeries just use regular inactive yeast (which is generally available industrially). I think there’s about 1.5%–2% glutathione in that product, and it works.” You can make inactive yeast by slowly cooking or drying out fresh yeast, but the process is time consuming. And if nutritional yeast was readily available and just as good, it seemed like a better option.
I started testing with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast mixed into my dough. Unlike my tests with cysteine, I found I could use reasonable amounts of nooch without worrying about over-relaxing the dough. To speed mixing up, I combined all the ingredients in a food processor and ran it just until a dough formed, then transferred the dough to the counter. After a few minutes of kneading and twisting, the dough relaxed considerably and became more extensible.
But unlike the dough with cysteine, it still retained its structure. As I dialed up the amount of nutritional yeast, the dough became even more extensible. By the fifth trial, I was able to pull noodles. The cooked noodles were ideal: chewy, even in thickness, and slurp-worthy. Using nutritional yeast also had a couple unintended benefits: It tinted the noodles a pale yellow—reminiscent of Japanese alkali ramen noodles—and it imparted subtle umami flavor (nutritional yeast is rich in glutamate, giving it a savory, cheesy quality, which explains why it’s often used as a stand-in for Parmesan in vegan recipes). And the best part? I went from mixing to pulling and cooking noodles in 15 minutes flat.
Finally, I had found a reliable way to pull noodles—or at least a way to get a dough with repeatable extensibility. And I didn’t need special equipment, special ingredients, or years of noodle school training.

