Posts tagged ‘julia child’

Jan 26

Biscuits, Finger Update And A Different Look

Biscuits

I haven’t really cooked anything for a while now, my finger injury has sort of taken my life and turned it upside down. I was hoping that by now, a month since the injury I would be well on my way to normalcy but unfortunately thats not the case. I decided to try making biscuts this morning with one and a half hands, wouldn’t recommend it. The biscuits came out ok, it’s a good recipe but it was hard. Biscuits have long been my nemesis and still to this day I haven’t found what I consider the perfect biscuit. Growing up my Mom made everything from scratch, at least almost everything, biscuits came from a can in the refrigerator section of the supermarket and I really liked them. Maybe thats why I have unattainable expectations from my homemade biscuits. I like them more like bread than a quick bread texture. These biscuits are a recipe from Julia Child, it’s very good, not perfect but very good.

My favorite biscuit recipe is from Food52, Cheese Biscuits. They are wonderful but I couldn’t grate cheese otherwise I would have made these. Totally Yummy!! If you do make them, reduce the salt, just a hint!!

Baking Powder Biscuits

Makes 1 dozen

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1 2/3 tbs baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I like spectrum organic) Note: You can also use butter or a mixtire of butter and shortening – I use both

1 cup whole milk

Measure dry ingredients into large mixing bowl, whisk together. Cut in the shortening/butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Gently fold in the milk just to wet. DON”T KNEAD OR OVERMIX. Turn out onto work surface and gently pat into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Use biscuit cutter or glass and place on ungreased baking sheet or baking pan. Brush the tops with cream or melted butter and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Now for my finger, well it has not healing well, I went to the doctor the other day and I need to start physical therapy going several times a week for 8 weeks, we are hoping that will help the joint to re align, it’s still out of whack. I am keeping it splinted in place, the cartilage and ligaments were badly damaged and cannot hold my finger in place. It’s painful and for me very discouraging. I need my finger back, it’s 100% unusable at this point. Here is a photo of the most recent x-ray.

My poor finger

I am also changing the theme for my blog, what do you think of the new look?

Nov 27

67 Comments

Thanksgiving Pies And The Wine

I bake pies, lots of pies for Thanksgiving. Not just for me but for some friends as well. For my family it’s just a pumpkin and pecan. I am also making sweet potato, pumpkin and apple for friends. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pie, it’s a staple and everyone loves it.

A very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that celebrates the holiday and to all that don’t I hope you have a wonderful day also. The holiday season officially starts after Thanksgiving and it’s a very short time until Christmas. Have a wonderful day with friends and family and enjoy a fantastic meal, there is so much to be thankful for and on this day we want to remember just how lucky we are to have each other, delicious food on our table and the warm home that we live in,

Sweet Potato Pie

I use Joy the Bakers recipe for the sweet potato pie. If you have never had one you should try it, it’s delicious. I actually prefer to pumpkin pie. Joy’s recipe is fantastic. I made a couple of very minor changes to Joys recipe, I bake the sweet potatoes until they are very soft and caramelized, then I process in the food processor until they are silky smooth. She uses two 5 oz cans of evaporated milk, I use 5 oz of half and half and 5 oz of heavy cream. I also omit the coriander. It’s very similar to Meta Givens Pumpkin pie rccipe which is what I use for my pumpkin pie. NOTE: The baking time for the sweet potato pie was different than that in the recipe. Joy has you bake at 450 for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 325 and bake for 1 hour. well my pie was completely baked in 45 minutes and my oven temperature was accurate. Every stove varies so this doesn’t mean it will not take an hour for your pie but mine did not.

Pecan Pie

I also make Pecan Pie, I posted the recipe last year so click on the link to see the recipe. It’s tooth achingly sweet but that is the way pecan pie is and it’s absolutely delicious.

Here is my favorite recipe and at least for me it’s no fail pie dough or pastry whichever you would like to call it. It’s from the master, Julia Child and is simple and foolproof. She uses butter and shortening, all purpose and cake flour. I like to use leaf lard instead of the shortening. I gave instructions if you want to use a food processor, for me it’s by hand only for a flaky pie crust. I like to use the food processor for tart dough (pate sucre’)

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom

Juilia Childs Pastry Dough

Makes enough dough for a double crust 9 inch pie

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1 tsp salt

6 oz cold unsalted butter cut into tbs size pieces

4 tbs shortening or leaf lard cold

1/2 cup ice cold water

You can make this either by hand or in the food processor. To make by hand, put flours, salt, butter, lard or shortening into mixing bowl, use pastry cutter to combine until it resembles pea size crumbs. Add water mix with fork, gather with your hands, divide dough into a 2 discs and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In Food Processor, add the flours, salt, butter and shortening or lard into the bowl of the processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles pea size crumbs. Add the water and pulse a few times until it becomes a cohesive dough. Divide dough into two discs and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Apple Pie

For the Thanksgiving meal I feel like picking a wine is like a crap shoot. There is such a variety of dishes how do you pick something that compliments the meal? I know with poultry or fowl you usually pair white wine but I like red with my meal. I purchased a variety of wines but the star of the show for the meal will be 2010 Christian Bernard Fleurie Select Block Gamay – Beaujolais I got a magnum. I feel that it will not compete with the meal but compliment. Hope I’m right. I can’t take credit for picking out the wine, my friend and owner of Gnarly Vines in Brooklyn is the expert and he guides my choices. Excuse the messy table I quickly shot a pic of the wine before it went into the wine cooler. What wine are you serving with your Thanksgiving feast?