Monthly Archives: August 2009

Thank you Sheila Lukens.

Posted on 31 August 2009 | Leave a comment

I just learned that Sheila Lukens, co-author of The Silver Palate cookbook, died yesterday.

Here is the obituary from the New York Times.

When I was in seminary, we were required to take a short course in January – between the main fall and spring terms.  The class doesn't jump out in my mind, but it was taught by Dusty McDonald, Dean of the Seminary of the Southwest, and I remember him recommending to us that we find something we enjoyed to add to our busy lives.

Dusty said that he had purchased The Silver Palate cookbook years before, and had (or was) cooking his way through the cookbook.  This was before Julie & Julia – and it seemed to me that finding a good cookbook, and making things from it regularly was a really good idea. 

I bought The Silver Palate and started cooking.  I think the first thing I made was the potato cheese soup (page 60).  I've made that recipe so many times that the book binding is broken.

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I have so many cookbooks that are barely used, but The Silver Palate had been a great help to me, and given me and the guests at my table, many, many good meals.

Thank you Sheila Lukens & Julee Rosso.  Thanks to you too, Dusty, for the good recommendation.  

Cynthia

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Croissant Monday: Success!

Posted on 31 August 2009 | 3 Comments

The croissants are great.  I learned a lot and really can't wait to make another batch so I can correct a few mistakes.

I found the "rolling out into the actual croissant shape" part of the recipe to be confusing.  In hindsight, I think I rolled wrong and that is why it was such a chore.  It took me 45 minutes to roll out 12 croissants – I did roll two of them differently and the difference was remarkable – these two are probably the best croissants out of the batch – really beautiful texture.  The others are good , but more like a dinner roll than a flaky croissant.  

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But they are still good – super buttery taste and remarkable flavor.

I have to teach a class tonight – otherwise I'd probably make the second batch today – but I'll wait until the weekend and see what I can do.  Start to finish this took 14 hours and I turned out the lights just after midnight – It'll be quicker next time and I'll start early in the morning.

The bottom line – try making croissants.  Even if you don't get it just right, you still end up with a pastry that is delicious.

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Is it Still Sunday Croissants?

Posted on 30 August 2009 | Leave a comment

They are looking a lot less like space food and more like croissants. They are a little slow to rise but we are getting very close. Is it Still Sunday Croissants?

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Sunday Croissants – Bedtime – or not…

Posted on 30 August 2009 | 1 Comment

Well, well.  Its 9:15 and time for bed, except I just got the croissants rolled out and they have 1.5 hours to rise before baking.

The rolling out and actually forming the rolls was challenging. 

First, I couldn't tell if I was doing it right – the directions seemed to say cut a square in half, then roll that long diagonal side into the point – except first you have to roll it really long and thin.  

Then they weren't all the same size, probably because in my making of 55 layers, I did not get the dough an even thickness – which caught up with me in the end. 

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I think the croissants look like aliens made them, but then, I was born in Roswell…

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Sunday Croissants : early evening

Posted on 30 August 2009 | 1 Comment

Here's the little packet of goodness with 55 layers of dough and 54 (?) layers of butter.

Sunday Croissants : early evening

Wait 2 hours then we'll cut & roll

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Sunday Croissants: Butter = Yum!

Posted on 30 August 2009 | Leave a comment

I have had time to bathe three of the four cats and have now decided that I should make croissants when I have a big "to do" list that I've been avoiding.  

So, the dough rose as it was supposed to – which was encouraging.

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"Beat butter with a rolling pin to soften it."   I had fun softening the butter – any recipe that tells you to whack butter with a rolling pin has got to be a good recipe. 

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BTW – if you come over for toast, you can expect softened butter – this stuff was dreamy.

Then roll dough to 8 x 14, and schmeer the butter.  This was the part I'd been dreading but it was really easy, and pretty to look at, and fun.  Unfortunately, Julia says to move quickly and since this is my first try at croissants, I did not stop to take a photo.

Then fold and roll it into another rectangle – we are now at 2 layers of butter with 4 layers of dough

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It gets another fold  so you have 7 layers of dough and 6 (six) layers of butter.  How can anything be wrong with six layers of butter.  Now its in the fridge for 1-1.5 hours. 

If I am calculating this right – the croissants will be ready around 10:00 tonight.  Somehow, when I started at 9:30 this morning, 11-12 hours seemed like it would be around 7:00.  My bad.