Refining the Formula.
I solved the hardest part of the noodle problem: I had extensible, cooperative dough that could be both pulled repeatedly and made very quickly. All that remained was to home in on a foolproof formula for optimal handling and texture. I’ll break the rest of my testing down briefly, ingredient by ingredient:
Flour.
Flour is by far the most important ingredient in any dough. I tested various brands of low-protein cake flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour. Each of these flour types vary in their gluten potential (gluten potential is a term for how much gluten development is possible). Cake flour sits at 7-9% protein content (protein content includes proteins like albumin and globulin, in addition to gluten proteins); at the other end of the spectrum, bread flour contains 12-14% protein, depending on the brand. A flour with higher protein content tends to form a dough with more gluten potential and, consequently, more elasticity and chew.
In the end, I found that bread flour (I used King Arthur bread flour, which has the highest protein content available of all common flours you can find at grocery stores) resulted in noodles that pulled easily but had the proper elasticity for structure. The noodles held their shape well during pulling, and separated into even strands. The cooked noodles were chewier and had a more pleasant spring compared to noodles made with other flours. As the protein content of the flour decreased, dough handling and chew worsened. For instance, the same formula with cake flour was stickier and tended to droop and stick to my hands while pulling and stretching; the resulting noodles were uneven, lacked chew, and were spongy. I also observed that higher-protein flours were able to absorb more water without becoming sticky and unmanageable.
Water.
In general, water serves two primary functions in a noodle dough: It is essential to hydrating flour to form a stable gluten network; and it facilitates extensibility, making a dough stretchable. It’s useful to think of dough as a suspension of solid particles (starches) in a viscous fluid. If you add more water to that dough, you are increasing the size of the suspension, giving more space for the solid particles to move around, which means the dough will stretch more. At the same time, adding more water makes a dough stickier, harder to handle, and less elastic. I found the ideal hydration for my noodle dough (as a percentage of flour weight) sat between 62 and 68 percent. At levels lower than this range, the dough tended to be too elastic and too resistant to stretching. At a hydration higher than 68 percent, the dough was more extensible, but stuck to the work surface and to my hands, and was difficult—if not impossible—to stretch evenly.
Salt.
Salt is used mostly for flavor in my formula. But depending on the concentration, salt also acts as a conditioner in a dough, strengthening the gluten network. I tested doughs with and without salt. I found that without salt, doughs tended to be more slack and sticky. Adding salt made doughs more elastic, but easier to handle.
Oil.
Oil has several effects on dough handling and cooked noodle texture. In general, adding oil inhibits gluten development, since a portion of flour absorbs that oil during mixing. Oil also affects viscosity in a similar fashion to water: It makes a dough softer and more extensible. Lastly, oil seems to improve dough handling by mitigating stickiness to surfaces and hands. That final quality was integral to clean, even stretching in my recipe. Adding oil to my dough slightly increased extensibility without having to add even more water, which would have made my dough too sticky to handle.
Nutritional Yeast.
For optimal extensibility, I found nutritional yeast to be effective between 5 and 8 percent of the total flour weight in my tests. As the protein content of flour increased (up to King Arthur bread flour), I could dial up the amount of nutritional yeast to the top end of that range without compromising structure. As the protein content decreased (to say, Pillsbury cake flour), less yeast was required, and additional yeast made the dough too sticky and slack*.
*If you’re curious, nutritional yeast contains 2.5 milligrams of glutathione per gram.
A Note on Alkali.
What about all that hype around penghui and kansui? For this recipe, I noticed that alkali did make my noodles chewier; but it also made pulling noodles more difficult, and the cooked noodle shape was wavy, curled, and uneven. My noodles had plenty of chew already from high-gluten bread flour, and the added benefit in texture wasn’t worth the regression in dough handling and shaping. In the interest of keeping things simple, I decided to leave alkali out. You could definitely experiment with adding some alkali to your noodle dough to improve chew, but keep in mind that it will negatively impact extensibility.
Rules for the Road.
So now we’ve got a dough formula that works. But it’s still up to you to bring it all home and pull noodles. Here are some guidelines and words of advice to keep in mind for successful noodle pulling.
Use a Scale.
You need a scale. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. You might think you could get away with your heirloom tablespoons and that cute chipped porcelain measuring cup that you copped from Goodwill, but trust me when I say: It will do you no good. If you want consistency, use a scale (preferably digital ).
Stretch and Twirl.
After the formula, the most important aspect of this recipe is proper kneading before pulling noodles. All that stretching, twirling, and doubling over of dough might look flashy, but the process serves a function: It aligns gluten in a roughly linear orientation. Most of the time, general kneading (especially in a mixer) mashes gluten proteins in a random, non-linear way. That randomness is great for breads, which must expand in all directions when rising or baking. But noodles are straight, and need to extend in a linear way. Stretching and twirling is basically linear kneading: You’re mechanically making and breaking bonds in gluten, and aligning them in roughly one direction.
Practice Pulling.
Once you’ve sufficiently developed and aligned your dough, it’s time to pull noodles. This stage is a perfect time to practice. Ultimately, pulling noodles is a hand skill that takes some repetition and feeling. “My recommendation is don’t jump the gun and try to boil your noodles. Just practice,” Luke recommends. Generally, flouring the table and rolling the dough in flour helps keep the noodle strands separate when pulling. But once you’ve floured the table, you have to pull noodles and cook them, since additional flour would be worked into the dough, throwing off our intentionally crafted formula.
Fortunately, the un-floured dough has that repeatable extensibility, so you can practice the pulling motions repeatedly, without fear of the dough tearing or snapping back. “Just keep trying to make noodles, over and over again—without actually flouring them and throwing them into a pot and expecting to eat anything. A lot of this is really the dexterity and knowing how to hold the two ends of the dough.”
Don’t Be Afraid.
If I’ve done my job, this should be a very forgiving dough. So don’t be discouraged if you can’t get the pulling motions quite right initially. If the dough tears (it shouldn’t), just roll it back up and try again. Don’t stress. If the noodles are uneven, try again. If one or two strands break as you’re pulling, don’t freak out. Remember: It’s just dough.
Go Forth and Pull.
At this point, the noodle masters of yore are likely rolling in their graves. Traditionalists out there will probably put me on full blast. “Lamian doesn’t have nooch! How dare you. That’s not authentic.”
Tradition was never the point. Exploration and understanding—they are worth far more. I could have just as easily told you to go out and smuggle in some penghui, knead your dough for hours, and make some authentic noodles. But this is a lamian recipe for home cooks. My goal was to develop a noodle dough that anyone could pull; a way to practice noodle pulling without resorting to prohibitive means or herculean efforts.
Just to make sure, I sent my recipe to Luke for him to try out. He emailed me back a couple days later with pictures and even a video of him pulling noodles. It took him ten minutes from mixing to eating—a personal record. “I’m kinda speechless...huge stamp of approval from me!”
No matter the method, making lamian is magic. It’s a perfect demonstration of the alchemy, and chemistry, of cooking. It embodies the excitement, the thrill, and the spirit of making something amazing out of the ordinary. Learning about the process has been equally enriching. So go out and make some lamian dough. Practice, pull, and practice again. Then you'll be ready to cook them up and slide them into a fragrant bowl of lamb soup. (Stay tuned for that recipe.)


(source : https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2020/04/hand-pulled-lamian-noodles)

Agustus 02, 2020

how to cook without a recipe with building your confidence

how to cook without a recipe with building your confidence

Building Your Confidence.

Recognize when food is finished cooking. If you don't have a recipe to tell you how long to cook something for, you need to know signs that the food is done, especially when cooking meat or seafood. To tell if meat is as cooked as you like, rely on an instant-read meat thermometer. If you're baking cake, muffins, or quick bread, you'll usually want to insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.



The more you cook, the better you'll be at gauging how long something takes to cook. For example, if you're stir-frying vegetables, you'll know to add carrots before onions since they take longer to cook.

Tip: Keep a chart in your kitchen that shows the food-safe temperature for different kinds of meat and seafood.



Taste your food frequently and trust your senses. Don't wait until you're ready to serve a meal before you taste it. As long as the food isn't raw, you should be sampling it as you cook so you can adjust the seasonings. Learn to trust your instinct. For example, if the dish tastes like it needs brighter flavor, add a squeeze or lemon or freshly chopped herbs.



Pay attention to how things smell as you cook. Your sense of smell can tell you if you've added enough spices, if the food smells appetizing, or if something is burning!



Experiment with a dish before serving it to others. You'll put unnecessary pressure on yourself if you try to whip up something that you've never made before to serve to guests. Instead, practice cooking without a recipe when there's little stress or pressure. You'll enjoy yourself more and might be bolder since there's no fear of making mistakes.

It's not a bad idea to have a backup plan, even if you're just cooking dinner for yourself. For example, have supplies in the fridge for making a quick sandwich if cooking doesn't turn out as you hoped.



Make substitutions to dishes you know how to make. Once you've gotten really comfortable with making a particular dish, experiment by changing a few ingredients. For example, if your pasta calls for bacon and asparagus, try making it with pancetta and snap peas.



Pizza is a great meal to cook without a recipe. As long as you can roll out the dough, you can try different sauces or toppings.

Tip: Substitute flavor extracts in your baking. For example, instead of using vanilla, try almond or lemon extract.



Practice seasoning a dish. You may be used to seasoning food with salt, but there are a lot of ways to adjust the flavor of food. In addition to salt, you might want to add more spices or fresh herbs according to your preferences. To really take your cooking to the next level, add a few drops of an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine, or hot sauce.



To add richness to the meal, stir in a little butter or heavy cream.

If the meal tastes a little boring or flat, add depth of flavor by stirring in some miso, tomato paste, or Worcestershire sauce.



Memorize basic ratios for the foods you cook often. You don't need recipes for foods that rely on simple ratios, such as rice, quinoa, bulger, and other grains. Find a ratio that creates food with a texture you like and commit it to memory. Then, you can easily make a pot of couscous without even thinking about it.

Use 1 1⁄2 cups (350 ml) of water for every 1 cup (180 g) of rice as a starting ratio. Then, adjust the ratio to get a texture you like.

November 04, 2019

how to substitute cream of tartar

How to Substitute Cream of Tartar. 