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Croissant Sunday Afternoon

Posted on 30 August 2009 | Leave a comment

4.5 hours in, here is what the dough looks like:

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That's a 5×8 rectangle if you are following along at home :)   

Rectangle folded in thirds "like a business letter" and back in the bowl to double.  Wish I'd washed the bowl so it would take a nice photo – but its cloudy looking so you'll just have to take my word for how cute it looks in there, being folded in thirds and all..

The biggest surprise is how much you don't do.  So far, there is nothing to this except the initial mix and that was "just barely" mixed in my book.  Note – that does say, "so far."

1.5 hours to relax and do more chores.  I am starting to think that making croissants is a meditative exercise.

Cynthia

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Garden Gate Blog

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Croissant Sunday continues

Posted on 30 August 2009 | Leave a comment

Here is the dough at about 2 hours. I love having the Pampered Chef mixing- measuring. Bowl so I can see how far we have to go – to the 7 cup mark. Thanks to whoever had that Pampered Chef party so long ago.

Croissant Sunday continues

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Croissant Sunday

Posted on 30 August 2009 | Leave a comment

The days are getting shorter and even though our temperatures are still hovering around 100, i'm feeling the urge to bake.

I'm getting more brave in my cooking – maybe having slightly more successes than failures has given me courage. Anyway, I've been hungry for a good croissant and decided that today's the day to try making croissants. 

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So far, it's shockingly easy. But then we haven't reached the tricky part about the butter being spreadable but not warm enough to be oily, and, not cold enough to be flaky. Luckily that part comes this afternoon. For now I'm heading out to the garden and will return to the sticky dough in about 3 hours.

Cynthia

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Cynthia McKenna – making Croissants from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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Panini, Panini, O how I love thee

Posted on 28 August 2009 | 1 Comment

I have a new panini grill…

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Its from Breville and I love it.

Lots of experimenting to do – what foods are good in a panini, how much filling is too much?

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I love love to hear your recommendations for great panini fillings – what do you like in your panini?

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Vegetable Love ~ by Barbara Crooker

Posted on 24 August 2009 | Leave a comment

Feel a tomato, heft its weight in your palm,
think of buttocks, breasts, this plump pulp.
And carrots, mud clinging to the root,
gold mined from the earth’s tight purse.
And asparagus, that push their heads up,
rise to meet the returning sun,
and zucchini, green torpedoes
lurking in the Sargasso depths
of their raspy stalks and scratchy leaves.
And peppers, thick walls of cool jade, a green hush.
Secret caves. Sanctuary.
And beets, the dark blood of the earth.
And all the lettuces: bibb, flame, oak leaf, butter-
crunch, black-seeded Simpson, chicory, cos.
Elizabethan ruffs, crisp verbiage.
And spinach, the dark green
of northern forests, savoyed, ruffled,
hidden folds and clefts.
And basil, sweet basil, nuzzled
by fumbling bees drunk on the sun.
And cucumbers, crisp, cool white ice
in the heart of August, month of fire.
And peas in their delicate slippers,
little green boats, a string of beads,
repeating, repeating.
And sunflowers, nodding at night,
then rising to shout hallelujah! at noon.

All over the garden, the whisper of leaves
passing secrets and gossip, making assignations.
All of the vegetables bask in the sun,
languorous as lizards.
Quick, before the frost puts out
its green light, praise these vegetables,
earth’s voluptuaries,
praise what comes from the dir

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"Vegetable Love" was the featured poem on Sunday's The Writer's Almanac – here is a link to Garrison Keeler reading "Vegetable Love"


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Garden updates

Posted on 22 August 2009 | Leave a comment

I did some garden cleanup this morning  - one  tomato plant, one cantaloupe, and the okra –  into the compost bin they went.  The garden looks a little happier having the dead stuff cleared out. Tomorrow I'll do some fertilizing and hopefully take some photos.  

It has been hard to work in the garden because it has just been so darn hot.  

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Surprises in the Garden

Posted on 16 August 2009 | Leave a comment

Here is a peek into the garden this morning:

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A nice sugar pumpkin

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And, a little coral snake…

What's in your garden?

Cynthia

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Cynthia McKenna

http://gardengateblog.com

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Baking Wheat Bread

Posted on 3 August 2009 | 2 Comments

Ready to go in the ovenphoto.jpg

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