Cream of tartar is a powder ingredient used in many recipes to stabilize egg whites, act as a leavening agent, or prevent sugar from crystallizing. If you are working on a recipe and realize you are out of cream of tartar, no worries! You can easily substitute it with lemon juice, white vinegar, and baking powder, to name a few. Alternatively, omit the cream of tartar substitute if making frostings or syrups. Modify your recipe slightly, and you can easily substitute cream of tartar.

Method 1 Substituting with Common Kitchen Ingredients.

1. Substitute lemon juice for a very effective option. When mixing ingredients for your particular recipe, swap equal parts of cream of tartar for lemon juice. Most recipes call for 1/4 tsp (1.2 g) of cream of tartar. The acidity in lemon juice is similar to that in cream of tartar, so this makes for an easy swap.

This is particularly a good idea if you are making lemon meringue pie.

2. Choose white vinegar if you are beating egg whites. White vinegar and lemon are both very helpful substitutes that work great to mimic the effect of cream of tartar. Add equal parts of white vinegar to your eggs as you beat them to easily whisk them up and make them extra fluffy. The acidity of the vinegar helps to add volume, similar to cream of tartar.

If your recipe calls for 1/2 tsp (2.4 g) of cream of tartar, use 1/2 tsp (2.4 g) of white vinegar instead.

You may have to add a little bit of sugar to taste if the mixture is too bitter.

3. Try baking powder if you need a leavening agent. If your recipe calls for baking soda and cream of tartar, swap it out for baking powder. Baking powder is another effective leavening agent that you can use in a pinch. Use 1 tsp (14.9 g) of baking powder to replace 1/3 tsp (1.65 g) of baking soda and 2/3 tsp (3.3 g) of cream of tartar.

Baking powder is essentially a mix of baking soda and cream of tartar, so this won’t change your recipe much at all.

This is a good idea if you want to add cream of tartar to blueberry pancakes, for example.

4. Use buttermilk if your recipe calls for lots of dairy. If you’re making a dish with lots of milk or cream, like pies or puddings, you can use buttermilk to add acidity and replicate cream of tartar benefits. Remove 1/2 cup (118.3 mL) of liquid for every 1/4 tsp (1.2 g) of cream of tartar, and then add 1/2 cup (118.3 mL) of buttermilk instead.

Buttermilk is an acidic liquid that is left over after churning butter. It is often used in baking pancakes and birthday cakes.

In some cases, you can substitute yogurt for buttermilk. Add milk to your yogurt until it is the same consistency as buttermilk, then use the same buttermilk proportions to substitute your cream of tartar.

5. Skip over the cream of tartar if you are making frostings or syrups. If you are making sugary toppings including icing, syrups, and frostings, leave out the cream of tartar rather than trying to find a substitute. Your topping may crystallize and get hard, but you can easily reheat it in the microwave or stovetop to soften it.

Do this if you are topping cookies, frosting a cake, or stuffing donuts, for instance.

Method 2 Using Cream of Tartar.

1. Use cream of tartar to stabilize egg whites when making meringue. Cream of tartar is what gives meringue its creamy, fluffy texture. Use your meringue to make cookies, pies, and other tasty desserts. Typically, you can use 3 egg whites and 1/4 tsp (1.2 g) of cream of tartar to make delicious meringue. Be sure to beat your egg whites well until they are foamy.

Consult your recipe to determine how much cream of tartar and egg whites to use.

2. Add cream of tartar when making baked goods for a leavening agent. Mix cream of tartar with baking soda to create a chemical reaction, resulting in extra-fluffy treats. Use cream of tartar to help cookies, pancakes, and other baked goods.

The amount of cream of tartar and baking soda to add to your ingredients depends on your particular recipe.

For example, add 2 tsp (9.9 g) of cream of tartar when making Snickerdoodles for fluffy, yummy cookies.

3. Include cream of tartar to prevent sugars from crystallizing in icings. The acidic base of cream of tartar helps keep sugars from hardening up when making icings, frostings, or syrups. In addition, cream of tartar gives these sugary toppings a smooth, consistent texture.

For instance, if you are making icing with 3 cups (710 g) of confectioners sugar and 2 egg whites, add 1/4 tsp (1.2 g) of cream of tartar for a creamy touch.

Things You’ll Need.

Recipe.

Lemon juice.

White vinegar.

Baking powder.

Buttermilk.

Tips.

If you store cream of tartar at room temperature in an airtight container, it should stay good indefinitely.

You can also use cream of tartar and lemon juice to help clean household items.

Cream of tartar can be used to substitute baking soda in some recipes.

Warnings.

Remember that these substitutions may have similar results, but your finished product may still come out differently. After all, it is a substitution. You can expect subtle changes in texture and overall appearance.

November 30, 2019

how to make baking powder

How to Make Baking Powder.

Baking powder (not to be mistaken for baking soda) is a leavening agent used to lighten doughs by releasing gas, forming bubbles causing the dough to rise. It is often bought ready mixed but you can easily make your own with a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Method 1 Making Your Own Baking Powder.

1. Gather your supplies. You’ll need a bowl, a sifter, a whisk, a small container with a lid, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch or arrowroot.

2. Measure the ingredients. Use ¼ cup (130 g) of baking soda, ¼ cup (27.5 g) of the cornstarch or arrowroot, and ½ cup (81 g) of cream of tartar.

3. Sift the ingredients. This will prevent any lumps from forming in your mixture, and help to more fully incorporate all the ingredients.

4. Stir the mixture. Using a whisk, fully mix all the ingredients together.

5. Store your baking powder. It should be kept in an airtight container to prevent moisture from entering, and is good for 7 to 10 weeks.

Method 2 Making Other Baking Powder Substitutes for Recipes.

1. Use buttermilk for a rich substitute. Combine equal parts baking soda and buttermilk or plain yogurt.

The cultures in these dairy products react with the baking soda to create the gas necessary for leavening your baked goods.

Only use buttermilk as a substitute in recipes that already require wet ingredients. If necessary, reduce the measurements of the other wet ingredients to prevent your batter or dough from being too moist.

2. Try lemon juice if you don’t want to use dairy. Mix equal parts of lemon juice and baking soda for any recipes that require baking powder.

The acid in the lemon juice creates the chemical reaction with the baking soda, working in a pinch if you don't have baking powder.

Using lemon juice may leave a residual flavor, so only use it in products that you don't mind tasting mildly of citrus.

3. Use molasses if the flavor would complement your recipe. Mix ⅓ cup (113 g) of molasses with ¼ teaspoon (130 g) of baking soda. This substitution is best used in recipes that would not affect the taste much, such as in gingerbread or spice cake.

Method 3 Using Baking Powder in Your Home.

1. Freshen your carpet with baking soda. Mix a few drops of your favorite essential oil with ¼ cup (130 g) of baking powder. Sprinkle the combination over your carpet and leave for 10 minutes, vacuuming afterwards.

2. Use it as a cleaner. Baking powder is great for cleaning or adding a little power to many common cleaners.

Sprinkle some baking powder in your dishwasher for an extra clean set of dishes.

Pour 1-2 tablespoons (33-66 g) baking powder in with your laundry to help boost your detergent.

Mix a little baking powder with hot water to create a paste and leave on dried food. It will work to remove the food from stoves, countertops, and dishes so that cleaning them down with a sponge afterwards is much easier.

Clean your microwave. Mix 2-4 tablespoons (66-132 g) of baking powder with 1 cup (240 mL) of water and place the mixture in the microwave. Heat until the water boils, and allow time for it to cool in the microwave. Afterwards, it should be much easier to wipe down the interior of the microwave.

Clean your dirty mop by soaking it in a mixture of warm water and baking soda. It will remove any unwanted odors from mold or mildew that may be trapped in the mop head.

Clean your drains. Pour half a cup of baking soda and then half a cup of vinegar down your clogged drain. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, and then pour hot water down the drain to rinse.

3. Clean smelly shoes. Fill a clean old sock with baking powder and let set in a pair of shoes that have begun to smell. The baking powder helps to absorb the odors.

4. Get rid of ants. If you have an ant problem in your home, sprinkle a trail of baking powder mixed with salt in front of whatever entrance you think they’re using.

5. Erase crayon from walls. Mix baking powder with warm water to create a paste. Dip a clean toothbrush into the paste and use to scrub walls with crayon drawings on them.

Tips.

Keep the baking powder dry until you are ready to use it.

Store-bought baking powder may have traces of metal or corn in it, so making your own is a way to remove these ingredients.

Desember 17, 2019

How to Make Candy

How to Make Candy.

Candy making is enjoyable, both because it's fun to work with the sweet ingredients and because the end results are so very tasty! From very simple candies to very artistic versions, there is candy making for every skill level, depending on what interests you. In this article, you'll find a variety of candy making suggestions to whet your appetite for making candy at home.

Method 1 Making Simple Candy.
Most simple candy is based on sugar turned into a syrup, with flavoring or other simple additives.
1. Make sugar candy. This is a very simple candy that only requires sugar and water. Not so great for the teeth, this is best left for an occasional treat.
Some variations on the basic sugar candy include maple sugar candy, sparkly sugar candy and Sweet and Low™ sugar candy.
2. Make rock or crystallized candy. Rock or crystallized candy is a prettier version of sugar candy that requires a little extra effort but not much! This type of candy is a great one for parties and school fairs. Note––this form of candy is not to be confused with pulled rock candy (see below).
3. Make toffee. Toffee is another simple sugar treat that can be eaten plain or can be changed into many different flavors through the addition of flavoring extracts, nuts or fruit, and other items. There are quite a few possibilities here, including.
English toffee, Almond toffee, Marshmallow toffee, Bacon toffee, Toffee apple.
4. Make cotton candy (also known as fairy floss). This is a favorite treat for those attending fairs, showgrounds and sideshows. It's a little messy to make at home but it still tastes great!
5. Make marshmallow. A perennial favorite for many, marshmallows are fun snack foods, at home, for camping and hiking and when stuck in the office all day!

Method 2 Making Pulled Candy.
Pulled candy is formed by stretching the sugar medium into a sausage shape after it cools slightly, twisting and pulling to trap the air bubbles and create a shiny candy. It's hard work though––you need to be strong and able to handle the candy at a high temperature or it'll lose its pliability when too cool. These candies are for the specialist!
1. Make taffy. Taffy is a well-known form of pulled candy.
2. Make boiled sweets. Many boiled sweets are made using the pulling method. This type of traditional candy formed in the days when people had more time to be fussing about with candy making and there is an infinite variety of boiled sweet types and shapes that can be made. Typical pulled candies include humbugs and rock candy.
See How to make old fashioned hard candy for a range of different boiled sweet types.

Method 3 Making caramel candies.
Caramels are made by adding milky or creamy products to the sugar. These render the candies softer and creamier.
1. Make caramel cream candies or basic caramels. The basic caramel cream candies are vanilla flavored and allow the creaminess to take center stage above the flavor.
2. Try variations on the basic caramel theme. There are many possibilities for changing the flavor and texture of caramels. Here are just a few examples of what you can make.
Plain chocolate caramels, Chocolate nut caramels, Bacon caramels, Ribbon caramels, Vegan caramels.

Method 4 Making Nutty Candy.
Using nuts as the basis for candy has a long tradition and gives the candy substance, as well as a great flavor.
1. Use almonds for candy. Almonds have a wonderful shape that is just perfect for turning into candies, and the flavor is liked by many. Here are some suggestions.
Make candied almonds, Make almond bark, Chocolate coated almonds.
Make sugar or Jordan almonds – these are often used for wedding favors; they can be made plain white or can be colored to suit a theme.

2. Use peanuts for candy. Peanuts are a popular inclusion in many candies. Here are just a few ideas.
Peanut brittle and chocolate peanut brittle, Homemade versions of Reese's peanut butter bars
3. Try walnuts for candies. Walnut flavor and texture are ideal for candies. Try some of these recipes.
Make candied walnuts, Chocolate caramel walnuts.
4. Use other nuts in candies. Brazil nuts, pecans and hazelnuts are just some of the other nuts that are used frequently to turn into candies.
Pecan brittle, Cashew brittle.

Method 5 Making Fudge.
Fudge is a soft ball stage candy. It's not as fussy to make as some of the other candy types, hence it's a popular homemade candy variety.
1. Make basic fudge. Fudge can be very simple without much flavoring added and it still tastes terrific.
2. Make fudge varieties. There are probably more fudge varieties than anyone can possibly ever name and likely even more yet to be invented! Categorized by type, here are a few fudge suggestions to get you started:
Chocolate fudge: Cocoa fudge, chocolate fudge, etc.
Nut fudge: Peanut butter and marshmallow fudge, Snickers fudge, etc.
Fun fudge: Cookies and cream fudge, fantasy fudge, etc.
Fruit fudge: Orange fudge, apricot fudge, Coconut fudge, etc.

Method 6 Making Fondant and Marzipan Candy.
This type of candy requires more skill and confidence but you have to begin somewhere, so don't shy away from it! There are lots of possibilities when you use fondant and marzipan mediums for making candies, as you can shape, mold and sculpt many different designs.
1. Use marzipan to make candies. Making marzipan is something you can do at home, or you can buy it pre-packaged.
Typical marzipan candy shapes are fruit shapes––little apples, oranges, pears, lemons, strawberries, etc. Flowers are another ideal way to shape marzipan. Marzipan candies include using marzipan as a stuffing inside dried fruit pieces or between two nuts.
Some more ideas include: Marzipan bunnies, marzipan toadstools and Christmas candy.
2. Use fondant to make candies. Again, you can make fondant at home or buy it already made. Be aware that there are different types of fondant available, with varying levels of sugar and other ingredients, which affects softness, taste and durability. Ask the retailer for advice. Some may be more suited to covering cake than shaping as candies.
Typical fondant candies include round balls or cookie cutter shapes. Fondant candies are often flavored and may be covered in chocolate to form chocolate creams of varying flavors.
3. Note that both marzipan and fondant can use the same shaping techniques. Refer to the instructions of particular recipes for certainty; in some cases, the exact type of fondant (candy or cake) will impact whether it can be shaped.

Method 7 Making Truffles.
Truffles are half candy, half chocolate. Hence, they're mentioned here although not every candy maker will dabble with truffle making, as it's an art form in its own right.
1. Make basic chocolate truffles. The natural flavor for a truffle is chocolate, so this is a good place to start!
Variations on chocolate truffles include chocolate rum truffles and white chocolate truffles.
2. Branch out into different varieties of truffles. There are many different choices possible, here are just a few suggestions.
Strawberry balsamic truffles, Mint truffles, Christmas pudding truffles, Oreo truffles, Pumpkin truffles.

Community Q&A.

Question : Are there any substitutes for fondant that actually taste good, and don’t just taste sweet?
Answer : While some substitutes for fondant do exist, such as marzipan or gum paste, fondant can be flavored with flavoring extracts or cocoa powder. I would suggest flavoring the fondant rather than using a substitute, because fondant substitutes do not have the same properties as fondant.


Tips.
In many cases, sugar-free or sugar-reduced options are available for candy making.
Vegan and vegetarian options for some animal-based ingredients are available; do an online search for substitutes.
If you enjoy making basic candies, try more advanced versions. Set aside your time and expect failures; it's all part of learning to improve your abilities in the art of making candies.
Note that not everyone is fond of the almond flavor in marzipan––always ask before sharing.

Warnings.

All candy is best consumed in moderation. High levels of sugar and other non-essential nutrients can lead to health problems such as diabetes, acne, poor digestion, excessive weight gain and the like. See candies as occasional treats for special events.
Things You'll Need.
Candy thermometer - this can be crucial for some candies, so it's a worthwhile investment.
Suitable candy making equipment - many candy making enthusiasts reserve special bowls, spoons, etc. just for making candies with.
Boxes, linings, bags, etc. for gifting candies.
Airtight storage containers, usually the best for keeping candies longer.

Juni 03, 2020

why our hunger is rising rapidly and how to sate it

why our hunger is rising rapidly and how to sate it

I once did an idle poll of all the ways people’s mothers had called them fat and my favourite … well, it was a joint three-way between: “You could eat one more potato than a pig”, “Your brother is slimmer and more handsome, but that’s made him arrogant” and “Darling, you’re at what I would call your winter weight.” Ah, winter weight: is it a real thing or just a caustic critique? It’s both.



Some people don’t get hungrier when the seasons change and think it’s one of those things that happens to women, and bears. Those people are the outliers; they just don’t know it. A drop in ambient temperature increases energy expenditure in both sexes (also in bears). It shouldn’t matter enormously on a basic calories-in-calories-out model, because we’re talking just 150 calories a day. You use extra energy, you eat a banana; this is the smallest inconvenience the change in seasons has to offer, less annoying than having to find your cagoule. However, the human body being somewhat more complicated than a basic book-keeping system, all your appetite hears is the activation. It’s like the Hulk. It doesn’t want to do just one job. It’s a force of nature, not a supplier of goods and services. It wants to burst out of its clothes and keep on going until you, too, have burst out of your clothes.



There’s also a serotonin angle, as the sunlight recedes and your hormonal pathways try to source joy from other places, at which point a banana won’t cut it. And then, of course, there’s a feedback loop. You start by craving refined carbohydrates for a reason, but then you want more cake because you just had cake, as with heroin.



There’s a strong argument that says: who cares? Be your winter weight. And, sod it, while you’re there, why not eat one more potato than a pig? But let’s say you’re one of those people who hates being at the mercy of uncontrollable forces under the skin. There are things to eat in winter that don’t come from Greggs.



The point isn’t that you should eat hot food because it increases your body temperature from the inside. It doesn’t create a little pocket of heat in your stomach that emanates to your extremities for the rest of the day – it’s food, not uranium; the Ready Brek ad was basically mis-selling. But complex carbohydrates take more energy to digest, so will be both satiating and warming, which leads inexorably to the stew or hearty soup.



I start with pearl barley. I’m always bored with it by Christmas and by June I’ve forgotten how to cook it (it’s easy, like rice, only takes four times as long), but in the first cold snap it is powerfully cheering and fills your kitchen with a delicious, heady smell, as if you were living in a 16th-century brewery and will be ready for a massive knees-up in six months’ time. Delia Smith’s One Is Fun – perhaps the most controversial work in her canon, having caused lifelong rifts since the 1980s as friends presented it to each other as a passive-aggressive gift item (“You’re going to be alone for ever, at least eat nice soup”) – has a pearl barley soup of such substance, such rough but pleasing texture (squishy; no, wait, chewy; no, wait, slightly sticky; ah, hang on, also crunchy) and such an ancient vibe – you can taste the centuries of embedded knowledge, one generation passing carrot-wisdom on to the next, back into the mists of time – that while you’re on the first bowl, you feel as though you could eat it every day, for every meal, for ever. This will, unfortunately, turn out not to be true.



I don’t want to bang on about meat, painfully aware of how often I’ve claimed to be nearly vegan and then had a salt-beef sandwich. But the classic stew is barley with lamb, and William Drabble’s recipe is as close to perfect as it gets.



This will all take a lot longer than pasta and someone is sure to bang on about their slow cooker, and how it revolutionised their lives, because suddenly they were chopping onions at 7.25 in the morning and coming home to a delicious meal of very intense onions. I find this a slightly saddening life fix because part of the pleasure of making a stew is feeling that it was your skill – browning it, poking it, going back to have a look at it – that brought it to that point of excellence. Also, all those delicious smells, like a full-house scented candle made of food, except not £65 (there is no stew as expensive as a candle, except cassoulet). It’s better to make it on a Sunday and eat it all week.

Visit : https://howtomakesimplefoodrecipes.blogspot.com



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Acknowledgements

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November 01, 2019